LW chapter 92: Extra 8

 

Chen Qing worked in the medicinal fields for half a month and had already adapted to the work rhythm. After his waist ached for three or four days, he got used to it. The happiest moment of each day was when work was over. Looking at the copper coins in his hand, he felt that life was becoming more hopeful.

While working, Chen Qing noticed that many people were deliberately slowing down. At first, he didn’t understand, but after overhearing their quiet chatter, he understood why. If they worked more slowly, their workdays would be one or two days longer, and they could earn more money.

While working, Chen Qing wondered whether this kind of behavior was right, but he never slowed down. He just did things the way he should.

Perhaps because they noticed how quickly he worked, the steward transferred him to the medicinal field next door. That field grew sandy ginseng. This herb replenishes qi and blood and is especially suitable for strengthening the health of the elderly.

Chen Qing kept his eyes straight ahead and worked just as before. People who came out of the medicinal field had their bodies searched before leaving because the herbs there were valuable.

Chen Qing didn’t mind. His hands were always clean while working, so he wasn’t worried about anything being found. He also thought that, given the strict security, no one would risk committing a crime.

The medicinal harvest was good this year, and perhaps because of the others’ silent procrastination, the work wasn’t finished after one month, so they had to work ten more days.

However, just one day before they finished, someone was found to have stolen herbs during the inspection.

The stewards didn’t hit him or say much. They took the person directly to the yamen, leaving the remaining workers to discuss the matter loudly.

Recently, Chen Qing had often overheard people talking about how this man’s son had developed a gambling addiction and lost all the family savings. The man had no choice, so he decided to steal some medicinal herbs to sell. Apparently, this wasn’t his first time stealing, he just got caught this time.

When Chen Qing went back home, he told his grandmother about it. She reminded him that he must never be greedy for small gains: “Our family is poor, but we cannot lose our integrity.”

Chen Qing nodded obediently. “I won’t.”

He worked in the medicinal fields for forty days and earned four hundred coins. This was the most money he had ever earned.

On the way back, he planned how to spend the money. First, he would buy some lard—the lard jar had been empty for a long time. Then he would buy meat. He was fine since the lunch meal always had a little oil, but Grandmother hadn’t eaten meat in a long time. Finally, he would buy some grain. This way, when the end of the year came, they wouldn’t go hungry. Buying new clothes for Grandmother would have to wait until he earned more money.

It was mid-April, and the weather was warm. The wind no longer pierced like needles. Chen Qing helped Grandmother put on her clothes properly and supported her as they headed to town. He carried more than four hundred coins in a pouch Grandmother had made for him. It felt heavy.

They were going to town because they wanted to check the post office for letters or money sent by Zhou Yuan. Usually, they arrived in the third month. In the past, someone would come to the village entrance and announce its arrival, but they hadn’t heard anything this year, so Grandmother wanted to bring Chen Qing to check and teach him the way. In the future, Chen Qing would have to collect it himself.

When they arrived at the post station, they received word that the money had arrived on the fifteenth day of the third month. Zhou Yuan had sent back two taels of silver. The person who collected the money pressed a red fingerprint and wrote the name Zhou Mu.

It wasn’t that Zhou Yuan didn’t send money, Zhou Mu had already collected it. Most likely, Zhou Mu had stopped the person delivering the notice at the village entrance and followed them to retrieve the money.

Seeing Grandmother’s understanding expression, Chen Qing knew this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

“Grandmother, how many years has it been since Zhou Yuan left?” Chen Qing supported her as the two slowly walked through the crowd.

“This is already the fourth year,” Grandmother said. “Back then, we couldn’t even fill our cooking pot. When the recruiters came, they said that joining the army would provide twenty jin of grain, so A-Yuan enlisted. At that time, A-Yuan was only thirteen.”

Chen Qing did the math in his head. Zhou Yuan was one year older than him. He was sixteen this year, so Zhou Yuan was seventeen.

Not receiving money from Zhou Yuan made Chen Qing feel a little disappointed. Fortunately, he had earned some money recently and could buy necessary grain. When they arrived, the basket was empty. When they returned, the basket was filled to the brim. Chen Qing felt it was even a bit heavy to carry, but he was very happy.

After returning home, he poured the grain into the flour jar. He had originally wanted to buy snacks for Grandmother, but she said it would be better to buy more grain. He thought that made sense, so he bought more grain than planned and also bought a piece of pork fatback.

When they returned home, Chen Qing immediately began rendering the lard. The aroma made his stomach rumble. Grandmother came in from outside carrying a cabbage and said with a smile, “Let’s make cabbage and pork-crackling buns today.”

He nodded and agreed. Grandmother used the old flour to make dough. After pouring the lard into the jar, a thin layer of oil remained on the wok’s sides. Chen Qing chopped the cabbage, stir-fried it in the oily wok, and mixed it with pork cracklings to make the filling. He didn’t use up all the cracklings—they were rare and needed to be saved for a special occasion.

The filling was mostly cabbage, but because it was stir-fried in lard, it was very fragrant.

