Chapter 5: Gazing at the Moonless Sky, Thoughts of Longing

To the south of Weicheng, there is a small ditch that can hardly be considered even a brook. Beside this small ditch stands a small earthen mound that can scarcely be regarded as a hill. At the foot of this mound, there is a thatched cottage with a fence and a stone-paved area, which can hardly be called a courtyard. At night, after the rain clouds have dispersed, the exceptionally bright starlight spills over the ditch, the mound, and the cottage, instantly coating them with a layer of beautiful silver sheen

Who still uses those difficult-to-handle firearms? If it's just for oil, I can ask at the supply camp tomorrow..." Ning Que subconsciously replied, and then suddenly realized something, "Hey! It seems what I wanted to tell you isn't about this. If we really have to leave, what's the point of worrying about this broken door?"

It seems that after going to Chang'an, one must find ways to earn more money, Ning Que said with a serious expression

Years ago, Ning Que found the cold little Sang Sang among the piles of dead by the roadside, and then he made his way to Wei City. It has been seven or eight years since then. Although Sang Sang is registered as a maid and performs the duties of a maid, she has never called him "young master." This does not signify anything else; it merely represents a habit.

Well, I will strive to further improve my embroidery skills, " Sang Sang replied earnestly.

No one can resist the temptation to make themselves stronger. Moreover, those things are simply too interesting to me

The door of the thatched cottage was pushed open, and the creaking sound pierced the quiet night of the border town

As night fell, Sang Sang knelt on the kang to arrange the bedding. Her thin knees moved swiftly, her actions nimble and quick. With a press of her small palm, she shaped the pillow into a curve, precisely the arc in which Ning Que slept most comfortably. Then she picked up her bedding, jumped down from the cold kang, and walked to the corner of the room where two large elm wood boxes stood to begin making her bed.

In the dark corner of the room, the mulberry wood cabinet held a small figure, curled up like a little mouse in the cool bedding. She reached back to her waist and tugged at it, blocking the cool air from outside, while also making the gap between the two cabinets feel less uncomfortable. Listening to the murmurs coming from the window, she thought to herself, Ning Que... The young master has started talking nonsense again

However, even this obviously inadequate answer far exceeded the psychological bottom line of the young maid. She furrowed her brows and earnestly suggested to him: "It's too expensive... Ning Que, let's not go to Chang'an, and you shouldn't take the entrance exam for the academy, okay?"

The master and servant exchanged a glance, and then, in perfect harmony, walked over to two large elm wood boxes, opened them, and retrieved a tightly wrapped wooden box from the depths inside.

Ning Que knew that the little maid had guessed his thoughts. He raised his head to look at Sang Sang's dark little face and raised an eyebrow, saying: "Moreover, the two of us cannot stay in Wei City for a lifetime. The world is so vast, and besides the Empire, there are many other countries. We must go and see them. Even if we consider it on a smaller scale, just to earn a bit more money and get promoted faster, going to Chang'an is far better than staying in Wei City. Therefore, this time I must get into the academy."

... ...

He turned over and looked towards the dark corner of the room, asking: "Sang Sang, have you had any episodes recently? Are you feeling cold?"

Sang Sang's eyes, round like willow leaves, widened in surprise, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her cloth skirt as she nervously asked, "Will it exceed four taels of silver? That would be double what it is in Weicheng"

Ning Que responded with a sound, his gaze falling upon the starry ground by the kang, which resembled white frost. A sense of inexplicable tightness gripped his heart, as the feeling of emptiness from many years ago surged back. He turned to look out at the deep blue night sky, glanced at the myriad stars, and then began to lower his head in longing for his hometown, murmuring: "There is still no moon tonight..."

Today, the little maid Sang Sang was forced to abandon this habit of reading books

But she has a pair of willow leaf-like eyes, long and slender, with pupils as bright as ice, and rarely displaying any obvious emotions. Therefore, she does not resemble a young maid of about eleven or twelve years old from a poor background; rather, she appears to be a mature woman who knows everything, sees through the ways of the world, and is untroubled at heart. This extreme contrast between her true age and appearance, along with her gaze, makes her seem particularly cold and stylish.

"It is not foolish, it should be clumsy." He thought about certain matters and silently corrected himself in his mind

"Ignorant fool," Ning Que reprimanded, "Once you enter the academy, you will surely be able to become an official. By then, you and I will spend ten taels of silver a month. How could I not earn seventy or eighty taels back from the government office in a month? Moreover, what is wrong with Chang'an? Don't forget about Chen Jinjis' cosmetics, they are quite abundant."

Ning Que understood that all of this was an illusion. In his view, the little maid Sang Sang was a typical simple-minded girl. Having relied on each other for so many years, she had become accustomed to depending on herself to think and act, which made her increasingly lazy in her thoughts. As she became lazier in thinking, she grew more and more foolish. To mask her clumsiness, she began to use fewer and fewer words in every sentence she spoke, which made her appear even more silent, indifferent, mature, and strange.

Uncertain how much time had passed, Ning Que opened his eyes and gazed at the faint silver halo on the window paper, lost in thought as he said: "I have heard that... the girls in Chang'an are not particularly afraid of the cold, they wear very thin clothing, with large necklines, and their skin is very fair. I don't know if it's true... At that time, I was too young to remember."

