Chapter 333: The Fox and the Tail

Pillow propped, and books in hand,

Idleness sweet, a moment grand.

Before the door, rain's gentle gleam,

A soaked view paints a tranquil dream.

The weather grew colder still. The Daoist lit the fire in the small stove, bringing his hands closer to warm them. He rubbed them together, then exhaled softly over his fingers before picking up a book beside him.

Suddenly, the door creaked, and a small girl slipped in. She hunched her shoulders and lowered her head, her twin buns puffed and round, with enough hair to rival a full ponytail. The rain had left countless tiny droplets clinging to her hair, glimmering like white pearls. In her hands, she clutched two steamed buns, her expression as serious as could be as she handed them to the Daoist.

“Eat these!” she declared.

“You always have to go buy breakfast for me. How can that be right?” The Daoist put down his book and accepted the buns, glancing at the droplets clinging to her hair. “And it’s still raining outside.”

“Thank me.”

“Thank you, Lady Calico.”

“You’re welcome.”

The little girl sat down beside him and raised her hands to pat her forehead a few times. With casual ease, she brushed off all the water droplets. Then, as though it were nothing at all, she said, “It’s just rain.”

“You’re not eating?”

“I already ate last night. I also caught two house crickets and fed one to the swallow.” While speaking, she brought over a small stool, grabbed a book, and sat on the other side of the stove. She extended a hand to feel the warmth emanating from the fire, her eyes narrowing contentedly. Her head tilted slightly, as though she particularly enjoyed the heat.

Then, curling up, she opened the book, her tiny face almost entirely hidden behind it. From behind the book came her muffled voice, “That swallow is odd—it eats bugs but won’t eat mice.”

“Don’t I and the horse seem odd to you too?” the Daoist said, smiling.

“Uh...” Lady Calico shook her head slightly.

How could one possibly go without eating mice?

But she didn’t say much more, refocusing on her book, diligently absorbing knowledge in preparation for her role as a teacher. Occasionally, she would lower the book slightly while craning her head up, peeking over its edge to check on how much her Daoist had eaten.

After a long while, her voice piped up again, “Oh, right!”

“What’s the matter?” The Daoist looked at her, still holding a half-eaten bun.

The little girl had already put the book down, as if she had thought of something serious. She solemnly said to him, “We’ve been buying meals outside every day recently, and it’s been costing a lot of money. We haven’t earned anything yet! Last night, when you were asleep, I was rummaging through things at home for fun and found an old little flag!”

“What little flag?”

“The one hanging by the door.”

“The shop sign?”

“Yes, the shop sign!”

“But I’ve been feeling a bit lazy lately and don’t really feel like opening the shop to do business. Besides, under the City God’s governance, incidents of demons and ghosts harming people in Changjing have become quite rare.”

“You’re so lazy...”

“Of course, I can’t compare to you, Lady Calico,” the Daoist sighed helplessly. “Otherwise, I’d already be as skilled as you by now.”

“...!”

The little girl was stunned for a moment. After thinking it over, she said, “That’s okay. I’m even more skilled now. I can catch mice and also fight demons and exorcize ghosts.”

“How would that work?” What the Daoist thought instead was,

If Lady Calico went out to fight demons and exorcise ghosts, wouldn’t I have to follow her from behind? How would that be any different from me doing it myself?

“I can do it!”

“It’ll tire you out, Lady Calico.”

“I don’t get tired!”

“It’s dangerous.”

“I’m very capable!”

“Wouldn’t it interfere with your reading?”

“You said we shouldn’t spend the whole day reading, so we need to spend some time earning money.”

“...”

This reasoning earned Song You’s admiration.

Smiling, Song You didn’t say much more. He decided to treat it as training and a bit of fun for his own little cat. So, he said to her, “Then I’ll have to rely on you to support me again...”

“...!” The little girl’s expression turned solemn, incomparably serious. “Don’t worry about it!”

“...”

