Chapter 59: A Man of the World and Waves

Ziyan said, "If all else fails, we can just order a couple of dishes, collect the candied hawthorns, and leave."

As the two were talking, they noticed Mo Shiyu's beautiful eyes fixed upon the eastern wall.

Hanging on the wall was a sheet of Xuan paper inscribed with a poem.

It was a *Caisangzi* lyric titled *A Light Skiff and Short Oars*.

*A light skiff and short oars, the green water meanders far.*
*Fragrant grasses line the long embankment, faint flutes and songs follow everywhere.*
*The windless water surface is smooth as glazed glass, unaware the boat has moved.*
*A slight ripple stirs, startling the sand birds to skim the bank and fly.*

The lyric was signed at the bottom by "The Man of Dust."

"This poem is truly written wonderfully," Peony remarked.

Mo Shiyu said, "This lyric possesses a clear and brilliant tone with delicate style, brimming with poetic and picturesque charm. The author commands profound skill in poetry."

At that moment, Xiaodie walked up to the third floor.

"Respected ladies, this is our restaurant's menu for today. Please order whatever you like. Our Manager Lin has instructed that all your food and drinks are completely free of charge today, and you are welcome to stay and dine for as long as you wish."

Mo Shiyu took the menu and looked it over carefully. "Are the chefs in your restaurant good at making fish?"

Xiaodie smiled. "Not particularly. It's just that today we are featuring an all-fish banquet. Tomorrow's menu will certainly be different."

Mo Shiyu nodded. "Are there any lighter dishes?"

"The crystal fish broth and steamed perch are relatively light."

"Then let's have those two dishes."

Peony asked, "Can we also get a free skewer of candied hawthorns when we leave?"

"Your meal is already free to begin with. If you'd like to eat them now, I can bring them up to you right away."

"That would be wonderful. Please bring us three skewers to try."

"Very well, I'll have your dishes served shortly."

"Wait." Mo Shiyu pointed to the poem on the wall and asked, "Who is this 'Man of Dust' who wrote this verse?"

Xiaodie shook her head. "I don't know either. I only know he is a close friend of my older brother."

"Your older brother?"

"Manager Lin of this restaurant."

Xiaodie truly had no idea. When they woke up that morning, Lin Feng had handed the couplets for outside the door and the poem on the third floor to Liuxi, telling him to hang them at the restaurant entrance and on the third-floor wall.

"My older brother said they were all written by his friend, the Man of Dust, and he merely copied them down on his behalf."

"I see. But your older brother's handwriting is quite good as well."

"Of course! My older brother is a scholar by training!"

Ziyan laughed with amusement. "A scholar who doesn't study and instead opens a restaurant to do business? That is truly a rare sight."

Mo Shiyu shook her head at Ziyan and retorted crossly, "How many people have you actually seen? Many scions of prominent and wealthy families hold official titles while simultaneously engaging in commerce—that is entirely normal.

On the contrary, it is some youths from humble backgrounds who spend their entire lives studying bitterly for official honors. Their families starve themselves to support their sole pursuit of books, forbidding them from farming or working as petty laborers, rendering them eventually helpless with limbs that cannot toil and fingers that cannot distinguish the five grains. If they pass the imperial examinations, well and good; if they fail, they are destined to a lifetime of stark poverty, perfectly fulfilling the saying that of all things, scholars are the most useless."

Peony smiled. "Elder Sister Shiyu's insight and learning far surpass those scholars."

Mo Shiyu looked at Xiaodie and asked, "Young lady, might I invite your older brother up to the third floor for a chat?"

"Alright, I'll go call him right now."

With that, Xiaodie went downstairs.

Before long, Lin Feng walked up. "Miss Shiyu, what brings you to look for me?"

"First, I must apologize to Manager Chen. It was I who was superficial; the Man of Dust is indeed extraordinarily talented."

Lin Feng smiled. "Is that all Miss Shiyu called me up here to say?"

