Brothers

The early spring morning still held a biting chill. A thin mist drifted over Guihua City, the largest prefectural city on the northwestern frontier of the Great Yuan Kingdom. The milky white fog trembled delicately in the morning breeze. If one looked closely, it seemed as if one could hear the faint moans of unparalleled beauties within.

The wide bluestone streets of Guihua City were covered in dew. The slick, glistening streets looked very clean. A few chickens and ducks waddled across the street. A black dog, ears drooping and tail tucked, sneaked along behind them. Suddenly, the black dog perked up its ears, shivered slightly, and then took off running, tearing through the thin mist like a gust of wind and disappearing at the end of the street.

A small, exquisite lacquered door by the roadside suddenly opened, and a sweet voice, tinged with a hint of flirtatiousness, drifted out from within: "Young Master Lin, remember to come visit me next time~~~"

A young man, a little over six feet tall, with a pale complexion, messy hair, and a dark red cloak embroidered with silver bamboo leaves thrown on haphazardly, walked out of the door with trembling legs. A smile was plastered on his sallow face as he turned and waved, saying, "I will, I will, hehe, Xiao Jiao'er, remember to bring your sister next time. This young master will take care of her too."

With a lewd smile on his otherwise handsome face, the young man fumbled with the girl who was seeing him out, then pulled a silver ingot from his pocket and hurled it fiercely at the black dog that had already disappeared into the mist at the end of the street. He cursed loudly, "Damn dog, it's you again, bringing this young master bad luck first thing in the morning! Next time, next time I'll surely beat you to death!"

After coughing a few times, the young man spat a glob of thick yellow phlegm onto the clean bluestone pavement. He lingered with the girl beside him for a moment before smiling and releasing her, then headed towards a lacquered carriage at the street corner. As he walked, he picked at his ear and shouted, "Lao San, Lao San, wake up, wake up! Take this young master back."

Just then, a song drifted from the distance.

The song was intoxicatingly sweet, filled with boundless tender affection. Judging by the rising and falling melodies, it sounded like nearly a hundred girls were singing at once.

A disheveled man emerged from the lacquered carriage. He tilted his head, looked at the young man a few times, yawned, and asked, "Young Master, are we going back now? Won't you go to Jiwei Zhai for some snacks?"

The young man pulled a foot-long folding fan from his belt, slapped it forcefully into his palm, and shouted angrily, "Shut up! Listen, what's that sound?"

"Spring woods are full of charming flowers, spring birds are full of sorrow. The spring breeze is full of affection, blowing open my silk robes~~~"

The clear and melodious singing grew closer, and the faint sound of stringed instruments also drifted in with the morning breeze.

The mist in the sky suddenly dispersed. At the edge of the eastern city wall, a red sun abruptly rose, generously casting its brilliant red sunlight everywhere.

Just as the sunlight abruptly filled the sky and earth, the previously empty Guihua City street was suddenly packed with people. A throng of people, shoulder to shoulder, pressing against each other, pushing each other. On the main north-south thoroughfare of the city, only a narrow passage remained in the center. Groups of sturdy retainers dressed in red, with red flowers pinned to their chests, appeared from nowhere, brandishing bright red hardwood clubs and pushing the people on the main road back with all their might, clearing the road as much as possible.

The young master was almost knocked to the ground by the sudden surge of the crowd. He let out a frightened squeak and quickly jumped onto the carriage, ducking into the carriage. After a while, he poked his head out of the carriage window. He looked east and west, casting a few careful glances at the sturdy retainers in red. He quickly tapped the coachman Lao San's head forcefully with his folding fan and shouted, "Lao San, what's going on? Is there some excitement in Guihua City that I, Young Master Lin, don't know about?"

Lao San, who had been squatting foolishly on the carriage shaft and staring towards the southern city gate, scratched his head and smiled foolishly, turning back. "Young Master, you've been cooped up in Fenyun Residence for the past two days, so how would you know the news that came out yesterday? Our Guihua City's Wang Family is getting married to the Zhang Family from Guiying City to the southeast."

"In the morning, I ascend the cool terrace; in the evening, I lodge by the orchid pond. Riding the moon, I gather lotus flowers; night after night, I get lotus seeds~~~"

The singing grew closer. "Dong, dong, dong," the dull sound of an opening gong also came from the southern city gate.