The Daoist couldn’t help but shake his head. What kind of hobby was this?

“The rain will stop this afternoon. Once it does, let’s go for a walk. It’s not good for you to stay home reading all day.”

“Where to?”

“How about Hexian Pavilion?”

“Hexian Pavilion!”

“Back when we left Changjing, others came to see us off outside the city gates. Now that we’ve returned, it’s only proper, both emotionally and logically, that we pay them a visit. This is called courtesy.”

“Courtesy!”

“Yes...”

“Courtesy is expensive.”

After saying this, the little girl suddenly turned her head to look.

A white oiled paper umbrella embroidered with plum blossoms appeared outside the door. Holding the umbrella was a pair of slender, fair hands, their beauty evident from the very joints.

Beneath the umbrella stood a stunningly beautiful woman, dressed in simple yet elegant attire. In this early winter season, she wore a cloak seemingly made of fox fur, nearly pure white and speckled with countless raindrops, which clung to the fur like tiny pearls.

Behind her was another petite and charming woman, dressed more vibrantly in the attire of a maid. She held a green-flowered umbrella and also wore a fox fur cloak, following closely behind.

The two women reached the doorway. The one in front wore a calm expression, while the one behind had a faint smile as they both looked inside.

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

“What was the Daoist Master talking about?”

“...”

Speak of the devil...

Song You set down his book and quickly stood up. “An esteemed guest has arrived. Please, come in.”

The woman in front closed her umbrella, which the maid immediately stepped forward to take. The maid then closed her own umbrella and placed them at the door to drain the water. The lead woman lifted the hem of her cloak and skirt and stepped inside, followed closely by the maid.

“Greetings to you, Lady Calico.”

“Greetings to you too.”

“You’re reading a book?”

“Yes, I’m studying!”

“You’re so diligent and eager to learn.”

“That’s right!”

“Please, have a seat.” The Daoist gestured to them. “But we only have a wide bench.”

“Wasn’t it a wide bench we sat on last time too?”

“Forgive me for the lack of proper hospitality.”

“There’s no need for such words, Daoist Master.”

Miss Wanjiang sat down, while the maid smiled and stood behind her. The two of them nodded in greeting to Lady Calico, who sat nearby, and after a pause, the maid addressed the Daoist. “It’s all your fault, Daoist Master. You’ve been back in the capital for days and still haven’t come to visit us. If not for hearing from others that you’d returned, we might not have known even now.”

“My nature is rather lazy,” the Daoist replied, “and with the rain these past few days, I hadn’t gone out. Just now, I was discussing with Lady Calico about going to Hexian Pavilion after the rain stopped, intending to visit you both. I didn’t expect you to come here first.”

“I don’t believe it,” the maid said with a teasing smile.

“...” Miss Wanjiang shook her head, ignoring the topic entirely, as if her maid’s words were unrelated to her and held no interest. Instead, she continued to look at the book in the little girl’s hands, showing the kind of concern an old family friend or relative might have for a child’s studies. “What book are you reading?”

“

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes.”

“Ah,

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes.”

This renowned woman of Changjing seemed to know a bit about beginner learning books.

She remarked, “I’ve heard that some people found

A Collection of Nursery Rhymes

too simplistic. While it doesn’t harm children, it’s said to do little for cultivating their character, morals, or future success. So, a new book was compiled called

Little Children’s Lessons,

which is now the one everyone reads.”

“I don’t know. The Daoist priest bought it.”

Lady Calico was very honest. After speaking, she turned to look at Song You, waiting to hear her Daoist’s explanation.

“Lady Calico is just a cat. She doesn’t need to understand so many human rules and principles; she just needs to learn more knowledge,” he said.

“If a demon mingles among humans, it’s only natural they must understand human rules and principles.”

“That’s a fair point,” the Daoist replied. “But Lady Calico, though a cat, is innately clever and astute. As a demon walking in the human world, she already knows most of what she needs to understand. From my perspective, in some areas, she does even better than humans—better than me, at least. There’s no need for her to learn anything else.”

