Chapter Thirty-Two: A-Lai
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Chen Xiaofu was somewhat surprised.
Old Huang had mentioned the name Daoist Leng to him before, though he had never met the man.
Nor did he know why Daoist Leng had sent this young Taoist named Alai to protect him.
He glanced back and saw Liang Jingru approaching.
Only then did he remember that the heroine was still following behind him.
Behind Liang Jingru, two carriages came slowly forward side by side.
Old Huang seemed to be chatting with the driver of the other carriage. He even tossed his wineskin to the man.
The driver caught it, took a long drink, wiped his mouth, and tossed the wineskin back to Old Huang.
Liang Jingru came to stand beside An Xiaowei, but said nothing. She no longer knew what she ought to say.
A moment later, Old Huang and the other driver arrived. They parked the carriages, then Old Huang came over with his cane, walking shoulder to shoulder with the driver.
The driver was an elderly man of about sixty.
A bamboo hat was strapped to his back, a horsewhip was wrapped around his waist, and a saber hung at his side.
The two men came to stand beside Chen Xiaofu and the others. Old Huang looked toward Alai, who was standing beneath the eaves, and Chen Xiaofu asked:
“He says he came down from the mountain on Daoist Leng’s orders to protect me. You must know him, right?”
Old Huang grinned and nodded. “I do.”
“The boy’s martial arts are quite good. He’s just a little too blunt. Since he’s here, he’ll accompany Young Master whenever you go out from now on.”
Chen Xiaofu said, “...How skilled is he?”
Before Old Huang could answer, Alai spoke.
“I can beat thirty people like you.”
Chen Xiaofu laughed. Then he suddenly pointed at Liang Jingru.
“What about someone like her?”
Alai looked at Liang Jingru, still standing perfectly straight, his gaze equally rigid.
After pondering for three breaths, he said, “If I’m well fed, I can beat ten of her.”
Liang Jingru immediately felt miserable again!
Her martial arts were famous even in the Imperial Capital!
How dare this little Taoist boast that he could beat ten of her!
She glared at Alai and pointed at Chen Xiaofu. “I—I can beat thirty people like him too!”
Alai clearly did not believe her.
His unwavering gaze did not retreat an inch. “Woman, why fight?”
“Stay at home, do some needlework, and bear children. That’s what women ought to do!”
“Fighting is a man’s business!”
Liang Jingru felt even worse. With a sharp clang, she drew her sword, widened her almond-shaped eyes, and cried out:
“You insolent little Taoist! I’ll show you that women can do more than bear children—they can kill people too!”
“Wait!”
“What? Afraid to fight?”
“No. I don’t fight women. Besides... I’m really very hungry!”
He looked at Chen Xiaofu.
“I’ve been walking for three days and three nights without even drinking a sip of water... I want food!”
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...
...
Alai was wolfing down rice.
He ignored everyone’s stares and had already finished five bowls.
“Hey, the dishes haven’t even arrived yet!” Chen Xiaofu reminded him.
Alai continued eating.
Liang Jingru had never seen anyone eat so much. She glanced at Alai and muttered, “You eat like a starving ghost reborn.”
Alai still ignored her and helped himself to another bowl of rice.
Before a single dish had been served, Alai had already eaten seven bowls.
When the first dish finally arrived, he put down his bowl and chopsticks.
Without even looking at the food, he turned to Chen Xiaofu.
“Where do I sleep?”
“...There’s no hurry. I’ll have Cuihong arrange it for you later.”
“I’m in a hurry. I’m very, very sleepy right now.”
“No, wait. You came here to protect me! How can you sleep when I haven’t even gone to bed? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”
Alai pondered for three breaths.
“With Old Huang here—”
He suddenly looked at the elderly driver.
“He’s an expert too. You don’t need my protection in this place, so I’m going to sleep.”
Liang Jingru was ignored yet again. She hated being ignored.
“This heroine is an expert too!”
Alai sat perfectly straight and looked directly at Liang Jingru.
“You... are not an expert.”
“Then now that you’ve eaten your fill, let’s exchange a few moves!”
