Liu Ming'an was unaware of the events unfolding at the gambling house. He simply assumed that Jiang Ning had gone for a stroll out of boredom and would return shortly.
Nearby, Aunt Hui was having a good day of business, having sold all her osmanthus cakes before noon. As she was packing up, Liu Ming'an helped her tidy up. Aunt Hui took the opportunity to ask, "What's the story with that sister of yours? How come I've never seen her before?"
Liu Ming'an knew Aunt Hui meant well, concerned he might be deceived, so he didn't hide anything and told her everything about Jiang Ning.
"So that's how it is. She's quite the pitiful one," Aunt Hui said after listening, showing sympathy for Jiang Ning's situation, her expression revealing a touch of melancholy.
Liu Ming'an smiled without responding, then heard Aunt Hui ask, "So what are your plans? You're not related, and you're both of marriageable age. It's not appropriate for you to live together like this, is it?"
This question caught Liu Ming'an off guard; he hadn't thought that far ahead.
"We'll take it one step at a time," Liu Ming'an replied after a moment.
Aunt Hui was about to ask something else when two customers approached Liu Ming'an's stall, browsing his remaining calligraphy and paintings. Seeing this, Liu Ming'an waved goodbye to Aunt Hui and went to attend to the customers.
"Gentlemen, are you interested in buying some calligraphy or paintings?" Liu Ming'an asked the two young men with a smile.
The two looked quite young, with one in blue robes appearing to be about Liu Ming'an's age, while the other in gray seemed to be around twenty-five.
The young man in blue held a folding fan and wore jade at his waist. His clothes were made of a rare, shimmering silk, clearly indicating he came from a wealthy family.
"Did you write this?" the blue-robed young man asked with a smile.
"Yes, I did."
"Are you a scholar?"
"I am."
The blue-robed young man picked up a scroll and examined it carefully. After a moment, he turned to the gray-robed man behind him and said, "Zhang Shun, look at how beautifully this is written!"
The man called Zhang Shun nodded in agreement: "A horizontal stroke like the Great Wall, a vertical stroke strong and resonant, a hook that flows like the Jiangnan rivers, and a dot that holds the essence of ink. Indeed, it's excellent calligraphy."
Being praised to his face, Liu Ming'an felt a bit embarrassed and hurriedly replied modestly, "You flatter me, gentlemen. My writing is barely passable, not worthy of high praise."
The blue-robed young man laughed heartily and said, "Sir, why belittle yourself? My brother here is usually stingy with words and has quite high standards. If he's praising you, it can only mean your work is truly excellent."
Liu Ming'an didn't know how to respond, so he just smiled.
At this point, the blue-robed young man put down the scroll, closed his fan, and gave Liu Ming'an a respectful bow: "I am Zhou Yi, and this is my brother Zhang Shun. May I ask for your esteemed name, sir?"
Zhou Yi's dignified appearance and gentle, polite manner easily endeared him to others.
Liu Ming'an smiled and returned the gesture, "I am Liu Ming'an."
"Mr. Liu," Zhou Yi continued, "To be honest, Zhang Shun and I are not locals. We've come from the Capital City to celebrate my uncle's birthday. We're unfamiliar with this place, and my uncle is busy managing his business, so we've been wandering around on our own. Meeting you today, I feel we have a certain affinity. Would you be interested in becoming friends?"
Zhou Yi spoke openly and courteously. How could Liu Ming'an refuse? "I'm honored by your kindness, Mr. Zhou. Having two more friends is something I could only hope for."
The three of them shared a hearty laugh, and Zhang Shun said, "Since we're friends now, let's drop the formal titles. I'm twenty-five this year, Zhou Yi just turned twenty-one. How old are you?"
Liu Ming'an answered truthfully, "Nineteen."
Zhou Yi snapped his fan shut and said with a smile, "You're younger than both of us, so I'll call you Little Brother Liu from now on."
Liu Ming'an went along with it easily: "Brother Zhou, Brother Zhang."
"Hahaha..." Zhou Yi was in high spirits and suggested, "Little Brother Liu, since we've hit it off so well, why don't we go for a drink together? Let's go to the Fusheng Restaurant and order some good wine and food. Allow your big brother to treat you properly."
Liu Ming'an also smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind offer, brothers. On any other day, I certainly wouldn't refuse, but today I can't."
The smile on Zhou Yi's face faltered slightly, assuming he had been too forward and that Liu Ming'an was only reluctantly agreeing to their brotherhood, not wanting to deepen their acquaintance.
