He Chunhua nodded. "Lao Mo has gone to see to it." The village had just finished harvesting its wheat, which lay piled in small mounds behind the settlement. For the time being, they clearly had no shortage of grain, so providing a little hot food for the party would be no trouble.
Madam Ying glanced at the flatbreads on the table. Though freshly baked and still warm with the scent of wheat, they were too thick, slightly scorched around the edges yet somewhat pale and undercooked in the center. Clearly, the hostess had not put her heart into making them.
Moreover, the bread contained nothing extra—no sesame seeds, no scallions, not even a drop of oil.
It seemed their unexpected arrival was far from welcome.
Madam Ying smiled and said to the master of the house, "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? We won't dip into your family's provisions. Just some hot water will be plenty."
The man rose and walked toward the kitchen in the back. "I'll fetch some water."
The water in the kettle was already hot. When the man moved to pour it into cups, the steward, Lao Mo, stopped him. "Dump it out and boil fresh water. Wash the kettle clean first." With that, he produced a small string of copper coins. "We would also like to borrow your kitchen."
The man hesitated, taken aback, but could only comply. After all, no ordinary villager would turn away money.
Lao Mo followed him in at once, watching without blinking as the man ladled water from the vat, filled the kettle, and placed it over the fire, keeping him under constant scrutiny.
Qian-ma, who traveled with the entourage, came in carrying a sack. "I spoke with the mistress of the house; she gave us some fruits and vegetables."
She was an older maidservant Madam Ying had brought along from her maiden home, and she had always looked after the daily needs of the He household. Though addressed with an honorific reserved for older women, she was actually only in her early forties.
Borrowing the man's kitchen, she began washing rice and cooking. From the looks of it, she intended to prepare several dishes, a pot of hot soup, and was even boiling sweet fermented rice with glutinous rice balls!
The rice, oil, dried fruits, and jerky had all been brought along from Blackwater City. The fermented rice had been bought from a prominent tavern in the previous city, where it was renowned for its quality; as soon as it began to simmer, the sweet fragrance of rice wine filled the entire cottage.
The man stood to the side, dumbfounded. "Aiya, do lordly officials always eat and drink with such fuss?" *Dog of an official!*
"What did you expect?" Qian-ma remarked dryly.
Receiving no further reply, the man had no choice but to ask, "So where are you heading?"
Qian-ma parted her lips to answer, but Lao Mo nudged her lightly with his elbow, and she fell silent.
Finding no way to intervene, the man returned to the main room with a heavy heart. Discovering that the guests were no longer there, he gave a start. "Where did they go?"
The woman answered in a quavering voice, "Th-they wanted to go out for a stroll."
The cottage was small. All four members of the He family were grown adults, and one dwelling could not comfortably accommodate them all, so the two brothers had been assigned to a different farmhouse.
They had no intention of retiring there until after dinner. He Yue strolled along the lakeside, stretching his limbs. "Back home, we never had such a vast expanse of water. It truly clears the mind."
After spending most of the day cooped up in a cramped carriage, standing beside the boundless, mist-swept lake naturally broadened the spirit.
He Lingchuan scooped up a flat pebble from the ground and skipped it across the surface of the water.
The stone skimmed across once, twice, three times...
He Yue felt a playful impulse as well. He plucked a pebble of his own and blew a breath over it.
He Lingchuan teased him, "You can't do it!" This little bookworm had never practiced any outdoor pastime.
He Yue glanced at him, flicked his wrist, and sent the stone flying.
Skimming close against the surface, the stone bounced four times in rapid succession.
He Lingchuan's grin froze slightly. "Not bad luck."
"That wasn't luck." He Yue selected another stone, weighed it in his hand, and flung it outward.
This time, it skipped six times.
Never mind his own surprise—even He Lingchuan stared in disbelief. "When did you secretly practice that?"
