Before executing the demonic monk, they first dragged up several ordinary people who had been shouting the loudest, while constables holding long whips were already waiting nearby.
At the magistrate’s order, the long whip fell onto the backs of the troublemakers. There was no deliberate restraint in force, so with one lash, blood immediately seeped out from their backs.
“You might as well beg your eminent monk—see whether he can lend you a helping hand now!” Magistrate Zheng roared angrily. “A bunch of ignorant fools—keep shouting!”
The troublemakers were beaten until they were half-dead, and because of this, the common people no longer dared to speak casually. Those who had been shouting to release the Master now did not even dare to breathe loudly, afraid that they would be dragged up for punishment.
No one dared to shout, and only then did Magistrate Zheng speak properly.
“The Master you speak of is merely a demonic monk, not even a monk! He is only bewitching you toward death! Among you, many have been tricked into giving him your grain. He can fill his own stomach, yet makes you starve alive! What kind of realm is that!”
“Look around you—look at your relatives and friends, look at their withered and gaunt faces. They are fighting with all their strength to live, yet you want to give up. Can you really bear to abandon them!”
“What you should do most is live well. Look at those kind people who are still giving alms—they have never abandoned you. Their daily almsgiving is saving you!”
Magistrate Zheng’s voice had gone hoarse. He hoped these people could open their eyes, regain reason, and understand that saving themselves was what they most needed to do.
The common people raised their heads in a daze, even subconsciously searching for familiar figures in the crowd. They wanted to see whether there were still familiar people, but what met their eyes were gaunt faces like dry firewood—yet there was still light in their eyes.
No one did not want to live. Even those who had once firmly believed in the demonic monk had only walked into a dead end because they wanted to live too much. As long as someone led them, they could awaken.
And then they could live.
“Wuu…”
No one knew who let out the first cry. Soon more cries followed—some hugged their heads and wept bitterly, some stood blankly in place with tears falling.
But at this moment, those tears proved they had come to their senses.
Magistrate Zheng looked at the miserable people, his eyes also bloodshot. His voice choked slightly, then became firm. “People! Tell this official—should this demonic monk be killed or not?”
“Kill!”
“Kill him!”
At first, those who shouted most loudly were the ones who had lost family members. Later, it was the awakened people who had come to their senses. They cried as they shouted to kill the demonic monk, even though their loved ones could not return.
Magistrate Zheng ordered the constables to carry away those who had been beaten, cleaned the execution platform, and the bound demonic monk was already so frightened he was about to faint, repeatedly begging for mercy.
“My lord, spare my life! I won’t dare again. I’m not a monk at all—I just wanted to cheat them of their grain. I have a wife and children at home too—I only wanted them to live!”
“Utter nonsense!” Magistrate Zheng rebuked angrily. “All the towns in Mingqu County are giving alms. Those merchants are taking out their own grain to save you. You could have taken your wife and children to eat every day, yet you chose to harm others. Your crime is unforgivable! I want everyone to see—whoever dares harm Mingqu County deserves death! Execute him!”
Along with the final words, what fell was not only Magistrate Zheng’s voice, but also that blood-soaked yet filthy head.
At the final moment, Shi Wuxiang tightly covered Yuan Zhao’s eyes. He did not struggle, but he could hear the dull slicing sound of the blade cutting into flesh, chilling to the bone.
“Even if you don’t let me see now, when I open my eyes later I’ll still see it,” Yuan Zhao said honestly.
“That’s why I’m turning you around now.” Shi Wuxiang immediately turned him to face the other direction, not letting him see even a bit of the bloody scene. “In a while we’ll say goodbye to the magistrate and go home.”
Yuan Zhao nodded repeatedly. “We should go home. With things like this, it counts as resolved, right?”
Shi Wuxiang said, “Temporarily resolved.”
If the drought could not be alleviated, new problems would arise later. One can know a person’s face but not their heart; no one could predict how people’s hearts would change.
Yuan Zhao did not ask further. He only needed to do what he should do—take care of the matters at home and not make A’Xiang worry or struggle.
He only wanted to have a clear conscience.
Having resolved one difficult matter, Magistrate Zheng was in much better spirits. When he saw Shi Wuxiang, he wanted to chat a bit more, but upon learning he was leaving immediately, he felt somewhat reluctant.
