Ding Hanbai's Chicken-Killing Show

New Year's Eve did not arrive quietly. The sound of firecrackers, red lanterns, and boxes full of peanut brittle and candy filled the air with a festive atmosphere. The Ding Family was large, and every New Year's Eve, they had to gather together to prepare a table full of fine dishes.

The kitchen was crowded. Ding Keyu was chopping filling, Ji Shenyu was kneading dough, and the others, young and old, were busy with their own tasks. A rush of hurried footsteps sounded, and everyone looked up to see Ding Hanbai, sleeves rolled up, rushing in covered in chicken feathers.

Jiang Caiwei asked, "What are you doing?"

Ding Hanbai said, "Your sister asked me to kill a chicken, but that chicken is running all over the courtyard." He set down the cleaver and washed his hands. Ji Shenyu asked, "So you're not killing it?"

Ding Hanbai's gaze fixed on him. The man was wearing an apron that cinched his waist, and a pair of fair hands were kneading dough. It was hard to tell which was more delicate. "I'm killing it, you come with me." In front of everyone, his heart fluttered, and his eyes became hooked. "I'm not used to the cleaver. I need to use a carving knife."

The few fellow apprentices all stopped their work to go watch Ding Hanbai's performance of killing a chicken in the courtyard. On the thirtieth, in the clean and tidy courtyard, trees were trees and flowers were flowers. A plump and sturdy brown old hen strutted about, now flapping its wings, now pecking the ground, facing off against Ding Hanbai.

Ding Hanbai even wore a well-ironed white shirt to kill a chicken. It was thin, yet he didn't seem to feel the cold. His whole body was tense. With one hand behind his back, he held a long-handled carving knife, its blade no more than a centimeter long. "Shh." He approached, treading lightly.

That chicken was no pushover either. It flapped and scurried about randomly. The iron-hearted Ding Hanbai chased after it, actually kicking the chicken into mid-air, then grabbing its wings. "—Ah!" The three onlookers gasped. They hadn't seen Ding Hanbai's swift stroke at all, only a spurt of chicken blood that sprayed over a meter long.

Blood dripped from the blade. That cut was deep, too deep. The chicken's head wobbled a few times before breaking off completely, falling onto the stone bricks. Ji Shenyu was dumbfounded, recalling how he had used a knife to slash the hooligan. Ding Hanbai's speed and strength were several times his own.

Before anyone could recover, Ding Yanshou rushed out and cursed, "Prodigal son! Wipe my courtyard clean!"

Everyone scattered and fled again. Ding Hanbai stood alone in the center of the courtyard. He looked up and saw Ji Shenyu still sitting peacefully under the veranda. He asked, "Why didn't you go back to kneading the dough?"

Ji Shenyu said, "If no one else will look after you, I will."

Ding Hanbai asked again, "Did I look good killing the chicken?"

Ji Shenyu said with a smile, "You looked good. Can you kill a pig next year?"

Ding Hanbai slowly walked over, coming up to the veranda, and leaned on the railing to meet Ji Shenyu's gaze. "Kill a pig? Zhenzhu is already the death of me, how could I bring myself to strike?"

That evening, the whole family gathered together, pairing delicacies with Maotai. Every face was flushed. Ding Hanbai and Ji Shenyu were still clear-headed. After the meal, they took a portion of dumplings and went to the hospital to visit Liang Hecheng.

The hospital was deserted. Unexpectedly, the ward was already set with food and wine. Zhang Sinian was drinking with Liang Hecheng. These two old men were a pitiable sight—one with a useless son, the other terminally ill—and had actually gotten together on this festive occasion.

The dumplings were served, and they clinked glasses to the sound of early morning firecrackers. Ding Hanbai said, "You two old sirs have buried the hatchet with a smile."

Liang Hecheng retorted, "Take away the 'grudges.' There was only enmity before."

Zhang Sinian chimed in, "Enmity or not, you won't outlive me anyway."

The banter was brief. Liang Hecheng's body could only handle a few sentences, and his six-fingered right hand couldn't even pick up a dumpling. Ji Shenyu fed him. The old man mumbled, "Dumplings with wine, a bite and a cup, all regrets are gone."

Ji Shenyu said, "Master, have another one."

Liang Hecheng looked at him and shook his head. His body couldn't take much food, and the pain masked any hunger. Ji Shenyu didn't cry or sigh, nor did he say anything discouraging. Instead, with a smile, he gently stroked that extra little finger.

