A night's conversation across the screen (thanks to Still Chasing the Sun, Old Kohler, Pocket Wallhanger, and other friends)

It took a full half hour for Liu Yuzao and the other two to reach the Zhen Estate on North Water Street.

Along the way, Ding Songyan remained silent, concentrating on the streets around him. Like parched earth meeting a torrential downpour, he greedily absorbed every useful detail.

As the seat of Dingjiang Prefecture, Lिंगjiang County had streets paved with gray-white stone slabs. Open channels ran along one or both sides, with hidden drains beneath them, and no stench of human waste hung in the air.

Pedestrians thronged the streets. Numerous vendors sold jeweled ornaments and floral headdresses, combs and rings and embroidered silks, swords and throwing stones, paintings and books and decorative fans, candied fruit and prepared drinks, but wooden railings kept them from obstructing carts and horses.

People dressed as wandering heroes and martial artists were everywhere, men and women, young and old. Yet Ding Songyan saw none with the bodily peculiarities his sister had mentioned. Apparently, they were not all that common.

Among them, several men and women carried their wares through the streets on shoulder poles, with coal stoves and pots, bowls, ladles, and pans hanging in front, and boxes of ingredients behind. Whenever someone showed interest, they stopped to stir-fry a quick dish, sending delicious aromas wafting everywhere.

Windows occasionally opened on the second or third floors of buildings lining the street. Women called for dishes, candied fruit, or drinks, lowering ropes tied to bamboo baskets containing payment.

At first, Ding Songyan thought this was strict adherence to propriety, with women never stepping beyond either the main gate or the inner doors. But after looking again at the brightly dressed women vying for attention on the street, and the men likewise lowering baskets to buy things, he understood. There was only one reason:

Laziness!

Too lazy to go downstairs, too lazy to leave the house!

"Wait outside." After receiving the gatekeeper's permission, Liu Yuzao gave Ding Daniu this instruction and led Ding Songyan through a side gate. They went around the inner spirit wall and followed the covered walkway deeper inside with practiced familiarity.

As he admired the artificial hills, flowing water, unusual rocks, and pavilions, a faint worry arose in Ding Songyan:

A renowned doctor might examine me shortly. Would he discover that I'd "returned to life in someone else's corpse"?

This was a serious question requiring caution. But weighed against the potentially imminent danger to his life, Ding Songyan could only choose the lesser of two evils, privately grateful they were seeking a doctor rather than a monk or Daoist priest.

"Although your cousin Nuansheng is only Second Master Zhen's concubine, he favors her greatly. Second Master Zhen is also the eldest legitimate son, so she has some influence in the household." As Qin Nuangsheng's private courtyard came into view, Liu Yuzao, still wearing her black Veil Hat and holding her back straight, quietly explained a few things to Ding Songyan.

Only a concubine? And this world makes such a fuss over legitimate birth too? Amused, Ding Songyan noted this important detail, then followed the maid who had come to welcome them into the courtyard alongside his mother, Liu Yuzao.

Water rushed into the courtyard, turning a waterwheel beside the pond. This in turn drove a wooden connecting rod extending into the house, making it move back and forth.

Stirred by the flowing water, moisture rose from the pond amid its lush green lotus leaves, lending the courtyard a refreshing coolness that dispelled some of the oppressive summer heat.

Fragrance drifted all around, with no mosquitoes or other insects in sight.

Upon entering the room, Ding Songyan immediately spotted a clever device resembling a fan. Driven by the wooden connecting rod, its wooden blades spun rapidly, sending out gusts of cool air.

Together with four basins of ice in the corners, it banished every trace of sweltering summer from the room.

Pretty advanced... he murmured inwardly in surprise.

"A Water-Driven Fan. Don't you remember, Songyan?" A voice carrying a light smile and a touch of languor came from behind the screen.

Ding Songyan turned to look and saw a graceful figure emerge from behind it.

She wore her hair in a drooping bun, with a floral ornament on her forehead. Her crimson gauze skirt rose to her chest, and a short-sleeved jacket of sheer gauze draped her shoulders. Her skin was white as jade, her figure richly curved, her features radiant, and her manner alluring. In her hand was a mirror with a glass surface.

The women of this branch of the Liu Family really might be poor or rich, fallen on hard times or riding high, but never ugly... No wonder she's so favored... This world already has practical glassware, huh? Though it still looks like a luxury... Ding Songyan did not answer Qin Nuangsheng's question. He had a "great scholar" to argue his case for him.

Having removed her Black Gauze Veil Hat, Liu Yuzao spoke gravely:

"Nuansheng, someone tried to murder Second Brother. He no longer remembers his past."

