Shu Rui led the carpenter into the shop and showed him around the main hall, the several rooms upstairs, and the east and west rooms of the rear courtyard.
“The shop’s been around a long time, and no one took care of it before. There are quite a few rotten, leaking boards. I’m thinking of fixing it all in one go, to save trouble later.”
The carpenter’s surname was Tong. He had originally thought this would be a small job—maybe just adding a couple of pieces of furniture. From the outside, the shop looked neatly repaired and clean, so he hadn’t expected major work inside.
After inspecting everything carefully, he said to Shu Rui, “Looking at the floors in these rooms, they’re truly moldy and rotten. If you want to repair them, the bad boards will have to be pried up first, then new ones cut to size and laid in. And for appearances, they’ll need to be painted and aged, so the old and new don’t clash and look unsightly.”
Shu Rui said, “Exactly. I went to a woodworking shop the other day to take a look as well, but no master has come by to give me a quote yet. Running into you today saves some trouble.”
He deliberately mentioned having talked to a woodworking shop before, to let the man know he understood the market a bit and wasn’t someone who could be easily fooled.
Carpenter Tong said, “We village carpenters—regardless of how good our skills are—don’t charge as much as the city workshops.
“My usual rate is one hundred eighty copper coins a day. Looking at the amount of work here, it’ll take at least ten days to finish. I can be a bit more accommodating on the price for you.
“But I should make this clear upfront. Village carpenters don’t rank work by grades like city workshops do. Out in the countryside, we rely on reputation and word-of-mouth.”
Shu Rui said, “I’ve heard a bit about that too.”
Carpenter Tong continued, “Right now, I’ve only seen the work needed here and know what kind of job it is. You, on the other hand, haven’t seen my craftsmanship yet. Under these circumstances, it’s not easy to truly settle a price.
“How about this—either tomorrow I bring a few items I’ve made myself for you to inspect, or you make a trip out to my home in the countryside to take a look. I live in Haitian Village. It’s not far from the city—back and forth by cart takes just over two hours.”
Shu Rui thought to himself that this Carpenter Tong was quite decent. He didn’t rush to sweet-talk his way into sealing the deal just because there was work; instead, he even suggested that Shu Rui inspect his craftsmanship first.
Based on that alone, it was clear he must have some real skill—at the very least, a carpenter who had completed his training.
“In that case, I’ll make a trip to the village and trouble Master Tong with a visit.”
Shu Rui decided to see for himself. If he wanted convenience, he could simply have the man bring items the next day to inspect. But to be blunt, who knew whether those items were truly made by him or by someone else? Saving a little trouble now might only mean more trouble later.
Besides, if the carpenter’s skills were good and the price reasonable, Shu Rui could also ask him to make tables, benches, and beds later on. That would save him from having to find this person, then another. Finding someone efficient and reliable to handle things wasn’t easy.
Carpenter Tong was even happier to have Shu Rui come by. That made business easier to talk about. Seeing that Shu Rui didn’t mind the trouble, it was clear he genuinely intended to hire someone for the job.
He had encountered plenty of people who were afraid of inconvenience, asked him to bring items to inspect, then nitpicked afterward and ultimately didn’t give him the job. Those people were just testing the market and never truly had work to offer.
Shu Rui poured a bowl of drink for Carpenter Tong and had him sit and drink it. He left behind his home’s exact address, and they agreed to go look at the woodwork that afternoon.
Around noon, Shu Rui kept an eye on the drink business while preparing lunch in the back courtyard.
Yang Chunhua had an old customer from a tofu shop who delivered several slabs of tofu to her today. The mother and daughter couldn’t finish it all themselves, and tofu didn’t keep long in the summer heat, so they passed two slabs on to Shu Rui.
Shu Rui sliced the tofu thickly and pan-fried it until both sides were golden. He minced some pork and stir-fried it until fragrant, then added bean paste and seasonings, and let everything simmer together with the tofu for a quarter of an hour. The rich, meaty sauce soaked into the tofu—it couldn’t have been more fragrant.
He dished the food up, added rice, and packed it all into a lunch box. Then he went to the front, closed the shop, and hung up the “closed” sign.
There hadn’t been much drink business today anyway, and he needed to head to the countryside in the afternoon. He might as well close up and not trouble Yang Chunhua with watching the place.
He left the table and benches beneath the elm tree, for passersby to rest their feet.
With that, Shu Rui lifted the lunch box and headed toward Qiugui Street.
—
Just as noon arrived, a class at Zhang Shi’s martial arts hall finished in the rear training ground.
