Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio 09

When Lin Lai declared her intent to become Lin the Golden-Eyed, she began to work diligently, committing herself as she once had to swordplay and calligraphy—determined to excel in everything she undertook.

Master Lin, her broad-minded and enlightened father, was more than happy to support her. He took Lin Lai, disguised as a young man, out to the antique street to gain firsthand experience, hoping she would acquire real knowledge through practice.

Lin Lai soon embraced the art of appraising treasures wholeheartedly. First, she discovered it honed her “eye for detail.” Second, even with a mine at home, who could resist the thrill of finding hidden gems? Third, it broadened her horizons. And lastly, it pleased her father—a pursuit that brought multiple rewards.

Even when she ran into Zhao Dingfeng on the street, Lin Lai paid him little mind. When he squeezed over to flirt, obliviously about to expose her identity, she deftly struck his chest, rendering him speechless. Then, with a swift kick, she sent Zhao Dingfeng, chest aching, tumbling to the ground before he could react.

By the time he regained his senses and looked around in confusion, Lin Lai was gone, leaving only curious onlookers behind.

Mortified, Zhao Dingfeng wished he could disappear into the earth. Yet he remained undeterred. Even after Madam Zhao, the wife of the garrison commander, sent another invitation, Lin Lai declined to accompany her mother, making her refusal clear.

For now, she didn’t visit Ma Jiepu either. She merely sent him a message and immersed herself in reading by lamplight—she couldn’t appraise treasures on mere intuition without providing reasonable explanations. It was Ma Jiepu who grew impatient first, sending a little fox from his clan as a messenger to arrange a meeting.

When Lin Lai arrived as promised, Ma Jiepu was impeccably dressed, betraying no anxiety. “Brother Lin, has your cultivation been progressing smoothly?”

Lin Lai nodded. “It’s going well. But why do you ask?”

Ma Jiepu replied, “I suspected as much. No wonder you haven’t come to see me lately.”

Lin Lai protested, “Don’t make it sound like I only visit you to learn magic.”

Ma Jiepu raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that the case?”

Lin Lai hesitated. “Hmm.”

His gaze grew increasingly dangerous.

Lin Lai burst into laughter. “I’m just teasing you. Lately, I’ve been busy cheering up my father.”

Ma Jiepu put aside his faint complaint and asked with concern, “Have you been honest with your father? What was the result?”

Lin Lai’s expression turned subtle. “It’s hard to explain.”

In vivid detail, it went like this:

“Father, I have a Yin-Yang Eye.”

“Fiery Golden Eyes?”

“That’s Sun Wukong. I meant Yin-Yang Eye.”

“A third eye like Erlang Shen?”

“No, that’s Erlang Shen. Just the Yin-Yang Eye.”

“Yin-Yang Eye, is it? That’s fine. By the way, girl, do you know about the Golden Eye?”

Ma Jiepu was so amused by Lin Lai’s lively retelling that he laughed heartily, dispelling any lingering resentment. This time, it was Lin Lai who glared at him.

Ma Jiepu had his own way of making her happy. He swiftly cleaned up the enticingly roasted beggar’s chicken, tore off a drumstick, wrapped it in lotus leaf and handed it to her, then gave another piece to the little fox messenger, sending it home.

Lin Lai took a bite and her eyes lit up. “Delicious!”

Watching her eat with such relish, Ma Jiepu pondered her efforts to please her father at the expense of their time together. He had long known she valued her parents dearly; before, he admired her for her passion and sincerity, but now he worried she might yield to parental wishes and marry their favored candidate—like Zhao Dingfeng.

How did he know this? That was beside the point.

Lin Lai ate contentedly and praised, “Brother Jiepu, you’re truly adept both in the hall and the kitchen.”

For once, Ma Jiepu hesitated. “Could I ever stand in your family’s hall?”

“Well—” Lin Lai looked troubled. “How should I put it? I told my father I wish to become your Dao companion, but he acted as if he didn’t hear a word. So the road ahead is long and winding; I must seek my way—hey, what are you doing?”

Ma Jiepu bit into the chicken with a crunch, gnawing even the bones, as if venting his frustrations through the meal. When he finished, he looked at Lin Lai’s innocent face, still irked, and feigned a smile. “Brother Lin, let’s duel so I can see your progress.”

Lin Lai was eager. “Let’s do it!”

Seeing her enthusiasm, Ma Jiepu couldn’t stay angry. He shouldn’t take this silly goose so seriously.

After a spirited duel, Lin Lai realized, “You thought I’d abandon you, didn’t you? No wonder you looked so aggrieved when we met.”

