Unsheathed

The narrow Dragon Riding Alley was on a slight slope, and there was also a long set of stairs that led to the Burclover shop. Along with the pastry shop, both of these shops had once been businesses owned by the clan that Shi Chunjia, the little girl with twin pigtails, belonged to.

Afterward, Shi Chunjia didn’t travel to the academy in the Great Sui Nation to study with Li Baoping, Li Huai, and the others, nor did she stay in the small town like Dong Shuijing. Instead, she moved with her clan to the capital of the Great Li Empire.

Her clan sold its two shops, and through Ruan Qiong’s help, they eventually ended up under the ownership of Chen Ping’an. Chen Ping’an could still see Dong Shuijing when he returned to his hometown, but he had never seen Shi Chunjia again following their parting all those years ago.

While owned by the Shi Clan, the Burclover shop had sold all kinds of miscellaneous items, with many antiques among their range. It could be regarded as one of the oldest shops in the Jewel Small World. When relocating the clan afterward, the Shi Clan only took with them half of the antiques and curios that they appreciated the most, with the other half being left in the Burclover shop. From this, it could be seen that the Shi Clan would remain a large clan even after it moved to the capital.

After receiving ownership of the Burclover shop, Chen Ping’an had felt a little guilty in the beginning after learning of the value of the items left in the store. This matter had weighed on his conscience when he returned to the Jewel Small World for the first time, and he had always thought about closing the store for good. That way, he could sell it back to the Shi Clan with everything intact whenever they came to the small town to visit.

However, Ruan Xiu hadn’t agreed to this, saying that transactions were one thing while relationships and favors were another thing altogether. Even though Chen Ping’an accepted Ruan Xiu’s suggestion to not sell the shop, he had still felt a nagging sense of unease in his mind. After interacting with many people and completing many transactions, however, Chen Ping’an no longer felt the same way now.

Even so, he would still understand even if the Shi Clan were willing to embarrass themself and ask for the store back. Chen Ping’an wouldn’t turn down their request, but the goodwill between them would definitely disappear. Of course, the question was, how much was Chen Ping’an’s goodwill even worth?

There was only a single shop attendant looking after the Burclover shop. The shop attendant was a kind and simple old lady, and it was said that Ruan Xiu had often accompanied her for a chat when she had acted as the shopkeeper.

Chen Ping’an naturally recognized the old lady. She was from Apricot Blossom Alley, and according to the complicated tangle of seniority ranks in the small town, Chen Ping’an only needed to refer to her as Aunty Chen even though she was almost forty years his elder. They shared the same surname, but they weren’t genuine relatives.

The old lady was already up there in age, but she was still as healthy as could be after working in the fields for a lifetime. Even though her children had moved to the prefectural city of Dragon Spring Prefecture, the old lady had truly been unable to appreciate life over there after visiting them a few times. Their large houses were cold and empty, and she couldn’t even find a familiar face to argue with. As such, she had insisted on returning to the small town.

The old lady’s children were dutiful, and they hadn’t been able to prevent their mother from moving back to the small town. However, it was said that a daughter-in-law had indeed grumbled about her presence, saying that her mother-in-law was embarrassing them in the prefectural city. They had already bought several maidservants, so did they still need an old helper around the house? Moreover, it was an embarrassment that she was still working for a measly few copper coins, especially since the owner of the Burclover shop was once the poorest child in Clay Vase Alley.

Chen Ping’an led Pei Qian inside the shop, immediately greeting Aunty Chen when he entered. He asked her about her health, and he also asked whether she still worked in the fields and how the yields were.

Chen Ping’an then chatted with the old lady for a long while, doing so using the local dialect of the small town. Aunty Chen was a talkative person, and she couldn’t contain her emotions when she mentioned Chen Ping’an’s past yet saw his huge success now. There were tears brimming in her eyes as she sighed with emotion and said how great it would have been if Chen Ping’an’s mother were still alive to witness his current success. She had suffered hardships her entire life and hadn’t been able to enjoy things for a single day. In fact, she hadn’t even been able to leave her bed and make it past winter during the last year of her life. The heavens were truly unfair.

