The Eldest Brother is Handsome but Sick. - Chapter 25

The Inn in the Snow

Heavy snow fell in flurries as the carriage came to a steady halt in front of the inn, the thick accumulation nearly burying half the wheels. The carriage curtain was lifted by a hand with well-defined knuckles, first revealing a moon-white sleeve, followed by a gentleman stooping to alight.

He wore a cloak, and a beautiful face emerged from within the fur lining of the collar. His features were like a painting, with a straight bridge of the nose and lips slightly pale from the cold. Originally, his appearance would have been as cool and elegant as ice and snow, but a red mole between his brows added a few touches of vivid color to the wintry scene.

Yan Jin steadied himself and gently brushed the snow from his shoulders. Guided by the light of the lanterns at the door, he looked toward the inn’s signboard; the four characters “Yin Shan Yun Yuan” (Mountain-Drinking Cloud Courtyard) swayed in the wind and snow.

“This doesn’t sound like the name of an inn; rather, it sounds like a secluded courtyard for a hermit,” he said, looking back with a crinkled-eye smile that spread from his eyes to the corners of his lips. “The owner has quite the elegant taste.”

Nearby, the owner finished hitching the horses. Hearing this, he laughed heartily. “Master Yan jokes. It’s simply that the inn is opened far from any village or town, so I chose a name that suits the scenery.”

As he spoke, he stepped ahead of Yan Jin and lifted the windproof cloth curtain. “Master Yan, please come in. Your men already came by earlier to give instructions; we have a superior room reserved for you.”

Yan Jin shook his head. “An ordinary room will suffice.” He pulled out a banknote and handed it to the owner, adding, “Please find rooms for the two workers who helped drive my carriage, and send over some ginger soup and hot water to ward off the cold.”

“Understood!” In this freezing weather and god-forsaken place, it was rare to receive such a large order. The owner beamed with joy and quickly called for someone to respectfully escort Yan Jin to his room.

Yan Jin nodded in acknowledgment. Just as he was about to head upstairs, he was stopped by the owner.

“Master Yan, wait!” The owner held the banknote against the candlelight, checking it repeatedly. After confirming it was correct, he blocked Yan Jin’s path and asked seriously, “Is Master Yan from Yangzhou?”

Yan Jin was somewhat confused. His gaze fell upon the Yangzhou official seal on the banknote, and he suddenly realized. He said apologetically, “I forgot it’s not very convenient here to go to a money exchange for local banknotes. I have some silver on my carriage; please wait, I will go fetch it.”

He gave a regretful smile and turned to the carriage, but after just one step, he was stopped again. The owner excitedly grasped Yan Jin’s hand. “No, no, no! I cannot accept your silver!”

The owner continued, “A gentleman already paid for you!”

The Unexpected Arrangement

According to the owner’s memory, it was about three months ago.

Although his inn was in a remote location, it sat beside the closest road to Yizhou. Consequently, he saw quite a few travelers, but there had never been a pair quite like the two from that day.

Simply put, the combination of the two was far too strange.

One man wore loose, flamboyant robes and had a row of things like chicken feathers stuck in his hair. His waist and wrists were adorned with stones of various sizes, shapes, and colors, occasionally interspersed with small bells. He walked with his head high and chest out, swinging his hips and clashing with a series of clinks and clangs looking for all the world like a flamboyant rooster.

The other man was the complete opposite. He wore a plain white robe, with only a red string tied at his head and waist as accents. His wide sleeves hung down, as if hiding the wind and capturing the moon; he possessed a natural poise in his stride.

The rooster-like man hopped and skipped along the way, chirping and complaining incessantly. Even from a distance, one could tell he was very noisy. The white-robed man being complained to, however, acted as if he heard nothing.

While the owner was marveling at the sight, the white-robed man approached and gave him enough silver to support the inn for more than half a year.

“That gentleman said that if I encountered a guest surnamed Yan from Yangzhou, I was to gift him some items.”

Inside the room, the owner opened a bundle and took out several sets of high-quality winter clothes and a porcelain bottle. He listed them one by one: “These are warm clothes and anti-cold medicine; they are all for you.”

