MHBOWSBTMT Chapter 11

It was Chen Xuesheng.

 

Qiao Suiman opened the courtyard gate and smiled, “It’s ready, just cooling now.”

 

“My mother sent me over first thing. Fill these up for me so I don’t miss out later.”

 

“I boiled three whole buckets. Can’t speak for others, but yours is definitely secured.”

 

Chen Xuesheng carried four bamboo tubes and strode into the yard, plopping down at the table.

 

Qin Yu lifted the wooden lid, filled one tube to the brim, then tied it shut again. “Xuesheng, take this one back first. Uncle Ping can take it to town with him to drink.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Chen Xuesheng didn’t have the chance to ask Qin Yu about how he’d beaten Lin Xiuhua yesterday before being called home for dinner. Burning with curiosity, he woke up early this morning without his mother even having to nag him. Now, he dashed home and back in a flurry.

 

“Qin Yu-ge, how did you beat up Auntie Lin yesterday? Tell me about it!”

 

Qiao Suiman was just as curious, staring at Qin Yu with the same wide-eyed intensity as Chen Xuesheng. The two are close in age and spent all their time together, now their expressions and mannerisms are eerily similar.

 

Qin Yu couldn’t help but chuckle, reaching out to pinch both their cheeks. “What’s there to tell? Her mouth was spewing filth,” he said, his smile fading slightly at the memory of the vulgar insults Lin Xiuhua had hurled. “She never does much work anyway. I just grabbed her, slapped her twice, kicked her a few times, and she fell flat on the ground.”

 

“That’s amazing! Too bad I missed it. I would’ve cheered you on!” Chen Xuesheng lamented, as if he skipped out on some grand celebration.

 

“Oh, please. When the aunties and fulang start arriving later, you’ll be the first to hide. Cheering? Really?” Qiao Suiman mercilessly exposed him.

 

Ever since Chen Xuesheng got engaged, the village wives and fulang loved teasing him. Worse yet, his wedding was postponed for a year. Now, he would bolt the moment he spot them.

 

Sure enough, the mention of it made Chen Xuesheng grimace. Those people kept asking if he’d sewn any clothes for Wang Qi yet, if he was anxious about the delayed wedding, even how many kids he planned to have after marriage. It was downright unbearable.

 

“Enough about that. I’ll sit a bit longer, then head home before I run into them.”

 

Qiao Suiman stifled a laugh and filled the remaining three bamboo tubes.

 

——

 

“Man-ge’r, your skills keep getting better.”

 

“No wonder your drinks sell faster at the market, and you give more for less. Not like those others charging eight or ten wen for a tiny sip.”

 

The speakers were Feng Jie and an elderly fulang from the village. As the day brightened, people trickled into the Qiao household to buy drinks. Most are leaving quickly since they had chores at home or in the fields.

 

Those with fewer household responsibilities lingered to chat, like Feng Jie and his group.

 

Whenever a bunch of fulang and women gather, the gossip never ends. They could turn the smallest village affairs into lengthy discussions.

 

“So that black-hearted woman really can’t get out of bed?”

 

Old Fulang Liu lived near the Wang family and had gone to watch the commotion the other day. After the crowd dispersed, he heard Lin Xiuhua howling in misery. Clearly, she didn’t come out unscathed. She hasn’t been seen outside in two days. A quiet inquiry with Li Yue revealed she now has to be served meals in bed.

 

“How could it be fake? I heard it with my own ears. Those two were fighting like wild animals, screeching louder than the other. It scared my poor little grandson so bad he wailed so long.”

 

“Serves her right, doing such a shameless thing,” one auntie huffed.

 

“Uncle Wang has a huge lump on his head—bet his wife smashed him with something?” Feng Jie whispered.

 

Old Fulang Liu burst into laughter. “Exactly! And he still insisted he bumped into it himself. Who’d believe that?”

 

“And he claimed he never wanted Wang Ling’er to be a concubine. Even a dead duck’s mouth isn’t as hard as his!”[mfn]死鸭子的嘴 – saying implying someone’s stubbornness or refusal to admit fault, even when clearly wrong[/mfn]

 

The group had witnessed the whole debacle and knew exactly what Wang Qing said. The man was clinging to his pride, thinking that a few words could whitewash his involvement.

 

“Wang Ling’er is no better. She’s a decent girl, yet she chose to be a concubine. What good comes out of that? Piss off the main wife, and you’re tossed back in disgrace, shaming the whole village.”

 

Qiao Suiman kept his head slightly bowed, sitting a little apart and half-listening while serving drinks, as if still shaken but forcing himself to carry on.

 

Qin Yu, on the other hand, was thoroughly engrossed.

