Chapter 5: The Overlord of Chengyu Alley

The cold moonlight filtered through the oiled paper on the window, casting a faint glow that stripped the darkness of its terror and depth. Instead, it rippled with a tranquil peace that invited sleep.

Ding Songyan pondered in silence for a while, then turned his head toward the screen and called out softly, "Little sister."

There was no response, only the sound of long, steady breathing that could only be heard by holding one's breath and listening intently.

She's asleep... Ding Songyan withdrew his gaze.

He had just realized that he hadn't yet asked about the situation at the Zhen Mansion—what its standing was in Dingjiang Prefecture or whether it had recently been embroiled in any trouble.

Indeed, he was beginning to suspect that the bizarre events that had befallen his predecessor, a perfectly ordinary storyteller, might truly be related to the Zhen Mansion.

Forget it, I'll ask tomorrow morning... Ding Songyan closed his eyes and tried to summon sleep, but it eluded him for a long time.

After graduating, he had worked for two years and then spent many more years building his own business, always far from his hometown, returning no more than twice a year. Though he had experienced the sentimental melancholy of tossing and turning in the dead of night, feeling lonely and yearning for home, he had spent most of his time being rather unsentimental. He often mocked himself for having a heart of stone. Yet, at this moment, he felt an extraordinary sense of loss that he could not dispel.

The ancients could say, "We wish each other long life, though a thousand miles apart, we share the beauty of the moon," but for him, this moon was no longer that moon, and tonight's moon was certainly not the one from his past.

Suddenly, Ding Qingyan muttered from behind the screen, "I want to learn martial arts..."

Her voice trailed off, followed by nothing more.

Talking in her sleep... Ding Songyan opened his eyes and subconsciously looked toward the simple screen.

After a few breaths, he whispered to himself, "Who doesn't want to learn martial arts?"

He turned his gaze back toward the flickering shadows on the ceiling beams.

Then, Ding Qingyan mumbled another sentence: "Mother, Second Brother, I won't let you be bullied anymore..."

Ding Songyan froze for a moment, then let out a silent, helpless laugh.

Amidst the rustling sounds of the young girl turning over, his heart gradually settled, and sleepiness finally washed over him.

...

The next day, the arrival of the nightsoil cart chased away the night and startled the morning into wakefulness.

Ding Songyan carried his nightsoil bucket into the small courtyard and saw his father, Ding Shengyi, opening the main gate.

This caused the mosquitoes near the elm tree to take flight in a swarm, attracting a group of moths that had been hiding somewhere to give chase.

After taking his turn to empty the contents of the nightsoil bucket into the cart and watering the trees with the rinse water, Ding Songyan heard Ding Shengyi, now wearing his Sifang cap, speak to his mother, Liu Yuzao, with a voice full of envy.

"That dung boss was wearing coarse cloth on the outside, but silk underneath. Those men live more prosperously than the constables at the Yamen. This nightsoil trade is truly a lucrative business!"

"No ordinary person can secure a grip on that trade," Liu Yuzao replied flatly.

"In my view, Dangkang Temple is the true savior of the people. Not only can they pray for harvests and harmonize the weather, but they also send their disciples throughout the countryside to teach farming techniques and the art of composting. Since the Emperor ascended the throne, there have been bumper harvests every year, and the price of manure has steadily risen." Ding Shengyi stood before the elm tree, cleaning his teeth with a pig-bristle brush.

In this way, the morning light slowly slipped by amidst family chatter and a simple meal of congee and side dishes.

As Liu Yuzao and the others were clearing the bowls and the table, Ding Shengyi pulled Ding Songyan aside.

"You have things to do today. Don't mistreat yourself; take these two mace of silver." The middle-aged scholar glanced at Liu Yuzao's back and pressed a piece of broken silver into Ding Songyan's hand, whispering a caution, "This isn't from the communal purse. It's my own private stash that I've saved up. Keep it for yourself."

Penniless as he was, Ding Songyan did not refuse.

Ding Shengyi was silent for a few breaths, then lowered his voice further. "Be careful today. Don't take unnecessary risks just because there is a House Expert from the Zhen Mansion nearby."

After saying this, he patted Ding Songyan's elbow, picked up a folding fan, and walked out the courtyard gate.