Zhang Sinian said, "Your master has a nickname in the community: Ghost Hand."

Ji Shenyu had heard this from Fang Huaiqing and also knew that Zhang Sinian was called Ghost Eye. The grudges and grievances of years past, the competitions, the mutual schemes, had all blurred. Even if the fireworks outside the window were as bright as lanterns, they could no longer illuminate things clearly.

They returned late at night. When they woke up, it was the first day of the New Year. Besides the crackling of firecrackers, they could hear the commotion in the Front Courtyard from the bedroom. Ji Shenyu's eyes were hazy with sleep. The spot next to him was empty; the person who had slept in his arms was already up.

He hurriedly dressed. Just then, a shout came from outside, and Jiang Ting'en burst in, full of energy. "Ji Zhenzhu! Happy New Year, Happy New Year! Big Brother told me to come wake you up!"

Ji Shenyu said, amused, "Why are you up so early?"

Jiang Ting'en said, "A lot of people come to Uncle's place, so all of us apprentices have to be here." He plopped down on the edge of the bed. "Big Brother is busy helping entertain the guests and can't get away, so I..."

He paused, and Ji Shenyu looked up in confusion. Jiang Ting'en asked, "What are those red marks on your shoulder?"

Ji Shenyu looked down. What could they be? They were the marks Ding Hanbai had viciously sucked onto him. His face turned shades of red and white. He finished dressing and made something up: "I was wearing a wool sweater against my bare skin yesterday, it was scratchy."

Jiang Ting'en leaned closer. "Did you know? When men and women are intimate, if they suck with their mouths, the marks they make look just like that."

Ji Shenyu's heart trembled, afraid that this unreliable fourth brother was implying something, or even trying to trick him. "You say that like you've been intimate with someone before." He forced himself to remain calm. "Besides, who would suck on me? When men and women are intimate, it can't be the man who gets sucked on, right?"

Jiang Ting'en's face turned red. "You Southern barbarians are truly improper. I'm going back to the Front Courtyard!"

Having muddled through, Ji Shenyu felt like he'd lost three years of his life. After tidying up, he hurried to the Front Courtyard. Good heavens, the door to the house was wide open, a thermos of hot tea was placed under the veranda, and seven or eight soft cushions were strewn at the bottom of the steps. He looked up and saw Ding Yanshou standing in the living room, while Ding Hanbai bustled inside and out, exchanging New Year's greetings with guests.

One couldn't judge the visitors by age alone. An older person might have a lower seniority. There were those he had to call uncle, and even some he had to call grandpa. They came in waves, uncles and cousins or relatives from who knows where. The younger generation kowtowed, a whole crowd of them kneeling.

Then there were the people from the trade, calling out "Boss Ding," coming one after another as if in an endless line. It was the first time Ji Shenyu had seen such a spectacle. It used to be lively in Yangzhou too, with Ji Fangxu's friends visiting one by one, but it was never this magnificent.

"Shenyu!" Ding Hanbai called to him.

He hurried over and was pushed into the living room before he could ask what was happening. Ding Hanbai faced a room full of respectable uncles and introduced him, "This is Ji Shenyu, the one who made the Jade Incense Burner. He also did the aging on the stone seal. His father was the former Master Ji of Yangzhou."

As soon as he finished, everyone looked surprised, probably because of Ji Shenyu's young age. Ji Shenyu himself was extremely flustered but managed to greet everyone with a poised demeanor. When they asked him about Ji Fangxu's life, he answered each question concisely.

What rising star, what student surpassing the master—Ding Hanbai and Ji Shenyu stood together, receiving a deluge of praise. One of the most familiar guests patted Ding Yanshou and said, "The grandmaster of Jade Pavilion has a successor. You should retire when it's time. After you retire, we can travel the world together, be a hands-off boss for once."

Ding Yanshou laughed heartily and chatted with the group of peers over tea. Ding Hanbai and Ji Shenyu came out, walked along the veranda for a bit, and stopped in a corner to talk. "We'll be busy all morning. If you're tired, take a nap in the afternoon," Ding Hanbai said. "Ever since you carved the Jade Incense Burner, a lot more people have been asking about you."

Ji Shenyu couldn't hide his excitement. "Can I really become a grandmaster in the future?"

