Chapter 11  

After the meal, Muge Sheng washed dishes until midnight.  

"I've decided—I won't call him 'Little Doctor' anymore." Muge Sheng shook water droplets from his hands, leaped onto the roof eaves, and tossed Song Wentong a jug of wine. "I'm going to call him 'Midwinter'."

Song Wentong raised his hand to take it, "What kind of mischief are you up to again?"  

"Look at him, all cold and lonely—never seen him smile, like his face is covered in snow. Isn't that just like the coldest days of winter?" Mu Gesheng declared with conviction. "Standing next to him in summer would definitely cool you right down."

It was the plain truth. Chai Shuxin exuded aloofness from head to toe, likely due to his impeccable upbringing. Though not offensive, he carried himself with polite detachment, his gaze chillingly distant.

"Stop causing trouble for others," Song Wentong said. "The Chai family is the most worldly of the Seven Houses. As its head, he's extremely busy—only someone like you, with nothing better to do, would keep pestering him."

"I've only met him three times, okay? How did I become a nuisance?" Mu Gesheng raised an eyebrow. "I heard from Lao San that when you were first adopted by our master, you fought with him constantly—even lost your baby teeth from the beatings."
“我就见过他三回好吧？怎么就成添乱了？”木葛生挑眉，“我可是从老三那里听说了，你当年刚被师父收养，没少和他打架，据说还被揍掉了乳牙。”

"Go to hell! Why don't you mention how I beat him so badly he couldn't get out of bed for half a month?" Song Wentong took a big swig of wine. "Back then, my mother had just died. I was pissed off—there wasn't a single person in Ginkgo Academy I didn't fight with."
“去你妈的，你怎么不说我把他打得半月下不来床？”松问童灌了一大口酒，“那时候我妈刚死，我烦得很，整个银杏书斋没我没打过的人。”

Song Wentong's mother was the previous generation's Mozi, a free-spirited woman who lived by her own code. While roaming the martial world, she fell in love with Guan Shanyue's courtesan beauty, only for her beloved to meet an untimely demise. Mu Gesheng had heard from their master that when the courtesan died, the previous Mozi stormed Fengdu alone, planting her foot on the judge's bench in the underworld courtroom to demand her lover's release—throwing the entire netherworld into chaos. Wu Zixu's father tried to mediate, only to get kicked straight back to the mortal realm.
松问童的母亲是上代墨子，是位快意恩仇的性情中人，当年行走江湖时爱上了关山月的花魁娘子，奈何心上人红颜薄命。木葛生听师父说过，当初花魁去世，上代墨子单刀闯酆都，踩着阴司大堂的公案要判官放人，搅得整个冥府上下不得安宁。乌子虚的爹去劝架，结果被一脚踹回阳间。

After much negotiation, a compromise was finally reached: the underworld permitted the courtesan to linger at the Naihe Bridge for five years, while the previous Mozi had to produce an heir to inherit the Mohist lineage. When the new Mozi turned five, the two could be reincarnated together to reunite in their next life.
后来多方斡旋，总算折中找了个法子，阴司特许花魁在奈何桥头停留五年，而上代墨子则要留下后人，继承墨家一脉。待新墨子五岁时，两人可一道投胎，结缘来生。

"When I was five, I went to see her off and saw her wife sitting at the bridgehead playing the pipa." Song Wentong said, "She dropped her knife, lifted her skirts, and ran over—everyone on the Naihe Bridge was watching them."

"At first, I really looked down on my mom. I thought she was spineless, making such a fuss over a woman." Song Wentong scratched his head. "But back then, standing there holding my knife, I was stunned too. I thought, 'Damn, my mom's got taste—marrying someone so beautiful.'"

"Truly worthy of your mother, truly worthy of you." Mu Gesheng burst out laughing. "I heard from the eldest disciple that when you first came to the study, you picked fights every day and even chopped up his desk with your knife to use as firewood."

Before the previous Mozi passed away, he entrusted Song Wentong to the care of the Ginkgo Study's master. The Mo family's bloodline was sparse, their customs peculiar, and they never accumulated property—only the Crimson-Licking Knife was passed down through generations.

