Chapter 5

Ji Yangzong paused upon hearing this, his brow furrowed as he thought about the villagers. He soon reached a conclusion.
However, he didn’t voice it immediately. Instead, he glanced at Huo Xu again.
Having dealt with people and land daily, he could tell at a glance that Huo Xu was no ordinary person.
While there was indeed a person of that name in the village, as the village chief, he had to consider the welfare of his villagers and worried that Huo Xu might be here to cause trouble.
“There is someone named Chang Sui, but nowadays many people share the same name. I just don’t know if he is the one the righteous warrior is looking for.”
Huo Xu said, “He joined the army and went to the campaign. It’s been seven or eight years now. Those conscripted for corvée labor in the village should have their documents processed by the village chief.”
Seeing that Huo Xu had revealed more information, Ji Yangzong had a clearer idea and tentatively asked, “Is it possible that Righteous Warrior Huo and Chang Sui were fellow soldiers?”
Huo Xu affirmed.
“That’s wonderful! The righteous warrior must be looking for Chang Sui of the Zhao family by the stream. He’s been gone for seven or eight years with no news. Now that the northern campaigns have ended, the soldiers who were conscripted are returning home one after another, or at least sending messages back. Chang Sui has been completely silent, and his family is frantic. They come here every few days to ask if there’s any news.”
Huang Manjing asked happily, “Does Righteous Warrior Huo have any news about Chang Sui?”
Huo Xu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “He is dead.”
Silence fell upon the room.
“There are no eyes on the swords on the battlefield. He’s been gone for so many years with no news, I suppose…”
Ji Yangzong shook his head and sighed. “It’s a pity for his mother who waits for him to return every day.”
Huo Xu was accustomed to life and death and had already passed the most sorrowful stage. He was much calmer than the others in the room.
“Chang Sui and I fought on the battlefield together several times. He died two years ago. Before his death, I promised him that if I survived until the end of the war, I would visit his parents in Jiangnan.”
Huang Manjing secretly wiped her eyes and said, “Whether alive or dead, having closure is always good. I will lead the righteous warrior to Chang Sui’s home now.”
The group soon discussed going to the Zhao family’s house. Huang Yinsheng needed to collect medicinal herbs, so he didn’t join them. The Ji couple took Huo Xu.
“Mother, where are we going?”
When Ji Taoyou entered the main hall with a plate of pastries, she found only a few empty teacups on the table. Everyone had gone to the courtyard, and it looked like they were going out.
Huang Manjing said, “We’re taking Righteous Warrior Huo to the Zhao family by the stream. You should stay home and don’t wander around.”
Upon hearing this, Taoyou hurried over and looked up at Huo Xu, tentatively asking, “Have you found him?”
Huo Xu held the reins and turned his head, noticing that Ji Taoyou had changed out of her thick cloak and vest, revealing a well-fitting autumn outfit.
Back with her parents, she seemed more spirited in the warm autumn breeze.
He glanced at the plate she was holding, which contained several square pieces of osmanthus cake.
They looked like they tasted good.
“Yes.”
“Then aren’t you eating here?”
Ji Taoyou raised the plate in her hand slightly. “I just made some osmanthus cake.”
“No, thank you.”
With that, Huo Xu led his horse out of the courtyard first.
Ji Taoyou was stunned. After Huo Xu had gone far, Ji’s father and mother quietly said to their child:
“Go back to your room. Your parents were too caught up to notice. Hurry and get well.”
Ji Taoyou mumbled, “Okay.”
Watching her parents and Huo Xu leave one after another, she ran to the courtyard wall and peeked outside. She saw Huo Xu’s tall figure moving further and further away.
She felt a sense of emotion. They had met by chance, but he had saved her life. She hadn’t had a chance to thank him properly and wondered if she would ever meet him again.
“Righteous Warrior Huo is tall and mighty, and handsome. Perhaps you can’t bear to see him leave?”
Ji Taoyou was startled and quickly withdrew her gaze. Turning her head, she saw her grandfather standing with his hands behind his back and breathed a sigh of relief. “Little Tao knows he was impolite. Grandfather, please don’t tease me.”
“These words are for our own family to hear, just a jest.”