"Someone tried to murder him?" Qin Nuangsheng's expression darkened. She handed her mirror to a maid and circled halfway around Ding Songyan. "Aunt, what do you mean?"

Liu Yuzao glanced at Qin Nuangsheng's personal maid. Seeing that her niece did not dismiss the girl, she calmly related everything that had happened that day, in full detail and without omission.

Qin Nuangsheng listened with a slight frown, then turned to Ding Songyan:

"Songyan, do you really remember nothing?"

"Mm." Ding Songyan said no more.

Qin Nuangsheng took two thoughtful steps with her brows knitted, then told her personal maid:

"Cuihe, go see whether Doctor Shao is at the medical hall or here in the estate. If he's here, invite him over. Invite Mr. Yu as well."

Cuihe acknowledged the order and headed toward the door.

"Wait." Qin Nuangsheng stopped her and considered for a moment. "Invite Doctor Shao first, then wait a quarter of an hour before inviting Mr. Yu."

"Yes." Cuihe did not ask why.

Before the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, Doctor Shao arrived in the courtyard.

He was nearly fifty, with a long beard falling in five wisps, ordinary features, and a tall, thin build. After hearing Qin Nuangsheng's explanation, he went straight to taking Ding Songyan's pulse.

Ding Songyan watched Doctor Shao's expression out of the corner of his eye, afraid he would reach some unfortunate conclusion.

After a moment, Doctor Shao withdrew his hand and had Ding Songyan lie on a rattan couch used for keeping cool. He then examined the rest of his body, alternately pressing, pinching, and tapping.

For a fleeting moment, Ding Songyan felt as if he had returned to his old life and was undergoing a physical examination at a hospital.

Isn't looking, listening and smelling, questioning, and taking the pulse supposed to be enough? Martial arts flourish in this world, so there must be plenty of external and internal injuries. Has medicine developed accordingly? As Ding Songyan's thoughts wandered, Doctor Shao finished his examination.

He cupped his hands toward Qin Nuangsheng and said:

"No injuries, no illness."

"Then why has he forgotten his past?" Qin Nuangsheng's expression grew solemn.

Liu Yuzao, who had withdrawn behind the screen, could not help taking two steps out.

Ding Songyan was equally puzzled:

How could there be no injuries at all?

Then how had the previous Ding Songyan died?

Or had returning to life in a borrowed corpse healed the wounds? Or were there techniques in this world that attacked only the soul without harming the flesh?

Had the previous Ding Songyan's soul been utterly scattered?

Doctor Shao gave a rueful smile.

"I have practiced medicine for decades and saw many difficult cases while studying in the Medicine King Sect, but never a case of disembodied soul syndrome with absolutely no outward signs like this."

After some consideration, he said:

"Perhaps Songyan's condition stems from excessive fright, an ailment of the mind. He may gradually recover after some time."

At this point, Doctor Shao turned to Ding Songyan.

"If you feel unwell over the next few days, or remember anything, come find me at the Yannian Medical Hall on Longxing Street."

Seeing Ding Songyan's troubled expression, he smiled.

"I won't charge a penny. Mainly, I want to understand why this strange disembodied soul syndrome appeared. If I gain some insight from it, there will be no shortage of envious fellows when I return to the sect to visit family and friends."

Your Medicine King Sect has quite the scholarly atmosphere... Having more or less understood Doctor Shao's intention, Ding Songyan agreed.

Qin Nuangsheng did not actually pay nothing just because Doctor Shao had offered to waive his fee. She had Cuihe fetch some Silver Sycee and pressed them upon him. After a couple of polite refusals, Doctor Shao accepted them.

Some time after Doctor Shao left, a figure entered the room without a sound.

He was a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression, dressed in close-fitting black martial attire and a small cap. His arms and legs were unusually long, and a little white showed along the outer edges of his ears.

Does that count as a bodily peculiarity? Ding Songyan withdrew his gaze, not daring to stare.

Qin Nuangsheng first explained the whole affair, then said solemnly:

"Mr. Yu, Songyan is my younger cousin. He's been in Dingjiang Prefecture less than a year, and the head of the Storytellers' Association approved his street performances. He normally observes the rules and hasn't offended anyone. I suspect this matter is aimed at our Zhen Estate.

"Perhaps someone hoped to exploit his relationship with me to harm our Zhen Estate. He refused to obey them, so they tried to murder him. Fortunately, our ancestors protected him, allowing him to escape disaster. But unless this matter is resolved, there will be no end to the trouble ahead."