Ding Hanbai didn't answer. He knew Ji Shenyu loved carving and also loved making objects. He wouldn't interfere one bit with the balance Ji Shenyu had to strike between the two. In that moment of silence, Ji Shenyu understood. He took a step closer and lowered his voice. "Didn't you say you were going to collect damaged pieces for me to repair? Even if I become a grandmaster, I'll still help you. I'll help you even if I'm so busy my feet don't touch the ground. Between Master and you, I've already chosen to fail Master... In short, I value you the most."

Right there, in broad daylight, as elders chatted and laughed inside the house and neighbors bustled about with congratulations outside the courtyard walls, Ding Hanbai was frozen in that corner, caught off guard as Ji Shenyu revealed his true feelings. He wanted to take the other's hand but, after a moment's hesitation, patted his head instead. It was not just for a lover, but also contained the affection of a senior brother.

The bustle continued until noon. The afternoon was finally quiet. The large family closed the doors and brought out the mahjong table for their own entertainment. Jiang Ting'en lost his New Year's money in a few quick rounds and went to whine to his two aunts. Then Jiang Caiwei came for revenge, but she too was losing before she could win her money back.

Through all the comings and goings, only Ding Hanbai was quietly making a fortune. Finally, he pushed his tiles forward, winning with a flush. He stopped playing. What was the fun in winning money? Spending it was the real fun. He took Ji Shenyu out, for some shopping and a drive. They drove around and around, and ended up at Daimao.

Ji Shenyu had a thick wad of New Year's money in his pocket. With Ding Hanbai's sharp eyes, all he had to do was wait to find a bargain. After wandering around, Ding Hanbai stopped at a stall selling clothes—maguas, wide-sleeved front-buttoning jackets, embroidered belts... He asked curiously, "Boss, these are Republic of China Era styles, quite beautiful."

The older one chatted enthusiastically with the boss while the younger one went to buy some tanghulu. When he came back, he heard they had just finished talking about the Xinhai Revolution. Ji Shenyu hid to one side, eating the sweet and sour treat, but when he looked up, he was confronted with human suffering. A white-haired old man was sitting under a tree, weeping, completely out of place with the festive atmosphere.

When asked, the old man just shook his head and wouldn't speak. Ji Shenyu noticed his bundle. "Grandpa, are you selling something, or did you buy something?"

The old man started wailing, startling Ding Hanbai who had been deep in conversation. Ding Hanbai came running over, without a shred of sympathy. He opened his mouth and asked, "Got a good piece? Take it out and let me have a look. Sir, crying won't bring you wealth or drive away misfortune, why don't you take a rest?"

The old man untied his bundle, revealing a dark, patterned object inside.

Ding Hanbai took it, tapped it. A bronze vessel, with a Xuande mark from the Great Ming. "Bronze with Sprinkled Gold, and the bronze is very pure." He didn't finish, glancing at the man. "I've never seen anyone sell things while crying. You bought this, didn't you?"

The old man said, "I won't hide it from you. I was swindled."

Since he was being honest, Ding Hanbai took the conversation further. "This bronze is definitely good bronze, and there's nothing wrong with the shape or the mark. But the gold sprinkled all over it is wrong. It's just a layer of gold powder. After sprinkling it, they coated it with a layer of patina, the texture is rough." He then asked, "How much did you spend on this, old sir?"

The old man choked up. "Fifty-five thousand. My entire life savings."

Ding Hanbai mocked him, "Such a perfect Xuande censer with sprinkled gold for only fifty-five thousand, could it possibly be real?" He weighed it for a moment, feigning a headache. "How about this, thirty thousand, you sell it to me."

The old man was shocked. "It's a fake and you still want to buy it?"

He said, "I feel sorry for you, old sir. I imagine if my dad had lost his life savings and was sitting on the street crying, I would hope someone could help him." He pulled the old man up, his face full of sincerity. "I'm a businessman, I can afford a few tens of thousands."

There was a bank right next to them. Ding Hanbai withdrew the money and bought the piece. As soon as the old man left, he stood on the sidewalk with his arm around Ji Shenyu, letting the wind blow on them. He said, "Little Master Ji, I'll have to trouble you to repair this properly."

Ji Shenyu was astonished. "Isn't this a fake? It still needs to be repaired?"

