Chapter 331: A Day for Reading

“Your congee is here, dear customers!”

The shopkeeper placed the bowls of congee on the table. Heroine Wu glanced up at him and thanked him politely. When the shopkeeper also brought over the boiled eggs and meat buns, she turned to Song You and said, “You ordered so much, you’re really being extravagant.”

“We’ve reunited after such a long time. Offering only congee would be far too rude,” Song You replied.

“I quite like the century egg congee here. Back before I left the city, I used to come here often after they started serving it,” Heroine Wu said as she picked up her chopsticks, scooped up a bowl of congee, and began eating.

Her movements were brisk, almost as if she hadn’t eaten in ages—or perhaps she simply didn’t feel the heat of the steaming congee. “Still, it’s not as good as what you cook. Mostly because you use more meat.”

“Where have you been these days?”

“I traveled far, and I had some loose ends to tie up.”

“I thought you might have been caught up in the aftermath,” Song You said, his tone probing.

“Not that easily.” Heroine Wu straightened up, looked around casually, and then set her chopsticks down.

Picking up a boiled egg, she cracked it against the table, peeling it as she spoke nonchalantly, “We were careful. My work for her was always done in secret. Very few people knew about it. After everything happened, anyone who did know about me wouldn’t be foolish enough to tell on me.

“Most of the others have scattered, gone home. The money we earned over the years should be enough for all of them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.”

“That’s reassuring.” Song You’s gaze dropped slightly, watching her peel the egg.

The heroine had a bold and unrestrained demeanor, but her hands were remarkably dexterous. Her fingers were slender and nimble, and as she peeled the egg, it was almost like a performance. The eggshells fell swiftly, piece by piece.

“Though I came close to being exposed,” Heroine Wu said with a grin, as if recounting an amusing anecdote. “One of our men pretended he was going back to his hometown but secretly stayed in Changjing, hoping to meet with someone tied to one of the princes. Luckily, I was sharp enough to see through his lies. I followed him quietly, and took care of him.”

“Impressive,” Song You replied.

“It’s just some small-time stuff, not even worth mentioning compared to you,” she said, tossing the peeled egg into her bowl. “I’ve heard plenty of stories about what happened up north. Tsk, tsk. People are saying you’re an immortal who descended to the mortal realm.”

“Subduing demons and exorcizing spirits is simply something I’m skilled at,” Song You replied.

“So, are you really an immortal in disguise?”

“As far as I know, no.”

“Then what about the swallow? Where did it come from?”

“Five or six years ago, from Anqing in Xuzhou. You’ve seen it before.”

“Oh, that one!”

“Yes.”

“The one that carried grain to save lives...”

“That was a task commanded by its ancestor, a family effort.”

“Interesting.”

“And how’s the investigation you’ve been working on? Any progress?”

“More or less,” Heroine Wu said. “I’ve pieced most of it together. I just need to find Dr. Cai and confirm the final details.”

“Has Dr. Cai returned?”

“I’ve heard he’s back, but a few days ago on the road, I went up to Mount Beiqin to look for him again, and he wasn’t there. I asked around and was told he returned around mid-year. However, it seems there was an outbreak of smallpox in Jingzhou not long after, so he went there. He probably won’t be back until just before the New Year.”

“Dr. Cai has a compassionate heart,” Song You commented.

“He’s a miracle doctor, after all.”

“The New Year isn’t far off.”

“It really isn’t...” Heroine Wu sighed.

She had been carrying a heavy burden for so long, a responsibility that had driven her to train in martial arts from a young age and eventually travel far and wide to Changjing, enduring hardships in silence. Now, with her goal in sight, she felt a strange emptiness—as if, once this weight was lifted, she wouldn’t know what to do with herself.

Without these responsibilities, who would she be? What would she be doing now?

Thinking about it, she found the workings of fate truly strange.

“What will you do after you’ve settled this?” Song You asked.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time,” Heroine Wu replied, pausing in her eating. “I’ll probably return to Yizhou. I’m naturally someone who enjoys fun and games, so I think I’ll find a place to live a carefree life without worries.”

She looked up at him. “And when will you return to Yizhou?”

“I won’t make it back before the twenty-first year of the Mingde era, but I’ll likely return during the twenty-first year,” Song You replied.

“Alright, then,” she said with a grin. “When the time comes, I’ll bring a big red rooster to visit you.”

“I’ll be honored to host you,” Song You said, smiling back.

The weather was already cold, and the congee cooled quickly in the open air. Each layer at the top cooled as it was eaten, leaving the layer below just warm enough. By the end, Heroine Wu simply picked up her bowl and slurped it down in a few gulps. She finished the second bowl much the same way.

A

mantou

only took a few bites to finish, and each boiled egg was gone in two bites.

Seeing she was almost done, Song You settled the bill and rose with her to cross the street.

“How did you get in the door?” Heroine Wu asked.

“I picked the lock.”

“The key to your place is still with me,” she said. “After you left two years ago, the lease technically expired, but the Housing Bureau never came to collect the house, the key, or anything else. Nobody moved in, either. Most likely, someone in Changjing arranged for it to be held for you all this time.”

She paused before adding, “But I didn’t know that back then, so I moved your long couch and rocking chair up to my place. Honestly, you Daoists really know how to enjoy life compared to people like me. Just those two things—not even expensive—and they completely changed how my days felt.”

“As long as you like them,” Song You said.

“I’ll move them back for you later.”

“No need. Keep them. We won’t be staying long this time—just until the winter passes.”

“I might not even stay that long myself.”

“Do as you wish, then.”

Song You stopped at his door, and Heroine Wu did the same at hers. She pulled out her key, unlocked her door, and the two exchanged a brief glance before each stepped inside their respective homes.

