Chapter 20: Encountering Wind and Rain on the Road

Gu Qingbai had been clever since he was a child, with a quick-witted mind; otherwise, Gu Lizong would not have entrusted this task to him.

He reasoned that if he waited for the fish to sell out naturally, it would be dark by the time he earned those few coins. After pondering for a while, he came up with a plan: he would go from shop to shop along the street, asking whoever was there—regardless of their business—if they wanted to buy a couple of fish.

After asking at about twenty shops, he actually had a stroke of luck.

The proprietor of a jewelry store was hosting a full-month celebration for his grandson that day and had hired extra kitchen help. A group of people were working away in the kitchen, preparing for the feast that was to start as soon as the afternoon hour arrived.

Unexpectedly, the proprietor’s eldest son was unreliable; he had woken up late and rushed to the market to buy ingredients. While he had checked everything else off the list, he had completely forgotten the fish. If it were any other dish, it wouldn't have mattered—he could have just substituted it with something else.

But in this town, who would host a banquet without fish on the table? Substituting it seemed impossible, so the proprietor had to rush out to buy some. He had instructed his clerk to watch the shop and headed to the market just moments before Gu Qingbai arrived.

When the clerk heard Gu Qingbai selling fish, he quickly called back the proprietor, who had not gone far, and Gu Qingbai led him to his stall.

The proprietor was a straightforward man. Seeing that the fish were large, plump, and fresh, he waved his hand and bought the rest of the lot, asking them to deliver the fish to his residence.

The Gu brothers naturally agreed. After collecting the silver, Gu Qingsong took responsibility for delivering the fish to the proprietor’s house, while Gu Qingbai rushed to the agency to buy the cheapest ox cart he could find and set off for the county seat.

***

Lin Huiniang had already walked to the entrance of the village several times. Seeing that Gu Qingsong had not yet returned, everyone was growing anxious. It was not until the evening hour, when the sky had already turned dark, that Gu Qingsong finally appeared at the village entrance.

Following the ox cart was another one, carrying a doctor summoned from the town.

After the doctor finished taking Lin Huiniang’s pulse, he confirmed that she was indeed pregnant, about two months along.

The whole family was overjoyed, and the heavy stone that had been weighing on Lin Huiniang’s heart finally settled. Knowing that the family was now completely penniless, she took the initiative to go back to her room, retrieve the silver from her dowry, and pay the doctor’s fee.

***

After the doctor left, Gu Qingsong hurriedly explained what had happened in town. It turned out that after delivering the fish, he saw that the proprietor’s household was overwhelmed and short-handed, so he stayed to help. Once things had settled down and he prepared to leave, the proprietor’s family insisted he stay for the feast. By the time he left and rushed to the medical clinic to fetch the doctor, it was already this late.

Hearing that Gu Qingbai had only set off for the county seat just before the afternoon hour, everyone’s faces filled with worry.

It took at least two and a half hours to drive an ox cart from the town to the county seat. With the rain making the roads difficult, it would likely take three hours. By their calculations, Gu Qingbai should only just be arriving, and they hoped the journey was smooth.

However, they did not know that Gu Qingbai had failed to reach the county seat before dark. The further he traveled, the heavier the rain became. The ox cart he had bought was cheap because the ox was not strong, and the makeshift roof was flimsy, rattling precariously in the fierce wind.

Fearing that the roof would be torn away if he continued, he found a dilapidated temple, tethered the ox under the eaves, and went inside. To his dismay, the interior was no better, with wind whistling through every crack.

It was raining heavily outside and lightly inside the temple; only a large Buddha statue stood steadily in the center, looking down at him with a look of compassionate pity.

Gu Qingbai pursed his lips and cleared a clean corner to sit down.

He had only eaten a bowl of sweet potato porridge in the morning and a pancake at noon. Now, he was exhausted, hungry, and cold. Thinking of the cloth bundle Hehua had stuffed into his hands when he left, he went out to the ox cart to retrieve it.

That morning, Su Hehua had sensed how cold it was and insisted he take a thick padded jacket. Knowing that men were often reluctant to spend money while away from home, she had also tucked in plenty of dried sweet potatoes, a few cooked potatoes, and several pastries the Wu family had brought over earlier.

Seeing these things, a grown man like Gu Qingbai couldn't help but feel his eyes grow warm. Driven by hunger, he picked up a potato and, without even peeling it, took a large bite right through the skin.

After eating three potatoes and several pieces of dried sweet potato, he finally felt his stomach settle.

As for the pastries, he couldn't bear to touch them; he carefully re-sealed the oil-paper wrapping and tucked it back into the cloth bundle.

Before long, it was completely dark. The only sounds in the temple were the howling wind and the occasional snorts of the old ox. Gu Qingbai had no intention of continuing his journey; he was warm enough now to make do for the night.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the Buddha statue to rest.

***

Before long, a rush of footsteps approached. It was too dark to see, and despite straining his eyes, he could make out nothing.

His mind immediately raced through various possibilities and potential responses.

The footsteps stopped at the temple entrance. Seeing the ox cart tied under the eaves, the newcomer seemed surprised. "A-Quan, it’s not so lonely to find a living soul to keep us company in these wilderness ruins for the night."

The middle-aged man addressed as A-Quan couldn't help but roll his eyes toward the darkness, though he offered no reply. He pulled a fire starter from his pocket, and as their master produced an oil lamp from somewhere, he lit it.

In the dim light of the lamp, Gu Qingbai finally saw their faces.

The man in the lead was in his early forties, with a face as smooth as jade and a composed demeanor. He wore fine clothing and silk-embroidered boots; it was clear he was a gentleman of wealth. The man named A-Quan, roughly the same age, had a slightly leaner build and appeared to be the gentleman’s attendant.

Seeing Gu Qingbai, the two nodded in greeting. "Young brother, we were passing through when we were caught in this sudden storm. Seeing this ruined temple, we came to take shelter for the night. Please forgive us for the intrusion."

They certainly looked like they were merely seeking shelter from the rain, and since the temple didn't belong to him, they were free to enter. Gu Qingbai nodded and went back to leaning against the Buddha statue to rest.

Even if A-Quan was still angry with his master, he dared not let him go hungry, so he quickly set the oil lamp on the ground and opened the bundle he was carrying, intending to get some dry rations.

But after searching through the bundle again and again, inside and out, he found nothing! Their rations had vanished! He searched again, refusing to give up.

"That's enough, put it away. We must have dropped it when we were rushing earlier. You should rest as well. We'll head back tomorrow morning." With that, Lin Zhengkang sat down on the dry grass without a hint of fussiness.