Whether it be when it came to eating and drinking noisily, strutting about in the city, or showing no respect to his elders, He Lingchuan appeared to be no different from before.
"Is that so?" He Chunhua gave her a look, one that carried subtle meaning. "I haven't been at home much lately. You haven't been dining with him often, have you?"
Ying Hongchan's face darkened. "Darling, Lingchuan hasn't been at home much either! I honestly can't even recall him being home for dinner more than twice over the past ten days!"
He Chunhua sighed. "You need to be more understanding of him. After all, he's almost sixteen now."
"Of course," Madame Ying replied immediately, her tone as proper as ever. "No matter what, Lingchuan is the eldest son of the He Family."
As Madame Ying headed back to her room, He Chunhua watched her back and let out a long sigh.
The steward, Old Mo, emerged from who-knows-where and silently joined his master's side.
With hands clasped behind his back, He Chunhua said, "The men Donglai Mansion sent to track the leopard monster vanished as soon as they reached Heishui City. If this matter is serious, which it likely is, they won't be letting this go easily. I fear there will definitely be more to come."
Old Mo sighed, then continued, "However, what truly worries me isn't this incident but the situation in the east. We've been cut off from the royal court for far too long. I can't shake the feeling that great chaos is near at hand."
Steward Wu said firmly, "Even if it is a calamity, Master will surely be able to weather it. Just as he always has."
* * *
Another ten days passed, during which everything was calm and tranquil.
As the closing of the Hongya Route drew near, more and more merchants and traders poured into Heishui City. Commandery Administrator He became increasingly busy, yet the disruption in communication between Qiansong Commandery and the eastern regions of Yuan showed no sign of improvement.
Meanwhile, the He Family's eldest young master continued swaggering about town.
Days drifted by in such tranquil monotony that He Lingchuan found himself utterly lost in the very stillness he once longed for.
Meanwhile, He Chunhua found himself busier than a windmill. He was so busy that he had not had a proper dinner at home in days. Madame Ying had not been summoning the children to dine together either—everyone was just fending for themselves, which suited He Lingchuan just fine.
Compared to Madame Ying, He Chunhua was practically a doting father.
But unlike what most might assume, a scion like He Lingchuan did not have to foot the bill for all his food and drink. Take today, for example, Liu Baobao was treating him to a meal at Hongyan Tower to thank him for securing customs clearance for the Liu Family. Their caravan had returned safely, and this was his way of showing gratitude.
Liu Baobao had called it a "simple meal," but what arrived at the table were rare delicacies and fresh wild game. The wine that was served was even a treasured vintage aged for twenty years in the Liu Mansion's cellars.
And the beauty who was serving the wine could not be overlooked either. She was Liu Baobao's favorite concubine. Her dewy peach-blossom eyes kept glancing in He Lingchuan's direction, and she poured his wine more eagerly than anyone else's.
Watching all this, Liu Baobao cursed the little hussy under his breath but kept up appearances. He put on an expression of pity as he said, "Young Master, are you really going to wait until you're eighteen before, you know, indulging?"
"Mm-hm." He Lingchuan set down the braised venison and asked for a dish of plum-pickled peanuts. He popped two peanuts into his mouth and chased them with a sip of wine.
After nearly two months of nothing but rich meats and exotic delicacies, he suddenly found himself craving things like pickled vegetables, sangza[1], fermented vegetable noodle soup, scallion-sugar pancakes, and wontons…
Back in his old life, he would survive on such food at the start of the month before loan repayments hit, and at the end of the month when he was flat broke.
Now, when he passed a sesame cake stall on the street, he actually felt the urge to head over and buy himself a portion.
He had not tasted them in so long that even his soul missed them.
It was like one of those middle-aged men who had married a rich, beautiful woman and climbed to the top of life's ladder only to find himself thinking, in the quiet hours of the night, of the plain-as-water first love he left behind.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside.
They were dining in a second-floor private room at Hongyan Tower, seated right by the railing. The window overlooked the street below.
He Lingchuan leaned out for a look just in time to see the thick crowd on the street abruptly part to either side, making way for two robust horses.
1. Sangza are basically deep-fried noodles. ☜