Chapter 27: The Confused Li Sanjian

A humble dwelling in Lingshan County.

This house stood in a remote corner of Lingshan, owned by an elderly couple in their sixties. The residence consisted of three thatched cottages; the couple set aside two as guest rooms, exchanging lodging for a bit of silver to support their livelihood.

Seeking a temporary refuge, Li Sanjian and his companions found their way here. The price being modest, they decided to stay for the time being.

"Ah..." Li Sanjian propped his chin in his hands, sighing as he watched Shankui devour his meal with wolfish hunger.

"Ah..." Douya, imitating him, sat at his side, sighing as well.

How could he eat so much? Douya wondered privately, worrying that her brother would be eaten into poverty.

Shankui was as robust as an ox, his appetite matching his frame. He consumed far more than Li Sanjian and Douya put together. After swallowing over a dozen steamed buns, he still showed no sign of fullness, which made Douya anxious.

Douya’s sighs stemmed from worry that the three of them would soon have neither food nor clothing. Li Sanjian, however, was not troubled by this; if Shankui could eat, let him eat—how could he let someone who had joined him continue to go hungry? As for the matter of insufficient silver, he would find a way to solve it.

What weighed on Li Sanjian’s mind was his journey in pursuit of learning—would it end before it had even begun?

The official school in Lingshan County refused him entry; he would have to seek another way. The problem was, within Guangnan West Circuit, he only knew of Lingshan’s official school, and had no idea whether there were others in the neighboring counties or prefectures. Moreover, his official petition was only valid within Guangnan West.

Private academies were few and far between in the region, and their quality varied greatly; returning to Qiongtai in Danzhou to continue following Su Shi might be a better option.

He could inquire about official schools elsewhere in the circuit, but if they were far away, he would face a long and arduous journey—now with two companions in tow.

Should he really spend most of the year wandering to and fro?

"Ah..." Li Sanjian sighed once more, at a loss for what to do.

He recalled Huang Huan’s words: return after you’ve learned proper etiquette. Clearly an excuse to turn him away.

He had studied under Su Shi for more than a year and had picked up some etiquette, though he had never paid it much mind before. If he reapplied to the official school according to proper rites, would they simply find another pretext to drive him away? Li Sanjian could not help but worry.

"Why have you stopped eating? Are you full?" Li Sanjian asked as he noticed Shankui had paused in his meal.

"Master... I’m full now..." Shankui replied with a sheepish grin.

After a few days of Li Sanjian’s instruction, Shankui had learned some basic Chinese and could now speak a little.

"Truly full?" Li Sanjian looked him over; he still seemed a bit unsatisfied.

Shankui nodded vigorously. In truth, he could have eaten another dozen buns, but was too embarrassed to continue. Even so, this was the first time since his birth that he had eaten his fill.

"Then please help carry the luggage back to your room." Li Sanjian nodded.

The house had three rooms; he had rented two—one for Shankui, one for himself and Douya. He could not afford to rent a separate room for Douya; she was still a child, and he would not feel at ease letting her sleep alone. Besides, as both were so young, it would not affect her reputation.

At a word from Li Sanjian, Shankui picked up their luggage and Li Sanjian’s book chest in his large hands and carried them inside.

"Proprietor, is there a night market in the area?" Li Sanjian asked the innkeeper.

They needed new clothes—Douya’s were passable, but his and Shankui’s were in tatters. Shankui’s ill-fitting garments were little more than rags, and Li Sanjian’s own clothes were those of a Li minority, threadbare from travel. It was little wonder people had mocked them upon arrival.

Thus, Li Sanjian intended to go to the night market to buy some clothing.

"Night market?" The elderly innkeeper looked at him in confusion.

"Ah... I mean a place where people trade at night. I’d like to buy some clothes," Li Sanjian explained quickly.

"Oh, I see. A night market is a place for business after dark," the innkeeper nodded. "But in a poor, remote place like Lingshan, there’s no night market. I did once visit the night market in the capital, though! Let me tell you, the capital’s night market is a bustling sight..."

He went on at length, leaving Li Sanjian’s head spinning, until he interrupted: "The capital? Where is that?"

"Kaifeng Prefecture, of the Capital Circuit, where else?" The innkeeper eyed him with surprise. It was rare for a man of the Song dynasty not to know where the capital was.

"Kaifeng... Kaifeng..." Li Sanjian blurted out, "Northern Song?"

At this, the innkeeper’s astonishment grew, and he quickly edged away, debating internally whether he should throw this odd fellow out.

