23, Depending on each other for survival_2

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He ordered someone to bring out a string of copper coins from the accounting room, totaling to three hundred.

"Make it last, times are tough now, and even our Chen family is feeling the pinch."

Not until this moment did Chen Ji realize what his status really was in the Chen Mansion.

From afar came the sound of horse hooves, and the noisy clamor of discussion also wafted over from outside Cuiyun Lane:

"The young master and second young master of the Chen family are back! They've been at Donglin Academy for three years, and look a bit unrecognizable now."

"The young master and second young master have grown even more handsome."

Chen Ji looked over and saw two young men on white horses riding into the lane. They were dressed in blue brocade robes with elegant and serene patterns embroidered on them, just the workmanship alone revealed their costliness.

The two young men wore cloud boots, each had a piece of green jade hanging from their waistband, and jade pendants dangling at their collars. They appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen, with an exceptional bearing.

The butler approached with a smile, taking the reins:

"Having completed your studies at Donglin Academy, you two young masters must make a splendid debut at this year's imperial examinations!"

The two young masters dismounted and handed their riding crops to the servant girls, smiling as they spoke:

"Butler, you've got more white hairs over these past few years, seems like you've been working hard for the household."

"Oh, it's nothing, just my duty... The lord was overseeing irrigation works by the riverbank. Hearing that you were returning, he hurried back just to wait for you. Go pay your respects to him quickly!"

Amidst the hustle and bustle, everyone followed the young masters inside the mansion. As they passed by Chen Ji, not a single one gave him a second glance.

It wasn't intentional posturing; they genuinely seemed not to recognize him, or perhaps whether they recognized him or not didn't really matter.

What was once a lively scene in front of the Chen Mansion had now quieted down. Chen Ji stood at the entrance in silence, as if the world had forgotten him.

Chen Ji pondered carefully; his master must have known about his family's situation, but it seemed the master had never mentioned that his family was too poor to pay the tuition fee, nor had he spoken about what his father did at the riverbank.

The reason his master had been so angry back then was because he knew that his family did have money but still dragged their feet when it came to paying the tuition fee.

The Luocheng magistrate, just like Liu Mingxian, was a fifth-rank official.

Chen Ji looked up at the plaque reading "Chen Mansion" and eventually did not step through those red gates. Instead, the young man bent down to place the string of three hundred copper coins at the doorway, then he turned with the packages he had brought and left.

At the entrance of the lane, an old man watched his retreating figure and sighed:

"The difference between a legitimate son with a mother and a bastard without one is like that between clouds and mud."

Chen Ji returned to Anxi Street, took the copper coins from the grain and oil shop, and the shopkeeper's wife showed some surprise:

"Dr. Chen, why are you bringing stuff back? We can't do refunds here."

He smiled:

"No return, I'm bringing it back to honor my master."

By the time he returned to the Medical Hall, Old Yao glanced up at him:

"Didn't I tell you to rest? You're back so soon?"

Chen Ji counted out five hundred and sixty copper coins:

"Master, this is money from my family to cover the tuition fee and medicine bill I owe you, and these packages are from my family for you."

Old Yao scoffed:

"Your family finally came to their senses. Never thought that by supervising the building of a dike, your father would also get his brain in order."

Chen Ji:

"...You were demoted to Luocheng City because you're too mouthy, weren't you?"

...

...

At night, Chen Ji sat in the main hall of the Medical Hall, quietly transcribing knowledge about the pathology of typhoid fever. Turning around, Wu Yun was already squatting on the cabinet behind him, a blue cloth bundle in his mouth.

"Are you planning to run away from home?"

"What are you thinking," Wu Yun hesitated for a few seconds before asking,

"would you take me to Qingping Lane?"

"It's very late now, I'm afraid of the dark."

"Do you think I believe that?"

Chen Ji sighed:

"Alright, I'll take you, but what do you want in Qingping Lane?"

"I don't want to say right now!"

Where is Qingping Lane? This was a very serious question.

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said:

"Um... I'll take you there tomorrow night, it's not convenient today."

"Why isn't it okay today?!"

"I don't know where Qingping Lane is..." Chen Ji said:

"You don't have to look at me like that, although I can't explain why, I really don't know where Qingping Lane is."

Wu Yun considered for a moment:

"I know."

Outside, the night patrol could be heard passing by, tapping and calling out:

"Dry weather, take care of candles and lanterns."

It was already 3 AM.

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Luocheng City was no longer lively and bustling like it was during the day.

Chen Ji quietly closed the door of the Medical Hall and followed Wu Yun into the dark night.

He tied the small blue cloth bundle on Wu Yun's back—it looked quite cute and also ensured he wouldn't lose track of Wu Yun in the dark... Wu Yun was really too black.

Along the way, Wu Yun seemed to be relying on memory to recognize the direction, sniffing here and there.

The man and the cat walked and stopped, taking a full two hours and getting lost several times.

Chen Ji didn't urge him. He realized that tonight's trip to Qingping Lane was very important to Wu Yun.

He had plenty of patience.

Finally, Wu Yun stopped in a small alley, staring blankly at a closed door.

"Is it here?" Chen Ji asked.

"It's here."

"Shall I knock?"

"No!"

Wu Yun called out twice to the inside, summoning something.

But the calls, aside from attracting two stray cats, led to nothing else.

"I'm going to climb in and take a look; you wait here for me." Wu Yun gave a slight push against the wall and leapt into the yard, so fast that he seemed to leave a trailing image behind, exceptionally agile.

Chen Ji leaned comfortably in the alley while waiting. Soon enough, Wu Yun returned, visibly more downcast: "Let's go."

"Is it all done?"

"Hmm."

"What was it?"

Wu Yun paused, looking back at the door: "I missed my mother."

Chen Ji was silent, realizing that even cats could miss their mothers.

Wu Yun said distantly, "She might not miss me, but I just wanted to come and see... Besides, I'm going to travel Jianghu with you soon. I had to bring you here to let her see you."

"Isn't she at home?"

Wu Yun's voice grew softer: "She must have been sold too; her cage and food bowl are gone."

"Shall I help you look for her?"

"No need to search; that's just the fate of a cat."

"What's in the small bundle you brought?"

"I snuck away some little fish to bring her."

Chen Ji stood silently in the darkness of the small alley. He bent down to embrace Wu Yun and started walking back towards the Medical Hall.

Wu Yun didn't struggle, just curled up into a small ball and covered his head with his fluffy tail.

The footsteps on the bluestone slabs echoed tap tap, the young man's silhouette was lean but upright.

"Chen Ji, what was your mother like?"

"She… was a very tender person," Chen Ji didn't want to say much more, as if memory was a warm current like breath; once it passed through his lips, it would run away.

He carried Wu Yun on the long streets of Luocheng City, with the few months old Wu Yun being so small that when curled up, he was only the size of two palms.

Chen Ji suddenly wanted to live well.

"Wu Yun?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's depend on each other for survival."