MHBOWSBTMT Chapter 17

Another day passed after transplanting the rice seedlings and filling in the gaps. Once the gaps were filled, they rested for two days before weeding again. Qiao Suiman’s back no longer ached as badly, so he joined the others in the fields to pull weeds. He also brought along a ground cage which is perfect for catching loaches.

 

They chopped up some earthworms and placed them inside the cage before setting it in areas thick with aquatic plants or deeper waters. Then, they left it alone and focused on uprooting the wild grass. If not removed in time, the weeds would choke the seedlings, stunting their growth and affecting the harvest.

 

The task went quickly with three people working, . Since they regularly weeded the fields, it didn’t take much effort and only took just a single day to clear everything. Now, they only needed to wait for the seedlings to recover before flooding the fields.

 

The days of labor had finally come to an end, and the ground cage yielded a decent haul: five loaches and four eels. It felt like a reward for their recent hard work.

 

Under the moonlight, Qiao Ruifeng carried the cage while Qin Yu and Qiao Suiman chatted cheerfully ahead. He followed behind them with a faint smile.

 

By the time they returned home, the moon was already hung high in the sky. The house had no candles, so Qin Yu started a fire by the moonlight’s glow. With the flames illuminating the space, Qiao Suiman chopped up some sponge gourd and boiled it in water, then placed a steaming rack over the pot with five steamed buns on top.

 

Qiao Ruifeng killed the last remaining eel from the previous days in the yard. These creatures were hardy. Just a bit of water could keep them alive for a long time. Even after five or six days, they were still lively.

 

The ones caught today would continue to be kept alive. It doesn’t matter whether they are eaten or sold. After all, they are gifts from the land. You can have a taste of meat without spending money. Over the past few days, they had tried stewed and stir-fried loaches and eels, yet they never seemed to tire of the taste.

 

By the time the eel was cleaned, the buns were also steamed. Qiao Suiman ladled out the sponge gourd soup into bowls for everyone, leaving the rest for Heijin. The steamed buns were placed in a basket, which Qin Yu carried to the table in the main room before returning to tend the fire.

 

They had already tried braised and spicy stir-fried eel, so Qiao Suiman thought for a moment before deciding to fry it with a bit of soybean oil. Qin Yu pulled out a piece of firewood, letting the eel fry slowly. This method resulted in a golden, crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

 

He also knew another way to prepare it: coating eel segments in batter and deep-frying them twice before dipping them in sauce. It was incredibly delicious. The Chen family liked making this dish during the New Year, along with fried fish and meat. The aroma would waft far and wide, and they always shared some with the Qiao family.

 

However, that method wasted both flour and oil, and the flour had to be refined. The Qiao family was naturally reluctant to spend money. Anything made with ample flour and oil was bound to taste good.

 

One side of the eel had already turned golden. Qiao Suiman flipped the pieces over to fry the other side. Before frying, he had rubbed the eel segments with a bit of salt, and now the savory aroma of crispiness mixed with salt teased their appetites.

 

Seeing that the eel was almost done, Qin Yu put out the fire. The residual heat from the pan would be enough to finish cooking.

 

Qiao Ruifeng put away the farming tools. For farmers, tools are  precious and they had to be properly stored when not in use. The Qiao family was no exception. Three baskets of farming tools were stacked together in the woodshed. Since they wouldn’t be needed for a while, they were all locked inside.

 

Qiao Suiman once again mixed some minced meat into Heijin’s rice bran. The dog ate with relish, unlike the other day when it had dragged its feet after tasting meat and then being given bran. With better meals these past few days, Heijin had visibly perked up. After the beating it had suffered, Qiao Suiman had been finding ways to help it recover.

 

The night was still chilly. The hot sponge gourd soup warmed them, dispelling the cold that had accumulated from days of working in the paddy fields. Qiao Suiman couldn’t help but sigh softly as he took a bite of steamed bun and a piece of fried eel. He could only hope that every day would be as good as this one.

 

They were all exhausted, so they ate quickly rather than savoring each bite. Soon, the food on the table was gone. Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu each ate one steamed bun before splitting another half between them. Qiao Ruifeng ate two, then used the last bite to sop up the oil left in the eel bowl before downing the remaining soup in one gulp. This was what people called the contentment of a full stomach after a good meal.

 

Covered in mud, Qiao Suiman heated water and carried it back to his room to wash up. Suddenly, a clap of thunder boomed outside, startling him so badly that he trembled. He looked outside, but it was not raining.

 

Normally, he wasn’t afraid of thunder, but today, for some reason, his chest felt heavy, as if something major was about to happen. His sleep was restless.

 

——

 

“Qiao family! Qiao family!”

 

“Rui-xiaozi[mfn]小子 – an affectionate or casual term for a young boy/man, similar to “lad,” “youngster,” or “kid”[/mfn], something’s happened!”

 

“Your father… he fell to his death!”

 

The Qiao family’s courtyard gate was pounded loudly. They had woken up later than usual today and were just eating breakfast when the shouts came from outside before they could even open the door.

 

Qiao Suiman’s heart lurched, sinking rapidly as it pounded wildly. For a moment, he stood frozen, unsure how to react.

 

Qiao Ruifeng put down the bowl in his hand, walked forward quickly to open the courtyard gate, and saw five or six people gathered outside. They were the Liu family who lived at the entrance of the village. There was Old Liu’s brother’s son and grandson, their wives, and two others who seemed to have tagged along out of curiosity.

 

“What did you say? What happened to him?” Qiao Ruifeng was equally stunned.

 

“He… he fell by the high ridge at the village entrance. He’s already gone!”

