Chapter 32
The winter day dawned late, and in the grey, frosty wind, oil lamps cast their glow. Early in the morning, the village was busy loading grain onto carts and taking them to the main village road. By the time the sky showed a hint of light, seven or eight grain carts were already parked on the road. This year, the village was submitting one to two hundred shi of grain. When all the grain to be submitted was loaded, the village men were already sweating. In previous years, four or five people were sent to the city with over ten loads of grain, but this year, the manpower had more than doubled. The villagers knew the talk outside. If the grain was lost, not only the village head would be held responsible, but the farmers would also suffer. When Ji Yangzong called for them, the strong men voluntarily came to escort the grain. The people on the main road sending grain, those helping, were gathered in a large group, talking and laughing, making the cold winter morning exceptionally lively. “That’s about it, let’s go!” After Ji Yangzong checked the grain carts, he called out, circled around the tail of the convoy, and got onto the leading cart to lead the way. Under Ji Yangzong’s command, the village men got onto the carts one after another, and the convoy began to move forward slowly. Huo Shu mounted his horse. He rode at the very end of the convoy, bringing up the rear. The old, the weak, women, and children of the village, braving the winter cold, stood on the village road watching the grain carts depart. Nearly half of the grain they had worked day and night to harvest was in these carts, and they dared not make any mistakes. Tao Yu ran against the wind as fast as he could, but he was still a step too late. The convoy had already gone far, and he could only see the steadfast backs of those escorting the grain convoy. The large black colt flicked its tail, drawing an arc in the morning mist. Although the bandit unrest outside was unsettling, this year, with Huo Shu escorting them, it inexplicably brought a sense of security. Tao Yu watched the departing backs, rubbed his stiff, cold hands, and sighed. The sigh immediately turned into white mist. He watched the convoy disappear from sight with longing. Fortunately, he had gritted his teeth and gotten out of bed before dawn today. It was also his fault for sleeping late last night, with the wind and dog barks outside disturbing him and making him restless. After the grain convoy left the village, the road returned to its noisy and lively state. “The grain delivery is late this year. Look how cold it is. Since it’s not raining today, we should go gather some firewood. We can’t be without fire in the twelfth lunar month.” A woman, with her hands tucked in her sleeves, chatted idly. “Hey, what about the You family?” “Who knows? They’re never seen. That shrew still doesn’t believe it and keeps calling doctors to see him, but they all shake their heads and leave.” “Why don’t they ask Doctor Huang to see him? Maybe he can be cured.” “Their family has lost all their humanity, and they still have the nerve to ask Doctor Huang?” “Even if he’s a scholar, his life is still good. Let’s not talk about their family; it’s unlucky on such a fine day.” Tao Yu listened to the villagers discussing the You family, but he didn’t pay much attention. It was about You Lingxiao being crippled, and there was nothing new to say. Besides, he didn’t want to know about their affairs. It was very cold today. The cabbages in the fields were covered with a thin layer of frost, and he felt like a frosted eggplant. He listlessly prepared to walk back, thinking he would just go home and sleep again. “The tribute grain has been submitted, and the autumn harvest is officially completed. As the end of the year approaches, I wonder if there will be any happy events.” “There might be. Many eligible young men and women in and around the village, there are bound to be some.” “Speaking of which, I ran into Sister Yuan at the Matchmaker Temple in Jinlong Temple the other day.” “Seeking a marriage for her godson?” Tao Yu’s steps involuntarily slowed at this remark. He was tucked into his cloak’s hood, walking with his head down behind the chatting villagers. “Huo Shu is not young anymore. He’s delayed by border defense for so many years. He should have gotten married long ago. No wonder Yuan Huiru is so eager to go to the temple.” “However, Huo Shu speaks little and looks fierce, but he’s quite reliable