Green Mountain-Chapter 739: Yingmao

Chen Ji returned to Shaojiu Alley at midnight.

He stood in the dim alley, rubbed his face, and then pushed the door open: "I'm back."

In the small courtyard, Brother Pao leaned against the grape arbor smoking a pipe, Er Dao squatted on the ground playing with ants, the little monk was chanting scriptures with his head down, and Xiao Man was sitting by the stone table, supporting his chin.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, they all turned their heads around.

Chen Ji stood at the door: "Still not asleep?"

Xiao Man stood up: "Master, aren't we leaving tonight? Where have you been? What was the curfew about earlier?"

Chen Ji nonchalantly walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water: "The curfew has nothing to do with me. We're not leaving tonight."

Xiao Man hesitated for a moment: "Not leaving... Wait, what about the Commandery Princess?"

The cup in Chen Ji's hand paused at his lips: "She left with the Cao Guild people, with her biological father Han Tong... The Spy Department's Binghu got Han Tong out of the inner prison."

Xiao Man's eyes widened: "How could she leave with the Cao Guild's people? Master, you did so much for her, and she just left like that?"

Chen Ji leaned against the kitchen doorframe, took a sip of water, and then slowly said: "Han Tong is her biological father, and it seems he can protect her more thoroughly. With the Cao Guild's cover, she can leave the Imperial Capital and live her days without constant fear. Besides, she has things she wants to do, and only the Cao Guild can help her."

Xiao Man pointed at the clutter in the courtyard, lamenting bitterly: "What about the things I bought?"

Chen Ji followed Xiao Man's finger with his gaze.

In the courtyard, wool felt tents were rolled into two large bundles, leaning against the eastern wing's wall.

Beside them were two iron pots, a larger one for marching and a smaller hanging pot, with brand new chains tied to the pot handles.

Nearby were neatly stacked oiled paper packages, piled up one on top of the other. They contained dozens of pounds of fried millet flour, enough for one person for two months.

Jerky was strung with fine hemp rope and hung under the grape arbor. The fire inch strips were repeatedly wrapped in tung oil cloth.

There were also cotton clothes, fur coats, wool boots, water pouches, salt bags, and deerskin pouches containing needles and fire stones... Filling the small courtyard so that there was barely any room to step.

Chen Ji was also troubled.

Xiao Man, hands on hips, was so angry her twin buns shook: "I ran for three days, from Longfu Temple to Chongnan Fang, from Chongnan Fang to Tianqiao, almost running my legs broken. I personally supervised the cutting of the jerky, each strip, discarding the fat and sinew, leaving only the leanest part of the hind leg. And the tent, the wool felt one, I searched all over the Imperial Capital to find just two of them. The shopkeeper said it's a northern craft, and one can last ten years. And now you're telling me, not leaving?"

The more Xiao Man spoke, the more upset she got, her eyes turning red: "Master, do you know how much silver all of this cost? Eight hundred taels! Even pawning all the shops Aunt left behind wouldn't feel this painful. She decided to leave, you decided not to leave, couldn't you both have discussed it with me beforehand?"

As she spoke, her voice grew hoarse: "Does she know how many injuries you sustained in Guyuan? Does she know how many pairs of boots you wore out walking to the Imperial Capital? Does she know, because of her, how many people in the Imperial Capital are slandering you right now? Not just the Imperial Capital, but also the border army at Chongli Pass, and the Imperial Three Camps... How could she just leave? If she leaves, the whole city's people will laugh at you. They'll laugh at you for giving up the marriage with the Qi family to find a prisoner woman, and in the end, even that prisoner woman doesn't want you!"

Xiao Man's tears fell one by one, she turned away, wiping her eyes forcefully with the back of her hand, whispering: "How could she do this!"

Brother Pao leaned under the grape arbor, smoking his pipe slowly.

Amidst the smoke, he glanced at Chen Ji: "The landlord suddenly talked about whether results or processes are more important at Meirui Building that day, probably foresaw this day, that's why he said the result wouldn't be good."

Chen Ji stood at the kitchen door, still holding the empty cup: "I foresaw it."

Brother Pao grinned: "As long as the result is bearable by oneself, there's nothing to complain about. Nothing much left to do now; the landlord can finally take a break, come have tea, listen to an opera with me, then go fishing by the Mountain and River Altar, enjoying the crisp autumn air, it's perfect."

At this point, he changed the subject: "By the way, Xiao Man, Er Dao and I plan to move in together, which room is suitable?"

Xiao Man rolled her eyes: "Aren't there two wool felt tents? One for each of you. These things, use them as needed, eat what's necessary, can't let me work for nothing for three days!"

Brother Pao chuckled: "Alright, once winter comes, my wool felt tent will be warmer than your brick houses."

The courtyard fell silent again.

A moment later, Xiao Man broke the silence: "Master, did you eat dinner?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "Didn't have time."

Xiao Man wiped her tears, got up, and headed to the kitchen: "I'll make you some food then, Aunt said, even if the sky falls, one must eat; as long as there's fire in the stove, the home still has the taste of home."

She entered the kitchen, tied on her apron, tore open a packet of fire inch strips to light the stove, muttering softly: "So many fire inch strips, who knows when they'll be used up... Double Ninth Festival is for reunions, yet our family experiences separation! Infuriating!"

As the smell of the burning wood drifted out of the kitchen.

For some reason, the tension Chen Ji held today truly settled at the moment he smelled the wood fire. The slight crackle of the burning wood in the stove seemed to smooth out the wrinkles in his mind.

