Chapter 146: What a Strange Person

Tong Zhihuan asked curiously, “Were you very familiar with the Manager of West Bridge Wine Tavern before, sir?”

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and replied, “What do you think counts as familiar?”

The question seemed a bit unclear.

But Tong Zhihuan still considered it carefully and answered, “If people can sit together at the same table, talking about many things, that should count as familiar.”

Chen Changsheng said, “I knew the previous manager long ago. From start to finish, I only ever bought wine from him. I never even sat down to share a drink. Words were few and far between. Over all these decades, I only met him four or five times. Do you think we were familiar?”

Tong Zhihuan’s heart jumped. He didn’t know how to answer.

“But we were familiar. At least, to me, anyone I might meet again counts as familiar.”

Chen Changsheng looked at him and said, “In this vast and confusing mortal world, countless threads bind people. Some souls meet only a few times, crossing paths like drifting reeds on water, yet they remember each other for a long, long time.”

Tong Zhihuan let out a blank “Oh,” then nodded clumsily.

He seemed to grasp something… and yet he didn’t.

What he understood was that the moment he’d seen Miss Tao’er on the mountain was likely just as his master described.

The part that confused him was about ordinary people. As a traveling healer, Tong Zhihuan had met all kinds of folks, yet they never stayed long in his memory. He could only recall details directly related to their illnesses.

Tong Zhihuan asked, “Sir, you must know many familiar people?”

Chen Changsheng smiled kindly. “I suppose quite a few.”

He couldn’t be certain if it was truly “many,” but in his eyes, it certainly felt enough.

“Do you think it’s better to know many or few, sir?” Tong Zhihuan questioned.

Chen Changsheng thought it over and said, “For someone like me, a few less is fine, but too few wouldn’t be right.”

Tong Zhihuan blinked, appearing slightly puzzled.

Chen Changsheng only shook his head without further explanation.

He glanced at Tong Zhihuan, his smile broadening. “…Ah, truly the Heart of a Child (Pure Innocence)…”

Tong Zhihuan asked, “You’ve mentioned this long ago, sir, but I still don’t understand what the Heart of a Child truly is.”

Chen Changsheng chuckled. “It’s always the one in the midst of life who is hazy. Those standing clear on the shore see everything without doubt. Since it’s within you, how could you sense it?”

Tong Zhihuan murmured, “Is that so…”

He cast a questioning glance towards Miss Tao’er.

Tao’er said, “Why are you looking at me?”

Her lips silently formed the words “You dummy.” But with the sir present, she didn’t actually utter them aloud.

Tong Zhihuan understood her shapes perfectly. Scratching his head, he felt quite confused. Where precisely was he being a dummy about this?

…

In the end, Chen Changsheng didn’t get the drink he’d hoped to find.

Thinking back on it, he felt both amusement and resignation. Life was often like this. In the time it takes to blink, everything familiar might already have changed beyond recognition.

He walked the streets of Autumn Moon Market. Compared to before, the changes felt huge indeed. The fall of the Great Jing State had stirred deep ripples. Even the Autumn Moon Market hadn’t escaped untouched. Many houses stood empty, the people who used to live there were gone. The streets themselves held far fewer souls weaving through them.

But this place was still noisy.

“Fresh date cakes… Sweet red date cakes!”

“Finest rice paper!”

“Wonderful rose rouge! Come take a look!”

The street vendors’ shouts tangled together, creating a din of life that somehow remained peaceful and orderly. The Autumn Moon Market moved forward, steady as always beneath the rhythm of ordinary days.

“Sir, would you like to buy anything?” Tao’er asked.

Chen Changsheng shook his head. “Just walking.”

Tao’er nodded quietly and didn’t probe further.

Tong Zhihuan followed his teacher, weaving through the alleys and thoroughfares of Autumn Moon Market. The place was small; little more than a few ke of time sufficed to cover every corner. His teacher would occasionally pause to observe something, yet never actually bought a thing.

Chen Changsheng suddenly froze mid-step. His gaze fell upon the edge of the street.

