Chapter 27

Clutching the booklet, Tian Yao then went to the bookshop. Yu Nian was almost out of paper and ink; he figured he’d replenish them. He also wanted to ask the bookshop’s keeper if there were any medical texts he could buy for Yu Nian.

The bookshop’s keeper still remembered Tian Yao. After all, the scene Tian Wen had caused here last time had left a deep impression on everyone.

“Shopkeeper, I want to buy some medical books for my husband, to ease his boredom,” Tian Yao said upon entering the bookshop. He didn’t dare raise his voice too high, afraid of disturbing the scholars reading inside.

The shopkeeper, busy rummaging for something with his head down, didn’t hear clearly what Tian Yao wanted. He only caught the words “boredom” and “medical.” Finding what he himself was looking for, he then went to help Tian Yao find a book.

“This one?” The shopkeeper handed him a book. The expression on his face was something Tian Yao couldn’t quite place—just, odd. “This is the best-selling one lately.”

Tian Yao quickly took it. Truly, he was illiterate. He casually flipped through it. Seeing the drawings of naked bodies inside, he hastily snapped it shut. But since the shopkeeper had given it to him, he reasoned on second thought: this was probably a medical text teaching the identification of acupuncture points. That made sense, then.

Tian Yao paid for this book along with the paper and ink. Seeing the appointed time to regroup with the villagers, he quickened his pace. He also bought some pastries for Yu Nian before reaching the outside of town to join the others.

Seeing his purchases, Aunt Ge said, “Yao Ge’er truly dotes on his husband. That wheelchair must have cost at least ten taels.”

Tian Yao simply smiled. “If I don’t dote on him, who else should I dote on?”

Then he asked, “Auntie, did the clinic in town change owners? The physician inside didn’t seem like the old one.”

Aunt Ge was probably the most well-informed person in the village. She nodded. “The old Physician Chen from the clinic left Xixin Prefecture and transferred the clinic. No one really knows this new physician who came. But everyone in town says his medical skills are excellent. It’s just that his mouth is a bit too venomous.”

His venomous mouth, Tian Yao had already experienced firsthand.

Back home, Tian Yao put the household supplies into the kitchen. Only then did he bring the books he’d bought to Yu Nian. “I went to the clinic today. I wanted to ask about introductory medical books, but he just gave me this handbook. Didn’t want money either, just said when the mountain paths are passable, bring him some game. Then I went to the bookshop and bought you some paper and ink, and there… the medical book I got there.”

Yu Nian looked at the handbook he’d brought back. It recorded descriptions of common diseases, from symptoms, to pulse patterns, to prescriptions, along with basic pharmacology. It was incredibly detailed. Moreover, the margins were dense with annotations; it was clearly something passed down within a family—not usually shown to outsiders.

“That physician has a venomous mouth. He said I was sturdy as an ox. Also said you were reading medical texts just to heal your own leg.” Tian Yao recounted everything that happened today to Yu Nian. “But Aunt Ge says his medical skill is very good. So I was thinking, when the weather warms up, we’ll go to town and let him examine your leg, see if it can be healed.”

Yu Nian watched Tian Yao as he spoke. When he recounted something amusing, his eyes always curved, his expressions vividly rich, making the listener feel just as cheerful as he did.

He remembered two days ago, Tian Yao had suggested he could study medicine. He hadn’t expected Tian Yao to have already arranged it today. He was truly, always living life wholeheartedly, always striving for their future days.

He himself had never been as open and frank as Tian Yao; he was always hesitating and looking ahead and behind.

Tian Yao then handed him the other book. “The bookshop keeper said this book is the best-selling one. I thought it should be a good book too, so I bought it back for you.”

Yu Nian put the handbook on his lap and reached out to examine the other book. On the cover were prominently written the words: “The Secret Chamber Affairs of the Divine Physician and the Beautiful Madam.”

“This is the medical book you bought?”

Tian Yao nodded, not understanding the issue. “I asked the shopkeeper for the best-selling medical book recently, and he gave me this. I flipped through it—there are pictures inside. I thought it might be a medical text for identifying acupuncture points, so I bought it. So… is it helpful to you?”

Facing Tian Yao’s pure and clear gaze, Yu Nian closed the book and placed it deep inside the bedside cabinet. “This book… isn’t very useful. Next time you want to buy books, I’ll go with you.”

Tian Yao gave an “oh” of acknowledgment. “Alright, then next time you come to town with me. We can also have that physician look at your leg. Aunt Ge says his medical skill is very good.”

Yu Nian nodded.

Since it was still the New Year period, and not the busy farming season, everyone in Huailing Village gathered together in their free time to chat. That day, Tian Yao was heading to Liu Zhi’s house. Passing the village’s open area—used for drying grain and wheat during busy seasons, and for casual gatherings during the slack—he heard the topic centered on Tian Wen’s family, which had just moved back to the village.

“Oh dear, the Spring Examinations are coming soon. Looking at his state, I doubt he’ll pass this year either.”

“He even got involved in gambling! Is that sort of thing something families like ours can afford to touch?”

“That Liu Ge’er… it might be hard for him to find a marriage match in the future.”

Hearing them rehash the same things over and over, Tian Yao found it uninteresting. He quickened his pace and went to Liu Zhi’s house.