"Such a petty trick requires practice?" He Yue smiled with a touch of smugness. "Just choose flat stones and put the force parallel to the water's surface."
He Lingchuan shrugged. "Fine, you're right. It's boring now; I'm done."
*This brother of mine always gets sour the moment he loses.* Just as He Yue prepared to retort, a sharp splash broke across the water, sending out a wide circle of ripples.
Most likely, a big fish lurked below.
Both brothers were startled, then exchanged a grin.
Suddenly, He Lingchuan flicked two pebbles straight into the bushes along the shore.
Two yelps of "Ouch!" rang out, and two or three figures scrambled out from the undergrowth.
He Yue's smile vanished. "What are you doing there?"
"Relieving ourselves." All three were dressed as villagers; one was still hiking up his trousers. "What are you doing here, for that matter?"
He Lingchuan fixed his gaze upon them. "I thought you were hiding there to eavesdrop on our conversation."
"What's so interesting about your chatter?" The men sneered and sauntered past the He brothers without concern.
The village chief had agreed to Lao Mo's request to have the local women prepare hot food for the soldiers. Naturally, a village did not keep ready provisions for three to four hundred men, so He Chunhua's personal guards had volunteered to haul wheat from the granary to grind into flour.
As a result, there were quite a few people moving about the lakeshore at this hour.
Watching the men's retreating backs, He Lingchuan murmured, "Those fellows had shifty eyes. They look like they're up to no good."
He Yue chuckled. "They're just villagers. Brother, you suspect everyone you see."
"Who the hell relieves themselves right next to the lake where they draw cooking water?" He Lingchuan sneered. "And those men looked like they circled the lake from downstream. Why sneak into Xianling Village in the dead of night?"
"Perhaps they're just returning late." He Yue frowned down at the water. "Hearing you say that, though, I don't feel like drinking any water either."
Just then, He Chunhua and his wife strolled over from the opposite direction, followed closely by several personal guards.
*The old man remains cautious in unfamiliar territory, never forgetting his security for an instant.* He Lingchuan stepped forward to greet them. "Father, what brings the two of you out for a leisurely stroll?"
"Dinner isn't ready yet, so we came out for some fresh air." With no villagers nearby, Madam Ying could finally speak freely. "The cottage smells terribly stale. Those quilts probably haven't been washed or aired out in days."
"Dinner?" He Yue instinctively glanced back toward the lake. Was their meal being prepared with water drawn from it? He suddenly lost all appetite.
Under the bright moonlight, something dark seemed to breach the surface of the lake.
Before he could look closely, the thing sank back into the depths.
Madam Ying spotted it as well and gasped, "What was that?"
"Deep waters yield big fish," He Chunhua remarked with a chuckle. "Xianling Lake has existed for countless years. It wouldn't be surprising if it nurtured a spiritual creature of extraordinary size."
He looked toward his two sons. "Did you know that Yuan Gaozu raised his banners right here along the shores of Xianling Lake, building his accomplishments step by step until the Yuan Kingdom gained the vast territory it holds today?"
Of the two sons, one nodded in understanding, while the other asked in surprise, "Oh, it was right here?"
"Along the lakeshore, but not at this exact spot," a voice chimed in from the side. The He family turned to look; it was Lu Han, the village chief's nephew.
The burly man was exceptionally enthusiastic. "If the honored officials are interested, I can lead the way. The scenery there is unmatched, featuring the rare sight of twin moons. Scholars and poets often visit."
"Twin moons?" Madam Ying's interest was piqued. He Chunhua glanced to the left and right. "Where has the village chief gone?"
"He caught a chill and is feeling unwell, so he instructed me to attend to your honors properly." The burly man turned and gestured, "This way, please."
"No need. Dinner in the house will soon be ready, and it is late; visiting tomorrow morning will do just as well." He Chunhua shook his head. "Judging from the way you carry yourself and speak, Mister Lu, you hardly seem like a simple villager."
Chapter 98