Young Master Lin stared blankly for a while, then forcefully tapped his forehead with his folding fan, frowning. "The Wang Family? Is Wang Lao Er getting married? He was competing with me in Fenyun Residence yesterday, how is he getting married today?" He cursed in a low voice, "You're a good one, Wang Lao Er. You're really not loyal enough, not even informing your brothers about such a big event as getting married. No wonder your kidneys are weak and you can't perform! But it's strange, why are they sending off the bride so early in the morning? Don't we in the northwest usually send off the bride at noon?"

Lao San looked at Young Master Lin with a simple smile and shook his head vigorously.

"Idiot!" Young Master Lin cursed angrily, and with a surge of temper from who knew where, he kicked Lao San off the carriage.

Lao San grunted nothing and got up from the ground, obediently squatting under the carriage shaft. The blue-and-white horse pulling the carriage glanced at Lao San coldly. Suddenly, it flicked its tail, and its long tail swept across Lao San's head.

"Looking up at the phoenix trees, the phoenix flowers are so pitiful. I wish the sky had no frost or snow, so that phoenix seeds could live for a thousand years~~~"

The singing grew even closer. One could faintly see the surging crowd on the distant street and hear the loud clamor of onlookers.

Amidst the deafening sound of firecrackers, a young man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, an imposing presence, but with deeply sunken eye sockets and dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating excessive exhaustion, was surrounded by a group of red-clad retainers, riding a fine white horse. He rushed down the street towards the southern gate. This young man looked around blankly, then suddenly saw Young Master Lin, who had half his body sticking out of the carriage by the roadside. He quickly called out, "Lin Yao, Young Master Lin, I, I, I'm suddenly getting married?"

Young Master Lin opened his mouth, wiped a drop of drool from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and stared blankly as the young man was rushed away rapidly, surrounded by a pack of fierce retainers.

"How would I know you're getting married? If you don't know, how can I know? I'm not your father!"

After a violent coughing fit, Young Master Lin spat another mouthful of thick phlegm, slightly tinged with blood, onto the ground. He frowned, reached out his right hand, and felt his left wrist pulse. His cheeks suddenly twitched violently. "This is bad. In winter, one doesn't store essence, and the yang energy is too depleted. Now that spring has arrived, it's going to cause internal consumption. If that old geezer finds out, it'll be another hassle."

"The abyss ice is three feet thick, the pure snow covers a thousand miles. My heart is like pine and cypress, what about your feelings~~~"

The singing grew closer, and one could see twelve retainers carrying a six-foot square purple-gold gong on poles, beating it with "dong, dong, dong," their faces full of joy as they approached.

Behind these twelve opening retainers followed teams of maids holding palace lanterns and carrying incense burners. The palace lanterns were lit with deep-sea merman oil, and the incense burners were burning top-grade ambergris. Even from hundreds of feet away, the lingering fragrance almost made Young Master Lin stumble. As the maids walked slowly, they sang loudly, their charming voices coming from their small mouths.

"My goodness, what grandeur! The Wang Family of Guihua, the Zhang Family of Guiying, such grandeur!" Young Master Lin forcefully fanned himself a few times with his folding fan, then quickly threw the fan into the carriage. In a flurry, he called for Lao San to be a cushion, and stepping on Lao San's body, he climbed onto the carriage roof and stood firm, gazing eagerly towards the south gate.

Pairs of retainers and maids walked by slowly, followed by teams of guards dressed in brocade and wearing long sabers. The wedding procession was at least a thousand people strong! Then, over thirty red-clad retainers, their faces beaming with smiles, excitedly escorted the bewildered second young master of the Wang Family, who was muttering something to himself. Following them was a large red carriage carried by thirty-two girls in colorful attire.

The carriage was about ten feet long and wide. Four pillars carved with flying birds and a hundred flowers supported a large canopy with a three-tiered glazed roof. Countless pearls, the size of thumbs, were strung together to form curtains, hanging down from all sides of the canopy. Through the lustrous pearl curtains, one could see a girl dressed in a pink gauze dress sitting quietly inside the carriage. A veil made of purple pearls, the size of sesame seeds, firmly concealed her features, making it impossible for outsiders to see her face through the pearl curtain and veil.