 

“We were heading to town when we saw someone lying by the ditch. When we went down to check, it was Qiao Chengfu, that good-for-nothing… he was dead!”

 

The road leading out of Xiahe Village had steep slopes on either side, about two zhang[mfn]丈 : ~3.3 m[/mfn] lower than the path itself. Normally, no one would walk so close to the edge. Qiao Ruifeng steadied himself and said hoarsely, “Uncle Liu, please show us the way.”

 

Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu were still in shock, silently following behind. Qiao Suiman’s back ached faintly, as if reminding him that this wasn’t a dream.

 

More and more people gathered along the way. Qiao Suiman felt dazed. This scene was familiar, yet what had happened far exceeded his imagination.

 

Everyone was chattering. It was obvious that the Liu family members were also frightened. When others asked why they looked so shaken, they repeated what they had seen. By the time they reached where Qiao Chengfu had fallen, a dense crowd had already formed.

 

Most of the onlookers were elderly. The younger ones didn’t dare look, and children were sternly warned by their parents not to get too close, lest they encounter something unclean.

 

When the crowd saw the three Qiao family members arriving, they instinctively made way. Zhou Shuifen had also come along, grabbing Qiao Suiman’s arm and saying, “Man-ge’r, you… you, don’t be scared, alright? I’ll go get the village chief.”

 

With that, she hurried off toward the village chief’s house.

 

The people around them wore expressions of pity. These Qiao children were still so young, yet they had already endured so much over the years. When Li Hua had passed, Qiao Chengfu didn’t even return and the funeral was arranged by the village chief with the help of the villagers. And now, their father was gone too. Orphaned before they were even grown, what a tragedy!

 

Qiao Suiman’s mind was blank. He couldn’t identify his own emotions as he numbly followed Qiao Ruifeng down the slope.

 

“Ugh…” Some of the bolder villagers who had followed them down gasped at the sight of Qiao Chengfu’s body. He had fallen headfirst, his skull a bloody mess. The stench of alcohol and sour sweat clung to him. It had rained last night, and his body had bloated in the puddle, emitting a foul odor.

 

Seeing the man who had cursed and beaten him just days ago now lying cold and lifeless by the roadside, surrounded by voices he couldn’t even make out, Qiao Suiman suddenly turned away and vomited.

 

His body trembled slightly. Since he hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, he only dry-heaved. His vision swam, and the scene before him seemed to shift. It was no longer the village entrance, but the front yard of the Qiao house, where he had been beaten time and time again.

 

“Xiao Man, Xiao Man.” A familiar voice reached his ears. It was Qin Yu.

 

He turned his head. Qin Yu and his brother were looking at him with concern. “Ge, I… I’m fine.”

 

The older fulang and women were unable to watch and averted their eyes. It was truly heart-wrenching. Fortunately, the village chief arrived soon after, accompanied unexpectedly by Lu Dongqing.

 

The village chief covered his nose and mouth as he stepped forward to inspect the body. No matter how much he had disliked Qiao Chengfu in life, he was still a member of Xiahe Village, and his death had been so wretched. He sighed. “Must’ve been drunk, slipped in the rain, and fell. Ruifeng, let’s get him home first, then figure out the funeral arrangements.”

 

Qiao Ruifeng said nothing, only nodding before silently dragging the body out of the puddle. Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu moved to help, but the village chief stopped them. “Yu-ge’r, you two shouldn’t touch him. Take Man-ge’r home first and prepare some tea. Let the other men carry him back.”

 

Qin Yu had handled funeral arrangements when Li Hua passed, so he knew what to do. But this was so sudden that he hadn’t processed it yet. Now, he quickly nodded in agreement and led Qiao Suiman back the way they came.

 

Qiao Suiman gradually regained his senses as he followed Qin Yu out of the crowd. He glanced back once before lowering his gaze, masking the emotions in his eyes. He was unaware that Lu Dongqing was watching him with concern.

The two hurried home. Zhou Shuifen, after fetching the village chief, had also returned and was now standing at their gate. Seeing them, she advised, “Prepare plenty of tea. The arrangements should be settled today. Eat something to keep your strength up. The next few days will be busy. It’s a shame I can’t help out myself, but, well…”

 

“Auntie Shuifen, don’t say that. Xuesheng’s wedding is more important. We’ll manage here. You should find a red cloth belt for Xuesheng to wear.”

 

Chen Xuesheng’s wedding date was approaching. His family couldn’t afford to get involved in this matter. Mixing red (weddings) and white (funerals) was considered bad luck for the newlyweds.

 

“Alright. If you run into trouble, ask the village chief. I won’t keep you any longer, you have things to do.” Zhou Shuifen didn’t delay them further. As the two entered the house, she sighed heavily. “What’s going on?”

 

Back home, Qiao Suiman used a clay stove to boil water while also heating water in two other pots. Carrying such a heavy body home would be impossible for his brother alone. And Qiao Chengfu’s current state meant he needed to be washed before burial and more water would be needed.

 

Qiao Suiman took some mugwort from the woodshed and tied several small bundles with red string. Mugwort is common in the countryside. Every household dried and stored it for soaking feet or warding off bad luck. Later, they would give a bundle to each helper to take home.

 

He also added mugwort to the small pot of boiling water. When they had rushed out in a panic earlier, Heijin had been whining uneasily. After a few soothing words, it had quieted down and laid nearby.

 

They locked all the doors except for the kitchen and woodshed. With so many people coming and going over the next few days, they had to be wary of thieves. When Old Lady Wang Qi had passed, someone had stolen two chickens from her backyard during the funeral.

 

Qin Yu looked around, confirming that nothing was amiss. There was also a noisy crowd coming from far away outside the door.

 

 

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