Chapter Fifty: Take Care in Days to Come

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"Shouyi!" Just as the group finished their playful banter and was about to leave, Zhang Yurou called out to them from behind, her eyes flashing with a trace of cunning that went unnoticed by the others. She wore an expression of deep distress as she explained to Zhang Mingzhi, who turned around, "Chef Wang in the kitchen suddenly said this morning that there was an urgent matter at home. He might not be back for several days! And you never like the food made by the other chefs."

"Such a coincidence? What's happened at his home? Did no one ask if he needed help?" Zhang Mingzhi frowned slightly. Chef Wang was not only his personal cook, but had also been brought all the way from Guangzhou to Fuxu Port. With his picky palate, Zhang Mingzhi only cared to eat dishes prepared by Chef Wang himself, so he was naturally more concerned.

"Chef Wang said his elderly father back home is gravely ill and bedridden. Things don't look good. You went out to the port first thing in the morning, so this urgent matter couldn't wait for you to return. I made the decision to let him go home, and found two people to accompany him!" As she spoke, Zhang Yurou's face also showed distress. Chef Wang had not only been Zhang Mingzhi's private chef, but had also looked after the siblings' meals since they were children. Though there was a difference in status, the Zhang siblings still held him in high regard.

Seeing Zhang Mingzhi's brow furrow, Zhang Yurou, well aware of her brother's thoughts, hurriedly took his arm and soothed him gently, "Don't worry, Shouyi. It'll be alright! Before Chef Wang left, I had him take a hundred taels of silver from the account for expenses. I also instructed the two who went with him: if anything urgent happens, go back to Guangzhou and withdraw whatever is needed. As long as there's hope for treatment, no expense is too great!"

"Yes, that's only right. Chef Wang has looked after me since I was a child; this is as it should be." Zhang Mingzhi's face was tinged with sadness; he nodded slightly, then after a moment's thought, looked up to give his sister further instructions. "Sister, please keep an eye on this matter. Chef Wang's father is over seventy and has always been in poor health. Because of his position here, Chef Wang hasn't been able to stay by his father's side to fulfill his filial duty. I worry that this time, the old man may not pull through..."

"I understand. Don't worry." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yurou immediately caught her brother's meaning. She nodded in understanding, taking up the responsibility. "If the worst should happen and his father doesn't make it, we siblings should help with the funeral arrangements. Leave it to me. Tomorrow morning, I'll send two more people over to check on things and make sure we're prepared for both possibilities."

"Alright, sorry to trouble you. Ah!" Zhang Mingzhi nodded, heaving a long sigh. He was then reminded of the issue of dinner, which seemed to weigh on him even more now that their meal was uncertain. Rubbing his temples a little, he looked to Ding Li and Zhang Wu for their opinions. "Shall we eat out instead? Maybe have a drink or two? Let Ali see what Fuxu is like at night!"

"Huh?" Ding Li was momentarily taken aback, glancing in confusion from Zhang Wu to Zhang Mingzhi. "Second Brother, isn't there a curfew at night in Fuxu?"

"Curfew, my foot! If anything, there are midnight snacks!" Zhang Mingzhi dismissed the idea with a curse, shaking his head as he pushed thoughts of Chef Wang aside. He threw an arm around Ding Li's shoulder, grinning as he explained, "What kind of place is Fuxu Town? It's both the most strictly governed place and, at the same time, a place where nobody meddles!"

"Nobody meddles?" Ding Li was even more puzzled by this contradictory explanation. He distinctly remembered Zhang Wu describing the strict order here, so how could it suddenly be a place where nobody cared? The two couldn't be more different.

"All those prohibitions are just to scare outsiders and those without backing," Zhang Wu interjected, catching Ding Li's confusion and seizing the chance to explain. "The first hands-off party is the Military Governor's Office. The second is the Inspector's Office. The third is the Office of Maritime Trade. As long as the people involved have connections with any of these three powers, ordinary matters are left alone. Even if a brawl breaks out on the street, as long as it can be explained, none of the three will really tear into each other over it. After all, Fuxu Port is a place where the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Any one of these three forces can settle any incident."

"In essence, it's all about maintaining the current balance, isn't it?" Ding Li understood now. It sounded nice, but in truth it was just officials covering for each other, colluding and playing their own games. He curled his lip in disdain at such tactics. "It's just a game for those at the top. Rules never constrain those who make them. And honestly, none of the three powers are confident they could come out on top if things fell apart, so they keep this fragile, ugly balance."

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Ding Li's incisive analysis left not only Zhang Mingzhi and Zhang Wu stunned, but even Zhang Yurou, who had been trailing behind trying to interject, was struck speechless. The Ding Li they knew was nothing more than a down-and-out dock laborer, with no exposure to the power struggles of the elite—let alone any insights of his own.

Yet his words cut right to the heart of Fuxu Town's situation, so much so that the three of them were secretly amazed. Ding Li had only been in Fuxu for a few hours, yet he could see things so clearly. Although there were hidden truths only insiders could know, what he had said was enough to prove that Ding Li was far from a mere brawler—much less, as Zhang Mingzhi had joked, someone equally adept at both pen and sword.