when it comes to getting things done. A while ago, my maternal aunt slaughtered a livestock and invited Butcher Qiao. He brought Huo Shu along. The livestock was slaughtered by him, as efficiently as Butcher Qiao.” “Your aunt’s family has four children, two boys and two girls. Isn’t the elder boy just the right age? You should try to set them up. Although Huo Shu doesn’t seem to have much of a family business, with a skill, his life won’t be bad.” “My maternal aunt also asked me a few questions, but I couldn’t figure out her intentions.” “That’s because the woman is shy. If she’s asking, it means she’s interested. You can’t expect the woman to ask directly, can you?” “It’s been busy at home these past few days. I’ll go visit the Zhao family when I have time.” “Young man, where are you going?” Tao Yu heard his mother’s voice and suddenly came back to his senses. He realized he had walked past his own house a long way. “Are you going home with them?” Tao Yu’s face flushed slightly, and he quickly ran back, his head hanging low, not saying a word. Huang Manjing saw the absent-minded young man and went straight into the house. She called out a couple of times, but he didn’t seem to hear her. Holding the firewood, she looked at the person entering the house: “This child, is he frozen silly?” — The convoy drove onto the official road, so quiet that one could hear the creaking of the cartwheels and the breathing of the livestock. Since the bandit unrest, there had been fewer people on the road, which was not surprising. All the men were on high alert, paying attention to every rustle of grass on the road, their nerves stretched taut. However, the journey was very peaceful, and they encountered no trouble. Ji Yangzong and Huo Shu knew in their hearts that the road was not as chaotic as everyone thought. It was merely because of You Lingxiao’s incident that everyone was scared. It was over twenty li. Driving the carts was faster, and in less than two hours, they could see the city gate in the distance. The village men were relieved to see this. The journey had been smooth, but Ji Yangzong was not entirely relaxed. He had something on his mind. Several times he glanced at Huo Shu at the tail of the convoy. The village men thought he was worried about the safety of the grain and kept a vigilant watch on the movements ahead and behind. By the time they reached the prefectural yamen, Ji Yangzong had perked up. A crowd of people had gathered at the entrance of the prefectural yamen. Judging by their clothes, they seemed to be farmers, squatting or standing, crowding the yamen entrance. Ji Yangzong looked at them with surprise and went to the gatekeeper’s office to report. “I told you the official is not here! No matter how many times you ask, it’s useless. If you have something to say, come back another day!” Before Ji Yangzong could speak, the gatekeeper shouted at him. The faces of the accompanying village men changed, and they were about to step forward to support the village head. Ji Yangzong quickly pressed his hand down, signaling that it was fine. He still said respectfully, “We are from Mingxun Village, here to submit the tribute grain.” Hearing this, the gatekeeper finally stood up from the gatekeeper’s office, looked outside, and his attitude towards Ji Yangzong became much friendlier: “So you are the village head of Mingxun Village. I thought it was those villagers again, making a fuss to see the prefect.” Ji Yangzong said, “What happened? Is there a big case, or what? It looks like there are quite a few people outside.” The gatekeeper shook his head: “It’s from Fancun Village. The deadline for submitting the tribute grain has passed. The prefect wants Fancun Village to make up for the lost grain, so these farmers are here to protest.” Ji Yangzong did not comment. The government didn’t want to be held responsible. The farmers had already given up nearly half of their grain for taxes. If they had to pay again, it would truly drain their reserves, so they naturally came to protest. “Village head, please wait a moment. I’ll go in and inform them. I’ll be right back.” “Ah, okay.” A moment later, an official from the household department came out with the tribute tax register of Mingxun Village to check it one by one. After verifying the grain, they were allowed to move the grain into the granary. Then they had to check the tax money. Once both were correct, they signed and sealed. After finishing the business at the