The young martial trainees were all baked by the sun until their skin burned hot. Each of them was drenched in sweat, standing in neat rows on the training ground, not daring to disperse until the instructor gave the word.
“During the day you’re to train on your own. Don’t act like a bunch of spineless soft worms. Today, how many of you actually held a steady stance while walking the forms? Your punches were limp, your saber couldn’t even cut the wind. If you sneak off to be lazy in private, what skill will you have to show when the time comes!”
Lu Ling stood off to one side, watching the instructor deliver his scolding.
At present he was only an assistant instructor. His main duties were still to assist the chief instructor in training the students. The instructor he was assisting today was surnamed Wei, called Wei Jin, an old hand among the martial hall’s instructors.
After a torrent of harsh reprimands, Instructor Wei finally said, “Dismissed.”
The young trainees felt as if a great weight had been lifted. Two remained behind to tidy up the training equipment, while the rest scattered like a flock of chicks, chattering as they went.
Seeing the class had ended, Lu Ling headed toward the front of the martial hall, intending to wait for Shu Rui.
Instructor Wei Jin looked up and saw that Lu Ling had actually walked ahead of him without even offering a greeting. He felt distinctly displeased.
He had long found Lu Ling’s cool, aloof manner irritating.
“Little Lu!”
Wei Jin clasped his hands behind his back and called out loudly to stop him.
“You’re not busy, are you? Take the sandbags and spears from the training ground and put them away in the storeroom. The sun’s strong out here—if the equipment’s left to bake too long, it won’t last.”
Then he turned to the two young trainees who were picking up equipment and said, “You two go eat lunch. Instructor Lu will handle things here. Don’t delay your afternoon training.”
The two trainees, sandbags in their arms, looked at each other. Normally, tidying up the equipment after class was done by the students on rotation. Today, this…
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go.”
The two trainees reluctantly set down what they were holding and turned to look at Lu Ling.
Seeing this, Lu Ling said, “Go take care of your own business.”
Without arguing with Wei Jin, he went straight over, grabbed a sandbag with one hand, and carried it to the storeroom.
Seeing this, Wei Jin snorted coldly, finally satisfied, and strode off.
Shu Rui had set out early. When he reached the martial hall, not many trainees had gone out yet to eat.
He looked around outside but didn’t see Lu Ling. That foolish boy had told him in the morning that the last class would end early, and that he’d come out to meet him as soon as he was done.
Shu Rui wasn’t annoyed. He went up to the gatehouse, where an old man was sitting with one leg propped up. He looked elderly, yet his body was sturdy, his eyes sharp and spirited—he must have been a practitioner in his younger days.
Shu Rui politely said he was delivering lunch and asked whether he could go inside.
Seeing that Shu Rui was unfamiliar, the old man asked who he was and who he was delivering food to.
Shu Rui answered honestly.
When he heard Lu Ling’s name, the old man knew he wasn’t lying. He might not know every student in the hall, but he knew all the instructors and their names clearly.
The martial hall did not easily allow students’ family members to bring food inside, but there was no such restriction for instructors’ families.
He didn’t go out of his way to be courteous, but he didn’t make things difficult either. “Go on in. The sooner you go, the sooner you come out.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Shu Rui carried the lunch box into the martial hall.
The hall was spacious. The first thing he saw was a broad training ground, where trainees were still practicing.
Rows of young men held long spears in their hands, bare to the waist, their skin tanned to a bronze hue by the sun. Muscles bulged, and sweat ran from their necks, down their powerful backs, and along their narrow, tight waists.
Shu Rui’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected to stumble straight into such a sight. It was far more vivid than anything drawn in books.
Still, in broad daylight, he really didn’t dare to stare too much at other people’s bodies.
These days, customs were open enough, no longer like the old times when women and male spouses were expected to stay behind closed doors. The more prosperous a place, the fewer the restraints.
On the streets, if there was a handsome young man, anyone could look openly, and the bolder ones might even toss him a handkerchief. Watching people practice martial arts—such a proper activity—was nothing out of the ordinary.
Not only that, when trainees on the field caught sight of young women or male spouses coming in, they actually trained even harder.
A unified shout of “Hah!” rang out, startling Shu Rui, who had been lost in thought, so badly he jumped.
He still hadn’t found Lu Ling and didn’t know who to ask. The weather was hot, and well-built, bare-chested men were everywhere.
Shu Rui had been studious since childhood, and he already had someone he loved. He held himself with restraint and propriety, and really didn’t feel comfortable calling out to strangers.
