Misty Rain of the Old Times

As evening approached, light snow began to fall again from the gloomy sky, flakes drifting and swirling down.

Feeling the humidity in the air increase several times over, Chen Xuan nodded in satisfaction. The second array flag was completed, surprisingly smoothly.

The first flag took him several months to make, but the second one was done in a few hours. 'Copying' is always easier than 'creating'.

After checking a few more times, he saw the little girl take out a broom to sweep the snow and laughed, "Don't bother, the snow is still going to fall. If you sweep it now, you'll have to put it back on later."

Hearing this, she thought for a moment and stopped insisting. Standing under the eaves, looking at the vast expanse of white snow, she said with a worried expression, "This year's snow is heavier than in previous years. In many places, the snow accumulation is more than three feet. Even in the city, it's inconvenient to travel. If it were in the countryside, I don't know how many houses would collapse under the weight of the snow."

Many houses in the city were also crushed, and many people were injured while clearing snow from their roofs. The clinic has been very busy treating the injured these past few days.

Putting away the second battle flag, Chen Xuan said, "The government will provide disaster relief. Didn't you hear him say when you had a small gathering with Magistrate Shu a few days ago? The government has prepared ample food and firewood. If any household is affected by the disaster, the government will promptly distribute supplies to help them through the crisis. He has been leading his men around the countryside these past few days and hasn't even had time to return to the city."

“Magistrate Shu is a good official, and the people are blessed,” she nodded, but her eyes were somewhat dim. Why didn’t such a good official come sooner?

Every winter brings its own sorrow; winters are hard to endure all over the world these days, and Chen Xuan was powerless to help. He changed the subject, saying, "Roujia, go fetch a jar of wine, the 53-degree one I marked. Take us somewhere."

"Master is going out? Okay, I'll go prepare right away," she said, turning back to get busy.

In the past few months, while busy refining array flags, Chen Xuan occasionally did other things to clear his mind, such as distilling some high-proof liquor. It was quite nice to have a small drink occasionally in the dead of winter.

It's not that the world's wines are inferior to distilled spirits; there are plenty of good wines out there, some even with unique health benefits. It's just that they all have their own distinct flavors, and it's nice to switch things up occasionally.

Moreover, most of the wine in this era was grain-based, and grain was a scarce resource. Many people couldn't even get enough to eat, so wine was controlled by the government. Although it wasn't a big deal, Chen Xuan didn't make a big fuss about distilling spirits. He just made some for himself to drink and didn't expect to get rich from it.

The little maid quickly brought the wine, held it in her arms, and took an umbrella, asking, "Master, where are we going?"

"Come with me, you'll find out soon enough," Chen Xuan smiled but didn't say it directly.

She nodded, closed the doors and windows, and followed, stepping through the snow to try to hold an umbrella for Chen Xuan, though it was a little inconvenient because of her height.

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan said, "Just cover yourself up, don't worry about me. I like the feeling of snowflakes falling on me, and I also like rainy days."

"Oh," she said, no longer insisting. After spending more time with him, she realized that her husband was sometimes like a child. For example, he enjoyed strolling through rain and snow, which many people try to avoid.

The two left their residence one after the other. The whole world was a vast expanse of white, and the streets seemed rather deserted.

"It's so cold today, there are hardly any people on the street," the little girl said sincerely, turning her gaze away.

The snow crunched underfoot. Chen Xuan nodded and said, "Yes, Yang County, which has been bustling for months, has finally quieted down."

People are always forgetful. During the time when Gao Jingming became the top scholar, countless people flocked to him. But as time passed, the excitement gradually faded. Chen Xuan did not reject the temporary hustle and bustle, but his personality made it difficult for him to fit in.

"It's good that it's lively. People around here have made a lot of money during this period, and winter is easier than before," she said happily.

“Indeed,” Chen Xuan nodded in deep agreement. He could smell that some people were secretly eating meat behind closed doors.

Then the little girl said with some hesitation, "By the way, I packed a few sets of clothes today, and then charcoal hot pot and bowls. Tomorrow I'll go buy a carriage. Does Master think anything is still missing?"

“No need for that trouble. It’s very convenient to go to the capital. Just bring money. I’ll let you know later, and we can ask the Gao family to keep an eye on things at home after we leave,” Chen Xuan said, shaking his head.

She blinked, somewhat puzzled, and said, "Is that even possible? But the capital is so far away; how can we not prepare enough?"

"Just listen to me. Just bring ten thousand taels of silver notes. We'll figure out what to do when we run out," Chen Xuan said nonchalantly.

She said "oh" and that whatever the master said was fine. But this was completely different from what she had imagined when she was going on a long trip. Shouldn't she have a lot of luggage?
Oh well, I'll just have to keep busy myself then. I'll be able to take good care of the master.

While chatting, they wandered through the streets and alleys and arrived at a place in the northern part of Yang County. On the main road leading out of the city, there was a two-story restaurant called Zhiwei Restaurant, which sounded as rustic as it could be.

Because it's only four or five hundred meters from the city gate, business is good even in the dead of winter. By evening, the occupancy rate reaches 40%, which is really good for a small county town this season.

“We’re here, this is it,” Chen Xuan said, climbing the steps toward the entrance.