After a long silence, Sang Sang suddenly raised her head, bit her lip, revealing a rare expression of timidity, and said: "I have heard that... Chang'an is very large and has many people"

As mentioned earlier, after arriving in Chang'an, you must remember to address me as "Young Master" when you are with the library, as this demonstrates respect

This is indeed troublesome. I have heard that hunting is not allowed around the city of Chang'an, as those mountains and forests belong to the emperor... How much money do we have left

The little maid Sang Sang squatted down at the door, her slender figure elongated by the light of the oil lamp. She pressed her finger against the edge of the wooden door and replied, "Haven't you always wanted to go to Chang'an? By the way, Ning Que, when are you going to sneak some oil back from the artillery camp? This door has been creaking for several months now, and the sound is truly unpleasant."

Ning Que, you must remember to promise me to buy Chen Jin Ji

How much does it generally cost to buy meat, vegetables, and rice in the capital for a month

After the two of them left, would anyone still be willing to live in this remote and dilapidated thatched cottage far from the market? Ning Que silently pondered, and for some reason, a sudden wave of reluctance surged within him. He let out a soft sigh, turned sideways to squeeze past Sang Sang, and said in a low voice, "Pack up the luggage tonight"

The capital is bustling; it is said that by the third year of the Tianqi era, the population had already exceeded one million. The cost of living is extremely high, and residing in Chang'an is no easy feat

... ...

Sang Sang suddenly opened her eyes, and in her slender, willow-like gaze reflected the bright starlight. She said seriously, "Ning Que, this is what you promised."

Ning Que shuffled slowly under the starlight, gazing at the grass hut where he and Sang Sang had lived for a long time, and his pace inevitably slowed even further. However, as long as he kept walking, no matter how slow, there would eventually come a day when he would reach his destination. He pushed open the fence that could only keep out dogs but not people, and walked to the light of the oil lamp seeping through the door crack. Raising his hand to cover his lips, he coughed twice and said, "What if we go to the capital?"

Ning Que sighed softly, noticing the nervous expression of the young maid. He smiled and comforted her, saying: "There is nothing to fear with so many people around. Just think of Chang'an as a larger version of Weicheng. When the time comes, I will handle dealings with outsiders, and you can continue to manage the household as usual. If you are truly afraid, then just go out less."

This is a night that seems no different from those of the past years, as they will drift into a deep sleep under the starlight of the imperial frontier. However, the reality is that neither of the two occupants in the thatched cottage has fallen asleep. Perhaps it is due to the excitement and anxiety of stepping into a brand new world, or perhaps it is because of the splendor of the capital, Chang'an, with its faintly visible wealth, along with the alluring scents of fragrant oils and powders. The two breaths by the window corner have yet to calm down.

Ning Que furrowed his brows and replied that, in fact, he was just speaking very seriously without much thought. He was not entirely clear that ten taels of silver might merely be the cost of a casual banquet at a large restaurant in Tianxiangfang for the students of the academy—much like the famous joke from Hexi Road: a farmer woman working in the fields idly chatted, always thinking about the Crown Princess making meat pies and the West Palace Princess peeling green onions, with meat pies as vast as the sea and green onions as tall as mountains. It might merely be the cost of a casual banquet at a large restaurant in Tianxiangfang—much like the famous joke from Hexi Road: a farmer woman working in the fields idly chatted, always thinking about the Crown Princess making meat pies and the West Palace Princess peeling green onions, with meat pies as vast as the sea and green onions as tall as mountains.

Sang Sang stood up, supporting herself on her knees. Her slender figure appeared particularly fragile in the cool spring night breeze. She looked at Ning Que and said in a serious voice, devoid of any other emotions: "Even if we leave, this house will still have people living in it; they will still open the door."

The wooden box was filled with scattered silver coins, with pieces the size of fingernails clearly showing the marks of a press. In the center lay a large silver ingot, which was evidently the result of daily savings, though the quantity was not very substantial

As the lights went out, Ning Que placed the water bowl on the windowsill, burrowed into the quilt under the starlight, rested his hands on the edge of the blanket, let out a big yawn, and then emitted a deeply satisfied sigh. He closed his eyes, and after a while, he heard the familiar rustling sound from the corner of the room that he had been listening to for several years.

The phrase "rouge and powder" seems to be the Achilles' heel of the young maid. She tightly pressed her lips together, clearly caught in a severe psychological struggle. After a long while, she replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito's: "But what about those years you spent in the academy? My needlework is average, and the people of Chang'an are certainly discerning; it may not sell well."

Sang Sang casually gathered her slightly yellowed hair at the temples and asked his back, "Ning Que, I have never understood why you are so interested in that matter"

In the darkness, the little maid seemed to shake her head. One could faintly see her tightly gripping the corner of the blanket, her eyes firmly closed, yet a rare smile lingered at the corners of her lips as she softly murmured in response: "I have heard that the girls in Chang'an are indeed quite fair. They use such fine powder every day; how could they not be fair?"

Ning Que smiled and said to her, "Don't worry, when this young master has money in the future, you can buy as much Chen Jin Ji's cosmetics as you like"

Looking at the scattered silver in the wooden box, neither of the two counted it. Sang Sang quietly said, "As per the usual practice, we count it once every five days. It was just counted the night before last, totaling seventy-six taels, three qian, and four fen."

If you truly get accepted into the academy, you must get me some fine fabric to make some clothes. Additionally, we might have guests at home, such as classmates, and if any gentleman takes a liking to your young master, he might come over for a visit. Therefore, you should at least make a new set of clothes. I roughly calculated, and it would require at least ten taels of silver.

Sang Sang's face revealed a contemplative expression. Due to her young age, the little maid's brows and eyes had not yet fully developed. Additionally, the harsh winds and sands of the border town had left her small face dark and rough. Coupled with her fine, slightly yellow hair resulting from childhood malnutrition, she could hardly be considered beautiful, let alone delicate.