prefectural yamen, it was neither early nor late, just the usual busy time for the market. Ji Yangzong had completed the major task of submitting the autumn harvest, and his work for the year was done. After saying goodbye to the village men at the entrance of the prefectural yamen, the convoy dispersed. “Huo Shu, wait.” In the blink of an eye, Ji Yangzong saw Huo Shu leading his horse and going far away. He quickly caught up. “Is there something else?” “Are you going back now, or what?” Huo Shu said, “I’m going to the shop to take a look, and I’ll be back in a while.” Ji Yangzong hesitated when he heard this: “Well, I’ll be going back too. Wait for me at the butcher shop, and I’ll find you after I’m done with my business.” Huo Shu’s brow twitched, and he wanted to ask Ji Yangzong what else he needed, but he didn’t open his mouth and replied, “Okay.” Seeing that he agreed, Ji Yangzong turned to attend to his own business. Huo Shu led his horse around the street to Qiao’s butcher shop. By this time, the shop had passed its busiest period and was quite quiet. He first tied his horse outside, preparing to go in and get some water for it. As he strode into the shop, he saw Fang He sitting on a stool with a smile, his mouth open, and a young girl beside him, breaking off a piece of rice cake to feed Fang He. The girl saw Huo Shu’s stern face entering and was startled. The rice cake in her hand fell onto the table. Fang He sensed something was wrong, turned his head, and met Huo Shu’s eyes. Perhaps he didn’t expect Huo Shu to come back. In his panic, he stood up abruptly, causing the iron hooks on the counter to clang. He instinctively pulled the girl behind him: “Huo, Brother Huo, why are you here!” Huo Shu, with a poker face, continued to walk in: “I’m going to get water for the horse.” “Getting water… getting water…” Fang He stared intently at the person going to the back, flustered and unsure of what to do. “Didn’t you say there was no one at the shop today! You scared me to death!” The young girl, unable to see Huo Shu, pinched Fang He’s arm hard: “It’ll be terrible if he tells Dad!” “Brother Huo doesn’t know you and won’t tell the master.” Qiao Qiao’s heart was still unsettled. Although she had heard her father talk about this apprentice, it was the first time she had seen him. Usually, to avoid suspicion, she never came here. Fang He took a deep breath and said, “Don’t be afraid. You go home first. I’ll come find you after the shop closes.” Qiao Qiao was also afraid that Huo Shu would see her again, so she agreed and hastily picked up the food box: “Then I’ll leave first.” “Go ahead.” Fang He saw her out, turned back, and saw Huo Shu coming out with water. He eagerly ran up: “Brother Huo, let me help you.” “No need.” Fang He was a talkative and flattering person. He could even chat with a first-time customer and make them a regular, clearly a natural businessman. But even though he talked a lot, he didn’t chat much with Huo Shu. One reason was that Huo Shu already had an unapproachable demeanor, and another was that Butcher Qiao clearly favored Huo Shu more. He always felt they were in competition and thus maintained a vigilant attitude. Huo Shu had started this trade by following the Ji family and didn’t have many ideas. However, he was always serious about his work. Once he started something, whether he intended to or not, for whatever reason, he would do it well. He could handle tasks seriously, but when it came to personal interactions, he didn’t want to put in much effort, letting everything take its natural course. So, even though he had been working for Butcher Qiao for some time, they still didn’t know each other well and were even quite distant. “Just now, just now that…” Fang He, usually eloquent, found himself at a loss for words given Huo Shu’s attitude. Just as he was thinking of how to fabricate something, he heard Huo Shu say, “Men should marry and women should wed. It’s not something to be ashamed of.” Fang He raised his eyebrows at this, looked at Huo Shu with surprise, and for the first time realized that Huo Shu wasn’t as unapproachable as he seemed. “Thank you.” “Can you not tell the master about this?” Fang He thought for a moment and then pleaded with Huo Shu. “If you get married, he’ll be happy. Why can’t he know?” Huo Shu said. Seeing Fang He’s embarrassed expression, he added, “If you don’t want to say it, then fine. I’m not someone who likes to pry into others’ secrets or gossip