Settled Down

The place Xun Mei had arranged was right beside the Training Field, a crude little courtyard with two rooms.

The Training Field lay on the outskirts of the Prince's Estate, not far from the stables. Going in and out was fairly convenient.

The rooms had already been tidied up. Meng Yuan left Zhao Datou and Old Man Jiang to talk while he took Jiang Tang out to buy supplies.

The Prince's Estate provided food and lodging, but Meng Yuan had higher standards for meals now, so he planned to set up a small stove of his own.

He did not expect to eat special meals every time, but at least once a day.

Besides, Old Man Jiang was not in the best health and needed medicinal decoctions to nurse his body back. The little girl needed to eat better food too.

After buying pots, bowls, ladles, bedding, and quilts, Meng Yuan bought ten jin of mutton, half a jin of malt candy, and some preserved fruits and candied snacks.

"Today counts as a housewarming celebration. Uncle Datou and Tie Niu are here, and so are two new friends. Let's have something good at home." Meng Yuan pinched off a piece of malt candy from the oil-paper packet and stuffed it into Jiang Tang's mouth. "Is it good?"

"Delicious!" Jiang Tang gave it a light chew, and her round, bright eyes immediately lit up. Looking utterly satisfied, she asked, "Brother, what's a housewarming celebration?"

"It means moving house." Meng Yuan stuffed the paper packet into Jiang Tang's hands and tapped her forehead. "Tonight, you're reading and learning characters with me."

As he said this, Meng Yuan gritted his teeth and bought brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and several elementary readers.

When they returned, they did a little tidying, set the mutton to boil, and Meng Yuan called over Zhao Tie Niu, Wu Changsheng, and Hu Qian.

Seeing that Hu Qian was beautiful and tall, with a decent background and clearly the bearing of a young lady, Zhao Datou—usually quite the smooth talker—became respectful and humble before such a distinguished person, eagerly offering her wine.

"Miss Hu, my Tie Niu is dull and clumsy, and he doesn't know how to speak properly. Please look after him a little. If you know any suitable girls, please keep an eye out for him. We aren't picky about background or looks—so long as she can live an honest, steady life." Zhao Datou smiled ingratiatingly.

Now that Tie Niu's martial training had a future and he no longer had to worry about food or clothing, Zhao Datou wanted nothing more than to settle Tie Niu's marriage as soon as possible.

Poor families were all like this. When young, they worried about getting married and having children; when old, they worried about their children's marriages. They spent their entire lives worrying.

Generation after generation, it went on like this—until one generation could no longer survive, the bloodline was cut off, and there was nothing left to worry about.

Hu Qian was a woman of manners and did not look down on mud-legged commoners in the slightest. She merely said, "I'll keep an eye out for him."

Once ten jin of mutton had been cooked, only seven or eight jin remained. The group sat in a circle and began eating.

Leek Flower Sauce went wonderfully with mutton, though it was somewhat spicy. After Hu Qian had a few bites, she saw that everyone was uncomfortable with her there, so she said she needed to return to wash clothes and took her leave.

Only after Hu Qian left did Zhao Datou relax somewhat, and Wu Changsheng finally dared to take big mouthfuls of meat.

"Little Meng is sensible and capable. How could Teacher Nie not like him? He even made him your leader! Come, Brother Wu, let me toast you. Help worry over Tie Niu's marriage too."

"Cheers, Uncle Datou!"

The two of them went on and on, while Meng Yuan said little and simply buried his head in food alongside Tie Niu.

Wu Changsheng and Zhao Tie Niu had already received Meng Yuan's reminder: the matter of the fight was not to be mentioned, nor was their trip out on official business.

After making merry for half the day, they finished the mutton. Once they chatted a little longer and saw Tie Niu and Wu Changsheng off, Meng Yuan went to Jiang Tang's room to teach her characters.

"Brother, you and Grandpa both have official duties. What should I do?" Jiang Tang asked as she wrote her own name.

"Wait for now." Meng Yuan had not decided yet. He planned to let the girl stay home and read and learn characters for the time being, then make arrangements later.

Of course, if he wanted to arrange work, he only had to ask Xun Mei. But Meng Yuan did not want the girl doing work like serving tea and running errands. They had money now, so he could simply support her first.

The next day, after seeing Zhao Datou off, Meng Yuan took Old Man Jiang and Jiang Tang to the medical clinic.

When they arrived, quite a few people were already waiting, while the physician inside was taking pulses.

This clinic was called JiMin Medical Clinic. Hu Qian had recommended it, saying it was very famous and that her mother came here every month to have her peace pulse checked.

Meng Yuan had dealt with drinking companions who lured customers before, so he liked asking the price first in all matters. He immediately stopped an apprentice and asked.

"The consultation fee is five taels. Prescriptions and medicine are charged separately. House calls depend on distance: ten taels for South City, twenty taels for North City. There are additional charges in rain or snow, and midnight house calls cost double. No credit." The apprentice replied.

"Just taking a pulse and asking a few questions costs five taels?" Meng Yuan nearly wanted to switch professions.

After buying wine and meat yesterday, setting up the household, and purchasing the costly brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, he had already spent more than eight taels. Only twenty-one taels remained.

But since they were already here, expensive was expensive. Money was borrowed out, not saved out.

After waiting more than half an hour, it was finally Old Man Jiang's turn.

The three went inside together and saw that the physician was a white-bearded old man, looking like an immortal. At a glance, he seemed reliable.

