Fan Changyu was puzzled. “Why would the authorities lie?”

Xie Zheng furrowed his brows slightly. From the day she was born until now, she had lived all her life in this small town. The highest-ranking official she had ever encountered was probably the county magistrate. Given that, he found himself a little more forgiving of the naivete and ignorance she displayed at this moment.

Her parents may well have taught her many lessons about how to conduct herself and live an upright life, but they had never told her about the intrigues of officialdom.

Rarely so patient, he explained to her, even offering an example: “It’s like when your eldest uncle wanted to seize your family’s house and land for himself and went to that yamen advisor. Even within the officialdom of a small county yamen, there are currents beneath the surface. Going higher, to the prefecture and the imperial court, the relationships only become more tangled—factions, colleagues, in-laws, teacher-student ties… Behind every official lies a vast web of power and influence. Some cases involve the interests of high-ranking officials above them. What appears to be a case of injustice suffered by an ordinary commoner may, in truth, become a battle between powerful officials.”

Fan Changyu furrowed her brows and thought for a long while before saying, “You mean my parents’ deaths might also have involved the interests of a lot of high-ranking officials?”

A flicker of surprise appeared in Xie Zheng’s eyes. She wasn’t stupid after all.

He lowered his gaze. “I’m only giving an example. Perhaps the authorities told you only half the truth. Perhaps everything they told you was a lie. None of that is important. What matters is the authorities have given you a false version of the truth. What will you do?”

The question was indeed somewhat beyond Fan Changyu’s understanding. In the eyes of ordinary people, officials were the heavens above them. One corrupt official was enough to make the common folk suffer miserably. But after hearing what Xie Zheng had said, she suddenly realized that perhaps not every official was a benevolent, incorruptible Qingtian Dalaoye after all.

青天大老爷 (Qingtian Dalaoye) — Literally something like “Heavenly Great Elder-Master,” this is an honorific image for an upright, just, and incorruptible official who acts as a protector of the common people. “Qingtian” (“clear/azure heavens”) evokes a righteous official whose judgment is as clear and impartial as the heavens.

If every official in all of Great Yin protected their own, then what hung over their heads would not be the heavens, but a vast net woven from countless ties of power, wrapping them up so tightly there would be no escape.

Fan Changyu was bewildered for only a moment before her gaze quickly steadied again. “When Fan Da went to Advisor He to scheme for my family’s property, I did think about finding someone higher-ranking than a yamen advisor to pull some strings. The highest-ranking official in Qingping County is the county magistrate, but the magistrate and Advisor He are thick as thieves. I couldn’t rely on the magistrate, so I thought of tying up my uncle instead.

“No matter how large the bureaucracy of Great Yin is, it’s only a matter of there being more officials the higher up you go. If I knew a high-ranking official, then for my uncle’s case, I’d probably go to some important official in the prefectural government for help. If Fan Da also managed to get the highest-ranking official in the prefecture involved, and I still had connections I could call upon, I’d go to an official in the capital to seek justice. Follow that chain of connections all the way up, and eventually, it would just mean bringing the matter before the Emperor.

“The highest-ranking official in Qingping County is the county magistrate, while the highest-ranking in Great Yin is the Emperor. When it comes to finding someone to hear your grievances, there’s really no difference between the two. In the end, what’s used to determine right from wrong is still evidence and the law.”

She looked at Xie Zheng, her eyes clear and fearless. “No matter what my parents’ deaths are connected to, I’ll keep investigating. And that web of Great Yin’s officialdom, woven from countless intertwined connections, isn’t anything to be afraid of.”

For her to come out with such a speech genuinely took Xie Zheng by surprise. He asked, “How will you investigate?”

Fan Changyu looked toward Changning, who was still playing in the snow in the courtyard. “I’m not afraid of taking risks, but Changning is still too young. If the people who killed my parents notice us two sisters again, I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to protect Changning. So before that happens, I’ll first send her somewhere safe.”

Approval showed in Xie Zheng’s expression. “And then?”