Standing on the carriage roof, Young Master Lin gestured excitedly as he gazed at the carriage for a while. He suddenly let out a whistle and shouted towards the carriage, "Hey there, little lady, lift your curtain!"

In the northwest dialect of the Great Yuan Kingdom, 'curtain' had another meaning, referring to a woman's bodice. Young Master Lin's request for the girl in the carriage to lift her 'curtain' was a demand to see her breasts!

Several retainers guarding the carriage glared angrily at Young Master Lin, and a few retainers in golden robes were about to come forward and beat Young Master Lin. But several other red-clad retainers quickly stopped them and whispered a few words in their ears. These gold-clad retainers paused, gave Young Master Lin a surprised glance, and sullenly returned to the side of the carriage.

Seeing that the girl in the carriage remained motionless, as if she hadn't heard his shouts at all, Young Master Lin couldn't help but shake his head and sigh in a low voice, "What an icy young lady. It doesn't matter, Wang Er and I are sworn brothers. What's the difference between his wife and my wife? I'll have the chance to see her beauty."

After pondering for a while with his head lowered, Young Master Lin clapped his hands and sighed, "This matter is mysterious. Sending off the bride so early in the morning, and Wang Er himself doesn't even know he's getting married. It's truly very strange. How about going to his house for a wedding banquet? However, the old nuisance at home is truly hateful. I haven't been home for two days, and I'm afraid I'll be scolded again."

With a sigh, he subconsciously touched his backside. Young Master Lin, bored, sat cross-legged on the carriage roof and lazily called out, "Lao San, drive back."

The honest Lao San responded, quickly climbed onto the carriage shaft, and flicked the reins lightly. The horse pulling the carriage obediently moved forward and proceeded north along the main street.

The crowd watching the excitement on the road gradually dispersed, with many people marveling, "As expected of the union of the two wealthiest families in this northwest region. Such grandeur, such a spectacle, who has ever seen anything like it?"

The grand spectacle of this wedding procession alone was enough to keep the citizens of Guihua City happily chattering for half a year.

The northwestern prefectures of the Great Yuan Kingdom weren't exactly bustling places to begin with, and the common folk were already quite idle. Furthermore, with the current era of chaos, everyone lived with a constant fear for their lives. Today's joyous and grand occasion was enough to dispel that sliver of unease – if prominent families could still host such ostentatious weddings, perhaps peaceful times would last a while longer?

The lacquered carriage circled the streets for a while before arriving at a thoroughfare in the northwest corner of Guihua City.

This street was thirty feet wide and about a hundred feet long. The west side of the street was lined with shops, catering to all sorts of trades. The east side of the street, however, was entirely occupied by a very large pharmacy. The hundred-foot stretch of street was all storefront for this establishment, named Spring Return Hall. From a distance, a potent medicinal aroma wafted towards them, invigorating the senses.

The main hall of Spring Return Hall was nearly sixty feet high and about twenty feet wide. Eight massive ebony pillars, each three feet in diameter, firmly supported the vast hall. Above the main entrance hung a large, black plaque, its gold lettering completely faded, bearing three words: Spring Return Hall. This dilapidated-looking plaque, combined with the dim, almost ridiculously oversized main hall, somehow exuded a sense of calm and focus.

Young Master Lin leaped from the carriage and walked up the steps to the main hall with a grim expression. Standing at the entrance, he beckoned to a doctor inside who was writing a prescription. The doctor blinked, then quickly put down his brush with a smile, walking respectfully before Young Master Lin and asking in a low voice, "Young Master, you... you're back?"

The doctor, sporting a goatee, smiled kindly, but deep within his eyes, a faint trace of helplessness and a hint of disdain were hidden.

Young Master Lin cautiously peered into the deep main hall for a moment before lowering his voice and asking, "Hu Zhutie, where is the old man?"

Hu Zhutie's mustache twitched, and he replied with a smile, "The head of the Wang family is here, talking with the master in the back."

Young Master Lin froze, surprised. "Wang Er is getting married today, and the wedding procession just passed. Why would Old Master Wang come to our shop now?"

With a flick of his fan, he elegantly opened and fanned himself a few times. Young Master Lin softly instructed, "It's good if the old man is busy. Hmm, help me get a few ingots of the Purple Plum Harmony Pill."

