In Ku Hai County, there is a Yuanyang Brothel, one of only two pleasure houses in the county seat. Located in the eastern part of the county, besides providing special services to the county's gentry, it also offers fine cuisine and wine. Storytellers frequently visit to tell tales, and some scholars who fancy themselves talented poets also go there to compose and recite poems.
Even if the words they utter are utter nonsense, a mere wave of a few silver pieces or strings of copper coins can elicit a chorus of charming giggles and applause from the flamboyant courtesans.
Beyond these, Yuanyang Brothel has one other unique feature.
—There is a zither player here.
It's not uncommon for people in this world to be skilled in music, but Ku Hai County is located on the southern frontier of Qi. The soil here is barren, and the roads are poor. Furthermore, the path to wealthier towns requires traversing many mountains, where drifters and bandits often lurk, robbing travelers. Thus, aside from merchant caravans, hardly anyone comes here.
Therefore, that zither player became exceptionally precious, adding a unique form of enjoyment to this land, which the vast imperial grace found difficult to favor.
And Si Xiaohong was that zither player.
Her parents died from a severe drought when she was young. When she was on the verge of starving in the streets, Song Chennan, the madam of Yuanyang Brothel, took her in and raised her. Initially, she was just kept in the backyard to chop wood and cook, but Song Chennan later accidentally discovered that Si Xiaohong seemed to be naturally gifted with music. Seeing her pitiful and diligent, Song Chennan bought her a low-quality zither as a gift at her own expense.
Thereafter, Si Xiaohong would often play the zither whenever she finished her chores. Though she had no formal teacher, she self-taught her way into the Dao. In just three to five years, she became the only zither player in this desolate, rural county.
She was exactly sixteen this year, and her acquaintance with Wen Chaosheng was an accident.
Two months ago, County Magistrate Liu Jinshi celebrated his fiftieth birthday. Both Zilanfang in the west and Yuanyang Brothel in the east were to offer birthday wishes to Liu Jinshi. No one wanted to miss this opportunity to perform in front of Liu Jinshi, as it could greatly influence their future financial fortunes. Both parties were nervously preparing and constantly plagued by headaches.
Si Xiaohong had never experienced such a grand occasion. She wanted to compose a new piece but became agitated under immense pressure, playing more and more frantically.
The pressure kept her awake all night. However, she was the only zither player in the county town; apart from her, no one in Ku Hai County understood music. The frustration and anxiety in her heart could not be shared with others. So, on a sunny day, she took her zither and went alone to the outskirts south of the county town, hoping to use the mountains and waters to calm her mind and Qi.
It was then that she met Wen Chaosheng, who was chopping wood.
Does Wen Chaosheng understand music?
No, he doesn't.
But before Wen Chaosheng’s Transmigration, he had been exposed to and heard too many musical pieces: sad, joyful, passionate, tranquil…
All those melodies were etched into his mind.
After learning of Si Xiaohong's worries, he hummed some cheerful and light tunes to her, based on her description. Once she became familiar with them, she adapted them for the zither.
Later, this piece successfully helped Si Xiaohong and Yuanyang Brothel smoothly navigate Liu Jinshi's birthday banquet, and it also allowed Si Xiaohong to shine brightly at the banquet.
Now, this bowl of braised pork, arriving amidst the snow, was Si Xiaohong's way of thanking him for the music he taught her two months ago.
Looking at the girl's nervous demeanor, Wen Chaosheng opened the food basket. The braised pork inside was already cold and hard.
But that was not a problem; it just needed to be steamed in a pot.
While steaming the meat, Wen Chaosheng asked the girl:
"Are people in the county town setting off fireworks?"
Si Xiaohong nodded:
"Yes, it's New Year's today. Yuanyang Brothel is closed. The gentry in the county town hired people to make a lot of fireworks around the Lotus Pond. The Magistrate is there too; it's very lively!"
"One spark, and the darkness in the sky explodes into countless stars!"
After speaking, she looked at the pensive Wen Chaosheng and suggested:
"The wind and snow are heavy outside, and it's New Year's, so the yamen runners have already skipped work. Chaosheng Ge, if you want to see them, we can sneak in later. No one will find us."
She knew some of Wen Chaosheng's circumstances. There were occasional rumors about him in the county streets, and last time, when they were discussing music outside the county, Wen Chaosheng had also told her a little.