Huang Yinsheng popped a piece of osmanthus cake into his mouth. The sweet but not greasy taste made him feel happy. He smiled and said, “Your parents have taught you your manners too strictly. What child is like you, always citing Erlang as a scholar and confining yourself with rituals? You live too uncomfortably.”
Ji Taoyou stepped forward and affectionately linked her arm with Huang Yinsheng’s. “Grandfather has seen more and has a broader mind.”
Huang Yinsheng nodded with satisfaction. “Yes, this osmanthus cake is well-made. Let’s go back inside and eat a couple more. We’ll take some back for Huang Qi too.”
Ji Taoyou smiled and said, “Okay.”
The pastries were sweet, but the Zhao family’s home was bitter.
The Zhao family by the stream was a simple thatch hut, and it was also old and in disrepair, with weeds growing on the roof.
Compared to the spacious Ji house, it looked truly shabby.
The autumn wind blowing along the stream seemed to become much more desolate as it passed through this place.
“Why is the village chief here?”
As Huo Xu surveyed the surroundings, an old woman heard the commotion and came out of the house. Seeing who it was, her heart skipped a beat, but she still hurried to greet them.
“Village Chief Huang, please come inside.”
“Is it about the autumn harvest taxes? I apologize for troubling the village chief to run back and forth. I am already thinking of a solution, and I hope the village chief can give me some more time.”
As Mother Zhao respectfully opened the door to welcome the couple in, she noticed an unfamiliar face behind them.
Seeing such a powerful and fierce-looking person, her heart pounded. She cautiously, even somewhat obsequiously, looked at the Huang Yinsheng couple.
She probably thought they were tax collectors sent by the provincial government.
“We are not here about taxes. We know the situation of your family. We always try to be lenient with tax payments.”
Huang Manjing quickly reassured Mother Zhao.
The Zhao family was truly unfortunate. In their early years, when Father Zhao worked as a peddler, he encountered a local bully who broke his leg. The family lost its income and had to spend money on medical expenses.
The family was poor, and Mother Zhao supported them all. Just as their son was old enough to help with household chores, the northern wars intensified, and the court increased conscription. Since the Zhao family had no money to pay for their son’s exemption from corvée labor, he had to go to the front lines.
He never returned with any news. Two years ago, Father Zhao also passed away, and with no news of her son, Mother Zhao was left alone, grieving daily and struggling to survive.
A woman in her early forties looked like she was in her fifties. Her hair, wrapped in a headscarf, had turned white, making people unable to help but sigh.
Huang Manjing held Mother Zhao’s arm. “Madam Yuan, don’t be afraid. This is Chang Sui’s fellow soldier. He has traveled thousands of miles from the north to visit you.”
She carefully explained their purpose and introduced Huo Xu to Mother Zhao.
Although Chang Sui’s fate was not explicitly mentioned, upon hearing Huo Xu’s identity, Mother Zhao’s eyes welled up with tears.
Before Huo Xu could speak, she directly asked, “Chang Sui is gone, isn’t he?”
Huo Xu’s brows were tightly furrowed. Mother Zhao looked much older than he had imagined, making it difficult for him to say that Chang Sui had died in battle.
He reached into his bundle and took out a pair of knee pads, handing them to Mother Zhao.
Mother Zhao hesitantly took the knee pads. Her palm stroked the surface, feeling the dense, sturdy stitching.
She immediately became agitated. “This is Chang Sui’s! This is Chang Sui’s!”
The edges of the knee pads were curled up, clearly worn out from frequent use.
“This is what Chang Sui’s mother made for him before he joined the army. I thought the weather in the cold border regions would be harsh, and I was afraid his knees would get cold and cause problems later on.”
Mother Zhao’s eyes were smiling, but her voice was choked with emotion.
Huo Xu’s lips were tightly pressed. Years ago, when he was in the army, Zhao Chang Sui had said the exact same words to him.
“Madam Liu, please accept my condolences.”
Ji Yangzong sighed. As the person in charge of village affairs, he knew how difficult the Zhao family’s situation was.
With access to information from the prefecture, he had heard in June that the northern campaigns had ceased. Although the war had not directly reached the south, peace throughout the land allowed the common people to finally settle down, and this news was met with joy.