Before Ding Songyan could return to the main house to help his mother and sister, Ding Da Niu walked over, scratching his head with a look of shame.

"Second Brother, I don't have any silver on me; I gave it all to Mother. If you can't find anything to eat at noon, come find me at the pier. I'll share some of my food with you."

"Alright," Ding Songyan agreed.

Once Ding Da Niu left, Liu Yuzao had finished tidying up. She came to Ding Songyan holding a black gauze veiled hat.

"I am going to copy sutras today. Here are two mace of silver." The woman's tone was calm, as if she didn't want Ding Songyan to be too nervous. "If you are just wandering around Dangkang Temple today, it will look too suspicious. If there's something you like to eat, eat some; if there's something you like, buy it."

Ding Songyan, now pressed with another piece of silver, didn't know what to say.

Seeing his mother leave the courtyard and pull the gate shut, Ding Qingyan, her hair styled in double-coil buns, walked to the doorway of the main house and beckoned to Ding Songyan with a mischievous look.

"Second Brother, come here, come here."

Ding Songyan walked over and laughed. "I wouldn't dare take your nest egg money."

The girl pouted. "You look down on me, don't you? You don't see me as your sister, do you?"

She put on an expression as if she were about to burst into tears.

Seeing that Ding Songyan wasn't falling for it, she huffed. "I just wanted to give you some copper coins. When you go to Dangkang Temple today, you'll definitely go to listen to the storytellers—tales of ancient times and the martial world. Would you really be willing to tip them with silver?"

She reads me well... Ding Songyan indeed intended to listen to storytelling today to gain a preliminary understanding of the current world.

He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, give me some."

Ding Qingyan immediately beamed with joy. She hopped back into the west wing and brought out an embroidered coin purse that carried a faint scent.

Inside were several silver nuggets and many loose copper coins.

"These were given by Sister Nuansheng, and these are what you gave me every time you came back from storytelling. You told me to save up some nest egg money for myself and not just rely on Father and Mother. There's still plenty in my chest..." Ding Qingyan chattered away as she counted the copper coins.

As she spoke, she gradually fell silent.

Once Ding Songyan took the coins, Ding Qingyan smiled again and waved a clenched fist. "Second Brother, even if you've forgotten these things, I never will!"

Ding Songyan sighed inwardly and could only say perfunctorily, "Perhaps one day I will remember."

He checked the coins and found there were mainly two types: one was "Xingping Zhongbao" with the inscription "Value of Five," and the other was "Jianwu Tongbao," totaling about fifty wen.

The script was regular style, traditional characters... I can recognize them, but I'm not great at writing them... Ding Songyan, now changed into a light-colored Zhiduo, tucked the two pieces of broken silver into the sleeve pockets sewn behind his elbows and put the copper coins into a pouch at his waist.

He turned and asked, "Does Mother believe in Buddhism?"

"No," Ding Qingyan shook her head. "Mother goes there for work. To show their devotion, many wealthy families commission the copying of large quantities of Buddhist sutras or Taoist texts. Since it's mostly the female family members who like doing such things, they prefer to hire women like Mother—those from respectable families who can read and write. Once I reach my Coming of Age, I can go too."

"Does Mother usually earn money by copying sutras and Taoist texts?" Ding Songyan understood now, confirming that this world had both Taoism and Buddhism.

"There isn't much of that work; it usually only happens during Buddha's birthday festivals or the birthdays of elderly matriarchs." Ding Qingyan held her rather heavy coin purse and continued, "Normally, Mother is a hair stylist. She specializes in entering inner manors to help the ladies with complex decorative hairstyles, as well as performing facial threading, ear cleaning, and so on. If there's no work, she stays home to starch and wash clothes with me and prepare meals."

Ding Songyan nodded, then looked at Ding Qingyan with some concern. "So you're often home alone?"

Hearing this, Ding Qingyan giggled. "Second Brother, don't worry. There are five watchtowers here, and the techniques of the Xiaoming Sect and the Yi family are excellent for seeing at a distance. No one will bully me."

"Besides, I'm quite formidable! All the boys and girls in the entire Chengyu Alley listen to me."

As she spoke, the girl shook her fist again. "I am the Overlord of Chengyu Alley!"

