Another night of heavy snow had passed.
The snow lay deep and thick, crunching underfoot.
The early-rising vendors had already set up their stalls, selling all sorts of things.
Fried dough sticks and soy milk, stuffed pancakes and wontons.
Their aromas drifted through the air, whetting the appetite.
Li Ping'an led Old Ox along and opened his pocket.
He had spent nine copper coins yesterday. Now he had six left.
Better skip breakfast.
Li Ping'an had long since grown used to a life of hunger one day and a full belly the next.
When he reached his usual spot for busking by the street, Old Liu the beggar shifted aside.
"You're here."
Li Ping'an nodded, greeting his coworker.
The lingering notes of the erhu began to rise.
At the same time, the power of qi and blood surged through his body.
"Have you heard? That young fellow from the Zhang Family at the edge of town passed the qualifying exam for scholars. They're throwing a big feast the day after tomorrow."
That was what Old Liu said.
"Learn something a little livelier for the occasion. They might reward you with a tableful of good food and wine."
A livelier tune?
Li Ping'an thought for a moment.
The tune "Galloping Across a Thousand-Mile Grassland" surfaced in his mind.
Before crossing over to this world, he had been a professional erhu player.
Playing these pieces naturally came as easily as reaching out and taking them.
On the day of the Zhang Family's feast, almost everyone in town attended.
The Zhang Family generously erected a long canopy outside, with fine food and wine laid out on every table.
Firecrackers crackled without end.
Li Ping'an brought over a stool and sat in the courtyard.
The cheerful melody had everyone clapping along.
Thanks to this piece, Li Ping'an earned himself a seat at a table.
Sweet-and-sour fish, red sausage, roast goose, roast chicken...
Dishes he rarely encountered stirred his appetite immensely.
Before the feast had even ended,
a crowd clamored as they whipped out bags prepared in advance and stuffed them with leftover food.
Li Ping'an did not join the scramble, not because he thought it beneath him.
He simply had no bag.
Besides, he was blind. He could not compete with these people.
All he could do was seize the chance to eat more.
Once his belly was full, he wiped his mouth.
Then he prepared to leave.
"Over here, over here," someone called to him.
It was Miss Wang, the tofu seller.
Holding her child with one hand, she offered Li Ping'an a bag with the other.
Li Ping'an reached out and felt its contents.
There was a little under half a roast chicken, along with some peanuts and cold dishes.
Miss Wang also handed him a tea egg, grumbling, "These people move too fast. Take these for now."
With that, she squeezed back into the crowd to do battle again.
Amid the clamor, she did not hear the words Li Ping'an murmured.
"Thank you."
Another winter solstice came.
Li Ping'an counted on his fingers.
[Skill: The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring] [Level: LV2 (5000/10000)] [LV1 effects: increased lifespan, improved flow of qi and blood, cleared meridians, expelled dampness and warmed the body] [LV2 effects: Wind-Listening Saber Technique (40%), Turtle Breath Technique (60%)]
Li Ping'an had no saber. His walking stick was his saber.
He could clearly feel that, as his cultivation deepened,
his body had undergone tremendous changes.
His five senses, in particular, had become much sharper.
He could even distinctly sense the paths of falling snowflakes.
Over the past year, Li Ping'an's life had improved considerably as well.
As the old saying went, "With a skill in hand, the world is mine."
Li Ping'an played the erhu well, and soon he was handling all the weddings and funerals in town.
Anywhere willing to pay, he would play a tune.
He brought a little merriment to this lonely town.
It was also during this year that Li Ping'an learned to drink.
And he taught Old Ox this bad habit too.
A wine gourd joined Li Ping'an's belongings.
Whenever he picked up the wine gourd,
he would give it a sniff when he wanted a drink.
Then he would shake his head and sigh.
Once I make some real money, I'll be able to drink every day.
It was a lovely wish.
It was getting late.
As usual, Li Ping'an led Old Ox along beneath the setting sun.
Suddenly, he stopped and glanced curiously in one direction.
He had not heard the familiar calls selling tofu, nor had he seen that familiar outline.
Miss Wang... perhaps she's ill.
The next day, he still did not encounter Miss Wang.
The third and fourth days were no different.
On the fifth day,
Li Ping'an finished his noodles and slapped a copper coin onto the table.
He asked the bookkeeper for news of Miss Wang.
"I heard that brat Niu Er ran up a mountain of loan-shark debt. He mortgaged the house and ran off."
("Lamb interest" = usury)
Li Ping'an asked gravely, "Since when did our town have loan sharks? Don't the authorities do anything?"
The bookkeeper gave a scornful laugh. "The county magistrate's nephew runs the business. That's no different from the magistrate running it himself. Who would dare interfere?"
Leaning on his walking stick, Li Ping'an went out the door.
Outside, heavy snow fell in flakes like goose feathers, whitening everything once again.
Miss Wang's home stood in the eastern part of town, with white walls and blue-gray roof tiles. It was a fine house.
Unfortunately, its feng shui was poor: it had raised a bastard like Niu Er.
He had fallen into someone's trap at the gambling table and wound up buried in debt.
Then he had greased his soles and fled.
Li Ping'an knocked on the door, but no one answered.
There was only barking.
"Is anyone home?"
Only after a long while did a trembling voice come from inside.
"Is that... Ping'an?"
Only Miss Wang called the blind man Ping'an.
"It's me."
The door opened.
Miss Wang looked surprised to see Li Ping'an, then said, "I'm not making tofu today. Come back tomorrow."
Li Ping'an hesitated, wanting to speak, but finally turned to leave.
As though he really had only come to buy tofu.
"Ah, wait."
Miss Wang took several steamed buns from the stove and tucked them into a bag.
"Take these."
Li Ping'an would not have come to her for no reason.
So Miss Wang assumed he must truly be struggling to get by.
Miss Wang also gave him a bowl of cornmeal porridge and a strip of salted radish.
Li Ping'an simply squatted by the doorway and began slurping it down.
"What are you planning to do from now on?"
Miss Wang froze, then realized Li Ping'an was speaking to her.
She lowered her head and bit her lip, a note of stubbornness in her voice.
"It's only right to repay what you owe. I'll just pay them back."
Li Ping'an said nothing.
If only it really were as simple as paying them back.
Interest piled upon interest. They had her in their jaws.
Even a mountain of gold at home would be useless.
He drained the bowl of cornmeal porridge to the bottom.
Footsteps suddenly sounded, and five or six local thugs entered the courtyard, led by Da Hu.
"Well, you blind bastard certainly know how to pick your moment. Her husband's barely gone, and you're already here bringing coal in the snow?"
Da Hu jeered.
"Get lost! Don't be an eyesore. I haven't got time for you."
Half a year ago, Da Hu had latched onto the county magistrate's nephew as his powerful backer. This time, he had come specifically to collect the debt.
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