A small roadside stall selling baked pancakes stood there.

The seller was a woman perhaps in her thirties. A child stood beside her, clearly her son.

Tong Zhihuan followed his master’s glance toward the pancake stall.

Chen Changsheng walked forward, approaching the stall. “Baked Pancakes? How much?”

The woman took in the man standing before her and answered, “Three wen each, sir. How many would you like?”

Her young son piped up beside her, mimicking her tone with childish glee, “Three wen each! How many for you, sir?”

“Little Seven!”

The woman quickly pulled the small boy behind her and made an apologetic bow. “Please forgive him, sir. He’s just a little too wild of spirit.”

“It matters not.”

Chen Changsheng smiled kindly. He bent down, kneeling onto the street dust until his eyes were level with the boy’s. “Little one, are you the boss?”

Xiaoqi shook his head. “My mama’s the boss.”

“Then you? Who are you?” Chen Changsheng asked.

“I’m the guard.”

Xiaoqi punched the air in two small motions, puffing up his little chest as he said boldly, “In charge of protecting my mama! So no bad guy knocks her down!”

He grinned then, revealing gaps where several teeth hadn’t regrown. It was undeniably sweet.

The mother stared at her son, momentarily shocked into silence. Then a softness filled her eyes, and she reached out, gently smoothing the boy’s ruffled hair.

Tao’er chuckled and nudged Tong Zhihuan beside her. “You must’ve been just like that when you were little.”

Tong Zhihuan sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He offered no disagreement.

“Is that so?”

Chen Changsheng pressed gently. “But what if… you met a bad guy whom you can’t beat?”

Xiaoqi’s brows knitted together fiercely. He squared his tiny shoulders and planted himself firmly in front of his mother. “Nobody’s ever hurting my mama!”

His mother touched his back softly. “Little Seven, the gentleman isn’t a bad person.”

Only then did Xiaoqi’s little face relax. He shifted slightly to the side, making room.

Chen Changsheng straightened back to his full height. “A truly sweet little boy.”

The mother said softly to her son, “The sir just praised you, Xiaoqi.”

Xiaoqi blinked. Gazing at the green-robed gentleman before him, he quietly said, “Thank you.”

Chen Changsheng returned the boy’s innocent stare with a kind smile. He turned his head toward Tong Zhihuan standing quietly at his shoulder. “Have you got three wen on you?”

Tong Zhihuan answered, “I do, sir.”

He stepped forward and handed the coins to the woman.

She accepted them respectfully in both palms. “Would you like your baked pancake with pepper, sir?”

“A little, perhaps,” Chen Changsheng nodded.

“Of course.”

The woman got to work with swift efficiency.

Chen Changsheng watched her hands move and then asked casually, “How old is he? Already begun school?”

The mother answered, “Just turning five, sir. For book learning, we’ll wait two years yet.”

Chen Changsheng offered no more comments, merely giving a silent nod.

A short time later, the baked pancake was ready.

The woman carefully patted a little ground pepper onto the surface. Chen Changsheng took a small bite and nodded. “The taste is good. The dough proves perfectly.”

The woman beamed under the compliment. “Too kind, sir! If you enjoy it, perhaps you’ll return another day.”

Chen Changsheng shook his head slightly. “If we speak of ‘another day’… most likely the baked pancakes won’t be here then.”

The woman’s brow furrowed, puzzled. She was about to ask what he meant.

But before she could form the words, Chen Changsheng continued quietly, his gaze steady on her. “Remember this. On the third day of the sixth month next month, when night comes… do not extinguish your lamps.”

The woman was stunned. The meaning eluded her completely. The words seemed like nonsense wrapped in silk.

Looking dazed, she opened her mouth to ask…

Only to find the spot where the three figures had stood now empty. They had already turned and walked away.

She crouched down and wrapped her arms tightly around Xiaoqi.

Her bewildered gaze followed the gentleman’s receding green robe as it merged into the flow of the street crowd.

With her cheek pressed against her son’s soft hair, she whispered breathlessly to herself:

“What a strange person…”