xymnovel Chapter 23 An Indispensable Hometown, An Indispensable Childhood
Chapter 23 An Indispensable Hometown, An Indispensable Childhood
"It's up! It's up!" Lychee cheered, pulling a silver carp from Li Ji's hook. The poor fish didn't even have time to react before Lychee used a small knife to gut and scale it, thus sending it to its doom.
Even as a child, Lizhi was skilled at preparing various river delicacies. Back then, she would climb trees to pick fruit and wade into the river to catch fish and shrimp; her skills were in no way inferior to those of the boys in the village. Whenever they caught a fish, the children would always find a pit outside and roast it directly to eat.
Because the daily catch is random, the children are very skilled at handling various fish and shrimp, and can accurately use the most labor-saving and fastest processing methods according to the structure of different fish and shrimp.
With swift, deft movements, Lychee cleaned the fish, while Li Ji cut ginger and scallions from a flowerpot on the boat, and fetched rice wine and salt.
The two worked in perfect harmony, starting a fire at the stern to cook the fish. Having known each other for only ten days, Lizhi and Liji were already incredibly familiar with each other, and many things didn't need many words; a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's intentions.
Li Xuan let the two of them fuss around at the stern, in high spirits he was already planning how to visit Li Zhi's relatives in Chuzhou.
Regardless of who Li Zhi came from, the name of the Guangling Li family was still quite well-known in the Jianghuai region and even the Jiangnan region.
They and Feng Niaoniao prepared some properties for Li Ji, and even daughters of officials could be hired.
After all, most officials these days came from humble backgrounds and lacked the natural advantages to put on airs. Li Xuan and Li Ji, on the other hand, were well-known powerful figures in Huaidong. With their business acumen, family background, wealth, reputation, and connections, obtaining an official position was not difficult for them.
At the very least, if Li Xuan and Li Ji went to Haizhou or Chuzhou to join the army, they could find a sufficiently influential person to introduce them and get them an official position. If they were even willing to spend money, they could buy a battalion commander's position and recruit people themselves.
Not long after, the aroma of roasted fish wafted from outside. Li Ji and Li Zhi had prepared braised fish in soy sauce and offered it to everyone. Li Zhi even personally brought a bowl of fish to Li Xuan.
In the past few days, she had talked with Li Ji about many things related to the Li family. She knew that Li Ji had gone through the most difficult time in Li Xuan's home. Li Xuan's wife treated Li Ji like a son. The clothes and shoes that Li Ji wore were all made by his sister-in-law stitch by stitch.
Lychee put herself in the other person's shoes and realized that she was far less generous and virtuous than the sister-in-law she had never met, and therefore admired her even more.
Lizhi had unconsciously come to regard Li Xuan as her elder brother. At least Li Xuan was only Li Ji's cousin, and his kindness to his cousin was enough to make all his brothers and sisters in Jinling feel ashamed.
Li Xuan quickly stood up, cupped his hands in thanks, and while the lychee was polite, he couldn't just sit there and accept it without gratitude.
Lychee said softly, "These past few days, thanks to Brother Xuan's hard work, I, a weak woman, was able to travel north safely. If it weren't for Brother Xuan and Brother Ji, I'm afraid I would have died in that village long ago."
Li Xuan offered a polite consolation: "As the saying goes, good people are always blessed. The fact that Brother Ji and I met you on the canal shows that Heaven is protecting you. It's your destiny to survive, so don't worry about it. Calculating the journey, we'll arrive in Chuzhou tomorrow. I wonder where your relatives are in Chuzhou? I'll send Brother Ji with some people to accompany you into the city."
Lychee shook her head and said, "To be honest, my family used to be from Chuzhou. I grew up in my ancestral home in Chuzhou before being brought to Jinling. I've returned this time to visit relatives and friends who stayed in Chuzhou, but I don't have any direct elders. My ancestral home is in a village ten miles south of Chuzhou city. After I arrive at the Chuzhou dock tomorrow, I know the way back to the village and can walk back by myself. Please don't worry, Brother Xuan, I'm a local, nothing will happen to me."
Li Xuan shook her head: "How can I be at ease? The outside world is turbulent. Even if you, a young woman, travel by official road, you can't be guaranteed to be safe from harassment. Tomorrow, I'll have Ji-di accompany you. I won't feel at ease until I see you return home with my own eyes."
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The next day, at the Chuzhou Wharf, Li Xuan still needed to sell some salt. Although there was a shortage of table salt, wealthy families still needed salt to rinse their mouths.
