Chapter 7  第7章

In the blink of an eye, late autumn had arrived.  转眼已是深秋。

The ginkgo leaves turned golden, glowing increasingly brilliant and rich under the afternoon light. Temple bells tolled in the ancient monastery as wisps of clouds drifted across the sky.
银杏叶黄，在午后光影里显得愈发灿烂浓郁，古寺中有钟声响起，漫天流云。

The door creaked open as Mu Gesheng walked in, draped in his clothes, "Second Brother, what's for breakfast?" His sleepy eyes and weary face clearly showed he'd just woken up.
房门被“吱呀”一声推开，木葛生披着衣服走了进来，“老二，早饭吃啥？”睡眼惺忪满脸倦色，一看就是刚醒。

Song Wentong was busy stir-frying tea leaves in his apron. Late autumn was the last chance to harvest ginkgo leaves, and he'd been hovering around the stove these past few days. At the question, he swung the spatula at him, "What the hell time do you think it is? Still asking for breakfast?"
松问童正裹着围裙炒茶，深秋是最后一波收银杏叶的时候，这几天他天天围着灶台打转，闻言一铲子扇过去，“你他妈自己看看几点了？好意思吃早饭？”

"What's the big deal? It's not like it'll delay my studies." Mu Gesheng half-closed his eyes, effortlessly dodging the spatula, then fished out a basket of pastries from the cupboard. "See? You left breakfast for me after all. Why play the bad guy when you don't mean it? What's the point?"
“有什么要紧，又不耽误做功课。”木葛生半闭着眼，轻车熟路地躲了过去，接着从橱柜里摸出一笼点心，“你看你，明明给我留了早饭，非得这么口是心非，上赶着做坏人，何苦来哉？”

Song Wentong raised the pan, ready to hurl it, "I left it for the damn dog! Eat it or don't!"
松问童拎着锅就要摔过去，“老子留着喂狗！爱吃不吃！”

"I'll eat it, woof woof!" Mu Gesheng made a face with the pastry in his mouth and slipped away like greased lightning.
“我吃我吃，汪汪汪。”木葛生叼着糕饼扮个鬼脸，脚底抹油地溜了出去。

Song Wentong wasn't about to let him off so easily, chasing after him with a spatula in hand. The two of them whooped and hollered along the veranda, sending tea leaves flying everywhere and startling a flock of magpies from the ground.
松问童哪肯善罢甘休，拎着锅铲就追了出来，两人在游廊上大呼小叫，漫天茶叶纷飞，惊起一地鹊鸟。

Anping had grown accustomed to these two causing a ruckus every day—today's incident was relatively minor. Having lingered in this dream for months, watching day after day, he could only remark on how sturdily the Ginkgo Academy was built. If this were the Chai residence, with these two wreaking havoc, who knows how many times it would have collapsed by now.
安平已经习惯了这俩人天天这么闹腾，今天这一桩还算小事。他在这梦里蹉跎数月，一日日看下来，只想说银杏书斋的房子建的真是结实，换做柴府，被两人这么折腾，早不知道又塌了多少回。

By now he'd pieced together most of the dream's circumstances—this was likely some year during the Republic era, in an ancient southeastern city.
如今他将梦中情形摸了个七七八八，这大概是民国某年某月，一座东南古城。

Outside the city stood a mountain, upon which perched the White Water Temple. Within the temple lay the Ginkgo Study, inhabited by a crippled immortal who presided over three little demons. These beings harbored no ambition to wreak havoc in the celestial realms nor possessed the righteous spirit to vanquish evil—simply put, they idled away their days in blissful indolence.
城外有山，山上有白水寺，寺中有银杏书斋，书斋里住着一个残废神仙，神仙领着三个妖孽，没有大闹天宫的志向，也没有降妖除魔的气节，简而言之每日混吃等死，可谓十分的舒坦。

