Chapter 56

Chapter 56

The rain did stop by evening, and the next day cleared up. Pei Mu hired a cart to load the goods. The original load of spices had been packed in wooden boxes, but now they were replaced with sacks that took up less space, so one cart could barely manage to hold them all.

After saying goodbye to Chen Fusheng, Zhong Yizhu cheerfully set off home with Pei Mu.

From Rongcheng County back to Willow Mountain Village, the oxcart ride took over four hours.

A large cartload of goods naturally couldn't avoid drawing the villagers' attention. Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu had already agreed on a story, but when they entered the village, they hardly ran into anyone.

Sun Yunniang, who had been watching their house in the mountain-foot courtyard, came out when she heard the door. Seeing them return with so many goods, a look of joy appeared on her face.

Only after they unloaded the spices, paid the cart driver, and sent him away, did they learn from Sun Yunniang why the village was so empty—

Ever since Pei Jin's engagement fell through, the Pei family had been constantly bickering. Previously, when Pei Mu was injured, the Pei family had tried to come and enrage him to death to seize his property, causing a stir known to everyone in the village.

That day, Tian Shi and Pei Song had returned from the foot of the mountain covered in filth. Tian Shi, in particular, had her chin jutted out from the fall, looking utterly ridiculous, which sparked days of mockery from the villagers.

After this incident, not only was Pei Song ridiculed, but his carpentry business also suffered. Previously, he had kept himself clearly distant from Pei Mu, and Pei Mu's "Jinx" label hadn't affected him at all. Now that the Jinx label had fallen on him—though it was just something Zhong Yizhu had said casually—some people were willing to believe it.

Most of the work villagers hired carpenters for was weddings or moving—both joyous occasions. When people brought up the Pei family's old scandals and said Pei Song had lost both his father and wife in succession, he was considered unlucky even if not a Jinx. So these families turned to carpenters from other villages, infuriating Pei Song who threw a huge tantrum at home.

The neighboring villages were all connected through marriages, so gossip spread quickly. Pei Song soon lost not only most of his business in the village but also very few jobs from other villages. In one case, after he delivered a bed, the customer threw a fit and refused to accept it, saying it was unlucky and demanding the deposit back.

When they refused and even pointed at Pei Song's nose calling him unlucky, demanding a refund, Pei Song immediately chopped the bed to pieces and dumped it at their doorstep, saying there was no way he'd return the deposit.

That family wasn't easy to deal with either. They had initially tried to scam a free bed, but Pei Song didn't fall for it. Unable to get back the deposit or the bed, they spread all kinds of stories about the Pei family wherever they went.

This made it even harder for Pei Song to find work.

But he couldn't just stop. Pei Song was not yet forty, far from the age where he could retire. His son Pei Jin couldn't hold things together either, especially after his recent behavior. Pei Song was determined to save more money for his old age.

He knew the prices other carpenters in surrounding villages charged. He had previously charged slightly more because of his skill, and even then he had plenty of work. Now, having no other choice, he spread the word that he was lowering his prices below those of other carpenters.

This way, Pei Song finally started getting new jobs. He buried himself in work, unaware that Pei Jin's resentment was growing deeper by the day.

During this time, Pei Jin gradually realized that as long as his father could still take on jobs himself, he would never truly pass on the craft to him. So when people avoided hiring his father because of past events, no one ever thought of him either. No one saw him as a carpenter—"Carpenter Pei" was only his father.

He couldn't marry the girl he liked, nor any other girl or young man, because it all required his father's approval. Without splitting the family, no decent girl or young man would marry him.

Although Tian Shi kept soothing him, saying she would talk to Pei Song, Pei Jin saw nothing but darkness ahead. He couldn't see any way out.

When Pei Song worked, he still called Pei Jin to assist, which was routine for him. But Pei Song had been in a bad mood lately and was more critical during work. He had generally treated Pei Jin decently before, but recently he had lost patience and would lose his temper from time to time.

That day, as usual, after breakfast he called Pei Jin over to help. A cabinet was almost due for delivery, and since he had spent time carving patterns on the bed, he needed to hurry.

Pei Song always gave Pei Jin the rough work—sanding and chiseling—that didn't require much skill. Now he saw Pei Jin struggling with a simple hole and cursed, "Stupid!" Then he ordered, "Come here, help me hammer this in."

Pei Jin paused, got up, and picked up the hammer. Pei Song frowned as he adjusted the mortise and tenon into position, holding it by hand without looking up. "Watch closely. If you hit my hand, I'll skin you alive."

So he didn't notice that Pei Jin raised the hammer much higher than necessary.

"Bang—"

Pei Song's scream startled the sparrows off the roof.

With one blow, Pei Jin smashed Pei Song's right hand to pieces.

Pei Shui, who came running at the noise, fainted at the sight of Pei Song's bloody hand on the wooden block. Tian Shi barely managed to call for help, and neighbors rushed over.

In agony, Pei Song nearly fainted, but amid the clamor of people suggesting doctors and hospital visits, he shouted at Pei Jin, "He did it on purpose! On purpose! I'll report him to the authorities and have this unfilial son thrown in jail!"

Everyone was stunned by this accusation. Those who went to fetch the village doctor and those who looked for an oxcart quickly spread the news.

Half the village came to watch the drama at the Pei house.

"Carpenter Pei relies on his hands for a living, and now they're ruined. I heard the bones were shattered..." The villagers tsk-tsk in pity. Old Man Huang, who had seen it, said they had to take the wooden block to the hospital as well—they couldn't even bear to remove the mangled flesh from it, or rather, they couldn't. It was impossible.

