The sun was setting, and the earth was gradually dyed golden. Though the bustle of the day’s market had yet to settle, the vendors grew even more fervent in their cries, eager to make the most of the remaining time before closing.
The second month was bitterly cold, and the early days of the third month were plagued by rain. It was finally sunny today. There was a constant stream of people going to the market to buy things, and the vendors were all working hard.
The drinks and gourds they’d brought were already sold out. Qin Yu fetched a bucket of water from the market well, while Qiao Suiman washed the wooden barrels used for the drinks. Soon, Qiao Ruifeng would finish work and return home.
The two rested under a tree after packing up. Business had been good today. They made an extra barrel of drinks, and even that had sold out. Qiao Suiman kept careful count of the copper coins they earned, totaling one hundred and ten wen. The weight of the money pouch was reassuring, but they dared not leave the market unattended, lest thieves take advantage. They’d wait for Qiao Ruifeng to arrive before entrusting it to him.
Qin Yu’s gourds had also sold well, earning nearly ninety wen. It had been a fruitful day. It had been a fruitful day. The two sat lightly on the cart, the money pouch tucked securely beneath the wooden barrels at the bottom. Faint smiles graced their lips as they watched the surrounding stalls and guarded their belongings.
By the afternoon, Lu Dongqing’s business had picked up even more. Perhaps the praise from the young lady and ge’r had drawn others to his stall. The crowd around him grew, and though some haggled, knocking off three to five wen, he still managed to sell everything within two shichen, leaving his stall empty.
With nothing else to pack, he simply slung his cloth bag over his shoulder and left. The day’s earnings were enough to commission a few tools from the blacksmith. Pausing briefly in thought, he turned and walked toward Qiao Suiman.
“Thank you for your advice earlier,” he said, one hand holding the bag, the other hanging stiffly at his side. His demeanor remained as cold and unyielding as ever.
No wonder that troublemaking vendor fled at the sight of him, Qiao Suiman mused silently. With such an imposing presence, few would dare cross him. Fortunately, he was quite restrained in front of customers.
An hour earlier, a crowd had gathered around Lu Dongqing’s stall to admire his hairpins and toys. A sly, scrawny old man had pushed his way to the edge, loudly declaring the hairpins were inferior and made of moldy wood.
But before the man could finish his second shout, Lu Dongqing had stepped out from the crowd and loomed over him. The man had immediately clammed up, then turned his tail and fled in terror.
Some in the crowd recognized him. He’s a peddler who usually set up further ahead, known for swindling young girls and ge’r, marking up ten-wen hairpins to forty or fifty wen. His business was stolen away by Lu Dongqing, so he sought revenge, only to end up thoroughly frightened instead.
Qin Yu saw this and said that being intimidating had its advantages, making Qiao Suiman chuckle.
For some reason, Qiao Suiman always felt that Lu Dongqing was not as calm as he seemed. Although he just said thank you, he seemed very embarrassed.
He couldn’t figure out why he felt this way, so he stopped worrying and said with a smile, “You’re welcome.”
——
Lu Dongqing left the market with his cloth bag. When he was about to turn the street, he looked back and saw Qiao Suiman leaning against the cart, probably waiting for his brother. His one foot was swaying back and forth, while talking and laughing with the people around him.
A faint warmth surfaced in Lu Dongqing’s eyes.
After Lu Dongqing left, Qin Yu’s eyes darted thoughtfully. He glanced at Qiao Suiman, who seemed utterly oblivious, and sighed inwardly. The boy was sharp in every other matter. Why was he so dense about this?
Then again, he couldn’t help but smile. Their Xiao Man is just too endearing. That look in Lu Dongqing’s eyes was all too familiar. It was the same way Qiao Ruifeng had gazed at him when he first entered the Qiao household. Later, he came forward and said it himself.
But if they will wait for Xiao Man to figure it out on his own, they’d be waiting forever. Qin Yu dismissed the thought. No use fretting over uncertainties. If Lu Dongqing is truly serious, they could worry about it then. For now, he’ll just keep an eye out.
Another quarter-hour passed. The sun was nearly set when Qiao Ruifeng finally returned to the market, his face alight with joy. There was plenty of work today and he took jobs from two households. He was a little tired, but he earned fifty wen in just one day, which was really good.
The three of them hurried back to Xiahe Village before nightfall. Though the world was generally peaceful, robberies still happened occasionally. It was safer to travel while the roads are still busy and the sky hadn’t fully darkened.
By the time they entered the village, smoke already curled from many chimneys, and the scent of meat dishes wafted through the air, tantalizing their empty stomachs.
Qiao Ruifeng was called to the village head’s house to collect his wages from the bridge repairs a few days prior. There were only a few empty buckets on the cart, and the money was all on him. Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu pulled it along leisurely toward home.
That morning, they left an extra wheat bran for Heijin. The clever dog knew they’d be out all day and wouldn’t gobble it all up at once. With Heijin guarding the house, they could leave with peace of mind.
However, they froze as they neared their gate. The courtyard gate, which should have been shut tight, stood wide open. Inside, chairs and tables lay scattered in disarray. They dropped the cart at once. “Heijin!” Qiao Suiman cried, rushing into the yard.
The sight that greeted him made his blood run cold.
Qiao Chengfu, who hadn’t been home in ages, was kicking at Qiao Ruifeng’s bedroom door. Heijin was bitting his robe tightly and dragged him back, but Qiao Chengfu struck the dog repeatedly with a stick. Heijin, smart as he was, couldn’t dodge fast enough.
