Knowing the Warmth of Southern Tea (GL) - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Qingzhou is a land of spiritual resonance and extraordinary people. It has produced countless heroes, legends, and refined scholars.

However, water disasters have always been the chronic ailment of Qingzhou, and one of the reasons why the region has never reached its full potential for prosperity. Floods usually bring along plagues and droughts. Though the people of Qingzhou suffer, they never blame heaven or man. Instead, they have always lived industriously, striving to survive on this land.

The locals here are warm and welcoming. While many places harbor prejudices against outsiders, the people here make you feel right at home. They place great importance on etiquette and treat others with leniency. It could be described as a Great Harmony society where “no one needs to bolt their doors at night.”

While the safety of Bingzhou stems from strict governance and the diligence of its constables, Qingzhou is the opposite; its security is rooted in moral education. The people here value self-cultivation. The local yamen (government office) has practically become a mere decoration…

Nan Nuan and her group stepped onto the soil of Qingzhou at daybreak. At that time, An Yi and An Si had not yet arrived. An San contacted a local connection and arranged accommodation for the group in a modest house in a quiet part of town, which featured two soapberry trees in the courtyard. Wen Cha and Nan Nuan stayed in adjacent rooms, their beds separated only by a single wall. Rongrong lived close to them as well.

After settling their luggage, Wen Cha remained in bed to rest. As the saying goes, “it takes a hundred days to heal bones and tendons,” and since only a few days had passed, it was good enough that her condition hadn’t worsened. Nan Nuan stayed in Wen Cha’s room, continuing to read Lüshi Chunqiu, and even had someone find several newly popular storybooks for Wen Cha. Wen Cha became so engrossed in the stories while lying in bed that she stopped pestering Nan Nuan to borrow the Lüshi Chunqiu.

Once Rongrong finished organizing her belongings, she left the house and headed toward the bustling marketplace. She looked at jewelry at one stall and bought snacks at another, eventually ending up with her hands full of packages. Finally, feeling tired from walking, she found a teahouse and requested a private room on the second floor, ordering tea and pastries. It was quite pleasant to eat snacks while listening to the storyteller downstairs. Rongrong spent the whole day listening to stories and didn’t return to the house until evening.

Nan Nuan stayed with Wen Cha all day. After a while, Wen Cha grew bored of her storybooks.

“Nuan Nuan, do you know? When I was little, I especially loved these stories. I’d get so anxious watching the characters clearly love each other but refuse to say it out loud.” Wen Cha seemed to be reminiscing about her childhood, her smile bright and radiant.

“Is that so?” Nan Nuan replied without looking away from her book. However, compared to Wen Cha who had finished several books, Nan Nuan hadn’t even turned a single page; her mind was entirely on the bed, on Wen Cha. She watched Wen Cha feel happy or sad because of the stories, marveling at how one person could have so many vivid and lovely expressions. Perhaps it was the influence of the Love Gu, but it wasn’t just that—Nan Nuan began to realize her feelings for Wen Cha were no longer quite so “pure.” But what of it? For Nan Nuan, there was nothing in this world she wanted that she couldn’t have. If she couldn’t have it, she would destroy it.

“Mhm, I don’t get anxious anymore. Because storybooks always have happy endings. It’s just a matter of finding out the conclusion a little later,” Wen Cha said, nodding with an air of mock-seriousness. Ever since the rise of the Great Rui Dynasty, “Grand Reunion” happy endings had been the consistent trend.

“Storybooks are fake; how can everything in life go as one wishes?” Nan Nuan remarked. Wen Cha sat up to look at Nan Nuan; Nan Nuan caught her eye, and Wen Cha slowly lay back down.

“But how can everything always go wrong? Nuan Nuan, what is that Lüshi Chunqiu you’re reading about? Is it a good ending or a bad one?” If Nan Nuan had known the topic would circle back to that book, she certainly wouldn’t have spoken. Once you tell one lie, you have to tell a hundred more to cover it.

“It tells the story of… well, a girl who fell in love with a man. They got together, but later the man’s heart strayed. The girl eventually married someone else. I haven’t read the rest yet…” Nan Nuan picked and chose details from a real historical event to spin a tale for Wen Cha.

“Oh.” Wen Cha nodded as if she understood. Actually, Wen Cha knew Lüshi Chunqiu wasn’t a storybook; she just wanted to see how Nan Nuan would make it up. Hehe!

The two spent the day chatting aimlessly. In the evening, after Nan Nuan fed Wen Cha her meal, she returned to her room where An San was already waiting outside. Nan Nuan opened the door, went inside, and sat at the table while An San closed the door behind them.

An San informed Nan Nuan of everything Rongrong had done that day. Nan Nuan asked, “She didn’t meet with anyone?”

“Not a soul.” Nan Nuan nodded and signaled An San to withdraw, sinking into deep thought. A person who didn’t drink a single drop of tea spent all day at a teahouse. Hehe, Master Zhuang, it seems we will be meeting soon.

…

Rongrong was in the courtyard drinking her homemade rock sugar and pear soup. The breeze was gentle and pleasant. She didn’t realize she had already been discovered.

Today, she hadn’t just been listening to stories at the teahouse; she had indeed met with Zhuang. Zhuang had arranged for a woman dressed in identical clothes to wait in the private room across the hall. The couple exchanged news of their safety and agreed to meet at the teahouse in the future. They spent half a day in the room; Rongrong ate the pastries but didn’t touch the tea. Eventually, she swapped back with the woman and returned to her own room, discovering an extra bag of pears and rock sugar hidden among her shopping.

She brought them back to boil the soup for herself. Upon arriving in Qingzhou, she had experienced slight discomfort from the change in environment, and her throat was a bit sore. Every time she reached a new place, her throat would ache for a few days. Gu Zhuang always used to prepare a bowl of rock sugar and pear soup for her. This time, since he wasn’t by her side, she had to do it herself to be well-fed and clothed.

Though the taste was mediocre, it was at least drinkable. (=.=)

When Rongrong and Gu Zhuang first lived together, Rongrong did the cooking. But because she had so many patients, she sometimes didn’t even have time to eat. It then became Gu Zhuang’s job to buy prepared food or bring back a few dishes from a restaurant on his way home from the yamen. Once Rongrong became pregnant, Gu Zhuang learned to cook to feed her, though he didn’t show much talent for it. From then on, the kitchen was his domain.

Gu Zhuang had once been a firm believer in the philosophy that “a gentleman stays away from the kitchen,” but he eventually became a chef… Time is a butcher’s knife. You will eventually find someone you are willing to cook for.

…

Gu Zhuang had rented a courtyard nearby. Excessively, he had even conducted careful market research to make the most cost-effective choice. Furthermore, it was close to the East Market; a few steps could solve any hunger issues and allow him to buy plenty of fresh fruit.

Gu Zhuang hadn’t expected to run into a former colleague in Qingzhou. At that moment, his colleague was sitting in a sedan chair when the wind blew the curtain open. He saw Gu Zhuang at a glance, picking out pears. The man rubbed his eyes frantically. Is this that cold-faced Yama? He quickly ordered the chair to stop and got out to investigate. Hiss!! It really is him…

Having crossed paths, the two found a place to chat.