Chapter 101: The Commandant's Young Carp [Thanks to Alliance Leader: You Are My Despicable]

What is a "solitary joy"? It is what later generations call a spinning top.

The spinning top has ancient origins. Although different countries claim various birthplaces for it, the spinning top excavated from the Hemudu site in Zhejiang is absolutely the earliest physical artifact of its kind traceable in human civilization.

Regrettably, due to wars, natural disasters, and other reasons, few written records of this object survived. In the Jin Dynasty, where Wang Ge lived, it was called *dule* (solitary joy); Tang Dynasty records referred to it as the "spinning vessel"; the Song Dynasty called it the "thousand-turn cart"; and the Ming Dynasty called it *zhuangyu* and *tuoluo* (spinning top).

In other words, the written record of the term "spinning top" first appeared during the Ming Dynasty.

After Wang Ge shaved the wood into the inverted cone shape of a spinning top, she glanced at the three little fish. Their colors were quite lovely, though she wondered how they would taste. Then she glanced at the thief—no, the white crane—standing awkwardly on one leg. She wondered if carving just a simple cone was too perfunctory.

Well, she might as well carve some patterns.

First, on the top flat surface of the spinning top, which was about the size of a copper coin, she sketched a white crane standing alone. The point where the crane's neck met its body was the center of the flat surface, where she would later wedge in the spindle. Having finalized the design, she pulled the candle flame as close as possible—any closer and it would scorch her face—and began the fine carving.

In her past life, woodcarving had been inscribed in the second batch of the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The lineage Wang Nanhang belonged to inherited the techniques of relief carving, openwork carving, and pierced carving.

It is worth noting that although relief and openwork carving techniques had existed since the Neolithic Age, terms like "relief carving" did not exist in ancient times. However, the Song Dynasty architectural treatise *Yingzao Fashi* (Treatise on Architectural Methods) by Li Jie recorded carving terms such as "recessed background with low relief," "recessed background with high relief," and "recessed background with openwork." The first two referred to relief carving, while the latter referred to openwork carving.

When Wang Ge first set her knife to the wood, she indeed only intended to carve a rough shape of the crane. If she worked quickly, she shouldn't miss the evening meal. Tonight was New Year's Eve, after all; even if she was the only student left in the academy, there would surely be good food.

But after just a few cuts, she forgot all about the food and immersed herself in the carving. She carved a few strokes, blew away the wood shavings, and repeated the cycle. It was as if she had become Wang Nanhang again, or perhaps her past and present lives had merged, both residing in an ancient room.

After a while, because she was so intensely focused, she forgot to turn her head when blowing away the wood shavings. Fortunately, she blew downward, so not much flew into the candle wax.

Chixiao had fallen asleep while waiting, only to be awakened by the distant sound of firecrackers. Fortunately, the sound was far away and did not startle it. With its keen hearing, once the firecrackers faded, it heard the faint sound of wood carving. Every little scrape tickled its small heart—scratch, scratch—so itchy, yet so pleasant and comfortable, just like the feeling when its master stroked its little head.

Little did it know that at this very moment, its master, Xie Youru, was in a towering rage!

The three young carp he had meticulously raised in a clay basin were gone! These three young carp were the finest of their kind, intelligent and spirited. Within just a few days of rearing, they had been trained to be quite sensible, wagging their tails and gathering around whenever he approached.

Who dared to take them without his permission? Who dared to enter his inner chamber without leave?

Only that unruly boy!

Xie Youru ordered, "Jiumu, go and fetch Xie Ju immediately!"

That unruly boy! Rumors had spread in the capital that he had climbed onto the roof to smoke out rats. Regardless of whether it was true, the rumors grew wilder. Some questioned Xie Ju's reputation as a child prodigy, and some even went so far as to call him a half-wit. Left with no choice, the Xie family had ordered the boy to leave the capital and take temporary refuge in the Nanshan Villa in Kuaiji Commandery.

Who would have thought he would still be so rebellious? Did he want to lose face in Nanshan as well? Did he not know that once a reputation was trampled, even a tenfold effort in the future could hardly restore it?

Xie Ju was just finding the game of *cangkou* (hidden hook) at the banquet terribly boring. When his father sent a young servant to call for him, he was actually quite pleased in his heart.

Walking along the path, hearing the crackle of firecrackers and seeing the brilliant lanterns, the childlike spirit he had deliberately suppressed was gradually stirred by the festive atmosphere of New Year's Eve. Passing by a red carp lantern, which was much more beautiful than the ordinary carp lantern in front of Wang Ge's room, Xie Ju reached out his hand, letting the vibrant, scaly light of the lantern reflect in his palm. He clenched his fist, stubbornly believing he had captured the red glow, unwilling to let it go.

He wanted to give this red glow to Wang Ge.

Because he had stopped without a sound, Jiumu had walked more than twenty feet before realizing it. He hurried back and gently urged, "Second Young Master, please stop playing. The Commandery Commandant is waiting for you."

Xie Ju paused, then said, "Very well."