“Why be in such a hurry? Stay and have a simple meal at home—just a simple meal.” Magistrate Zheng’s expression carried a bit of bitterness. “This drought is going to kill people!”
Shi Wuxiang said, “My family still has some surplus grain. If my lord is in difficulty, this student can send some to you later.”
Magistrate Zheng could not help but laugh loudly. “I was only speaking like that—how could I take your things? Times are not what they used to be. You all should also stay vigilant in the village.”
“Yes, this student understands.” Shi Wuxiang cupped his hands in salute.
“You’ve worked hard today. Have the constables send you back.” Magistrate Zheng knew they had helped a lot today and had come under the blazing sun; keeping them longer out of kindness would only tire them more.
Shi Wuxiang himself was fine, but Yuan Zhao could not endure the heat. It was better to go home and rest early.
So he said no more, exchanged farewells, and left with Yuan Zhao.
Inside the carriage, there were even fans and tea thoughtfully prepared. The teapot had beads of water forming on it. Shi Wuxiang touched it as if sensing something—indeed, it was ice-cold.
He immediately poured a cup for Yuan Zhao. “Ice-cold tea—quick, have a drink.”
Yuan Zhao immediately gulped it down, then let out a breath. He looked at Shi Wuxiang in delight. “A’Xiang, A’Xiang, it’s so cold! Is there ice? There’s actually ice!”
“Does it feel good?” Shi Wuxiang asked with a smile.
“So good. You drink too… the magistrate is really so kind! It’s great that he’s the magistrate.” Yuan Zhao was so happy he didn’t know what to say.
“The magistrate is a good person to begin with,” Shi Wuxiang said. “Don’t gulp it all at once—you might get diarrhea. Drink slowly.”
Yuan Zhao nodded, fed him the remaining sip from the cup, then continued drinking with his head lowered.
Ice was not easy to store. Just the bit used in the water would cost at least several wen, but if it were in the dead of winter, it would be something no one even wanted if given for free. It showed that if seasonal differences were used well, money could also be made.
By the time the carriage had not yet reached Qingshui Town, the pot of ice-cold tea had already turned lukewarm. Yuan Zhao no longer felt reluctant to drink it and finished it in a few gulps.
All the water had turned into sweat; he didn’t even have the urge to go to the latrine. Yuan Zhao felt that the ice-cold tea had been drunk for nothing.
When they returned home, Jia Xiaomei had not yet come back from distributing alms, and they did not know what the situation in town was like, so they could only wait for her to return and ask.
After the demonic monk was captured, some of the common people still gave up on themselves and refused to eat or drink, but more of them, after being frightened by the constables, came back to their senses and obediently lined up to receive porridge. Sometimes they could even eat steamed buns, which were better than what they usually ate, so they no longer dared to make trouble.
Although the situation was not much better, it did not worsen like before.
When Jia Xiaomei came back, she told them what had happened in town. “I heard from the constables that the demonic monk has already been beheaded, and his head has been hung on the city gate. Some of the common people were frightened badly and became obedient.”
“They should be obedient. Food and drink are temporarily not lacking, yet they still aren’t obedient—it’s a bit too ungrateful,” Shi Qingyue said somewhat indignantly. “If I were the magistrate, I would first beat those troublemakers, kill the chicken to warn the monkey, then hang that demonic monk on the city wall and whip him. Whoever pleads for him, I’d give them a lash with a thorn branch!”
Yuan Zhao and Shi Wuxiang looked at each other—this was almost exactly what the magistrate had done, and this method was even more intimidating!
Shi Wuxiang could not help but laugh softly. “If you went to be an official, you would surely be a good one.”
“I’m afraid not. If I saw gold and silver treasures, I wouldn’t be able to move,” Shi Qingyue said, then burst out laughing himself.
Gold leaf moves the heart—who would not like gold and silver treasures?
What matters is how one acts; the result is what is most important.
“You’re just talking nonsense,” Madam Shi scolded him lightly. “If you really could become an official, then I wouldn’t rush to arrange your marriage!”
“I don’t even have proper manners, I can’t support a family—why delay someone else? Cultivate oneself, regulate the family… I haven’t even cultivated myself, how could I regulate a family? No, no!” Shi Qingyue shook his head repeatedly, looking like he was avoiding marriage at all costs.