This southeastern ancient city was a strategic military stronghold, garrisoned by a commander surnamed Mu. The common folk, unfamiliar with military ranks, addressed him by various titles—some called him Marshal Mu, others Commander Mu, and there were those who referred to him as General Mu. Consequently, the Mu residence was a jumble of mismatched honorifics: General Mu's Mansion, Mu Manor, Marshal Mu's Estate... To this day, Anping remained utterly confused about Commander Mu's actual rank, only knowing he was undoubtedly a formidable official—hence the generic address of "Military Lord."
这座东南古城是军事重地，城中驻防司令姓木，平民百姓不懂军衔，叫什么的都有，有的叫木大帅、有的叫木司令、还有叫木将军的，连带着木府也是乱七八糟的称呼一锅端，木将军府、木公馆、木帅府……搞得安平至今也没搞懂这木司令到底是个什么职衔，只知大概是个不得了的官，横竖称一声军爷。

Truth be told, Anping cared little for such matters. What truly astonished him was that this Commander Mu happened to be Mu Gesheng's father.
其实这些安平并没有多大兴趣，但了不起的是，这位木司令是木葛生的爹。

Mu Gesheng, the commander's only son, had entered the Ginkgo Study at White Water Temple at age ten, but prior to that, he'd been raised wild in military camps. With the commander's wife deceased early, the Mu household practiced a rather laissez-faire approach to child-rearing—Commander Mu had tossed his three-year-old son into the barracks. Thus, Mu Gesheng absorbed every ounce of soldierly roughness during his formative years. After turning ten, a few years of supposed cultivation bestowed upon him a veneer of refinement, transforming him into something resembling a well-read agent of chaos.
木葛生是木司令独子，十岁入白水寺银杏书斋，之前的日子却是在军营混大的。司令夫人早逝，木府放养式育儿，木司令在儿子三岁时就往军营一扔，木葛生从小把兵野之气沾了个够，十岁后修身养性了几年，修出了几分画皮似的涵养，像个知书达礼的混世魔王。

The two in the corridor chased each other as they ran. An Ping had witnessed Song Wentong’s skills a few times—this man’s looks were directly proportional to his ferocity. Mu Gesheng never confronted him head-on; every time he provoked someone, he bolted faster than anyone. In the blink of an eye, the man darted into a room, shouting, "Old Three, save me! Old Two’s trying to kill me!"
走廊上的两人一路跑一路追，松问童的身手安平见识过几次，这人颜值和凶悍程度成正比，木葛生从不硬刚，每次招惹了人窜得比谁都快。只见这人眼疾手快钻进一处房间，“老三救我！老二要杀人啦！”

The room was filled with stacks of documents. A man lifted his head from the mountain of scrolls and sighed, "What did you do to provoke him this time?"
满室案牍，一个人从堆积如山的书卷中抬起头，无奈道：“你又怎么招惹他了？”

Golden ginkgo leaves framed the window. Behind the desk sat a youth with a brush in hand and a scroll before him, his features gentle and refined—a jade-faced young man.
满窗银杏金黄，书案后一人执笔持卷，眉眼温润，是个玉面少年郎。

Most captivating was his voice, smooth as flowing water, instantly calming the chaos with a single sentence. "Old Two, why... are you holding a spatula? Are you planning to commandeer my study to stir-fry tea leaves?"
最吸引人的是对方一把流水般的嗓子，一句话就缓住了心神，“老二你这是……为何端着锅铲？要征用了我的书房来炒茶？”

Song Wentong stormed in, kicking the door open. "Third Brother, stop playing mediator or I'll beat you both up."
松问童来势汹汹，一脚踹开房门，“老三你别和稀泥，再说我把你俩一块揍了。”

"Spare me, hero," Third Brother said, glancing at Mu Gesheng with a shrug. "See? I can't save you."
“英雄饶命。”老三说着看向木葛生，摊手，“你看，我救不了你。”

"No worries, just lend me a place to hide."  “没事没事，你借地方给我躲躲就行。”

"Get the hell out here!" Song Wentong stood at the doorway, pointing at Mu Gesheng's nose and cursing. "Stop hiding like a cowardly turtle!"
“你他妈给我滚出来！”松问童站在门口指着木葛生的鼻子叫骂，“别躲着当缩头王八！”

