Ning Yi wasn't particularly confident in his current body, but after months of training, waking up with a bit of dizziness in the morning felt normal. As he pushed the door open and let the cool breeze hit him, his head cleared.
It was still before dawn, and the entire city of Jiangning was shrouded in darkness, though dawn was approaching. From his second-floor view, the distant and nearby lights began to flicker across the city, including the Su family's estate. In the surrounding courtyards, early-rising servants were already moving about, their faint voices audible. Beyond the walls, the streets, still cloaked in shadow, were just starting to reveal dimly lit outlines of homes.
In the small building across from him, warm yellow light seeped through the window lattice, casting a cozy glow over the courtyard. The three servant girls were already awake as usual. Su Tan'er, though inconsistent in her waking hours, seemed to be up early today. Through the second-floor window, Ning Yi could see the silhouette of her reflection as she sat at the mirror, combing her hair, while the girls bustled around.
As Ning Yi descended the stairs, Juan'er passed through the corridor towards the small building, slightly bending her knees to greet him softly, "Good morning, Master."
"Morning, Juan'er."
Just then, a window from the lower floor opened, revealing the face of Chan'er, who was busy inside. "Master, don't come down. I'll bring the water up for you."
"Heh, no need. I'll do it myself."
The Su family had a large kitchen, so there was no separate one in these two buildings, but there was a small room downstairs where hot water was heated and washing was done. During winter, if one wanted to bathe in the traditional style, a fire would be lit under the bath barrel, which wasn't ideal for upstairs. Chan'er had already adapted to Ning Yi's habit of early morning exercise and had intended to bring the hot water upstairs, but Ning Yi was already up. As a modern person, he didn't care much for such formalities, and it didn't bother him to fetch water himself. A few mornings ago, he had come downstairs early, squatted by the stove to add wood while waiting for the water to heat, leaving Chan'er feeling a bit at a loss. During breakfast, Su Tan'er had gently reminded him, "My Lord, you don't need to trouble yourself with these tasks." Chan'er had sat by quietly, as though she had done something wrong, while Ning Yi had simply smiled, saying it didn't matter.
There was no need for him to deliberately show off his uniqueness or defy customs. If something was truly taboo, he wouldn't do it. But he didn't feel the need to completely suppress his modern habits and become entirely "ancient." Otherwise, what was the point of living this life here?
If they were to live together for many years—if they were to truly become husband and wife—then rather than restraining himself, it was better to let the others gradually adapt and understand him. For many small matters, he would naturally show his preferences. He didn't mind occasionally going into the kitchen to stoke the fire, and he didn't see the need to change his habit of telling students stories or discussing everyday matters during lessons. This wouldn't change.
When interacting with Master Qin, he would occasionally share more progressive ideas, even if they were a bit unconventional. It didn't matter. The old man had experience, knowledge, and wasn't rigid about minor details. They were simply chess companions, with no conflicts of interest. As Qin had mentioned before, as a son-in-law in a merchant family, rising in the ranks of officialdom would be nearly impossible. Their relationship was one of casual friendship, and there was no reason to worry about betrayal. Over time, as Qin sized him up, Ning Yi had been sizing up Qin as well.
Since their friendship was genuine, there was nothing to hide. Sharing a few advanced thoughts every now and then, and seeing the old man deep in thought, sometimes even satisfied Ning Yi's vanity. To him, it was just casual chatter. Such insights already existed in the world; they were just framed differently. Of course, he was careful not to touch on truly sensitive topics.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face downstairs—by now, toothbrushes and tooth powder existed, though the taste left much to be desired—he stepped outside. As he passed through the side path towards the side gate, roosters had already begun crowing, and the eastern sky showed hints of pale light. Occasionally, he encountered other servant girls or stewards from nearby courtyards who would greet him with a "Master," to which he would nod in acknowledgment.
He slowed his steps and curiously approached. The small boat was shaking violently as a woman stood on it, struggling to keep her balance while holding a long bamboo pole. After swaying for a while under Ning Yi's watchful eye, she finally fell back onto the boat with a thud. He couldn't be sure if it was the same woman from yesterday, but today, she wore a pink cloak. She was tall, graceful, and quite pretty—except for the ungraceful fall and the awkward way she climbed back onto the boat.
The boat wobbled dangerously as the woman gingerly stood up, one hand resting lightly on the edge of the boat. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and when she looked up and spotted the man on the riverbank watching her with amusement, her eyes widened in a mix of panic and embarrassment. Ning Yi noticed that one end of her bamboo pole had a net attached, with some mud still clinging to it. Once she regained her footing, she picked up a kitchen knife.
Oh, it's the same knife from yesterday…
The cloak was pretty, though a bit worn. The woman's swimming skills were poor, but she seemed to have a bit of experience with boating. She had waited until early morning, when no one was around, to come retrieve her kitchen knife—was she shy? Judging by her appearance, she probably came from a better background, though her current circumstances seemed less favorable. After a few glances, Ning Yi came to this conclusion. He wasn't particularly concerned about others, but the woman seemed flustered. She tried to pole the boat toward the shore, but due to her nerves, the boat kept spinning in circles, and she struggled to keep her balance, nearly falling several times.
Then...
"Achoo—"
Just as Ning Yi was about to leave, he sneezed. The woman on the boat sneezed as well, and with a thud, she fell back into the boat again. When she clambered back up, she gave him an embarrassed glare, to which Ning Yi awkwardly shrugged, "The chicken's already drowned. Why bother fetching that knife?"
A brief silence.
"The chicken came back."
"Huh?"
Ning Yi had spoken casually, making what was, in all honesty, a rather poor joke. But the woman's response caught him off guard. Her voice drifted across the water, and Ning Yi was genuinely surprised.
