“Who is it?”
A woman in an apron opened the gate slightly and poked her head out to ask.
“And you are…?” She gripped the gate cautiously as she looked at them.
Lin Yue said, “Madam, my name is Lin Yue. I’m a labourer working for the Ding family. I’ve come to see Master Yue.”
Master Yue’s surname was Yue, and everyone addressed him that way.
The woman had clearly heard of Lin Yue before. She opened the gate fully and said, “Come in. Father’s at home. He was just saying that since it’s raining and there’s no work today, Brother Lin would probably come by to look at rental houses. And here you are already, bringing your wife too. What a coincidence.”
As she spoke, she smiled, opened the oil-paper umbrella in her hand, and led them towards the main hall.
Inside stood a dining table. Master Yue sat before it drinking yellow wine with two small dishes of side dishes beside him. Seeing Lin Yue, he called out, “Come, have a drink with me.”
Lin Yue removed the rain cape and bamboo hat, shook most of the water from them, and placed them by the doorway. Then he took the oil-paper umbrella from Gu Yun, put it aside to drain, and only afterwards sat down at the table. Leaning forward to smell the wine, he smiled. “Smells wonderful.”
“Twenty wen,” Master Yue declared proudly. “Good wine!”
“What a pity my alcohol tolerance is poor,” Lin Yue replied. “Once I drink, I can’t work. Otherwise, I’d definitely have two bowls.”
Master Yue pointed at him with a laugh, then shook his head. “Once this bowl’s done, we’ll set off.”
“No rush,” Lin Yue said. “We’ve got the whole day.”
As he spoke, he picked up the wine jug and refilled Master Yue’s bowl.
Meanwhile, Gu Yun and the woman sat out in the corridor. The woman embroidered a handkerchief while chatting, then grabbed a handful of melon seeds and offered them to Gu Yun.
The flavour was nowhere near as good as the Feng family’s melon seeds.
The woman mentioned better-quality melon seeds, so Gu Yun naturally took out the Feng family seeds hidden up his sleeve and placed them on the table.
The autumn pears and melon seeds taken from the Feng family yesterday had mostly gone untouched by Lin Yue. Gu Yun had eaten all the pears, but the remaining seeds had been stored in the book chest.
Before setting out this morning, he had grabbed a handful. He cracked a few open on the road and wrapped the leftovers in a leaf before tucking them into his sleeve.
The woman immediately brightened. Picking up one of the Feng family’s melon seeds and cracking it open, she praised, “The good ones really are different. Fragrant and crisp, and there’s even a little sweetness to them.”
Gu Yun pushed the seeds towards her. “If you like them, have more.”
Over there the men drank wine and chatted, while over here the two of them cracked melon seeds and marvelled at how different wealthy households were.
While speaking, the woman suddenly glanced at Lin Yue. Leaning towards Gu Yun, she lowered her voice and whispered, “Your husband is truly handsome.”
Gu Yun had not yet realised there was a trap hidden behind those words and casually agreed.
“I’ve heard handsome men are no good in bed,” the woman said. “Is that true?”
Gu Yun: “……”
Laughing awkwardly, he said, “I wouldn’t know. We’ve only just married and still aren’t very familiar with each other. Nothing like that’s happened.”
The woman stared at them in surprise. “Then don’t drag it out too long. It’s best to have children early.”
She immediately began passing on her own marital bedroom experience, making Gu Yun blush scarlet as he repeatedly protested, “Stop talking already.”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?” the woman laughed. “It’s bound to happen sooner or later.”
She even grabbed Gu Yun and continued explaining in detail.
Gu Yun covered both ears with his hands. The moment he saw Lin Yue and Master Yue emerge, he immediately jumped up, hid beside Lin Yue, and hurriedly said to the woman, “We’re off now. We’ll chat again another time.”
His desperate eagerness to flee was genuinely amusing. The woman laughed nonstop, while Master Yue, completely unaware of the reason, said cheerfully, “Since you get along so well, come visit often.”
Patting his burning cheeks, Gu Yun mumbled an agreement.
Lin Yue lowered his head and glanced at him.
After leaving the Yue residence, Master Yue walked ahead carrying an umbrella, while Lin Yue and Gu Yun shared one umbrella behind him.
The rain had eased further now. So long as they stayed close beneath the umbrella, neither of them would get wet.
“What were you talking about with that woman?”
Gu Yun had been catching cool rainwater on his cheeks when Lin Yue’s voice suddenly drifted down from above his head.
Not wanting to tell him the truth, Gu Yun gave a vague noise and muttered, “Just women’s matters. No need for you to know.”
Lin Yue pinched his damp cheek, the side of his middle finger nearly brushing Gu Yun’s lips. “For example, whether things are harmonious in bed?”
Gu Yun stared. “How do you know? Were you eavesdropping?”
“No,” Lin Yue replied. “You’re simply too easy to read.”
Gu Yun: “……”
If I were really that easy to read, Gu Yun thought to himself, you wouldn’t be my husband.
