Relief efforts in Qingshan City were handled with utmost seriousness. Zhao Zhen personally dispatched a Chief Eunuch to oversee it. Nobody dared to interfere with the disaster relief.

Because of this, the crisis in Qingshan City gradually settled down.

It was as if a heavy rain had washed away all the turmoil.

The government distributed grain seeds. Although Qingshan City struggled to recover its strength quickly, things did start to improve.

With autumn came cold winds that made people shiver.

The great drought had nearly exhausted all of Wang Sanniang’s family savings. The silver she earned selling Baked Pancakes was almost gone too. Only a little white flour remained.

But this food was clearly not enough.

With no other choice, Wang Sanniang had to set up her Baked Pancake stall again. She could endure being hungry herself, but Pingan and Ruyi were young and couldn’t go hungry for long.

“Baked Pancakes, fresh Baked Pancakes…”

Slowly, Wang Sanniang learned to call out her wares. With poor business, she hoped this would draw more people.

Yet after the drought, few in Qingshan City could afford to buy the Baked Pancakes. By the day’s end, Wang Sanniang had earned only a few coins.

“One Baked Pancake, please.”

Just as she was about to pack up, a voice spoke.

It was a young woman, dressed plainly but remarkably beautiful. Wang Sanniang remembered her; she had bought pancakes before.

It was Aqing from the Peach Grove.

Wang Sanniang had almost given up. Aqing’s help pulled her through these hard days.

After learning about Wang Sanniang’s situation, Aqing brought over some rice and flour, plus a little silver.

For her, these things meant nothing.

Wang Sanniang asked, “Miss, why…”

“Chang Sheng is my friend,” Aqing said.

As they came and went, Aqing became close with Wang Sanniang and also met Pingan and Ruyi.

Later, for a time when gangs in the city were causing trouble, Aqing even let Wang Sanniang and the children live in the Peach Grove for a month or two.

This might have been Pingan and Ruyi’s happiest time. Back in the city, their mother never let them run around freely. Now, in the vast Peach Grove, they could go wherever they wanted to play.

…

With the Righteous Army gone from Qingshan City, the town reconnected with the outside world.

The Tang Family Teahouse reopened, though it lacked a Storyteller now.

The drought had hurt business badly.

But thankfully, that was over now.

Peaceful times were good times.

When the Teahouse opened its doors, Qingshan City had changed greatly.

Customers seeing familiar faces started chatting.

“I heard the Jin family home was raided.”

“You can’t just say things like that!”

“Heh, it’s true! Why would I lie!”

“What happened? Tell us quickly.”

While the Southern King was still in Qingshan City, the Jin family’s Second Young Master ran the family business. Seeing grain prices soaring, blinded by greed, he got involved. Through several maneuvers, he pushed the prices higher and higher.

He thought he’d make a fortune. Then, one day, the Southern King’s soldiers burst into the Jin residence. Everyone found there was arrested and forced into the army!

The Jin family, standing in Qingshan City for centuries, fell at last.

“Serves them right!”

“Just what they deserved!”

Everyone cheered loudly. They were survivors of that famine. They felt its hardships deeply and held only hatred for those blood-sucking merchants.

“Hold on, that’s not entirely fair. It was the Second Young Master who messed up. You can’t condemn the whole family. Take Third Master Jin, for example. He always mixed with us common folk. We all know what kind of man he was.”

“That’s true…”

“True, my foot! My old mother starved to death. If not for them, she wouldn’t have died like that.”

Different opinions clashed in the teahouse; soon, an argument broke out.

Seeing things heat up, Manager Zhuang stepped in. He smoothed things over and ended the commotion. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Everyone was willing to give the Manager some face.

The tea drinkers stopped talking about the grain crisis and turned to Third Master Jin instead.

“Then… what about Third Master Jin?”

“The teahouse has been open days. Haven’t seen him come yet. Probably got dragged into the army too.”

“Ah, he was a good man.”

Some stayed silent; others felt sorry Third Master Jin was gone. After knowing him so long, they missed him.

Behind the door leading to the teahouse’s back courtyard, Jin San listened to the voices outside.

He no longer wore the fine silks of old. Instead, simple clothes covered him now, patched in places.

Holding a small flask of wine, his hair was messy. The smell of alcohol clung to him. He looked worn out and faded.

“Third Master Jin, best not listen to them outside. Let’s go inside for some tea.”

The speaker was none other than the former teahouse clerk, Clerk Cao (Cao Fa).

“I told you not to call me ‘Third Master Jin’. I’m not that anymore…” Jin San’s voice was low and thick, his whole person seeming drowsy.

He slid down against the door and sat there, clutching his wine flask in a daze.

Seeing Jin San like this, Cao Fa sighed.

He understood Jin San well. To tumble from great wealth to rags — how many could endure such a fall?

Cao Fa only hoped Jin San would snap out of it soon, instead of wasting away daily.

He sat down beside him and said, “Third Master Jin, surviving is what matters, no matter what. You’re alone now. You can’t just stay sunk in despair forever. How will you eat? How get more wine? Rely forever on the manager’s charity? That would truly be without shame.”

Listening, Jin San shook his head with a bitter laugh. “Look at me. What can I do?”

“Apart from eating, drinking, merrymaking, I know nothing. I’ve no skills, no handicaps. Even begging wouldn’t earn me a coin. I’m useless…”

He waved a hand as if it didn’t matter. “I’ll leave soon. Find a deserted spot to die. That’s that.”

Cao Fa frowned. He sighed and shook his head. “Third Master Jin, you want me to look down on you?”

Jin San smiled weakly. “What am I anyway? You’ll be Master Cao someday. I’m nothing…”

Cao Fa found this unbearable.

“Third Master Jin—”

Suddenly, he reached out and slapped Jin San across the face.

Crack!

The sharp sound echoed in the quiet courtyard.

The daze swept instantly from Jin San’s head. He stared dumbfounded at Cao Fa.

Cao Fa said, “The master taught you with all his heart back in the day! Never thought he trained a useless man!”

“If you want to go, go now!”

“Die wherever, and no one will care!”

Jin San stared at him, struck silent.

Cao Fa gave a cold snort. Then, he turned and walked upstairs, leaving the faded figure called ‘Third Master Jin’ behind the door.