Chapter 20

Chapter 20

A slender figure emerged from behind the courtyard wall. Shen Yuan took a closer look—what a beautiful young man!

Wang Sanhu, standing beside Shen Yuan, widened his eyes in shock. Wasn't this the kept boy that Xu Dagui had helped escape?!

Though his clothes were patched all over and he wore no makeup, Wang Sanhu still recognized him.

People with striking appearances always leave a lasting impression.

"Brother Dagui, you're actually keeping him at your house?"

It was no wonder Wang Sanhu was surprised. An extra person meant an extra mouth to feed. Moreover, it was because of this young man that Xu Dagui had lost a hand.

Logically, the Xu family should have avoided this young man at all costs. Who would have thought they’d hidden him at home instead?

Xu Dagui knew Wang Sanhu had recognized him. Since he had called the young man out, it meant he trusted Shen Yuan and Wang Sanhu, so he didn't hide the truth. "He had nowhere else to go. He has no household registration documents."

Wang Sanhu thought about it and realized it was true. Without ID papers, if he ran away, he could only become a beggar, and he wouldn't even be able to leave Qingyun County.

The young man named Qing Xuan looked only about thirteen or fourteen years old. When asked, his actual age turned out to be sixteen.

He was the same age as the current Shen Yuan, even two months older.

Technically, Shen Yuan should call Qing Xuan "brother."

But when Qing Xuan came out, he stood beside Xu Dagui and called him "Father."

Thus, Shen Yuan ended up with the advantage, making Qing Xuan, who was two months older, call him "Uncle Xiao Yuan."

Shen Yuan was so delighted that he pressed a large millet bun into Qing Xuan's hand. "Here, this is a welcoming gift from Uncle Xiao Yuan and Uncle Sanhu. Take it, quickly."

Wang Sanhu had nothing to give at the moment, so he didn't stop Shen Yuan from including him. He’d just pay Shen Yuan back later.

Qing Xuan knew how precious food was these days. He didn't dare accept it and hurriedly tried to return it, but Shen Yuan pulled his hand back and refused to take it. Qing Xuan could only look to Xu Dagui for help.

"Keep it," Xu Dagui said.

The Xu family already owed Shen Yuan many favors; one more little thing didn't matter.

From now on, wherever Shen Yuan needed his help, he would do everything he could to assist.

Hearing Qing Xuan call Xu Dagui "Father," Wang Sanhu immediately understood why the Xu family had taken the risk of sheltering him.

Xu Dagui was twenty-six. When he was fifteen, he rescued an elderly carpenter who was cutting trees in the mountains.

The old man was getting on in years and had only a frail and often-ill granddaughter at home. Fearing that after his death his granddaughter would have no one to rely on, and observing that Xu Dagui was a good man, he arranged for his granddaughter to marry Xu Dagui and taught him his carpentry trade. This was the only arrangement the old man could make for the younger generation, hoping that after his death, his granddaughter could continue to live.

People in the surrounding villages all knew about this. Back then, everyone envied Xu Dagui. After all, not everyone could go from being a dirt-poor tenant farmer to becoming a skilled craftsman with his own trade.

After marrying, Xu Dagui took the old carpenter in to look after him. He had a real knack for carpentry and quickly learned the trade.

Three years after the old carpenter died, Xu Dagui's wife also passed away from illness.

That year, Xu Dagui was twenty.

For the next six years, Xu Dagui did not remarry. Matchmakers practically wore a path to the Xu family's door to no avail.

Everyone said Carpenter Xu was a devoted man who couldn't forget his deceased wife. Looking at Qing Xuan, Wang Sanhu guessed that Xu Dagui would never remarry. He would just raise Qing Xuan as a son to care for him in his old age and see to his burial.

As it was getting late, Shen Yuan agreed with Xu Dagui on when the long table would be ready, then headed back to the village with Wang Sanhu, taking the table along.

Old Man and Old Mrs. Xu wanted Xu Ergui to help carry the table to Dashu Village.

Shen Yuan declined. "If he comes back too late, it might not be safe. Sanhu and I can handle it. Uncle, Aunt, Dagui, Ergui, and Qing Xuan, we'll head off now. See you all another time."

As Shen Yuan prepared to leave, all four members of the Xu family—except for Qing Xuan, who couldn't show his face in public—were lined up at the door to see him off. The elderly couple even called out, telling Xiao Yuan to drop by whenever he could.

Shen Yuan smiled and promised he would, then the two of them left the Xu home.