"Purple Plum Harmony Pill?" Hu Zhutie was taken aback. He instinctively glanced at Young Master Lin's lower body, then at his pale, greenish complexion, and couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Young Master, to take the Purple Plum Harmony Pill from storage, the old master's personal authorization is required. Our Spring Return Hall only produces about a hundred or so finished Purple Plum Harmony Pills a year."

"Just go get it when I tell you to, why so much fuss?" Young Master Lin suddenly roared in anger. "Require the old master's authorization? How come some people can easily get medicine from the storeroom?"

To the left of Spring Return Hall's main hall was a row of pharmacies. Over two hundred apprentices were diligently working inside, dispensing herbs according to prescriptions, preparing compound medicines, or tending to a row of furnaces, helping people decoct certain precious medicinal soups that required precise temperature and timing. On the long benches lining the walls of the pharmacy, people of all heights, builds, appearances, and social statuses sat obediently, idly chatting with those next to them.

A boy, under five feet tall and appearing no older than fifteen or sixteen, was helping an elderly woman out of the pharmacy door. As he supported her, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, old lady. After these three doses of medicinal soup, your grandson's illness will surely be cured."

The boy had an endearing face. His round, cherubic face still had a bit of baby fat, and his fair, smooth skin was adorned with a pair of delicate eyebrows that arched comfortably towards his temples. His large eyes were like black gems floating in clear water, exuding an indescribable vitality. Coupled with his well-defined nose, rosy lips, and an aura of purity and medicinal fragrance, it was impossible not to feel fond of him.

The old woman trembled as she repeatedly bowed to the boy. The boy flusteredly supported her, repeatedly expressing his thanks. The old woman gently wiped the boy's face, her voice choked with emotion. "Young Master Xiao, your whole family are good people! If you hadn't waived my medicine fees, my grandson..." Sobbing, she continued, "Good people live long lives, good people are blessed! Young Master Xiao, may heaven bless you with a harmonious marriage, many descendants, and lasting prosperity."

The boy grinned sheepishly at the heartfelt thanks, his face flushing as he didn't know what to say. He saw the old woman off, stood on the steps watching her retreating figure for a moment, then sighed softly, clapped his hands with a happy expression, and was about to enter the main hall. Then, he saw Young Master Lin standing by the entrance, his face full of displeasure.

"Lin Xiao, you're quite good at using our Lin family's money to accumulate merit for yourself!" Young Master Lin's face twitched, and he waved his folding fan like a pinwheel.

The boy Lin Xiao's expression changed instantly. His previously joyful face became stiff. He trembled slightly, quickly clasped his fists, and bowed to Young Master Lin. "Big Brother."

"Don't you dare!" Young Master Lin tapped Lin Xiao on the head with his fan and sneered, "I, Lin Yao, wouldn't dare have a 'capable' brother like you, one who could 'inherit my Lin family's legacy'!"

Lin Yao leaned close to the sullen Lin Xiao's ear and whispered, "You little bastard, you son of a whore! You think you can inherit Spring Return Hall? Dream on!"

With a cold snort, Lin Yao straightened up, cast a triumphant glance at Lin Xiao, who was a head shorter than him, and strolled into the hall.

After only a few steps into the hall, the self-satisfied Lin Yao turned back and shouted at Hu Zhutie, "Hurry up and get me the Purple Plum Harmony Pill!"

Hu Zhutie looked at Lin Xiao helplessly.

Lin Xiao's lips twitched. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then subtly held up three fingers behind his back for Hu Zhutie.

Hu Zhutie's heart ached. Three ingots of Purple Plum Harmony Pill! Young Master was truly squandering resources.

Lowering his head, Hu Zhutie shook it and quickly hurried towards the storeroom behind the pharmacy.

Lin Xiao watched Lin Yao stagger into the inner hall, sighed again, and walked back to the pharmacy, feeling a bit dejected.

He sat cross-legged before a mortar, picked up a pestle, and began pounding herbs with a clanging sound.

Deep in the backyard of Spring Return Hall, clear reading voices could be heard. These were the child apprentices taken in by Spring Return Hall, reciting various medicinal chants.

Listening to these chants, the previously heavy feeling in Lin Xiao's heart gradually gave way to a smile. (To be continued)