"I won't." Mu Gesheng made a face. "Third Bro's place is nice. This lord will sleep here today."
“我不。”木葛生扮个鬼脸，“老三这地儿挺好，大爷我今儿就睡这儿了。”

"You just got up and you're going back to sleep?! Mu Gesheng, are you a pig?!"  “你刚起来又回去睡？！木葛生你是猪吗？！”

Mu Gesheng covered his ears, pretending not to hear, still stuffing his face with pastries from the food box.
木葛生捂着耳朵，纯当听不见，手里抱着糕点笼子，照吃不误。

Song Wentong was so furious he was practically steaming from all seven orifices, kicking the door with thunderous bangs until it nearly collapsed. Just as the situation escalated, Third Bro spoke up: "Second Bro, leave him be for now. Stir-frying tea leaves can't be left unattended for long—you didn't forget to put out the fire when you came out, did you? The kitchen might burn down if we're not careful."
松问童气得七窍生烟，把房门踹的咣咣直响，眼见着就要把大门踹塌，老三开口道：“老二，你先别管他了，炒茶不能离火太久，你出来又没熄火吧？待会儿厨房别烧了。”

Song Wentong exploded, "Wu Zixu, you're taking his side again?!"  松问童炸了，“乌子虚你又帮他说话？！”

"Not at all, how would I dare?" The youth called Wu Zixu chuckled. "Old Fourth would never leave quietly. If you want to catch him, go right ahead—just don't turn the study upside down again. I haven't finished this month's accounts yet, and with all this commotion, who knows how long it'll take to clean up."
“哪里，岂敢岂敢。”被称作乌子虚的少年笑了起来，“老四肯定是不会乖乖出去的，你要抓他，尽管进来抓，就是别再把书房掀个底朝天。这个月的账我还没算完呢，你们这一闹腾，又不知要收拾到猴年马月。”

Anping remembered this well. Last time, when Song Wentong and Mu Gezuo caused chaos and overturned the study, they were punished by kneeling—and had to help calculate accounts while on their knees. Even then, they didn't settle down, sending abacus beads flying everywhere, leaving them both covered in bumps the next day.
这个安平是记得的，上次松问童和木葛生作妖掀了书房，被罚跪不说，还得跪着帮人算账。俩人一边算一边也不消停，算盘珠子漫天飞，第二天都是满头包。

Wu Zixu, born into the Wu clan of the Yin-Yang School—one of the Seven Great Houses—was the current head of the Wu family, holding the position of Wuchangzi. Young and accomplished, gentle and refined, yet cursed with an innate fate of endless toil. Every day he busied himself with family affairs, and in his spare time, still had to mediate between his two classmates.
乌子虚，出生于诸子七家之一的阴阳家乌氏，是这一代的乌氏家主，执无常子之位。年少有为，温雅有礼，可惜天生劳碌命，每天为了家族中事忙前忙后，得空还得帮两位同窗和稀泥。

  安平在梦里过了几个月，对身边事都掌握了个大概，唯独对众人口中的“诸子七家”依旧云里雾里，目前他统共见了三家：墨家松氏家主松问童，位列墨子；阴阳家乌氏家主乌子虚，位列无常子；药家柴氏家主柴束薪，位列灵枢子；还有银杏斋主口中的什么“天算门下”，也不知和这七家有没有什么瓜葛。

  三姓家主，个个年纪不大、来头不小，偏偏其中两位还在银杏书斋求学，大概这书斋也有什么特别名堂。然而安平看了几个月，斋主每日焚香煮茶，木葛生睡觉算卦，松问童练刀打架，除了乌子虚因为家事时常出门，这就是个退休老干部棋牌室，偶尔被斋主叫去读几卷书，全职混吃等死。

  一言以蔽之——简直太他妈爽了！

  尤其木葛生，外面端得人五人六，人后瞬间原形毕露，站没站相坐没坐相，没有少爷脾气，并非娇生惯养，单纯懒得人鬼共愤。只要不是有意思的事儿，谁也没法将他拽出书斋一步，活像个大门不出二门不迈的闺秀，除了和松问童打架，基本走到哪躺到哪，一把软骨头简直要酥塌了司令府的铮铮英名。