Xu Dagui's craftsmanship was solid; the table was very sturdy.

Wang Sanhu wouldn't let Shen Yuan help. He simply hefted the table onto his shoulder.

"It's no heavier than a big bundle. I'll carry it for you."

Since Wang Sanhu had already shouldered it, Shen Yuan knew he couldn't make him put it down. So, he tucked another large millet bun into the coarse cloth bag tied at Wang Sanhu's waist.

"What are you giving me another bun for?! Take it back, take it back!" Wang Sanhu anxiously tried to pull at the bag with one hand, but Shen Yuan stopped him. "I got six large buns from the shopkeeper today, plus two bowls of dry millet rice. I've got plenty. Brother Sanhu, if you don't want it, then put the table down and I'll carry it. But I don't think I can lift it. Brother, how about you just accept the bun and carry the table for me, okay?"

Wang Sanhu hurriedly explained, "I'll carry the table for you, but I don't want your bun."

"But I want to give it to you," Shen Yuan said. "Brother Sanhu, you're kind to me, and I want to be kind to you too. When I have something tasty, I want to share it with you."

Wang Sanhu's ears went a little red from Shen Yuan's straightforward words. He gave a silent nod.

Alright then.

This Xiao Yuan, really... saying things that embarrass a person. But after hearing it, it made his heart feel sweet as honey. He felt like he had strength to spare; he could carry two more tables!

Wang Sanhu carried the table all the way to Shen Yuan's kitchen and set it down before returning home.

Shen Dong and the other children gathered around the table, smiles on their faces. It had been so long since they'd had a table to eat at. Ever since the family table was traded for millet, they had been eating holding their bowls, either squatting or sitting on the little packed-dirt mounds around the cooking fire.

Shen Yuan hadn't made the table too low. For now, there were no benches. Upturning the bamboo carrying baskets and jamming them against the ground worked perfectly as stools for the three children, allowing them to reach the table.

The children were skinny enough, and the baskets were woven sturdy enough that there was no fear of them collapsing.

Shen Yuan stood to eat. He ate quickly, so sitting didn't matter to him.

Once they'd saved a bit more money, they could make benches. Other furniture for the house would also be acquired gradually.

Shen Yuan scooped out the wild vegetable porridge from the pot, scrubbed the stove clean, poured in clean water, added one of the two bowls of millet rice he brought back, and prepared to cook congee.

He placed a bamboo steaming tray over the pot and put two millet buns on it to steam together.

Shen Yuan wrapped the other bowl of millet rice and another large bun in coarse cloth, then filled a large pottery bowl with wild vegetable porridge. "Big Brother is going to the village chief's house. Dongdong, watch the fire."

"Okay, Big Brother."

Shen Yuan patted his younger brother's head and left with the items.

Intending to make a quick trip, Shen Yuan, as he neared the village chief's house, heard the sound of a child crying and adults arguing inside.

What was going on today? Why was everyone causing a commotion?

Shen Yuan quickened his pace. The neighbors' doors around the village chief's house were tightly shut; no one came out to watch the spectacle.

The Liu family was arguing over nothing else but a bit of food.

They could barely feed themselves, afraid that if they went out, they might be asked to lend grain. If they couldn't bring themselves to refuse and ended up lending it, their own family wouldn't be able to make ends meet.

There was no way around it; times were hard for everyone.

In the Liu family courtyard, the argument showed no signs of stopping. The eldest daughter-in-law of the Liu family, holding her sobbing little boy close, yelled in a mix of anger and helplessness, "Niu Dan drank your fish soup. I've already spanked him and given him a good talking-to. What else am I supposed to do? Are you asking me to kill my own son?"

On the other side, the fourth daughter-in-law of the Liu family, with a strip of coarse cloth wrapped around her head, her face pale and eyes red from crying, choked out, "Was it just a sip of fish soup he drank? He drank my daughter's chance at life! Yesterday, I finally managed to produce a little breast milk, and I saved half a bowl of fish soup, unable to bring myself to finish it, hoping that if I drank it today, my Hua Hua might get another mouthful of milk. Your Niu Dan sure has a healthy appetite; he drank it down till the bowl was almost empty!"

Fourth Sister-in-law Liu patted her chest, heartbroken and gasping for breath, "If my daughter starves to death, I'll have your son join her!"

Eldest Sister-in-law Liu was initially furious with her fourth sister-in-law, but seeing her in this state, her anger dissipated.

She thought back to the year she was first married into the family, when there was a severe drought in the county. In her hometown village, a single jar of water could be a daughter's bride price.