Once the dough had risen, Grandmother and Chen Qing started making steamed buns. At first, Chen Qing wasn’t very good at pinching the pleats, so his buns looked like little dumplings. His grandmother patiently taught him until he finally made his first bun.

They didn’t make many buns. The weather was hot, and food wouldn’t keep for long. If they made too many and couldn’t finish them, they would spoil.

When Chen Qing bit into his first bun, tears fell from his eyes. The cabbage was naturally sweet, and combined with the fragrance of lard, each bite was rich with oil.

Grandmother also ate a little more than usual. She made cabbage soup, too. This meal was even better than their New Year’s dinner.

After eating, Chen Qing felt much happier. Grandmother and Chen Qing sat in the courtyard doing needlework. Chen Qing did the embroidery while Grandmother helped him sort the thread. They talked mostly about Zhou Yuan.

“He was so mischievous back then, and tall, too. None of the other village children could beat him,” Grandmother said proudly. “His parents were still alive back then, and someone came to the house to complain every day.”

Later, Zhou Yuan’s parents passed away in an accident. Zhou Mu was selfish. After his older brother died, Zhou Mu didn’t want to raise Zhou Yuan, so he kicked him out. Zhou Yuan’s grandmother couldn’t bear it, so she said she would raise him. Zhou Mu accused her of being biased. He said that if she wanted to raise Zhou Yuan, he wouldn’t support her anymore. He even told her to give up the house, claiming that his family needed more space and that, since she and Zhou Yuan were only two people, they didn’t need such a big house.

Chen Qing snorted, thinking Zhou Mu’s family was truly too much.

“We still managed to get by. Back then, I wasn’t old. I worked, sewed, and more or less raised A-Yuan. Later, when my health worsened, A-Yuan started working to earn money. He wasn’t very old, but he did all sorts of dirty, tiring jobs, like carrying loads and working as muscle for the gambling house.”

“Later, I fell seriously ill and spent all our savings. Just then, the court came to recruit soldiers, and A-Yuan went for the twenty jin of grain.”

What happened next was easy for Chen Qing to imagine. Grandmother’s life alone must have been extremely difficult. Perhaps in the first year, Zhou Yuan sent money home, and Grandmother lived off that money for a year. The second year, when she went to collect it, Zhou Mu had already taken the money.

Grandmother felt that her health was deteriorating, so during the days when Zhou Yuan’s money was expected, she waited at the village entrance. She finally received the money before Zhou Mu did. It was also two taels of silver.

With this silver and some of her previous earnings, she bought Chen Qing back.

“Xiao Qing, if I die before A-Yuan returns, you must wait for him. He is a very good person.” Grandmother’s eyes were misty with tears. She wiped them with the back of her hand.

When Chen Qing heard this, he became afraid. Grandmother was very old now—just a chill could endanger her.

”Grandmother, you will be fine.” He put down the handkerchief he was holding and leaned closer to her. “Look, the crane I embroidered symbolizes longevity. This handkerchief is my gift to you.”

Grandmother took the handkerchief. The crane embroidered on it looked vivid and lifelike. She handed it back to Chen Qing. “Xiao Qing, this handkerchief is embroidered so well. Sell it.”

“I can embroider more. Besides, the cloth for this handkerchief came from our home, so it can’t be sold.” Chen Qing lowered his head and smiled. “My little father taught me this skill.”

Grandmother reached out and touched his hair. “Xiao Qing’s hands are really skillful.” She coughed twice, and Chen Qing hurried to pour her some water.

Suddenly, Grandmother’s coughing worsened. She used the handkerchief Chen Qing had given her to wipe her mouth. When Chen Qing returned, he saw faint blood stains on the slightly yellowed handkerchief.

The bowl in his hand fell to the ground. “Grandmother—Grandmother, what’s wrong?”

Grandmother wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. “It’s nothing, just old age. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Chen Qing panicked. He had been there for a year—Grandmother had treated him sincerely, and in his lonely life, she was his only warmth.

“Pour me a bowl of water, Xiao Qing.”

Chen Qing picked up the bowl. His hands trembled as he washed it, but he still poured her a proper bowl of water.

That night, lying in bed, Chen Qing listened to the wind howling outside his window. The blood on the handkerchief from earlier that day kept him from sleeping.

He really should take Grandmother to see a doctor, he thought.

But they had spent almost all their money yesterday. He didn’t know how much the medicine would cost. What if they didn’t have enough money for Grandmother’s medicine?

Chen Qing stared wide-eyed until dawn. The first thing he did after getting up was insist on taking Grandmother to town to see a doctor.

When he told her his idea, Grandmother immediately shook her head and refused, but he insisted. So, the two of them went to town early in the morning. When they arrived at the clinic, a doctor soon came to examine her.

After checking her pulse, the doctor said that Grandmother had caught a chill. Because she was very old, the cold had entered her body and damaged her lungs due to long-term exhaustion.

Chen Qing didn’t understand much of what the doctor said and only asked, “Can she be cured?”