Seeing him becoming more and more outrageous, Madam Shi immediately grabbed his ear. “Either marry someone like your sister-in-law, or go be an official for me! Otherwise don’t expect me to nag you less!”
“Hey! Mother is praising me again!” Yuan Zhao gulped down a bowl of cool tea and seized the moment to grin at Shi Wuxiang.
“Because you’re good.” Shi Wuxiang pinched his now-thinner cheek. “You really should eat more lately. The flesh you finally gained is gone again.”
Hearing this, Yuan Zhao wanted to sigh. He also wanted to eat more, but the summer heat was unbearable; aside from drinking cool water, he truly had no appetite.
Shi Wuxiang also knew he was having a hard time. With nothing else to do, he could only make more novel foods to coax him into eating—anything more he could eat was something.
As for Shi Qingyue’s marriage, there was no conclusion for now. With his current mindset, he was indeed not suitable to marry yet; waiting another two years was not urgent.
The drought continued, and another difficult month passed like this.
One morning, when Yuan Zhao woke up, he was not woken by the heat as usual. Climbing up from the ground, Shi Wuxiang beside him was already gone. Hearing the clanking sounds outside, he knew he was making food in different ways again.
So he quickly got up to help, casually putting on a loose garment and heading toward the kitchen.
Only when he arrived did he realize that everyone in the family was in the kitchen, and each of them wore festive expressions, as if there were some joyful event.
“Why is everyone gathered in the kitchen? What are you making?” Yuan Zhao also leaned forward to look. There were noodles, vegetables, and many fried foods that looked crispy and delicious.
Although it was also hot today, perhaps because he had slept well, his body did not have that usual restlessness, so he had the mood to ask a few more questions.
Yuan Yuan squeezed beside him, raised his little face, and tugged at his clothes. Yuan Zhao only thought he was acting spoiled and pinched his cheek.
“We made some things you like, and there’s a bowl of noodles left for you.” Shi Wuxiang said with a smile, signaling him to take the bowl of thin noodles to the side. “It’s been rinsed several times with well water, so it shouldn’t be hot.”
Yuan Zhao obediently carried it, and the other dishes were also brought out.
Placed on the table, the liveliness was comparable to the New Year.
He looked at it somewhat blankly. Only after all the food was set on the table did he suddenly realize that the bowl of noodles was his alone—a very beautiful bowl of thin noodles, neat like hair combed by a ruler, with a few slices of cucumber and vegetable leaves garnished on top.
“Have you all eaten?” he asked blankly. “I’ll share it with you.”
“We naturally have our own. That bowl of noodles is for you.” Madam Shi’s face was full of kindness. “A’Xiang even fried an egg underneath for you. It’s made beautifully—eat quickly.”
“Oh, okay.” Yuan Zhao carefully parted the neat noodles, revealing the round fried egg underneath. He poked the plump yolk—it was the solid yolk he liked.
He took a bite, eating half the egg in one go. The yolk stuck to the roof of his mouth, and he suddenly remembered something, murmuring, “I haven’t washed my face yet…”
Shi Wuxiang pressed his lips together, swallowed his words back, and raised his hand to signal him to continue eating. “It’s fine today. Eating happily is what matters most.”
The more Yuan Zhao ate, the more he felt something was off. This bowl of noodles, this table of food, and the strange attitudes of his family all made him feel somewhat uneasy.
Especially A’Xiang—he always made him wash up every day. Today he could actually say it didn’t matter?
“Could it be the house is haunted—ow!” He covered his face and cried out. “Why are you pinching me?”
Madam Shi also angrily hit Shi Wuxiang once. “Don’t make trouble!”
Yuan Zhao quickly said, “I’m fine, I’m fine. A’Xiang’s body isn’t good, don’t hit him… I just feel it’s strange. You’re all so strange. Is this a last meal before execution? Haha…”
“You don’t remember?” Shi Wuxiang looked at him in some surprise. “Today is the nineteenth day of the fourth month. It’s your birthday.”
With one sentence, Yuan Zhao immediately felt that the noodles in his bowl were no longer fragrant.
He looked at the long, beautiful noodles. If he had eaten them before, he would know this was longevity noodles, with an egg, cooked in chicken broth… but he had never eaten it before.
And he should not be eating it now.