Lowering his head, he laughed quietly while Lin Yue casually ruffled his half-long hair.
Stepping through puddles and winding through several turns, Master Yue eventually brought them to a riverside district.
There were noticeably more people here than elsewhere.
They entered a large courtyard, where the owner came out to greet them. After Master Yue explained their purpose, the landlord led them to inspect the room.
It was a west wing room. To the landlord’s credit, it had not been crudely divided into two tiny cubicles, though perhaps that was only because the space would have been too small afterwards to fit the necessary furniture.
As the door opened, a faint dusty smell drifted out.
“You can fetch water yourselves and clean it up,” the landlord said. “There’s a well in the courtyard, though the water’s not good for drinking. If you go out, head left to the very end, then turn right. There’s a well there where everyone fetches their drinking water.
“The room comes fully furnished: table, stools, bedding, water vat, washstand, wooden basin, wooden bucket, wardrobe… The previous tenant also left behind two small bamboo baskets. You can keep those too. Useful for scraps of cloth, needles and odds and ends. Not bad, eh? Since you were introduced by Old Yue, I certainly wouldn’t cheat you.”
Remembering all the horror stories about rental scams online, Gu Yun said nothing. Instead, he carefully inspected every corner of the room. Aside from the thick layer of dust, there did not seem to be any problems.
Later, Lin Yue also took a look around.
The landlord then brought them to see the shared kitchen and other communal areas. Although somewhat messy, everything was still clean.
Gu Yun and Lin Yue were both satisfied.
Master Yue said, “How much is the rent? How much is the deposit? They’re a young couple with tight finances, so could you lower it a bit? It would ease their burden and also save you the trouble of frequently finding new tenants.”
The landlord sighed and said, “It’s not that I refuse to lower it, but my whole family depends on this for a living. Even a single coin more or less determines whether we eat thin porridge or thick porridge.”
Master Yue smiled and shook his head.
The landlord continued, “But since you’ve spoken…” He agreed to reduce the rent by one coin. “But the deposit cannot be reduced. The tables and chairs in this house are expensive. If they get damaged and you just run off, what then?”
Master Yue said, “That’s reasonable. Lin Yue, what do you think?”
Lin Yue, who was standing by the window looking outside, said, “Instead of reducing the rent by one coin, could we exchange it for that large water vat in the corner of the courtyard?”
The landlord said, “That water vat is broken. There are many cracks at the bottom. It can’t be repaired. It’s useless to you.”
Lin Yue said, “I can bring some soil and plant scallions, ginger, and garlic in it. The vat doesn’t need to be moved; it can stay in the courtyard corner.”
The landlord thought for a moment and said, “Alright.”
As soon as this was settled, Gu Yun, who had been listening attentively, immediately began imagining scallions, ginger, and garlic sprouting. He was so delighted he felt almost dizzy with joy, even subconsciously touching the money in his pocket, already planning to buy seeds.
After this was agreed, they did not rush to pay. Master Yue took them to several other places to confirm this was the most suitable option. Only then did they return to the landlord, agree on a six-month lease, sign the contract, and pay.
The rent was fifty-six copper coins, and the deposit was two months’ rent, making a total of one hundred and sixty-eight coins.
Gu Yun calculated how many pancakes and bowls of noodles one hundred and sixty-eight coins could buy and felt a pang of heartache. He squeezed over beside Lin Yue, glanced at the contract, and then felt a strange sense of reassurance.
The contract was simple, with few words; even he could understand it Lin Yue carefully put it away.
The landlord handed over the key and left together with Master Yue, saying they were going to drink.
Lin Yue said to Gu Yun, “Tomorrow afternoon, go to the wine shop across the alley and buy a jug of wine. Master Yue has helped us a great deal; a jug of wine as thanks is only proper.”
Gu Yun agreed, then thought of the female kidnapper. Things had been peaceful these past few days, and he was fairly certain she would not seek revenge for Zhao Shuilai.
But he could not be sure whether she would come after him later, since he knew her identity.
Logically speaking, she should avoid him rather than trouble him.
For safety’s sake, Gu Yun decided he would avoid secluded places and also inform Lin Yue about it.
He was actually willing to go buy wine. These past few days, he had obediently stayed with the children under the big tree at the alley entrance as Lin Yue had instructed, and he was starting to feel like a salted fish, almost pickled by boredom.
He really could not stand it anymore.
Lin Yue said, “Even in busy places, you must not be careless. I’ll give you a small wooden knife for self-defence later; keep it on you. As for that female kidnapper, I will find a way to deal with her.”
Gu Yun’s eyelid twitched. He looked outside the courtyard; the rain blurred everything, and there was no one in sight. Listening carefully, he could only hear the rain and the sounds of other tenants in the surrounding rooms.
Gu Yun leaned closer to Lin Yue and whispered, “Are you planning to kill her?”
The rain grew heavier, like a white curtain. The violent sound instantly swallowed the voices of the other tenants—and even his own.
Lin Yue did not catch what he said and looked at him in confusion.