The winter clothes were exquisitely made silky on the outside and lined with a meticulously sewn layer of rabbit fur. They were soft and warm to the touch, and the colors were exactly the ones Yan Jin usually favored. The medicine was likely made into pills so that he wouldn’t have the inconvenience of brewing medicine while traveling; they could be taken simply with water.

Yan Jin took out a pill and sniffed it gently. The pill was sweet.

It’s Su Huai.

He almost immediately confirmed the identity of the “white-robed gentleman” the owner mentioned. A tiny tremor originated from his fingertips, spreading imperceptibly to the depths of his heart.

This was different from anyone else’s concern. Su Huai was the person he had chosen himself, whom he had watched grow up.

Yan Jin suddenly realized that years ago, Su Huai would still throw tantrums over certain things and act impulsively. It looked like he was taking care of Yan Jin, but in reality, Yan Jin was the one guiding him. Now, however, the boy was able to arrange everything so perfectly and discreetly for him.

A complex sense of emotion rose in Yan Jin’s heart.

“Did he say anything else?” Yan Jin’s voice was subconsciously very soft, as if fearing he might disturb this heart-felt gift that had arrived after a three-month delay.

“He didn’t seem to say…”

The owner thought back carefully. Suddenly remembering something, he hurried downstairs to call for someone.

Moments later, the door opened again. The owner returned, actually holding a branch of red plum blossoms. The flowers still carried the crisp, cold fragrance of the wind and snow.

The owner had someone bring a plain white porcelain bottle and placed the plum branch inside. He said, “That gentleman said it would become much colder after passing this inn and told you to take great care. Also, he originally intended to wait for you here so you could return together, but as there was a gravely ill person in his party, he couldn’t delay. He could only ask me to pluck a branch of red plum from the backyard as an apology.”

He placed the red plum by Yan Jin’s hand. “Here, Master Yan your apology gift. I climbed a ladder to pluck the best-blooming branch; that’s sincere enough, right?”

“Thank you, owner.” This was truly a case of “having whatever one needed.” Yan Jin gently brushed the still-chilled petals.

He hadn’t seen Su Huai for a long time and truly couldn’t imagine what the boy looked like now. With that thought, even more anticipation grew in his heart. Consequently, the next day, as soon as the snow eased, he set off to continue his journey.

The Eager Return

It was then that Yan Jin realized he had made things too simple. He originally thought the preparations at the inn were enough, but he hadn’t expected such things to continue throughout the journey.

Along the way, whenever people heard it was a carriage from the Yan family of Yangzhou, someone would deliver food, charcoal, or hot water. The inns he stayed at were invariably arranged in advance; clothes, medicine, and a flower would be delivered as per the routine. Even if there were no precious flowers, someone would be entrusted to deliver a plate of pastries as an apology, followed by a large bunch of flowers at the next inn to make up for it.

What amazed Yan Jin most was that his tastes had changed slightly during the years since he left the Hall of Three Lives. Such things were common; he hadn’t gone out of his way to tell anyone, nor had he written of it in his letters. Yet Su Huai knew perhaps even better than Yan Jin knew his own preferences.

The first time, Yan Jin was pleasantly surprised; the second time, his heart was comforted; the third time, he was still very happy. By the time he reached Jingning Town in Yizhou, he was already numb. The first thing he did upon alighting the carriage was accept the flowers and food from a stranger who had been waiting for him.

Yan Jin pinched the flesh on his cheeks, remained silent for a long while, and then slapped his forehead hard.

After traveling for so many days, I haven’t gotten any thinner; instead, I’ve gained quite a bit of weight. Who would believe it?!

The carriage and the workers had already left. He stood quietly at the street corner, his gaze sweeping over the passersby and the shops lining the street. Three years had flowed by like water; the appearance of this place had quietly changed. Many unfamiliar faces had been added. A subtle sense of estrangement rose from his heart, actually causing him a bit of hesitation due to “homecoming anxiety.”

Suddenly, someone with sharp eyes shouted, “Doctor Yan is back!”

That shout was like a drop of water falling into hot oil; the entire street erupted instantly.

People poured out from shops and beneath eaves, their faces filled with sincere joy. They quickly found Yan Jin’s location and surrounded the street corner so tightly that not even water could leak through.

