Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 100: Chapter 6: Untitled

“Dayu, bro,”

Li Yan nodded slightly, forcing a smile, but he didn’t hurry to open the door, instead glancing at Lei Jing who stood beside him.

“Is it about the same issue as last time?”

Dayu glanced at the woman curiously, knowing well that this girl was quite scheming. With just that indifferent comment from Li Yan, the sourness brewing in her heart dissipated significantly.

Lei Jing took a couple of steps forward as barks echoed from the neighboring yard.

“Senior, why don’t we go inside to talk?”

“Did you come alone with nightfall approaching?”

Li Yan asked naturally.

“The car couldn’t get through, Mr. Bai is waiting by the roadside,” Lei Jing replied.

“Since you’re here, let him come in for a drink of water. Could the car possibly get stolen? Go call him,” Li Yan said generously, waving his hand.

“Uh, okay.”

Without saying much more, Lei Jing turned and walked towards the alleyway.

“Thanks, Second Auntie,”

Li Yan received a plastic bag of green fruit, whispering to the girl,

“A relative has come to the house; you should head back first.”

“Oh.”

Dayu rolled her eyes subtly, seemingly reluctant as she glanced at Lei Jing outside the alley.

Seeing Li Yan’s stern expression, she didn’t insist any longer. Kicking the ground with the tips of her toes unintentionally, she silently walked away.

As Dayu left and the front of the door finally quieted down, Li Yan hurriedly turned back for a glance.

The woman inside the house, with her hand on the aluminum window frame, locked eyes with Li Yan, her brows knitted and expression complex as she shook her head at him.

“Senior,”

“Huh?”

Li Yan turned back, only to find Lei Jing and a grim-faced, buzz-cut man standing in front of him.

“Oh, I thought about it, a visitor is a guest, after all—it wouldn’t be right not to have any food at home, especially since it’s mealtime. Let’s go out to eat.”

Without breaking her demeanor, Lei Jing tilted her face slightly and simply smiled, “Sure.”

“Let me put these things down first,” Li Yan said.

With that, Li Yan closed the door, took a few steps into the living room, and gazed at the woman huddled in a corner.

The house was in disarray, the clothes from a cabinet strewn all over the place.

In her grip, the woman clutched a paring knife; her upper body was clad in an oversized light blue men’s shirt, while she wore an emerald skirt with a silver pinched hem found at the bottom of the cabinet, an item from Li Yan’s great-grandmother’s era.

Her face was flushed with unease, she bit her lower lip, and her wary eyes resembled those of a wild animal.

This was the She Mountain Woman.

“She Mountain Woman, the truth is, I’m not familiar with that woman. I had not expected things to turn out this way…”

Li Yan struggled to keep his speech clear. He had considered the peculiarity within Yu Shu’s gourd and had even prepared himself for danger, but he hadn’t anticipated that the gourd would contain a woman, a completely naked one at that.

“You will certainly like her,” Yu Shu’s upturned corners of his mouth still vivid in memory.

“I, I have to step out first. Calm down a bit, and then we can talk,” Li Yan said as he placed the green fruit down, cautiously stepping back from the She Mountain Woman.

The She Mountain Woman watched Li Yan leave. After a while, the knife clattered to the floor, and she buried her face in the collar of her shirt, remaining speechless for a long time.

…

The counter was laden with deli items and vegetables, while colorful, lively fish swam back and forth in a square fish tank with bubbling water. At the entrance, next to the wine cabinet, stood a golden Maneki-neko.

A neat young girl picked up a notepad and a ballpoint pen and came over.

“What’ll it be?”

The three chose a spot by the window, and Li Yan gestured towards Lei Jing.

The woman glanced around the steamy restaurant with a shallow smile on her face.

“Just order some of the signature dishes, and a pot of tea will do.”

The young lady, with her eyes cast downward, wrote something on a piece of paper, quickly capped her pen and walked away, leaving behind the words, “There’s tea on the table; I’ll add a pot of hot water for you.”

The man with the flat haircut remained silent as usual, but he couldn’t help but glance at Li Yan with a bit more wariness.

