Chapter Fourteen: Disciplining Feng Da (Part One)

After dressing her in proper clothes and shoes, Cui Liu carefully fastened a jade pendant to Liu Qin’s belt. This piece of mutton-fat seed jade was a rare treasure—its color was delicate, its touch warm and smooth, and after being meticulously polished by a skilled artisan, it was further carved with twin fish in exquisite detail. Even the fine whiskers on the fish were clearly discernible. Anyone with an eye for such things would recognize at a glance that this was no ordinary item, its worth far from common means. The Liu household possessed only this single piece; the master of the house had always kept it cherished, giving it neither to his eldest son nor his eldest grandson, but in the end bestowed it upon little Liu Qin. This alone spoke volumes of his extraordinary affection for her—he might as well have plucked the moon from the sky.

Once her attire was arranged, Cui Liu seated Liu Qin on a small stool and began to gently comb her loose hair, gathering it up high and securing it with a jade hairpin. Liu Qin, far from sitting still, fidgeted as she recalled Caiyun’s troubles. Turning her head, she asked, “Sister Cui Liu, why didn’t Sister Caiyun tell Mother if she was unhappy?”

“Don’t move, miss—sit up straight.” Seeing the hair she’d just combed getting tousled again, Cui Liu could only sigh and start over. “You know that Sister Caiyun is honest and gentle, not nearly as quick-witted as Cai Xia. When it comes to matters concerning a young woman, she finds it hard to speak up. Besides, that Feng Da may be bad but he’s sly as well. In front of the old madam, he always acts refined and sensible, winning both her and his mother’s favor. The old madam pities their mother and son, so she treats them kindly. If Caiyun were to complain, I’m afraid the old madam wouldn’t believe her—instead, she’d think Caiyun had improper thoughts, and might even blame her.”

So that was the way of things. It seemed that Nurse Liu had quite a standing in Mother’s eyes; no one would go out of their way to report ill of her son, no matter how poorly he behaved. On the contrary, when Mother praised Feng Da, there might even be those who’d chime in. Thus, in Mother’s mind, Feng Da was already a good child. In her previous life, this was called a cognitive bias—mere words could not overturn it. Only irrefutable facts or outright self-exposure could change such habitual thinking.

But what should be done? Liu Qin had no ambition to be a grand heroine righting every wrong in the world, but since she’d come across this, she could hardly pretend not to see. She couldn’t simply stand by while a lovely girl was ruined. Besides, for Nurse Liu’s sake, that Feng Da deserved a lesson. For generations, drunkards and gamblers have never been filial; those who live off their elders and care nothing for kin are the last to show true devotion.

After her hair and attire were arranged and she’d washed up, Liu Qin stood in the room, subjected to the inspection of Cui Liu and Cui Yu’s four searching eyes. At last, their approving gazes followed her as she set off proudly toward the main house to pay her respects.

“I’m so pleased with myself, I could just laugh out loud…” If only she had a folding fan to flick open with a snap, she’d truly be the most handsome and incomparable young master in all the land!

Caiyun was on duty today, busy directing the junior maids in the courtyard. As soon as she saw Liu Qin, she hurried over to greet her. Her face and eyelids wore a light dusting of powder, her expression serene—there was no sign she’d been crying. She was a good girl, not letting her feelings interfere with her work.

Liu Qin beamed a wide smile at her and, with short little strides, continued onward. It was nearly June, and the heat was beginning to set in. The curtain over the main hall was hooked up, and only a landscape screen separated the inner and outer rooms. Through the screen, shadowy figures could be seen; cheerful laughter and lively chatter filled the air.

She’d thought herself early, but to her surprise, others had risen before her. Entering the inner room, Liu Qin immediately spotted Jiang Li and Brother Hai seated below, chatting with her mother. Although Jiang Li’s face bore no smile, his expression was much more at ease, and her mother looked even happier with him than with herself.