But Wen Chaosheng did not respond to Si Xiaohong. Instead, he asked:
"Xiao Hong, do you want to eat more?"
Si Xiaohong waved her hand:
"No, Chaosheng Ge, I've eaten very well tonight."
As she spoke, she looked at the few frogs boiling in the pot, curiously leaned forward to sniff them, and wrinkled her small nose, uttering an 'Oh':
"...Last time, a sister at Yuanyang Brothel said that those frogs buried in the mud pits tasted pretty good. I didn't expect it to be true."
Wen Chaosheng's face showed some surprise:
"People in the county town eat this too?"
Si Xiaohong's delicate little face gradually regained a warm, rosy glow in the firelight.
"Most people don't eat it, but that sister likes to cook and also likes to make strange foods. Earlier, she fried a dozen red centipedes she caught and ate them with sauce. It really scared the other sisters."
Wen Chaosheng chuckled at her words.
After the meat was steamed, he ate all the braised pork and rice in front of Si Xiaohong, then poured himself a bowl of hot soup and gulped it down.
This was the first time he had eaten so much, and Wen Chaosheng even felt a bit unaccustomed. Once his entire body had warmed up, he said to Si Xiaohong, who was sitting across the bonfire:
"It's getting late, Xiao Hong. Go back to the county town."
Si Xiaohong responded.
He didn't rush to eat the frogs in the pot. As he left, he added more firewood to ensure the fire would not go out for a while. Then, he picked up the food basket Si Xiaohong had brought and, with Si Xiaohong re-wrapped in her wool blanket, entered the heavy snow.
The wind and snow raced by, and the two quickly became snowmen, one tall and one short, one in front and one behind, swaying under the starlight, crunching through the deep snow. Guch, guch.
The ruined temple was not far from the county town, only about a li. Closer, one could see the brilliant fireworks exploding in the distant sky and hear the applause echoing through the heavens.
Si Xiaohong excitedly let out a cry, stretched out her small, frost-reddened hand, and patted Wen Chaosheng's back, wanting to point out the colorful, fleeting specks of light in the distant sky.
But her footing was unsteady. As soon as Wen Chaosheng turned around, she tumbled to the ground. When she looked up, her small face was thickly covered in snow, like a ghost.
Fortunately, the snow was deep, and she wasn't injured.
Wen Chaosheng slowly bent down, laboriously pulled Si Xiaohong out of the snowdrift, and then helped her re-wrap the sheepskin blanket, which was covered in white snow, around herself.
This time, the girl didn't speak. She pursed her lips and carefully watched her footing.
Upon reaching the outskirts of the county town, there were indeed no guards.
The city gate was open with a medium-sized gap. Si Xiaohong pointed to it, turned, and smiled at Wen Chaosheng:
"Look, they're all gone!"
Wen Chaosheng did not respond to this. Instead, he handed the food basket back to her and instructed:
"The snow is heavy. Go back quickly."
Si Xiaohong's smile froze. She looked at Wen Chaosheng, who was covered in snow, and asked:
"Chaosheng Ge, aren't you going to watch the fireworks?"
Wen Chaosheng replied:
"No."
Si Xiaohong:
"Then you still..."
Wen Chaosheng:
"The snow is heavy. I'm seeing you off."
With that, he waved to Si Xiaohong, turned around, and hurried back, without looking back.
Going back and forth, his legs and feet were so cold they were almost numb. This was a very serious matter; frostbite on the skin could barely recover, but if there were deeper problems, he could end up paralyzed.
Watch fireworks?
Heh.
What did even the grandest spectacle have to do with him, a drifter?
He had to keep his legs. If he could become a person of Qi, they would be indispensable in the future.
If not, killing County Magistrate Liu Jinshi... would also require them.
Si Xiaohong stood at the county gate, wrapped in her sheepskin blanket, gazing far into the distance at Wen Chaosheng's disappearing figure in the wind and snow, her lips pursed, watching for a long time.
The hazy white obscured her vision. Si Xiaohong stood there, no longer able to see the distant figure, yet she refused to leave. Finally, forced by the unbearable cold, she stomped her feet and turned to head into the county town…
PS: Just to say, this book applied for a contract at 20,000 words. After signing, updates will resume to normal. I've been especially busy these past few days, so I can only post one chapter daily. Everyone can save the book or just casually browse.