“Doctor Yan! It really is you!”

“You look to be in good spirits; the journey must have been hard, right?”

“Quick, these are chestnut cakes I just steamed still hot. Have a taste!”

“My family’s newly made cured meat you must take a piece!”

In the blink of an eye, Yan Jin’s arms were filled with all sorts of items: steaming pastries, smoked meats, and even a jar of warmed wine.

Yan Jin stood frozen in place. He looked at the items in his hands, then at the familiar smiles, and a great weight in his heart suddenly dropped.

Warmed by the reception, Yan Jin asked with a smile, “How did you all know I was coming back today?”

Boss Chen from the medicinal herb shop patted his shoulder and laughed. “You, the stingy and rascally Old Man Yan, have been away for three years; we’ve had quite the easy time. Now that you’re coming back, shouldn’t we be on guard and check the news often?”

“What are you saying?” Auntie Wang, the roast goose seller, kicked him and raised her voice. “Ayo, wasn’t this all because Doctor Su instructed us long ago! He said you would likely arrive these few days and told us to keep a close watch on the street corner.”

“Yes, yes,” the tavern owner added. “Doctor Su made the rounds to greet every family half a month ago, asking us to look after you.”

“Doctor Yan, since you’ve been gone, the town hasn’t been as lively as before. We’ve missed you, waiting and watching every day.”

“Doctor Yan, are you ever going to leave again?”

It was Su Huai again.

Yan Jin held the armful of kindness, the string in his heart about to be gently plucked. However, before the “pluck” could succeed, he was ushered toward the Hall of Three Lives by the crowd.

The Confrontation

Suddenly, amidst the festive atmosphere, a sharp argument erupted not far away.

“Hmph! Talk is cheap! What ‘Doctor Yan’? He likely grew tired of our remote, poor place long ago and used his father’s funeral as an excuse never to return!” a shrill voice shouted. “And what ‘Living Bodhisattva’ or ‘Great Philanthropist’? He’s been gone so long and you’re all still waiting with eyes wide? Stop dreaming!”

The laughter of the crowd came to an abrupt halt.

“Bullshit!” This voice was somewhat familiar; it was angry. “Brother Su said that Brother Yan would return these few days! You’re just holding a grudge because the Hall of Three Lives exposed your Sishi Clinic for using fake medicine. You’re just slandering him!”

“Su Huai says he’ll return, so he returns? Is he a roundworm in Yan Jin’s belly?” the shrill voice sneered. “Li Dasheng, even that old woman of your Li family was treated to death by Yan Jin, yet you’re still speaking up for him!”

“I won’t let you insult Grandma or Brother Yan!”

Li Dasheng let out a roar, followed immediately by the sound of a scuffle.

The smile in Yan Jin’s eyes vanished instantly. He handed the items in his arms to the person beside him and hurried toward the sound. In the alley ahead, a middle-aged man was shouting curses while beating Li Dasheng. Li Dasheng was ultimately too frail; relying on a surge of brute strength for a moment, he soon lost the ability to resist and was pinned to the ground and beaten.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man felt a sharp pain in his hand. Instantly, his entire arm became incredibly numb and weak. He hurriedly looked down, only to see a silver needle stuck into the back of his hand, its tip glowing with a faint green fluorescent light.

It was then that he realized the tiny alley had been blocked off by the townspeople.

His legs began to shake like a sieve. He retreated repeatedly. “What are you doing! This is a personal grudge; it has nothing to do with you!”

“Yo, isn’t this the swindler from Sishi Clinic? Is the injury from the last beating healed?” Boss Chen looked him up and down, let out a cold laugh, and rubbed his palms together. He turned to ask someone, “Should we strike?”

Who was he asking?

The middle-aged man panicked. Who else would these people listen to besides the government?

Then he saw Boss Chen step aside, revealing a person whose face the man would recognize even if he turned to ash.

It was the very Yan Jin he had just been cursing!

“No, no, no, this is a misunderstanding…” The man tried to explain in a panic, but no one gave him the chance.

Yan Jin’s voice was as cold as an ice cellar:

“Strike.”