RMCF: Chapter 5

 

Chapter 5

“What are you doing?!”

He had long heard that this butcher was no good, but he never expected he would even bully a ger. So what if he was late and the thief got away with his things? That was no reason to take his anger out on him!

Xu He clenched the hem of his clothes. Even though he was terrified, knowing the disparity in strength meant he wouldn't come out unscathed, he still refused to show a trace of timidity.

Stepping on the small pile of wild grass dampened by the rain, he charged after the man with fierce determination, taking two steps for every one of Zhang Fangyuan's long strides, his arm outstretched, trying to snatch his basket back.

Zhang Fangyuan ignored Xu He's fussing. He just bent down and started stuffing the split firewood into the basket, wanting only to fill it quickly so they could hurry down the mountain. But then he heard a splat from the noisy figure behind him.

He stopped and turned around, pausing for a moment. Xu He had fallen flat on the ground.

“What's the rush? I'm not going to eat your basket.”

He quickly put down what he was holding and moved to help him up, but Xu He gritted his teeth and scrambled to his feet first, staggering a few steps. Simultaneously, they both saw the torn cloth around his knee, where a wooden branch had pierced through a large patch of skin and flesh. Blood, mixed with mud, was seeping out.

Xu He frowned. Limping, he made his way to a nearby stone ledge and sat down, not caring that the rock was already wet from the rain. Deftly, he tore a strip of cloth from the hem of his inner shirt, wiped the wound briefly without so much as a whimper, and then, with both hands, wrapped his knee tightly, like tying a zongzi.

He moved so swiftly that even Zhang Fangyuan, standing to the side, was taken aback, making himself feel rather like a clumsy bear.

The clumsy bear looked at the ger's worn, thin-soled cloth shoes, already patched up. Half the blame for this fall lay with these shoes, unsuitable for the season, and the other half with him for snatching the basket.

“Can you still walk?”

Xu He was a mess. He glanced briefly at Zhang Fangyuan. He knew he looked not only wretched but also ridiculous. But then he thought, he wasn't his second sister, who needed to maintain a perfect image in front of men, so he didn't feel particularly embarrassed.

He didn't want to answer Zhang Fangyuan. He got up, intending to retrieve his basket, load a little less firewood, and go home. But he hadn't expected the sharp pain in his knee. Carrying firewood was out of the question; in this drizzly weather, even getting down the mountain might be difficult.

“Still thinking about the firewood? It's not like your family can't cook tonight without this one load.”

Zhang Fangyuan could also see the difficulty beneath the stubborn exterior. He pushed the basket aside. “I'll carry you down the mountain.”

Xu He was visibly startled by Zhang Fangyuan's words, his legs feeling even more uncooperative for a moment.

It took him a long moment to find two words. “"Not necessary.”

“Then should I go down and find your father to come get you?”

Xu He remained silent, offering no response. His father had plenty to keep him busy; he wouldn't have time to bother with him.

Zhang Fangyuan hadn't actually planned to leave the boy on the mountain and go down to the Xu house to fetch someone. Whether he could get anyone from the Xu family to come was one thing; if the rain picked up, staying on the mountain soaked for so long would almost certainly lead to a severe cold.

He knew what the boy was worried about and, being considerate, he emptied all the firewood he had just stuffed into the basket. “Stop being stubborn. Get in the basket. Let's go down the mountain.”

Xu He saw that the butcher intended to carry him in the basket. “But what about your firewood and the basket...?”

Zhang Fangyuan gave Xu He a steady look. “Which is more important, the firewood or the person?”

Upon hearing this, the tips of Xu He's ears burned. The way he said it was somewhat ambiguous.

…

Xu He crouched in the basket, his knees bent and aching a little. With each of the man's steps, he jostled up and down, feeling rather ridiculous. It easily brought to mind the image of going to a household where a sow had farrowed, buying a piglet, and carrying it back in a basket.

He had done that himself. And right now, he felt like that piglet.

The piglet hugged Zhang Fangyuan's precious 'iron lumps' (tools), looking down as the man strode steadily along the muddy path. Perhaps because his feet were large, each step was firm. Although being curled up in the basket wasn't very comfortable, it felt steadier and even safer than walking by himself.

He wondered just how strong this man was. Carrying him, he hadn't even furrowed his brow, moving as easily as if he were empty-handed.

“Wrong way!”

Xu He snapped out of his thoughts, his sharp eyes noticing the butcher taking a different, smaller path. Although it also led down the mountain, it was much longer, overgrown with wild grass, and hadn't been used by anyone in a long time.

Zhang Fangyuan said in a low voice, “The main path is likely to have people. This path is more remote, but no one uses it.”

Xu He was taken aback for a moment, then closed his mouth.

Wasn't it said that Zhang Fangyuan was dissolute and unruly, even spending time in brothels in the city? How could he be so thoughtful?

This actually made Xu He feel a bit uneasy. What if he was using some underhanded method to abduct him and sell him in the city... But then, with his looks, he probably wouldn't sell anyway.

His thoughts ran wild, and before he knew it, he was being carried to the point where the path met the main road at the mountain's base.

Zhang Fangyuan stopped. “It's only about a quarter of an hour from here to your house. I could take you right to your door without a problem, but if someone saw us, or if your parents were displeased…”

Xu He said quickly, “I'll go back by myself.”

Hearing this, the man set the basket down. He had been curled up in it for too long; his legs were sore and painful. Gritting his teeth, he stood up, but found he couldn't step out of the basket easily. Feeling somewhat awkward, the person standing beside him raised an arm towards him.

Xu He glanced at him, then lowered his gaze slightly, and gripped his elbow, using the support to step out of the basket.

“Go on home.”

The rain at the foot of the mountain was slightly lighter than up above, but both of them were still more than half soaked.

Xu He didn't linger. He hung his own basket to his back, returned all of the butcher's 'iron lumps,' and started limping in the direction of his home.

Zhang Fangyuan watched the dark, skinny figure almost merge with the rainy haze. He turned, ready to leave himself, when he heard a faint “Thank you” amidst the sound of the drizzle. By the time he looked back, Xu He had only glanced at him briefly before turning and walking away again.

He rubbed his nose. That word of thanks made him feel even more embarrassed.

 

…

Taking the path towards his own small courtyard with large strides, Zhang Fangyuan reached home in less than a quarter of an hour.

He hadn't locked the courtyard gate when he left. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw a ger of about seven or eight years old coming from under the eaves of his house, saying cautiously, “Cousin A-Yuan, you're back.”

Zhang Fangyuan set down the iron tools he'd brought back. “Xiaomao, what brings you here?”

“I brought some vegetables for you, cousin.”

Seeing that his older cousin was relatively easy to talk to today, Zhang Xiaomao became less afraid. He showed Zhang Fangyuan the large basket he had brought.

It contained some seasonal vegetables—things like radishes, cabbage, and chili peppers, common in the village where every household had them. But since he was always running off to the city and hadn't tilled the land since spring planting, his family's plot had been left wild, so he basically had no vegetables to eat.

“Your father asked you to bring these?”

Xiaomao nodded. “Father said if you have no vegetables to eat, you should just go pick some from our plot yourself.”

Zhang Fangyuan's eyebrows drew together slightly, but a smile touched the corner of his mouth. When his parents were alive, his fourth uncle's family had treated him the best.

Back when he was running wild, fourth uncle had often grabbed him by the ear and scolded him. It was a pity he hadn't listened; he'd even gotten into a big fight, infuriating him. Later, when he spent all his time in the city, never at home, his fourth uncle couldn't find him anymore. By the time he returned to the village one year, he learned that fourth uncle had injured his foot on the mountain, got tetanus, and passed away.

His fourth aunt hated him, shutting her door and refusing to see him. Xiaomao later married far away to another place.

These matters had always been his greatest regrets.

Looking up at the young ger, still small in stature, his gaze softened involuntarily. He patted his head and smiled. “Your father isn't angry with me anymore?”

Not long ago, before he ran off to the city, he had quarreled with fourth uncle. And now, he'd sent Xiaomao over with vegetables. It seemed his anger had subsided.

Xiaomao pursed his lips. His father never hesitated to curse his cousin at home, but it wasn't true hatred. If he really hated him, he wouldn't constantly have him on his lips. “Father cares about you the most, cousin. How could he be angry with you?”

Zhang Fangyuan chuckled. “You're getting better and better at talking. What are you having at home tonight?”

Xiaomao thought for a moment. “Mother said since it's raining and there's nothing to do, she's making pancakes.”

“That's great. I'll come over and scrounge a cake too.” Zhang Fangyuan called for Xiaomao to come inside. Looking up at the only half of a smoked pig's head hanging above the stove, he got a stool, stood on it, and took it down. “Don't know if this pig's head has gone bad. Let's take it to your place and see.”

Zhang Fangyuan put on his bamboo hat, picked up the pig's head, and went with Xiaomao to his uncle’s house.

“Fangyuan's here!”

He Shi* was washing radishes under the eaves. She looked up and saw the large and small figures walking into the yard one after the other. She quickly wiped her hands, stood up with a smile, and went to greet them.

*Shi — a term following the surname, added while calling a married woman by her maiden surname for distinction

Zhang Fangyuan addressed her, “Fourth Aunt.”

He casually handed the pig's head to the woman and glanced towards the house. “Is Fourth Uncle not home?”

“He's inside.” He Shi didn't stand on ceremony with Zhang Fangyuan, directly taking the pig's head, a smile at the corners of her eyes. “I'll stew it for you two. With the rain tonight, it'll be perfect with drinks.”

Her voice wasn't loud, but the person inside seemed to be listening intently to the conversation through the wall. “Still giving him drinks? Didn't he get enough in the city? Coming home to drink more!”

The two of them looked towards the room together. After exchanging a glance with his fourth aunt, Zhang Fangyuan stepped inside.

A middle-aged man sat on a cushioned chair in the central room. His complexion was sallow, and perhaps from a life often filled with worry, deep furrows had formed between his brows. Zhang Fangyuan's fourth uncle wasn't that old, just a little over thirty-five, but farm work aged a person, making him look well into his forties.

The man wore a stern expression. He wasn't nearly as solid or tall as Zhang Fangyuan, but decades of weathering life's storms gave him a presence that could be quite imposing.

“Fourth Uncle.”

“So you still remember to come back? I thought you'd drunk yourself to death in the city and wouldn't even come home for the New Year.”

It’s been over half a month since Zhang Shicheng had last seen Zhang Fangyuan. After his parents passing, the boy's temper had become very strange. He used to love coming to their house, but later, after picking up some useless bad habits and messing around in the city, he seldom came to their house, let alone spent much time in the village.

Finally seeing him take the initiative to come over today, he had wanted to speak more gently, but somehow his words came out harsh.

Zhang Fangyuan didn't seem angered. He shamelessly sat down to the side. A true man doesn't boast of his past prowess; he didn’t take the bait of his uncle's angry words. Instead, he picked topics elders liked to hear. “Yesterday, I asked Auntie Gan to find me a match.”

“I heard from your aunt.” Zhang Shicheng had only learned he was back in the village because of this. That's why he sent Xiaomao over with some things today. “Your aunt was sheltering from the rain at the Hu family and happened to run into Matchmaker Gan going there to propose a match.”

Once a man reached a certain age, starting a family became a sticking point for elders. The fact that Zhang Fangyuan had sought out a matchmaker was a sign he wanted to settle down. Hearing this news had made Zhang Shicheng very happy.

Zhang Fangyuan also became interested, ”Auntie Gan went to the Hu family, the one under the big locust tree on the east side of the village?”

Zhang Shicheng saw the light in his nephew's eyes and sighed inwardly. When the matchmaker went to the Hu family today to propose, before she mentioned who was seeking the match, they were very enthusiastic and willing to talk. But the moment the matchmaker revealed who it was, they immediately refused to even consider it. Right in front of He Shi, they said some very harsh and unpleasant things.

“Our Hu family's girls and gers aren't so desperate to marry that we'd wed them to a ruffian! Is that Zhang Fangyuan someone decent families associate with?”

“With no parents above to look after him, the one below is good-for-nothing. Matchmaker Gan, do you take our Hu family for fools? Our Hu family has never treated you poorly. Coming here with such a proposal, just how low do you think of our Hu family?”

“If you ask me, any child married into that family is doomed to misfortune. Just how much did Zhang Fangyuan bribe you to come propose to our family?”

He Shi heard every word, her face burning with shame. She didn't even wait for the rain to stop and came straight back, getting soaked.

Zhang Shicheng naturally wouldn't repeat these unpleasant words to his nephew. He phrased it very tactfully, afraid of crushing the serious intentions Zhang Fangyuan had finally developed. “It's not just about the Hu family. The matchmaker will go and sound out all families with marriageable children. Both sides need to be willing for it to work.”

Seeing his fourth uncle's grave expression, Zhang Fangyuan knew the discussion hadn't gone well. It gave him a pretty good idea of his own... market value.

Arranging marriage could very well be simple. Take the scholar Fei family for example; a mere hint to the matchmaker would surely bring many intermediaries for young ladies and gers knocking on their door. If the scholar's family agreed, the match would be settled. 

But it could also prove difficult, like for himself… The matchmaker had to go around searching for who might be willing. Being sarcastically mocked was a minor issue; some might even chase her out.

“Don't be impatient. Your Second Aunt found out about this and took a basket of eggs to beg Matchmaker Gan again. She'll definitely find you a suitable and proper match. It might be more troublesome than for other families, but you're almost twenty. Since you chose to mess around, you can't blame the villagers for speaking harshly. In this life, one must take responsibility for their own actions.”

Zhang Fangyuan nodded. “I know.”

Seeing his rare sincerity today, Zhang Shicheng softened his tone further. “If the family is a good one, it's fine to offer a larger bride price. You know your Fourth Uncle has no sons to worry about bride prices for. If you're short on funds, your Fourth Uncle will help you figure it out. If you really can't find anyone in the village, it's okay to look further away in other villages. You can't just randomly settle for any wife or husband; it's a lifetime matter. As long as you become steady and reliable from now on, you're not worse than any other man in this village.”

Zhang Fangyuan felt warmth in his heart. He slowly took a deep breath and acknowledged with a sound.

After dinner, He Shi packed up the remaining pig's head meat for Zhang Fangyuan to take home. Zhang Fangyuan was too embarrassed to take back what he had brought, but He Shi insisted. As they were going back and forth, Zhang Shicheng said, “Forget it if he doesn't want to take it. He'll come over for another meal in a couple of days.”

Zhang Fangyuan smiled and agreed.

A couple of days later, while Zhang Fangyuan was making charcoal in his yard, Matchmaker Gan actually came to his door.

 

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