Gu Yun stepped back slightly and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Lin Yue laughed until his shoulders shook, bending over as he spoke close to his ear, “That’s the government’s responsibility. We don’t get our hands dirty. Is blood some kind of good thing? It’s filthy.”
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed fully across Gu Yun’s ear, like a snake crawling out of damp, rotting grass.
More than embarrassment, it was discomfort that came first.
Gu Yun pulled away and rubbed his ear. “I understand.”
Gu Yun held an umbrella while Lin Yue carried a wooden bucket. Together they went to the courtyard to fetch water.
Clear water was poured from the bucket into a basin, and they used a piece of scrap cloth borrowed from a neighbouring tenant to wipe down the dust. By the time everything was cleaned, it was already afternoon.
Lin Yue carried the bucket of dirty water out. Gu Yun took off his shoes, washed his feet, and stood on the bed while tidying the bedding.
The landlord returned with some wine and brought them their bedding. The bedding was well preserved and without smell, though it was very old and patched in several places.
After everything was arranged, Gu Yun lay down and let out a long breath. “So comfortable.”
He could not resist rolling around. His ill-fitting clothes twisted together, tightly outlining his body’s smooth curves.
Lin Yue returned just in time to see this scene. He paused, set down the wooden bucket, and walked to the bedside, reaching out his hand.
Gu Yun caught sight of it and was startled. Looking down, he saw the fabric of his trousers pulled tight, faintly outlining that area. A chill shot up from his head.
He jerked like a fish, curling up.
“Why did you come in without making a sound? Like a ghost,” he blurted out.
Lin Yue’s hand missed. His gaze darkened slightly as he sat down at the bedside, looking down at him. “You’re a bit strange.”
Gu Yun buried his face in the pillow, inhaling the smell of buckwheat husks. “What… what’s strange?”
Lin Yue said, “You’re resisting my touch.”
So that was it. Gu Yun had thought his disguise had been exposed. He turned to face Lin Yue and whispered, “No.”
Lin Yue gave no reaction.
Only then did Gu Yun tug his clothes back into place and sit up. He slowly moved closer again until he was beside him, crossing his legs. “Husband, I really didn’t. You just came in so silently—I was startled.”
Lin Yue said flatly, “Is that so?”
Gu Yun nodded earnestly. Seeing Lin Yue still cold-faced, he grabbed his arm and leaned closer anyway. Their noses almost touched, lips barely separated.
Lin Yue pressed him back slightly. “No need to force it.”
“I didn’t…”
Lin Yue stepped back and stood up. “Give me the pawn ticket for the clothes.”
Gu Yun handed it over.
Lin Yue said, “I’ll go buy dinner and redeem your clothes on the way. Don’t go out. It’s getting dark and raining; you might slip.”
Before Gu Yun could explain further, Lin Yue had already left.
Left alone, he rolled on the bed again. Then he realised something far more important…
There was only one bed. They would have to sleep together. And undress their outer clothes.
Now that there was bedding, sleeping fully clothed would be even stranger.
It wasn’t a problem, because he was a man—but also precisely because he was a man.
He sighed into his palm, utterly troubled.
…
Outside, under the steady rain, Lin Yue walked through the muddy road. First he went to the pawnshop to redeem Gu Yun’s clothes.
Then he went to a noodle shop and ordered two bowls of shredded pork noodles. The shopkeeper took a deposit and lent him a bamboo food box so he could carry them home.
On the way back, he passed a vendor selling jujube cakes and spent four coins on two pieces. They were small, about the size of a child’s fist.
“Jujube cakes! Ladies and children love them! Young man, you can’t go wrong!”
The vendor wrapped them carefully in reed leaves and placed them in the food box.
Lin Yue thanked him, then stopped at a small shop opposite his home and bought a ceramic oil lamp and a small bottle of soybean oil.
He would list the rest of what they needed later that night and take half a day off tomorrow afternoon to buy them with Gu Yun after seeing the doctor.
When he reached the courtyard, he saw a man in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat waiting.
The man approached. “Brother Lin, our master requests your presence.”
Lin Yue asked, “Jailer Feng?”
The man nodded.
“What for?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wait a moment.”
He opened the courtyard gate and returned to the west wing. Gu Yun stood at the door looking out. The moment he saw him return, he hurried over to take the things.
Lin Yue handed them over. “Eat first. I have to go out. Jailer Feng is looking for me.”
“So late…”
“They came to the door. I have to go. Lock the door properly. Don’t open it for strangers.”
Gu Yun agreed. Lin Yue turned to leave.
Rain struck the umbrella in crisp taps. He had only taken a few steps when someone grabbed his sleeve.
He turned back.
Night had fully fallen; visibility was low and grey. Lamps from the neighbouring rooms cast faint light through the rain, stretching their shadows long and thin.
Gu Yun stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips. “I really didn’t mean it, husband. It was an accident.”
Lin Yue looked down at him.
“Husband…”
The young man pinched his chin, tilted his head, and leaned in. The oil-paper umbrella tilted left, blocking out the light. The world fell into darkness.
And he bit his lips.
