The death of his son Jianba pushed Liu San into black despair. Every day, he sat feebly under the pomegranate tree in his courtyard as though his tendons had been pulled out. He had let his son marry Jinman because he thought she could give birth to a boy. However, with the death of Jianba, his family's bloodline could not be continued.
Leaning against the pomegranate tree, Liu San sat alone till dark. When his wife Mrs. Liu entered the house with a bundle of firewood on her back, Liu San scolded her for no reason. She threw the firewood in the courtyard, then went to her room and sat sobbing on the edge of the bed. With a sigh, Liu San went out to Qin's Tavern on Middle Street.
Liu San did not stop drinking until midnight when he staggered out of the tavern. The street was hazy. Only his heartache was real, making life hell for him. In a trance, he seemed to see Liu Jianba and Jinman walking over to him from the middle of the street, she with a baby in her arms ... Liu San ran towards them with open arms, but he only embraced air and fell onto the flagstone road.
Suffering from both vomiting and diarrhea, Liu San lay in the cold street for over two hours. As night fell, Jinman came back from the field. The house was desolate. After urging her mother-in-law to go to sleep, she began sewing soles while waiting for her father-in-law to come back so she could close the gate. After completing half a sole, Jinman felt sleepy. "Father-in-law hasn't come back yet. Did anything happen to him?" she thought. She stopped sewing and went out to look for him in the street. As she groped her way along the pitch-dark street, she suddenly stepped on something soft. "Yikes!" she cried and jumped back. Looking down, she made out a man lying on the ground, reeking of alcohol. Choked by the smell, she stepped back a few paces.
Without needing to take a closer look, she knew that it was her father-in-law. Holding her nose, Jinman tried to pull him to his feet. However, Liu San was like a heap of sludge, and she couldn't lift him. She wanted to shout for help, but she was unwilling to disturb others in the dead of night. Thus, Jinman stopped holding her nose, put her arms around her father-in-law's waist and tried to drag him back home. Just then, he woke up. "Oh, what a shame!" he thought. "My head is pressed against my daughter-in-law's breasts!" He was supposed to stand up, but he was reluctant to leave her breasts. "They're so soft and warm! If she gives birth to babies, they will be very healthy!" Liu San shed tears at the thought of being unable to continue his family bloodline. His spine went weak. After heaving a sigh, he lay in Jinman's arms with his head tilted, breathing out alcohol fumes. Jinman was so exhausted that she was sweating all over.
Jinman dragged her father-in-law up the steps. "Drunk again?" her mother-in-law asked. Liu San suddenly stood up straight and carelessly brushed the dust off his clothes. He then pushed the door open and went in.
The next day, Liu San got up late. Mrs. Liu had gone to burn joss sticks in Badong Temple. Jinman put rice in the pot before planting beans behind the house. After eating, Liu San went out by the back door and saw his daughter-in-law hoeing in the field, her breasts swaying with her movements. It was alluring. Liu San sighed, "What a well-developed woman! It's a pity that my son has died." Glancing at her with a red face, he felt sorrow again. As he stepped across the threshold, he saw the old porter Wang Si.
Sitting cross-legged on a stone, Wang Si was smirking at him.
"He takes pleasure in our misfortune," he thought. "What an unkind man!" With a sullen face, Liu San ignored him. Wang Si was still smirking. Sweat oozed from Liu San's forehead.
Just then, Wang Si stopped smirking and poked Liu San in the waist with his elbow. "I have an idea to help you continue your family bloodline!" he said. Upon hearing this, Liu San perked up. However, Wang Si did not tell him directly. He took out his tobacco leaves and began to roll them carefully. Anxious, Liu San gave him a kick and cried, "Spit it out!" Just as Wang Si was about to speak, he saw Jinman walking towards the riverside with a basket of clothes. Wang Si glanced at Jinman meaningfully. "Your sperm and your son's sperm could both produce a baby surnamed Liu, right?" With these words, he left. Looking away from Wang Si, Liu San stared at Jinman, his ears burning.