On the surface, it did look like a fake, and not even a high-quality one. But the reason it had been faked and processed was that the piece itself was too severely damaged. In other words, this was actually a genuine piece in terrible shape.

Ji Shenyu asked, "Then is the damaged piece worth fifty-five thousand?"

Ding Hanbai said, "If it were, they wouldn't have bothered processing it. And whether it's worth it or not, I'm only giving that old man thirty thousand. He has to remember the sting of this loss. That's the only way he'll learn his lesson."

Looking at the object again, it was sprinkled with gold all over, but the patches of color were of different shapes. Ji Shenyu was exasperated. "You always pick the difficult jobs to torture me with!" After complaining, he caught sight of a van by the roadside. It was dirty, but very familiar.

The van door opened, and the people who got out were even more familiar: Tong Peifan and Fang Huaiqing.

The four of them met again. On New Year's Day, it would be a shame not to have a drink together. At a teahouse by the street, next to a window, Tong Peifan looked a bit younger with his stubble shaved off. After they sat down, he took off Fang Huaiqing's coat and was about to remove his scarf.

Fang Huaiqing said lightly, "Leave it on."

His sleeves weren't rolled up, and the two ends were empty. Ji Shenyu stared for a moment before looking away, at the treetops outside. It was just a chance encounter, but a thought sparked in Ding Hanbai's mind. He asked about Tong Peifan's recent situation, his business, his prospects.

He didn't beat around the bush. "Brother Tong, an idea just popped into my head when I saw you." He poured tea for the other man, a common courtesy that, coming from Ding Hanbai, was practically an act of condescension. "I want to open a porcelain kiln. Having you would be like adding wings to a tiger. What do you think?"

Tong Peifan asked, "Are you looking for a partner? Or to hire me?"

Ding Hanbai said, "If you have money, we'll be partners. If you don't, you'll work for me. Once we make money and one kiln becomes two, I'll set one up for you." His mind worked fast. "To be honest with you two, Shenyu and I restore damaged pieces, and porcelain makes up the largest proportion. It's inconvenient without a kiln. In the future, I want to open an antique city, and every shop will need basic inventory. In the initial stage, I also want to be a supplier. Once we establish the cooperation and bring in the individual dealers, it will be much easier."

Things are of different grades; not every kiln can produce everything. Ding Hanbai had calculated it all out. If he and Tong Peifan started a porcelain kiln, the latter was experienced, while Ji Shenyu understood firing. With the work divided, it would be seamless. Once this plan was proposed, Tong Peifan fell into thought. To say he would consider it meant he was tempted.

In this world, who would be happy to drift around without a fixed home, especially while taking care of a disabled person?

Ji Shenyu hadn't said a word for a long time. He always knew Ding Hanbai was highly skilled and daring, but he hadn't expected his business acumen to be so sharp, and for him to have his future planned out so clearly. In a quiet moment, he asked Fang Huaiqing, "Senior Brother, are you staying in the city for now?"

Fang Huaiqing said, "The old house hasn't been tidied up. We're at a guest house for the past couple of days."

Ji Shenyu nodded. "Master is in the hospital. If you have time, you should go see him."

Fang Huaiqing was still the same deadpan person. "I'm afraid if he sees me, he'll just kick the bucket on the spot."

A cup clinked against the saucer, not too heavily, not too lightly. Ji Shenyu's eyes turned cold, and his words were just as chilly. "Whether he kicks the bucket or has a final flicker of life, the old man doesn't have many days left anyway. If he has any regrets in this life, you are surely one of them. Go and admit you were wrong, so he can have one less regret."

Fang Huaiqing smiled nonchalantly, as if laughing at Ji Shenyu for being a busybody. Ji Shenyu didn't get angry either, just looked at him calmly until the smile faded. "The day he was hospitalized, Master had me look at a painting, to teach me," he said. "That painting was so long. It was the 'Picture and Record of Zhoujintang'."

There was noise all around, but their corner suddenly became so quiet.

The tea had been steeped three times, what was hot had cooled, and the cool was refilled with hot.

After what felt like a long time, Fang Huaiqing asked, "Which hospital is he in?"

They left late in the evening. Ding Hanbai drove slowly, in a good mood, having acquired an object and proposed a partnership. Ji Shenyu was a bit listless. After a while, he said to himself, "Master Liang is really dying."

Ding Hanbai said, "Yes, even the doctors can't do anything."