She herself had been married into the Liu family for the price of two jars of mountain spring water.

Before she married into the Liu family, a good friend from her village had been so desperate for water that she slit her own arm to feed her infant child her blood; in the end, both of them died.

There were also those who couldn't bear it and hanged themselves after spilling the water they had worked so hard to get.

Dashu Village had it a bit better. It was a ten-mile trek over mountain paths, but there was a spring in the mountains, and the surrounding villages relied on that spring to scrape by through the dry years.

At that time, her eldest daughter was just over a year old. Such a young child would surely die within a few days without water to drink.

Her only thought was to fetch water. If anyone stopped her and caused her child to die of thirst, she would take that person with her.

Hua Hua was the second child of her fourth sister-in-law. Her first child had died of starvation not long after birth.

If something happened to Hua Hua, her fourth sister-in-law wouldn't be able to bear it.

Being a mother herself, she understood and knew that her fourth sister-in-law wasn't just venting. She meant every word. She was at her breaking point and would do anything for her child.

But Niu Dan was also her child. The family was struggling to put food on the table, and the poor boy was so hungry that his eyes were swollen from crying. Afraid that she and his father would worry, he would cover his mouth and cry softly alone.

He didn't dare say a word about being hungry to his parents. The child was sensible, knowing that there was no food at home and that even if he said it, they couldn't do anything.

It was wrong for Niu Dan to steal the fish soup. She had beaten and scolded him harshly, but for a child only a few years old, starving every day with a burning hunger, it was too much to expect him to control himself at the sight of fish soup.

Eldest Sister-in-law Liu pitied her own child and fully understood the pain of her fourth sister-in-law, having gone through it herself.

With red eyes, she pulled at the silently crying fourth sister-in-law and said, "It's our fault for not teaching Niu Dan well. Today, you can have my portion of food. I'll go fishing tonight and I promise to catch a big fish to make soup, so Hua Hua can have milk to drink. Don't blame Niu Dan anymore, okay? He was really just too hungry."

Eldest Brother Liu, who had been silent all along, also said, "I'll go with your eldest sister-in-law. My portion of food is also for you, fourth sister-in-law."

Fourth Brother Liu leaned against the earthen wall and called out "Eldest Brother," but couldn't find any more words.

Hua Hua had been getting worse lately. His wife couldn't sleep at night, terrified that the child wouldn't survive.

He knew that Hua Hua wouldn't live or die just because of one bowl of fish soup. It was simply that his wife could not bear to lose another child.

Fishing meant going to the landowner's river. There were always people guarding it, and if you were caught, the consequences were dire.

"I'll go too," Fourth Brother Liu said. "With one more person keeping watch, we can spot if anyone is coming sooner."

Village Head Liu and his wife had found it difficult to intervene. These were all their daughters-in-law, their sons, and their grandchildren; anything they said would feel wrong.

Seeing things calm down a bit, Village Head Liu said, "Don't take that risk."

He still remembered how Old Man Shen had been caught and beaten to death. "There are still two months until the summer tax. At worst, I'll go serve corvée labor. Tomorrow, we'll go to the county town to buy fish. It's cheaper there near the docks than in the town."

It was just that the journey was longer, and it would delay the farm work.

"Wife, you go buy it. I'll work longer in the fields tomorrow."

Aunt Liu quickly nodded.

Fourth Sister-in-law Liu saw that no one in the family blamed her; instead, they were all trying to make sure she got her fish soup. She knew deep down that she had overreacted.

She was just so afraid.

Eldest Sister-in-law Liu noticed her distress and stepped forward to gently pat her back. "Don't worry. That was just after the drought. Now the weather is favorable, and with our whole family working together, surely we can raise one child?"

Fourth Sister-in-law Liu could no longer hold back and hugged Eldest Sister-in-law Liu, wailing, "Eldest sister-in-law, I... I'm scared, wuuuuu——"

She cried, and Eldest Sister-in-law Liu cried too.

Eldest Brother Liu and his siblings also wiped their tears. The elderly couple's eyes grew moist. The adults cried, and the little children cried even more, all huddled together.

It was at this moment that Shen Yuan appeared, holding a coarse cloth bundle containing millet rice and millet buns in one hand and a large bowl of wild vegetable porridge in the other. He stood before the Liu family's fence, caught in a dilemma.

Author's note:

Wishing everyone a happy Dragon Boat Festival holiday! [scattering flowers] Today, there's an extra chapter, and there will be another chapter around 6 p.m. [food]

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