The Jianghu is Full of Vests (GL) - Chapter 6

The next day, Fu Pei Bai woke up early, slinging a bamboo basket over her shoulder as she made her way to Deji Hall in the city. When she arrived, it was still early, and the shop hadn’t opened yet. She stood there like a post, waiting. A quarter of an hour later, the door creaked open, and a drowsy shop assistant saw her. He yawned and said, “Hey, don’t just stand there, come on in.”

Fu Pei Bai turned and entered, pulling a prescription out of her sleeve without saying a word. She handed it over silently. The assistant took the prescription, then glanced up, scrutinizing the stranger. She wasn’t someone who had come to buy medicine before. From her clothing, he guessed she was probably some servant from a wealthy family.

The reason the assistant didn’t mistake her for a beggar was because she had changed into a clean set of clothes, though still made of rough fabric. These were clothes she had borrowed from Old Wen. They were a little big, but she had taken them in, cinching the sleeves and pant legs, giving herself a neat, short-style outfit. She also wrapped a chest binder around her torso and had cut off most of her messy hair, leaving only a short ponytail at the back of her head. Although the bruise on her face was still visible, it had faded and revealed sharp, striking features.

The assistant quickly sifted through the herbs on the list, arranging them on the counter. He asked, “How much do you need, little brother?” Then, his eyes shifted to the large bamboo basket on her back, thinking to himself how lucky he was today—this was definitely going to be a good start to the day.

But Fu Pei Bai remained silent, staring at the herbs with a blank expression. After a long moment, she muttered, “I don’t need any,” and turned to leave.

The assistant stood dumbfounded, staring at her departing back before he burst into curses.

Two hours later, Fu Pei Bai arrived at Zhang Ming Mountain, as Old Wen had instructed. The mountain was thick with wild grass, and finding the herbs was not easy. Luckily, she had a good memory. Though the prescription listed over a dozen types of herbs, she managed to remember them all. By the time she had gathered everything, her bamboo basket was full, and the sun was starting to dip in the sky, signaling that it was getting late. She made her way back to the main road and started heading toward Xingyang City, lost in thought about how to train over the next month.

As she walked, the sound of rapid horse hooves reached her ears, and it seemed like a large group was approaching. She quickly stepped off the road to wait for the horse team to pass.

The sound of hooves grew closer, and she lowered her head, staring at her straw sandals. A large procession of horses trotted by, accompanied by the rolling sound of carriage wheels. The familiar scent of perfume wafted on the breeze.

She suddenly looked up. The horse team was already moving farther away, but she caught a glimpse of a carriage in the middle of the procession. The fluttering white curtains confirmed it.

It was them.

Fu Pei Bai recognized the group. She watched the horse team disappear into the distance and only resumed walking toward Xingyang City once she could no longer see them.

When she returned to Old Wen’s courtyard, she saw him chasing Ding Yi around the yard with a thin willow switch, yelling, “I’ll teach you a lesson for your thieving hands and feet! I should just beat you to death!”

The yard was in chaos.

Ding Yi saw Fu Pei Bai standing in the doorway and immediately ran to hide behind her, calling out, “I told you I didn’t steal! Why don’t you believe me, old man?!”

Old Wen stopped, his chest heaving with anger, and shouted, “Get out here! I’m going to break your hands and feet! Fu girl, please move aside. Don’t cover for him. This kid has hands and feet, but he spends all his time on petty crimes. I need to give him a good lesson!”

Fu Pei Bai didn’t move. Instead, she turned to look at Ding Yi, who appeared innocent. She spoke up, “Old Wen, let him explain first. If he really did something illegal, you can beat him then.”

Old Wen threw down the willow switch in frustration, muttering, “Fine, fine, go ahead and explain.”

Ding Yi emerged from behind Fu Pei Bai, his tone full of grievance. “I told you, I didn’t steal. The wine and meat were leftovers from the Zhang family’s banquet for their daughter-in-law. I know someone in their kitchen, and they gave it to me. I didn’t steal anything.”

Old Wen squinted, clearly not entirely convinced. “Really?”

Ding Yi nodded vigorously.

Fu Pei Bai thought for a moment and added, “He’s probably not lying. When I left the city this morning, I passed by the south gate, and I saw a big family hanging red lanterns. That should be the Zhang family he’s talking about.”

With Fu Pei Bai’s confirmation, Old Wen’s suspicion faded. However, he wasn’t willing to apologize to a young boy, so he only cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “Fine, I believe you, but just this once. Don’t let me catch you doing something like this again.”

Ding Yi sighed with relief and ran into the house, calling, “Come in, come in! We’ve got good food tonight!”

Fu Pei Bai set down her bamboo basket and followed Old Wen into the house. The table was already laden with delicious food, and there were even two jars of good wine.

Ding Yi grinned, “Don’t worry, it’s all clean. No one’s touched it. It’s all from the kitchen.”

Old Wen didn’t say anything but his eyes lit up at the sight of the wine jars.

The three of them sat down and ate in comfortable silence, devouring the food in no time. Half an hour later, Ding Yi and Old Wen leaned back in their chairs, rubbing their stomachs in satisfaction, burping in unison like a pair of old men.

Fu Pei Bai, not used to drinking, had only sipped a few cups. Her tan cheeks flushed slightly.