"No, I wish to make the acquaintance of this Man of Dust."

Lin Feng shook his head. "My dear friend has always lived a carefree life drifting through the mortal world, and he detests worldly fame and fortune. Otherwise, he would not have chosen the alias 'The Man of Dust.' I'm afraid he will not come to see you."

"Since you are his close friend, surely he would come to see you at least once?"

"Does Miss Shiyu have a favor to ask of the Man of Dust?"

"Indeed. I have a confidante who belongs to the Tianyin Pavilion, and she is desperately hoping to win the title of Top Courtesan in the upcoming Tianyin Pavilion competition in Jiangcheng. She wishes to invite some talented individuals to assist her, and I also want to lend her a hand. If the Man of Dust comes to see you, I would like to ask Manager Lin to persuade him to come and lend his support. There will certainly be a generous monetary reward."

Lin Feng said indifferently, "As I just said, the Man of Dust cares nothing for fame and fortune."

"He may not care for it, but Manager Lin surely does, or else you wouldn't have hung up the Man of Dust's couplets and poetry to attract patrons. Isn't attracting patrons simply about making money?"

This Mo Shiyu was truly no ordinary woman. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also talented and exceptionally clever.

How did such a woman end up in a place of willow and blossoms? Could she have previously been the daughter of an official?

"If Manager Lin can persuade the Man of Dust, you will likewise be handsomely rewarded."

Lin Feng chuckled. "Why must you care so deeply about the empty title of Top Courtesan?"

"Women of humble registry like us desire status and freedom above all else. Every iteration of the Tianyin Pavilion's Top Courtesan comes with a tremendous privilege: whoever wins the title is granted release from her humble registry."

Lin Feng asked, "Is this sanctioned by the authorities?"

"Of course."

"Oh?" Lin Feng was quite surprised. "Tianyan Pavilion wields that much power?"

"If they didn't, how could they have purchased so many fallen daughters of official and wealthy families from the government?"

"Why hasn't Miss Shiyu joined the Tianyin Pavilion yourself?"

"My situation is different..." Mo Shiyu didn't wish to speak of her own affairs and let out a gentle sigh. "Even among the humble registry, there are many tiers. Though we merely sell our arts and not our bodies, we still belong to the lowest category of courtesans. The women of Tianyin Pavilion, however, hold the highest status among the lowly registries—they are singing and dancing artists. They have opportunities to free themselves from the registry, whereas for us, breaking free is exceedingly difficult."

He hadn't expected there to be so many twists and turns behind the scenes.

"When does the Tianyin Pavilion competition begin?" Lin Feng asked.

"At the beginning of next month."

"That's only a few days away..." Lin Feng said. "Very well. If the Man of Dust comes to see me recently, I will do my utmost."

"Thank you, Manager Lin."

"You're too kind. I do hope Miss Shiyu will continue to frequent the restaurant to show your support, and our establishment will certainly not disappoint you."

With that, Lin Feng headed downstairs.

Ziyan said, "Elder Sister Shiyu, how could you chat so much with this man? When have you ever spoken to any other man like this on ordinary days?"

"For the sake of my sister vying for the Top Courtesan title, what harm is there in chatting a bit more?"

"Is this Man of Dust truly so formidable? Even more formidable than Young Master Yanyu and Young Master Wuyou?"

"How could he possibly compare to Young Master Yanyu and Young Master Wuyou? It's just that I heard those two young masters have already publicly backed the dance troupes of Feiyian and Rushuang, so I have no choice but to settle for second best. Although this Man of Dust may not measure up to them, his poetry is uniquely styled and reveals profound skill. While no one else knows of him yet, I must seize the initiative."

Meanwhile, after going down to the counter, Lin Feng found that Zhang Yuan was already flustered and overwhelmed with work.

"Brother, our restaurant is terribly short-handed. With so many guests, I simply can't keep up."