At this moment, the little monk looked at Chen Ji: "I remember when I first met the benefactor, it was the afternoon of the Double Ninth Festival. At that time, the Princely Heir, the Commandery Princess, and I returned to Luocheng City from Donglin Academy. I never thought that in just one year, so much would change, like the sea turning into land."

Chen Ji sat by the stone table, smiling openly: "Why is a monk like you becoming so sentimental?"

The little monk gazed into Chen Ji's eyes, as if seeing something there: "The mountain in the benefactor's heart has finally moved away."

Chen Ji rubbed the teacup in his hand, musing: "Has it really moved away?"

The little monk shook his head, "This humble monk has no answer, but the benefactor already has it in his heart."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Suddenly, the little monk asked, "Benefactor, if allowed to go back with your memories to a year ago, would you be willing? To return to that night when you first arrived, or perhaps to that afternoon on the Double Ninth Festival."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, "Willing."

The little monk asked again, "And what if you were to go back a year without changing any outcomes, would you still be willing to return?"

Chen Ji was slightly taken aback, not answering for a long time.

At this moment, Xiao Man's voice sounded from the kitchen, "Little monk, why are you still standing there? Come over and pick vegetables!"

The little monk hurriedly said, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

He got up and walked towards the kitchen, but heard Chen Ji suddenly answer, "Willing."

The little monk was taken aback, realizing after two beats that Chen Ji was answering his earlier question.

He turned back, gazing into Chen Ji's eyes, then clasped his hands together and smiled, "Benefactor, what is 'I' clinging to?"

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, "The result?"

"Precisely," the little monk softly replied, "As the saying goes, Bodhisattvas fear causes, but beings fear outcomes. Once you no longer ask about cause and effect, you become Buddha. The answer you gave just now, even if the outcome is predestined, willing to return, letting go of the result is also letting go of obsession."

At this point, the little monk pointed to Chen Ji's heart and said with relief, "The mountain in the benefactor's heart has already been moved away. From now on, it is no longer a mountain, but a path walked at the foot of the mountain."

Suddenly, Chen Ji looked at the little monk, "I let go of the effect, did you pick up the cause?"

The little monk looked deeply into Chen Ji's eyes, turned and walked into the kitchen, "This humble monk is going to pick vegetables..."

...

...

At night, Chen Ji had a very long dream.

In the dream, he was still sitting on the cart heading to Lu Hun Manor, with friends eating tooth-rotting tangerines under the stunning sunset.

But suddenly a heavy snow came, and Chen Ji was mesmerized by the snowflakes. When he rubbed his eyes and looked around again, he was the only one left on the cart.

The sound of a rooster crowing was heard.

Chen Ji opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He was still in the small house in Shaojiu Alley, having moved back from the east wing to the empty main room, with Wu Yun cozily curled up next to his pillow.

Shaojiu Alley gradually became lively, with the footsteps of a certain household's man heading to work and the sound of children being sent to school by their mothers. The children's voices were sincere, their mothers' gentle.

Chen Ji sat up, dressed, and went to the courtyard, seeing Brother Pao had already risen early, draped in a black cloth coat, smoking a pipe at the stone table.

Chen Ji curiously asked, "Why up so early?"

Brother Pao looked at the sky and said leisurely, "Ever since coming to the Ning Dynasty, every day has been striving hard, so rarely idle, I don't know what to do with myself when free."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Go fishing, I haven't fished before."

Brother Pao got enthusiastic, "Landlord, fishing is so much fun!"

He knocked the pipe on the stone table, leaning forward, his eyes brightened up, "Find a secluded little river bend, set up a rod, bait the hook, sitting there for a whole day. The sun shines, the breeze blows, the waves ripple, nothing to think, nothing to worry. Whether the fish bite or not doesn't matter, what matters is that tranquility."

Chen Ji's lips slightly curled up, "The Air Force always has a way to console themselves."

Brother Pao laughed heartily, "When I was young back home, with nothing to do, I'd carry a rod to the riverbank. Back then, it was poor, couldn't afford a proper fishing rod, just cut a bamboo stick, roasted it straight with fire, tied a hemp cord, the hook was a bent needle. With that crude gear, fish could still be caught. Crucian carp, carp, grass carp, if lucky, even a big black fish. Take it home to make soup, enough for the family for two meals."

He paused, squinted his eyes, as if recalling something distant, "Later ventured out, never fished again. Not because there's no time, but no mood. All day thinking about survival, climbing up, not being stepped on. Who has time to daze by the river."

Chen Ji happily said, "Then let's go fishing, sit for a whole day."

For breakfast at home, they ate stir-fried oat flour with egg soup, which choked Brother Pao and Er Dao. Once finished, the whole family of five planned to head straight to the reed marsh next to Mountain and River Altar.

However, just as they went out, they saw a Spy waiting at the door.

Chen Ji stood at the entrance, "What's the matter?"

The Spy cupped his hands, "Mr. Chen, Ritual Supervision has sent a message, asking me to remind you. You are Hai Dongqing of the Spy Department and need to report to the Eagle House Office daily. The Spy Department is very busy with official duties now, just the time for needing people... And about the Morning Report, it needs your personal attention."

Chen Ji glanced at him, led Brother Pao and others straight out of the alley, "Tell whoever sent you to relay the message that I am sick and cannot report for duty. Not only today I can't report, tomorrow I can't, the day after tomorrow even less. If it's impossible, then remove me from Hai Dongqing."