Seeing Jiang Li again brought a different feeling. After greeting her mother, Liu Qin circled around Jiang Li, scrutinizing him from every angle—up, down, front, and back—nodding all the while. Her demeanor and expression were unmistakably that of a miser appraising his prized possession—just a step away from shouting to the world, “He’s mine, and no one else can have him!”

Jiang Li found his cousin’s antics rather unnerving—it felt as though he were being stalked by a hunter.

“Sister, what are you…”

“Mmm. Cui Yu said I’m the most handsome today, but compared to Brother Li, you’re still better looking.”

With such solemn words from the little cousin, the whole room burst into laughter again, though poor Cui Yu unwittingly became the butt of the joke.

After breakfast, Liu Qin dragged Jiang Li out into the garden to play for a while. When they were tired, they returned together to the Ink Fragrance Courtyard. She had made up her mind to stick to him as much as she could whenever she wasn’t sleeping—after all, building affection started with these small moments.

At one point, she called Changsheng over for a private chat. The two whispered together for a long while before Changsheng left. Jiang Li noticed and asked about it, but Liu Qin only smiled and waved her tiny hand, leaving him to guess she’d sent for some treats or trinkets and not giving it another thought.

Meanwhile, Changsheng left the Liu household and headed straight for the Laiyue Gambling House. He’d already learned that Feng Da, idle as ever, spent his days loitering in gambling halls and taverns, with Laiyue as his favorite haunt.

The gambling house was, as always, crowded and noisy—a haven for the idle and wayward. Changsheng hefted his money pouch, exchanged some for chips, and strolled about like a young master before settling at a table for high and low dice. He dropped his money and chips before him with a clatter, drawing envious looks from the gamblers nearby.

The dealer, long accustomed to such displays, paid him no mind and shook the dice cup several times before slamming it down on the table and calling out, “Place your bets, no more bets once the dice are down!”

The crowd hurried to bet. Changsheng, unconcerned, tossed some chips on “small.” “Open—one, one, three—small.”

Dozens of rounds passed. Whether by luck or calculation, Changsheng’s pile of chips only grew. Some of the losers began to grumble, “Damn it, what rotten luck today! Not a single win. Dealer, you must be cheating!”

The dealer gave him a contemptuous look and laughed, “Feng, you’ve been hanging around here long enough to know the rules. If I were cheating, how has that young man over there managed to win so much?”

The man followed the dealer’s gesture and saw the pile of money in front of Changsheng, his eyes lighting up as he looked for an excuse to strike up a conversation. Just then, the young man called out, “Brother Feng, is that you?”

“Yes, yes, and you are…?” Feng Da did a decent impression of a scholar, bowing politely to Changsheng.

Changsheng gathered up his winnings and smiled at Feng Da, “Brother Feng, this isn’t the place to talk. Why don’t we find somewhere quieter to have a drink and chat?”

Half an incense stick later, the two were seated in Apricot Blossom Tavern, famous in Wucheng. Feng Da drank greedily and slapped Changsheng on the shoulder. “So you’re with the Liu household too—no wonder you looked familiar. If you hadn’t called out, I’d never have recognized you.”

Changsheng replied with a smile, “I’m just a runner; nothing compared to Brother Feng, who has his own business and lives at ease.”

“Don’t mention it, brother. I haven’t done business in ages. Let’s drink, come now—a toast to you.”

They clinked cups. Changsheng feigned casualness, “If there’s anything troubling you, Brother Feng, don’t hesitate to say. To be honest, I’ve landed a good job lately.”

Seeing Feng Da lean in, eyes wide and ears pricked, Changsheng fought back a smirk and lowered his voice, “You know the young lady in the household is the favorite. She’s taken a liking to me recently, often asking me to fetch her new and interesting things. She’s always generous, and if I please her, the rewards are substantial.”

He patted his money pouch, refilled their cups under Feng Da’s envious gaze, and after a few sips, pretended to sigh, “But the job’s getting harder. Lately, everything I bring, she finds dull. If I can’t find something new soon, I might lose this position. Brother Feng, you’re worldly and clever—perhaps you could help me think of something?”