“Hey? Aren’t you that—um—that male spouse who sold food together with Little Lu?”
Just as Shu Rui was at a loss, a tall, broad-shouldered man walked over from the covered corridor to the side.
Shu Rui looked over at the voice. At least this one was properly dressed, and his face did seem vaguely familiar.
“I’m the one who called Little Lu to come teach at our martial hall. My surname’s Zhong—Zhong Dayang. Do you remember?”
From the moment he opened his mouth, Shu Rui had more or less guessed who he was, though he hadn’t known his name.
Lu Ling did tell him a bit about the martial hall, but not much about specific men.
Shu Rui replied politely, “Of course I remember. I should really thank you, Brother Zhong. Otherwise, A Ling wouldn’t have had the chance to work at the martial hall.”
“What are you thanking me for? It’s Little Lu’s own ability. He got into the martial hall entirely on his own. When he came, I happened to be out handling business at another hall. By the time I got back, he was already an instructor.”
Zhong Dayang laughed and then asked if Shu Rui had come to deliver lunch to Lu Ling.
Shu Rui answered yes and asked where Lu Ling was.
“He should be at the rear training ground. But class should’ve ended by now. Why hasn’t he come out yet?”
Zhong Dayang muttered to himself for a moment. Seeing that it was Shu Rui’s first time inside, he enthusiastically led him toward the rear training ground to look for Lu Ling.
He was a talkative fellow, asking whether the food they’d sold before had been made by Shu Rui, boasting about how good their martial hall was, and pointing out which bare-chested trainees on the field were particularly skilled.
In a short stretch of road, Shu Rui felt as though he’d listened to two whole baskets of words.
They had barely entered the rear training ground when Shu Rui spotted Lu Ling from afar.
The fool had four sandbags slung over his left shoulder and more than ten stone spears tucked under his right arm, striding toward the storeroom.
“Why are you doing this kind of work? Aren’t the students supposed to clean up after class? Which students are so ignorant of the rules, bullying you because you’re a new instructor!”
Zhong Dayang stormed over, cursing loudly. “Tell me which students were in your class—I’ll drag them out and give them a good dressing-down!”
Zhong Dayang felt that Lu Ling was half recruited by him, and that he bore some responsibility to look out for him. Seeing him being pushed around, he was indignant on his behalf.
Lu Ling, however, had his eyes only on Shu Rui behind him, as if waiting for his instructions.
Their gazes met. Seeing Lu Ling alone in the blazing sun, still cleaning up like this, Shu Rui felt a faint ache in his chest. He said gently, “Put the things away in the storeroom first.”
“Mm.”
Lu Ling answered and carried the equipment into the storeroom. Seeing this, Zhong Dayang cursed under his breath while helping gather up the remaining equipment and carry it inside as well.
Once everything was put away, Zhong Dayang somehow produced a pot of tea. The three of them sat under a nearby awning to rest.
Shu Rui had brought plenty of food—originally enough for two. He’d planned to eat together with Lu Ling here at the martial hall. But now that Zhong Dayang had guided him in and helped Lu Ling clean up, Shu Rui invited him to eat as well, saying he himself wouldn’t join them.
Lu Ling glanced at the two sets of bowls and chopsticks at the bottom of the lunch box and looked up at Shu Rui. He understood that Shu Rui had meant for the two of them to eat together, and his mouth drooped slightly.
Still, whatever mischief he might make at home, Lu Ling behaved properly in public.
He took the food out first, making sure there was enough for two people to eat, then deliberately took out only one set of bowls and chopsticks, treating it as though it had been prepared for just one person, and told Zhong Dayang to go find another set.
Zhong Dayang didn’t have anyone bringing him lunch. Seeing how fragrant Lu Ling’s food was, and being invited by both of them to eat together, he didn’t stand on ceremony and hopped off to find bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing how considerate Lu Ling was being, Shu Rui took a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the sweat from Lu Ling’s forehead.
“What happened today?”
Lu Ling lowered his head slightly, letting Shu Rui wipe his sweat. He breathed in the faint scent of bamboo leaves and jasmine from the handkerchief, and his heart was already blissfully full.
“It’s nothing serious. Just that the chief instructor and I don’t quite get along.”
Hearing this, Shu Rui didn’t need to ask further to understand the situation.
“You’re new, and your temperament’s a bit cold. Some of the senior instructors like to give newcomers a hard time, just to make them show proper deference.”
Such things were common enough. Wherever people worked together, there was always a kind of underworld. Though he felt sorry for Lu Ling, Shu Rui was also relieved.