Fan Changyu said, “If I were a man, perhaps I’d choose to enter officialdom through the civil or military examinations, then personally dig into everything connected to my parents’ deaths until I uncovered the whole truth. But I’m only a woman. I can’t enter officialdom, and I don’t know any high-ranking officials. That leaves me with only one road, I suppose: money can make the devil turn the millstone.”

有钱能使鬼推磨 — Literally, “if you have money, even a ghost will push the millstone.” It means that money can accomplish things that would otherwise seem impossible.

Xie Zheng propped his temple up with one hand. “It’s a good method. But from the sound of it, it’ll take quite a few years. The money it would take to get those high-ranking officials to turn the millstone for you won’t be a small sum.”

Fan Changyu was slightly at a loss for words. “The only method I can think of right now is something like that. I don’t have the brains for studying, so I can’t disguise myself as a man and take the civil examinations like they do in opera stories. And I don’t have any brothers whose identity I could borrow and pass myself off as. Unless…”

She scratched her head. “What if I sponsor a few more impoverished scholars? Maybe I’ll get lucky and sponsor one with a conscience. Once he passes the examinations and enters officialdom, I’d have someone on the inside, so investigating the cause of my parents’ deaths would probably be much easier?”

This time, it was Xie Zheng’s turn to be at a loss for words. He lifted his eyelids and said acerbically, “And what if you end up with someone like your former fiancé again?”

Fan Changyu had noticed that this man had been acting rather strangely lately. For some reason, he kept bringing up Song Yan at every opportunity.

She said, “Can’t we not mention him? It’s New Year’s!”

Xie Zheng shot her a sidelong glance, pressed his lips together, and said nothing more, as though his foul temper had returned.

Fan Changyu muttered, “As if I’m not already unlucky enough…”

Xie Zheng’s hearing was sharp, and he caught even that mutter. The corners of his previously straight mouth suddenly lifted slightly as he said, “You can put your parents’ case aside for now.”

Fan Changyu was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Xie Zheng said, “If your parents’ deaths involve many parties, then while there may be people in officialdom who want to bury the truth, there will also be people who want to investigate it to the very end. For now, what you need to do is protect yourself and your sister, and wait for those who want to uncover the truth to come looking for you themselves.”

Fan Changyu said, “But I know nothing about my parents’ past. Even if they come looking for me, there’s nothing they can get from me—nothing I know that could help them investigate.”

Xie Zheng thought to himself that as long as they could pry open He Jingyuan’s mouth, the truth behind her parents’ deaths would come to light.

But if Wei Yan learned that he was still alive, he would not hesitate to sacrifice Qingping County—even Jizhou Prefecture itself—to kill him again. Until the outcome was certain, revealing his identity would only invite disaster.

He said, “You’re underestimating officialdom. Someone will come looking for you.”

Fan Changyu was still puzzled. After mulling it over for a while, she decided Xie Zheng was probably just trying to comfort her, so she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she said, “I’m starting to think more and more that reading more books really can make a person smarter. Yan Zheng, you’ve read so much. You’re really clever.”

Xie Zheng had heard every kind of flattery imaginable. When it came to praising people, no one could outdo the scholars who could conjure up the most extravagant words of praise. Yet he had never taken any of those compliments to heart. Somehow, this plain and simple “clever” from her stirred a strange feeling in him.

Even so, he corrected her. “It’s not reading a lot that makes someone clever. Reading teaches you reason, broadens your horizons, teaches you when to advance and when to retreat, and keeps your perspective from becoming narrow. That’s enough to help you conduct yourself and deal with people.”

Fan Changyu nodded. “My mother used to say the same thing. Too bad I was too young and foolish back then. Whenever she told me to study, I’d run away like a New Year’s pig being chased out of its pen. Now that I want to learn, it’s too late.”

She genuinely felt that learning was useful now. Take nothing else: when Fan Da had tried to seize her family’s property, Yan Zheng hadn’t needed to resort to any underhanded tricks. He had simply found a way to win the lawsuit by making use of the law.

If she were a little more learned herself, perhaps she could even find different ways to sell pork.