There was only one Song in the world—what was this 'Northern Song'? Was there an Eastern, Western, or Southern Song as well? Li Sanjian’s words bordered on taboo, and the innkeeper feared being implicated.

But Li Sanjian remained oblivious, his thoughts churning—so this was the Northern Song. But which emperor’s reign was it? No matter, he thought. What did the emperor’s identity have to do with a mere nobody like himself?

"Douya, let’s go rest." Since he couldn’t buy clothes today, he would try again tomorrow. He took Douya’s hand and led her inside.

"Brother, I smell bad," Douya said, wrinkling her nose after they had returned to their room.

Li Sanjian sniffed her and nodded, "Yes, it’s a bit sour..."

Lingnan was hot and humid; it was easy to sweat, and after a few days without bathing, a sour odor would soon follow. They had been traveling and had no time for bathing; not only Douya, but Li Sanjian himself was also in need of a wash.

"Brother, can you bathe me?" Douya asked.

"Alright, I’ll fetch the water," Li Sanjian replied.

One was a child, innocent and guileless, knowing nothing of the affairs between men and women; the other regarded Douya as just a little girl, nothing more. Thus, they acted entirely naturally, without the slightest embarrassment.

When the hot water was brought in, the room filled with steam. A wooden tub stood in the middle, shrouded in vapor.

With a delighted laugh, Douya quickly stripped off her thin clothes and leapt into the tub, splashing water everywhere.

Water droplets landed all over Li Sanjian, who paid it no mind. Wiping his face, he smiled and picked up a bar of soap. "Easy now, come here and I’ll scrub you clean."

"Alright..." Douya sat down with her back to him, happily splashing as she waited.

"Where are you from? Do you remember at all?" Li Sanjian asked gently as he washed her.

"I don’t remember," she replied. "All I know is, a long, long time ago, someone carried me away."

"From where?" he prompted.

Douya tried to recall, but shook her head in the end.

"Do you remember what language your people spoke?" Li Sanjian suspected she was not from the Song lands.

"It’s all the same—whatever you say, I understand," Douya answered.

"Was there anything different?" he asked.

"Hmm..." Douya thought for a moment, "Keng..."

"Keng...?" What did that mean? Li Sanjian shook his head, letting the matter drop. She must have been taken by traffickers when very young, and could recall nothing from before.

"Ouch, that hurts..." At that moment, he touched a scar on her body, and Douya let out a cry of pain.

"Douya, this wound—?" Li Sanjian asked, heart aching.

"They... when I cried, they beat me. Wu wu wu..." Memories brought tears, and Douya began to sob quietly.

"Don’t cry, don’t cry." With a handkerchief, Li Sanjian gently cleaned the area around the scar and comforted her, "Douya, don’t cry. From this day on, I promise you—no one will ever bully you again."

Li Sanjian wished he could tear those traffickers limb from limb. How could they harm such a small child? They were worse than animals.

What a pitiable child, he thought.

"Brother..." Douya leaned contentedly against the edge of the tub. "I’m so happy. You’re good to me. The others were bad people; only you are good."

"Douya, the water’s getting cold—no more splashing, time to rest." Li Sanjian tested the water.

In truth, he wanted her to sleep early so he could wash himself. Though Douya was young and knew nothing of propriety, Li Sanjian would never feel comfortable bathing in front of her.

"Brother, I haven’t been this happy in so long. Let me play a bit longer?" she pleaded.

"Alright, but be careful not to catch cold. I’ll fetch you more hot water," he replied indulgently.

———

Suddenly, the ground shook violently; everything on earth seemed to draw nearer and grow larger at alarming speed.

Li Sanjian tumbled headlong from somewhere above, plummeting toward the ground, certain he was about to be dashed to pieces.

"Ah..." he cried in despair.

The world was swallowed by darkness and silence.

"Jian’er, studying is your only path in life," a man with three wisps of beard and a thin, gentle face smiled at him.

"Jian’er, Jian’er..." a woman not yet thirty called his name through her tears.

Moments later, both figures vanished, and darkness returned.

"Brother... Brother..." Suddenly, a child’s voice whispered in his ear, cool and clear as a spring, soothing his heart.

"Brother... Brother... Douya feels so awful." Li Sanjian jerked awake to find Douya, lying beside him, murmuring in pain.

Her face was drenched in sweat.

Alarmed, Li Sanjian reached out to touch her forehead—it burned like fire.

"Shankui... quick, hurry..." Li Sanjian cried out, panic rising in his chest.