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墨書 Inktalez
Since arriving in this era, Su Han had found everything to be going smoothly. Whether it was the case involving Qingfeng Pavilion or the matter concerning Chen Long's associates, he handled them with ease. However, this time, he encountered a tough challenge. Not only was there no progress on the case, but he also suffered an unwarranted humiliation. Xu Deshan's arrogance was truly infuriating.
"Captain Su, calm down, calm down," Zhou Meng said as they exited Ruixiang Trading Company, pulling Su Han along. "Let's take a walk; I’ll treat you to a bath."
"What? A bath?" Su Han was taken aback. "What do you mean by a bath at a time like this?"
"Hey, Captain Su, tell me, who from the south to the north doesn’t enjoy a good bath?" Zhou Meng replied with a grin. "In the morning, tea moistens the throat; in the afternoon, water cleanses the body—this is one of life's great pleasures. We people of Tiandu have four major delights: wandering through the ancient alleys of Nancheng, climbing the Zhengyang Gate tower, tasting wontons from a wood-fired stove, and bathing in hot springs. Come on, it's on me."
With no other option, Su Han reluctantly followed him.
Near Chaotianmen in Tiandu, there was an ancient street running from northwest to southeast. It started at the West City Gate and ended at Changle Alley—a rather inconspicuous little street in the west of the city. Legend has it that during the early Ming Dynasty, when constructing the walls of Tiandu, someone built a row of bathhouses along the wall to accommodate soldiers and craftsmen needing to wash up. At that time, it was called Tangzi Street.
Because these bathhouses were made of white stone and waterproof white bricks, people also referred to it as Jade Stone Street. Eventually, for convenience's sake, it was shortened to Tangzi Street. Most of Tiandu's famous bathhouses were concentrated here.
Places like Weng Quan, Sanqing Pool, San Mountain Bathhouse, and Daming Lake Hot Springs could be found here. The one Zhou Meng took Su Han to was Weng Quan, the most renowned among them.
Weng Quan was the oldest bathhouse in Tiandu and perhaps even in all of Da Qian. It got its name because its roof resembled an inverted large urn with a skylight at its highest point; even with all the steam inside, it would not drip water.
At the entrance stood an old man selling bath tokens known as Lao Guan. Zhou Meng bought a token and as they entered, they heard a Tangguan at the door welcoming guests with a drawn-out shout: "Old—guest! Two of you!"
"What does that mean?" Su Han asked in confusion.
"Old guest just means 'guest'," Zhou Meng explained with a smile. "Don’t underestimate this little bathhouse; it has its own jargon. For instance, numbers from one to ten aren’t called directly but rather as 'liu, yue, wang, zhi, zhong, shen, xin, zhang, ai, tai'. Guests' clothing is referred to as 'dingfeng', while long robes are called 'dapeng'..."
As Su Han listened attentively, he mentally noted everything down.
The two of them stripped off their clothes and handed them over to a Runner nearby who used a nearly two-meter-long fork to hang their garments on hooks nearly three meters high on the wall. This was to prevent theft of guests' belongings—far more secure than any wardrobe from Su Han's time.
As Su Han was undressing, he happened to notice a delicate sachet hanging from Zhou Meng's waist, embroidered with the characters "Xiu He." "Lao Zhou, why does a big man like you carry something used by women?"
"The guest must be from out of town," the Runner said with a smile. "This old customer is certainly someone who eats from the public pot, either a Constable or a soldier, or perhaps a rogue who lives by the blade."
Hmm?
Su Han felt puzzled. How could he tell? Was this Runner also someone skilled in reading people?
Zhou Meng chuckled and explained, "In some places in Tiandu, there are customs related to this line of work. It's dangerous, so wives at home embroider sachets for their husbands to wear. Inside, they place strands of their hair and embroider their names on the outside. In times of peril, the sachet can ward off disaster and ensure safety."
Su Han suddenly understood.
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