“That is uncertain,” the doctor replied. “After all, she is very old.”

Grandmother seemed to have expected this outcome long ago. “Let’s go, Xiao Qing. I know my own body.”

However, Chen Qing refused to give up and asked the doctor to prescribe medicine. However, the doctor said that some of the herbs were expensive and that each dose would cost forty wen.

They had spent most of their money yesterday. What Chen Qing had left was only enough to buy two doses. He turned his pouch upside down, poured out all the coins, and bought two doses of medicine for his grandmother.

In the end, only a few coins remained.

“Why are you wasting money?” Grandmother disapproved and tried to take the money back, but Chen Qing had already asked the doctor to prepare the medicine.

All the way home, Grandmother worried about the cost. Chen Qing comforted her. “Grandmother, I’ll earn money. Don’t worry.”

When they arrived home, Chen Qing prepared the medicine for her. Seeing how weak she was, he didn’t let her get out of bed. She rested properly for the next two days.

After taking two doses of the medicine, she improved. Chen Qing had wanted to buy more medicine, but they only had enough money for one more dose. Grandmother absolutely refused, insisting that she already felt much better.

However, three days after she stopped taking the medicine, her coughing worsened. Even at night, while she was sleeping, Chen Qing could hear her coughing.

Chen Qing couldn’t sleep. He went into Grandmother’s room to watch over her and saw blood on her handkerchief again. Grandmother couldn’t find the words to comfort him, she only patted his hand.

Near dawn, Grandmother finally slept more peacefully. But Chen Qing stayed awake until morning. He wanted to buy more medicine for her, but they didn’t have any money. He considered selling their grain, but without it, they wouldn’t survive long.

Money—everywhere, it came back to money.

Because of money, thieves killed his father.
Because of money, his little father jumped into the river and ended his life.
Because of money, Chen Qing sold himself.
Now Grandmother was sick, and still there was no money.

Did he have to sell himself again? Chen Qing thought in despair.

If only Zhou Yuan were here, he would definitely have a solution.

Zhou Yuan…the money he had sent home!

Zhou Yuan had sent the money to Grandmother. There was no reason for his family to spend it. It was Grandmother’s life-saving money!

That afternoon, Chen Qing sat in the room for a long time before finally standing up. He didn’t even hear Grandmother calling him.

Chen Qing took a kitchen knife from the kitchen and headed toward Zhou Mu’s house. Zhou Mu’s house was not far from the village entrance. That’s why they always got news faster than Grandmother and took Zhou Yuan’s money.

Grandmother watched Chen Qing leave. She tried to get up and stop him, but she was still in the reclining chair and couldn’t even stand. She could only watch helplessly as he walked away.

Holding the knife, Chen Qing kept his head down as he walked toward Zhou Mu’s house. On the road, he saw a very tall man. He hated that he wasn’t bigger, otherwise, people wouldn’t bully them so easily.

Soon, he arrived at Zhou Mu’s house. It was large, with blue brick walls. One look was enough to see that his life wasn’t as hard as he claimed. Yet, on New Year’s Eve, Zhou Mu still came and took their few pieces of salted meat and Grandmother’s life-saving money.

Zhou Mu happened to come out and saw Chen Qing standing at his door. “What are you here for!?”

Chen Qing dug his fingernail tightly into his own finger. “I want money.”

His voice was still small. Realizing why he was there, Chen Qing loudly said, “I’m here to ask for money! You took the money my husband sent to me and Grandmother! Grandmother is sick! I need that money for her medicine!”

He suddenly raised his voice even higher. The houses here were close together, and many neighbors poked their heads out.

“What did you say!?” Zhou Mu hadn’t expected him to yell so loudly. He tried to rush forward and slap him. But Chen Qing pulled a kitchen knife from his sleeve.

“Give back the money my husband sent for Grandmother!” Chen Qing’s voice was loud, and it trembled at the end. “Grandmother needs medicine! I want the silver my husband sent!”

Chen Qing swung the knife twice. Seeing how thin he was, Zhou Mu snorted. “And what are you, daring to ask me for money?”

He reached out, grabbed the knife from Chen Qing’s hand, and kicked his shin. “Get lost!”

Chen Qing fell to the ground. He could feel everyone around him watching. Shouting those few sentences had used up all his strength. His eyes were red, but thinking of his grandmother, he stood up, walked to Zhou Mu, and said,

“Give me the money back!”

Zhou Mu, enraged, kicked him again—this time with great force. Chen Qing staggered back several steps. He thought he was going to fall, but instead, he fell into a broad chest behind him.

Chen Qing looked up, but the man was too tall. With the sunlight behind him, Chen Qing could only see his chin.

The man wrapped one arm around Chen Qing’s waist while reaching for the knife on his back with the other hand: “Second Uncle, long time no see. Are you comfortable spending the money I earned at the cost of my life?”

 

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Author’s Notes:

Zhou Yuan: *A dazzling entrance!*

P.S. There is no love at first sight in this storyline—it’s a slow burn. You can treat this as a new story. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it.