Chapter 5: Night Raid (Revised)

Three bowls of porridge and a basket of meat buns were placed on the table, eight copper coins slapped down to pay. By this hour, the pharmacy had opened as well; Ling Chi led Ah Kun inside.

“Doctor, my cousin seems to have caught a fever. Could you please take a look at him?”

The resident doctor, a man in his thirties or forties with the appearance of a scholar, beckoned Ah Kun over to lie down and casually took his pulse.

“Yin deficiency with fever, persistent low fever, limbs fatigued, poor appetite, slight sweating, fever recedes at rest, returns with exertion. The pulse is faint and taut, the tongue pale red with a thin white coating.”

“It’s a low-grade fever, nothing serious. I’ll prescribe you a course of Cinnamon Twig Decoction to be taken for three days, and he’ll be cured. Take one packet per day, boil it in three bowls of water down to one, and take it twice daily, morning and evening. The total fee, including consultation and medicine, is forty-five copper coins.”

The doctor instructed his assistant to prepare the medicine and gave his orders, while Ling Chi readily paid.

“Doctor, do you know which martial arts school in town is reputable?”

“There’s only one in the county: Seven Stars Martial Hall. The master, Zhao Qing, is a skilled practitioner of the Qi Sea Realm. He’s well known in several neighboring counties. Qi Sea is the third realm—before it are the Pulse Opening Realm and the Body Tempering Realm. I don’t know what comes after.” The master patiently explained.

Ling Chi thanked him and left with the siblings.

“Huanhuan, let’s find a place to rent and settle down. Do you know where we can find a broker?”

“Cousin, there’s no need for a broker. I know of a house for rent, but someone died there just last month.”

“That’s nothing to worry about. We have no guilty conscience, and perhaps we can get a bargain. As long as no one drowned in the well, I’m fine.” Ling Chi was concerned only about the well being tainted.

“I’ve met the old lady there before. She once gave me food, and brought Ah Kun some clothes her grandson wore as a child. They say she died of old age.”

“Let’s go check it out. If it suits us, we’ll rent it. And we can start brewing medicine for Ah Kun early.”

Ling Chi always believed in seeing things for himself; street gossip was often unreliable.

Crane County was no small place, with several thousand households. The county seat was divided into North and South Towns, with East and West Markets. The government offices were in the north, merchants and wealthy households in the south; the courtyard they sought was on Ginkgo Alley in the East Market.

At the entrance to the alley stood two tall ginkgo trees. The house Huanhuan mentioned was at the very end, not large, but surrounded by a wall that ensured privacy.

Ling Chi knocked on the door knocker, and before long, an elderly man with white hair came out, curiosity in his eyes as he looked at the three visitors.

“Good sir, my name is Ling Chi. May I ask your name? I heard your courtyard is for rent, and I’ve brought my younger cousins to have a look. May we come in?”

“I am known as Mister Wenshan. Come in and see. Since my wife passed, I wish to avoid memories and so I plan to let the house.”

In the courtyard was a jujube tree, several clusters of flowers, and a small vegetable patch with spinach, radishes, and cabbage. At the back, a well had been dug.

Seeing Ling Chi’s interest in the well, the old man explained: “This well has been here more than ten years, never once dried up. The water is sweet, good for cooking and tea.”

Ling Chi went over, drew up a bucket, tasted it, and found it pure and sweet, his mind at ease.

Facing the courtyard gate was the main hall, with a room to each side, a lean-to outside serving as kitchen and woodshed, and a latrine at the back. All basic needs could be met. Ling Chi was quite satisfied and glanced at Huanhuan for her opinion; she nodded enthusiastically.

“Sir, how much do you wish to rent for? I’m thinking of a five-year lease.”

The old man was surprised—he himself was unsure he’d live that long.

“How about three silver coins per year?”

“And if I wanted to buy it outright?”

Mister Wenshan was taken aback. The youth before him looked quite young, yet spoke of purchasing the house, which made him doubt.

Ling Chi saw the hesitation and understood the doubt.

“Mister Wenshan, my family suffered disaster and we fled here, fortunate to bring some silver with us. I thought to establish a home and look after my distant cousins.”

The old man’s scholarly air and kindly face reassured Ling Chi, and he intended to ask more of him in future, so buying the house seemed the best course.

Hearing the children’s plight, Mister Wenshan was moved.

“Very well, pay thirty-five silver coins and I will draw up the deed and have the transfer processed.”

“Thank you, sir. When you draw up the contract, would you please arrange for household registration for me and my cousins? I haven’t much left, but I can offer you four or five extra silver coins.”

Seeing the man’s kind demeanor and scholarly air, Ling Chi took the chance to mention the need for registration.

“No trouble at all; I’ll have someone take care of it. Here, two silver coins will cover it—household registration is managed terribly in this county.” He quickly produced the contract.

Money and property changed hands, but the deed still needed to be registered at the county office for a new title.

“I’ll have the deed and registration delivered by tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Mister Wenshan. May we move in today? We have nowhere else to stay.”

Ling Chi showed not a hint of embarrassment; Huanhuan and Ah Kun could hardly wait to move in.

“You may move in now. I have another place in the north of town, and soon I’ll be moving to Yingzhou Prefecture, likely never to return. There are some books—classics and histories—left in the house. You should read them.”

Ling Chi watched as Mister Wenshan walked away and said to the children, “You two take the left room; I’ll take the right. Go tidy up and brew Ah Kun’s medicine so he can rest. Tomorrow we’ll hire a housekeeper and see what else we need.”

Huanhuan hugged Ah Kun and whispered, “We have a home again.”

Humans are creatures of emotion; with a home comes a sense of belonging, of putting down roots. Ling Chi and Huanhuan both felt the same.

The first thing to do after moving in: eat.

Ling Chi left Huanhuan to brew medicine for Ah Kun, while he went out to buy necessities.

Food, clothing, shelter, utensils—pots, bowls, and pans.

He hired an ox cart to bring it all back. Passing the weapon shop, he bought a sword two feet seven inches long, resembling the ring-hilted swords of the Han dynasty, though lacking the ring. It weighed three or four pounds—perfect for training the body.

He returned to Ginkgo Alley near noon, called the carter to unload, and summoned Huanhuan to help arrange the mountain of household goods.

After all the purchases, they still had seventy or eighty silver coins and two or three hundred copper coins left from yesterday’s windfall.

The money was hidden under the green bricks beneath the bed—enough to last for a while. But learning martial arts was costly, especially the medicines needed for body tempering.

No matter; the Harmony Fragrance Pavilion was clearly no honest establishment—next time, that would be the place to get more money.

To fight violence with violence, to use evil against evil—this had always been his way to survive, and to make a living.

After lunch, he left the children at home with some copper coins for emergencies, strapped on his sword, and set off for Seven Stars Martial Hall.

In this world of gods and ghosts, there was no sense of security. He had to join a faction at once—to have some protection and time to grow strong, and so, survive and slowly come to understand this world.