The little girl, halfway through listening, stopped looking at the Daoist and instead pretended to be engrossed in her book. Her face was expressionless, but her ears perked up, and inside, she was absolutely delighted.

Miss Wanjiang revealed a thoughtful expression, as if pondering something unknown. She smiled faintly and shifted her gaze before continuing to ask, “Daoist Master, now that you’ve returned, when will you leave the capital again?”

“After winter.”

“That’s still a long time,” the maid immediately chimed in, her tone playful. “If you have time, you can come visit us at Hexian Pavilion again.”

“Yes,” Miss Wanjiang agreed with a nod.

“Since you two are inseparable, why is one standing while the other is sitting?” Song You couldn’t help but ask.

“The tail naturally belongs behind,” Miss Wanjiang answered.

“Either one stands and one sits, or both sit, or both stand. You have to pick one, don’t you?” the maid added.

“...”

The way these two divided their conversation was remarkably clear.

The Daoist couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly. Then, turning back to them, he asked about what had been on his mind, “I heard that last year, the power of Princess Changping in the court was completely uprooted, and she was placed under house arrest. You two should have regained your freedom by now. Why are you still staying in the capital?”

“Do you wish for us to leave so much?”

“Don’t be rude,” Miss Wanjiang said, tilting her head toward her maid before sighing deeply. “Though I’ve regained my freedom, I’ve already been in Changjing for ten years. Ten years isn’t a short time, not even for us. Moreover, sometimes the length of time depends on how much was done during that period.

“Take me, for example. I used to want to leave the capital. Now that I’m free, I could abandon everything in Changjing and disappear entirely—no one would ever see a woman named Wanjiang again. But, strangely, I feel reluctant. My heart feels hollow, and I’m unwilling to leave in haste.”

“Hehe, Mistress is right. We’re allowed to leave, but we don’t have to leave.”

“For us demons, though we live long lives, they’re often simple and dull. These ten years have been unique in our lives; perhaps we’re simply reluctant to completely say goodbye to such a special and busy decade.”

“As expected of Mistress, always so eloquent!”

“Don’t be rude in front of the Daoist.”

“Understood...”

“I see,” the Daoist said with a nod, finding their reasoning logical. As for their act of playing dual roles, he neither questioned it further nor tried to expose them. Instead, he continued, “Are you still playing the

qin

and selling wine at Hexian Pavilion?”

“We play when we want to, and don’t when we don’t feel like it. That’s how we were originally, but it’s been a long time since we’ve felt so carefree. It’s truly a wonderful feeling,” the maid said with a smile.

“It all depends on our mood,” Miss Wanjiang added.

“But if you visit us and wish to hear music, Mistress will certainly play the

qin

, even if it’s nonstop for an entire day,” the maid said with a grin.

“Back in Changjing, when we first met, it felt like reuniting with an old friend from long ago. Now, after such a long time apart, meeting you again feels even more meaningful. If you visit and wish to hear the

qin

, I would naturally be delighted to oblige.”

“Have you two always been like this?”

“Like what?”

“Nothing...” The Daoist shook his head and glanced at Lady Calico, who was pretending to read seriously beside him. Then he continued, “When do you plan to leave?”

“Next year, perhaps.”

“In the spring.”

“Where to?”

“Likely to Yangzhou. Yangdu rivals Changjing in its splendor but has far less political intrigue and scheming. We might spend some time there.”

“That’s where we first met the princess.”

“Ah, I see.” The Daoist nodded thoughtfully.

Yangzhou, Yangdu...

He’d heard it was known as the second greatest city under heaven—a place of flourishing prosperity with misty willows and endless allure. Poets, scholars, and high-ranking officials were all enchanted by Yangzhou. When spring arrived, he planned to head south, passing through Fengzhou. It seemed inevitable that he, too, would take a detour to visit Yangzhou.