Ma Bing’s new residence was in the “Medicinal Garden” of the Kaifeng Prefecture, where only the former imperial physician Wang Heng and two apprentices had lived previously. The place was spacious to the point of feeling desolate.
Seeing a young girl move in, Wang Heng was delighted. On that very day, he brought a small oil-paper package tied with twine to visit his new neighbor.
The old man came from a family of medical experts; for three generations, they had served as imperial physicians. Now, his son and grandson remained in the Imperial Medical Institute, so Wang had retired honorably and came to Kaifeng Prefecture as a respected elder. Approaching sixty, he still had keen hearing, sharp eyesight, and a rosy complexion, with a voice full of vigor.
“Oh my, it’s been a while since I’ve seen such a pretty young lady!”
Ma Bing accepted the oil-paper package without the slightest shyness, “Hello! It’s also been a while since I’ve seen such a sprightly old gentleman like you!”
The old man burst into laughter, extending his well-maintained fingers to poke at the package and said with a pout, “Homemade hawthorn honey preserves; they’re much better than what you buy outside.”
As soon as it was opened, a sweet and sour aroma wafted out. The tightly packed purplish-red candied fruits inside seemed to gain freedom like mischievous children, scattering outward with a “whoosh.”
Ma Bing sniffed slightly, “Oh, there’s tangerine peel and jujube honey inside…”
As she mentioned each ingredient, Wang Heng nodded with a smile. When she had listed six items, his eyes lit up.
“Young lady, your nose is truly sharp! This is exactly what the ancestors would have blessed you for.”
Ah, why hadn’t he encountered a disciple with such talent?
Smiling happily at the praise, Ma Bing took some of the honey preserves to eat.
Indeed, they were better than those sold outside.
Since these were made for personal consumption, Wang Heng had personally selected each hawthorn berry at the stall, ensuring they were plump, uniform, and thick-fleshed, solid and grainy to the touch.
As her teeth pressed down, the texture was soft yet chewy, immediately flooding her mouth with saliva, stimulating her appetite.
Seeing the old man watching longingly, occasionally swallowing hard, Ma Bing tentatively pushed the oil-paper package toward him.
Wang Heng glanced around and quickly picked up one piece and popped it into his mouth, “As one gets older, the teeth aren’t as good, and my family won’t allow me to eat sweets anymore.”
But he just couldn’t help it.
What kind of life would it be without a bit of sweetness?
Ma Bing blinked slowly, a hint of envy in her expression, “Grandpa, you’re so lucky.”
He still has family who cares.
The old man chuckled, his aged, round face glowing with a soft light.
“Miss Ma?”
The two were chatting when Yuan Pei’s loud voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate.
Ma Bing peeked her head out and saw him and Huo Ping standing on either side, each holding several paper packages, “Congratulations on your new home!”
Wang Heng glanced outside, “Hmm, you young folks talk. I’m off.”
Without waiting for her to persuade him to stay, he left with his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely back to his half of the small courtyard.
The people in Kaifeng Prefecture are pretty warm-hearted… Ma Bing hadn’t expected them to come and celebrate at all, feeling somewhat stunned as she invited them inside.
Only after Wang Heng’s figure had completely disappeared did Yuan Pei whisper, “Quick, let Old Hu be examined; he got hit on the head, and it just started bleeding.”
“Why didn’t you go to the old doctor Wang just now?” Ma Bing asked casually while washing her hands.
Huo Ping seemed somewhat uneasy, “He’s great in every way, but… he’s quite a bother.”
The imperial physicians, accustomed to treating the royal family and nobles, were overly cautious by habit. No matter what symptoms someone had, they would start spouting medical jargon without hesitation, dragging on with long-winded explanations that left people feeling dizzy and confused.
After enduring the lengthy talk, would the condition be serious or not? They would circle around the issue, never giving a clear answer.
Suppressing a laugh, Ma Bing poked Huo Ping’s massive frame, “Well, why don’t you sit down?”