"Back then I was too rowdy, and Eldest Brother couldn't handle me, so he asked Chai Shuxin to drug me. But he didn't use enough dosage—I noticed and we ended up fighting. Afterwards, the Master confiscated my knife and told me to master everything my mother left behind before coming back to claim it."

"By the time I came to the study at age ten, you were already slaughtering pigs with that knife." Mu Gesheng laughed: "Not bad, Second Brother—you were only twelve that year, right? Mastering it in seven years—how'd you manage that?"

"The Master taught well."  

"But Master is the Celestial Calculator—how could he teach you Mohist techniques?"  

"The master gave me a letter and sent me to Penglai. The Penglai Sword Pavilion has a master swordsmith, and with his guidance, I learned quickly."

"You've been to Penglai?" Mu Gesheng perked up with interest. "How was it? Fun?"

"Too many rules. Once I killed a white crane and roasted it to eat, and a bunch of apprentices chased me around." Song Wentong recalled something. "Tomorrow, a guest from Penglai is visiting the study."

"That’s not surprising. Master’s guests come in all sorts." Mu Gesheng lay on the roof, rolling over lazily. "Aren’t you going down the mountain tomorrow? Might be an old acquaintance. Won’t you meet them?"

"I'm not interested. Those cultivators are all troublemakers—they'd make me compensate for their cranes the moment we meet."

"It's just a crane. Just compensate them if you have to."  

"A three-hundred-year-old spiritual crane—where am I supposed to find one? At best, I can compensate them with a three-month-old goose."

"...Then you'd better flee down the mountain to escape your debts."  

The next day, Muge Sheng slept in as usual until the sun was high. Yawning, he passed by the waterside pavilion and suddenly froze, "Master? Didn't you have guests today?"

The master of Ginkgo Studio sat by the water, pasting a paper umbrella. "Did Wen Tong tell you?"

"Yes, he was busy dodging debt collectors and rushed down the mountain late last night." Muge Sheng stepped forward and bowed in greeting. "You're making an umbrella? Is it going to rain soon?"

"Winter begins soon, and snow approaches with the evening." The master of Ginkgo Studio replied, "This umbrella doesn't shield from rain—it shields from snow."

"Avoiding snow but not rain." Mu Gesheng chuckled. "Master, how refined."  

"Merely an affectation."  

"My mistake." Mu Gesheng smacked his forehead. "Master isn't refined—he's noble in character. What was it that visiting poet said last time? 'White robes by the water's edge, noble spirit reflected in the cold window.'"

"Knowing you're going to Guan Shanyue today, are you practicing your sweet talk on me first?" The master of Ginkgo Studio looked at him with amusement. "Or are you broke again? Go ask your senior brother for money."

"Big Brother left me money early in the morning." Mu Gesheng took out a purse. "Same old spot—I found it right away."

"Due south, the Li position? He left the money for you under the stove again?"  

Mu Gesheng paused. "Master, how did you know?"  

The Li hexagram was Lin Juansheng's favorite. Li represents fire—flames upon flames, light upon light.

"Fire symbolizes separation, and so does the human heart; fire brings light, and so does the clarity of the heart." Ginkgo Hall's master remarked casually, "Even when giving pocket money, you never forget to impart wisdom—this senior brother of yours is more attentive than I, his master."
“离为火，人心亦为火；离取明，人心亦取其明。”银杏斋主随口道：“给个零花钱都不忘循循善诱讲道理，你这个师兄比我这师父都用心。”

"Not at all, not at all." Mu Gesheng replied with silver-tongued flattery, "How could I compare to the master's unparalleled erudition?"
“哪里哪里。”木葛生舌灿莲花，“比不得师父才学倾世。”

"Eloquence is indeed a skill passed down through the lineage of celestial calculations. Though I never taught you, you've grasped its essence remarkably well." Ginkgo Hall's master poured fish food into the water and handed Mu Gesheng a bowl. "Since you've mastered it, why not carry on the tradition?"
“口才倒也是天算一脉传下来的本事，我不曾教你，你却颇得其精髓。”银杏斋主将手边鱼食倒入水中，递给木葛生一只碗，“既然学会了，不如发扬光大。”

"Huh?"  