Liu Zhi had recovered very well recently. Yu Nian had even come to check his pulse, saying his pregnancy was now very stable, and he no longer needed to stay strictly in bed but should walk around a suitable amount.

The spring wind was still chilly. Liu Zhi had dressed warmly, walking with Tian Yao along the village path. As far as the eye could see, there was no hint of green; spring had not yet arrived. “How have you been lately? How are things progressing with Yu Nian?”

Tian Yao sighed. “Still the same as before. No progress.”

“This won’t do,” Liu Zhi said. “I can sense that you two are just one thin window-paper away. Are you really not going to consider the method Brother Qiao suggested last time?”

Brother Qiao was Shen Qiao, the spouse of Song Yao from the Song family at the village entrance.

Tian Yao shook his head. “No. Feelings shouldn’t be tested like that. Matters between two people can’t involve a third person.”

Liu Zhi then dropped the subject. They looped around the village once. After Tian Yao safely escorted Liu Zhi home, he then lowered his head and walked back. His route home from Liu Zhi’s would take him past the old homestead of Tian Liu’s family.

When he was small, he used to come play here often. After Tian Liu’s family moved away, he rarely visited this area anymore.

Tian Yao deliberately took a wider detour around. But even walking so far, he could still hear the utter chaos from inside that house. The family everyone once envied had now become the village laughingstock. One could only say that life was unpredictable.

Not far from Tian Liu’s house was Aunt Shun’s home. Tian Yao thought for a moment and then went to stroll past her door. Unexpectedly, however, Tian Yusheng was actually at home.

“Brother Yusheng? How come you’re back?” Tian Yao saw Tian Yusheng, hammer and planks in hand, reinforcing his family’s door. Their house had a wicker fence wall. At the moment, Aunt Shun was also there, sitting and whittling the ends of the wood around the fence into sharp points.

Seeing Tian Yao approach, Aunt Shun quickly pulled him over. Only then did Tian Yusheng lower his voice and say, “Yao Ge’er, you need to be careful these days.”

Tian Yao was full of doubt. “What’s happened?”

“During the New Year’s period, wasn’t it heavy snow all day? Our area here is relatively fine, but the surrounding counties seem to have suffered a major disaster.” Tian Yusheng’s voice dropped even lower. “I heard some displaced refugees have strayed into our region, heading to different villages, committing arson, murder, and robbery.”

Tian Yusheng glanced around in all directions. “Squire Liu’s household has now moved the whole family to the Prefectural City. Before leaving, they told us the money and valuables were already taken, so there was no need to guard his house anymore, and they let us return home to protect our own families.”

Tian Yao’s heartbeat quickened. “The Yamen isn’t doing anything about this?”

“They truthfully can’t manage it anymore,” Tian Yusheng said. “Our town is the furthest from the Prefectural City. And our village is more remote than all the others. Hard to say if that’s a good or bad thing.”

“Yao Ge’er, you live quite far from the other villagers. At night, you must be extra vigilant,” Aunt Shun said, frowning. “Why don’t you move out for now, and stay at our place? Our house is reasonably spacious at least.”

Tian Yao felt panic stirring in him now. He bid farewell to Aunt Shun and the others, then ran toward home.

Home was still calm and peaceful. Little Gray was sprawled next to Yu Nian, while Yu Nian held that handbook. Not daring to casually mark notes on it, he was carefully making a clean copy, writing down his own insights alongside.

Seeing Tian Yao run in, breathless and panting, he set down his brush. “Weren’t you with Liu Zhi? Why are you running back?”

Tian Yao steadied his breathing. “Didn’t you say he needed movement, but still had to be careful and not overdo it? So I escorted him home.”

He sat down beside Yu Nian. Little Gray’s head immediately rested on his leg. “I just heard from Brother Yusheng. There might be refugees coming to the village soon.”

Yu Nian rubbed his own tired eyes. “In many places, under the Yamen’s arrangements, refugees are accepted. I heard you say Little Dad was also a refugee who finally settled here? Shouldn’t we need to be overly afraid?”

Tian Yao shook his head. “Brother Yusheng is a permanent laborer at Squire Liu’s household in town. Their information is definitely reliable. Squire Liu’s entire family has already moved to the Prefectural City. I was just wondering… could these refugees be different from the kind my Little Dad was?”

Yu Nian recalled his several trips to town. The town didn’t have a formal Yamen, only a makeshift administrative post with a few bailiffs. If a large-scale influx of refugees surged in, those few bailiffs would have absolutely no way to contend.

“If a massive refugee influx really came, the Yamen wouldn’t ignore it. So even if there are any, they’d only be scattered stragglers. They wouldn’t cause a major impact.”

Tian Yao said, “Yunxi Town is a half-day’s journey from the County Yamen, and even further to the Prefectural City. If anything really happened, even if the Prefectural Yamen came, it would be too late.”

News of a potential refugee influx had spread throughout Yunxi Town, causing widespread panic. The Village Chief indeed gathered many of the village’s able-bodied young men to discuss how to best defend the village.

Although Tian Yao was a Ger, the whole village knew his strength was extraordinary. Having Tian Yao there at a time like this gave everyone a bit more sense of security.