“The little hunter catches the old fox, caught two, still have three left… The little hunter catches the old fox, caught two…”
Early in the morning, Ma Bing joyfully rode out of the city, humming a little tune she had composed while foraging for wild vegetables along the way, her singing off-key and unrestrained.
Unidentified white and yellow wildflowers blanketed the grassland, scattered like stars under the jungle trees, their faint fragrance floating in the air.
Animals that had been dormant all winter were frantically searching for food, trying to regain the fat lost during winter and then reproduce.
This was indeed the most important time of the year!
It would soon be April, and wild vegetables outside the city often sprouted overnight, as if by magic.
The wealthy looked down upon them, but for the poor, they were lifesaving treasures.
Ma Bing didn’t compete with the poor for these vegetables; instead, she rode her horse to the sparsely populated areas, quickly filling the two large baskets she had brought.
She had shepherd’s purse, bitter greens, wormwood, and lots of tender toona shoots and dandelions!
She was extremely satisfied!
A small stove in the herb garden was simmering duck congee. The broth and rice she poured in before bed last night had been slowly cooked all night, and the rice oil must have risen to the top, forming a glistening layer.
When she returned, she would add duck meat, some salt and fragrance, which would be nourishing for the brain, beneficial for intelligence, and helpful for nourishing the blood and yin—truly delicious!
She would briefly blanch the tender wormwood in hot water, then mix it with garlic paste, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. It would pair perfectly with the crispy meat-filled pastries from Old Lady Wang’s store—so good!
Ah, when eating the pastries, she must hold the congee bowl underneath to catch any crumbs. That way, none of the crispy golden crusts would go to waste.
Right, after eating, she would knead the dough for lunch—shepherd’s purse, minced meat, and egg dumplings!
After blanching the shepherd’s purse, there was no need to squeeze it dry forcefully. She would simply let it drain naturally, so the dumpling filling would be tender and juicy, bursting with flavor in every bite!
Back to the city! Time to eat!
Her horse was infected by Ma Bing’s cheerful mood, hopping along with a swishing tail, creating gusts of wind behind it.
Xie Yu had just finished patrolling the streets when he saw Ma Bing returning from outside the city, shaking her head and humming happily.
She was riding a horse looking very proud, with two large bamboo baskets on either side of the saddle, filled with crisp green vegetables, exuding a fresh fragrance along the way.
“Good morning, Master Xie, Master Huo!”
Ma Bing was clearly in a great mood, greeting them with a bright smile.
Xie Yu was almost dazzled by her smile and couldn’t help but smile in response.
She really looked so happy.
Huo Ping curiously asked, “Wild vegetables?”
He and Yuanpei were from the Princess’s mansion, and although they also served in the imperial guards, their primary duty was to protect and assist Xie Yu, with one of them always accompanying him.
Ma Bing warmly extended the invitation, “I have so much that I can’t finish it all. Why don’t you join me for lunch?”
Wild vegetables in spring grew abundantly and quickly, so there was no need to be stingy.
In a few days, when spring began to fade, she would need to gather and dry some for storage, so that the taste of spring could be enjoyed throughout the year.
Huo Ping laughed, “It seems the master will have to spend quite a bit again, allowing me to enjoy a meal as well.”
Yesterday, he had been startled by the large number of paper-wrapped bags she carried.
When had his master become such a fool?
Ma Bing giggled, but Xie Yu said, “It’s nothing.”
Indeed, it was nothing.
His money pouch contained only a few copper coins, the rest being silver ingots and notes. He had expected to be heavily charged, but Ma Bing had only taken a few copper coins and a small piece of silver, buying only a pile of worthless snacks.
She was truly an easy-to-please girl, like a pile of dry straw—just a little spark was enough to ignite her into a joyful blaze.
The three walked side by side, with Huo Ping slightly behind. His gaze unconsciously fell on Ma Bing’s horse, first surprised by its strong and beautiful appearance, then amused.
“Miss Ma, your horse is cross-eyed!”
Ma Bing also laughed, “Nope, it’s just that it doesn’t consider you and your horse worth noticing.”
Huo Ping: “…”
Xie Yu suppressed his laughter as he looked closer, and indeed seemed to spot a hint of human-like mockery and defiance in the horse’s narrow face.