She had originally thought that cucumber tossed with sugar was just cucumber tossed with sugar. It was only when she helped prepare braised meats at Yixiang Restaurant that she learned the restaurant called it “Azure Dragon Reclining in Snow”. Once the dish had an elegant name, its price doubled along with it.

青龙卧雪 (Azure Dragon Reclining in Snow) — This is an elegant menu name for sugar-tossed cucumber. The “Azure Dragon” evokes the green cucumber, while “reclining in snow” describes it lying amid white sugar.

Fan Changyu remembered that when she had returned, he seemed to have been teaching Changning how to recognize characters. Mustering up her courage, she said, “If you have some free time, could you teach me to read a little? I won’t take up too much of your time. Just tell me what I should study, and I’ll read it myself. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I’ll come ask you.”

Xie Zheng raised his eyes slightly, rather surprised by the idea. He then asked, “What books have you read?”

Fan Changyu thought for a moment before answering, “I know the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character Classic well enough.”

《三字经》, 《百家姓》, 《千字文》 — The Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and Thousand Character Classic were traditional elementary texts used to teach children basic literacy and moral/social knowledge.

The moment she finished speaking, Xie Zheng’s face darkened.

Afraid he might find teaching her too troublesome, Fan Changyu steeled herself and added, “I’ve also read some of the Analects (论语) and Taixue.”

Xie Zheng’s voice turned faintly chilling. “You mean Daxue (the Great Learning)?”

《太学》 → 《大学》 — This is Fan Changyu simply getting the title wrong. 大学 (Dàxué) is the Great Learning. 太学 (tàixué) means the Imperial Academy, an institution of higher learning in imperial China.

Fan Changyu was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. She confessed, “Those two, I only flipped through when I saw Song Yan reading them. I couldn’t understand the books, and he treasured them like they were precious. So I gave them back to him. I was too embarrassed to ask him what the passages inside actually meant.”

After honestly admitting all that, Fan Changyu suddenly felt a chill run down her back.

She looked at Xie Zheng and felt that his handsome face was particularly cold and sour at the moment.

Fan Changyu had no idea why.

Xie Zheng spoke with a chill sharp enough to freeze water. “Since you’ve already studied the Analects and the Great Learning, you can move on to the Mencius (孟子).”

Fan Changyu stared at him blankly.

Had what she said really sounded like she had studied them?

She had clearly said she’d only flipped through them briefly. She hadn’t even understood what they meant.

Not only that, but when they sat down for lunch, her sharp eyes caught that Xie Zheng had changed the ribbon in his hair back to the one he originally wore.

Fan Changyu had no idea what she had done to offend him. At the table, she gave a light cough and asked, “This afternoon, I’m planning to take some cured meat to the county seat to sell. I’ll bring a piece to Head Constable Wang as a New Year’s gift while I’m there. Is there anything you want me to buy?”

The man who had always been a strict “no talking during meals” sort finally spoke. “I’ve used up the paper. And after writing the New Year couplets yesterday, I’m out of ink as well. Buy some paper and ink. The paper should be five-chi pure-hide jiaxuan, and the ink should be pine-soot (Sōngyān) Huimo.”

夹宣 (jiaxuan) is a type of Chinese xuan paper made by laminating layers of paper together, giving it more body and strength than ordinary xuan paper. 净皮 (“pure hide”) refers to a higher-grade xuan paper made predominantly from bark fiber.

Huimo (徽墨) is Hui ink, traditionally produced in Huizhou and famed for its quality. 松烟 (sōngyān) — “pine soot,” traditionally used in making Chinese ink.

There might be a tiny bit of wordplay hiding here too: 松烟 (sōngyān) sounds rather close to 宋砚 (Sòng Yàn), the name. And the joke gets even better cause the name 砚 (Yàn) means “inkstone”, so both the person name and ink name end up conveniently orbiting around ink. Coincidence? Maybe. But considering *when* Xie Zheng suddenly becomes very particular about his ink… I’m keeping one eyebrow raised. 😂

Fan Changyu’s head began to ache just hearing it. “What xuan? And what ink was it again?”