about them.” Fang He hesitated for a moment and then lowered his voice: “She, she is the master’s second daughter.” Huo Shu’s brow twitched when he heard this. No wonder he thought the girl looked a bit familiar. It turned out she was Butcher Qiao’s daughter. He suddenly understood: “You came here to learn the trade because of her.” “Brother Huo is insightful and discerning.” Fang He said, “Qiao’er and I have known each other for a long time. We were preparing to propose, but Qiao’er said that the master dislikes his children for not being able to inherit his skills and only wants a son-in-law who can inherit his skills. If not, he won’t accept any dowry gifts from those who propose.” “I have no choice but to brace myself and come.” The Fang family was originally from the state capital. Although not a noble family, they had been in small businesses since their ancestors. Their family’s main business was tea. By Fang He’s generation, they already had six or seven shops in the city. They were certainly not lacking in food or clothing, and even better off than ordinary families. When Huo Shu first saw him, he felt that his hands were not like those of a child from a poor family. He was thoughtful and good at making up stories, saying that his family had fallen into decline, which was why he came to learn the skill of butchering livestock. “Don’t laugh at me, Brother Huo. I used the knife at the master’s house that day, and I haven’t had that courage since. I can only stay in the shop.” Fang He sighed, “I know the master probably already has an opinion of me because of this. Thinking that I can’t do that, I can only do this part well.” Huo Shu saw his honesty and sincerely advised, “Hiding it for a long time is not a solution. You should tell him sooner. If he sees your sincerity, Master Qiao will consider it carefully.” “This is your business. I won’t say anything more.” Fang He breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank you, Brother Huo. I also plan to tell the master about Qiao’er when he returns from Nanyu County.” Huo Shu nodded. Just as they finished speaking, Ji Yangzong arrived. “Is business good?” “Village Head Ji is here, please sit.” Fang He had met Ji Yangzong at the Qiao family’s house. Seeing him arrive, he quickly greeted him, “Does the village head want to buy meat?” Ji Yangzong waved his hand, “The village came to deliver tribute grain to the city today. I’m here to find Huo Shu, and we’ll go back to the village together.” “I’ll trouble you to take care of the shop alone.” “What are you saying, Village Head Ji? Master taught me my skills, so this is what I should do.” Fang He then said to Huo Shu, “Brother Huo, if you have something to do, go ahead. I’ll take care of the shop.” Huo Shu nodded and returned to the village with Ji Yangzong. The two left the city and chatted about Fang He for a while, as the city was bustling. After that, they fell silent. Passing the carts at the city gate, Ji Yangzong didn’t say he would ride one. He walked with Huo Shu along the official road. The two didn’t talk, just walked. “Are you used to it in the village recently?” After a long while, Ji Yangzong finally broke the silence. If he didn’t speak, the person beside him, leading the horse, would probably not say a word. It would make others think they weren’t traveling together. Huo Shu said directly, “I’m not unaccustomed to it.” “That’s true. You’ve fought in battles, so what place would you be unaccustomed to?” Ji Yangzong was silent for a moment and then said, “So what have you been busy with these days?” Huo Shu said, “Following Master Qiao to slaughter livestock in and around the city.” “Anything else?” Huo Shu didn’t understand what he meant: “Anything else?” “You’ve learned your skills well, and Old Man Qiao praises you highly. But you don’t seem to have put any effort into anything else.” “En?” Seeing Huo Shu’s confused look, Ji Yangzong took a deep breath, “I mean, how are you and Little Tao?” Huo Shu paused. How were they? It seemed no different from before. Seeing Huo Shu not answer, Ji Yangzong said angrily, “What, changed your mind? I said, young people’s minds change quickly. Fortunately, earlier I…” “No.” Huo Shu interrupted, “I never go back on my word. What I said before still stands.” Ji Yangzong’s eyes moved, and he closed his mouth again, his expression visibly softening. He coughed dryly, “If you still have that intention, then you need to make some progress. Just talking and not