An Ping often gritted his teeth in frustration, sorely tempted to throw a few "Five-Three" textbooks in this guy's face. Having fun now, huh? Do you know you'll be held back three grades a century later? You'd better spend your time doing homework!
安平时常看的咬牙，很想掏出几本五三摔在这人脸上。现在浪的痛快，你知道你百年以后留级了三年吗？有时间不如写写作业！

Among them, An Ping held the highest regard for Wu Zixu—his voice was incredibly pleasant, his demeanor gentle and refined. There probably wasn't a principle he couldn't eloquently explain or a task he couldn't accomplish in this world.
其中安平对乌子虚好感度最高，这人嗓子太好听，为人又温雅，世上大概没有他讲不通的道理，也没有他办不成的事。

The only exception was probably when he got caught between Mu Gesheng and Song Wentong—like Zhu Bajie looking in a mirror, finding himself wronged from both sides.
唯一例外大概就是夹在木葛生和松问童之间，猪八戒照镜子，里外不是人。

Song Wentong stormed off with fire in his eyes. Wu Zixu closed his book and sighed with a wry smile, "Looks like Second Brother won't calm down anytime soon. I'm afraid your dinner tonight is going up in smoke."
松问童两眼喷火地走了，乌子虚合上书，无奈笑道：“老二看来一时半会不会消气，你今晚的晚饭怕是要泡汤了。”

The Ginkgo Study was located within the White Water Temple, and the two coexisted without interfering in each other's daily affairs. Meals could be taken at the temple, where light vegetarian fare was served. However, no young man could possibly enjoy plain congee and pickles, and the Ginkgo Study had no objections to self-sufficiency. Among the three, only Song Wentong's culinary skills were presentable, while Mu Gesheng freeloaded three meals a day, plus afternoon tea and midnight snacks.
银杏书斋位于白水寺中，双方日常并不干扰，用饭时可以去寺内，有清淡素斋。但少年人没哪个能喜欢白粥咸菜，银杏书斋也不反对自给自足，三人中唯独松问童的手艺端得上台面，木葛生每日蹭吃蹭喝，一日三顿还有午茶夜宵。

Anping had initially wondered how these two managed to coexist peacefully despite their frequent brawls—Song Wentong had no reason to be so accommodating. But after witnessing Mu Gesheng blow up the kitchen once, he chose to praise the second brother's wisdom and might.
安平本来好奇这两人三天两头打架，松问童没道理这么好相处，然而亲眼见过一次木葛生炸厨房后，他选择赞美老二英明神武。

Mu Gesheng brushed the crumbs from his hands. "No matter. I cast a divination recently—today calls for a trip down the mountain."
木葛生拍干净手上的点心渣子，“无妨，我前段时间算了一卦，今日要下山去。”

"That's unusual. What interesting affair has come up this time?"  “这倒难得，又有什么有趣的事了？”

"I'm off to make amends." Mu Gesheng said leisurely, "And maybe mooch a free meal while I'm at it."
“我给人赔礼道歉去。”木葛生施施然道，“顺便打秋风。”

As the sun dipped westward, Mu Gesheng descended the mountain and entered the city, winding his way to the outskirts of the Chai residence before vaulting over the wall.
夕阳西斜，木葛生下山进了城，一路拐到柴府外，翻墙跳了进去。

Anping rubbed his temples in exasperation - breaking in through the wall? Now that's what you call an assertive apology.  安平看的头大，翻墙进门，这道歉的架势真霸气。

The buildings the two had demolished last time had already been repaired, with deep courtyards and orderly layouts. Mu Gesheng took out his coins to cast a divination, then leapt onto the roof tiles and made his way to a detached pavilion. The two-story structure had dark-glazed roofing tiles, with carved lattice windows on all sides. Lamplight filtered through sheer curtains, accompanied by faint murmurs of conversation.
上次两人拆掉的屋舍已经修好，园林深深，格局井然。木葛生掏出花钱算了一卦，接着跃上屋檐，一路走进一间别馆。馆分两层，屋顶铺着黛瓦，四面皆是雕花长窗，灯光隔着细纱漏了出来，还有隐隐人声。