The night air was still cool, and the breeze made the evening feel even more pleasant. Fu Pei Bai gazed at the willow tree swaying outside the yard, lost in thought, until she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned back to find Ding Yi grinning at her, his face flushed with the effects of the alcohol.

“What are you thinking about, little Bai?” he asked with a silly grin, showing his teeth.

Fu Pei Bai furrowed her brow, then sighed, murmuring softly, “I was thinking of home.”

Ding Yi, though slightly drunk, understood and didn’t make any more jokes. He gently said, “I don’t have any family either, Bai. But I understand how you feel. People who’ve passed away would want us to live happily, so we should live well for them, right?”

Fu Pei Bai lowered her head with a soft sigh, whispering, “Thank you, Ding Yi.”

“Don’t mention it,” Ding Yi said. “I really feel like we’re kindred spirits. I want to be friends with you.”

Fu Pei Bai didn’t respond immediately. She looked at Ding Yi’s face and asked softly, “What happened in your family?”

Ding Yi smiled freely, seemingly unaffected. “It’s a long story, but I’ll give you the short version. My mother was a woman of the night, and she fell in love with a scoundrel. When she found out she was pregnant with me, she insisted on keeping me, but my father ran off as soon as he found out. He never came back. My mother ended up being driven out of the brothel, penniless and starving. She was so foolish, still hoping my father would come back. She waited and waited, but soon she became ill and died. As for me, I have no idea how I ended up in Xingyang City, but I’ve been begging for a living ever since I can remember. I do have this jade pendant, though. I think it’s the one my bastard father left for my mother. Even when she was dying, she wouldn’t part with it. She left it for me. But funny enough, a group of thugs once tried to take it from me. They came back a few days later and returned it, saying it was fake and that the pawn shop wouldn’t accept it. Haha, can you believe it? My mother was so foolish, even her token of love was fake. Typical, right?”

He laughed, shaking out the jade pendant from his collar to show her.

Fu Pei Bai was stunned for a moment. Ding Yi was smiling, but there was no joy in his eyes. She shook her head in seriousness, then asked, “So… why don’t you look for your father? He’s your real father. He should at least acknowledge you.”

Ding Yi gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I’ve never met him. I don’t even know his name. And even if I did, with this ugly mark on my face, I doubt he’d ever acknowledge me.”

Fu Pei Bai didn’t know how to console him. She could only pat his shoulder gently. “What are your plans for the future? Begging isn’t a long-term solution.”

Ding Yi scratched his head, replying, “I haven’t really thought about it. Just taking it one day at a time.”

Fu Pei Bai, though mature beyond her years, was still just a sixteen-and-a-half-year-old girl. She didn’t have much advice to offer Ding Yi, so she fell silent.

In the quiet courtyard, the two young people leaned back in their chairs, staring at the round moon. Behind them, Old Wen was curled up at the table, snoring away, while the nightingales and frogs created a serene, peaceful atmosphere.

And so, Fu Pei Bai stayed in Old Wen’s little courtyard, practicing her martial arts every day and drinking down the dark, bitter herbal concoctions Old Wen gave her. After taking the medicine, her body would alternate between heat and cold, but Old Wen assured her it was normal since the medicine was meant to disrupt her internal balance. Eventually, her body would stabilize, and she might even develop cold hands and feet.

But Fu Pei Bai didn’t mind. Every day, she would wake at the crack of dawn and practice in the fields outside the city, making sure not to disturb Old Wen’s rest. She’d practice all day, returning only at dusk.

Ding Yi came by to visit her from time to time, and the days passed in this peaceful rhythm. Soon, the end of May arrived, and Fu Pei Bai was ready to set out.

On the day of her departure, Old Wen woke early, and Ding Yi hurried over. The three of them stood together in silence until it was Ding Yi who spoke first, his tone full of reluctance. “Little Bai, this journey is long and full of unknowns. Take care of yourself, and don’t forget to come back and visit us.”

Old Wen stroked his beard, his voice full of sincerity. “Fu girl, I won’t say much, but I wish you smooth travels and that your wishes come true.”

Fu Pei Bai returned their salutes, already feeling a deep bond with the old man and the boy after spending this month with them.

She couldn’t express her gratitude in words. All she could do was gaze at the two of them one last time, silently vowing to repay their kindness one day.

She tightened her pack and was about to turn and leave when Old Wen suddenly grabbed her arm.

“Ah, wait, I almost forgot something important. Little Bai, if you manage to get into Tianji Sect, could you find out if there’s a person named Meng Yan there? If you find him, give him this and tell him this message: it’s been a long time, and I hope we can meet again,” Old Wen said, handing her a small object.

Ding Yi grinned mischievously. “Ooh, is that your old flame?”

Old Wen slapped him on the back, shouting, “Old flame, my foot! It’s a man’s name. What are you thinking, you little rascal?”

Fu Pei Bai accepted the object, which turned out to be an iron plate engraved with the character “Wen.” She didn’t ask any questions and promised to do as he asked.

The time for parting had come, as it always does. Fu Pei Bai stepped out into the first light of dawn, heading east. Her heart was heavy with uncertainty about the path ahead, but no matter what obstacles or hardships awaited, she knew—this journey, she would have no regrets.