The sharp-eyed waiter immediately took a whisk and helped Chen Xuan brush the snow off his clothes, saying, "Please come in, sir. Why are you so careless with yourself? Come in and warm up."

The girl folded up the umbrella and handed it to the waiter. She said, "Let me do it," and then took the whisk to help Chen Xuan clear away the snow, worried that the waiter might be clumsy and not know his own strength.

During the conversation, she asked curiously, "I've heard of this restaurant. It's been open for a few months, the food is quite good, the location is good, and business has always been good. If you want to eat here, sir, you can just let me bring it back. Why bother making the trip yourself in this weather?"

"Let's grab a drink with a friend," Chen Xuan said with a smile, then turned to the waiter and asked, "Is the Shuiyunjian restaurant on the second floor still available?" The waiter was taken aback for a moment, then his attitude became incredibly enthusiastic, bowing and saying, "It's available, sir. Please follow me."

Others may not know, but those who work here understand that the Shuiyun Room on the second floor is not open to the public at all, and they have never even mentioned this private room to anyone. The manager has instructed that if anyone comes to ask if the Shuiyun Room is available, they should be treated as the most important guest.

After arriving on the second floor and taking a seat, the waiter served the best tea in the restaurant and lit a heater before respectfully closing the door and leaving.

"Master, why do I feel that the people here treat you and the other guests completely differently?" the little maid asked curiously.

After taking a sip of tea, Chen Xuan said, "Have you forgotten what I told you last time?"

"Master said he opened a restaurant with a partner, is this the place?" the little girl asked in surprise.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "This is the place. I was bored, so I came to meet up with some friends."

As they were talking, hurried footsteps sounded outside. After a knock on the door, it opened and Erdan's burly and honest figure appeared. He was still wearing an apron and looked very down-to-earth, probably coming from the kitchen.

Upon seeing Chen Xuan, he exclaimed with surprise and delight, "Young Master Chen, you've finally arrived! Why didn't you give me a heads-up? I could have closed up shop just to entertain you."

"No way, I'd rather not have come. Don't be so polite with me, just call me Ah Xuan or Xiao Chen. Sit down, I hope I didn't bother you?" Chen Xuan stood up and greeted him.

He came in, wiped his hands with his apron, and said, "It's no trouble at all. I'll call you Ah Xuan then. When I heard you were coming, I reassigned my work to others."

After they sat down, Chen Xuan said to Su Roujia, "Roujia, this is my childhood friend who went through thick and thin with me. His name is Zhao Heihu. You can call him Brother Zhao."

"Roujia greets Master Zhao," Su Roujia quickly bowed and poured tea. How could she call Master Zhao her friend?

Erdan glanced at Su Roujia, then turned to Chen Xuan and asked, "Xuan, who is this?"

"I am my master's maid, my name is Su Roujia," she said.

Nodding, Erdan knew Chen Xuan was living a carefree life, so he didn't dwell on it too much. Instead, he said, "Xuan, after reuniting with my family a while ago, I changed my name back to Luo Erdan. The past is the past, and I've started a new life with my family."

"That's great. From now on, I'll have to call you Brother Luo," Chen Xuan said with a smile, realizing that this was his real name. In this era, there were many humble names, and no one would use a name to mock someone.

He quickly waved his hand and said, "No, just call me Erdan."

"Let's not dwell on that," Chen Xuan said, picking up the wine jar he had brought. "Shall we have some to warm ourselves up?"

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go prepare some main dishes," he readily agreed, and immediately got up and left.

After he went to cook, Su Roujia asked curiously, "Master, you actually have such a friend? How come I've never heard you mention him before?"

"That happened when I was a child. Roujia, you know I was a page in the Gao family for over ten years. Before that, I had some less-than-pleasant memories, and that's when I met him," Chen Xuan said with a smile, "There's nothing shameful about it."

She immediately felt a pang of guilt and said, "I'm sorry, sir, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's nothing," Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

A little while later, Erdan brought over a dozen hearty dishes, including chicken, duck, and fish. Life is better now; it's nothing like before, when people wouldn't even eat half a piece of spoiled bread.

After sitting down at the table, he said, "Ah Xuan, you've finally arrived! We've got to have a good drink today!"

"Of course, shall we have one first? This wine is a bit strong, are you alright?" Chen Xuan asked with a smile as he poured him a drink.

He laughed heartily and said, "You underestimate me, don't you?"

Under Chen Xuan's expectant gaze, the two clinked their wine bowls together. He tilted his head back and downed at least three ounces of 53-proof distilled liquor in one gulp. His face immediately turned red, but he was quite pleasantly surprised. After savoring it for a moment, he exhaled a breath of alcohol and said, "Xuan, this liquor of yours is powerful, especially in this weather. It feels so good."

Chen Xuan also downed a bowl and said, "This wine is a bit strong, drink it slowly."

"Haha, strong liquor is great, it warms me up all over. Let me have some food first."

He greeted them warmly, then added, "By the way, Ah Xuan, you're the real boss here. I'll show you the accounts for the past few months, along with the income for these months. We agreed on this beforehand, so let's keep things separate."

Although he didn't really care about these things, since things had come to this point, Chen Xuan nodded and smiled, "Alright, I'll have Roujia contact the manager later."

"That's only natural..." (End of Chapter)