When they arrived in Maozhu County, it was mid-October and already quite cold.
The two reached their destination at dusk and found an inn to stay. The first thing they did was ask for a tub of hot water to bathe.
"Let's go out tomorrow to buy some thick clothes and inquire about the route ahead," Liu Ming'an said from behind the screen.
Jiang Ning, soaking in the hot water inside the screen, lazily responded with an "Mm-hmm."
The ancient way of traveling was truly unbearable. After the long journey by horse-drawn carriage, Jiang Ning felt like her entire body was falling apart. Even now, lying still, she could still feel the swaying motion of the carriage.
Jiang Ning silently added this grievance to the account of the person who sold her. When she found the one who beat and sold her, she would definitely make them pay!
The next day, as the two went downstairs and looked around, they discovered that the carriage driver from Wine Selling Town was right - Maozhu County indeed had bamboo everywhere, and there wasn't much else to see.
The streets were filled with a dazzling array of bamboo items. Beyond the usual bamboo mats, beds, fans, and curtains, there were wine shops selling bamboo leaf wine, street stalls offering bamboo tube rice, and even bamboo hairpins at the accessories stands for women.
However, when they saw someone selling insects from a wooden bucket, the inexperienced Liu Ming'an fell silent.
The vendor split open a bamboo section, revealing a mass of white, writhing insects inside. With a bright smile, he carefully shook the insects into the wooden bucket.
Customers would reach into the pile of insects, scoop up a handful to inspect, while the creatures crawled out between their fingers and along their hands.
Liu Ming'an felt his scalp tingle at the sight. Even after turning away, the image kept replaying in his mind.
"Those are bamboo worms. Don't be afraid, they can be fried and eaten," Jiang Ning kindly explained.
Liu Ming'an looked around to make sure no one was nearby before asking in a low voice, "Aren't those... maggots?"
Jiang Ning had noticed his furrowed brow and the expression of someone who had swallowed a fly. She thought Liu Ming'an was afraid of insects, but now realized he had misunderstood.
"They're not maggots, they're bamboo worms that grow inside bamboo. They're quite clean," Jiang Ning explained, somewhat amused.
Liu Ming'an nodded, finally feeling less disgusted. "Indeed, customs differ every ten miles, and even more so every hundred. I still have much to see and learn."
Jiang Ning followed Liu Ming'an as they strolled the streets, making inquiries while shopping for clothes. They received good news at a ready-made clothing store.
The landlady, upon hearing they wanted to go to Qushui City, slapped her thigh excitedly and said, "Yesterday, a theater troupe came to buy fabric for costumes, and they said they were heading to Qushui City too. Theater troupes usually travel in groups of over a dozen people, so they must have carriages and horses. You two should go find the troupe leader and see if they can take you along..."
Liu Ming'an quickly thanked her. After each of them bought two sets of thick clothes and returned them to the inn, they followed the address given by the landlady and found the theater troupe at a large courtyard house.
"You want to go to Qushui City?"
The troupe leader was a kindly old man in his sixties. He sipped water from a purple clay teapot as he smiled at Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an, asking the question.
"Yes, we'd like to ask for your help, Master Cui. We don't know the way," Liu Ming'an said.
Liu Ming'an had learned from the landlady that the troupe leader's surname was Cui, with the given name Shan. He was said to be easy to get along with.
Liu Ming'an took out a silver tael from his pocket and handed it over, then sincerely added, "We promise not to cause any trouble for you all."
Cui Shan looked at this handsome, refined, and polite young man, laughed heartily, and pushed the silver back. "We're going the same way anyway, so it's no trouble to take you along. It'll be nice to have more people to chat with on the journey."
Liu Ming'an was delighted to hear this and was about to bow in gratitude when Cui Shan continued, "Don't thank me yet. There's something I need to say first."
"Please, go ahead!" Liu Ming'an said respectfully.
"Do you know that we need to pass through Zhuangzhu Village on the way from Maozhu County to Qushui City?" Cui Shan asked.
"Yes, I do," Liu Ming'an nodded. The owner of the Hundred Knowledge Tower had told him the same.
"We'll be stopping in Zhuangzhu Village for two or three days. If you're not in a hurry, come join us after breakfast on the third day, and we'll set off together," Cui Shan said.
