"Young Master Li, have we retrieved the deeds already?" Chai Cuiqiao inquired.
"Yes, we have," he affirmed.
In the backyard of the Security Hall, Li Ang proudly placed the land and property deeds at the bottom of the wooden chest containing their belongings.
Just this morning, the boat owner Shade, whom Li Ang had cleared of parasites, had his brother deliver a hundred strings of coins.
Adding this to the hundred strings from the Pasture Supervisory Office and the outpatient fees collected recently, then deducting the costs for pure wine, cloth, and medicinal herbs, Li Ang still had one hundred and ninety-seven strings of coins.
He immediately took the money to the home of Ai Rong, president of the Xinglin Society, to reclaim the land and property deeds.
Chai Cuiqiao murmured softly, "Ai Rong gave up the deeds just like that? I thought they were going to play more tricks."
"Since the money's all here, what excuse could they have? Even if this escalated to the officials, I'd be the one in the right."
Li Ang laughed. "At last, a troublesome matter has been resolved.
Right, today is the Dragon Boat Festival. I'll visit Mr. Liu Xuan first to check on his son's dislocated elbow. This afternoon, I'll buy some zongzi and the ingredients for the Five Yellow feast to bring back.
You watch the house, and we'll go watch the dragon boat races tonight."
"Watching dragon boat races? Yay!" Chai Cuiqiao clapped her hands excitedly. In Yizhou City, there were hundreds of shipyards, large and small, and countless businesses related to maritime trade. Every year on the night of the Dragon Boat Festival—the fifth day of the fifth lunar month—all the dragon boats would be adorned with small lamps. At the sound of a whistle, hundreds of boats would race fiercely, like shooting stars. The first to pass under Yizhou Bridge would be declared the champion.
The three hundred strings of coins in prize money for the champion was secondary; gaining face in front of the townsfolk mattered more.
As for the Five Yellow that Li Ang mentioned, it referred to a local Yizhou custom: the Five Yellow Feast, consisting of yellow croaker, cucumber, eel, egg yolk, and rice wine.
It used to be realgar wine until thirty years ago, when the Academic Palace confirmed it was harmful. So, whether for the Five Yellow Feast or for painting on children's foreheads to ward off snakes and insects, rice wine was used instead.
"Take good care of the house; I'll be back later. Any specific requests for the zongzi?"
"I want the ones with pickled mustard greens and pork filling, and the red bean paste ones. No plain sugar filling."
"Eh? You used to like those, didn't you?"
"Well, I had a smaller stomach back then—just one would feel cloying and I'd be full. Now I can eat several! I need to save room for other tasty treats!"
With her hands on her hips, Chai Cuiqiao wore a proud expression, though what she was so proud of, Li Ang couldn't tell.
Li Ang chuckled and brushed her bangs aside before heading out.
A festive atmosphere filled the streets. Every household's doorway, and even the corners of vendors' tables, was decorated with mugwort and acorus. Children, with the character for "king" painted on their foreheads in rice wine, chased each other through the streets or went with their parents to the countryside to fly kites.
Taking in the lively scene, Li Ang purchased a bottle of rice wine and walked briskly toward the alley, knocking on the door of Pu Liuxuan's home. "Is Mr. Liu Xuan home?"
"Oh, Risheng."
Guan Lishu, Pu Liuxuan's wife, greeted him at the door. She was holding their young son, who was playing with a pellet drum, his arm still bandaged with the triangular sling Li Ang had fashioned earlier.
"Quick, say hello to Brother Risheng," Guan Lishu said, laughing as she gently bounced her son in her arms. Once the boy had offered his sweet, childish greeting, she turned and called towards the backyard, "Liuxuan, Risheng is here."
In the backyard, two figures were seated leisurely at a stone table, sipping tea and chatting. One was Pu Liuxuan, and the other...
"It's you?"
Li Ang was slightly surprised to see the young man in green standing up beside Pu Liuxuan. It was the same man who had brandished his sword at the Security Hall the day before to drive away those ruffians.
"Junior Brother, we meet again," the young man in green greeted with a bright smile and a bow.
Pu Liuxuan then said cheerfully, "Risheng, this is your Senior Brother, Cheng Juxiu. He was my student back in Chang'an. Now, well, he's an Academic Palace Instructor."
"Academic Palace... Instructor?"
Li Ang was taken aback. An Academic Palace Instructor is also a teacher to Academic Palace Disciples, right? So, should I call him Teacher or Senior Brother?
"Just call me Senior Brother," Cheng Juxiu said with a smile, waving his hand. "I'm only teaching part-time and haven't really taught any proper classes yet."
Pu Liuxuan invited them to sit and struck up a casual conversation. "Juxiu, you're graduating from the Academic Palace tomorrow. Are you planning to continue as an instructor, or do you have other plans?"
"I'd like to stay at the Academic Palace, but there's a bit of trouble with Professor Gongyang."
Cheng Juxiu hesitated before explaining, "The last fleet that set out for the Endless Sea returned to Dengzhou two months ago. The crew didn't go mad, but the hull and keel were completely gnawed to shreds by giant vine barnacles, rendering the ships unseaworthy. If all goes well, I should be recommended to the Ministry of Industry's Water Department next year to assist Professor Gongyang in shipbuilding."
"Gongyang Deming?"
Pu Liuxuan nodded. "He's eccentric, but a good person. You could try to get to know him better."
He paused, glanced at Li Ang, who was sitting upright and attentive, and said with a smile, "If you have any questions, just ask. Juxiu is your senior brother, so don't be too formal."
"Ah, alright."
Li Ang cleared his throat and, driven by curiosity, asked, "What are giant vine barnacles? And why do the crews of ships voyaging into the Endless Sea go mad?"
"Hmm..."
Cheng Juxiu pondered for a moment before explaining, "We Yu people refer to everything east of Dengzhou as the East Sea. The boundless ocean beyond the East Sea is called the Endless Sea. Do you know the demarcation between these two?"
"Ten thousand li."
Li Ang responded, "Ten thousand li east of Dengzhou is where the Endless Sea begins. That's the furthest boundary recorded in texts and reached by civilian ships. However, throughout the dynasties, military fleets have always been organized to explore further into the Endless Sea. Emperor Yang of the Former Sui dynasty once spared no expense, mobilizing a million laborers to build him a massive fleet to search for the Elixir of Immortality on the legendary Penglai Fairy Island."
"Exactly."
Cheng Juxiu nodded. "The East Sea brings enormous tax revenue to the court each year. However, the Endless Sea beyond hosts even more riches... and dangers. Every year, every month, civilian fleets vanish into the vast sea. Some are destroyed by storms and pirates; others perish at the hands of demons that drift over from the fringes of the Endless Sea."