RMCF: Chapter 3

 

Chapter 3

“Is Aunt Gan at home?”

“Aunt Gan!”

Just as he was pounding on the courtyard gate, Zhang Fangyuan spotted the woman with a conspicuous silk flower in her hair swaying her way back from outside.

The woman he called Aunt Gan was known to others as Matchmaker Gan. Since Zhang Fangyuan’s father and the woman’s husband were distant cousins, they shared a slight familial connection.

“Fangyuan, what brings you here? Didn’t you go to the Xu household for the New Year’s pig slaughter today?”

Seeing her courtyard gate being battered by those solid, powerful palms as if it might topple inward any moment, Matchmaker Gan quickly called out to stop him, inwardly complaining about her husband a little, that good-for-nothing, lying in bed and not even bothering to answer the door.

“I came back after eating. It's close to the Xu's anyway, so I dropped by to see you, Aunt Gan. Just got back?”

Matchmaker Gan hadn't expected this nephew to come cozy up to her today. His old man was an honest soul, though he died young, leaving an only son who was rather pitiable.

“Yesterday, the Wang family’s wife from the village entrance asked me to find a bride for their eldest son. I didn't even go for the pig-slaughtering feast at the Xu household, hurrying to handle their matter instead.”

Zhang Fangyuan remarked, “No one handles these village matters more妥帖 (properly/satisfactorily) than you, Auntie.”

“Oh, you kid, your mouth is so sweet today.”

“Your nephew has something to trouble you with.”

Matchmaker Gan instantly understood, “So you're finally anxious about this! Two years ago when I talked to you about it, you weren't interested. Tired of drinking now? Or do you think having a wife and raising a child is more comfortable?”

Zhang Fangyuan chuckled wryly, “In the village, I'm not young anymore. Just now at the banquet, I saw guys younger than me already holding babies. How could I not be anxious?”

Madam Gan smiled knowingly. Those in her profession were naturally gossipy and warm-hearted. When someone actively sought her help, she naturally felt enthusiastic.

Still... Madam Gan looked Zhang Fangyuan up and down. His appearance was outstanding, and he had a skill. Originally, he should have been easy to matchmake, but that reputation of his... well, things might not be so easy. She didn't commit outright, “If there's a suitable one, Auntie will call you to meet.”

Zhang Fangyuan was sincerely asking for help. He transferred the two jin of meat from his finger to Matchmaker Gan's hand, saying pleasantly, “Please put some thought into it, Auntie.”

 Which villager wouldn’t envy such a generous gift? Though she protested verbally, Madam Gan's hands worked swiftly. She happilly took the meat, her tone immediately becoming much more enthusiastic. “Nephew, you're too considerate. Tell Auntie properly, what kind do you fancy?”

Zhang Fangyuan pondered for a moment. “Anyone is fine, as long as it’s not someone like Xu Shaochu.”

Madam Gan's eyes widened at this remark. “What village single man doesn't dream of marrying the Xu family’s second daughter? Are you sure you didn't say that backwards?”

“Your nephew can't afford to support someone like the Xu family's second daughter.” Zhang Fangyuan said with a playful laugh.

Hearing this, Matchmaker Gan actually thought more highly of him. “You silly kid actually sees things clearly. That saves me some effort.”

“Anyway, I'm not picky. Anyone who can live a proper life will do.”

“Alright then. Auntie will compare the suitable girls and ger I know, go to their families to sound them out. If there's any potential, I'll come find you.”

Seeing the most renowned matchmaker for miles around agree, Zhang Fangyuan felt much more assured. “Good. Your nephew will wait for your good news then.”

After seeing Zhang Fangyuan off, Madam Gan gave the meat in her hands a little shake. This was splendid—she wouldn't need to buy pork for the New Year after all. As she opened the courtyard gate, her husband emerged from the house. “You dare promise anyone? If it doesn't work out and he comes to make trouble, it'll be a spectacle for the neighbors.”

“Zhang Fangyuan is strong and healthy. Can he really not get a wife?”