Liu Ming'an turned to look at Jiang Ning, who had already picked up the silver tael and placed it next to Cui Shan. She thanked him sincerely, "Thank you, Master Cui. We'll be there. Please accept this silver as a token of our appreciation for tea. We'll take our leave now."
"Hahaha... Well, thank you then!" Cui Shan wasn't one to be coy. He accepted the silver graciously and saw them to the door.
Three days later, after breakfast, Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning arrived at the house where Cui Shan and his troupe were staying.
The theater troupe consisted of twelve people, making it fourteen including Liu Ming'an and Jiang Ning. The entire group had four horse-drawn carriages, carrying not only people but also boxes of musical instruments, costumes, and props.
Along the way, Cui Shan, having nothing else to do, often chatted with Liu Ming'an, sharing stories of his many years running the theater troupe and his travels across the land. His troupe members were tired of hearing these tales and didn't pay much attention, but Liu Ming'an was an excellent listener. He listened attentively and gave timely feedback, which made Cui Shan take a great liking to the young man.
The two got along so well that before half a day had passed, they were already addressing each other as "Uncle Cui" and "Ming'an," developing something of an intergenerational friendship.
As they neared Zhuangzhu Village, Cui Shan said, "Ming'an, the village head of Zhuangzhu Village loves scholars. You'll surely be treated as an honored guest when we arrive."
Indeed, this turned out to be true. When the group entered the village and Cui Shan introduced Liu Ming'an to the old village head, the latter's eyes immediately lit up. He clasped his hands and bowed, addressing Liu Ming'an as "Honored Scholar Liu."
Liu Ming'an was startled by this reception. Cui Shan patted him on the shoulder, laughing heartily, and after a while, whispered to him, "The village head probably wants to soak up some of your scholarly aura!"
"What do you mean?" Liu Ming'an didn't understand.
"This village head tried to become a xiucai (entry-level scholar) in his youth but failed the exams his entire life. He forced his two sons to take the exams, but unfortunately, neither of them had the aptitude for studying. Now he's set his sights on his grandson. He invited us here to perform for his newborn grandson. Do you know which plays we're going to perform?"
Liu Ming'an shook his head; he wasn't familiar with opera.
Cui Shan's eyes twinkled with mischief, and like a mischievous child, he counted off on his fingers for Liu Ming'an: "'The Top Scholar Pays Respects to His Mother,' 'The Top Scholar as Matchmaker,' 'The Butcher Becomes Top Scholar,' 'The Saga of the Top Scholar,' 'Achieving Top Scholar Rank'... We'll be performing these over the next two days."
After hearing this, all Liu Ming'an could think of was the phrase "Top Scholar."
"Hahaha... So he respects you, just accept it. The old man has a bit of an obsession, a lifelong complex... After we finish our performances, we'll head to Qushui City together."
With that, Cui Shan left to direct the setup of the stage at the village entrance.
It was the first time Liu Ming'an had received such special treatment due to his scholar status, and he still couldn't quite understand it.
"Jiang Ning, why do you think the village head has such strong conviction?" he asked.
To struggle for a lifetime, to force his sons to struggle, and now to place such deep expectations on his newborn grandson.
Jiang Ning thought for a moment and said, "All trades are lowly, only studying is high."
Liu Ming'an disagreed, "Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants - how can there be a hierarchy among them?"
Jiang Ning looked at Liu Ming'an. The young man's eyes were clear and pure, his gaze as innocent as a child's, his thoughts simple and uncomplicated. It was evident that he had not yet been battered by the harsh realities of life.
Even in a feudal society with clear class distinctions, let alone in the modern world that proclaimed "all men are created equal," the differences between people were often greater than those between humans and dogs. Where was true equality to be found?
Liu Ming'an had not left Lingshan Town in his nineteen years, and his worldview was limited to the few classics he had read. The darker side of the world had not yet had a chance to reveal itself to him.
Jiang Ning had no intention of trying to convince Liu Ming'an otherwise. An innocent heart was a rare and precious thing in this world, and she was willing to protect Liu Ming'an's pure nature as much as possible.
In the end, Jiang Ning changed the subject.
"Let's go help Master Cui set up the stage. They seem to be short-handed."