He let out a short laugh, then his eyes curved into a line. “Haha, I forgot. It’s already this time, haha…”
Madam Shi also laughed. “You child—before coming to our home, you still remembered your birthday was the nineteenth of the fourth month. Now that the day has come, you forgot. But Mother should also apologize—if A’Xiang hadn’t asked, I would have forgotten too.”
“Why ask about this kind of thing…”
Yuan Zhao’s expression showed just the right amount of confusion. Fear and tension were hidden deep inside. He was afraid that he had exposed something; otherwise, why would A’Xiang suddenly celebrate his birthday? No one in the village celebrated birthdays… or was A’Xiang hinting at something?
He had come to the Shi family because of a lie. If these people found out he had lied, they would know his “bringing good fortune” was useless—that it was the doctor’s merit…
Then he would become a liar!
He would be driven out!
No wonder Yuan ge’er had tugged at his clothes just now—he had wanted to tell him this, but his mind had not been clear earlier, and he had not had the attention to listen.
Shi Wuxiang looked at him thoughtfully and said softly, “I just suddenly remembered Mother saying that your birth characters match mine—that you were born on the nineteenth of the fourth month—so I kept it in mind. I have a good memory, so I thought of celebrating for you. What’s wrong?”
Yuan Zhao shook his head and quickly lowered his head to eat the noodles. But the originally beautiful and delicious longevity noodles now had no taste for him; his heart was filled with the fear that he might have been discovered.
A’Xiang often told him that in business one must be honest and trustworthy, and that being a person was the same. A’Xiang was the most honest and trustworthy person; not once had he broken his word… he must especially hate liars.
He would also hate him.
“It’s nothing. This noodle is really delicious!” Yuan Zhao deliberately curved his eyes into a line, not letting anyone see the emotions in them.
But he forgot that the person in front of him was the most intelligent scholar in Qingshui Town.
He thought he had hidden his emotions well, but Shi Wuxiang, who had spent day and night with him for so long, could clearly see his panic and unease.
However, Shi Wuxiang did not think too much of it. He only thought Yuan Zhao was not used to celebrating birthdays, perhaps something unpleasant had happened in the past, after all, Yuan Daguang’s family had never treated him well.
So he did not intend to ask further.
“Then eat more. These are all things you like.” Shi Wuxiang said gently.
Today Yuan Zhao was the birthday person. The Shi family had their own small rule: the birthday person must taste every dish first. Under everyone’s gaze, he picked a bite of each dish, and only then did the others begin to eat.
Yuan Zhao forced himself to lift his spirits and eat. During the meal, he seemed to recover a bit, smiling as he talked and ate with them.
Shi Qingyue took Yuan ge’er and Ranran to wash the dishes. It was hot at this time, so they were willing to touch cool water; if it were winter, they would probably avoid washing dishes.
Yuan Zhao, meanwhile, was taken back to the room by Shi Wuxiang, who said he had a gift to give him.
“There’s even a gift?” Yuan Zhao became much happier again. He smiled a little shyly. “Then what are you going to give me? I’ve never received a birthday gift before! Well, that’s not quite right—He ge’er secretly gave me two boiled eggs! Two!”
“Two eggs and you’re this happy?” Shi Wuxiang could not help but laugh.
“Those were eggs! I never ate eggs in the Yuan family. When cooking, I would secretly let Yuan ge’er eat them, haha…” Yuan Zhao laughed foolishly, feeling quite clever—Wang Xiaohua had never noticed.
Shi Wuxiang led him to sit down and took out a box from the cabinet. “Open it and see if you like it.”
Yuan Zhao looked at the brocade box in front of him and took a deep breath. He rubbed his palms on his clothes twice, then stretched out his trembling hand, muttering, “Then I’m going to open it… I’m opening it…”
The moment the brocade box was opened, Yuan Zhao instantly lost his voice.
Inside the box lay a pair of silver bracelets, each hanging with a small golden sun. The round little suns looked especially cute.
“So pretty…” Yuan Zhao flicked the little suns. His already bright eyes were reflected even brighter by the gold.
“There is one sun in the sky, and there is also one before me.” Shi Wuxiang’s voice was very soft. He rubbed Yuan Zhao’s slender wrist and put the pair of bracelets onto his hands. “So there are two suns.”