"This bowl is a relic from our predecessors—don't break it." Ginkgo Hall's master said, "Take it down the mountain today and set up a fortune-telling stall. Only return when the bowl is filled with coins."
“这碗是前代遗物，不可摔了。”银杏斋主道：“你今日带它下山，摆摊算命，什么时候钱把碗装满了再回来。”

Mu Gesheng: "..."  

"Don't panic. The previous generation wandered the streets with this bowl, relying entirely on silver-tongued eloquence." The master of Yinxing Zhai said leisurely, "If you can't divine it, just bluff your way through."

Guanshan Yue was the most famous pleasure house in the city, its entrance adorned with a pair of gilded couplets: "Under Guanshan's moon, all are fellow travelers; chance encounters by the waterside, every guest shares spring nights." Outside the building flourished flower shops, shoe stores, and qipao boutiques, sustaining an entire street's worth of industry.

The top floor housed private rooms, with the Celestial Chamber being the most expensive and rarely entertaining guests. Yet today it was packed. "Thirteen Wonders, I win!" A lightly made-up woman clapped her hands with laughter, "Little boy, pay up!"

A mahjong table stood in the center of the room, surrounded by a bevy of beauties. At first glance, anyone would assume this was some wealthy young master splurging extravagantly, yet the conversation unfolding was entirely different. "Little Tong has grown quite tall recently. Have you been eating properly?"

"Not a single meal missed, Auntie Zhao, rest assured."  

"That hairpin Little Tong gifted me last time was quite exquisite. The others have been eyeing it enviously—wherever did you buy it?"

"I made it myself. If you aunties like it, I'll craft a few more sets."  

"Tongtong, have you tried the new snow cream from the rouge shop?"  

"I have, it's too greasy, but it works well in winter. Third Sister, you might want to give it a try."

"Brother Tong, what do you think of my new nail design?"  

"This pattern is too flashy for you. I'll paint you a new one later."  

"Me too, me too..."  “还有我还有我……”

Song Wentong sat at the lower end of the mahjong table, effortlessly bantering amidst the sea of flowers, yet his expression remained free of any impropriety. Anping had once heard Mu Gesheng say that Song Wentong was a born winner at life. Back when the previous generation's Mozi married the courtesan, the entire brothel had rejoiced, and they had always cherished that old connection. Later, when Mozi proved incapable of raising a child, everyone fought to take him in. Before the age of five, Song Wentong had been raised amidst a sea of rouge and powder. Now, coming to Guanshanyue was like visiting family—the whole place was filled with his elder sisters, younger sisters, aunts, and cousins.
松问童坐在麻将桌下首，花丛之中对答如流，神色却并不狎昵。安平曾听木葛生说过，松问童是天生的人生赢家，当年先代墨子与花魁成亲，满楼上下皆大欢喜，始终惦念着当年缘分。后来墨子不会带孩子，被众人抢着养，五岁之前松问童是在脂粉堆里泡大的，如今来关山月等于探亲，满屋子都是他姐姐妹妹三姑六姨。

Song Wentong was extraordinarily beautiful. It was said that as a child, he had been swaddled in brocade and raised like a girl. Even now, the courtesans would bring cheongsams to drape over him, saying, "Come help your sister try this on, let's see how the pattern looks on you!"
松问童生的极漂亮，据说小时候曾被裹在锦绣里当女孩儿养，如今房间里还有乐姬带了旗袍往他身上比划，“来帮姐姐试试，看看上身花样！”

Song Wentong didn’t mind. He was naturally open and unashamed of his looks. The Mo School dabbled in all manner of folk arts, so he could discuss skincare and makeup with as much ease as if he were an expert—less a winner at life and more a friend to women.
松问童倒不反感，他素来坦率，对自己的长相并不避讳。墨家对民间杂学皆有涉猎，聊起护肤妆容也头头是道，不似人生赢家，倒像妇女之友。

But the funnier one was the guy next to him.  