At the same time, I'll try to find a way to procure a batch of sea salt in Chuzhou. Times have changed; even the garrison is affected by salt prices. I wonder if the people with connections in Chuzhou still have any options. It's always good to give it a try.
Li Ji paid for a carriage and horses to be rented at an inn outside Haizhou City. He then took his bow and sword and the newly bought gifts and openly went to see Lizhi's "relatives and friends".
Before leaving, Li Xuan instructed, "No matter what, do not get into conflicts with Lizhi's relatives and friends. Even if you suffer, you must endure it. We will discuss it again when we return to Chuzhou. Since they are locals, and Lizhi lived here when she was a child, they are probably not high-ranking officials. Your brother has a few wealthy friends in Chuzhou, so he can always find someone to mediate. Just don't say anything too harsh or hurtful."
Li Ji patted his chest and assured him, "Brother, don't worry, I know what's important."
Li Xuan suddenly asked, "Aren't you worried about your meager family fortune now?"
Li Ji chuckled and said, "Don't worry, what's there to worry about? Lizhi is so virtuous and cooks fish so well, she's not from a pampered family, and her family isn't too wealthy either. The most important thing for two people living together is that they get along."
Li Xuan nodded: "Go ahead. When you meet her elders, there's one thing you need to find out: whose daughter is she?"
The journey of ten miles is neither too far nor too near; we set off in the morning and arrived in the afternoon.
Lychee stepped off the carriage, looked at the familiar village entrance, and tears welled up in her eyes. Although this was the ancestral home of the Emperor of Yu, due to the turmoil of the times, he lacked the confidence to protect his ancestral land. During the reign of the previous emperor, a secret order was issued to strictly keep the royal origins confidential, lest the ancestral home be destroyed by hostile forces, thus dissipating the dragon's energy and affecting the fate of Yu.
Therefore, the villagers still do not know that a family surnamed Wang in their village many years ago was the ruling family of the Yu Kingdom.
All I know is that after the Wang family fled famine, they seemed to have made a fortune, become officials, and rebuilt their house. A few years ago, a mother and daughter came back to look after the old house. Later, the mother passed away, and the little girl was taken away.
Only one family of old servants lived in the old house. The master was away for a long time, so apart from the main house, the other rooms were basically used by the old servants, making them a small but wealthy family.
The old house's gate was wide open, and the old servant was sunbathing alone outside. Lychee, with a charmingly playful air, stepped forward and tentatively asked, "Uncle He?"
The old servant opened his eyes at the sound, staring at Lychee for a moment before a look of surprise and delight appeared on his face: "Is that Miss Lychee? Miss Lychee, why did you come back alone?"
Lychee happily replied, "Oh, it's me, Lychee. Uncle He, you're in good health!"
The old servant was overjoyed: "Oh, very well, very well! I just missed Miss so much. And this gentleman is an attendant from Jinling?"
The old servant meant to say "imperial guards," but changed his words to "attendants," clearly indicating that he was an extremely cautious person.
Lizhi looked at Li Ji not far behind her and shook her head with a smile: "That is my benefactor. His family was delivering lanterns to the palace, and they happened to meet him when they passed through Gaoyou. He escorted me back safely."
Upon hearing this, the old servant quickly said, "So you are the righteous men who escorted the young lady. This old servant should pay my respects."
Li Ji stood not far away. The Chuzhou dialect and Guangling dialect were very similar, and he had no hearing impairment. He heard the old man thank him. Although he was just an old servant in the Lizhi family, Li Ji still tried his best to behave well.
He quickly stepped forward and said humbly, "I dare not accept your thanks, sir. We sail the world by the sea, relying on integrity and honesty. We help wherever we can, seeking only peace of mind."
The old servant insisted on bowing in thanks, then asked if they were hungry. Having traveled for so long from the dock and missed lunchtime, Lizhi and Liji were indeed quite hungry. The old man quickly invited Lizhi into the main house and called his wife to prepare food for their young master and the righteous man.
Li Ji sat motionless in his seat, listening to Lizhi and the old servant chatting about the things that had happened in the village over the years.
"Stone? She died of illness the year after Miss left and was buried on the slope behind the village."
"Big Head? Big Head went to Chuzhou to join the army this year. The government gave him thirty bolts of silk as a resettlement allowance. Now he can send one bolt of silk home every month."
"Er Ya's whole family couldn't pay their taxes and said they were fleeing famine. This old servant thinks they should go and seek refuge with relatives."
"Mingjie got married and has a son and a daughter. Not far away, not far at all, she married into the next village."
