Lin Taiping replied, "A washbasin, a washcloth, and a cup for rinsing my mouth."

  Wang Dong ughed and said, "I haven′t seen those things in a long time, and I haven′t even heard of them being used."

  Lin Taiping looked as if he had been struck by a whip, his mouth agape as he stammered, "You... you don′t even wash your faces?"

  Wang Dong said, "Of course we do. It′s just that we do a small wash every three days and a big wash every five days."

  Lin Taiping asked, "What′s a small wash? And what′s a big wash?"

  Wang Dong said, "Yan Qi, show him how it′s done."

  Yan Qi stretched zily and said, “I washed up yesterday, so it′s your turn today.”

  Wang Dong sighed and said, “At the very least, you should bring me something to wash my face with.”

  Just then, Guo Dalu walked in carrying two buckets of water. Yan Qi scooped up more than half a bowl using a chipped old bowl, then grabbed a cloth from the wall—so stained and discolored that its original color was impossible to tell.

  Only then did Wang Dong reluctantly sit up. He took a sip of water, swished it around in his mouth, spread the dirty cloth out with his hands, and then, with a forceful pfft, spat the water onto it. He casually wiped his face with the damp cloth, let out a satisfied breath, and said, “Alright, all done.”

  Lin Taiping looked as if he had just seen a ghost. His face turned pale with shock. "Th-this... this counts as washing?”

  Wang Dong replied, “Not just washing—it′s a deep clean. If even a'small wash’ was this troublesome, imagine how bad it would be.”

  Lin Taiping′s lips were turning blue, and he looked as if he was about to faint. After a long, long time, he finally let out a deep breath and said, “If anyone can find people filthier than you, I′ll bow to them on the spot.”

  Wang Dong chuckled. “Go ahead and start bowing, then. There are dirtier people all over the streets.”

  Lin Taiping shook his head furiously. “I don′t believe it.”

  Wang Dong said coolly, “We may be dirty on the outside, but our hearts are clean—spotless, even. A person with a filthy heart won′t be clean, no matter how many times they scrub themselves with soap.”

  Lin Taiping tilted his head and thought for a long time. Suddenly, he cpped his hands and said, “That makes sense—perfect sense! As long as a person lives happily and with a clear conscience, it doesn′t matter whether they eat or not, whether they wash their face or not.”

  He threw his head back and let out three loud ughs, then ran into the courtyard, rolled on the ground, and ughed again. “I figured it out! I finally figured it out... Why couldn′t I understand this before?”

  Wang Dong and Yan Qi watched him with smiles, as if they were genuinely happy for him. They had already noticed that he had been weighed down by something heavy on his mind.

  He had always doubted whether he had done the right thing. Now, he finally understood—he hadn′t been wrong.

  As long as a person lives with a clear conscience, that′s what truly matters.

  But Guo Dalu, meanwhile, was busy washing his face, muttering under his breath, “So, not washing your face is fine... and washing your face is fine too, right?”

  After washing, he wiped down his clothes with the cloth, then polished his boots.

  Yan Qi watched him coldly and said, “Why don′t you just take off your boots and wash your feet while you′re at it?”

  Guo Dalu grinned. “I was just thinking that! Too bad there′s no time.”

  Suddenly, he dashed out the door. “They must be awake by now—I′ll go check in the back.”

  Lin Taiping said, “I′m coming too.”

  The two of them bolted out together, as if rushing to put out a fire.

  Wang Dong gnced at Yan Qi and chuckled. “A fair maiden—a gentleman′s pursuit. Why aren′t you going?”

  Yan Qi′s face darkened. He replied ftly, “I′m no gentleman.”

  Wang Dong said, “You don′t seem to like that Suan Meitang girl at all.”

  Yan Qi was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “What do you think they really do?”

  Wang Dong′s eyes flickered. He asked, “Aren′t they just street performers?”

  Yan Qi said, "If you really think they're just wandering performers, then you're a fool too."

  Wang Dong asked, "Why?"

  Yan Qi replied, "Can't you see that the monkey and the dog don't listen to them at all? They were obviously brought in temporarily as props. And that Fei Baozi, dressed so oddly, is actually a very proper person. He doesn't dare speak much, and his hands are pale and delicate—nothing like someone who spends all day carrying boxes and leading dogs."

  Wang Dong listened quietly and finally nodded. "I didn't expect you to be so observant. But if they're not wandering performers, what are they?"

  Yan Qi said, "Who knows? Maybe they're robbers."

  Wang Dong ughed. "If they were really robbers, they wouldn't have come here. What could they possibly be after in this pce?"

  Before Yan Qi could respond, a shout came from behind.

  It was Guo Dalu's voice.

  Someone like Guo Dalu wouldn't cry out in surprise even if he saw a ghost.

  There were a handful of things in the world that could make him shout.

  Yan Qi was the first to rush out.

  Wang Dong followed.

  The backyard was smaller than the front, filled with bamboo. In the past, on clear, moonlit summer nights, the master of the house would lie here, listening to the sound of the bamboo swaying like ocean waves.

  So, like many other courtyards pnted with bamboo, it was called the "Tingzhu Small Courtyard," and the row of five rooms was named the "Tingzhu Pavilion."

  (T/N: 听竹小院; Tīng zhú xiǎo yuàn, means Bamboo Listening Small Courtyard; 听竹轩; tīng zhú xuān, means Bamboo Listening Pavilion)

  But when Wang Dong became the master, he changed its name to the "Youzhu Wurou Pavilion," because he felt that while "Tingzhu" was once elegant, it had now become cliché.

  (T/N: 有竹无肉轩; Yǒu zhú wú ròu xuān, means Bamboo Without Meat Pavilion)