This cousin I inherited is pretty capable. She's linked what happened to me with the Zhen Estate. Otherwise, why would a household Attendant help a mere concubine like her...? I'd say the same thing in her position. Elevate the stakes, and you have something to work with... Ding Songyan gave a small inward nod.

Mr. Yu listened silently to the end, then looked at Qin Nuangsheng.

"I'll inform the old master."

He then turned to Ding Songyan:

"Second Brother Ding, after leaving the Zhen Estate, go about your business as usual. Don't show anything out of the ordinary. Go to Dangkang Temple tomorrow as you normally would. I'll be watching from the shadows."

Beat the grass to startle the snake, throw a stone to test the road? Isn't this a kind of fishing too...? Ding Songyan immediately agreed.

Whatever the case, having an expert follow him in secret was certainly a good thing. After all, he genuinely had nowhere to hide.

After seeing Mr. Yu off, Qin Nuangsheng took a few more Silver Sycee, placed them in a purse, and handed it to Liu Yuzao, who had emerged from behind the screen.

"Aunt, take this money and buy some nourishing food for Songyan and Sister Qingyan.

"I'm giving it to Songyan and Sister Qingyan, so don't refuse on their behalf."

Unable to decline, Liu Yuzao could only accept it.

Cousin Nuansheng really is a gracious person... But since it's for me and my little sister, you could give it straight to me. There's no need to let Mother hold it... Ding Songyan watched enviously from the side.

Whatever he did next, he would need starting capital!

By the time they returned home to Chengyu Lane, it was dark.

With the matter unresolved and difficult to discuss for fear of ears beyond the walls, the family of five dared not grieve, lament, or express outrage. They ate dinner in silence, exchanged a few idle remarks, then each washed their hands, feet, and faces with water from the jar and cleaned their mouths with toothbrushes made of pig bristles.

Ding Daniu moved the storage chests in the main room, arranging them into a makeshift bed for himself. He spread bedding over them and lay down.

Seeing Ding Songyan looking at him, he scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly.

"We still have to get up early tomorrow. You should go back to your room too, Second Brother."

You've got the worst deal of all... Ding Songyan muttered silently, then entered the west-side room.

A "screen" made from wooden slats and hemp cloth divided it into inner and outer sections. Ding Qingyan slept in the inner section.

After blowing out the candle, Ding Songyan lay on the rather hard wooden bed and stared into the darkness at the roof beams overhead.

Shadows shifted there as the moonlight outside changed.

After an unknown length of time, Ding Qingyan suddenly spoke softly from the inner section:

"Second Brother, be careful tomorrow."

"I will." A little warmth rose in Ding Songyan's heart.

This little sister he had inherited was quite kind.

He thought for a moment, then asked in a lowered voice:

"Little Sister, why do I feel like Eldest Brother doesn't resemble either of us?"

Ding Qingyan, lying on the wooden bed behind the screen, remained silent for a long while before answering:

"As you storytellers would put it, Mother had some renown for her beauty in Yuejiang Prefecture when she was young. Later, a notorious ravisher set his sights on her and seized an opportunity to abduct her.

"A few years later, a righteous wandering hero killed that ravisher, and Mother was finally rescued. But by then, she already... already had a child..."

"..." For a moment, Ding Songyan did not know how to respond.

Behind the screen, Ding Qingyan spoke with a touch of self-mockery and a sigh:

"Sometimes, we can only look on the bright side. If not for that, how could Father, a down-and-out scholar, have married Mother? How could we have been born?"

"Is that why Mother insists you wear a Veil Hat whenever you go out?" Ding Songyan suddenly understood.

"Mm." Ding Qingyan exhaled. "Tell me, Yuejiang Prefecture has the Watchtower too, as well as prestigious martial sects. Why could something like that still happen?"

Ding Songyan pressed his lips together.

"No measure can solve every problem. At best, it can solve most of them."

Brother and sister both fell silent again.

Watching the shifting shadows on the roof, Ding Songyan felt the danger of this world keenly for the first time.

And there are probably more reckless fools here than in my old world, and they're even more reckless. With a deadly weapon in hand, the urge to kill arises of its own accord-and these people have martial arts besides!

I have to find a way to learn some fighting skills for self-defense. I can't let some reckless fool stab me to death out of nowhere again. I can't be left helpless when danger is already upon me...

As thought after thought arose, Ding Songyan's mind gradually grew clear.

PS: Thanks to Still Chasing the Sun, Old Kohler, Pocket Wallhanger, and the other friends who sent tips earlier and today. Since I really couldn't find the earlier messages, I've only named three of you, but my thanks go to everyone. Sorry about that.