But as he resumed walking, the joy on his face vanished. For Jiumu to dare urge him meant that when his father sent the servant, he had not bothered to spare his son's dignity in front of the household staff.

On New Year's Eve, what could have happened? Why was Father like this?

As soon as Xie Ju arrived, Xie Youru ordered Jiumu to close the door and leave before demanding, "What are you clutching in your hand?"

"Replying to Father, nothing."

"Then open your hand."

Xie Ju lowered his head and did not move.

"I told you to open your hand!"

"May Father first tell me what you are looking for? Or is it that no matter what is lost, Father immediately assumes I stole it?"

Xie Youru heard the hurt in his second son's voice. Remembering that Xie Ju was of weak constitution and that today was New Year's Eve, he suppressed his anger for the moment and said, "I have three young carp raised in my room. You know that I have only two hobbies in my daily life: raising cranes and raising fish. But now the fish are gone. You are the only one who can enter and leave my room at will. If you liked the young carp, I wouldn't mind giving them to you, but you cannot take them without telling me, much less act like you did when smoking out the rats..."

Hearing the words "smoking out rats," Xie Ju's body stiffened to the point of pain. Still keeping his head lowered, he waited in vain for his father to speak before replying, "I did come by today, but I did not steal the fish."

"I did not say you stole them!"

"Taking without asking is stealing. Whether Father says it or not, you have already judged my character to be flawed."

"You still think you are in the right? If you have a clear conscience, why do you refuse to open your palm..."

Xie Ju had already spread both of his hands flat and said, "When I came just now, I saw the beautiful light of the lanterns and thought I could catch it. Father, there is nothing in my hands. Do you believe me now?"

Xie Youru gritted his teeth in anger. Had it been his eldest son, he would have long since thrown a clay basin at him and given him a thorough beating. But with this unruly boy, he would feel guilty if he hurt him, yet keeping his hands off left his chest bursting with rage! Every time he tried to discipline him, the boy would talk back again and again. If he had just opened his hands earlier, wouldn't everything have been clear?

"Father, I want to return to the academy. Right now."

Xie Youru's hands trembled with rage. Picking up the clay basin, he deliberately brushed past the unruly boy, threw it heavily out the door, and shouted, "Someone! Send the Young Master back to the academy! Even if he regrets it halfway, he is not allowed back!"

A knock sounded at Wang Ge's door. To her surprise, a young servant had actually brought her evening meal, and it was still hot. It consisted of meat broth, meat paste, and a wheat flour bun. In this era, buns were also called steamed cakes. They looked just like the steamed buns of later generations, complete with a split cross pattern on top, and once bitten into, they revealed a filling of mixed vegetables and meat.

Chixiao looked at Wang Ge, then at the three young carp on the floor.

Wang Ge was amused by its greedy look. She pointed at the little fish and said, "Go ahead and eat."

Chixiao kept looking at her, then the fish, then her, then the fish... after agonizing over it for who knew how many rounds, it finally swallowed the smallest one.

As a sense of closeness grew between the girl and the crane, Xie Ju was being carried on the back of a sturdy servant, trudging through the night to return to the academy.

Jiashe Village, North Side.

Madam Wei had her mouth gagged and was tied to an ox cart. Led by Ren Shuzhi, the team escorted the woman to the township office, taking Jia Qin's corpse along with them. Tomorrow, the township officials would escort them to the county magistrate's office.

Huan Zhen bowed with clasped hands, watching Ren Shuzhi, Cheng Shuang, and the others depart.

Tie Lei stamped his feet from the cold and asked, "What a way to spend New Year's Eve. Young Master Huan, are we going to make do and stay in this room for the night?"

"How dare you suggest Young Master Huan stay in a place where a wicked woman and her bastard lived!" Tie Feng scolded his brother.

Huan Zhen smiled and said, "I haven't seen my little brother Xing in a long time. Come, let's go to the Wang family home."

The three of them were in no hurry, leading their horses as they walked slowly. Although there was no curfew on New Year's Eve, the farming families were very cautious. They only lit piles of firecrackers on the widest paths, throwing more in as they burned. Children skipped and sang nursery rhymes around the crackling piles, while the elderly laughed and chatted in loud voices.

At this moment, with no one else around and certain that the sound of firecrackers could fully cover their conversation, Tie Feng finally dared to ask, "Young Master Huan, is the case... closed?"

***

*Historical Notes:*

In the *Dijing Jingwu Lue* (Brief Records of the Scenery of the Imperial Capital) written by Liu Dong and Yu Yi of the Ming Dynasty, it is recorded: "When the willows come alive, whip the spinning top. When the willows turn green, fly the diabolo. When the willows die, kick the shuttlecock."

New Year's Eve: The term "New Year's Eve" (Chuxi) first appeared in the *Fengtu Ji* (Records of Local Customs and Festivals) written by Zhou Chu of the Western Jin Dynasty: "On the eve of the new year, people present gifts to one another, which is called 'kuisui' (gifting the year)."

The game of *cangkou*: Also known as *canggou* (hidden hook). A game commonly played before the new year in ancient times, where one person hides a belt hook in their hand and the other guesses.