 

“Honestly, if any of those refugees in the west end don’t mind, the Wangs should just marry her off quick and be done with it,” Old Fulang Liu said.

 

“Who’d want her, though? The west-enders are dirt poor.”

 

“That Lu family seems to be doing alright, though. The eldest son apprenticed with a bamboo craftsman, didn’t he?”

 

Qin Yu perked up. This was the perfect chance to dig for information. Casually, he asked, “The one who knows medicinal herbs?”

 

Qiao Suiman tensed, glancing at Qin Yu. He knew exactly why his brother-in-law was asking. He’s still worried about yesterday.

 

Feng Jie and the others were well-connected, spending their days gossiping and knowing every household’s business inside out.

 

“Old Madam Lu’s maiden name is Miao. I’ve seen her once or twice. She’s an embroiderer and nothing like us dirt-grubbers. Old Man Lu was a scholar, he even earned some title—tongsheng[mfn]童生 – a candidate who had passed the preliminary county-level imperial examinations but had not yet achieved the higher xiucai (秀才) rank. While not an official position, it denotes basic literacy and scholarly pursuit[/mfn], I think? Pity he was sickly and passed years ago, leaving her with two boys.”

 

Country folks live by the sweat of their brows, so they revered those who could read and write. Even if a tongsheng wasn’t an official rank, it was still leagues above them. Just teaching village kids some characters could earn some coin.

 

So his mother’s name is Miao, and he has a younger brother, Qiao Suiman mused.

 

Losing the man of the house and raising two boys alone couldn’t have been easy. Then fleeing their homeland as refugees… Qiao Suiman sighed inwardly. Life had been cruel to them too.

 

“At least they’re settled now. Old Man Lu was classmates and distant relatives with that academy teacher in town. When they fled here, that teacher helped a lot. Scared the village chief and Auntie Qian half to death when they showed up together to see the chief.”

 

As Feng Jie finished speaking, a woman in a muted green linen shirt strode into the Qiao yard, laughing boisterously. “What’s this? Talking behind my back?”

 

It was Qian Yun, the village chief’s wife. The younger generation called her Auntie Qian. The chief must’ve sent her.

 

Qiao Suiman stood and took the waterskin she handed him. Only well-off families could afford such things and most villagers made do with bamboo tubes. He carefully opened the lid and poured in a ladle of drink, filling it to the brim.

 

“We were talking about the Lu family from the west of the village. Didn’t you say that when the academy teacher came knocking, you forgot your own surname in fright?” a woman around Qian Yun’s age teased.

 

Qian Yun has no airs, though she do love lecturing. If anyone has the most gossip, it was her. Villagers often came to her for news, and she never held back, unless it was someone’s dirty secret.

 

The Lu family’s circumstances had been disclosed to the chief when they settled. They needed to integrate, so the chief and Qian Yun were upfront when asked.

 

“That? Hah! A scholar in a blue robe and cloth cap just standing at our door. I thought he came to recruit students!”

 

Qiao Suiman couldn’t help laughing at Qian Yun’s exaggerated expression. The others in the yard burst out too. They were all country bumpkins so a real scholar was a rare sight.

 

No wonder townfolks call them ignorant. In families like theirs, farming was all they’d known for generations. Where would they meet a scholar?

 

“At least they have someone to turn to. Leaving home for unfamiliar land—I can’t imagine how hard that’d be,” Qiao Suiman murmured.

 

He had been quiet until now, and his first words were sympathy for others’ hardships. The adults’ hearts melted at his mature yet tender demeanor.

 

Qian Yun’s blood boiled remembering how this sweet, pitiful ge’r was wronged just days ago. “You’re young and kind-hearted—that’s good. But if someone bullies you, you’ve got to fight back. Don’t be a soft bun with everyone.”

 

Qiao Suiman blinked, then said meekly, “I just… haven’t done well enough.”

 

“Nonsense! That old hag badmouthed you everywhere out of jealousy for your skills. Shameless wretch! She couldn’t get what she wanted, so she resorted to lies.”

 

“Silly child, some people’s hearts are blind. No matter how good you are, it’s never enough. If anyone bullies you again, come tell me and I’ll deal with them!”

 

This poor, silly child. What nonsense was he spouting? How was he not good enough? Qian Yun and Feng Jie felt a sudden urge to protect him. They couldn’t let such a good kid be bullied.

 

Once they started, the others chimed in like parents defending their own.

 

“Yu-ge’r, Man-ge’r is too soft. You’ve got to guide him and don’t let him suffer. Once he marries out, you won’t be able to protect him all the time!”

 

“Fate-talk is empty. Don’t let it crush you. You’re so young, and life’s long! Lin Xiuhua’s the one with ill fate!”