One by one, my friends either died, ran away, or went to Chuzhou to join the army for food because their families couldn't make ends meet. Now, there are very few left in the village.
Lychee stood up sadly and said, "I even brought back gifts, intending to give them to each of them individually. I didn't expect that after several years, there are so few left. Brother Ji, come with me for a walk. Now that we're back, we should at least visit the remaining ones. Please carry those gifts to help me out."
Li Ji nodded seriously: "Okay, I'll go pick up the carrying pole now."
A hint of panic flashed in the old servant's eyes as he said, "Miss, let's talk about this after we've eaten."
Lychee shook her head; "I can't stay any longer. I have to leave tomorrow, and I'm already content to see my fellow villagers one last time. Let's chat a little longer while it's still early today."
The old servant had no choice but to follow Lizhi himself, hoping to share some of Liji's burden. Liji, however, told him to just follow Lizhi; this little bit of food was nothing to him. The old servant praised, "Truly a fine man, strong and robust, as powerful as an ox."
The village was in a bad state; many families were dilapidated. When Lizhi visited the families she knew, most of them had blank expressions or looked at the well-dressed, fair-skinned, and beautiful young ladies of wealthy families with complicated eyes.
She was no longer that mud-covered monkey; she was now a young lady from a wealthy family. How could the villagers dare to get close to her?
Unwilling to accept the villagers' estrangement, Lizhi immediately decided to take Liji to find her only remaining good friend, Sister Ming, who had married into the neighboring village. Along the way, Lizhi kept praising Sister Ming's virtue, thoughtfulness, and intelligence, and how good she had been to her.
The more Lizhi spoke, the more Liji understood her pain. At this moment, it seemed that Sister Ming embodied Lizhi's last hope for the village. She longed for Sister Ming to be as understanding as before, to always take care of her, help her, and protect her.
The door to Ming's house was opened, but Li Ji and the old servant stopped outside and didn't go in. Ming's husband had gone to the fields. Only Ming and her child were at home.
Hearing someone call her, Ming put down her loom, stood up to adjust her sore and stiff back, and then slowly walked out of the house, saying as she went, "Coming, coming, who is it?"
Ming's family was of modest means, so her house didn't have a wall, only a waist-high fence. Ming could see Lychee. Lychee also spotted Ming immediately. Years had passed, and Ming's once bright eyes had lost their sparkle, her face filled with weariness.
Ming-jie looked at Lizhi, stunned, her eyes seemingly welling up with tears. Lizhi couldn't help but call out, "Ming-jie, Ming-jie, it's me, Lizhi! It's me, Lizhi! I've come back to see you! Waaah, I've come back to see you!"
Ming-jie hurried a few steps to the door and unlatched it. She looked at Lizhi with excitement, her hand trembling as she raised it, as if she was about to blurt out something. However, she quickly lowered her hand and respectfully bowed, calling out, "Miss."
Lychee was struck dumb, and she broke down crying, "Even Sister Ming doesn't want Lychee anymore? I am Lychee. Although I followed you around begging for mulberries, I was the mud monkey. Every time, Sister Ming would wash my feet by the river and rub the mud off my clothes so that I wouldn't have to go back and get scolded by my mother."
Why, why, after all the hardships I went through to come back, do you all not recognize me anymore! Sister Ming, Sister Ming, I know you have a child. I brought gifts for you, for your husband, and for my nephews and nieces. Brother Ji, Brother Ji, quickly take out the gifts, I really brought gifts.
Tears welled in Ming's eyes as she sadly advised, "Knowing that Miss is doing well, knowing that Miss still thinks of us, that's enough. Miss, there's a difference in rank, please don't be too sad. We are just like the soil, how can we possibly reach you in the clouds?"
Before, we were all young and naive. But now we've all grown up, and we can't be as carefree as we were when we were little. Miss, no matter how noble you are, we always think of you. But time cannot be turned back, and an earthworm cannot be ranked alongside a phoenix. Please take good care of yourself.
Under Ming-jie's encouragement, Lychee seemed to have grown up a lot in an instant.
She wiped away her tears and forced a smile, saying, "Sister Ming still recognizes me. I'm content. Here, this is for you and your husband, and this is for my nephews and nieces. No matter what you say, now that I'm back, I should give you a gift. I'm satisfied as long as you're safe and sound."
Sister Ming nodded tearfully, choking back tears, and said, "My home is bare, I have nothing to give in return. Please don't scold me for being impolite, Miss."