"You suffered hardships when you were young, and recently injured your body as well. At your age, how could you not have many ailments? Don't do heavy or exhausting work when you return. I'll prescribe some medicine to restore you." The old physician scribbled out a prescription with swift, practiced strokes.

Meng Yuan thought that since they had already come and spent the money, he might as well let the man feel his pulse too.

"Your pulse is fierce and strong, your Blood Qi abundant. Tempering your sinews and bones while you're young is no bad thing. Mm, you should marry a wife early and put out that fire in you." The old physician gave his diagnosis.

Then it was Jiang Tang's turn.

"The little girl has no real problems, just a little too thin. Looks like she went hungry before, otherwise her first monthly bleeding would have come earlier. Feed her more good food when you return, and have her talk more with her aunts and sisters-in-law." The old physician was old and did not avoid women's ailments. He said whatever he saw.

Seeing that the man's words were accurate, Meng Yuan knew he truly had ability and hurriedly offered his heartfelt thanks.

After getting the medicine, consultation fee included, they had spent eleven taels.

Old Man Jiang and Jiang Tang were heartbroken over the expense, but Meng Yuan, as the head of the household and its supporting pillar, could not show weakness. He merely put on an air of calm indifference.

Even though it pained him to spend money, Meng Yuan still bought two bolts of cloth, intending to have two new outfits made for the girl.

Only seven taels of silver remained in his hand now.

The three returned to the Prince's Estate together. Jiang Shuanyou still had duties as a horse doctor, so he made a special trip to the stables to introduce himself to the steward.

After all that bustling about, they had finally settled down.

Back at the Training Field, Meng Yuan resumed practicing the Gale Wind Saber Technique and tempering his strength.

Master Nie did not show up even by nightfall. Meng Yuan could not find anyone to borrow money from, so he could only immerse himself in training.

When he returned to the residence late at night, Jiang Tang was still bent over her desk by candlelight, and Meng Yuan felt deeply gratified.

But when he opened the door and looked closer, he saw that the girl was sewing clothes—his inner garment, to be precise.

"Brother." When Jiang Tang saw Meng Yuan arrive, she stood up holding the inner garment. "How did these clothes get torn?"

She did not mean to pity the clothes. Instead, she curiously circled Meng Yuan twice, as though checking whether he had been injured.

Clearly, the girl was not foolish. She had noticed something was off.

"A dog from the Medicine Manor got lost. I went into the mountains to look for it and tore them. It's nothing." Meng Yuan said.

"Then you have to be careful. There are lots of wolves in the mountains!" Jiang Tang did not believe him. She grabbed Meng Yuan's hand, rolled up his sleeve to look underneath, then reached inside and felt around. Only when she saw there was truly nothing wrong did she relax.

"There's still mutton stewing on the stove. I'll bring it to you." Delighted, she ran out and came back in a flash.

Since they still had money, Meng Yuan planned to add a meat meal every night. Old Man Jiang and Jiang Tang both needed meat to nourish themselves as well.

With this extra meal every day and without missing the Training Field cafeteria meals, Meng Yuan estimated that in at most a month, his refined fire would reach completion again.

Five days passed in a row. Meng Yuan immersed himself in martial training and opening apertures, and every aperture in his right arm had already been opened.

Master Nie had not shown himself once, and Meng Yuan did not go looking for him either.

Previously, Zhang Guinian had hinted that he should court Master Nie's rich widowed daughter. Meng Yuan did have such thoughts briefly in the morning, but once training began, he thought of nothing else.

What women? No matter how pretty they were, no matter how fragrant and warm their bodies, they could not compare to the pure comfort of practicing the Gale Wind Saber Technique twice!

I loved a two-hundred-jin Stone Roller too much to put it down; I sneered at an eighty-jin beauty!

Besides, courting women required looks, vigor, wealth, leisure, and charm. He naturally had looks, vigor, and charm, but wealth and leisure were nowhere to be found.

Moreover, Meng Yuan considered himself an upright gentleman. Seducing a young widow was inadvisable; single-minded martial training was the proper path!

That morning, Meng Yuan got up before dawn.

The spring breeze of February was like scissors, yet it still carried a few biting traces of cold.

"Brother," Jiang Tang had already come out of her little room, "getting up this early to practice martial arts every day is more exhausting than shoveling cow dung at the ranch!"

"Without enduring bone-piercing cold, how can one smell the fragrance of plum blossoms?" Meng Yuan pinched her hand. Finding it nice and warm, he took her into the room and wrote out these words for her. "You have to learn this today."

As he spoke, Meng Yuan braided her hair again.

"Brother, are we still eating mutton tonight?" Jiang Tang asked.

Meng Yuan now ate two jin of mutton every day as a late-night meal after returning from the Training Field.

Meng Yuan had given Jiang Tang five taels of silver. The little girl had become the household manager; aside from practicing characters and reading each day, she went out to purchase supplies and had already learned to use an abacus.

"Brother, the money's almost gone," Jiang Tang said softly.

"..." A single coin could stump a hero. Meng Yuan's expression did not change as he pinched her little cheek. "Don't save money. When it's gone, I'll give you more. You can't miss your pig trotter every day either, understand?"

Jiang Tang obediently rubbed her cheek against Meng Yuan's hand.

Master Nie had not appeared at the Training Field for days in a row. Meng Yuan could not even find anyone to borrow money from! He decided that if Master Nie did not come today either, he would go to Drunken Moon Pavilion to eat and drink for free!