Seeing soldiers returning home one after another in the past few months, he had been paying attention, hoping that the villagers who had served in the army would return home and reunite with their families.
However, many went, but few returned.
Others would sigh at such news, let alone parents.
“Yes, it’s important to take care of your health. Madam Liu, please don’t grieve too much.”
“I can handle it. Actually, after so long without any news, I already had a feeling in my heart. In the past two years, I’ve always dreamed of him returning.”
With tears in her eyes, Mother Zhao bowed to Ji Yangzong and his wife. “Thank you, Village Chief and Madam Huang, for your concern for our family’s affairs. With the busy affairs of autumn, I won’t delay the Village Chief’s work. I’ll talk with Chang Sui’s fellow soldier.”
Huang Manjing and Ji Yangzong exchanged glances. It was indeed better this way. After comforting Mother Zhao a few more times, they took their leave.
After they left, Huo Xu was invited into the house by Mother Zhao.
“Chang Sui has been gone for so many years, why didn’t he even send a letter back? Although I’m illiterate, I could have asked a village scholar to read it for me.”
Mother Zhao poured Huo Xu a bowl of tea. She still held the pair of knee pads tightly, unwilling to put them down.
“I wrote, and I sent things back too.”
Huo Xu said, “However, one cannot casually send letters from the army. Opportunities to send letters home were few. The distance between north and south was great, and perhaps the messengers were unreliable, and the letters never reached you.”
Mother Zhao couldn’t help but wipe her eyes. “He must have suffered a lot.”
Although she had lived a hard life herself all these years, thinking of her son on the battlefield still made her heart ache.
She looked at the tall and mighty Huo Xu, trying to see some resemblance to her son, but unfortunately, their differences were too great. She couldn’t see any trace of her smiling son on the face of this fierce-looking man.
However, Huo Xu’s willingness to travel thousands of miles to deliver a message and an item indicated their strong bond. Although she would never see her son again, being able to see someone who was associated with him on the battlefield in recent years brought her great comfort.
“A place like Beiguan, I don’t know how Chang Sui managed to get by all these years.”
How could there not be hardship in the army? Not only was training tiring, but if one was conscripted for corvée labor, it meant they came from a poor family with no support. Being oppressed by the army personnel was commonplace, and they were the first to rush to the front lines with their swords raised.
Huo Xu saw that Mother Zhao’s hair had turned white. If she had cried bitterly, he might have felt better, but seeing her eyes filled with tears, yet not weeping, made him feel even more distressed.
Although he had developed a habit of being reticent and taciturn during his years in the army, recalling the camaraderie he shared with Zhao Chang Sui in the army, he spoke a few more words, hoping to comfort Mother Zhao.
“Chang Sui and I joined the Northern Frontier Army in the same batch.”
Ten years ago, Huo Xu had just turned fifteen. He was born in a small village in the Northern Frontier, and his family was also poor.
The Northern Frontier was vast, but unfortunately, it was filled with sand and lacked resources. It suffered from constant border incursions and wars.
Military service in the counties of the Northern Frontier was more brutal than tigers. Almost all adult men were buried in the army.
With several waves of conscription each year, by the time Huo Xu reached this age, both his parents were deceased, and he could no longer evade military service, so he joined the army.
In this year, the south also recruited soldiers for the Northern Frontier, and Huo Xu and Zhao Chang Sui happened to be assigned to the same general.
Both were new recruits and young. They were often bullied by veteran soldiers, and it was common to be hungry, punished, and beaten.
In this harsh environment, they met and helped each other, fighting for a bowl of rice to share, and dealing with bullies by attacking them from behind or hitting them with sticks.
After two years of enduring this, the border tribes attacked the border pass, and they went to the front lines.
From being splashed with blood and trembling with fear to killing without a second thought.
They went from being the lowest-ranking, bullied recruits to seasoned soldiers with a group of brothers, then became squad leaders, and through hardship and struggle, they rose to become centurions…
Huo Xu spoke little. When he couldn’t sleep at night in the barracks, Zhao Chang Sui would always talk about the food, drinks, and beauties of Jiangnan…
They had made a pact that when the war ended, they would go to Jiangnan together.
“Unfortunately, two years ago, he was severely wounded in the Battle of Shaqiu. The army’s medical supplies were scarce, and he couldn’t hold on.”