Alai answered with utmost seriousness:
“No. My sword isn’t for exchanging moves. It’s for killing people!”
“...Then let’s see whether you kill me or I kill you!”
Alai continued to stare straight at Liang Jingru. After a moment, a sentence slipped from his thin lips.
“I don’t kill women.”
“You...!”
Alai had already turned to Chen Xiaofu.
“I want to sleep!”
Liang Jingru stood up.
“I’m going to kill you!”
“Women are such a nuisance. I’m going to bed. Goodbye!”
With that, he rose, turned, and leaped into the air.
He landed on the roof.
Then he lay down perfectly straight along the ridge of the west wing.
The ridge was barely a foot wide.
And just like that, he fell asleep on it.
Liang Jingru stood there, dumbfounded.
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Chen Xiaofu had never imagined such a thing either.
By the time Cuihong arrived, faint snores were already coming from the roof ridge.
Old Huang grinned and waved his hand.
“Let him sleep there tonight. That boy Alai isn’t particular about food, clothing, or sleeping arrangements. The only thing he’s particular about is wine!”
“Wine?”
“Yes. He loves drinking, but he drinks only Fuchun wine from the Jiqing Old Wine House.”
“Fuchun wine isn’t especially expensive. It’s nowhere near as famous as Imperial Capital’s Thousand-Miles Drunk. But he says Fuchun is far better than Thousand-Miles Drunk. It’s just that Fuchun remains among the common people, while Thousand-Miles Drunk has entered the imperial court.”
“Fuchun wine is easy to get drunk on. Thousand-Miles Drunk has the word ‘drunk’ in its name, yet it is strangely difficult to get drunk from. That is why Her Majesty the Empress prefers Thousand-Miles Drunk. She made it an imperial tribute, which only increased its fame—and naturally its price as well.”
Chen Xiaofu understood. Fuchun wine must simply have a higher alcohol content than Thousand-Miles Drunk.
Perhaps he should open a distillery in the future?
After all, he had so much land and so much grain. Brewing wine to make money seemed to be something nearly every traveler from another world ended up doing.
Just as Chen Xiaofu was thinking this, Cuihong came in.
“Young Master, the Old Master isn’t in the eastern compound. According to the chief steward, he went out this afternoon. Elder Qian invited him to Qinyuan to play chess... He should be back soon.”
Chen Xiaofu was startled.
“Who is Elder Qian?”
Old Huang let out a quiet sigh.
“Qian Shilin, a two-dynasty grandee of the previous court... He rose to become Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. When Emperor Changle died, he repeatedly struck his head against the ground. If Her Majesty the Empress had not acted quickly, the grass on his grave would have grown taller than a man.”
“After Her Majesty ascended the throne, she had intended to appoint him prime minister once more. She spoke with him in the Imperial Study for a full two hours, but in the end... he did not stay.”
“He left Jiqing and returned to Lin’an. He was fifty-six at the time.”
“Sixteen years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he is now seventy-two. He has children and grandchildren aplenty, though only one grandson remains by his side.”
“His eldest son, Qian Guo, once served as Vice Minister of Revenue for Great Zhou. I hear he retired last year as well.”
“Under Great Zhou law, officials whose household registration is not in the Imperial Capital must leave the capital upon retirement. Qian Guo did not return to Lin’an. Instead, he went to Jiqing.”
“Elder Qian’s other three sons all live in Jiqing. None entered government service; they went into business there instead.”
“His grandchildren and great-grandchildren seldom come to Lin’an either. Perhaps they still resent him for refusing Her Majesty’s favor all those years ago.”
Old Huang spoke with considerable emotion.
Chen Xiaofu also felt that the old man’s twilight years sounded rather lonely.
Such was human nature. Even among family, there were times when people could not understand one another.
Just then, Ergou came rushing in.
“Young Master, two old gentlemen are asking to see you outside!”
“One is named Xu Zizhou. The other is your former tutor, Old Master Jiang.”
Chen Xiaofu was stunned. What could those two old men possibly want, coming here after dark?
He rose to his feet.
“Come on, come on! Young Master must go out personally to welcome them!”
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