Yuan Zhao understood what he meant. “Is it matching my name?”
“Yes.” Shi Wuxiang held his fingertips, slowly covering his own palm over his, then gently yet firmly interlocked their fingers.
“What is used to bind a pledge? Bracelets circling the wrist.” Shi Wuxiang lightly scratched the back of his hand with his fingertip. “It suits you very well. I originally wanted to buy you gold and jade, but my private savings are only this much—they’re all in here.”
“I have silver!” Yuan Zhao made as if to go get him silver. “You can still buy many good things.”
Shi Wuxiang held him slightly tighter, smiling in his eyes. “Using your money to buy you a gift—what would that count as?”
Yuan Zhao paused and looked at him. That did seem reasonable, but… “Then you don’t have any private savings left? Do you want me to secretly stuff you some at night? I’ll pretend I don’t know—how about it? Do you want it?”
“Mm… as long as you’re happy.” Shi Wuxiang hadn’t expected him to think like this.
He had only wanted to tell Yuan Zhao that he could give everything he had.
“Oh right, what did that line of poetry you just said mean?” Yuan Zhao suddenly leaned close and asked. “You can’t bully me just because I haven’t studied and say whatever you want. You’re not scolding me, are you? Even if you scold me, I wouldn’t understand.”
Saying that—aren’t you afraid Fan Qin will come find you?
“I’m not scolding you, but I won’t tell you what it means either.” Shi Wuxiang directly cut off his thought. “You can read more books during this time—you’ll find out.”
Yuan Zhao was so angry he wanted to pound the bed, but since A’Xiang said it wasn’t scolding him, then if he read more later, he would eventually know.
He shook his wrist, and the little suns swayed back and forth. Yuan Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, and Shi Wuxiang, watching his smile, also kept smiling.
“When is your birthday?” Yuan Zhao asked.
“The ninth day of the ninth month. Are you going to prepare a birthday gift for me?” Shi Wuxiang asked with a smile. “Then I should think carefully about it.”
Yuan Zhao was shocked. “Shouldn’t it depend on what I give you?”
Shi Wuxiang frowned slightly. “But if what you give doesn’t suit my taste, wouldn’t both of us be unhappy?”
“I give you a gift and you’d still be unhappy?” Yuan Zhao was even more shocked. “Talking like this makes you especially annoying. I’m not talking to you now.”
“Again me? Let me coax you, alright? Young master, don’t be mad at me.” Shi Wuxiang found him very amusing—he had never really been angry, yet always acted like he was. It was especially interesting to coax him.
Yuan Zhao puffed his cheeks and chuckled twice. “Alright then!”
The two chatted idly. Perhaps because he had been coaxed into happiness, Yuan Zhao didn’t feel today was particularly hot. Maybe as long as he didn’t think about it, it wouldn’t feel that hot.
“Today indeed isn’t as hot as before.” Shi Wuxiang also thought about it. He got up and opened the window. The heat wave was not as scorching as usual. “Perhaps things are about to improve.”
Yuan Zhao also leaned by the window to look. The originally clear, blazing sky had gathered clouds. Having lived in the village for a long time, he knew that clouds like this meant rain was coming.
But now he was a little uncertain.
“Hurry and get better.” Yuan Zhao echoed.
The opened window was not closed again. Occasionally, a breeze would even pass through, making it feel slightly more comfortable.
It wasn’t just them who noticed—everyone suffering from the drought noticed. They looked up at the sky like crops about to wither, hoping for a torrential rain to come.
“It really seems like it’s going to rain…” Yuan Zhao became more spirited. “The dark clouds at the horizon are piling up—they’ll be here very soon!”
“Then let’s sit under the eaves and wait.”
Shi Wuxiang moved two chairs under the corridor and even brought some melon seeds for him to pass the time. The others also came to wait under the eaves.
Just as Yuan Zhao said, the dark clouds quickly drifted from the horizon to overhead, blocking the blazing sun. The scorching heat instantly dissipated, leaving only a distinct earthy smell in the air.
“It will definitely rain,” Yuan Zhao said.
Shi Wuxiang also smelled the earthy scent—it was a sign that rain was coming.
Tap.
Tap tap tap.
“It’s raining!”
Shi Wuxiang couldn’t help but smile. The sun in the sky was covered, but the sun on the ground still shone brightly.