Before Ding Songyan could respond, the girl blinked, her smile suddenly blooming like a flower. "But the fact that you're worried about me makes me very happy. This shows that even if you've forgotten the past, our bond as brother and sister is still there!"

Knock, knock, knock. The courtyard gate was struck at that moment.

"Brother Ding, it's time to head out!" a voice like a raspy drake shouted from outside.

Ding Songyan looked at Ding Qingyan. Seeing his sister nod slightly, he walked to the door.

Standing outside was a young man wearing a green narrow-sleeved robe with a black cloth binding his hair. By Ding Songyan's estimation, he was less than one hundred and seventy centimeters tall. He had quite handsome features, yet he appeared timid and shifty-eyed.

"Oh, Sister Qingyan is here too." The young man's gaze went past Ding Songyan to greet Ding Qingyan inside the courtyard first.

Where else would my sister be? Ding Songyan looked at the young man and raised an eyebrow.

The young man shrank back slightly and gave a sheepish laugh. "Brother Ding, we have to get to Dangkang Temple. I heard you ran into some trouble yesterday?"

At that moment, Ding Qingyan called out from several paces away, "Xu Chang'an, wait a moment. I have a few words for my brother."

"Right away, Sister Qingyan!" Xu Chang'an nodded vigorously and waved at her.

Ding Songyan returned to Ding Qingyan's side, signaling her to speak.

The girl pulled him back into the main house and lowered her voice. "That man is named Xu Chang'an. He lives in our Chengyu Alley too, over by the well. You used to like going to Dangkang Temple with him. He... he is a thief."

"A thief?" Ding Songyan reflexively touched the elbow of his sleeve, worried about his silver.

Ding Qingyan burst out laughing. "He wouldn't dare steal from you! Otherwise, as the Overlord of Chengyu Alley, I'd give him what for! Anyway, help me pick out a gift today to give to Qu Sanlang later. He went to a lot of trouble for you yesterday, so we must show our appreciation. We can't owe too many favors; if we owe too much, it's hard to pay back. Remember, he likes mechanical toys. I'll give you the silver this evening."

That is indeed the right way to handle things... Ding Songyan approved of his sister's approach.

The girl gave him a few more instructions and briefly explained the situation of the Zhen Mansion before finally letting Ding Songyan and Xu Chang'an leave Chengyu Alley.

"Brother Ding, what exactly happened yesterday?" On the way, Xu Chang'an couldn't hide his curiosity.

Of course, he truly was concerned about Ding Songyan; after all, in his mind, this was his future brother-in-law.

Ding Songyan remained composed and answered with a question of his own: "When did you leave Dangkang Temple yesterday?"

"After the evening market. I went looking for you, but you had already left," Xu Chang'an answered without suspicion.

My predecessor's behavior yesterday was indeed strange... Ding Songyan did not answer Xu Chang'an's question but instead used conversation to bait him, gathering more information.

Amidst their chatting and laughing, the two walked to Dangkang Temple on the eastern side of the prefectural city.

Outside the temple was a massive market. People came and went, shoulder to shoulder. There were vendors selling fruits, vegetables, dried meats, pearl and jade ornaments, blades and spears, floral fans, and sugar fish. There were performers of pyrotechnic Taoist arts, cuju, and various acrobatic feats, as well as musicians and dancers. Some enticed people into gambling or pitch-pot, while others swindled people with "divine medicines" and licorice. The air was filled with the sounds of hawking.

Amidst the various shouts, Ding Songyan and Xu Chang'an arrived at a storyteller's stall.

"...As we said last time, Jin Shaochong, a true disciple of the Changliu Sect of Gan Country, intended to test his sword against the world. Who would have thought that before he even reached Xin'yu or our Great Zhao, his Seven Kill Swordplay would be broken at the Five Hills Mountain of Gan Country by Su Yunzhang—the fourth disciple of this generation's Heavenly Maiden Sect—using the 'Twelve Paths of the Great Void.' She even remarked that his weakness was an 'unsteady killing intent.'

"Because of this, Su Yunzhang's name has shaken the world. Meddlers have placed her on the Martial Arts Jade Tree Rankings, with the evaluation: 'Elegant and unrestrained, romantic and talented.'"