Ji Shenyu recalled that it had been the same with Ji Fangxu. There was nothing that could be done. Fortunately, he and Madam were there to send him off. He sighed softly, exhaling the gloom, and said cheerfully, "I'm going to send Master Liang off. It's a good thing he met me, otherwise he would have been all alone."

Ding Hanbai asked, "Are you sad?"

Ji Shenyu replied, "I'm not made of stone, of course I'm sad. But more than sad, I'm actually relieved. I met the old man, I learned a skill, and he has someone to take care of him and see him off. This is a perfect outcome, a mercy from heaven."

Ding Hanbai agreed, "That's right, everyone has to die. Whether it's a couple or brothers, the one who dies is reluctant to leave, and the one who stays can't let go. That's the most painful part. The way I see it, you say everything you want to say in the final meeting, call out their name one last time, and then go freely and unrestrainedly."

Ji Shenyu said, "The one who is left is still breathing. What do they do when they miss the other person?"

Ding Hanbai added, "Didn't you manage on your own before you met? Just live well. When you miss them, look at old photos and things, think about the life you had together. Whether you cry or laugh, it's all fine."

Ji Shenyu suddenly turned his face. "Senior Brother, I want your photo. I want lots and lots of them."

He looked a little apprehensive, and a little like he'd just had an epiphany. Ding Hanbai agreed, turned the car around, and sped off, searching the streets. He drove all over the district before finally finding a photo studio that was still open.

The two of them sat side by side in their shirts, in the middle of winter, on the first New Year after they met, and had a photo taken together.

Ding Hanbai said, "From now on, we'll take one every Spring Festival and write the year on the back."

Ji Shenyu replied, "Let's take one for Master and Madam too. If we have apprentices in the future, we'll take photos for them too."

Talking like this, they got in the car. The white exhaust faded into the distance. Upon returning home, Ji Shenyu lay on the bay window in the study, in a daze, clutching the photo and the jade pendant Ding Hanbai had given him. When Ding Hanbai came in to find him, he smiled with a hint of sadness.

"Senior Brother, if only Old Ji could see you."

Ding Hanbai shuddered. "That would be terrifying..."

Ji Shenyu broke into a crooked smile, twisting his body to pound the bed. "I want him to know that I'm with you, that I found someone handsome and dashing." When Ding Hanbai sat down beside him, he sidled over. "Senior Brother, Master Liang and Master Zhang are in their sixties and seventies. They've seen through life and death and don't care about it anymore. Fifty or sixty years from now, when you also see through everything, will you still like me as much as you do now?"

Ding Hanbai deliberately said, "How would I know? I'm only twenty now."

Ji Shenyu cursed, "So what if you're twenty? At twenty, you coaxed your junior brother into being with you, kissing and sleeping together, what haven't you done? When you were doing me, you called me darling and sweetheart one after another, but now that you have your pants on, you won't promise anything?"

Ding Hanbai nearly took off his pants. "I promise everything, okay? Let's not even talk about liking you in fifty or sixty years. I'll be like a turtle, live for a thousand years, and love you all that time."

Ji Shenyu's anger turned to joy. Finding something to do, he inched into Ding Hanbai's arms. Draping his arms over Ding Hanbai's shoulders, he leaned in and whispered, "Senior Brother, I want to give you a kiss."

He made Ding Hanbai blush. Under the dim light, the white jade turned red like Chicken-Blood Stone. He tilted his face up, brushing a light kiss on his cheek, then his nose... He had long thought this nose was tall and straight, giving him a somewhat fierce look.

Ding Hanbai was frozen as if his pressure points had been hit, not daring to move, until he felt a warmth on his lips.

Ji Shenyu kissed him softly, proactively, gently, not like his own roguish haste, but it still drew out sounds of entanglement. "Senior Brother..." Ji Shenyu called him, the words muffled, so sticky and sweet it made his bones melt.

Outside the window, fireworks burst one after another. The tip of his tongue was sucked numb by this junior brother of his.

In that moment, Ding Hanbai understood everything. King You of Zhou fooling the nobles with beacon fires—could you really blame King You for being an idiot? It was all the fault of that enchantress Bao Si! Their lips parted, and he held Ji Shenyu tightly in his arms, afraid this wanton creature would run out and wreak havoc.

"Happy New Year," the person in his arms said.

'Happy?' Ding Hanbai thought. 'This is simply paradise.'