Wu Zixu was surrounded by a crowd in the center, trembling as he played a tile, "H-Hu..."

"Oh, Young Master Wu won?" Aunt Zhao clapped her hands with a smile. "What a coincidence—Little Tong here just lost everything. Hand over your winnings to make up for it!"

"Lost it all." Song Wentong stretched his hand toward Wu Zixu. "Pay up."  

Wu Zixu's face flushed crimson as he seized the opportunity while handing over money to pull Song Wentong aside, whispering urgently, "Second Brother, if you need money you can just ask me directly! Why on earth did you bring me to your house?!"
乌子虚一张脸涨的通红，借着拿钱的机会拽过松问童，竭力小声道：“老二你要钱可以直接找我拿！你把我带到你家来做什么？！”

"Break that damn habit of yours—scaring yourself half to death at the sight of women." Song Wentong counted the bills as he spoke. "Managing the Wu family business means you'll inevitably deal with women. Who was it last time that got invited to a brothel and ended up fleeing in tears?"
“改改你那破毛病，一见女人就吓得半死。”松问童一边数钱一边道：“你打理乌家产业少不了和女人打交道，上次是谁被请去喝花酒，结果吓哭了跑回来的？”

Anping: "..."  安平：“……”

He truly hadn't noticed before—Wu Zixu usually carried himself with composed grace, the most steady presence in Ginkgo Study. In terms of eloquence, Wu Zixu could rival Mu Gesheng, though Mu Gesheng specialized in preposterous arguments that infuriated listeners, his tongue sharp enough to kill. Wu Zixu, by contrast, was gentle and tactful, persuasive with his flowing-water voice that made one feel bathed in spring breezes.
他倒是真没看出来，乌子虚平时进退举止从容有度，是银杏书斋中最稳重的一个。若论能言善辩，乌子虚可谓与木葛生不相上下，只是木葛生歪理成灾，开口通常把人气个半死，一条舌头能杀人，而乌子虚却是温润委婉，循循善诱，一把流水般的嗓子娓娓道来，令人如沐春风。

But now the jade-faced youth had turned into a boiled watermelon, his usual refinement thrown to the dogs, his expression torn between anger and panic. "I can't take this anymore! You, you... let's get out of here!"

"Leave? Not until we've lost all our money." Song Wentong snapped his fingers and accepted a cigarette. "By the way, have you learned to smoke yet?"

Wu Zixu looked like he was about to lose his mind: "Have mercy on me!"  

Ignoring him, Song Wentong casually stuck the cigarette in his mouth and went back to playing cards. "Take care of our third brother here—don't let him leave the table."

Wu Zixu was suffering miserably here, while Mu Gesheng was thriving like a fish in water.  

The master of Ginkgo Studio ordered him to tell fortunes, and instead of cutting corners, he genuinely set up a street stall, basking in the sun while attracting customers.

He chose a brilliant spot—right in front of the Matchmaker Temple, next to a shop selling incense and offerings, its entrance adorned with bright red love threads. Handsome and silver-tongued, he soon drew a crowd. "Young master, I just got this fortune stick from the temple—can you interpret it for me?"

"Congratulations, sister. Your destined love is heaven-sent. Next time a matchmaker comes calling, why not loosen your tongue and meet them?"

"Could the young master help me divine for safety? My fiancé is about to embark on a long journey..."

"The temple has protective charms—they're quite efficacious. Sister, you could go and pray for one. Remember to keep it close to your body to ensure a smooth journey."

"Young master, could you also take a look at mine..."  

Business was booming, with most visitors being women seeking divinations about love and marriage. A blushing maiden asked what her ideal husband would look like. Muge Sheng, seemingly seeing something amusing, laughed and slapped the table, pointing into the distance. "Sister, look quickly! Your future husband will be as handsome as that man over there!"

The crowd turned their heads with a rustle, only to see a youth standing in the middle of the road, holding a medicine chest, his expression as cold as snow—his features so striking they seemed painted. It was Chai Shuxin.

Hearing the commotion, he slightly turned his gaze toward them, causing the fortune-telling girl to blush instantly.