He was so tall that she had to jump to see the top of his head.
“Oh.” Huo Ping obediently sat on a stool he grabbed, his deep voice booming, “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed,” Ma Bing said as she parted his hair to examine, “That’ll be two taels of silver.”
Huo Ping: “…”
Same old familiar tone!
Yuan Pei was so shocked he jumped on the spot, “You’re already working at the Kaifeng Prefecture, and you still charge money? Two taels, two taels—why don’t you just change your name to Ma Erliang!”
Ma Bing replied confidently, “The official appointment documents won’t arrive until tomorrow, which means I’m still a free agent today. If you come for treatment, of course, it costs money!”
Yuan Pei was momentarily stunned by her explanation, standing there with his mouth opening and closing:
According to the laws of Daliu, what she said made perfect sense!
Huo Ping’s wound was about half an inch long and one-tenth of an inch wide, with blood still not completely dried around the hair roots nearby, making it look quite alarming.
In reality, it was only a superficial tear. With the current dry and cold weather, it would heal in a few days with proper care.
“How did it happen?”
Ma Bing took out a razor and strong liquor, “These tufts of hair need to be shaved off; otherwise, I can’t apply the medicine properly.”
Huo Ping replied casually, “Just some drunk gamblers…”
Previously, he had been ordered to raid several underground gambling dens. Several gamblers, having lost heavily, had red eyes and were drunk, hoping to win back their losses. They had no regard for the law or authority, ready to fight to the death with anyone who stood in their way.
At that moment, the gambling den was filled with wailing and chaos, limbs flying everywhere. Someone threw a copper candlestick, and Huo Ping, focused on protecting his subordinates, was caught off guard and hit.
“By the way, I heard many citizens have come forward to expose the Xu family’s misdeeds. How is the case investigation going?”
Ma Bing asked casually.
To her surprise, Yuan Pei and Huo Ping exchanged glances. The former hesitated and said, “Erliang, it’s not that we intentionally want to hide anything from you, but according to the laws of Daliu, relatives and close associates of suspects must recuse themselves. After all, you’ve had close contact with them for several months, so you could be considered half of a faction…”
“I see,” Ma Bing nodded understandingly, then suddenly became furious, “Who’s Erliang, you bastard!”
Yuan Pei burst into laughter, and Huo Ping rarely joined in with a few chuckles, his simple-minded expression evident.
Ma Bing quickly finished treating the wound and impatiently said, “Pay up and get out!”
Huo Ping silently took out the silver.
Yuan Pei scratched his face awkwardly, “Erliang, are you angry? Why don’t you ask something else?”
“You’re the one who’s Erliang!” Ma Bing rolled her eyes, “What about Old Liu’s case? Can I help with that?”
She felt a bit bored doing nothing.
“This one we can talk about!” Yuan Pei happily replied, “It’s simple in some ways, but complicated in others…”
Currently, it seemed most likely that Old Liu had died due to revenge, a love triangle, or accidentally witnessing something illicit and being silenced.
Ma Bing exclaimed, “That ruffian could actually die because of love?!”
Homeless and idle, could there actually be women who liked him?
Yuan Pei squinted at her, “Tsk tsk, you’re so naive. According to his accomplices, the kid was actually quite handsome, smooth-talking, and good at making women happy, having several mistresses around town.”
After all, men aren’t loved by women unless they’re a bit bad.
Ma Bing made a disgusted expression.
Yuan Pei found it amusing; when Xie Yu heard the constables’ report earlier, he had almost the same expression.
Ma Bing asked a few more questions, listened intently, grabbed some hawthorn honey preserves to eat, and occasionally exclaimed in surprise.
What an eye-opener!
Watching her, Yuan Pei became envious and grabbed some preserves to eat too. As soon as he took a bite, his face scrunched up like a walnut, “Mm, sliu, so sour!”