doing is useless.” “A man should be able to bend and stretch. That young man is shy and has a bit of a temper. If you don’t approach him, don’t revolve around him, and don’t show him favor, how will he know what you mean?” “Today he’s pretending to be angry. If you don’t coax him, it will become real anger. If you wait any longer, he’ll really ignore you.” Huo Shu listened to Ji Yangzong’s well-reasoned speech and summarized it, asking, “Am I not treating him well?” “I didn’t say you’re not treating him well! You saved him and helped him regain his reputation. No one treats him better than you! But just these things are not enough. You need some superficial things too.” “Look at those young people. Today they give some pastries, tomorrow they give a hairpin, and the day after tomorrow they say, ‘I’m waiting for you by the pond.’ Don’t people immediately know what they mean?” The more Ji Yangzong spoke, the more he felt Huo Shu was like a block of wood, not even knowing any tricks to coax someone. No wonder he was still unmarried at this age. Border defense was one thing, but there must be big problems. He patiently instructed, “I’m not saying what you’ve done is bad; on the contrary, it’s excellent. But you only do those big things. Although you are more sincere and put in more effort than ordinary people, they don’t know what you intend.” “Don’t they think, ‘Oh! This older brother is a good person and very reliable. He’s helped me so much. I don’t know how to repay him. My parents have some connections here, so why not help him find a good marriage?’ With your upright demeanor, how can people think you have feelings for him?” Huo Shu’s brow furrowed. What Ji Yangzong said seemed reasonable. Tao Yu had indeed said such things before. Did that imply that Tao Yu really asked them to help him find a marriage? He felt a bit flustered and blurted out the thing he cared about most: “He calls me older brother?” “…” Ji Yangzong took a deep breath, “Oh, you foolish boy! I was just giving an example. Little Tao doesn’t call you that. He won’t dislike you for being old.” Huo Shu closed his mouth and didn’t respond. Ji Yangzong coughed dryly, knowing he had spoken out of turn, so he changed the subject: “In short, if you still have that intention, don’t keep it to yourself and be silent. You need to make an effort to cater to his preferences. Young men and women are easily coaxed.” “Little Tao just likes to fiddle with herbs. If you give him some licorice, he’ll feel it’s very useful and be very happy. Besides, he’s just a bit greedy and likes sweet cakes, fruits, fish, and shrimp. He’s not picky.” Huo Shu knitted his brows and asked, “Noted. Anything else?” “Noted what? Just noting it down is useless.” Ji Yangzong raised his hand and put the oil-paper package in his hand into Huo Shu’s embrace: “Chestnuts. Take them to eat with Little Tao.” Huo Shu took the still-warm chestnuts and said, “I’ll go buy them.” Ji Yangzong glanced at Huo Shu: “By the time you do that, it will be too late. It’s better for me to find another family for Little Tao again.” Since it had come to this, he might as well be upfront: “I know Butcher Qiao thinks highly of you and is planning to make you his son-in-law, and then he’ll give you the business he’s currently running.” “The Ji family is not comparable to the Qiao family’s business, and we don’t have many shops to give you. But I only have Little Tao, my only son. In the future, won’t everything be yours? If you manage the Ji family’s fields and forests well, it will be enough for you to eat and drink for the rest of your lives, and we will never treat you unfairly.” “A lot has happened in the second half of the year. Through all these experiences, I’ve seen that your character is upright and reliable, otherwise, I wouldn’t be babbling so much to you. If Little Tao can be with you in the future, he won’t suffer too much hardship. I don’t ask for much, as long as you can protect him.” Huo Shu’s brow furrowed. He knew that the Qiao family had this plan, but none of that mattered. “I will definitely not let him suffer any hardship.” Ji Yangzong coughed dryly, put his hands behind his back, and quickened his pace: “Then hurry up and do it.” “The New Year is approaching. After the spring, there will be countless things to do. There won’t be any other free time to attend to other matters.” Huo Shu saw the middle-aged man muttering and walking ahead, and clenched the oil-paper package in his hand.