 

Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu were momentarily overwhelmed, nodding hastily before steering the conversation back.

 

“The Lu brothers are promising. The elder apprenticed with a bamboo craftsman. Last month, he borrowed our saw and chisel to make things to sell. The younger’s just a boy but already responsible and got their allocated wasteland in decent shape. Their names are unusually both tree names, Lu Dongqing and Lu Xuesong.[mfn]Lu Dongqing (陆冬青) and Lu Xuesong (陆雪松) mean “Wintergreen” and “Cedar,” respectively. (LDQ will also explain himself why they were named like this… in chapter 39) ✧(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧[/mfn] Scholars really name differently.”

 

Country names tended to be simple and uses wealth, harvest, and auspicious symbols. The Qiao family’s names were also typical.[mfn](e.g., “auspicious harvest” for Qiao Ruifeng (乔瑞丰) and “full grain ear” for Qiao Suiman (乔穗满)) These are straightforward wishes for prosperity, which are common among farming families.[/mfn]

 

Then why was he gathering herbs? Qiao Suiman wondered.

 

“I heard he knows herbs, too. Did he study that?” Qin Yu asked curiously.

 

“Ah, his father was sickly from birth. In his later years, medicine was a constant expense. Buying herbs drained them, so they learned to forage and save money. Hard life—so young yet bearing so much.”

 

Qin Yu frowned, thinking of Qiao Ruifeng and Qiao Suiman. With a useless father like Qiao Chengfu, the villagers often said the brothers were “bad bamboo producing good shoots.”[mfn]歹竹出好笋 – a metaphor for parents who are not outstanding, but can produce outstanding children[/mfn] That coming this far was no small feat.

 

He didn’t know the refugees well because they lived far off and kept to themselves. But Auntie Qian’s favorable impression of the Lu family eased his mind somewhat.

 

With chores waiting, the group didn’t linger long. They soon left to continue chatting at Qian Yun’s place.

 

On the way, Feng Jie sighed. “The Qiao siblings are so capable. It’s a pity they got stuck with that father.”

 

The Qiao family’s paddy fields bordered the chief’s land on one side and the Zheng family’s on the other, which are Feng Jie’s in-laws. Both families were honest and had only little conflict. Feng Jie’s husband, Zheng Kai, was much older than Qiao Ruifeng, a peddler for over a decade since his teens.

 

Six years ago, Qiao Chengfu’s reckless spending led to unpaid tavern debts. When debt collectors stormed their home, Li Hua had no choice but to sell a mu[mfn]亩 – ~667 m²[/mfn] of paddy and a mu of dry field to settle it, and some went to Qiao Chengfu’s medical bills. Zheng Kai had bought that land.

 

The money to buy Qin Yu likely came from that, too. As for the rest, Li Hua never mentioned it before her death—it all went to Qiao Chengfu. No one knew how much was left.

 

The three families lived close to one another and frequently interacted, fostering sympathy for the Qiao children.

 

The Qiao family had once been prosperous. The old patriarch was capable and amassed considerable wealth. But his son, Qiao Shan, was a good-for-nothing who lazed about, constantly babbling about “making his fortune” yet squandering money.

 

By his late twenties, he’d taken up Li Hua. He didn’t settle even after getting married, dying to bandits on a trip, leaving behind Qiao Chengfu. Li Hua wasn’t hardworking, and leached off the family’s dwindling wealth. Qiao Chengfu only drank and hit people, so gradually, they grew poor.

 

He[mfn]Qiao Chengfu[/mfn], too, married late to a poor girl from another town who was sold off by her family. Her life was a misery: she had a harsh mother-in-law and an abusive husband. That life lasted years until she died in childbirth with Qiao Suiman—an escape, leaving the two brothers to fend for themselves.

 

Thankfully, they turned out capable, avoiding their elders’ vices. Their lives were slowly improving.

 

“Ruifeng is married now, and he and Yu-ge’r make a fine pair. Just a shame there’s no baby yet. Man-ge’r is so well-behaved and took all that abuse without a word. Thank goodness his brother and brother-in-law stood up for him.”

 

“Exactly! Such a sweet child, yet so much cruelty was thrown his way.”

 

“Lin Xiuhua has no conscience, tormenting them for years. Serves her right.”

 

“I’ve always said those rumors about Man-ge’r were nonsense, yet people believed them, and it’s all that woman’s doing. If anyone spreads lies again, I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”

 

At Qian Yun’s declaration, a few fell silent. They once gossiped about Man-ge’r’s “ill fate”—half-believing, half-just chattering. But having just enjoyed his hospitality, they will be more careful now. Besides, Qiao Ruifeng’s fury the other day wasn’t something to trifle with.

 

 

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