Not long after Xing Muzheng left, Xing Pingchun came in jumping and bouncing. Qian Jiaoniang hadn’t slept, sitting on the bed with clothes on, fiddling with a pouch. Seeing him come in, she smiled slightly and watched him run over and lie on her quilt, tilting his head and looking at her with big eyes, asking, “Mother, is your stomach better now?”
“Better,” Qian Jiaoniang pinched his cheek, making him giggle. He said, “I’m going out with Father later. He said he’s taking me to visit a master.”
Qian Jiaoniang said, “I know. It’s not visiting a master, it’s finding another teacher for you.”
Xing Pingchun made a sour face, “Another teacher? I’m already learning so much from Mr. Cao, even dreaming about memorizing! Mother, tell Father not to find any more teachers for me!”
Qian Jiaoniang said, “This teacher is a strange man who can teach you how to make and break traps. You really don’t want to learn?”
“Make traps?” Xing Pingchun’s eyes lit up, “I want to learn!”
Qian Jiaoniang expected his reaction but still smiled. She poked his nose, “If you learn, you must learn well. No laziness allowed.”
“I know, Mother!”
Qian Jiaoniang nodded and watched him for a while. Suddenly she reached out and touched his chin. “Our Chou’er is growing up. In a few years, you’ll grow a beard and find a wife.”
“Mother, what are you saying?” Xing Pingchun squirmed uncomfortably.
“Ah, I’m just feeling nostalgic. When you were little, everything had to be done for you—I cleaned you, changed you, fed you. Not a single day of peace.”
Xing Pingchun blushed and argued, “That was because I was little and didn’t understand! I don’t want Mother to take care of me anymore!”
Qian Jiaoniang raised an eyebrow, “Don’t want me to take care of you? You can take care of yourself now?”
“Yes!” Xing Pingchun answered firmly. He was a little manly boy and didn’t want Mother to underestimate him.
Qian Jiaoniang smiled slowly, “Good.” She handed him the pouch she held—a very delicate pine green pouch embroidered with a black steed, quite similar to Pingchun’s horse Ant. He immediately loved it and said, “Mother, is this for me?”
“Yes, it’s for you. You’re big now. From now on, you can keep some coins and small silver pieces in here.”
Xing Pingchun had never had a pouch before. He happily hung it on his waist and immediately felt grown-up and important. He straightened his back and said, “Thank you, Mother!” Then he smiled and begged, “Mother, give me some coins! The pouch is empty. It’s no good!”
Qian Jiaoniang ignored him. Xing Pingchun kept pestering her, calling out sweetly for Mother. She had no choice but to take a small piece of silver from her own pouch and put it into his, then helped him tie the pouch closed. “Keep it safe. Don’t let your father know. If you lose it, I’ll beat your backside!”
Xing Pingchun knew how much Mother cared about money, especially since she gave him silver now. He quickly nodded like a little chick pecking grain, “I won’t lose it!”
Qian Jiaoniang patted his behind, “Go now. Your father should be calling you. Help me bring in the hawthorn.”
“All right. Mother, rest well. I’m going out with Father and will be right back. I’ll bring you a string of candied hawthorns when I come back!” Now her little son was bold and confident.
Qian Jiaoniang was amused, “That’s a deal, a string of candied hawthorns.”
Xing Pingchun patted his chest to show it was guaranteed. He bounced out like before. Near the door, Qian Jiaoniang suddenly called out, “Chou’er.”
Xing Pingchun turned his head, blinked at her.
Qian Jiaoniang opened her mouth, “…It’s nothing, you go ahead.”
Xing Pingchun chuckled and ran off.
Qian Jiaoniang watched him leave for a long moment, then murmured, “Don’t blame me, Chou’er.”
Shanzha, Hongjuan, and Suier came in, kowtowed, “Madam, are you calling for me?”
“Hmm, I’m a bit cold, come keep me company and sleep for a while.”
Shanzha was stunned, then quickly nodded, “Yes.”
Qian Jiaoniang smiled and said to the others, “You all go rest, don’t worry about me.”
~
Xing Pingchun followed Xing Muzheng over most of a mountain ridge and finally found the recluse’s place. A little boy guarded the grass hut. Upon hearing guests arrived, he released a wooden kite that flew up into the sky. Xing Pingchun stared wide-eyed, dumbly poking his head out, watching it for two quarters of an hour. The wooden kite stayed steady in the sky without coming down. After a while, the recluse who flew the kite returned.
The recluse invited Xing Muzheng and son into the hut to sit. Xing Pingchun saw several traps and mechanisms inside and itched to learn them right away. But the recluse heard Xing Muzheng’s purpose and politely refused, unwilling to leave the mountain. Xing Muzheng invited him sincerely again, and Xing Pingchun also begged hard, but the recluse was firm and only wished for a peaceful life in the mountains.
After descending, Xing Pingchun rode “Ant” looking sulky. The tasty and fun things on the street couldn’t catch his attention. Xing Muzheng ignored him, silently moving forward. After a while, Xing Pingchun said, “Father, can we ask the teacher again tomorrow?”
Xing Muzheng turned and saw determination shining in his son’s eyes, somewhat like Jiaoniang’s. He smiled faintly but said, “In life, most things don’t go your way. There are many things you cannot get.”
“But I’m just unwilling to accept it! That teacher’s skills are so superb, and his speech extraordinary. I really want to take him as my master!” Xing Pingchun said anxiously, “Father, can we stay one more day?”
“The teacher’s attitude is firm. Do you think staying one day will convince him?”
Xing Pingchun was speechless. Xing Muzheng said, “Tomorrow we return to Yuzhou. After the new year, if you still want to apprentice, you can come with Wang Yong.”
Xing Pingchun’s eyes lit up, “Really, Father?”
“Yes.”
“That’s great! Thank you, Father!” Xing Pingchun was very happy now. Smiling broadly, he spotted a vendor selling candied hawthorns nearby and called out, “Mother said to bring her a string of candied hawthorns. I’ll go buy it!”
He immediately jumped off his horse, handed the reins to Wang Yong to hold for a moment. Xing Muzheng took some small silver coins from his waist and tossed them to him. Xing Pingchun wanted to say Mother had given him silver, but then thought, isn’t his pouch getting fuller? So he held back and instead showed off the pouch in his hand. “Father, look, Mother sewed me a pouch. Isn’t it beautiful?”
Xing Muzheng glanced down at it dismissively and turned away. Almost everyone had one except him. He didn’t care at all.
Unaware of his father’s jealous feelings, Xing Pingchun happily ran off to buy the candied hawthorns. After walking a bit, he stopped. He looked left and right, seeming to search for something.
Xing Muzheng rode over and asked what was wrong. Xing Pingchun scratched his head and said confusedly, “I seem to have been here before.” He recognized the sesame cake shop and the blacksmith’s shop on the street corner. He even remembered the smiling face of the tofu seller in the alley.
Wang Yong said, “We passed this place on the way to Yongan.”
But they hadn’t stopped then. Xing Pingchun frowned, then shook his head and ran off to buy the hawthorns.
Up ahead there was a commotion. Wang Yong immediately jumped off his horse and rushed to Xing Pingchun. Coming head-on was a large bald man. If it wasn’t Ah Da, then who else? He and Li Qingquan were leading a group of guards, solemnly searching for something.
They were responsible for protecting Madam’s safety. Now it looked like all of them had been mobilized—something very serious must have happened. Wang Yong was about to speak when Xing Muzheng suddenly shouted fiercely, “Li Qingquan! Ah Da!”
Li Qingquan and Ah Da heard the shout, looked up, and saw their fierce lord on horseback. Their legs went weak and cold sweat instantly broke out on their backs.
The people of Baohua County, hearing this authoritative shout, all stopped talking and stared blankly at Xing Muzheng. At this moment, Xing Muzheng looked like the underworld judge. He asked the two kneeling before him, “Where is Madam?” His cold tone seemed to come from beneath the earth.
Li Qingquan and Ah Da sweated profusely but forced themselves to report, “Lord, Madam… is missing!”