Mu Gesheng lay on the rooftop, his ear pressed against the tiles, pulling out a handful of melon seeds he'd just swiped, cracking them as he listened.
木葛生躺在房顶，侧耳贴着砖瓦，掏出一把刚刚顺到手的瓜子，边听边磕。

"Beiping has been pressing us many times, constantly asking when this batch of medicinal herbs will arrive. Several major pharmacies have already run out of stock..."
“北平那边已经催了许多次，一直在问这一批药材什么时候能到，几大药局都已经断了货……”

"The year-end is approaching. When the branch families come to pay their respects, their expressions probably won't be too pleasant..."
“快年末了，年底有的分家来请安，脸色怕是不会太好看……”

"After all, they're still young..."  “毕竟还是年轻……”

The room was filled with people murmuring in hushed tones.  房间里坐满了人，低语絮絮。

After listening for a while, Mu Gesheng pieced together the sequence of events—the riverbank was under strict lockdown, several shipments of the Chai family's goods were stuck at the port and couldn't be transported out. The supply chain had been cut off for over a month, and it was said that some Chai family patients in the north had already fallen seriously ill due to the lack of medicine.
木葛生听了一会儿，捋清前因后果——江岸戒严，柴氏几批货卡在港口运不出去，来往供应断了一月有余，据说北边已经有柴氏病患因为断药而病重。

"This is a matter that tarnishes our reputation," an elder in the room stood up and said. "The Chai family of medicine practitioners exists to heal and aid the people. To have medicine yet be unable to deliver it is a physician's failing. The interruption of supply is minor, but lives are at stake. We implore the family head to resolve this swiftly."
“这是砸招牌的大事。”房中有长者起身道：“药家柴氏，悬壶济民，有药材却无力供给，乃医者之责。断货事小，性命为大，还请家主尽快转圜。”

Chai Shuxin sat in the master's seat, his white robes exuding an air of cool detachment. "Second Uncle need not worry. Emergency shipments have already been arranged from the northeast. Within half a month, we will have fully replenished the supply."
柴束薪坐在主位，白衣清冷，“二伯放心，已经从东北紧急调了药，半月之内，足可补上。”

"That sounds excellent, but some medicinal herbs are specialties of the south, so the waterway shipments must not be interrupted. You'll need to pay extra attention to the port matters."
“如此甚好，但有的药材是南方特产，水路运送不可断，港口一事，你须得多多费心。”

"I understand." Chai Shuxin said calmly, "Uncle, please have some tea."  “我明白。”柴束薪淡淡道：“大伯喝茶。”

Mu Gesheng watched for a while, cracking melon seeds with audible clicks: "Deep mansions and courtyards—truly more dramatic than what's written in operas."
木葛生看了一会儿，磕着瓜子啧啧有声：“深宅大院，果然比戏折子里写的还精彩。”

An Ping also discerned some underlying dynamics. The matter wasn't too big nor too small, could be taken lightly or seriously. Though Chai Shuxin was nominally the head of the Chai family, the uncles in the hall were subtly pressuring him, leaving the young man isolated in his high seat. The An family also dealt in business, and this scene was familiar to him—not unlike relatives coming to freeload during festivals.
安平也瞧出了些许门道，这事不大不小、可轻可重，柴束薪名义上是柴氏家主，然而满堂叔伯却明里暗里带着敲打，少年高坐主位，形单影只。安家也是做生意的，这情形他眼熟，和逢年过节时各路亲戚上门打秋风的架势异曲同工。

But at least his own home had some genuine-seeming bustle, while downstairs there was nothing but aggressive politeness.
但他家好歹还有一副真真假假的热闹，楼下就只剩下了咄咄逼人的客套。