At this point, Huo Xu’s stern face showed a crack, and his tone, which had been calmly recounting military anecdotes, faltered slightly.
Mother Zhao’s heart ached with each word, and tears were about to fall. Suddenly, there was a dull thudding sound from the courtyard, as if something had been kicked down forcefully.
Yuan Huiru instinctively stood up, her face pale.
“Old woman, what are you thinking about? Taxes are due in October. Are you not planning to live next year after getting through this year?”
Mother Zhao hurried out and saw that the fence gate had fallen to the ground. Two burly men, with their arms crossed, stepped over the fallen gate and entered the courtyard.
“Why are you here again!”
The men ignored her. Seeing the tears on Mother Zhao’s face, they chuckled. “Oh, you’re crying? The village chief must have talked about the taxes. If you don’t have money to pay taxes, there will be more to cry about later.”
The man with ox-like eyes said, “As we said, sell us those three mu of land east of the village. Then you’ll have money to repay your debts, and you won’t have to worry about taxes.”
Mother Zhao gritted her teeth. “Those three mu of land are the most sun-facing, and they yield no less than two shi of grain per mu each year. They are excellent farmland. You want to buy them for ten taels of silver? Don’t even think about it! This land was opened up by your old man, soil by soil, when he was healthy. I won’t sell it.”
“Ha, won’t sell?”
The ox-eyed man sneered and suddenly kicked over a nearby basket. “What good is it for a widow like you to hold onto so much land? You won’t even need that much land as a burial site when you die.”
The man accompanying him, as if following orders, picked up a low stool from the courtyard and threw it.
Mother Zhao cried out in alarm and covered her head to dodge. The low stool flew towards the main hall door, but instead of hitting the door, it was intercepted by a hand midway.
The two men saw a man emerge from the house, crouching low. His tall stature forced them to look up to see him.
In an instant, they met a pair of fierce, bloodshot eyes filled with killing intent. The two men subconsciously stopped their actions, their breathing involuntarily becoming lighter.
The man walked over silently, without a word.
The oppressive feeling of his approach grew stronger. The two men exchanged glances, sensing something was wrong.
The ox-eyed man took two steps back. “Oh, there are guests. Madam Yuan didn’t even mention it. We won’t disturb Madam Yuan’s entertainment of guests, we’ll come another day.”
With that, the man turned to leave.
However, the moment he turned, his back suddenly felt tense, as if his neck was being gripped. Then, the man realized his feet had left the ground.
“Did I say you could leave?”
The ox-eyed man, with his back turned, was being choked and lifted. He couldn’t see the man’s expression behind him, but he felt the murderous intent in the words spoken from his mouth. He was a seasoned troublemaker himself and knew that the harsher the words, the fewer there were.
He felt an inexplicable dread. He struggled his legs, trying to break free, but the grip on his neck tightened, and he felt like the back of his head was about to be torn off.
The man immediately faltered and quickly begged, “A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, strong man, please be merciful.”
Huo Xu remained expressionless, letting the man beg and show weakness.
Mother Zhao saw the ox-eyed man frozen, his neck unable to move. She knew that he was accustomed to killing people on the battlefield and might unintentionally twist the man’s neck.
Although these people often came to bully them, and their deaths would be deserved, she couldn’t let Huo Xu get involved in a murder case.
She quickly stepped forward and said, “Forget it, Huo Xu. Just drive them away.”
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a dull thud. Huo Xu, as Mother Zhao wished, released his grip and threw the man towards the fence side like a thrown stool.
The ox-eyed man, still shaken, had his survival instinct at its peak. He scrambled to run, but his foot was stepped on.
“You want to buy land?”
The man lay on the ground on his side, his neck being stepped on. This time, he dared not move at all. He was forced to look at those emotionless, bloodshot eyes and repeatedly said:
“I won’t buy it, I won’t buy it. We won’t bother Madam Yuan again and disturb her peace.”
Huo Xu’s expression was flat. “If I see you causing trouble again, your neck will be separated from you.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
The ox-eyed man was on the verge of tears. The pressure on his neck made him realize that these were not just empty threats.
Huo Xu did not loosen his foot. He looked at the fallen fence gate.
The man quickly said, “I’ll fix it for Madam Yuan right away.”
Seeing this, the man accompanying the ox-eyed man, before Huo Xu could speak, nervously picked up the stool he had smashed, examined it carefully:
“Later, I’ll send Madam Yuan a new stool. The basket, I’ll send a new one too.”
Huo Xu gave no indication. He looked at Mother Zhao at the side. “Aunt, is this acceptable?”
Mother Zhao nodded quickly. “Good, good.”
Only then did Huo Xu lift his foot. The man, relieved as if he had escaped death, dared not say a word. He crawled over and lifted the fence gate.
The two men ran back and forth, tidying up the damaged items, while carefully observing Huo Xu’s expression. After apologizing to Mother Zhao several times and bowing to Huo Xu, they fled in a panic.
“What kind of people are these?”
Mother Zhao said, “They are thugs. They see who is having a hard time and demand to buy their land at a low price, then resell it at a high price to others to make a profit.”
“The family’s income hasn’t met their expenses all these years, so they’ve been targeted. If they don’t sell, they come to smash and beat.”
“Doesn’t the village chief intervene?”
“He does. He reprimands them, but it’s difficult to stop. They are always bullies who pick on the weak and act obsequious in front of the village chief, making them hard to manage.”
After speaking, Mother Zhao added, “But after you taught them a lesson this time, they will definitely not dare to come to the house to cause trouble again.”
Huo Xu said, “If there’s a next time, I won’t let them leave with their limbs intact.”
Mother Zhao’s expression stiffened slightly. Although she knew Huo Xu was helping her, he was, after all, an honest and upright farmer. Hearing about killing and fighting sent a chill down her spine, and she felt a sense of awe towards the demeanor of a battlefield soldier.
“It’s alright, let’s go inside.”
Back in the house, Mother Zhao hugged the pair of knee pads again.
Seeing this, Huo Xu took out the large purse from his bundle and pushed it towards Mother Zhao. “I haven’t had a chance to give you these things yet.”
Mother Zhao opened the purse curiously and was immediately greeted by the sight of shining silver ingots.
“This money was saved by Chang Sui. He always told me that when he returned home, he would properly take care of his parents. His parents had a hard life for a lifetime, and he wanted to let them enjoy their old age and live a good life.”
“He had saved more, but he entrusted people to send it back home whenever he had the chance, but it was lost on the way.”
Mother Zhao looked at the purse, which was too large to be held by two palms. Instead of feeling happy, her heart felt even more sorrowful.
“Life in the army was difficult, yet he still thought of home. It’s a pity his father didn’t have the fortune to wait for his filial piety.”
Saying that, she wiped her eyes, which were already red and sore from crying. She had cried so much over the years that her eyes hurt terribly when they turned red. She suppressed her sorrow and said, “Child, thank you for taking care of Chang Sui all these years, and for specially bringing things back from the north for him. I truly don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
Soldiers who died in foreign lands were supposed to receive compensation from the court for their families. However, due to corruption in the court, after being skimmed off layer by layer, very little reached its intended recipients. Many local officials embezzled the small amounts of money.
If it weren’t for trustworthy fellow villagers and old friends, there would be no one to bring things back.
Looking at the large sum of money, no less than one or two hundred yuan, Mother Zhao felt even more that Huo Xu had precious character and was a person who appeared cold but had a warm heart. Her initial fear of him vanished.
Huo Xu said, “We faced life and death together all these years. We considered each other as brothers. If I had died, he would have surely run around to take care of my aftermath. Aunt, you don’t need to thank me or worry too much.”
Mother Zhao choked back her sobs. “Okay, okay…”
“You must be tired from your journey. You can rest in Chang Sui’s room. Aunt will go and get some food for you.”
Huo Xu was about to say there was no need to trouble her, but he was persuaded by Mother Zhao’s words:
“I’ll cook some of Chang Sui’s favorite dishes. You can try them and see if they suit your taste. Aunt’s cooking may not be the best, but when there are important events in the village, they always ask me to help in the kitchen.”
Looking at the woman busily preparing to cook, Huo Xu thought that if his parents were alive, they might not be so cheerfully preparing a good meal if he returned from retirement.
It wouldn’t hurt to borrow Zhao Chang Sui’s.