“I’m impressed that our A Ling didn’t end up fighting with anyone. You actually swallowed the grievance and kept the peace.”
Lu Ling looked at Shu Rui and saw the slight curve of his lips. He gently squeezed Shu Rui’s hand. “That’s nothing. I’m not a fool who only knows how to stir up trouble outside. I’ve spent many years in martial halls, after all.”
Before they could finish speaking, Zhong Dayang came running back with a set of bowls and chopsticks. Shu Rui quickly put the handkerchief away.
Zhong Dayang plopped down on the bench, bringing a wave of heat with him, his expression still indignant.
“Little Lu, if you won’t say it, I’ve figured out who’s behind this. I asked who taught with you today—it was Wei Jin, that old bastard, wasn’t it!”
Shu Rui served rice to the two of them. Seeing Zhong Dayang talking loudly, he glanced around and said, “In a place like the martial hall, everyone runs into each other all the time. Brother Zhong is straightforward by nature, but it’s better to keep your voice down.”
Zhong Dayang said, “It’s fine. There’s no one around right now.”
Even so, he still lowered his voice in deference to Shu Rui.
“That old bastard saw the hall master wasn’t around and started throwing his weight around, deliberately making things hard for Little Lu, bullying him for being new.”
Earlier, he had recommended his own brother-in-law to the hall master to work at the martial hall, which happened right around the same time Little Lu came to present himself. That brother-in-law had only the most rudimentary, half-baked skills—who would be willing to recruit him just to pay him silver for nothing? It would only drag down the martial hall’s reputation.
Several instructors interviewed him and all shook their heads, but out of deference to that old fellow, none dared say much. In the end, the hall master personally stepped in and smoothed things over. Seeing that the man was an old hand at the hall, he gave him face and said the martial hall already had a full complement of instructors and wouldn’t be taking anyone else for the time being.
“Then wouldn’t you know it—Little Lu showed up right after that. He has real skill, and the hall master was so satisfied he immediately approved him. That, of course, contradicted what he’d just said before. The old bastard couldn’t swallow the humiliation and went around saying that Little Lu had taken his brother-in-law’s spot. With that rotten temper of his, he didn’t dare go make trouble for the hall master, so instead he started giving Little Lu a hard time behind the scenes.”
Hearing this, both Shu Rui and Lu Ling frowned. They’d thought it was just an old hand putting a newcomer in his place, never imagining there was another layer to it.
“That old bastard’s been riding high lately. His father’s a constable, working in the Works Office as a registrar. Didn’t the old director of the Works Office get investigated after the bridge collapsed during the Lotus Moon Festival? That position’s still vacant. Word is, his old man’s about to take over as the head of the Works Office.
“So, Little Lu, don’t confront him head-on for now, or you’ll end up suffering in secret. Once the hall master comes back, then we’ll make him choke on it.”
Lu Ling had left home young and lived out on the road. He’d tasted every kind of bitterness and hardship—none of this weighed much on his heart.
Before, when he suffered big grievances or small humiliations, no one cared. Now that there was someone who worried over him, he found it even easier to shrug these things off.
“It’s nothing worth fussing over,” he said. “I’m not going to stoop to his level.”
This was said for Shu Rui’s sake.
Hearing this, Shu Rui could only remind Lu Ling to be more careful in his daily work here, to do his proper duties well and give others less to latch onto.
Just because someone had ill intent didn’t mean he could abandon the job altogether. In the end, it was still a matter of meeting problems as they came. If things truly went too far, that would be another matter.
As for today’s incident, there really wasn’t much to argue about.
The three talked a bit longer before finally eating.
Zhong Dayang ate his fill and praised the food nonstop, saying it was a pity Shu Rui no longer sold meals here.
Then, slurring his words, he added that when he went looking for a wife or husband in the future, it absolutely had to be someone good at soups and stews.
Shu Rui laughed and said, “If Brother Zhong wants to eat my cooking again, just tell Lu Ling.”
Lu Ling was afraid Zhong Dayang might misunderstand, grinning foolishly at Shu Rui, so he added, “I won’t charge you extra.”
“Good brother!”
Shu Rui packed up the food containers, and Lu Ling walked him out.
Before leaving, Shu Rui told him, “Come home a bit earlier this afternoon. I found a carpenter—he’s from the countryside. We agreed to go look at his woodwork today. I’ll wait for you to get off work and we’ll go together.”
Lu Ling answered, “I’ll come back as soon as I’m off.”