Upon mentioning these heartbreaking experiences, Aunty Chen couldn’t help but grumble about Chen Ping’an’s father again, questioning what use it was to be a good person. He had ended up doing bad in the end, with his death bringing many years of hardships to his wife and son. In the end, Aunty Chen lightly patted Chen Ping’an’s hand and told him not to resent his father, saying that he could simply regard this as him and his mother owing his father in some previous life. As such, it was a good thing that they returned the debt in this life, so perhaps they could reunite and enjoy good fortune together in their next life.

Chen Ping’an sat on a long bench and obediently accompanied Aunty Chen, listening to her ramblings as she held onto him with her dry and wrinkly hands. He didn’t dare to talk back.

Pei Qian carried a small stool over and sat nearby, quietly snacking on roasted seeds as she observed this slightly unfamiliar side of her master.

Pei Qian was extremely quick at learning the dialects of each region, so she was fluent in the local dialect of Dragon Spring Prefecture and was able to understand the casual conversation between Chen Ping’an and Aunty Chen.

Her master appeared both sad and happy as he chatted with the old lady.

There was something else that Pei Qian also found very strange. Her master was clearly a very strong person, and he would almost never be this… respectful no matter who he came across. Yet, it was as if he were listening to and agreeing with everything that Aunty Chen said, treating each and every word in a serious manner. Moreover, her master’s mental state was very peaceful right now.

In reality, Pei Qian was feeling incredibly aggrieved before Chen Ping’an descended the mountains and came to the Burclover shop. However, it wouldn’t be good for Pei Qian to disturb her master if he wanted to practice fist techniques on Downtrodden Mountain.

As such, she had lingered around the pastry shop, standing on a small stool and zoning out. She had been in low spirits the entire time, unable to summon any spirit or energy to roam around the streets like she had before. Pei Qian had become even angrier when she thought about those large white swans in the small town most likely bullying passers-by again.

Pei Qian was in poor spirits because of the many rumors and remarks that she had heard in the small town several days ago.

In reality, Pei Qian had also heard a few scattered rumors a few years ago. However, she had viewed herself as a member of the cultivation world back then, so she thought that she should show some more magnanimity and not punish them on the spot. Instead, she secretly recorded everything in a small notebook that she kept hidden at the very bottom of her small bamboo bookcase. This included what she heard, where and when she heard it, and which brat, bastard, or old lady had uttered the words.

However, the rumors spread even more after her master returned to Downtrodden Mountain. Many useless and idle men didn’t die from eating and lazing around too much, and there were also people the same age as Chen Ping’an as well as some gossiping women. These people often gathered near the corners of the streets to gossip and spread rumors together.

They mostly gossiped about things that had happened in Clay Vase Alley in the past, and they also liked to speak condescendingly about Chen Ping’an’s time as an apprentice in the dragon kilns.

They liked to joke about Chen Ping’an’s tragic childhood, and this wasn’t even the worst of what they talked about. There were even more repulsive topics of discussion, and these lowly people went as far as to fabricate rumors about her master’s friend, Liu Xianyang, his neighbor, Song Jixin and Maidservant Zhi Gui, as well as Gu Can and his widowed mother. In fact, they even fabricated rumors about Big Sister Ruan Xiu.

For example, they claimed that it was only through buttering up to Ruan Xiu that Chen Ping’an had managed to reach his current wealth and status. They also claimed that he had an illicit relationship with Gu Can’s mother, and it was because of this that he always helped that widow. In addition, he always borrowed money from Song Jixin yet never repaid his debts. These were only a few of the many rumors.

Pei Qian remembered them all, and each time she returned to the pastry shop, she would hide from Shi Rou to secretly take out her notebook from the bottom of her bamboo bookcase, gritting her teeth as she wrote and causing her calligraphy strokes to be forceful and thick. If it weren’t for her master being at Downtrodden Mountain right now, she would have lashed out long ago regardless of whether the offenders were bratty little children or barb-tongued old ladies.

Shi Rou noticed something wrong after a while, and she spoke to Pei Qian and said that there were definitely good people in the mortal world and cultivation world who could appreciate the goodness and fortune of other people. However, these kinds of people were a rare breed. It was much more common to come across people who would be nice and agreeable in person, yet rude and gossipy behind other people’s backs.