Mu Gesheng spat out a melon seed shell, "Having money isn't necessarily a good thing. This little doctor has it harder than even Old Three."
木葛生吐出一枚瓜子皮儿，“有钱也不是什么好事儿，这小大夫过得比老三还累。”

The Mu family didn't believe in spoiling their children. Mu Gesheng's monthly allowance was practically nonexistent. Unlike his two classmates who became family heads at a young age, he was penniless but carefree. Song Wentong seemed to be running some business, occasionally coming down the mountain to check on things, but usually acting as an absentee landlord. The busiest was Wu Zixu—the Wu family seemed to have endless work. He was almost always buried in paperwork or traveling, occasionally finding time to handle the bookstore's accounts. When Mu Gesheng had nothing better to do after eating, he'd send Wu Zixu black sesame paste, claiming it would prevent premature baldness.
木府不兴惯孩子，木葛生每月的零花约等于无，和其他两个年纪轻轻就当了家主的同窗不同，一穷二白，但胜在逍遥自在。松问童似乎在做什么生意，偶尔下山照看，平时也是个甩手掌柜。最忙的是乌子虚，乌氏似乎有干不完的活，这人几乎天天都在批公文和出差，偶尔还腾出手来处理书斋的账务。木葛生吃饱了撑着没事干的时候就给他送黑芝麻糊，说是防止少年早秃。

Anping actually once caught Wu Zixu looking in the mirror, sighing repeatedly at his dark circles.
安平还真撞见过一次乌子虚照镜子，少年对着黑眼圈叹气连连。

If Wu Zixu at least had the leisure to worry about his appearance in the midst of his busy schedule, Chai Shuxin wasn't so fortunate. From the looks of it, he didn't even have anyone around to look after him. The people downstairs were probably all from the Chai family lineage—each carrying themselves with the air of elders, yet showing little warmth.
如果说乌子虚还有忙里照镜子的闲愁，柴束薪却没有这份幸运，毕竟如今看来，他身边连个能照应的人都没有。楼下一屋子大概都是柴氏宗系，个个长辈架子端的很足，却并无几分亲近。

A matter neither big nor small was blown out of proportion by endless circular arguments. The roomful of people debated from dusk till midnight, until finally a few elders could no longer hold on. They cupped their hands and said, "We've said all there is to say. The family head should act wisely."
一件不大不小的事，被几圈车轱辘话越滚越大，一屋子人从傍晚说到深夜，总算有几个年纪大的撑不住了，拱手道：“言尽于此，家主好自为之。”

Chai Shuxin's expression remained largely unchanged as he stood up to bow. "Take care on your way back, Third Uncle."
柴束薪脸色倒是没怎么变，起身行礼，“三叔慢走。”

The elder stroked his long beard and turned to leave. "It's late, no need to see me out."
对方一捋长须，转身走了，“天色已晚，不必相送。”

"Such impeccable manners." Mu Gesheng yawned. "That bastard actually bowed to him—what a piece of work."
“真有教养。”木葛生打着呵欠道：“这狗玩意儿还给他行礼，不是个东西。”

Anping found himself agreeing with Muge Sheng's words for the first time.  安平头一回如此赞同木葛生的话。

The people in the room gradually dispersed. Chai Shuxin sat in the host's seat, lowering his gaze to the teacup on the table, lost in thought.
房中人陆陆续续散去，柴束薪坐在主位上，垂眸看着桌上的茶杯，不知在想些什么。

Muge Sheng hung upside down from the eaves and tapped on the window. "That tea's long gone cold. Drinking it isn't good for you."
木葛生从房檐上倒挂下去，敲了敲窗，“那茶早凉了，喝了对身体不好。”

Chai Shuxin's hand paused while pouring tea. "Who's there?"  柴束薪倒茶的手一顿，“谁？”

"Kind soul on a cold night, here to comfort the weary traveler." Mu Gesheng pushed open the window, smiling brightly. "Would you like some red date, onion, and koi fish soup?"
“寒夜好心人，特来慰风尘。”木葛生推开窗，笑眯眯道：“你要喝红枣洋葱锦鲤汤吗？”