Xie Zheng’s brows drew together slightly. “Forget it. I’ll buy them myself.”

Fan Changyu felt that he was being rather cold and distant. Remembering that his injuries had not yet fully healed, she still asked, “I’ll hire an ox cart this afternoon. Do you want to come?”

The moment Changning heard that, her two little chubby hands began smacking the table. “Changning wants to go to the market too!”

The big one and the little one both stared fixedly at Xie Zheng. After a moment’s silence, Xie Zheng finally said, “Then we’ll all go together.”

Changning was so excited about going to the market that she could hardly contain herself. Running a lap around the courtyard wasn’t enough; after leaving the yard, she chased the dogs from Auntie Zhao’s house all the way to the mouth of the alley before finally stopping.

Fan Changyu hadn’t decided on a whim to go to the county seat to sell cured meat today. In previous years, her father would also make time on this day to haul a cartload of cured meat to the county seat to sell.

Some households going around to visit relatives and friends had not prepared their New Year’s gifts in advance. With the meat market closed these past two days, most of them would buy their gifts from the peddlers along the roadside instead.

Once they reached the county seat, Fan Changyu skillfully parked the ox cart on the main street outside the county school.

There were plenty of students coming and going here, and quite a few families had even rented houses nearby so they could look after their sons who were studying.

When students went to pay their New Year’s respects to their teachers, ordinary tea or wine was hardly suitable as a gift, while anything expensive cost far too much. A strip of cured meat made a perfect New Year’s gift.

As soon as Fan Changyu set up her stall, she had already made several sales. Xie Zheng had intended to head toward the bookshop, but Changning kept rising onto her toes and looking around eagerly. She asked Fan Changyu, “Ah Jie, can I go see the flower drums with Jiefu?”

花鼓 — Huagu, or “flower drum,” refers to a traditional folk performance involving singing, dancing, and small drums.

Fan Changyu said, “Your Jiefu isn’t going to watch the flower drums.”

Changning turned her pleading gaze toward Xie Zheng.

Xie Zheng glanced at the cured meat Fan Changyu had sold so far—it wasn’t even half of what she had brought—and said, “We’ll go together after your sister finishes selling.”

Fan Changyu estimated it would still take a while to sell everything she had brought, so she said, “I won’t be packing up anytime soon. If you’re not in a hurry to buy the paper and ink, take Changning around for a bit. She’s just curious about everything. Once you’ve taken her around the market once, she’ll settle down.”

Xie Zheng nodded.

At Fan Changyu’s word, Changning grabbed Xie Zheng by the sleeve and excitedly led the way, full of energy like a little calf.

Feeling the tugging force on his sleeve, Xie Zheng thought to himself that if this child hadn’t been born weak and frail, she might well have grown up to be just like her elder sister—quite the little tiger.

Perhaps because the county was holding a lantern festival this year, most of the students from the county school had stayed instead of returning home. The streets were lively as well, and the more than twenty strips of cured meat Fan Changyu had brought sold out a good half-hour earlier than she had expected.

By the time she packed up her stall, Xie Zheng had also returned with Changning, who had had her fill of wandering around nearby.

Changning had a tanghulu in her left hand and a colorful little pinwheel in her right, with syrup smeared all over her face.

糖葫芦 — Tanghulu, candied hawthorn skewers, a classic Chinese street snack consisting of fruit coated in hardened sugar syrup.

Fan Changyu looked at her with some helplessness and said to Xie Zheng, “You’re spoiling her.”

Changning’s eyes crinkled with a grin. “Jiefu bought Ah Jie a tanghulu too.”

Fan Changyu said, “I’m not a little child. Why would I eat tanghu—”

Before she could finish, a tanghulu was already being held out in front of her.

Xie Zheng’s expression remained bland. “Your sister said she wanted to buy you one too.”