Since the murder happened in a graveyard at night with no witnesses, the only usable clues were the footprints of a limping suspect and the murder weapon, leaving too many suspects.
Now, almost half of the Kaifeng Prefecture constables were out searching, each carrying a footprint diagram and estimated height and weight of the suspect.
“Going door to door?” Ma Bing murmured, “How long will that take?”
With nearly a million people inside and outside Kaifeng Prefecture, when would they ever find the culprit?
“And although the limp is a clue, it might not necessarily be a disability but an injury. If it’s the latter, he might recover before you even find his doorstep!”
Yuan Pei and Huo Ping were both startled and delighted. “Ha, that’s exactly what the superior officer said. So we’ve already ordered the reward notices to be made, asking citizens to report any suspicious individuals who went out last night and haven’t returned yet. They should be posted all over the streets today.”
******
Late at night, the Kaifeng Prefecture, which had been bustling during the day, gradually quieted down.
Some minor government offices were still awake, with occasional officials rushing in and out. The dim yellow light shone through the paper windows, casting silhouettes of people working at their desks.
Wang Heng, being old, couldn’t stay up late and went to sleep as soon as it got dark. The medicinal garden was quiet.
Ma Bing tidied up her bed and sat there for a moment, lost in thought.
The room was spacious and clean, with the kang (a traditional Chinese bed that can be heated) kept warm, dry and cozy.
The quilt had been sun-dried during the day, fluffy and comfortable. As she lay down, she felt herself sinking into it, instantly surrounded by a pleasant scent.
“Pop!”
The candle wick suddenly burst, the flame flickering, snapping Ma Bing out of her thoughts.
She sat down at the table and began to draw.
Her brush moved quickly and steadily, without any pause, as if she had practiced it a thousand times.
Soon, a family of four appeared on the paper: a tall, steady man and a graceful, calm woman. In front of them were a boy and a girl, the boy around eight or nine years old, the older brother, and the girl about four or five, the younger sister.
Ma Bing tilted her head to look at the drawing for a while, unconsciously humming a tune.
She could no longer remember the complete melody, only a few fragmented parts remained. Yet, just listening to it made her feel happy.
Fifteen minutes later, the ink dried, and Ma Bing gently rubbed her finger across the face on the painting, her eyes soft.
She took out a thin paper scroll from her belongings, unfolded it, and found it was an identical drawing, though somewhat crumpled.
Skillfully, she replaced the old with the new and then burned the old drawing, scattering the ashes with water, leaving no trace.
*******
The next morning, at Xie Yu’s residence.
Looking at the several large boxes of elaborately decorated pastries in front of him, Xie Yu’s brow twitched violently.
“Did your father send these?”
The messenger smiled, “It was the Princess’s idea.”
After Xie Xian returned home yesterday, he eagerly told Princess Ningde that his beloved son was seen walking alongside a pretty girl.
Princess Ningde was delighted, but before she could enjoy the good news for even a few breaths, he continued with a twist, “Unfortunately, she’s a suspect.”
Princess Ningde: “…”
However, after careful consideration, the couple felt that given their son’s usual temperament, the girl must be more than just a suspect. If she really were, she would have been taken to the Kaifeng Prefecture for trial long ago. How could she ride a fine horse around the city, showing off?
After discussing it, they specially instructed the chefs to prepare many delicate pastries that girls usually liked, sending them over to test the waters.
Only to be seen through immediately by Xie Yu.
Without expression, Xie Yu summoned his servant, “Send all these pastries to Lady Zhao.”
Lady Zhao was the wife of Tu Yao, the Prefect of Kaifeng.
The butler from the princess’s mansion stood there, “…”
Xie Yu ordered someone to bring out the salted goose, which paired perfectly with his rice porridge for breakfast. Noticing the butler still standing motionless, he asked coldly, “Anything else?”
Butler: “…I’ll take my leave.”
I told you the Young Master would definitely not fall for it!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage