Chapter 091 – Making Room - Part 1

Under the pale moonlight, its glow illuminating the willow branches swaying in the breeze, Li Yuan strolled along the lakeshore late at night with Tang Qiu by his side. They were there for an honest, heart-to-heart talk.

“Old Tang, how much longer can you live?”

“Two years.”

“Is there no cure for your injuries?”

“The medicine I need is with my enemies, a family of assassins called the He Family. They won’t sell it to me.” Tang Qiu replied.

Then the man gazed off in the distance, a look of melancholy on his face. “The He Family... They targeted my family of puppet makers, wanting to seize our skills and technique to strengthen their own power. They failed, but my family didn’t come out unscathed either; my entire Tang Family is gone.

“So, Young Master Li, you don’t have to worry about them seeking revenge. For one thing, the He Family is very far away; for another, they’re no longer in a position to come after anyone. Right now, they need to worry more about being devoured by their own enemies.”

Li Yuan gave him a pensive look. “Then why did you want to sell your daughter and leave by yourself?”

Tang Qiu fell silent for a moment before speaking again, "My wife and siblings all died at the He Family’s hands. Since I won’t live long, I thought I might drag those bastards to hell with me. And if I failed, at least when I meet my wife and brothers in the afterlife, I can say I tried.”

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Yet now you’ve changed your mind.”

“Because I’m still a father. Yes, my heart is brimming with hatred and regret, but there’s also my daughter, Nian Nian. When your little girl is crying her eyes out, begging you not to leave her, saying that she won’t let you die...how does a father say no to that?”

His eyes, weary from a lifetime of hardship, turned red around the edges. A faint smile touched his lips—one that was neither bitter nor simply joyful, a mix of many emotions.

“And so, I want to stay here and serve you. After I die, Nian Nian will have a better life.

“As for my Tang Family’s puppet making arts, I’ve already taught them all to her. Without a life chronicle to anchor the technique, it can only reach the seventh rank.

“From what I can see of your skills, you probably don’t need those teachings. Still, I hope you understand. Once she’s grown, she’ll be loyal to you and become a great help.

“She has real potential. Her temperament is strong, too. On the night my family was destroyed, she and I hid in a cramped secret chamber and saw it all. She shed tears, but she never made a sound.”

Li Yuan nodded. “Why choose us?”

“Because of your charity porridge stands. You put meat in the porridge, and the people ladling out portions were unbelievably kind. One girl even asked me if I wanted a second bowl.

“Afterward, I stayed in the county for a few months, gathering what information I could about you and the Ginger Tavern. Eventually, I became certain you were the safest home for Nian Nian.”

Li Yuan closed his eyes briefly, taking this in. Tang Qiu’s earnestness felt genuine. If his story was true, it was the perfect example of how good deeds and good reputation reaped unexpected rewards.

“Do you actually know how to create puppets?” Li Yuan asked.

“Yes, but it requires all kinds of precision molds and equipment, things I don’t have the means to make anymore.”

“Then at least teach me how to operate them when you have time, alright?”

Tang Qiu seemed surprised. “Any skill worth mastering demands a lot of time. You—”

"Come on, Old Tang,” Li Yuan said lightly. “I’m taking you and your daughter in. The least I can do is learn something interesting in return, right?”

Tang Qiu smiled wryly. “Understood. If you want to learn, just ask. Since my entire Tang Family is gone, letting more people inherit our arts would make me happy.”

Li Yuan patted his shoulder. “If you need any medicinal herbs or tonics, let Manager Wu know. I’ll talk to him.” Then he pointed to a fork in the path. “You should head back for now. Nian Nian’s waiting. Make yourselves at home. It’s your home now. Don’t stand on ceremony.”

“Many thanks, Young Master Li.”

They parted ways. As Li Yuan watched Tang Qiu’s silhouette recede into the night, he quietly made a few mental notes. The man’s account felt half-truth, half-fiction.

Perhaps the He Family wasn’t truly so weakened, but they were definitely far away, and Nian Nian would likely be safe in Gemhill County

Tang Qiu might be an alias. It would be easy enough to question the little girl and see how she reacted, but there was also little point.

The father-and-daughter duo had probably hidden something secret in those puppet arts.

Tang Qiu admitted they witnessed their entire family’s massacre firsthand, implying they held considerable status within the Tang Family.

All told, none of it mattered. The life chronicle was lost, and without it, whatever secret was hidden within those puppet arts would die with Nian Nian.

Li Yuan desired to build his own force. Showing a bit of leeway and slowly building up trust was part of that.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Night fell over Silver Creek.

By now, curfew was in effect, and the inner district was sealed shut. But Li Yuan still had a place to stay, a two-storey home in White Cloud Alley, which Xue Ning had acquired.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Because of the curfew, Li Yuan, Yan Yu, and Xue Ning all spent their nights here. When they wanted to be elsewhere, the two women followed Li Yuan as needed.

Tonight, after his talk with Tang Qiu, Li Yuan returned home to find Xue Ning ordering the maids to prepare his bath. Meanwhile, Yan Yu had set out a bowl of noodles with a fried egg on top. She placed it before him as soon as he walked in.

“That Tang Qiu, are we keeping him on?” Yan Yu asked, watching her husband slurp down noodles.

Li Yuan took another mouthful, savoring the warm, comforting taste. After a late return home, finding a hot bowl of noodles waiting for him filled his heart with warmth. He glanced up at his wife.

“Yes, I think so. Let’s have him and his daughter stay in the back courtyard for a while. If all goes well, we can let that little girl, Nian Nian, play with Auntie Wang’s two kids, Xiao Sheng and Niu Niu. The three of them are about the same age, and children need friends, especially a girl like Nian Nian, who’s bound to carry a lot of pain and loneliness. If it isn’t eased, she might have a difficult adulthood. She needs warmth around her.”

“My dear husband, so kind and thoughtful,” Yan Yu teased, propping her chin on her hand as she watched him eat.

Li Yuan set down his chopsticks for a moment. “Kind and thoughtful? I just want more reliable people around in the future, that’s all.”

Yan Yu merely giggled.

Moments later, they heard Xue Ning calling from the back courtyard. “Husband, the bath is ready! Come wash up when you’re finished.”

Li Yuan answered with a quick, “Okay!”

Then he noticed Yan Yu giving him a mischievous, knowing look.

“What?” he asked.

She pulled two small bamboo sticks from under the table, placed them on top, then twinkled her eyes at him. “Pick one.”

He turned them over and over, surprised to see no markings at all. He had assumed this was one of those games where he’d draw a lot to see which consort kept him company—lighthearted fun between married folk. But with no writing, he was stumped.

“What am I supposed to do with blank sticks?” he asked.

Her eyes gleamed. “These are mystery sticks. One represents me, the other represents Big Sis. But you don’t know which is which. Draw one, and whoever you pick is the one who’ll be with you tonight. You won’t find out which of us it is until you lift the blankets.”

Li Yuan blinked.

They’re really coming up with some creative ideas

, he thought. “What if we just...all three of us—”

“Oh no,” she cut him off with a playful pout. “We can’t make it too easy for you. You’d get bored and start eyeing other women before long.”

“Alright, alright.” He picked one of the sticks at random, sneaking a glance at her expression. Her face gave nothing away. Clearly, she was good at keeping secrets. He found himself oddly curious about which wife he’d be with that night.