"Why not?" Zhang Shun asked. He could tell that Liu Ming'an wasn't the type to be coy, so his refusal must have a reason.
Sure enough, they heard Liu Ming'an explain, "I can't leave this place. I need to wait for my sister, in case she comes back and can't find me."
"Then we'll wait with you for your sister, and afterwards, the four of us can go for a drink together. How about that?" Zhou Yi suggested.
Liu Ming'an's mind flashed to Jiang Ning's expressionless face and those cold, clear eyes. He smiled somewhat helplessly at Zhou Yi and shook his head, "Brother Zhou, my sister... she has a rather cold personality and doesn't like strangers. I can't make decisions for her. Please forgive my rudeness today."
After saying this, Liu Ming'an bowed to them again in apology.
Zhang Shun, seeing the sincerity in Liu Ming'an's eyes, knew he wasn't lying and comforted him, "Little Brother Liu, don't say such things. There's still plenty of time ahead. Zhou Yi and I will be staying here for a few months, so we'll surely have the chance to drink and chat another day."
"That's right, there's no need to apologize. It's not a big deal," Zhou Yi agreed, patting Liu Ming'an on the shoulder.
Having declined their sincere invitation, Liu Ming'an felt somewhat guilty. After a moment's thought, he bent down to roll up one of his calligraphy pieces and handed it to Zhou Yi, saying, "Brother Zhou, Brother Zhang, our meeting is fated. If you don't mind, please accept this piece as a gift to mark our new friendship."
"Oh no, we couldn't possibly! How can we take your work for nothing?" Zhou Yi waved his hands, repeatedly declining.
Liu Ming'an still held out his hand, a faint smile on his face. "Brother Zhou, as the saying goes, 'A fine sword is gifted to a hero, and rouge to a beauty.' I have nothing else to offer except my humble skills in calligraphy and painting. Since you both appreciate my work so much, it's fitting for me to give this to you."
With Liu Ming'an putting it that way, Zhou Yi had no choice but to accept the scroll. He shook his head and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm humbled. Your foolish brother can only accept with gratitude."
Suddenly, Zhang Shun remembered something and exclaimed, "Ah!" He turned to Zhou Yi and said, "Didn't you mention earlier that you wanted to give your uncle a birthday painting? We left in such a hurry that we forgot about it. Now that we know Little Brother Liu is skilled in calligraphy and painting, why don't you ask him to create one for you?"
Zhou Yi's eyes lit up at the suggestion, and he excitedly clapped his hands. "That's right! How could I have forgotten about that?"
He then turned to Liu Ming'an: "Little Brother Liu, would you be willing to paint a birthday congratulatory piece for me? Your foolish brother will certainly reward you handsomely!"
Liu Ming'an replied, "It would be my pleasure, Brother Zhou. No need to speak of rewards. However, I'll need to know the name and age of the person celebrating their birthday, as well as your wishes for them, to avoid any mistakes."
"That's easy enough. My uncle is quite well-known in your town," Zhou Yi said, pointing in a certain direction. "He's the owner of the Fusheng Restaurant, named Hong Fusheng. He'll be celebrating his 60th birthday on the 28th of this month. As his nephew, I wish him longevity, good fortune, and peace for his entire family."
"Oh, it's Owner Hong!" Liu Ming'an exclaimed in surprise.
"Hahaha... See, my uncle is indeed famous," Zhou Yi laughed, looking at Zhang Shun.
Liu Ming'an nodded in agreement: "The Fusheng Restaurant is the finest in Lingshan Town. Owner Hong is known for his generous and straightforward personality. Who wouldn't know him?"
Zhang Shun then asked, "Little Brother Liu, I assume you only sell your calligraphy and paintings here on market days?"
After receiving Liu Ming'an's affirmative response, Zhang Shun continued, "The next market day is on the 25th. Zhou Yi and I will come to find you then for that drink. Don't refuse us again."
"Certainly! Certainly!" Liu Ming'an replied. "Next time, I'll bring the birthday painting with me, and we can raise our glasses together!"
"Excellent!" Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun said in unison.
After agreeing on the specific time and place for their next meeting, Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun bid farewell to Liu Ming'an and departed.
Once their figures had disappeared into the crowd, Liu Ming'an lowered his head to pack up his ink and brushes, returned the bamboo bed to Aunt Hui's shop, and then settled down by the bridge with his belongings to wait patiently for Jiang Ning's return.