“Heijin, come here!” Qiao Suiman shouted.
Heijin used all his strength to drag Qiao Chengfu back. With a hissing sound, his robe tore open, and Heijin retreated straight back. Qiao Suiman caught him in his arms.
The dog panted heavily, and Qiao Suiman’s heart ached. His eyes were full of hatred as he looked at Qiao Chengfu.
Freed from resistance, Qiao Chengfu delivered another vicious kick to the door but it still didn’t budge. “Damn it,” he cursed under his breath before whirling around. “Where’s the money? Hand it over!”
When he saw the hatred in Qiao Suiman’s eyes, his rage flared hotter. Pointing at him, he spat, “You worthless brat! Wasting money on a damn mutt! That ungrateful beast dared bite me! I’ll beat it to death!”
“Father, we’ve run out of food,” Qin Yu said quietly. “It rained these past few days and Ruifeng couldn’t work. We had to borrow rice just to eat. There’s no spare money.”
No money? Then go borrow! Steal! Do whatever it took to get it! What use were they otherwise?
“Shameless whore, who asked you?” Qiao Chengfu snarled. Always with the excuses, they think he didn’t know they’d gone to the market today? How dare they hide it from him!
He kicked aside a chair and lunged at Qin Yu, driving his foot into the man’s knee. Qin Yu screamed, his knee hurt so much that he almost fell to his knees.
“Qin Yu-ge!” Qiao Suiman set Heijin down and rushed to steady him, barely keeping him upright.
Qiao Chengfu looked at him with even more viciousness in his eyes, “Jinx! If not for you, I wouldn’t be in this state! First you killed them, now you’re ruining my luck! You’re close with the Chens, aren’t you? Go beg them for money!”
Qiao Chengfu had long relied on the fact that Qiao Ruifeng once saved Chen Xiasheng’s life. Whenever he ran out of drinking money, he would order the brothers to ask for it. Qiao Ruifeng always refused, so Qiao Chengfu went himself, demanding money from Chen Ping. But Chen Ping despised Qiao Chengfu’s laziness and drunkenness and never gave him a single coin.
Enraged, Qiao Chengfu had once rolled up his sleeves and tried to force his way into Chen Ping’s rooms to steal. But Chen Ping, hardened by years of labor, was stronger. Though he treated the Qiao brothers kindly, he showed no mercy to Qiao Chengfu, swiftly beating him out of the house.
Qiao Chengfu, who never worked, was no match for a seasoned laborer. After that humiliation, he never dared confront Chen Ping again, taking his anger out on his family instead. It had always been this way.
He only returned when he needed drinking money. Back when Li Hua was alive, she’d give in to his demands. After her death, Qiao Ruifeng refused to indulge him like his grandmother had, though he couldn’t outright abandon him. Thus, Qiao Chengfu only got his way two or three times out of five.
After all, the family has little land now, so there is no extra money for him. If he wants money, he has to earn it himself.
“There’s no money! No matter how many times you shout!” Qiao Suiman snapped.
Qiao Chengfu was beaten and thrown out of the tavern yesterday for failing to pay his tab. He slept on the roadside last night, and after being denied money twice already, he returned home in a rage, determined to get his hands on money and curse out those who’d looked down on him. But once again, his own children disobeyed him.
His eyes were red, he kicked over the bamboo basket in the yard, picked up a stick and walked to Qiao Suiman in two or three steps, and scolded: “No money? Where is the money from selling wine? Hurry up and give it to me.”
Qiao Suiman had fought back in the past, but a ge’r’s strength was no match for a grown man’s, let alone a drunkard desperate for money. After suffering a few beatings, he learned it was wiser to flee than to resist.
As Qiao Chengfu swung the stick, Qiao Suiman dodged and ran the other way. The stench of alcohol and sweat filled the air, making his stomach churn with disgust. “What wine? We stopped making it ages ago! We can’t even afford food, how could we brew wine?”
“Useless trash! All you do is eat my family’s food! Why should I keep you around? Stay still, you little slut!” Qiao Chengfu’s mind was clouded by liquor and greed, his beady eyes glinting as he hurled every vile insult he could muster.
Qin Yu trembled with anger but knew neither of them could overpower Qiao Chengfu. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his knee, he slipped out the side gate and called out in a shaky voice, “Xiasheng! Quick! Go to the village chief and fetch your Ruifeng-ge! Tell him Father’s beating people again!”
Chen Xiasheng, young and strong-legged, would be faster than calling Zhou Shuifen or Chen Xuesheng.
Zhou Shuifen, hearing the commotion, rushed out, still holding her unfinished work. She immediately sent Chen Xiasheng to fetch help. “What’s happening? Come inside and sit. Has that bastard come back to cause trouble?”
Qin Yu had no mind to sit. “No time, Auntie. I have to get back. Xiao Man might get hurt.” With that, he limped back home.
Zhou Shuifen wrung her hands anxiously. That heartless scoundrel! How could he raise a hand against his own children? May lightning strike him dead!
She stood at the gate, straining her eyes. Before long, a figure came sprinting into view. “Rui-zi! Hurry, get home! It’s chaos over there!”
Just after she finished speaking, a voice roared from the Qiao courtyard: “Oh, you’ve got nerve, running away! Whore! Jinx! What’s the use of that pretty face? Sell yourself to a brothel, at least you’ll save us food!”
Qiao Suiman’s face burned crimson, his lips trembling with rage. His hands shook uncontrollably. After walking to and from town and hawking goods all day, his strength was spent. He could barely run anymore.