Fan Changyu had meant to refuse, but then she noticed that he still had another tanghulu in his hand. Thinking that he seemed to have a sweet tooth, and that now that he was no longer taking medicine, he was probably embarrassed to openly indulge in sweets, she realized he had probably dragged her into it as an excuse. So she found it difficult to refuse. She reached out to take it and said, “Thank you.”

Fan Changyu ate her tanghulu just like Changning did, popping one hawthorn into her mouth at a time, her eyes narrowing and her cheeks puffing out like a hamster’s.

After finishing one, Fan Changyu noticed that Xie Zheng was still holding his tanghulu without eating it. Puzzled, she asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Xie Zheng’s gaze shifted away from the bits of sugar clinging to the corner of her mouth. He hesitated, glanced at the tanghulu in his hand, then bit off half a hawthorn.

The sugar coating was sweet and syrupy, while the hawthorn inside was slightly tart. Once chewed together, the sweet and sour flavors made for a rather distinctive taste.

Changning, who had just bitten into another hawthorn, watched the scene and grinned until her teeth showed. She really was clever. She had made Jiefu buy one skewer for each of them, and sure enough, Ah Jie hadn’t scolded her!

At the street corner, there were not only peddlers selling goods but also students from the county school whose families were poor enough that they had set up stalls to make a living by painting for passersby.

The family of three across the street, eating tanghulu, was particularly eye-catching. The man was extraordinarily handsome, the woman was smiling like a flower, and even the little child they had with them was as adorable as a carved piece of jade and snow.

The scholar kept glancing over at them as he swiftly sketched on his paper.

After Fan Changyu finished her tanghulu and packed up her things, she was just about to take Xie Zheng to buy the paper and ink when his expression suddenly turned grave. He strode toward the street corner opposite them.

Fan Changyu glanced over and saw only a scholar with a stall selling calligraphy and paintings.

Afraid that he might cause some trouble, Fan Changyu hurried over with Changning. “What are you doing?”

The scholar had just put down the final stroke when a large hand suddenly reached over from the side and snatched the painting away.

The man who had been standing across the street eating tanghulu just moments ago had somehow already reached them. He seized the scholar by the collar, his jade-white face icy and terrifying, “Who told you to paint this?”

The scholar was so overwhelmed by the pressure radiating from him that he could barely speak. Stammering, he said, “Xiaosheng-Xiaosheng only saw that Gongzi and Furen looked like such a happy family of three, and couldn’t help but paint. If One has offended Gongzi, One hope Gongzi won’t take offense.”

公子 (gōngzǐ) — A respectful form of address for a young gentleman, particularly one from a respectable or affluent family. Usually means “young master”.

夫人 (fūrén) — A respectful title for a married woman, often meaning “Madam” or “the wife of [a man].” In historical settings, it can indicate a woman’s status as a wife rather than simply being a generic polite form of address.

Fan Changyu arrived with Changning just then. Seeing that Xie Zheng looked ready to beat someone in the middle of the street, she hurriedly pried his hand away from the scholar’s collar. “What are you doing?”

Xie Zheng said nothing. He lowered his eyes to the painting in his hand.

The scholar’s brushwork was only average, but the painting’s strength lay in how vividly he had captured the people.

In the painting, Fan Changyu was squinting as she ate tanghulu, her gaze directed toward the viewer as though she had been watching her every movement all along. Changning stood in front, biting into a hawthorn and looking back at the two of them, grinning from ear to ear, her brows and eyes brimming with mischievous liveliness.

Fan Changyu was surprised when she saw the painting as well. “Huh?” she exclaimed, then asked the scholar, “You painted us?”

The scholar was thoroughly frightened by the murderous-looking man beside this guileless young lady. He hurriedly nodded, then began showering them with compliments as though words cost him nothing, “Furen and Gongzi are truly a match made in heaven, blessed with both beauty and talent. Even your little daughter is so adorable. If Furen like the painting, then please accept it as a New Year’s gift from Xiaosheng to the two of you. I wish Furen and Gongzi a long and happy marriage, and may you welcome another little gongzi next year.”

Fan Changyu nearly snapped the wooden stick of the tanghulu in her mouth.