Chapter 104: Deep Waters Breed Big Fish

He Chunhua nodded. “Old Mo is already handling it.” The village had just finished harvesting its wheat. The golden piles of wheat were stacked like small hills behind the houses, so grain was clearly not lacking. Hence, it should not have been a problem for the village to supply its guests with a bit of hot food.

Madame Ying glanced at the flatbreads on the table. They were fresh from the griddle, still carrying a trace of wheat’s fragrance, but they were clearly thick and uneven. The edges of the flatbread were charred, while the center was pale. Clearly, the hostess had no mind to cook them properly.

And there was nothing in them—no sesame, no scallions, not even oil.

It was a clear yet unspoken message: they were unwelcome.

Smiling as if oblivious, Madame Ying said gently, “You haven’t had your own supper yet, have you? Don’t trouble yourselves with us. Just a little hot water will do.”

The man rose and went to the back kitchen. “I’ll fetch it.”

He soon brought in a kettle full of steaming water. As he moved to pour it into a cup, Old Steward Mo stopped the man. “No. Empty it, scrub the pot, and boil it again.” After saying that, he pressed a short string of copper coins into the man’s palm. “We’ll borrow your kitchen as well.”

The villager froze, then reluctantly complied. Who in their right mind would turn down coin?

Old Mo followed him in, eyes sharp, overseeing every step. Whether it be when the man scooped water from the vat, filled the kettle, or set it on the fire, he never looked away.

By then, Nanny Qian had come bustling in, clutching a cloth bag. “I asked the mistress of the house, and she was willing to part with some fruit and vegetables.”

Nanny Qian had served Madame Ying since her maiden days. Even though she was called a nanny, she was actually barely past forty. She quickly rolled up her sleeves, then went to wash rice, tend to the fire, and prepare several dishes, a pot of steaming soup, and some glutinous rice balls boiled in rice wine.

Rice, oil, dried fruits, and preserved meat had all been carried from Heishui City. The rice wine had been bought at a famous tavern in the last town. As soon as it began to simmer, the kitchen was filled with its mellow sweetness.

The villager stood there gawking. “Heavens, do officials eat so well?”

Corrupt dogs!

“Of course,” was all Nanny Qian replied.

When no further answer came, the man pressed on, “And, where are you all headed?”

She was about to answer when Old Mo nudged her sharply with an elbow. She shut her mouth at once.

With nothing more to glean, the villager slunk back to the main room only to find it empty. He jumped in fright. “Where did they go?”

His wife whispered, voice trembling, “They, they said they wanted to stretch their legs.”

The house was too cramped to hold four grown members of the He family together. The two brothers had already been lodged in another farmhouse.

After supper, He Yue strolled to the lakeshore, stretching his back and arms. “Back home, we’d never be able to find such a vast body of water. Hah, I can’t help but feel carefree and happy.”

After half a day cramped in the jolting carriage, standing before a lake that stretched to the horizon was enough to make his chest feel broad and light.

He Lingchuan bent, picked up a pebble, and flicked it across the water.

Plip, plip, plip.

It skipped three times before it sank.

Amused, He Yue also stooped to collect a pebble. He blew across it, as if that would help.

“You’re hopeless,” He Lingchuan mocked. The little bookworm had never learned any tricks of the wild.

He Yue shot him a look, snapped his wrist, and let the pebble fly.

Plip, plip, plip, plip.

He managed four skips in a row.

He Lingchuan’s grin stiffened. “Not bad. Lucky throw.”

“That wasn’t luck.” He Yue weighed another pebble in his hand and flicked it across the lake.

Plip, plip, plip, plip, plip, plip.

Six skips.

Even he stared in surprise. And for once, He Lingchuan was struck speechless. “When did you start practicing behind my back?”

“It’s just a petty trick. Does something like this even need practice?” He Yue’s smile held a trace of pride. “Just pick flat stones and throw them low and hard across the water, that’s all.”

He Lingchuan shrugged. “Fair enough. Eh, this isn’t all that fun. I’m done playing.”

This older brother of his—once he lost, he also lost his temper. He Yue was about to tease him when the lake suddenly gave a loud splash, ripples fanning out across the surface.

A big fish, most likely.

Both brothers jumped in fright, then they laughed at each other.

He Lingchuan abruptly flicked two stones into the thicket by the shore.

“Ow!” Two cries came from the thicket, and two or three figures tumbled out.

He Yue’s smile vanished. “What are you doing there?”

“Relieving ourselves.” They were dressed like ordinary villagers, one even tugging at his waistband. “And what are you two doing here?”

“I thought you were hiding to eavesdrop on us,” He Lingchuan said evenly.

“Is there even anything worth listening to?” They chuckled and strolled past the brothers with unhurried steps.

Meanwhile, Old Steward Mo had persuaded the village chief to let the women prepare hot food for the troops. Of course, a village like this had no stores for feeding three or four hundred men. The He Family’s guards thus volunteered to haul grain from the storehouses and grind it themselves.

So, there were many people around the lake.

Watching those men’s backs retreating into the dark, He Lingchuan muttered, “Shifty eyes, every one of them. They don’t look right.”

“They’re just villagers. You just think no one looks honest,” He Yue teased, though he frowned at the lake. “Still, who goes pissing in the very lake where we’re drawing water and cooking? Now that you’ve said that, I’ve lost my appetite.”

At that moment, He Chunhua and Madame Ying approached from the opposite side, several guards trailing them like shadows.

Father’s cautious indeed. He always keeps protection close at hand in foreign places.

He Lingchuan greeted them, “Father, Mother, out for a stroll?”

“The food’s not ready yet, so we came out for some air,” said He Chunhua. Madame Ying, freed from villagers’ ears, finally spoke her mind, “The house reeks. The bedding probably hasn’t been washed or sunned in ages.”

“Food?” He Yue glanced instinctively at the lake.

Are we really using this water to cook?

He felt queasy at the thought.

Under the bright moon, something dark briefly surfaced on the lake.

He squinted, but it sank again before he could make it out.

“I saw it too,” Madame Ying murmured in surprise. “What was that?”

“Deep waters breed big fish,” He Chunhua said with a laugh. “Immortal Spirit Lake has stood since ancient times. Who knows what sort of large spiritual beings may have grown within?”

He turned to his sons and added, “Do you know that it was here, on these very shores, that Ancestor Yuan raised his first banner? Step by step, he built his merit, and that was the foundation of the kingdom we now reside in.”

One son nodded knowingly, while the other blinked in surprise and said, “Oh, it was here?”

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“By this lake, yes, though not right here.” The voice came from behind. The He Family turned to see Lu Han, the village chief’s burly nephew, striding up with a broad grin.

“If the honored officials are interested, I can guide you there. The view is quite something. You might even catch the Twin Moon Phenomenon. It’s something that scholars and poets often come to see.”

“Twin Moon Phenomenon?” Madame Ying’s interest was piqued.

He Chunhua glanced around. “And where is your village chief?”

“He caught a chill and isn’t well. He asked me to treat you all with the greatest care,” Lu Han said smoothly, gesturing behind him. “This way, please.”

However, He Chunhua shook his head and said, “Not tonight. Supper will soon be ready, and it grows late. We can see it in the morning. For a villager, your tongue is remarkably polished.”