A wisp of smoke curling up from the thatch roof dissolved in the curtain-like evening mist. Orange light penetrated through a small square window, bringing warmth to them on the cold and quiet mountain ridge. Seeing them, two white geese craned their necks, honking. They seemed to help their mistress greet the guests.
Lan Huayan was originally named Lan Keying. She had once been the hostess of a well-off family at the foot of the mountain. Because of her beauty, she was kidnapped by a bandit leader and forced to be his mistress. Over a year later, the local authorities sent armed forces to suppress the bandits, and beheaded the bandit leader. Lan Huayan finally had the chance to run home. However, her husband had married another woman and abandoned her. Later, she was stranded in Wawuliang Ridge and raped by two single brothers who ran an inn. They watched her day and night. Thus, she became their wife. Before long, one of the two brothers died of tuberculosis, and the other fell off a cliff while chopping firewood. Later, Lan Huayan continued to run the inn in the several thatched huts left by the two brothers.
As she was pretty and provided cheap meals and accommodation, her inn was packed with guests almost every night. When they entered the inn, Lan Huayan was busy cooking in the kitchen. She greeted them, "Welcome! Come in and take a seat! There's a jug of tea in the kitchen. Please help yourselves ... " Her voice was soft and sweet, like a warm handkerchief that could remove fatigue and relieve pain. No wonder they all ran to windy Wawuliang like they were rushing to the imperial examination hall!
Fan Shaoying became active when he entered the inn. After laying down his shoulder-pole and wiping his sweat, he went to the kitchen to help Lan Huayan. She was busy at the smoke-filled cooking bench, her face reddish and charming. Fan Shaoying felt as though there were a rutting male dog in his chest, about to burst out!
However, haste makes waste. He knew he should take it slow. He heated the handle of the poker over the fire, then leaned the poker against the stove. "I'm going out to take a break," he said. As the stove fire abated, Lan Huayan squatted down to add firewood. However, when she touched the hot poker handle, she immediately threw it aside.
On the mountaintop, people ate rice mixed with cornmeal all year round. The rice steamed by Lan Huayan was delicious and chewy, neither too soft nor too hard. When Fan Shaoying finished his first bowl of rice, Lan Huayan stretched out her hand to add more rice for him. "Eh, you're so considerate today!" he said. As the rice was served, he took a mouthful. However, tears came to his eyes. It was too spicy! His rice was full of chili powder! Holding a lamp, the woman added dishes for them with a smile. She had quietly played a trick on him! Shaoying wanted to shout but feared being teased by the other porters, so he discreetly dumped the chili powder into a hogwash barrel, then took up a pot of herbal tea and gulped down half of it.
The spiciness deepened Fan Shaoying's crush on Lan Huayan. "Only women of her sort can be deemed attractive," he thought. "She is sharp yet enchanting, unlike my wife Mutao who is shrewish, unreasonable and boring!"
After finishing the meal, each one received a bundle of straw for a pillow. They put the straw on the wide bed in the big bedroom to occupy their positions. It was a big round bed consisting of numerous planks. Covered with couch grass, with an upright post in the center, the bed could accommodate thirty to forty persons. When there were too many people, latecomers might not find a space. In this case, Lan Huayan would come in with a wet bamboo pole and poke the guys occupying too much room. Bothered by the wet pole, they would make room for the latecomers. Sometimes, even though there was enough space, they would sleep askew, waiting for her to poke them. Then, they would catch hold of the pole. However, Lan Huayan was not afraid of this; she would poke them in the armpits to make them loosen their grip.
As it was still early, they sat around the fire pit chatting in the room. To save kerosene, Lan Huayan burnt a bundle of firewood in the pit. Mendou was curious about everything on the way. Sitting on a small straw stool, he listened to the storytelling of a Hunanese with great interest.
The Hunanese told a story about the No. 1 Scholar Tomb in Dongyang Gully. One day, as a porter was passing by Dongyang Gully, he was too tired to go on. At that moment, a girl rode by and smiled at him. Her smile captivated him. Grinning cheekily, the porter asked the girl to sleep with him. The girl said, "I ride in front, and you chase after me carrying salt. If you can catch up with me, I'll give you a chance!" With this, the girl lashed her horse and the porter pursued her carrying his salt. However, the strange thing was that the horse stopped at Ertaiping! When he caught up with the horse, the porter grabbed its tail and asked the girl to dismount. The girl then dismounted and slept with him in the bushes. After ejaculating, the porter left the girl and suddenly died in the bushes. A group of white ants buried the porter with soil, forming a big tomb. After ten months' pregnancy, the girl gave birth to a boy. When the boy grew up, he came first in the Palace Examination as a No.1 scholar.
While the others were absorbed in listening to stories, Lyu Dashu sensed something abnormal. As the Hunanese was telling stories, some men walked out one after another. "Why are they going out in the dark?" he thought, then suddenly realised, "Oh, no, somebody might have noticed the valuable herbs we're carrying!" He broke out in a cold sweat. He saw a basin of footbath water in the center of the room, lifted it with three fingers and dumped the water into a drain.
The crowd marveled at his strength. "Ah, what a powerful man! The Salt Road is filled with hidden talents!" someone said admiringly.
The storytelling continued. Lyu Dashu stood up and went to toilet. The suspicious men were gone. Lan Huayan also sensed the anomaly. She hastily latched the doors on both sides.
As she turned around after latching the doors, Fan Shaoying embraced her. She grabbed a chestnut and popped it into his mouth.
This gave him a sore mouth. As he released his embrace, she broke away from him, returned to her bedroom and closed the door. Disgruntled, Fan Shaoying returned to the big room and headed to bed. That night, his heart was tortured by lust, as though it were burning in a blazing fire.
Before daybreak, Lyu Dashu urged them to hit the road. An Er accidentally stepped in cow dung. "Is it necessary to be in such a hurry?" he grumbled.
"We're being shadowed!" Lyu Dashu roared.
An Er was too frightened to utter a word. Breaking into a cold sweat, Mendou trotted to the front.
After walking several miles, they arrived at Lacquer Tree Gully. They put their baskets in the courtyard of a shop, and asked for a ladle of boiled water from the shopkeeper to go with their breakfast. Mendou upon seeing a pot of bean dregs on the cooking bench wanted to buy a bowl of them to go with the rice. Lyu Dashu gave him a sidelong glance and said, "Carrying goods or enjoying food, which one is your job? If you don't save money, you'll have none left when we get back! Quick! We must continue on the road after breakfast. This afternoon, we'll stay at Guan's Residence. With a bit of luck, we may get some porridge from Guan's soup kitchen!"
After wolfing down fried rice, they continued along the road. Mendou asked, "What kind of place is Guan's Residence?"
"You don't know Guan's Residence?" asked Liu Jianba, amused. "How ignorant you are!"
Liu Jianba had only recently turned twenty and married his wife Jinman. As he had become a porter several months earlier than Mendou, he felt like he had seen a great deal of things. Mendou caught him on the raw, asking, "Have you really seen much of the world? I heard your money was stolen by prostitutes in Buckteeth Creek." As they were bickering with each other, Guisheng yelled, "Look! There's Guan's Residence!"
They looked up and saw a large area of houses in the col opposite, with grey bricks, black tiles, pavilions and golden paint, as well as a towering watchtower. "Be patient. It'll be some time before we get to Guan's Residence!" Lyu Dashu said. "It may be far when it seems near!"
The porters started to discuss the Guan family. Guan's Residence was the most prominent residence on the Salt Road. One day when an ancestor of the Guan family passed through Clear Water Town, he met a geomancer who was being robbed by a gang of bandits. This ancestor saved the geomancer, cared for him in his old age and buried his dead body. Before his death, the geomancer pointed out that this was a geomantic site that he treasured. After that, the Guan family built up a family fortune and became eminent landlords on the Salt Road. In the current generation, the head of the family was Guan Zhefu, who had graduated from Peiping University, participated in the 1911 Revolution, developed railways, fought against the government of Qing dynasty, and was later transferred to the position of Military Governor of Heilongjiang. However, he did not assume office in Heilongjiang; instead, he returned to his hometown with his family. Despite living on a secluded mountain, Guan Zhefu did not neglect his family property. He drilled several salt wells in Yunyang and Zhongxian, thereby earning a steady flow of gleaming silver ingots.
Next, they talked about Guan Surong, the seventh daughter of the Guan family. The children of the Guan family had all married and settled down in other places except for Guan Surong, who was still unmarried. Those who had seen her were lucky guys since Miss Guan usually stayed at home and seldom went out. Occasionally, she might stand by the enclosing wall, looking into the distance. Taking a close look at her, even a conservative gentleman would be fascinated by her beauty! Her figure, appearance, temperament ... Everything about her was so enchanting!
As they were approaching Guan's Residence, a growing number of people appeared on the Salt Road, including some stinking beggars. An Er stepped on one end of the straw rope around a beggar's waist and asked, "Are you going to vie for dog shit at Guan's Residence?" Toothless, the beggar said vaguely, "Today, the Guan family will offer free porridge, and provide lanterns for porters." The news rejoiced them. They trotted forwards carrying their goods. Because of his painful feet, Mendou could not walk quickly. Lyu Dashu encouraged him by saying, "You're lucky. We've walked the Salt Road many times, but we've never seen Miss Guan. As a newcomer, you get the chance!" Mendou felt puzzled. Lyu Dashu explained, "Every time the Guan family offers porridge, Miss Guan will stand on the gate tower!" Upon hearing this, Mendou forgot his foot pain and quickly caught up with the team.
The courtyard of the Guan family was filled with people. Mendou put his shoulder-pole on the ground and sat on it, his eyes running down the gate tower of the Guan family. It was fairly quiet, with a horizontal inscribed board hanging above. Surrounded by carved patterns, the board shone in the sun. "No one's there. Didn't they say that Miss Guan would come?" he asked. Looking over the wall, Mendou did not see any people, but only groundsel and swaying green bristle grass. He felt disappointed, and his eyes glistened with tears. At that moment, someone beside him mentioned Guan Surong, "It's said that Miss Guan eloped with a man. Most well-educated girls like her refuse to accept an arranged marriage and end up eloping. Mr. Guan's in trouble now. Someone said that some government officials intended to frame him! Look. The porridge this year is so thin ... " Mendou turned to him. The man fell silent.
"Guan Surong eloped with a man? Who?" Mendou thought to himself in astonishment. Just then, the bright inscribed board above the gate fell down onto the stairs, raising dust. It frightened everyone in the courtyard. The guy serving porridge looked up and dismissed it. He listlessly ladled out the porridge with an iron ladle, and accidentally scalded a man's hand.
Though they had received a bowl of porridge, they still felt discouraged. As such, they decided to hit the road without waiting for the lanterns.
Their next stop was Eagle Rock. Standing on the cliff, they could see Eagle Rock opposite them. However, there was a ravine in between. They had to walk ten kilometers further.
Without speaking for a long while, they fell into tedium. At length, An Er said, "They say a man's urine can reach Eagle Rock from the cliff. How about we try it?" They all agreed. Lyu Dashu made an attempt. When he started peeing, a camphor tree on the opposite side rustled immediately. After this episode, they felt relaxed and continued on the road with raised spirits. The slope was steep, but it was covered with verdant trees and colorful plants. The leaves of Ternstroemia gymnanthera had just sprouted, bringing a large area of bright red; the light yellow flowers were Lindera glauca; the pinkish-white fruits were wild cherries ... The ever-changing mist guarded these colors like a group of cheeky men. Mendou suddenly shouted, "Look, those flowers are flying!" A cluster of white "flowers" on a canopy in the distance sprang up and flew towards the mountain opposite. Fan Shaoying give him a slap and said, "Idiot, they're not flowers, they're white cranes!"
The slope had originally been a mud road. In the late Qing Dynasty, a Taoist came here and raised funds to build stone steps, each of which was chiseled with a small groove. However, the stone steps were unsuitable for hurry or congestion. The road was narrow and close to an abyss. With minor negligence, passersby might fall off.
When they reached the valley floor, they were drenched in sweat. As they raised their heads, they found that Eagle Rock, which had previously been near at hand, had become lofty. Stomping, they cursed, "With a little tilt, the two mountains might be connected. Why must there be a ravine?"
There was a sheltering bridge at the bottom. Its grey tiles were covered with green moss that fluttered in the wind. White torrents rolled under the bridge, falling into a deep pool. They rested on the long corridor. Lyu Dashu advised Mendou to fasten his puttees and shoe laces as they were about to climb Eagle Rock. Walking out of the shelter of the bridge, they shouted together, "There's a mountain named Eagle Rock. No one dares get close to it. Hawks are unable to fly across it; monkeys dare not climb it. Brave men dare to beat a tiger; cowards fear mice. Eagle Rock is just like a chick. Porters can chop it into pieces! Crouching Dragon Village is no exception. We can kill the dragon and make it into a dish. While drinking and eating its meat, we transport Sichuan salt!"
However they were men of flesh and blood after all. When they reached the mountainside, they were all exhausted. Even Lyu Dashu felt a little tired. As soon as they encountered a spacious place, they took a rest. Sitting down, they felt leg cramps, but could do nothing about it. How they wished they could discard their baskets and go back to Meizi, even as beggars. At that moment, some passersby walked down. Upon seeing the group resting halfway, the passersby encouraged them, "Porters, hurry up! A woman's feeding her baby by the flagstone path up ahead. Her breasts are as big as two wax gourds!"
"Really?" On hearing this, they immediately got their second wind. After tossing their tobacco away, they continued to climb up, carrying their goods. Walking along the flagstone path, they did not see anyone else. Burning with impatience, they continued to trot forward. When they next looked up, they suddenly saw a fat butt.
"He-he ... " they giggled, and no longer felt the heaviness of the goods or the steepness of the road. The woman was wearing a faded blue floral blouse. She had a blurry face but a well-proportioned body. After catching his breath, An Er sang to her, "Long road, built by stones. Madam, you're walking so hastily! You're not a noble lady, and I'm not a hungry leech. Someday, I'll get you and become your bedmate!"
Pretending not to hear his singing, the woman did not reply. As the wind blew, her baby's cap fell down into Lyu Dashu's basket. The woman stopped him and asked him to give the cap back to her. While they were bargaining with each other, the baby in her pack basket cried with the rustling of the wind. The woman had to lay down her basket and sit by the road to give suck to the baby. The baby sucked on one of her nipples, with one hand pinching the other. Lyu Dashu was itching to do the same thing. As the woman did not utter a word, he gave her breast a pinch and squeezed out a palmful of sticky milk.
After feeding the baby, the woman walked with them. Lyu Dashu had taken advantage of her, but he wanted more. "What amazing needlework!" he said. "The dragonfly design on the cap is so vivid!"
The woman replied, "Sir, how about staying one night in my shop? I'll embroider a thrush for you!"
"Where is your shop?"
"Near Wooden Fish Temple. When you get there, inquire about Cucumber Sprout. People will tell you."
"I want no thrush, but mandarin ducks!" Lyu Dashu teased.
"That depends on whether you are willing to give me the salt!" Cucumber Sprout replied, flashing him a smile.
"I'm even willing to give you my heart!"
They flirted with each other along the way. The other guys were amused by their conversation. It made the perilous journey a little smoother.
Mendou's legs were tired from walking, and he was out of breath. Carrying the goods on his shoulder-pole, he could neither take a rest nor put it aside. His bones were almost worn down. When he was about to reach the top of Eagle Rock, he bent over and spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. He had exhausted the last of his strength climbing to the top, and the blood soaked into his collar. Putting down his baskets, he lay on his back in the couch grass, blood welling up from inside his chest cavity and flowing down through the grass roots. Lyu Dashu helped him to sit up. "Many porters vomit blood after climbing up this slope," he said. "There's an old doctor in a thatched hut ahead. He has a styptic prescription. I'll wait for you in front. When it stops, hurry and catch up with us. Don't take too long."
There was a low thatched hut ahead. Mendou pushed the door open and went in. The interior was smoky, dim and disorderly, which momentarily blinded him. Upon seeing him enter, a thin old man stood up from a straw stool in a corner and took out a new tile. He collected the blood from the corners of Mendou's mouth with the tile, then baked the tile over a fire. When it became red hot, he put it in a mill groove and ground it with both feet. The tile cracked in the mill groove. After a while, the old man put the powder in a bowl, added water to it and mixed it with his black fingers. He then asked Mendou to drink it.
After drinking it, Mendou stopped vomiting blood. After staying in the room for a while, he felt that the light was not so dim after all. Then he saw a wide bed on which seven or eight men nestled their heads on square pillows, smoking opium. A teenage boy was standing beside them, adding opium and striking lights. Mendou thought to himself, "They say opium's refreshing. Maybe I'll take a puff? After all, it's still a long way to Yunyang." As he was counting the copper coins in his pocket, the old man saw through his intentions. "These are all merchants," he said. "Tired from climbing the mountain, they decide to smoke opium to refresh themselves. As a porter, you cannot afford it."
"Are you worried I won't pay you?" Mendou replied, refusing to accept his well-intentioned counsel.
The old man glared at him. "Opium will give you fake energy and destroy your real energy. I advise you not to smoke it for the sake of your health!" he barked, with a fierce look in his eyes. As he was not in Meizi, Mendou dared not offend the old man. He intended to leave after paying the fee for the medicine. The old man pointed his finger in a certain direction. "After walking that way for a few steps, you'll see a blind person playing the zither. Throw her a few coins!" As Mendou was about to turn away, he saw a person sitting on a chair against the wall.
"Gosh, it's Magpie Hua!" he realized. Dressed in rags, with her eyelids lowered, she was leaning back in the chair. Mendou was astonished, and felt as though he were seeing a living ghost. "What happened to you?" he asked. "Beaten and thrown out by Mr. Jian?"
Opening her eyes, Magpie Hua was surprised to see him. "Get out! It's none of your business!" she roared.
Mendou was not angry at her roar. On the contrary, he took pity on her. "Don't be afraid! I'll castrate that bastard for you!"
However, Magpie Hua did not blame Mr. Jian, but Yu Xiaoyong. "We made a solemn pledge of love," she said, "but at the first sign of trouble, he abandoned me and fled on his own! I trusted the wrong man ... " Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her dirty face.
Seeing her empty hands, Mendou asked, "Where are you going? The road is so dangerous. How could you go alone?"
Magpie Hua shook her head as she sobbed. Mendou took out his fried rice. She stuffed several handfuls into her mouth. He offered her the whole bag, but she refused, asking, "What will you eat on the way if you give me all this?"
"Rest assured. My mom gave me some money for meals!"
At that moment, the old man called her in and applied black plasters to her wounds.
Afterwards, she went out and stood under the eaves, at a loss. The annoying wind struck through the sweaty clothes of the people there, making them shiver unceasingly. Outside the hut, there was a row of high stools for men carrying baskets to rest upon. A group of men were resting on the stools. The wind carried the smell of sweat. A cluster of thoroughwort was blooming on the rock steps. The fragrance mixed with the odor of sweat smelt pungent.
After the men carrying baskets left, Mendou still did not leave. He asked Magpie Hua, "Where are you going?"
"I went back to my parents' home, but they didn't let me in, and they said that Mr. Jian sent his men to search for me every day ... "
"Do you have any relatives?"
"My close relatives dare not take me in, and I have no money to go to my distant relatives for help."
Mendou wanted to invite her to go to Yunyang with him. However, before he could suggest it, Lyu Dashu walked over to him from afar.
"What are you doing here? I've been waiting for you for a long time! If we don't pass Savage Cave before dark, we'll have no place to rest!"
On seeing Lyu Dashu, Magpie Hua hastily hid in the room. Not daring to stay any longer, Mendou left with Lyu Dashu.
Burning with anger, Lyu Dashu scolded him, "You've held us up for two hours. All the passersby have gone on! This section is in the middle of nowhere. We may have to grope our way past Savage Cave in the dark!" On hearing "Savage Cave," Mendou freaked out and dared not talk back. It was said that his father had been killed by bandits at Savage Cave! A large number of porters except for them had already passed it. The danger was obvious! Temporarily forgetting Magpie Hua, he desperately ran after Lyu Dashu.
The noisy mountain ridge suddenly became silent. The wild birds cried in the mountains. Everybody blamed Mendou. After all, it was a matter of life and death now. Lyu Dashu was annoyed as well. "Complaining is useless now!" he said. "If we encounter bandits, we'll have to play it by ear!"
Located on the mountainside, Savage Cave looked like a beast baring its fangs with its mouth open. The evening mist shrouded the mountain ridge and blurred the road beneath their feet. Birds suddenly sprang out of the bushes and fluttered into the grey sky. Firmly grabbing his rope, Lyu Dashu dared not advance too quickly. The goods they carried were all rare medicinal herbs, and they had been shadowed at Wawuliang Ridge ... However, there was no way back. Eagle Rock was too steep and there was no place to rest on the mountainside! It was getting late. With one wrong step, they might fall off and nobody would ever find their bodies. The Gate of Hell lay in front and the Palace of Hell behind! Their heavy breathing drowned out the sound of their sticks.
Like the edge of a knife, a cold wind struck through their waistcoats. Turning round, Lyu Dashu saw several strangers following them, carrying baskets. As their faces were covered by straw hats, he could not see their appearance clearly. From their physiques, he thought they might be the strangers he had seen in Lan Huayan's inn. "Oh, no, we're besieged!" he whispered.
As the evening mist became denser, their heavy breathing suddenly stopped. When Lyu Dashu turned round again, he saw a growing number of pursuers behind them. The rustling in the bushes pressed closer. "We're screwed!" he shouted. "A lot of bandits are coming!"
They soon arrived at Savage Cave. The outside of the cave was a bottomless chasm, and the inside was like a bloody mouth under the cliff. Suddenly, three men came out from behind the rugged rocks. With painted faces, they looked like Demons of Ox-Head and Horse-Face in dramas. The man standing above the others was tall and sturdy, with a full face of whiskers. It was "Mr. Big!"
A man yelled, "Quick! Follow me to the cave!" At his yell, the pursuers behind the porters took off their straw hats and forced the porters at gunpoint to walk forward.
There were many legends about Mr. Big on the Salt Road. Some said he had been a Brigade Commander in the National Army. Due to a violation of discipline, he led his subordinates to a remote mountain and became a bandit leader. Some said he had been a teacher who had an affair with a county chief's concubine. When the affair was exposed, he fled into the remote mountains and mustered a gang of men to commit robberies at night. Some said he was a wealthy squire, who had both guns and men. With his face painted, he led a gang of men to commit robberies, and never left any trace. Even though the government officials were suspicious of him, they never found any evidence.
Liu Jianba walked in the rear. Feeling someone close by, he blurted out, "You're ... " Hardly had his voice faded away when two fierce bandits shoved him. With a scream, he fell off the edge like a withered tree leaf ... After a few seconds, branches snapped and wild birds flushed in all directions.
With their faces pale with fright, the porters obediently carried their goods to the cave.
When he reached the entrance of the cave, Lyu Dashu turned round to take a final look at the sky behind him. It was gloomy, grim and hazy. He seemed to see Meizi Town in the grey sky. Yang Qingping stared at him tenderly, saying, "Mr. Lyu, I entrusted my son to you!" He shed tears and thought to himself, "Yang Qingping, perhaps you did something evil in your previous life, so you're due for retribution in this one? Your husband went missing and your son was robbed on his first journey on the Salt Road! My kung fu is useless. It cannot resist guns!" Lyu Dashu looked up to the sky in despair. "All right," he decided. "I'll give my life in exchange for Mendou's safety!"
In the cave, there was an open yard with a large pile of dried firewood. A bandit threw a torch onto it and the flames lit up the pale white rocks all around. No one knew how deep the Cave was. It was said that some people had entered it and did not get to the end for several days and nights. When their provisions ran short, they tossed burning torches onto a rock to have a puff at tobacco. A few moments later, the huge rock began to shake. They fell to the ground and saw glittering scales beneath them. It was a python! Half dead with fright, they desperately fled out.
Mendou wetted himself out of fear, and could not help crying. "My dad has passed away," he stammered. "If I don't go back, what will happen to my mom? She sent me to toughen myself up on the Salt Road. Now I'm about to lose my life! It's all Luozi's fault! He encouraged me to enter Fuyuan Hall ... I'm just glad I gave Magpie Hua my fried rice. I hope it saves her life ... " His cries became louder. Lyu Dashu yelled at him, "Don't cry! Mr. Big just plunders belongings. He never murders anyone. As long as you don't get in his way, he won't harm you!" On hearing this, Mendou gradually stopped crying.
Seeing that no one was defying him, Mr. Big did not bind them and only ordered his men to make a body search and open their baskets. "Ha-ha, these are top-grade dangshen (Codonopsis pilosula) and gastrodia tuber, as expected!" he said, then laughed evilly and blew a whistle. The bandits plundered their goods and dispersed in an instant.