Lychee grabbed her sister's hand and said, "No, no, it's best if you're safe and sound."
After Lizhi's visit, she left without even having tea, and of course, there was no tea at Ming's house. Ming's mother-in-law came out and scolded, "Who are they? They look extremely wealthy. We are from a humble family, so we should stay away from them. The slightest disturbance could cost us our lives."
Ming nodded: "Mother, don't worry. She's the daughter of a wealthy family in our village. We used to play together when we were young. I don't know why she came back to the village today, so we only chatted for a few minutes. She's not a troublesome person. She even brought us a gift."
Ming's mother-in-law sighed; "She's a kind-hearted young lady. As long as nothing bad happens in the family, I have no other requests."
Lychee returned to the old house dejectedly for dinner. Not long after dinner, Li Ji came to Lychee's door and knocked urgently: "Zhizhi, come out quickly, something's wrong outside."
Lychee walked out the door and asked, "What happened to Brother Ji?"
Li Ji said, "I just lay down and heard the ground shaking. That's the sound of a large cavalry and infantry force advancing. They're probably not far away. Your village is weak and isolated. Once the army arrives, who knows what will happen? You must leave quickly. It will only be safe once you're in Chuzhou."
Lizhi was startled and quickly went to find Uncle He to run away together.
Unexpectedly, Uncle He blocked Lizhi's way and told her not to panic, as her family had come to take her home.
"How could they have arrived so quickly?" Lychee exclaimed in alarm.
Li Ji questioned, "Old man, wasn't it you who tipped them off?"
Uncle He nodded: "That's right. We've already received word from home that as soon as we find any trace of Miss, we should report it immediately, and someone will come to protect her and take her home. Young man, you are a loyal and righteous man. If you return home with your family, the head of the family will surely reward you handsomely."
Lizhi panicked, remembering that this village was a secret strictly ordered by the late emperor. If Li Ji were to set foot here, and his father found out he had visited the imperial family's old residence, he would surely kill him to silence him.
She quickly said to Li Ji, "Brother Ji, you must leave quickly. Staying might be dangerous. When we return to Jinling, I will find a way to contact you. Go now, or you won't be able to escape. Uncle He, if you dare to betray Brother Ji, I won't be polite."
Uncle He felt a pang of bitterness and could only look up at the sky. Li Ji was quick-witted; although he didn't understand why he was in danger, having worked on the salt trade for so long, he was decisive enough. He immediately grabbed his bow and sword, led a carriage out of the stable, and hailed it to leave.
Not long after Li Ji left, several hundred cavalry and infantrymen stormed into the village, completely surrounding the ancestral home. A guard general approached Lizhi and said, "Sixth Princess, please come back to Jinling with me. His Majesty is very worried about your safety."
At this moment, Lizhi's demeanor changed drastically. She was no longer the little girl, but as noble as a celestial being, and every word she spoke carried a specific rhythm: "Alright, prepare the carriage, I will go back to Jinling with you. I had a very pleasant time with the villagers during this trip back to the village. The arrival of the army will surely cause disturbance. Pass down the order that all soldiers must not disturb the villagers, so as not to damage the harmony."
The imperial guard commander had no idea that this was the emperor's ancestral home; he only thought it was a former royal villa and immediately agreed.
Lizhi didn't stand on ceremony and directly requested that Uncle He and his wife accompany her. She wanted to keep an eye on Uncle He to prevent him from finding an opportunity to expose Li Ji. As long as she kept an eye on him for an hour, Li Ji would definitely be able to get far away.
After the army escorted the lychee away, the general looked around the village and said to a lieutenant, "Perhaps the lord is interested in who the princess met and what she said here. Why don't we arrest them and question them?"
The lieutenant replied, "Let's not complicate matters. The less we know about royal affairs, the better."
The general suddenly realized and laughed, "Alright, let's go."
The villagers, including Sister Ming from the neighboring village, who were trembling in fear at home, were completely unaware that they had escaped a disaster. They were just glad that the group that came was well-behaved and, unusually, did not harass the people.
Li Ji traveled under cover of night and arrived at the Chuzhou Wharf in the early hours of the next day. He returned the carriage and horses and met up with Li Xuan. He didn't have time to ask about the lychees, as they still had to go to the Chuzhou Saltworks to pick up the goods. Thanks to their old relationship, they were able to spare ten shi of salt for Li Xuan.
On the same morning, the Chuzhou navy secretly escorted the Sixth Princess back to Jinling. Before leaving, Lizhi failed to see the Li family's ship at the dock.