The man snorted. “How many days a month is he even in the village? When he does return, he's like a drunken fool. Who knows if he'll go crazy and hit people after dwinking? His own mother was beaten by his father when drunk. What family would be willing to let their daughter or ger be mistreated by him?”

But Matchmaker Gan retorted, “There are other unpresentable men in the village too. That lame, ugly Zhou San'er still managed to get matched with a ger.”

The man scoffed, “Then look how much silver the Zhou family spent to marry him in! Ten taels! Not only did it empty their savings, they had to borrow from everywhere to gather enough. In a famine year, that's enough to buy a wife! Could Zhang Fangyuan possibly afford that?”

“How do you know the Zhang family didn't leave him any money to marry a wife? The Zhangs used to be quite well-off; his uncles and elders are also among the better families in the village.”

The words weren't false, but Matchmaker Gan said them somewhat lacking in confidence. Even if the Zhang family had some assets, they couldn't withstand Zhang Fangyuan's spending and messing around. Now his reputation was in the mud; it would be strange if the Zhang uncles bothered with him.

Besides, when others came seeking a matchmaker, bringing a basket of eggs or a handkerchief wrapped around a few pieces of pastry was the most they'd do. Who would give such a substantial gift before the matter was even settled? Even the village chief's family wouldn't be this generous. When you got down to it, it was just bachelors not knowing how to manage their lives. Giving so much did show his sincerity in wanting a wife, wanting someone to manage him.

But then again, considering Zhang Fangyuan's stubborn, fierce appearance, even if he married a wife, could a they really manage him?

She pulled her thoughts back and raised the pork in her hand, wanting to salvage some face in front of her husband. “Look! This is what Zhang Fangyuan sent.”

The sight of the marbled pork made the man swallow involuntarily. He pursed his lips, but faced with such tangible sustenance, he ultimately chose not to argue further.

Zhang Fangyuan, still unaware of how poor his prospects were, hummed a popular tune from the city and returned home in high spirits.

Not sure how many days he had been fooling around in the town previously, but the kitchen had gathered a layer of dust. Feeling the chill, he decided to stoke the fire and boil a large pot of water, firstly to warm the house, and secondly to have hot water to clean the stove, counter, pots, and bowls.

Having just come back from handling matters, he couldn't help but think that once the matchmaker had news and he married a wife, the kitchen would have someone to manage it. Then he could earn money outside, and his wife wouldn't need to work so hard, just keep the house tidy. Then returning from outside wouldn't be to a cold hearth, forcing him to light the fire himself.

After placing two dry logs in the stove, he crossed the main hall to his bedroom. A faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air, and the room was in a mess. Clothes he had worn were tossed wherever was convenient. He almost tripped over a pair of pants thrown on the floor right after entering.

He didn't know if a cat had gotten in or if he had been too drunk to notice, but the charcoal brazier in the room had been knocked over, lying upside down in the middle of the floor, extinguished charcoal and ashes scattered everywhere.

Zhang Fangyuan was a rough man, not good at managing household chores, nor did he have the love for cleanliness typical of women or ger. He hadn't paid much attention earlier, but seeing this scene now, he couldn't help but find it rather vexing.

He stepped over to the bedside, pushed aside the long wooden stool propped against it, pried up two floor tiles, and pulled out a solid wood box from beneath. Cradling it to his chest, he blew away the accumulated dust and hastily opened the lid.

Inside lay a few scattered pieces of broken silver, accompanied by a silver bracelet carved with auspicious patterns and mandarin ducks.

Five taels in loose silver, and the bracelet must weigh about four. In other words, aside from loose change and items that could be sold, this was all the savings left.

His parents had been hardworking people, taking on tough and tiring jobs. Although they didn't know much about business, the couple lived frugally and had saved a considerable amount for him.

Zhang Fangyuan recalled that after his parents passing, when this box containing the family's wealth came into his hands, it held a full twenty taels of silver. Over these two years of reckless living, he had squandered nearly half a lifetime's savings of the whole family, without leaving behind anything decent.

He had neither repaired nor expanded the house, nor furnished it with proper household items, nor managed to marry and have children.

Clutching the box, he sighed softly. The bracelet was absolutely untouchable; it was his mother's dowry from years past, meant to be given to his future wife as a bride price later—not given to her family, but solely for his wife as jewelry. This meant he only had five taels of silver at his disposal.

As for daily expenses, they were already a considerable sum. One must know that for a well-off family in the countryside, after paying annual taxes and corvée labour, they might save only two thousand wen —roughly two taels of silver—provided it was a good year without disasters.

As long as he avoided going to town’s taverns and drinking, and controlled his spendthrift habits a bit, he wouldn't spend much silver. But now he had a major matter to attend to, and he didn't know the current market for bride prices. In any case, he couldn't borrow money from everywhere to marry someone, only to have them suffer and repay debts with him. That would be too shameful of him; he couldn't do it.

Moreover, his reputation was bad now. His uncles wanted nothing to do with him; who would lend him money? They'd probably think he was lying to borrow money for fun.

Even a dog would shake its head at his current situation.

Zhang Fangyuan slammed the box shut. Money wouldn't save itself; he'd have to earn it. With able hands and feet, did he really fear he couldn't make a living?

Having made up his mind, he tidied the house inside and out. If it were summer, he'd want to scald and wipe everywhere with hot water. But in winter, it was cold, the sky was gloomy, and if the room didn't dry quickly, it could get musty and easily grow mold.

The next morning, at first light, Zhang Fangyuan carried a large bamboo basket on his back containing some hunting tools, along with a sharpened long-handled sickle. After tying his trouser legs securely with rope, contrary to his usual habit, he didn't head towards the main road at the village entrance leading to the city. Instead, he took a narrow path towards the back mountain of the village.

Before the snow fell and the weather wasn't bitterly cold yet, he intended to chop firewood on the mountain. It could be used as fuel for the kitchen stove and also burned into charcoal for the coldest months of the year. He also planned to set traps on the slopes, trying his luck to see if he could bring something back.

This season saw slightly more people going up the mountain than usual. After the autumn harvest, the fields were idle. At most, some seasonal vegetables were planted; crops couldn't be grown, so farmers became idle.

The land could be idle, but people couldn't. After all, mouths had to be fed. People in the village either sold vegetables from their fields in town or found odd jobs. In short, sitting idle to enjoy leisure was not an option.

Their Jijiu Village lay far from the county town—a round trip took several hours. Carrying a load to sell vegetables wasn't practical, and very few in the village did it. As for odd jobs, during the agricultural slack season, labor was scarce. Not only were jobs hard to find, but wages were also lower than usual.

Weighing the options, it was only natural that more people headed up the mountain. Whether hunting, chopping wood, or digging for wild vegetables, there was always something to do.

However, Jijiu Village was encircled by mountains, with mountain paths everywhere. Therefore, even though more people sought livelihoods in the mountains in winter, you might not necessarily meet anyone. You could only hear the sound of wood chopping from the opposite side through the forest.

Zhang Fangyuan swung his long-handled sickle along the way, cutting down dew-laden wild grass and vines with each stroke. By the time he reached the hillside, a clear trail had been hacked through.

Once deep within the mountain, he set set small animal traps, dug pits with iron nail boards... These tools were effective for hunting; ironware was expensive and ordinary families didn't have them.

To acquire these iron lumps, he exchanged all the meat and offal from slaughtering animals for money. He also bought damaged ironware cheaply from the village, taking it to the town’s blacksmith to be forged into these tools. He hadn’t saved a single coin, spending everything on these items.

Perhaps because he was naturally strong and robust, the things he liked were similarly cold and hard like ironware. Where others treasured gold, silver, and money, his treasures were knives, sickles, traps, nail boards, chains, and such.

Fortunately, he had spent his money on these tools back then. Had he saved it, he would have squandered it long ago. At least these tools could help him make a living.

After setting the traps, he marked each one clearly. This made it easier to check them later and also prevented villagers from accidentally stumbling into them while going up the mountain. With these tasks completed, he left the deep mountains to chop wood, lest his presence scared away potential prey coming out to feed.

Hardly two hours had passed since his departure when a shadowy figure crept stealthily towards the marked traps, attempting to lift them.

 

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