Pei Song's hand was indeed ruined. The doctors at Renji Hall struggled to save two fingers—the ones not completely smashed—but even if they healed, they would probably be crooked.

Pei Song nearly lost half his life at the hospital. When he came home, the first thing he did was call the village head and the clan elders to kick Pei Jin out, but Tian Shi stopped him.

"Husband, with your hand like this, how can you still work? Won't we have to rely on Jin from now on?" Tian Shi cried at his bedside, defending Pei Jin. "You must have remembered wrong. Why would Jin deliberately hurt you? You're his father. Would he be so stupid? It was an accident—he just didn't see clearly..."

Pei Song, feeling the still-piercing pain in his wound and looking at his right hand wrapped in bandages, now useless, felt a lump in his chest at Tian Shi's words and fainted again.

The Pei household fell into another uproar.

In the end, the matter of driving Pei Jin away naturally fell through. Pei Yan was still too young to rely on. Pei Song had spent a lot of money on the hospital visit, and with his inability to earn, the only one they could depend on was Pei Jin. Moreover, in ordinary families, when a household is divided, the elders usually stay with the eldest son. Since they had cut ties with Pei Mu, the only eldest son left was Pei Jin.

A few days after Pei Song returned from town, Pei Jin went to the local labor agency and bought a girl from a family that had suffered a disaster. They didn't hold a wedding feast, and he took her as his wife without any ceremony.

The Pei family's drama finally ended there.

By then, all the leaves had fallen off the trees in the forest, and the winter chill came with unusual ferocity. Pei Mu kept a stove in the room burning continuously, so that they wouldn't freeze while sitting still.

Chen Xiaorong brought this news. Pei Mu, who was making wooden boxes nearby, showed no change in expression, his movements uninterrupted.

After Chen Xiaorong left, Zhong Yizhu walked over and crouched beside Pei Mu, watching him carve intently.

Pei Mu glanced at him: "If you want to watch, get a stool. Your legs will go numb from crouching too long."

Zhong Yizhu fetched a stool. Pei Mu was already skillfully carving a bamboo grove on the side of the box—that was the trademark for their incense products, each one had it.

Zhong Yizhu didn't ask when Pei Mu had learned carpentry. He just took the box, inspected it front and back, then placed it back on the shelf, propping his chin up. "Having you do this is such a waste of talent."

The wooden boxes he used were simple, and he could have ordered them in bulk. But given their special circumstances, it was better not to attract attention, so Pei Mu took over making them all.

The corners of Pei Mu's mouth lifted: "You just say sweet things to butter me up."

Zhong Yizhu protested indignantly: "It's true! You're so much more skilled than Pei Jin. The bed you made is so comfortable to sleep on, the desk and shelves are sturdy. Pei Jin has been helping out for so long but can't even take on jobs himself. You're just smart; they're stupid."

Zhong Yizhu could guess that when Pei Mu left home at fourteen, given Pei Song's character, he would never have taught Pei Mu any craft. He would have even deliberately kept Pei Mu from learning. The villagers said Pei Mu started running around in the mountains with Hunter Wang when he was older, so the only possibility was that Pei Mu had learned by observing while helping out when he was younger.

And yet, from that alone, he had figured out how to make big items like beds and cabinets. If Pei Mu had studied properly, he would have left Pei Song in the dust long ago.

Pei Mu should never have had to go through so much.

Pei Mu set down his file and leaned toward Zhong Yizhu, who leaned back and asked what he was doing.

Pei Mu looked at him: "Let me taste what made your lips so sweet."

Zhong Yizhu's ears reddened, and after a moment of eye contact, he leaned forward to indulge him.

The stool Zhong Yizhu had fetched was useless. He was transferred from the stool to Pei Mu's lap.

Zhong Yizhu took Pei Mu's hand, looking at the tiny cracks on his fingertips, and said he would buy some hand cream for him tomorrow. Pei Mu was reluctant, but Zhong Yizhu said his hands were rough and hurt him, and Pei Mu had no more objections.

In this kind of weather, the two of them nestled together at just the right temperature. Zhong Yizhu leaned against Pei Mu's shoulder, wondering if it would snow this year.

Pei Mu asked him if he liked snow or not. Zhong Yizhu said he liked it, and Pei Mu said it would snow.

They chatted aimlessly about the most ordinary things, things that had no significance, things Pei Mu had never paid attention to before, but when spoken by Zhong Yizhu, they became something to look forward to.

They didn’t bring up the Pei family again, but both had their own answers in their hearts.

There were various opinions in the village about whether Pei Jin deliberately broke Pei Song’s hand, but both of them believed Pei Jin did it on purpose.

Although without Pei Song the Pei family would certainly not be as prosperous as before, Pei Jin truly took over as the head of the family and even got married.

Moreover, after this incident, Pei Song would have to pass on his skills to Pei Jin, so Pei Jin could get on his feet and start making money.

Who would have thought that Pei Jin, who seemed timid and useless, would pull such a ruthless move.

Truly a pack of heartless ingrates.

But in any case, Pei Song brought it upon himself, so he should suck it up.

…

The next day was the last major market of October.

Zhong Yizhu and Pei Mu once again brought sufficient goods to set up their stall at the Songyun County market.

The first time they got hassled was at the start of the month. The spice stall owners were tipped off and all refused to sell them spices. At the middle of the month, they’d set up stall again as usual with everything they needed, and now they were still unaffected. The people pulling the strings must be getting restless.

Sure enough, not long after the stall was set up, a familiar face arrived.

Xu Lan looked at Zhong Yizhu with a conflicted look, and after a long while said, “Our boss would like to invite Mr. Zhong over for a chat.”