"…The chicken didn't die. Mrs. Chen... Mrs. Chen found it," she explained.
"Oh."
Yesterday, the woman had chased the chicken into the river, and Ning Yi had been dragged in as well, so he hadn't seen what happened afterward. It seemed the chicken was tough—it flapped its way back to safety. The locals here were quite honest and helpful. Someone even returned the chicken to her. Ning Yi silently marveled at the kindness of the townsfolk. After a moment, he called out, "Can you pass me that pole?"
The boat was still a distance from the shore, and while the pole was long enough to reach, the woman wasn't strong enough to hold it steady. The weight of the pole was also making the boat wobble dangerously. After several tries, the pole touched the shore, but the end remained submerged in the water. Ning Yi couldn't reach it, so he walked upstream for a bit, found another bamboo pole, and extended it from the shore, managing to pull the woman and her boat toward the bank.
"Thank you, sir… and about yesterday… I was just waking up and did something foolish…"
Once ashore, the woman apologized. She wasn't unaware of right and wrong, and having been rescued only to slap her rescuer in the face, she likely felt embarrassed. Ning Yi, however, waved it off casually, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I still have my run to finish, so I'll be off."
He turned and sneezed again, ignoring the woman's curious question of whether someone was chasing him. He jogged away without waiting for further thanks. Repaying kindness was just as troublesome as seeking revenge. Never mind the actual effort involved—he'd have to stand there while she expressed her gratitude, and then they'd both have to exchange pleasantries. And with all the complicated formalities between men and women, what was the point? He was already coming down with a cold; better to keep running and work up a sweat.
He had run this route many times before. Reaching the planned turnaround point, Ning Yi noticed something for the first time—her residence. It was a quaint, two-story building by the river, with a small terrace extending over the water. The setting was quite charming, with a touch of elegance that came from living over the water. However, as a practical home, it probably wasn't ideal. The winters would be particularly cold. The woman now stood by a small vegetable garden fenced off beside her house. The chicken from yesterday was inside the fence, pecking about. The woman hesitated for a long time, kitchen knife in hand, before finally stepping inside to catch the chicken. The chicken flapped its wings wildly in protest, forcing the woman to retreat in embarrassment. She quickly shut the gate behind her.
It was now quite clear—the woman clearly hadn't done much manual labor in her life, but her circumstances didn't seem great. Living in this kind of small building by the Qinhuai River, she was most likely a courtesan tied to the famous entertainment industry of the area. Some well-known courtesans, after buying their own freedom, would choose to work independently, perhaps setting up in a quaint residence like this. They might say they'd left the trade, but would still have regular patrons. Without anyone managing them, they could even appear more refined. The woman was quite beautiful, but it was unclear how she had fallen to the point of having to butcher her own chicken.
As Ning Yi ran past, glancing over, he saw the woman enter the enclosure once more. She had managed to catch the chicken this time, but just as she turned, the bird struggled free, feathers flying everywhere. Amidst the woman's fluster, the chicken escaped from the fence, only to be caught by Ning Yi as he, seeing enough, grabbed it with one swift motion. He secured its wings tightly, preventing any further escape. The woman, seeing that it was Ning Yi again, froze for a moment, likely about to offer thanks or apologize again. Ning Yi stretched out his hand, "Give me the knife."
"Uh…"
Ning Yi wasn't in the mood to waste time with her stammering. He took the kitchen knife from her and noticed there was already a bowl prepared on the ground outside the fence. He calmly walked over, squatted down, and with one hand gripping the chicken's wings and the other holding its head steady, he pulled the neck forward and lightly swiped the knife across its throat.
"Sir… um… what are you… gentleman…"
"Gentleman? Yeah, right. Is the water boiling?"
"…It's boiling."
"Good."
Without further ado, Ning Yi let the chicken's blood drain into the bowl. After the blood had fully drained, the chicken ceased struggling. He tossed the chicken on the ground, placed the knife on top of the bowl, and stood up.
"Take it to the kitchen, scald it with the hot water to pluck the feathers, then gut and clean it. By the way, do you know how to cook it once it's ready?"
The woman hesitated.
"Forget it. Find someone who knows how to cook to help you out—maybe the woman who helped you retrieve the chicken. Killing a chicken isn't easy, so don't waste it. Also, you should see a doctor—you're probably catching a cold... I've got one too. I'm off now, no need to thank me. I'm like a 'Living Lei Feng'… Ahchoo!"
Turning around, he jogged away swiftly. The woman stood there, watching him leave, only then starting to react. She furrowed her brow, muttering to herself, "Living... Lei... Feng? Living? Or Hu? Hu Lei Feng… sounds strange..."
There was no such thing as a surname "Living," but there were surnames that sounded similar, like "Hu." Mumbling to herself, the woman reasoned that he might be from an ethnic minority, or perhaps his surname was "Hu Yan." In that case, he must be called "Hu Yan Lei Feng." It sounded rather grand, and perhaps that was the case.
She had once been socially graceful, adept at dealing with people, and had met her fair share of individuals. Yet, this man had only seen her at her most awkward, and his behavior and speech were odd. The usual witty responses she would have employed seemed to fail her now. After pondering for a while, realizing that Ning Yi had already run off, she sighed and reluctantly picked up the old chicken and the bowl of chicken blood, heading toward the kitchen.
Later that morning, Ning Yi taught at Yu Shan Academy, but the discomfort in his body had intensified. On the way home after class, he vomited once, confirming that his condition had worsened. Xiao Chan was with him this time, and upon arriving home, she immediately treated him like a severely ill patient, pushing him upstairs to rest in bed.
It seemed that the sickbed life he had experienced when he first arrived in this world would repeat itself for a day or two...