Oddly enough, it was since the day he had seen Li Yan in the audio-visual store that the flat-headed man had a strange dream. He found himself standing at the entrance of the store, making a sudden move towards Li Yan who was sitting on the sofa. The details of the process were hazy, but he only remembered that right before everything went dark, a kick aimed at his temple came thundering like lightning, accompanied by the fierce and defiant expression on the man’s face…

“There’s nothing much to eat in this small place; pardon the inadequacy,” said Li Yan, a bit embarrassedly scratching his head, his smile gentle.

There were still a few decent restaurants in town, and this one was considered quite good, but it was a bit of a letdown to entertain Lei Jing in such a place.

“Ah? I think it’s quite nice, but I’m on a diet, and all these are meat dishes. You’ll have to eat more, senior brother.”

“Sure. I certainly will.”

Li Yan laughed heartily. Times had changed; the man who once was a dying tiger in a barren tomb was now a fierce dragon diving into the sea. Although deep down, he didn’t want to get entangled in the messy affairs of the martial arts association, and Lei Jing’s tactics and temperament weren’t quite to Li Yan’s liking, it’s like Zhuge Liang only had to invite Liu Bei three times. In essence, it was an effortless task. Lei Jing’s intentions were ample, not to mention there was also Mr. Bai’s good will at play. Li Yan couldn’t quite bring himself to refuse outright.

Lei Jing tapped her thumb and then added, “Senior brother, you seem to be looking much better.”

“A friend recommended a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner; it has helped.”

“Really, traditional Chinese medicine? Can that… really work?”

Lei Jing’s surprised expression seemed genuine, with no impurities.

“If you’re referring to the issue from last time, I think I might be able to think of a solution for you.”

Li Yan spoke very directly.

Lei Jing’s eyes brightened but with a hint of embarrassment, she said, “Actually, after last time, I didn’t really want to bother senior brother anymore. This time I’m here because I contacted a friend from the NMDP (the world’s largest bone marrow bank, located in the US), who has arrived in Beijing. I was hoping senior brother could go and try it out. Also…”

She paused before continuing, “I’ve found a martial arts master from the north and would like senior brother to assess his skills. Of course, it would be best if you’re willing to help.”

“Alright, no problem.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Li Yan thought about it; clearly being ill himself, even if he was willing to help, Lei Jing might not be entirely reassured.

Considering that she had gone out of her way to arrange for contact with the American bone marrow bank, the favor was indeed substantial. Her thorough approach was also comfortable to deal with, and honestly, Li Yan had nothing to nitpick about.

As the door opened, the waitress carrying the dishes came in, one plate in each hand.

Mixed veggies, boiled fish, dry-fried squid strips, shredded pork with Beijing sauce.

The food was rich in color, with generous portions.

“Who is it, by the way? The Northern martial arts community isn’t that large. Mention a name, and if they have a reputation, I might have heard of them.”

Li Yan encouraged them to start eating.

Lei Jing pulled out a photo from her bag and handed it over to Li Yan.

In the photo was a young man around eighteen or nineteen years old, with fair skin, handsome features, slanting eyes, and thin lips that gave him a somewhat sinister look.

Li Yan chuckled.

“Senior brother, isn’t he a bit young?”

Lei Jing appeared a bit concerned.

“Junior sister…”

“Yes?”

“You’ve got a strong hand this time.”

…

By the time Li Yan arrived back at his doorstep, it was nearly dark. He stood at the steps with two containers of food for a moment before he chuckled to himself.

He pushed the door and went inside. The poles on the rack in the courtyard were neatly arranged, the water vat was full, the drying rack held clean sweatshirts, and the windowsills, once thick with dust, were now spotless. The living room light was brightly on, and the floor tiles gleamed with a shiny finish.

The She Mountain Woman sat on the sofa, her fingers gently peeling the shell of a green fruit. The tea-colored, jelly-like preserved egg shook slightly as it disappeared bit by bit into the woman’s mouth.

“Umm, I haven’t eaten yet.”

Li Yan placed the food containers on the coffee table, and their eyes met.

“…”

Without saying a word, the woman simply looked at Li Yan, her gaze devoid of any ripple.