Wuxia: Drinking with Spring Breeze

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"Creak."

Yang Ge gently pushed open the courtyard door, and the cold, desolate sensation that greeted him, combined with the thick layer of dust everywhere, made him tense up before he could relax.

He sighed, carrying the Cold Moon Blade swiftly into the inner room.

When he came out again, he had changed into a set of coarse hemp clothes suitable for hard work.

He fastened his belt, went to the kitchen to fetch a shoulder pole and two buckets of water, and quickly stepped out the door.

Before long, he returned with two buckets of clean water.

Upon entering the room, he set down the shoulder pole, first turned to close the courtyard door, and then carried a bucket of water in each hand into the kitchen.

Soon, a thin stream of smoke rose from the chimney.

With a large pot of water boiling, Yang Ge set up the firewood and then got up, cleaned his hands, and came out of the kitchen. He took a broom and swept inside and out thoroughly twice, ridding the room of dust.

No sooner had he put down the broom than he busily fetched a basin of clean water and wiped down the tables, chairs, doors, and windows inside and out...

With basin after basin of dirty, black water thrown into the weed-infested vegetable patch in the backyard, the dusty doors, windows, tables, and chairs finally regained their clean wooden color.

Right on time, the water in the iron pot was already boiling. The steam mingled with the light wood smoke, floating around the yard, driving away the chilly, desolate air.

Yang Ge hung the washed cloth to dry, went to the inner room to fetch a set of clean clothes, then went to the kitchen to carry a bucket of hot water to the bathroom, where he comfortably washed himself in a hot bath with fragrant soap.

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After bathing, he changed into a set of clean, soft clothing, stepped out of the bathroom, circulated his internal energy around his body for a moment, and the rolling heat evaporated the remaining moisture on his skin.

As the heat circulated, his mind and muscles slowly relaxed, and he exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

In the end, he strolled to the inner room as leisurely as an elderly man taking a walk, carrying his hands behind his back. He fetched the teapot and tea leaves, and with the last bit of bubbling water from the big iron pot, he brewed a pot of hot tea.

With the steaming tea in hand, he comfortably sat under the grape arbor in a rocking chair and took a shallow sip of the scalding water: "Hisss..."

"Ah!"

A puff of steam blew away all the hardships of the journey—the wind, frost, rain, snow, and the flashes of swords and shadows.

The wayward souls and spirits that had scattered over rivers and seas finally settled down.

He lay in the rocking chair, hands clutching the steaming teapot, eyes squinting at the clear sky, the gentle breeze caressing his face, the delicious smell of smoke tickling his nose, his mind empty, his heart empty.

It wasn’t long before low snores began to drift from the rocking chair...

...

"Huang, Huang, what happened to you!"

Yang Ge looked in shock at the yellow gas tank object wailing on him, unable to believe that it had become so chubby in just three months since he left.

Liu Mang stood angrily beside him, exclaiming, "Ever since this thing came to our house, even if the old man can’t remember if I’ve eaten, he always remembers if it has eaten. Good lord, I don’t even eat as well as it does!"

"Look at you, a man in your forties, getting upset over a dog!"

On the other side, Shopkeeper Liu scolded him irritably while pulling out a lotus leaf-wrapped package the size of a bowl from behind, smiling broadly and beckoning to Huang, "Come here, Huang, see what delicious things we have today!"

Huang wagged its tail like a windmill, glanced at Yang Ge, then at the lotus leaf package in the old man’s hand, then back at Yang Ge, and back again at the package... its mouth watering.

"Go on, go on!"

Yang Ge, unable not to laugh, patted the dog’s head. "I’m not leaving, I’ll wait for you!"

Huang gave him another look, then turned and pounced in front of Shopkeeper Liu, enthusiastically "washing" his face for him.

"Oh, Huang, you’re such a good dog, so good!"

Shopkeeper Liu stroked its head gently, slowly untying the lotus leaf-wrapped package: "Look, today we’ve got chicken, duck, and pork head meat..."

Inside the package, there was meat, rice, and steamed buns, obviously leftovers from the guests at the inn, but all were clean, and there was real meat, not bones.

"Look, look at this!"

Liu Mang pointed at the package, complaining bitterly, "I want some meat, and he hides it like he’s guarding against thieves. But for the dog, there’s plenty every meal!"

Shopkeeper Liu glanced at him sideways: "Huang eats meat and can still guard the house. What can you do if you eat meat? What good are you besides bringing your no-good friends to the inn to scrounge off others?"

Liu Mang, red-faced with anger: "I can’t live like this anymore!"

Shopkeeper Liu held no punches: "Then let’s split the family, split it up!"

Liu Mang scoffed: "Wishful thinking. You want to split up so you can bring Ms. Wang into the house, huh?"

Shopkeeper Liu swung his fist to strike: "I’ll beat you to death, you unfilial son!"

Liu Mang turned and ran: "Hey, you can’t hit me!"

Yang Ge suppressed his laughter and went forward to calm down the feuding father and son, both notoriously stubborn.

He knew that, although they seemed at odds and somewhat loudly affectionate, this was just their own way of getting along.

In private, they actually cared about each other more than anyone else.

For example, Shopkeeper Liu’s good treatment towards him was partly for the sake of Liu Mang.

And Liu Mang’s willingness to return to Lu Ting to open a martial arts school was also because he feared that if any martial artists caused trouble at the inn, no one would be there to help.

After some cordial banter, Shopkeeper Liu went inside to brew tea, leaving Yang Ge and Liu Mang to chat on their own.

As soon as Shopkeeper Liu left, Liu Mang eyed Yang Ge suspiciously from head to toe: "What level are you at now? How come I still can’t figure it out?"

Yang Ge replied with a smile, "When did you open your Qi Sea?"