At this moment, as they recalled Ding Li's humble background as a dock worker, Zhang Mingzhi and the others became even more convinced: Ding Li was a true, hidden talent—both a scholar and a warrior. As the old saying goes, the best hermits hide in the city.

Zhang Yurou, meanwhile, regarded Ding Li with an increasingly complex gaze. Her curiosity and interest were on full display, though Ding Li paid her no mind. This left her feeling slightly annoyed at being ignored, despite her obvious admiration.

"If you're all going out, then I'm not going!" Sure enough, a touch of displeasure brought out Zhang Yurou's young-lady temperament. She pouted and snapped, then shot a fierce glare at Ding Li. Yet immediately after, as if unwilling to give up, her heart began to flutter wildly, like a startled deer. Had it not been for the rosy glow of the sunset coloring her beautiful face, everyone would have noticed that Zhang Yurou had blushed twice in a single day.

"That's fine! It would be inconvenient if you came with us anyway. If you want something to eat, just tell the kitchen and it'll be made for you," Zhang Mingzhi replied, oblivious to his sister's irritation and even a bit pleased. The thought of all the girls in town waiting for the Zhang family's second young master filled him with anticipation. He casually reminded his sister, then took Ding Li and Zhang Wu and prepared to leave.

"Zhang Mingzhi! You stay right there!" The eruption came without warning—at least, not to Zhang Mingzhi. Since childhood, whenever Zhang Yurou called him by his full name, he knew trouble was close at hand.

Sure enough, before he could even turn around, a delicate yet forceful hand grabbed his ear, pinching it hard. Zhang Yurou's furious lion's roar sounded beside him, "You can't go either! None of you are to go! Stay here! Tonight, I'll cook myself!"

"Sis! Dear sister! Take it easy!" Zhang Mingzhi had no idea why his sister had suddenly lost her temper, but he knew it must have to do with dinner. Bending over to ease the pain in his ear, he instinctively cast a pleading glance at Ding Li, as if only Ding Li could restrain his sister.

Ding Li was utterly bewildered. He hadn't done anything, nor dared say a word, yet the young lady—who could be both gentle and fierce—had suddenly erupted, and he could not imagine how it could possibly be related to him.

But Zhang Mingzhi had always treated him differently. Seeing him bullied and cowering like a grandson before his sister, Ding Li thought of how Zhang Mingzhi had once saved his life. Although Zhang Yurou was now furious, surely she wouldn't kill him for a few words of persuasion.

"Ahem... um..." With this in mind, Ding Li decided to do Zhang Mingzhi the favor. As he spoke, his right arm—which had only just been wounded by Zhang Yurou—gave an involuntary twitch, a sharp pain shooting up from the injury. Even so, he braced himself, coughed lightly, and stepped to Zhang Yurou's side.

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As Ding Li approached, Zhang Yurou looked up and met his chiseled, resolute face. Her heart gave a sudden, involuntary jolt, her mind momentarily blank. The little deer in her chest began to dash about madly, as if it might break free at any moment.

"What do you want?" Zhang Yurou tried her best to suppress this inexplicable urge, her beautiful eyes darting away from Ding Li's face, though she couldn't help but glance at him from the corner of her eye, unable to look away for long.

Zhang Yurou's change in demeanor did not escape Zhang Mingzhi. Not only did the pain in his ear lessen, but he also caught a glimpse of his sister's odd behavior out of the corner of his eye. Startled, he forgot his own discomfort and stared in astonishment at the two of them, quietly edging away from between them.

"I—I just—No, that's not it!" Ding Li was no fool. With Liu Sheng at home, he couldn't fail to notice the change in Zhang Yurou. He faltered for a moment, unable to get a word out, then simply waved his hand with a bold laugh. "I mean, how about you come out with us instead?"

"Yes, yes, you can just come along..." Zhang Mingzhi chimed in, grumbling petulantly, his eyes flickering between Ding Li and his sister as if trying to read something in their faces. But whatever had just passed over Zhang Yurou vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a look of unbridled delight. She nodded emphatically, her gaze bold and unwavering on Ding Li, but without the earlier glimmer.

"Why didn't we do this from the start? What a waste of time," Zhang Mingzhi muttered, rubbing his aching ear and shaking his head. "Besides, your cooking—who could eat that?"

He spoke softly, but Zhang Yurou caught every word. Her eyes flashed cold, her face frosted over as she snapped, "Zhang Mingzhi! Don't you dare run!"

The moment he heard his name, Zhang Mingzhi, no fool, bolted out of Xiyun Courtyard without a backward glance, leaving Ding Li and Zhang Wu behind. Zhang Yurou, lifting her skirt, gave chase for a few steps before suddenly stopping, a sweet smile curving her lips as two shy blushes blossomed on her cheeks.

"Tell Shouyi to wait for me—I need to change before we go out!" As she turned away, the bashfulness and unusual smile vanished from her face, replaced by a calm composure. She tossed a few words to Ding Li and Zhang Wu, then hurried off to her room like a shy girl next door.

"Th-this..." Zhang Wu lifted his arm in bewilderment, pointing after Zhang Yurou. His expression was one of utter disbelief. After a pause, he looked at Ding Li, his gaze a complicated mixture of sympathy, pity, and envy. With a pat on Ding Li's shoulder, he turned to leave, tossing back a cryptic farewell: "Brother, take care of yourself from now on."