Liu San walked back and forth restlessly at home. Late in the afternoon, he bought a jar of liquor and 250g of roasted meat from Qin's Tavern, and went to Wang Si's home with them. Wang Si was an old widower who had spent all his life on the Salt Road, where he had accumulated nothing but blue jokes and lousy ideas. As he was getting old, he made a living looking after the Tan family's cattle. After driving the cattle into the pen, Wang Si came back with several halters. Upon seeing Liu San sitting in his courtyard, he smirked and thought to himself, "The old bastard has come to ask me for advice!"
After entering the house, they sat opposite each other. Wang Si took a swig of corn liquor, then asked, "You're several years younger than me. Are you still fertile?"
"You lost your fertility from an injury on the Salt Road, but I'm still fine!" Liu San replied.
Wang Si took a bite of beef tendon, then whispered something in his ear. Liu San's teeth roots were a little itchy.
When Wang Si stopped whispering, Liu San violently slapped himself on both cheeks, turning his face red. Afterwards, he bent over the table, crying aloud. After drinking the liquor and picking his teeth, Wang Si urged him, "Stop crying! Is your reputation more important than your family bloodline? Is there anything more miserable than dying without offspring?"
Liu San stopped crying. "Even if I'm willing to do so, Jinman may not accept the idea. One hand can't clap alone."
Wang Si smirked, "Rest assured. With me to help you, you could even beguile a sparrow down from a tree!"
Wang Si whispered again in Liu San's ears. Liu San flushed with excitement, his heart beating fast.
The next day, Mrs. Liu went to burn joss sticks in the temple as usual. When Jinman came back with two buckets of water, he stopped her at the gate. "I had a dream last night ... " he began, as she poured the water into a vat.
On seeing him with a happy expression, she asked, "Did you dream of the God of Wealth?"
Liu San replied, "I dreamed that a silver bracelet appeared under your pillow."
Jinman smiled and thought to herself, "If every dream could come true, could everyone become the God of Wealth?" However, when she went to bed that night, she found a silver bracelet under her pillow. The bracelet looked familiar. It occurred to her that Liu Jianba had bought two silver bracelets for her and his mother during his first trip to Yunyang, and let her pick one first. "Could my mother-in-law's bracelet fly?" she thought, sensing that her father-in-law was cherishing an evil notion. "Old bastard, your son just died a few days ago. I didn't expect you to have such ideas!" She tossed and turned restlessly all night. When she got up the next day, her father-in-law was brushing his teeth by the ditch behind the house. Her mother-in-law grunted, "He didn't like brushing his teeth in the past. He just suddenly started brushing them today." Jinman blushed. She turned around to pick vegetables in the vegetable garden.
When she came back with the vegetables, her mother -in-law had gone out and her father-in-law was leaning against the door. "I had a dream last night ... " he said.
"Did you dream that something appeared under my pillow again?"
Liu San patted himself on the thigh. "Jinman, you guessed it! Last night, I dreamed that a pair of earrings appeared under your pillow ... "
Jinman rushed to her bedroom and found a pair of earrings. Holding the earrings in her hand, she said to her father-in-law, "Your dream came true! There really are earrings there."
"Hide them well. Don't let your mother-in-law see them!" Liu San said very gravely.
As she locked the earrings in a chest, Jinman gnashed her teeth and cursed, "I'll wait and see how many belongings you have. If you're capable, you can give me all of them!"
The following morning, when Jinman got up, she saw her father-in-law walking towards her. Before he spoke, she said, "I suppose you had a dream again ... "
Liu San turned his head away. "Yes, I had a dream, but I cannot tell you."
Jinman entered her bedroom and pushed her pillow aside, but found nothing. She intended to sound him out. Seeing that her mother-in-law was not at home, she asked, "What did you dream of?"
Liu San scratched his head and said, "It's too embarrassing to say ... "
Pulling a long face, Jinman stopped asking. Liu San said vaguely, "I dreamed that your private parts were infected by a worm."
Jinman held back her anger. "Gosh! Your dreams always come true. What should I do?"
Daring not to look into her eyes, Liu San said in a low voice, "You could consult Wang Si. The well-informed old porter may come up with an idea."
Jinman had grasped it by now. "This lousy idea came from Wang Si!" she thought. "I'll go and question the shameless old man!"
When she found him, Wang Si said very gravely, "Lady, it's serious. If the infection spreads to other parts of your body, you may die!"
Jinman's face turned pale with fright.
"Only your father-in-law can save you. We were both salt porters. I know there is a flesh barb on his penis. You'd better ask him to pull out the worm for you!"
Upon hearing this, Jinman flew into a rage. She picked up a basin of dirty water and poured it over Wang Si. "I have been regarding you as my uncle. I never imagined that you are so nasty!" she cried, then rushed home with tears in her eyes. She planned to tell her mother-in-law.
When Jinman arrived home in a huff, her mother-in-law was cooking pig feed in the kitchen. Jinman pulled her into the inner room and showed her the bracelet and earrings. "Incited by Wang Si, father-in-law tried to cajole me into an affair ... " she said. On hearing this, her mother-in-law knelt down before Jinman.
Jinman tried to drag her to her feet. However, as if rooted in the ground, Mrs. Liu firmly clasped her legs and implored, "Jinman, it's not your father-in-law's fault. He just doesn't want to be a childless man! If you agree to continue the family line, we'll work as your slaves in the next life ... "
Jinman gave no reply and Mrs. Liu kept kowtowing to her, bruising her wrinkled forehead. Jinman did not have the heart to watch her kowtowing, so she uttered "Um..." for a moment, then slammed the door on her way out.
Jinman sat before the tomb of Jianba and did not go home until midnight. Her parents-in-law stewed pork for her and put the dish in the pot to preserve the heat. They asked her to eat her fill before going to bed. Afterwards, the old couple went back to their bedroom as stealthily as thieves, without making any sound. In no mood for midnight food, Jinman flopped into her bed.
Jinman's mind was in such a turmoil that she tossed about for hours. She thought to herself, "No matter how nice a woman is, she will be treated as an underdog after becoming a widow ... Moreover, if I leave them, the old couple will be approaching death. By then, the big house built by the Liu family for generations will become a graveyard."
The more she thought about the circumstances, the more miserable she felt. As she fell asleep, she dreamed of a chubby boy giggling in the courtyard. When Jinman stretched out her arms to hug him, the back door slammed, waking her up from the dream. Sitting up, she saw her mother-in-law going out to burn joss sticks in Badong Temple.
After her mother-in-law went out, her father-in-law paced back and forth restlessly outside the window. Jinman glanced at him and thought, "Even though he's old, his back is still straight and he's stronger than Liu Jianba! Take the plunge! But how should I bring it up with him?" Thinking of the trap jointly set by her father-in-law and Wang Si, Jinman shouted, "Dad, since you have a solution, why not help me?" With these words, she slipped under the sheets. On hearing her shout, Liu San was astonished and his mind went blank.
Mrs. Liu suddenly felt her heart racing on her way to the temple. She walked back home to find no sound in the courtyard. She went to the door of Jinman's bedroom, looked in through the slit and whispered "Oh my God!" She saw her husband standing in front of the bed with his pants pulled down, holding Jinman's bare legs with his arms. The new bed swayed with their movements.
Clamping her hand over her mouth, Mrs. Liu desperately ran out as though she had seen a ghost. She ran to Badong Temple and collapsed on the steps like a heap of slush.
After the farming season, Xianyuan Inn was full every day. At around dusk, two traveling merchants from Hunan, one old and the other young, entered the inn. The elder man was in his 50s and surnamed Zhang. He had a pockmarked face, and had come to be known as Pockmark Zhang. A man of extensive experiences, he was adept in the magical arts although he seldom showed them. The young man was named Kang Huaiyuan, aged twenty-six or twenty-seven, and tall and handsome. He did not look like an adventurer, but a young nobleman who had received a strict family education. The two men complemented each other, one decent, the other eccentric. They were both regulars of Xianyuan Inn.
They were out of luck this time. Kang Huaiyuan had fallen ill on the way, and had developed a high fever since he entered the inn. Even covered with thick quilts, he couldn't stop shivering. Anyone with a discerning eye could easily see that he was suffering from malaria. Even Heaven showed no mercy: it rained. The other inns were full while Xianyuan Inn was almost empty. Most of the guests had checked out for fear of being infected with the disease. Yesterday, the inn had been full, but today it was very quiet. After two days of forced patience, Pepper Hu lost her temper. She asked Pockmark Zhang to make a decision. Pockmark Zhang felt embarrassed. "Kang Huaiyuan hasn't gotten any better, and it's raining," he said. "How can we leave?"
"Because of you, our other guests all left!" Pepper Hu complained. "How can we continue our business?"
Annoyed, Pockmark Zhang retorted, "We're your regulars, and we contribute a lot to your turnover!"
Pepper Hu flew into a rage. "Each time you come, we provide you with extra care. Have you forgotten?"
"As regulars, we decided to check in at your inn, or we could have chosen other inns. Do you think we have no other places to stay in this town?"
Pepper Hu threw a dustpan in the corner of the room. "We won't kick you out, but you must compensate me for my losses."
Upon hearing this, Pockmark Zhang felt as though cold water was being poured on him in winter. He thought to himself, "Just ignore her. I don't believe she'd dare throw us out. All the innkeepers on the Salt Road care about their reputations."
Pockmark Zhang's attitude only increased Pepper Hu's anger. She removed Kang Huaiyuan's quilts, put them in the next room and locked the door, then she threw their luggage out. Upon hearing the noise, Mr. Hu came out and drew his wife aside. "Don't be so mean!" he urged.
"Humph!" Pepper Hu grumbled. "Since they entered our inn, all our other guests have left!"
The big yellow dog was so frightened that he ran out.
Without quilts, Kang Huaiyuan curled himself up into a ball. When he heard Pepper Hu yelling, he felt no need to stay at the inn any longer. He struggled to his feet, put on his clothes and walked towards the middle of the street to pick up his luggage.
However, his knees went weak and he suddenly fell to the ground. He was unable to get up. Pockmark Zhang helped him up, and supported him to the steps at the gate of Yang Qingping's store. He then picked up the scattered luggage items and put them on the steps.
Pockmark Zhang and Kang Huaiyuan sat on the steps sadly. "Leave?" Zhang thought to himself. "It's getting dark and it's still raining. Moreover, Kang Huaiyuan is ill. Stay here? Who will take in a sick man in Meizi? It seems we'll have to sleep under the eaves of the Pickle Store."
Pepper Hu's frighteningly shrill voice penetrated through the courtyard wall. Qingping whispered to Wanghe, "It is said that traveling merchants are rich. However, they have to endure arduous journeys year after year. When they fall ill, they too are pitiable." Just then she heard some noise from the steps, and opened the door to take a look.
Pockmark Zhang moved Kang Huaiyuan to a corner of the wall for fear that Qingping might drive them away. Kang Huaiyuan huddled himself up in the corner, shivering. Qingping thought to herself, "He'll die if he sleeps overnight on the steps. How can I just watch him die?" After making up her mind, she said to Pockmark Zhang, "If you don't mind, you may stay in my home!" Hearing this, Pockmark Zhang was too excited to speak. Qingping asked Mendou and Wanghe to help Kang Huaiyuan in.
Kang Huaiyuan shook his head and protested, "Madam, we can just sit on the steps. I'm unwilling to disturb you!"
"We've been making a living on the Salt Road for several decades. We never let anyone sleep under the eaves!" she replied, and dragged him into the house.
Lying on the bed, Kang Huaiyuan gradually recovered his breath. He was a boat that had long been jostled on the raging waves, suddenly pulled into a sunny harbor. The bed was clean and warm, and gave him a sense of security ... He was tired and sleepy. Before he could express his gratitude, he fell into a sound sleep.
After Kang Huaiyuan fell asleep, Qingping asked Mendou to invite Tang Yaomei over. Pretending not to hear, Mendou sat still on a stool. Wanghe said, "Have you forgotten the words I taught you?" Since Wanghe had taught him how to read, Mendou thought she was no longer that woman thrown under the maidenhair tree. He respected her. Every word she said held weight with him. Mendou grabbed a bamboo hat and went out.
It rained more and more heavily, and raindrops fell incessantly from the eaves of Meizi. Walking along the street, Mendou saw lively scenes under the eaves. Butcher Huang had shut up his stall early. His wife braised chopped pork entrails with sour pepper to go with his liquor. He and his fourteen-year-old son played the finger-guessing game as they drank. Their voices floated in the air and their laughter echoed.
Pockmark Mou danced the flower-drum dance. His daughter-in-law Xiu'er liked dancing too. At that moment, one was dressed up as an old fisherman while the other was dressed up as the fisherman's little daughter, fishing, rowing and singing. Walking by the hustle and bustle of Meizi, Mendou arrived at Tang Yaomei's home before long.
On hearing that Qingping had taken in two Hunanese, Tang Yaomei smirked and asked, "What kind of man is the sick one? Why does your mother care about him so much?" The look in her eyes made Mendou uncomfortable. He was not only discontented with his mother's decision, but also annoyed by Tang Yaomei's quizzical smile. "Whether you're coming or not, I'm going home right now!" he said. Curious about what kind of man Qingping had taken in, Tang Yaomei hastily followed him.
As Tang Yaomei entered the house and saw Kang Huaiyuan, she knew he was suffering from malaria. She asked them to leave the room while she drew magic characters and chanted incantations. In the process, Tang Yaomei changed into a jingling robe, with a red scarf around her head and a peach wood sword in her hand.
Afterwards, sweating profusely, Tang Yaomei drank a cup of liquor offered by Qingping. Smirking, she asked, "Do you have a crush on him?"
Qingping appeared irritated. "When I saw him at the gate, how could I just watch him die?" she said.
"He entered your house. That's your destiny."
Qingping was annoyed by her words. Laughing merrily, Tang Yaomei gave Qingping a prescription and bade her buy medicine from Lei's Herb Store.
Due to Tang Yaomei's spell or prescription, Kang Huaiyuan woke up the next day and felt relaxed. Qingping stewed him a pot of porridge and served it at his bedside. After eating the porridge and some sour and spicy pickles, he sweated all over and felt better. She heaved a sigh of relief and said, "You'll get well soon!" She then took out a jacket that her husband had once worn and put it on for him.
Wearing the jacket, Kang Huaiyuan tottered out of the room and leaned against the door. Qingping's heart missed a beat. She thought to herself, "Heartless guy, you came back?" After a careful look, she knew he wasn't her husband. The handsome man in front of her was a Hunan travelling merchant who was seven or eight years younger than her. He was just staying at her home to recuperate, and would leave after getting better. If he travelled on the Salt Road in the future, he might visit her home to drink tea. If not, she would probably never see him again. Like all passersby, he would leave sooner or later. Qingping felt sad. She called Mendou back from the gate and asked him, "Accompany your Uncle Kang to take a walk around the courtyard!" However, unwilling to call him "Uncle," Mendou said, "Mr. Kang, let me help you." Kang Huaiyuan waved his hand and said he could walk by himself.
After walking around the vegetable garden, Kang Huaiyuan came in through the back door and saw Qingping and Wanghe picking beans on the steps. Wanghe picked out bean hulls and sand from a square basket; Qingping winnowed soybeans upward, then rolled them back and forth. The plump beans rolled out by themselves while the sand remained at the bottom. Kang Huaiyuan gazed at her, and thought to himself, "What a deft woman! She must be good at housekeeping." He could not help but grab a handful of soybeans in his hand. The winnowed beans were clean and round, without any impurity. The two sisters were not only deft, but also pretty. The younger sister was beautiful but indifferent and did not talk much. When encountering someone, she might give a cold smile. Though she did not show any impoliteness, she appeared a little unapproachable. The elder sister was a typical woman of Meizi. She was plump yet dexterous, ardent yet restrained, amicable yet respectable.
"Madam, how I wish I could have met you earlier!" he said.
Glancing at him, Qingping smiled, "Are you stupid? You've undergone dozens of journeys on the Salt Road. I sit at this door every day. Didn't you see me?"
Kang Huaiyuan replied, "I once wanted to ask for water, but I dared not." Recognizing the inappropriateness of his words, he bent down to look at the beans in the basket. The soybeans were strange. They were all cyan and spotted with black. Kang Huaiyuan asked, "Madam, are these soybeans? Why are they all cyan?"
"These are black-faced beans produced in Meizi," Qingping smiled. "They're small, easy to cook well, soft and fragrant. The fermented soybeans and bean paste made of them are very tasty."
Kang Huaiyuan teased, "This bean is just like the painted role in a Sichuan opera. It appears unattractive, but actually it's good!"
Wanghe said, "Sis, you told him the secret of making pickles. Aren't you afraid of him competing for business with you?"
Qingping laughed. "He's a man doing great things. He just entered my house due to his illness. How could he covet my shabby skills?"
Kang Huaiyuan gawked at her, as if seeing his dream lover. Her eyebrows rose with her smile, exposing her hidden charms.
Kang Huaiyuan felt as though he were drinking a bowl of honey. He thought to himself, "If it hadn't been for Pepper Hu's unkindness, I wouldn't have even met Yang Qingping. Is this my destiny? Unlike other places along the Salt Road, Meizi is particularly attractive and unforgettable."
Refreshed, Kang Huaiyuan watched them sieve two baskets of black-faced beans.
As there were guests at her home, Qingping drew Mendou aside and asked him to borrow preserved meat from Uncle Lyu. As Mendou was about to set off, Pockmark Zhang stopped him and said, "It's my treat tonight!"
Qingping said, "Since you're staying at my home, you're my guests. How could I let you spend money on dining?"
Kang Huaiyuan said, "Madam, he won't spend any money, and he'll show you a zoetrope!"
At dinner, Pockmark Zhang started to perform. He asked them to stand facing the wall while he chanted incantations in the room. A blast of cold wind blew in, giving everyone chills down their backs.
When they were astonished, Pockmark Zhang chanted faster. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in, bringing a spiced fragrance. Pockmark Zhang said, "Well, turn around!"
Looking back, they saw a white gauze bag on the table. They unfolded it and a steaming hot braised chicken appeared before them. With wide eyes, they dared not breathe or speak.
Gazing at Pockmark Zhang, Mendou felt that his pockmarked face wore a strange expression. Pockmark Zhang enjoined, "Chop it in the kitchen. You can enjoy it today!" Qingping seemed stunned, and Wanghe's face had turned pale with fear. Qingping said, "I've heard it called 'magic art.' Some people can transform preserved meat into kids walking in a row. However, we can't touch it, or it'll show its original appearance."
"Both the Salt Road and the town are weird!" Wanghe thought to herself. She couldn't help shivering as though she were in the cold of winter.
As the weather cleared up, Kang Huaiyuan made a full recovery. He planned to start off the next day, so he filled the water vat with water, then chopped firewood in the woodshed. On hearing the sound of firewood being chopped, Qingping had a feeling like the sunshine after the rain, illuminating and vivifying every corner of the courtyard. She uncovered the water vat, and a vatful of fresh water mirrored her face. Her heart melted. She went to the woodshed with a cup of tea and handed it to Kang Huaiyuan. Sitting on a woodpile, he stared at her. "I'll come back soon," he said.
Qingping sensed an implication in his eyes. She said solemnly, "Yeah, you'd better get back as soon as possible. Your family will be worried about you."
Kang Huaiyuan said, "I mean here!"
Qingping's heart missed a beat. "Alright, you may regard my store as an inn."
Kang Huaiyuan stared at her with his scorching eyes in the hot weather. "No, I won't regard it as an inn!"
"Well, what it should be?"
"Home!"
Qingping trembled, and felt like she had been struck by lightning. She wanted to let her eyes meet his, let the two flames collide to heat the lonely courtyard. However, she dared not do so. She shifted her eyes to the foot of the wall, and bent down to tidy the firewood block. Nothing daunted, Kang Huaiyuan stared into the courtyard and sighed with emotion, "God must have blessed me to allow me to enter this house."
Qingping just listened and gave no reply. She thought to herself, "It's so strange. My heart palpitated as I glanced at him. However, he's just a passerby who comes and goes in haste, so I can neither rely on him nor love him! He's a bachelor while I'm just a widow. Moreover, what if my husband suddenly comes back?"
Kang Huaiyuan fell silent, gazing quietly at her. The sunglow extended from the horizon, dyeing the western sky red. A clear sky on one side and a burning flame on the other, the sky seemed to reflect their different situations. It ought to have been a romantic moment. However, Qingping calmed herself down. Slightly disappointed, Kang Huaiyuan changed the topic by saying, "I know Mendou failed to complete his first trip to Yunyang. He can come with us this time. After all, he has to experience it." Qingping also thought so. Kang Huaiyuan continued, "This time, we won't choose the downward road, but the upward road, which is steep but has fewer bandits. Besides, you've seen Pockmark Zhang's skills. Mendou will be safer with us."
Mendou eagerly looked forward to the departure of Pockmark Zhang and Kang Huaiyuan. As two unfamiliar men were staying at their home, the neighbors gossiped about his family from time to time. Around dusk, a township militiaman asked Mendou to call in at Hu Bicheng's home. Sitting in the courtyard, Mayor Hu fanned himself with a cattail leaf fan. When Mendou arrived, he opened his eyes and said, "Didn't I say you could join the township militiamen? Why are you still wasting time?"
Glancing at his sullen face, Mendou replied hesitantly, "Mom asked me to help her sell pickles for a few days. I'll come soon ... "
Standing up, Hu Bicheng glared at him for a few seconds, held back his anger and paced back and forth. Suddenly, he approached Mendou and asked, "I hear your mother took in a Hunanese?"
"He was suffering from malaria. He ran up to the steps of our house. My mom picked him up and let him stay in the woodshed fearing that he would die ... "
"Why does he stay so long?" Hu Bicheng asked in a harsh voice.
"He'll leave tomorrow morning. He's already packed his luggage."
Hu Bicheng puffed at his cigarette, then impatiently waved Mendou away.
When Mendou got home, he saw his mother making fried rice for him again. He thought to himself, "Why shouldn't I be a township militiaman rather than a porter on the Salt Road? Were it not for the possibility of becoming a township militiaman, I wouldn't have fawned on Hu Bicheng." He could hardly stand up, as though his tendons had been pulled out. Qingping saw through his thought. "Even though the Salt Road is dangerous, you can make money with your strength, and no one will curse you," she said. Unwilling to listen to her nagging, Mendou went out and walked down the street. When he walked by Jian's Salt Firm, Mr. Jian was sitting on the steps eating a bowl of cold tangyuan. As he ate, he picked out fermented glutinous rice and sprinkled it on the ground. A group of chickens crowded around, scrambling for it. On seeing this, Mr. Jian ordered Aunt Wu to pour a big bowl of fermented glutinous rice on the ground. "No need to scramble for it. I'll let you eat your fill!" he said to them. The chickens pecked on the ground while Mr. Jian roared with laughter. Mendou thought to himself, "You smug bastard! When I make a fortune by carrying salt, I'll feed dragon meat to my chickens!" He went home in a huff, then packed his baskets with his mother.
As they were busy packing, Mutao came round. Though a funny clown, she was skilled in beekeeping. Behind the street, hives were placed around the house of the Fan family. The sight of the bees buzzing back home was more lively than that of a market day. Mutao earned money by selling honey, but she kept a tight grip on her money and never gave Fan Shaoying a penny.
Fan Shaoying was tired of staying at home. He had had his hair cut early, and air-dried his clothes. Mutao gazed at him with cold eyes, and thought to herself, "He's going to carry salt, not going on a blind date. Does he have a mistress on the Salt Road?" She wanted to question him, but she knew he would deny it even if there were both witnesses and evidence. Moreover, a mere verbal statement was no guarantee!
Mutao ran to the Pickle Store, breathing heavily. She tilted her head to look inside. "Mendou, Mendou ... " she called. Upon seeing Mutao, Mendou directly ignored her. She took a silver coin from her pocket and showed it in the sunlight. Mendou kicked a broken brick in front of her. "What's up? Do you think I've never seen a silver coin?" he asked sullenly.
"Do me a favor, and I'll give you this coin!" she said. Mendou was tempted. She explained, "Help me watch Fan Shaoying to find out whether he has a mistress!"
"What's a mistress?"
Mutao gave him a push. "Any other woman sleeping with him!"
Mendou smirked. "No problem. Don't break your word!"
Mutao whispered, "If I break my word, you can touch my butt!"
He grinned at Mutao. "Alright!"