***

Later that afternoon...

The scenery outside the city remained unchanged. Yellow leaves rustled as they fell, a light mist hung over the landscape, and the sprawling countryside was dotted with countless homes.

The Daoist stood on an empty, desolate mountain, speaking to the jujube-red horse beside him.

“You’ve followed me all this time, carrying my belongings. While it’s been beneficial for your cultivation, remaining like this indefinitely isn’t ideal. Over the next few months, I’d like you to stay here on the barren mountains outside the city and focus on your cultivation. Running free without constraints in the vast open land, amidst the mountains and rivers, you may find new insights.”

The horse snorted loudly in response.

Song You patted its neck gently.

“Off you go. Come spring, we’ll come find you again and see how much you’ve gained. In the meantime, perhaps I’ll ask Swallow to check in on you and see how your insights are coming along.”

The horse began to trot away.

After walking a short distance, it turned its head back to glance at the Daoist before galloping off into the distance.

Although the horse was small and slender, anyone—even those unskilled in judging horses—could see its extraordinary nature once it started running. The desolate mountain paths were rugged, filled with stones and brambles, yet it ran like the wind, completely undeterred by the rough terrain. When faced with ravines or slopes, it would leap lightly, effortlessly clearing the obstacles. In mid-air, it seemed almost as though it could fly.

The Daoist watched it for a moment before turning back toward the city.

Not long after entering the city, he passed a bookstore.

Patting the money he carried, he decided to enter, leading Lady Calico inside.

“Hey, hey!”

“No need to worry, sir,” Song You said calmly. “My cat is well-behaved and sensible. If anything gets damaged, we’ll pay for it at full price.”

The shopkeeper’s outstretched hand hesitated, then slowly pulled back. His previously wary eyes softened into a smile.

No one really believed such assurances, of course. Even if the small cat sat obediently by the Daoist’s feet, gazing up at him with apparent innocence, it was hard to trust that it wouldn’t cause trouble. But the assurance of full compensation for damages? He’d almost wish for a few books to get ruined.

“What kind of books would you like to see?” the shopkeeper asked, walking over. “We also carry Daoist classics.”

“I’m just browsing.”

Rather than Daoist texts, the Daoist started looking through books for beginners.

The shopkeeper, noticing he was flipping through titles like

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

and

Poems of a Thousand Masters

, asked curiously, “Sir, do you have children in your temple who are studying?”

“Something like that.”

“How old are they?”

“Hard to say.”

“Sounds like there’s more than one,” the shopkeeper said with a smile. “If they’re very young, I’d recommend

Hundred Family Surnames

or

The Thousand Character Classic

. If they’re a bit older, the ones you’ve picked—

Poems of a Thousand Masters

and

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

—are also excellent for teaching children.

“But if you want them to become both accomplished and well-behaved early, you should also consider books like

Little Children’s Lessons

,

The Simple Words of Filial Piety

, or

Admonitions for Raising Children

.”

“I see...” Song You nodded but continued selecting on his own.

In the end, he chose one copy each of

Hundred Family Surnames

,

The Thousand Character Classic

,

Poems of a Thousand Masters

, and

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

. As for

Little Children’s Lessons

, it was quite similar to

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

, though it emphasized moral teachings.

Unsure of its value to a child’s development—and with Lady Calico already being well-behaved—he decided it wasn’t necessary.

As for books strongly emphasizing loyalty and filial piety or aiming to prepare children for worldly success in this era, he felt those were even less relevant.

“It seems the children in your care are still quite young, hehe,” the shopkeeper commented. “You’ve come at a good time. A few years back, the State Preceptor decreed fixed prices for beginner books to encourage children to study. Without that, the cost of these books would be twice as high.”

“It’s all thanks to the State Preceptor’s benevolence.”

“At the expense of us booksellers making less money, of course...”

Just as Song You was about to pay and leave, something caught his eye. Glancing to the side, he saw another book and picked it up.

“You have excellent taste, sir,” the shopkeeper said immediately. “That’s by Fu Yu, also known as Fu Wengdong from Xuzhou. A masterpiece filled with stories of demons, ghosts, and immortals. It’s written so vividly that readers say it feels like hearing it directly from someone who lived through it. It’s been one of the bestsellers in Changjing these past couple of years.”

“I’ll take a copy.” The Daoist casually placed the book on top of the other four he had purchased.

The shopkeeper beamed with joy and eagerly calculated the total on his abacus.

After paying, Song You carried the stack of five books down the street toward the small building he called home. Lady Calico walked beside him in tiny, deliberate steps, staying so close it seemed as if she might get stepped on at any moment.

Once they entered the house, he placed the books on the table.

Lady Calico leaped lightly onto the table, her tail curled, and leaned in to examine the characters on the book covers. Then she turned her head toward the Daoist.

“Are these for me?”

“They are.”

“If I read them, will I grow up quickly?”

“No, but you’ll gain more knowledge.”

“But the shopkeeper said something about becoming accomplished?”

“Those weren’t the books I bought.”

“Oh...”

“You can read whichever one you like.”

“Which one should I start with?”

“You’re very clever, so you can decide for herself.” The Daoist sat down and opened the copy of

Essays of Mingde

he had purchased for himself, flipping through its pages.

Glancing at the cat, he added, “If there’s a book you don’t like, you don’t have to read it. If there’s a part you don’t like, you can skip it. And if there’s something you don’t understand, you can always ask me.”

“Alright.”

Lady Calico hopped off the table. Moments later, two small, soft hands reached up and pulled one of the books off the stack.

The sun was shining brightly, and the day was free of distractions—a perfect time for reading.