Mu Gesheng propped his chin on his hand and laughed brightly, "What a handsome young master! Would you like to have your romantic fortune told?"

Chai Shuxin glanced at him without a word, then turned and entered the mansion across the street.  

"What a pity, such an aloof temperament." Mu Gesheng didn't seem offended at all, smiling as he looked at the person before him. "Don't worry, sister, your future husband will be much more affectionate than him."
“真可惜，是个不爱搭理人的脾气。”木葛生倒也不生气，笑眯眯看着眼前人，“姐姐放心，您未来夫婿比他亲热的多。”

Mu Gesheng kept his stall open until dusk approached. As the crowd gradually dispersed, he wasn't in any hurry to pack up, leisurely tossing copper coins while sitting there.
木葛生摆摊一直摆到了临近黄昏，人群渐渐散去，他也不急着关张，悠哉游哉坐着抛铜板。

In the distance, the sun was setting behind the western hills when the gate of the mansion across the street creaked open.
远处夕阳西下，街对面的宅院大门“吱呀”一声打开。

Chai Shuxin paused mid-step upon seeing him. "You're still here?"  柴束薪看见他，脚步一顿，“你还没走？”

"I'm just waiting for my last customer." Mu Gesheng spread out the coins. "The coldest days of winter—care for a divination?"

Chai Shuxin frowned slightly. "What did you call me?"  

"Ah well, you never respond no matter what I call you, so don't fuss over it. Hey don't walk away!" Mu Gesheng grabbed the other's sleeve. "Have your fortune told, won't you? I've been doing free readings all afternoon—at least let me earn my supper money."

"Let go."  

"I won't." Mu Gesheng wore an expression that said 'what can you do about it', threatening to throw a tantrum right there if the other dared to leave.
“我就不。”木葛生一脸你奈我何，你敢走我就原地撒泼。

The two stood at an impasse for a moment before Chai Shuxin spoke up: "Why refuse payment?"  两人僵持片刻，柴束薪开口道：“为何不收钱？”

"Can't be bothered with proper calculations. Just reading faces to roughly predict fortune or misfortune—close enough, though not entirely accurate." Mu Gesheng explained: "The Tian Suan sect has rules—no payment for inaccurate divinations. Not that many follow them anyway, our lineage has always been small in numbers."
“懒得算，看看面相大概卜个凶吉，八九不离十，但是不全准。”木葛生道：“天算门下有规矩，不准之卦，不可得酬——不过没什么人遵守就是了，我们这一脉本来就没多少人。”

Chai Shuxin gazed at the mountain ghost coin on the table, silent for a beat before asking: "What shall we divine?"
柴束薪看着桌面上的山鬼花钱，沉默片刻，道：“算什么？”

"This is quite unusual—the fortune-seeker asking the fortune-teller what to divine." Mu Gesheng laughed. "No great matters call for no grand answers, so let's just do a simple fortune reading."
“这倒是稀奇，求卦的问算命的算什么。”木葛生听的笑了起来，“不遇大事不求大解，那便小算个运势吧。”

With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the coins as if throwing away a fortune. The coins scattered noisily across the table, forming a hexagram. Picking up one, Mu Gesheng grinned:
说着反手一抛，他动作随意，却又像一掷千金。花钱在桌面上哗啦啦散开，落成一卦，木葛生拈起一枚，笑道：

"You shall meet a noble soul, and the gloom shall lift—auspicious indeed."  “得遇淑人，阴霾可去，大吉。”

Chai Shuxin's expression remained unchanged as he pulled out his purse and dropped it into the bowl. "Vague nonsense."
柴束薪神色未变，掏出钱袋放进碗里，“语焉不详。”

"I've said enough—it's an auspicious sign." Mugesheng looked quite pleased. "Today's luck is good; two divinations, both favorable."

"What was the other one?"  

"Similar to yours." Mugesheng opened his coin pouch. "Meeting a virtuous person, light after darkness—great fortune."

With a clattering shake, the coins fell into the bowl, neither too many nor too few, perfectly leveling the surface.

"It's a fine day today." Muge laughed: "An auspicious day, perfect for travel."