Upon sensing Xie Yu’s gaze, the big black horse proudly shook its head, its fine, soft mane creating a dazzling waterfall in the sunlight.
It flapped its thick lips, revealing two rows of big teeth, then glanced sideways at Xie Yu: What are you looking at?
Xie Yu: “…”
It didn’t seem like a proper horse.
An awkward silence fell over the scene.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Xie Yu casually remarked, “It’s rare to see such a magnificent horse among the common folk.”
With such a strong and tall build and such human-like intelligence, albeit somewhat skewed, it would be among the best in the army.
Horses were important military resources, and the government strictly controlled their trade. Generally, decent horses were listed as military supplies, making it rare for such quality horses to slip through to the civilian population.
The big black horse seemed to sense the compliment, holding its head even higher, looking extremely smug.
Looking at it, then at Ma Bing who looked equally proud, Xie Yu couldn’t help but smile.
The saying “like owner, like horse” indeed had some truth.
What kind of person raises what kind of horse.
“I once treated a wealthy man for an illness. He was so grateful that he not only gave me this fine horse but also provided me with a lot of travel money,” Ma Bing pulled out a small jar. The moment the jar appeared, the big black horse stopped showing off and began to snort excitedly.
Huo Ping said, “It seems the wealthy man was very ill, and Miss Ma must have cured him, right?”
Ma Bing thought carefully while stroking her chin, “He was indeed gravely ill. As for me, well, I could say I gave him a chance to start anew.”
A gang of bandits had underestimated her when they saw a lone girl traveling, and she easily knocked them all out with a bag of medicine. She not only gained a horse and travel money but also reported them to the authorities.
Later, she heard that the bandit leader and several key members were executed immediately, and now their graves must have grown tall grass several times over. Wasn’t that a second chance at life?
They must have been very grateful!
Xie Yu instinctively felt something was off about her words, but for the moment, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.
Before he could ponder further, Ma Bing opened the small jar, and a strange fragrance immediately spilled out.
Now, not only the big black horse but even the mounts of Xie Yu and others became restless. That previously unremarkable little clay jar seemed to carry a deadly temptation.
Hey! They were actually drooling!
Ma Bing tossed a few pieces to the big black horse, gently patting its large head, “Eat up, eat up.”
The other horses were very envious!
The big black horse’s long face showed wariness, its thick hind legs twitching, seemingly ready to kick at anyone who approached.
Xie Yu lowered his gaze to his own horse, which now wore an unusual expression of grievance in its eyes.
I’m an imperial horse, right? How come I can’t get what I want to eat? Doesn’t that seem reasonable?
Xie Yu: “…”
Passing by the restaurant from yesterday, Ma Bing instinctively glanced at it a few times and indeed caught sight of Li Qinghe, who had just changed into new attire.
Oh, he was really dressing up for the occasion.
Meanwhile, early that morning, Li Qinghe had dressed neatly, preparing to meet Huang Jiada and his daughter.
Although it was a relationship of mutual benefit, he didn’t want to start off at a disadvantage, so he chose the best set of clothes from his collection, then went to the street to get a fashionable hat and folding fan, dressing impeccably.
Soon it was time for the appointment, and Huang You Tian indeed arrived with Huang Xiaojie, followed by a large group of servants.
A person’s appearance and demeanor are three parts innate and seven parts cultivated. Even if you were born with ten parts beauty, if you are constantly worn down, you will only end up with three parts.
Huang Xiaojie was clearly raised in luxury, exuding refinement from head to toe.
She was a typical delicate Jiangnan girl, wearing the newly-released smoke-colored gauze of this spring. As she walked, her flowing gown shimmered like clouds, and when she raised her hand, a small section of her snow-white arm was revealed, outshining the spring snow. She held a Suzhou embroidery fan with a diamond pattern, which accentuated her pair of water-like almond eyes, surpassing the autumn waters.
Li Qinghe and she exchanged greetings, and in the moment their eyes met, mutual affection had already blossomed in their hearts.
They exchanged a few words, their eyes meeting repeatedly, clearly delighted with each other.
Seeing Li Qinghe’s dignified appearance and promising future, Huang Xiaojie felt assured about her future.