However, Pei Qian had immediately retorted her by saying, “It doesn’t matter if they talk bad about me, but they’re not allowed to talk bad about my master!”

Shi Rou found this quite troublesome, and she was truly afraid that Pei Qian would lose her cool and go overboard one day, injuring someone in the process.

Thus, Shi Rou had wanted to mention this matter to Chen Ping’an when he visited his shops this time. However, Pei Qian was sticking to her master like glue, so Shi Rou was yet to find an opportunity to say anything.

After Pei Qian saw her master today and listened to the slightly annoying recollections of Aunty Chen, her mood suddenly changed for the better.

She was still angry and aggrieved, but not as much as before.

This was especially the case when Pei Qian recalled something from the past. One year, she had helped her master pay respects at his parents’ tomb, and when walking back to the small town, she had encountered an old lady climbing up the mountain. Upon looking back, Pei Qian had seen the old lady seemingly standing in front of the tombs of Chen Ping’an’s parents, bending down to offer them a plate of sticky rice cakes and smoked tofu.

Pei Qian cracked a grin as she continued to snack on her roasted seeds.

She wouldn’t tell her master about the terrible rumors.

Also, she would smile more in the future when she saw this old lady who even her master had to refer to as Aunty Chen.

After leaving the Burclover shop, Chen Ping’an didn’t immediately bring Pei Qian back to the pastry shop. Instead, he started to walk around the streets with her, climbing up the steps that stretched along Dragon Riding Alley. They then took a few turns, passing through several streets and alleys as they made their way to Liu Xianyang’s ancestral residence.

After opening the door, Chen Ping’an grabbed a broom and started to clean. Pei Qian was quite familiar with this place because Chen Ping’an had given her a string of keys when parting ways at Red Candle Town back then. Among these keys was a key to Liu Xianyang’s residence. Thus, she and the little girl in pink would occasionally come over here to clean together.

When parting ways that time, Chen Ping’an had especially warned her not to touch the items inside the house. Pei Qian had felt slightly sad at the time, and she had asked the little girl in pink whether their master had given her the same warning. The little girl in pink had hesitated for a moment, and Pei Qian immediately knew that the answer was no. Upon realizing this, she had squatted down on the steps in melancholy for a very long time. The little girl in pink had been forced to clean by herself, and Pei Qian had made up an excuse and said that she was destined to be tired after flipping through the almanac and looking at the forecast.

Today was different, however, with her master actively cleaning the house. She knew that she was full of energy without needing to consult the almanac at all. She ran over to the kitchen and grabbed a bucket and a towel, and she scooped up some water from the water vat that wasn’t completely empty yet. She helped wipe the tables, chairs, and windows, and Chen Ping’an smiled and told her many stories during this process.

He talked about how he had traversed mountains and crossed rivers with Liu Xianyang during their youth, how they had set up traps to catch game, how they had made slingshots and bows and arrows, how they had hunted fish, birds, and snakes, and many other interesting things.

When Chen Ping’an wasn’t speaking, Pei Qian started to recite something similar to a public order or village agreement or ancestral teaching out of boredom. She was extremely fluent as she recited this, and even Chen Ping’an had no clue regarding where she had learned and memorized this from.

“Wake up when the roosters call, clean the courtyard with alcohol, making sure both the inside and the outside are clean and tidy. Lock the doors properly and make sure to personally check everything when done. A noble person should self-reflect three times a day… One should cherish each bowl of congee and rice and understand the difficulties of making this food… Furniture and stationary should be clean and orderly, using clay wares is better than using gold or jade. Don’t dwell on favors given, but never forget favors received. Be faithful to your status and content with life, and go with the times and obey the heavens.”[1]

Chen Ping’an didn’t ask any questions as he listened to Pei Qian reciting this, but there was a wide smile on his face as he watched the little girl bobbing her head around as she worked.

After cleaning Liu Xianyang’s place, the young man and the little girl sat down together on the door threshold to rest.

“Master, is your relationship with Liu Xianyang this good?” Pei Qian asked.

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, “Of course. Your master always followed Liu Xianyang around when he was little, and after that, there was the snotty little kid following your master around like dead weight. The three of us were best friends back then.”

Pei Qian turned around and looked at her master who was much skinnier than before, hesitating for a long time before asking in a quiet voice, “Master, will you get angry if people say bad things about you? I’m just asking a theoretical question.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “I won’t get angry even when people say bad things about me to my face, so… I naturally won’t get angry either if they say bad things about me behind my back.”

“Huh? Master, isn’t it said that even clay bodhisattvas will sometimes get angry? How come you won’t get angry at all?” Pei Qian asked in puzzlement.

Chen Ping’an patted Pei Qian’s head and replied, “Because getting angry won’t be useful.”

Pei Qian offered a handful of roasted seeds to her master. After Chen Ping’an accepted them, the master and disciple sat there and started to snack on roasted seeds together.

Pei Qian appeared slightly sullen as she said, “Then are you going to let other people talk bad about you with no consequence? This isn’t right, Master.”

Chen Ping’an lazily sat there and snacked on roasted seeds, gazing forward as he smiled faintly and asked, “Do you want to listen to a profound principle, or do you want to listen to a smaller principle?”

“I want to listen to all of them,” Pei Qian replied with a smile.

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Then let me talk about the profound principle first. This is both an explanation for you and an explanation for myself, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand it for the moment. How should I put this? Regarding what we say and what we do every day, is it truly just a few simple words and a few simple actions? No, this isn’t the case. These words and actions are threads that will weave together just like the streams in the large mountains to the west of the small town which eventually gather together to transform into the Dragon Whisker River and the Iron Talisman River.

“This river is the most fundamental foundation of each person, and it’s a critical vein that’s hidden in our hearts. This is a vein that will determine a person’s most important occasions and emotions. This vein is like a river that can house many fish, crustaceans, plants, and rocks. However, there are also times when this river will run dry, just as there will be times when the river causes floods. These occasions are difficult to predict because more often than not, we’re unable to understand why these changes are taking place.

“The essay that you recited just then mentioned noble people performing self-reflections three times a day. In reality, the Confucian Sect has another saying that tells one to show self-restraint and adhere to etiquette. When I was reading the notes of literati afterward, I learned that a great Confucian scholar who had the title of Flawless Individual in the Parasol Leaf Continent especially made a plaque and wrote two characters on it — Curbing Fury.

“If one manages to achieve this, then I surmise that one’s mental state will no longer be plagued by towering flood waters that crash into bridges and spill over levees, flooding the paths on both sides of the river.”

“And what’s the smaller principle?” Pei Qian asked.

Chen Ping’an smiled and continued, “The small principle is even simpler. When a person is poor, they’ll have no option but to endure and put up with it when others speak badly about them. They’ll have no way to retaliate even if their bones are broken by other people. If a person is wealthy and enjoying a good life, however, are other people not allowed to feel envious and speak in a jealous manner?

When they all return home, the wealthy person’s ancestral blessings won’t be reduced by a single bit because of the other people’s rude remarks. On the other hand, the poor and jealous people might indeed lose some of their hidden virtue because of their speech and actions, making their situation even worse. With this in mind, do you no longer feel angry anymore?”

Pei Qian crossed her arms and furrowed her brows, trying her best to mull over this small principle. In the end, she nodded and said, “Mhm, I don’t feel so angry anymore. However, I do still feel a little angry.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Being angry is a normal emotion for people. However, it’s very good that your anger didn’t lead you to rely on your strength to beat other people up and use a greater wrong to punish someone else’s lesser wrong.”

“Master, I didn’t hit anyone even after listening to so many terrible remarks! I didn’t hit a single person!” Pei Qian announced happily.

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Then master will reward you with some praise.”

Pei Qian smiled broadly and replied, “Master, how about rewarding me with a few copper coins? Even one copper coin is fine.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and shook his head, saying, “That won’t do. It’s important to talk about profits and losses when doing business, but the same principle can’t be applied when discussing how to be a good person. Since you’re cultivating under a master like me, you have no choice but to face these challenges and hardships head-on.”

“Hardship? This is no hardship at all!” Pei Qian exclaimed with a smile.

1. This references The Family Instructions of Zhu Xi. ☜