Before Ma Jiepu could respond, she grinned, “You like me that much, huh?”

Ma Jiepu rolled his eyes. “Why else would I be so anxious?”

If Lin Lai had a tail, it would be wagging sky-high. “I got it. I’ll go back and drop hints to my father, arrange a meeting between you two.”

Ma Jiepu was delighted by her promise, thinking ahead. “You mustn’t get involved.”

“Hm?” Lin Lai quickly understood. “Right! The two of us have made a secret pact, exchanged vows in private.”

Ma Jiepu sighed.

Later, Lin Lai discreetly broached the subject with her father. This time, Master Lin didn’t pretend to ignore her. He figured it wise to first assess the young man, and reminded his daughter to keep their prior acquaintance secret from outsiders.

Lin Lai nodded, mentioning Ma Jiepu had warned her likewise.

Master Lin replied coolly, “That’s his duty. No need to vouch for him.”

Trusting her intuition, Lin Lai swallowed her protest and followed her father’s lead.

Awaiting her father’s meeting with Ma Jiepu, Lin Lai felt nervous at home. She considered using an “Eavesdrop” talisman to listen at the wall, but remembered she hadn’t learned Ma Jiepu’s little spell for immersive listening yet.

Suddenly she exclaimed, recalling Ma Jiepu’s earlier remark about her only befriending him to learn magic, and was reminded of a joke from her past life: a heartbroken foreigner weeping, “You only dated me to learn English.”

Lin Lai felt a brief pang of guilt, but soon brushed it aside. When she saw Tao Yue preparing to embroider, she wondered if she should make a pouch for Ma Jiepu.

‘Wait, why am I acting like I owe him? Did I fall into the fox’s trap again?’

As Lin Lai mulled this over, she met Tao Yue’s curious gaze.

“What is it?” Lin Lai asked.

Tao Yue leaned in and whispered, “Why do you look so radiant today, miss? Is there happy news?” Everyone knew what “happy news” implied.

Lin Lai’s expression changed instantly. “Just focus on your embroidery.”

Tao Yue suppressed a laugh and retreated to her seat, asking, “Miss, do you want to embroider flowers or birds?”—the “birds” implying mandarin ducks.

Lin Lai felt no embarrassment, simply pointing at herself. “Do you think I can embroider?”

Tao Yue replied, “Miss, you wield a soft sword with such flair, yet a needle leaves you helpless.”

Lin Lai shrugged. She truly wasn’t skilled at needlework or cooking, unlike Ma Jiepu, who excelled in both. Besides beggar’s chicken, he had grilled fish and venison, all delicious. Perhaps he could even tailor and embroider?

Lin Lai felt she was losing.

Tao Yue watched her mistress’s shifting expressions, shook her head, and continued embroidering.

As for Master Lin’s meeting with Ma Jiepu, it certainly wasn’t a case of a father becoming increasingly fond of his prospective son-in-law. If he didn’t replicate the “Ten Trials of Lü Dongbin” from the classic tale, it was already fortunate.

One thing worth noting: their family formally rejected the Zhao family’s marriage proposal, and not even Lin Lai’s uncle mentioned cousin marriages again.

With her heart at ease, Lin Lai left Changqing County with her family, heading to their ancestral home in Jinhua County.

They claimed their journey was for ancestral rites, but in truth, the once-prosperous Lin clan of Jinhua had collapsed this year. Their old estate and shops had been sold off by clan members, even targeting the ancestral fields. The chief buyer of these assets was none other than Master Lin himself.

As the mighty Chu once said, “To be wealthy and not return home is like wearing fine clothes at night.”

Master Lin returned home to flaunt his success. Driven out of Jinhua County years ago, tail between his legs, he had vowed to live as a true man—better than any of them. And so he did.

Lin Lai’s earlier speculations about her father rising untainted from adversity weren’t entirely accurate, but not far off either.

·

After days of arduous travel, the Lin family arrived safely in Jinhua County.

Jinhua belonged to Anzhou, while Changqing County was under Laizhou, more than three hundred miles apart. Both were prosperous areas, frequently trading with each other. The mountain bandits they’d heard of had escaped along that very trade route from Jinhua.

As the carriage rolled through the streets, Lin Lai curiously lifted the curtain. Her gaze swept over a narrow alley, where several people walked, but one man slipped away from the crowd, heading inward. Though he turned quickly, Lin Lai was certain she knew him—even after ten years, his aura and spirit were unmistakable. He had once saved her life, and, in a way, given her a second chance. How could she fail to recognize him?

Yan Chixia—it was definitely him.

Ah! Jinhua County! Could it be the same Jinhua as in “A Chinese Ghost Story”?