Meanwhile, Li Qinghe, admiring her delicate beauty and wealth, saw her as a potential ally…
Seeing their mutual affection, Huang You Tian felt greatly comforted, the stone that had been hanging in his heart finally settling. He then asked Li Qinghe when they would hold the wedding.
Li Qinghe did not hesitate, “Marriage is no trivial matter. I must write a letter to my parents to explain everything clearly and ask them to come as soon as possible. After the palace examination results are announced, we can have a double celebration. How does that sound?”
The palace examination had not yet begun, but even in his worst case, he would still manage to become a jinshi. Hearing this, Huang and his daughter were indeed overjoyed.
So Li Qinghe immediately took up a brush and wrote a letter home. At this moment, he was not stingy with money, spending a high price to find a reliable person to deliver it quickly to his hometown.
Seeing his sincerity, the Huang family became even happier. They exchanged birth dates for an auspicious match, and the fortune teller immediately declared it to be a most favorable marriage.
Later, when both families dined together, they talked a bit more and became even more fond of each other.
He was a widower, and she a widow, both of a certain age and mindset. Having been alone for so long, it was natural for their hearts to flutter, and with their mutual affection, they wished they could get married immediately.
When they parted, Huang’s daughter and Li Qinghe were truly reluctant to part ways, only feeling better when thinking of the long days ahead.
As the saying goes, joy brings a man’s spirit to life. Originally, Li Qinghe had only considered himself to be somewhere in the middle of the second tier, but now, inspired by this happy event, he might even rise to the top of the second tier.
In a surge of excitement, Li Qinghe asked the restaurant owner for paper and brush, wanting to write something on the wall of the restaurant.
Because of his joy, his thoughts flowed quickly, and he completed a piece in one go. Upon reviewing it himself, he felt it was filled with good emotions and even the handwriting was excellent, making him very proud.
Unconsciously, he thought again of Guan Qing, as mentioned by his companions before.
Unless something unexpected happened, they would soon be entering the court as officials. It was a rare friendship between fellow townspeople and classmates of the same year, and it would be a pity not to make use of it.
Having made up his mind, Li Qinghe started to inquire around, but the result was that Guan Qing was staying in a very unremarkable small inn.
Judging from the poem alone, Guan Qing’s talent probably did not fall short of his own. Li Qinghe then went to the street to buy four kinds of pastries before going to knock on the door.
“Who is it?”
Someone asked from inside.
Li Qinghe bowed at the door, “Li Qinghe from Taizhou Prefecture, specially here to visit.”
After announcing his name, the door creaked open.
“Who are you looking for?”
The person asked.
He wore a gray robe and didn’t look particularly remarkable, except for his deep-set eyebrows, which made him appear more determined than the average person.
This was a completely unfamiliar face, and Li Qinghe was very sure he had never seen this person before.
Moreover, he had previously assumed that this Guan Qing was extremely wealthy, and would never travel so modestly, nor would he stay in a lower room or wear such plain cotton robes.
Perhaps it was really just a coincidence of names.
Li Qinghe regained his composure and bowed to him, “Brother, are you Guan Qing? I accidentally read your work and was deeply impressed, so I specially came to visit.”
Guan Qing’s expression softened a bit, but he did not show the usual flattered excitement that most people would display when praised, “It was just a casual piece, not worthy of such high praise from Brother Li.”
He then invited Li Qinghe inside for tea.
After Li Qinghe sat down, he briefly looked around the room and found it extremely simple, almost like a monk’s cave.
At their level, scholars actually did not lack money anymore.
As long as they passed the provincial examination, the government would provide a monthly stipend, and wherever they went, there were government-designated inns for free accommodation. If they really needed money, there were plenty of people eager to hire them as tutors…
Even Li Qinghe, who was not particularly fond of indulgence, had become somewhat particular over the years.
But here, in front of him, Guan Qing’s room was as cold and empty as a cave.
Guan Qing went to pour a cup of tea, “I don’t have any good tea to offer, please forgive me.”
“No problem, no problem. It was indeed I who came uninvited and disturbed your peace.”
Li Qinghe quickly stood up to receive the tea but was surprised to find that the other person’s hands were covered in scars, with several calluses—truly not like the hands of a scholar.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage