The first quarter moon looked like a notched sickle, hanging askew in the star-studded sky. The stars and the moon vied with each other in brightness, shining beams of glittering light on the fine leaves of the fence walls. Some kids were playing in the yard of Lord Guan Temple in the moonlight.
Guisheng's father stepped through the fence, his shoes drenched with dew. He pushed the door open and went in, coins clinking in his pocket. Guisheng's mother reached into his pocket and touched the copper coins. He poured all the coins onto the table. As they had sold their winter paddy field, they could not harvest grain this summer. With an indomitable will, Guisheng's father found a way to make money. As such, he no longer went to Lord Guan Temple or Liangtianzi Street.
Guisheng got up early in the morning to prepare palm ropes and baskets and then was ready to set off. The morning breeze blew over people's shoulders, giving them goose bumps. The scent of acacia wafted on the river wind and drove sleepiness away. Guisheng's mother finished sweeping the yard. An old rural man with a black cloth around his head walked down the street holding a piglet and cursing. When he arrived at the gate of Guisheng's house, he kicked the fence gate open and threw the piglet in the yard. "Ask Li out. You must compensate for my piglet!" he shouted. "I asked him to castrate my pig but he didn't succeed!"
Their neighbors burst into waves of laughter which even shook the dew off the trees, bringing drizzle to the yard. Upon hearing these words, Guisheng and his mother were speechless. "He went out early and came back late because he was castrating pigs?" Guisheng's father hid behind the outhouse, pricking up his ears. On seeing Guisheng coming in, he gave a forced smile. Guisheng said, "Dad, the old man is extorting money from us at the gate. Why don't you go out and prove your innocence? If not, the neighbors will laugh at us."
Blushing, Guisheng's father handed him several copper coins. "Tell him I'm willing to refund the money." On seeing him blushing with shame, Guisheng did not have the heart to blame him. Instead, he gave the old rural man the coins.
However, the old man refused to accept them and made a claim for a piglet. He grabbed Guisheng's arm and did not let him go. Lyu Dashu waited for Guisheng, but Guisheng did not come back. He then went to his home and saw the scene. Both annoyed and amused, he ran back home, grabbed a one-month-old piglet and threw it to the old man, saying, "Here you are. Let him go!" On seeing the healthy piglet, the old man immediately took it in his arms and left in great delight.
Guisheng's father felt ashamed and was afraid of being derided, so he hid himself at the back door and was unwilling to go out. However, the old men swarmed into his house and dragged him to Lord Guan Temple. As they passed the street corner, Guisheng heard the ox horn sound for pig castration at Lord Guan Temple. The old men intended to force his father to give a live performance!
This time, An Er did not carry any goods, but a drum. When he acquired Luozi's double-faced coin, he had made a decision, "I'll no longer carry salt, but make easy money on the Salt Road!" He planned to give drumming performances to attract onlookers when he reached the street of the post house, then began gambling. Such drumming performances were similar to begging skills, and gambling was a crooked means of making money. They scolded him, but he did not listen. Lyu Dashu set a rule for him, "The fox preys farthest from his hole. If you want to gamble, you should do it after we've passed Wawuliang Ridge." Afraid of him, An Er nodded assent.
Guisheng only drank a few bowls of thin porridge that morning. After they had walked for over five kilometers, his knees became weak, his stomach rumbled for food and he fell behind the others. On hearing "let's have a rest," he immediately lay down his goods and ran into the roadside woods to look for food. Upon reaching Dayakou and seeing a tree of ripe white peaches behind a shop, he drooled but dared not stretch out his hand to pick one. The shopkeeper Mr. Jiang sat in the yard, puffing at a cigarette. He appeared leisurely, but always remained alert. He shifted his eyes between his wife Chunzhi who was busy in the kitchen, and the peach tree. He did not allow anyone to touch his peaches, not even a mosquito!
When Lyu Dashu stepped out with a bowl, Guisheng tipped him a wink. Lyu Dashu gave him a knowing smile, then walked around the rooms in the shop. He suddenly exclaimed, "Sir, who wrote this brilliant poem in your store?"
"I wrote it in my spare time," the shopkeeper replied modestly. "Thanks for your praise!"
Lyu Dashu scratched his head. "Alas, your daughter is indecent!"
The shopkeeper frowned. "Why do you say so? My daughter is virtuous!"
Lyu Dashu shook his head. "I saw it on your wooden wall."
The shopkeeper went to take a look, and his face turned purple with anger. "Who did this?" he demanded.
Previously, Mr. Jiang had written a piece of doggerel with charcoal on the wooden wall outside a room of his shop, "Every passerby, be cautious. I have a dog. It may bite your waist or neck!" However, the doggerel was now changed to "Every passerby, be cautious. I have a daughter. She may clasp your waist or neck!" Lyu Dashu inflamed his anger by saying, "It might have been done by those porters; they don't know who they are: a bunch of scoundrels!"
At that moment, Guisheng quickly rushed to the peach tree, picked many peaches and ran away with his goods. When Mr. Jiang finished erasing the doggerel, the man sitting in the yard had gone, and the peach twigs were swaying: all the peaches had been picked. Mr. Jiang ran after Guisheng dragging a bamboo pole, but he was already far away. Knowing they had jointly set up a trap, Mr. Jiang said nothing, but simply walked back in a huff with a sullen face. When he looked into the kitchen, he was completely exasperated. An Er was stroking Chunzhi's breasts.
Mendou was delighted to see Chunzhi. After walking such a long distance, he finally saw a pretty landlady. Chunzhi was young and pretty like a newly-sprouted willow twig. Mr. Jiang did not deserve her. After finishing their meal, most of them resumed their journey. On seeing Mr. Jiang running after Guisheng, and Chunzhi washing the dishes in the kitchen, An Er clasped her. Chunzhi swatted him away with her wet hands. Mendou stood aside, laughing merrily. Suddenly, they heard coughing from outside of the door. Mendou made off at once. An Er also fled with his drum.
Mr. Jiang felt frustrated. Not only had his peaches been stolen, but his wife had been sexually harassed. He stomped his feet and cursed. To vent his anger, he roared at Chunzhi, "You let him embrace you today. Are you prepared to take off your clothes for him in the future?"
Feeling wronged, Chunzhi said, "Didn't you see me swatting him?"
"It was just tickling!"
"Okay, I'll prepare a hacking knife to drive every guest away!" Chunzhi replied, annoyed. Mr. Jiang sighed and stopped speaking.
In the evening, they finally climbed up to Wawuliang Ridge. The setting sun shone rays of golden light, and Lan Huayan's thatched house stood in the afterglow. They rushed forwards and swarmed in. Lan Huayan was busy at her work as she greeted them, "Welcome! Lay down your goods and drink some tea." Fan Shaoying deliberately walked behind the others. When they went to lay down their goods, he pushed the door open and went in. When she saw him, she forgot to carry on stir-frying her dish. Fan Shaoying stared at her and thought to himself, "She looks wonderful, with silky hair, wearing pretty clothes ... Amazing!" After laying down his goods in a corner of the room, he rushed to the kitchen and embraced Lan Huayan from behind. She knew it was him. She took a slice of preserved meat from a flat bamboo basket and stuffed it into his mouth.
When the wide bed was filled with thunderous snores, Fan Shaoying still hadn't shown up. Mendou knew the guy had a secret. He quietly went out and peeked through a crack in the kitchen door.
They were hugging closely in the kitchen! Lan Huayan pinched off two tobacco leaves, pulled out the stalks and put them in a cigarette holder. She took two puffs, then handed the cigarette to Shaoying. Fan Shaoying did the same. They smoked together and looked at each other lovingly. Afterwards, Fan Shaoying picked her up and kicked open the door of the bedroom.
Mendou followed them to the door of the bedroom, and heard the shaking sound of Lan Huayan's bed. "Fan Shaoying is sleeping with another woman! I'll get that silver coin if I tell Mutao!" He tiptoed to the guest room but could not squeeze a place on the wide bed. He curled up in the kitchen instead, and kept cursing until he fell asleep.
The next morning, Fan Shaoying was in high spirits, and Lan Huayan had become more charming and feminine than before, like a rose having absorbed dew during the night. Mendou asked Shaoying, "I didn't see you go to bed last night. Where did you go?"
Shaoying glanced at him vigilantly. "I couldn't squeeze onto the bed after going to the toilet, so I slept in the kitchen."
Mendou brushed the dead leaves off his head and said, "I slept in the kitchen too, but I didn't see you."
Blushing, Fan Shaoying patted him on the shoulder. "The upward road is rugged. Let me help you with some of your goods!"
Although Fan Shaoying was carrying more goods, he still felt light and energetic. When he had just passed the courtyard wall, Lan Huayan sang affectionately behind him, "Porters, take your time. The moon will come out after the sun goes down. Your elder brother and sister-in-law will manage household affairs. Your parents will make tea and cook meals!" The soft voice sounded like the Meizi River flowing in Fan Shaoying's heart, urging him to go and come back soon. Her voice also hindered everyone else's feet. They were unwilling to leave Wawuliang Ridge. Fan Shaoying turned round at the col and saw Lan Huayan standing under a walnut tree. He cleared his throat and sang, "If I cannot carry the load, I won't go out. I'd better stay at home and enjoy the spring. I work for half a year and rest for the other half. So I may spend time with you for half a year ... " The singing echoed around the cliff and hovered over the thatched roof.
After leaving Wawuliang Ridge, they walked on a slope of winding stone steps. There were lush metasequoia woods on both sides of the steps. After coming out of the woods, they saw a stone road sign standing between two forks. The stone steps and sign had both been built with the investment of a squire surnamed Jiang in Qingshui Town. Mr. Jiang's ancestor once served as the local salt supervisor, and accumulated vast wealth. When he was 41 years old, he contracted a serious disease. His family prayed to Buddha for help every day. Under the guidance of the Bodhisattva, he survived by building bridges, repairing roads and doing good deeds. In the twentieth year of the Republic of China, the Kuomintang government issued a new Salt Law allowing the free trade of salt. As a result, more villagers travelled on the official salt road. Mr. Jiang organized some men to build the road every year, and blasted mountains in dangerous sections to expand the road. Several years later, upward and downward roads dozens of kilometers long were completed in succession.
Although the upward road was steep and rugged, they could avoid the bandits around Savage Cave. Both roads converged at Buckteeth Creek. They could then go to Yunyang by boat.
After crossing Wawuliang Ridge, they would reach Tianzi Mountain, the steepest part of the journey. On the rugged cliff, the path looked like a chicken intestine, with a precipice inside and an abyss outside. After ascending the mountain, some porters sitting down to rest were in danger of accidentally falling off. With one false step, they could fall to the valley floor like a tree leaf. The pitch-dark abyss reminded Mendou of what Mo Laojun had said. He thought to himself, "Did my dad fall off here?" On seeing his pale face, Lyu Dashu asked him to walk behind him, and taught him how to use his stick to check the road before slowly walking forward. Not daring to utter a sound, everyone pricked up their ears to listen to their leader's commands. The dense mist diffused from the mountain stream and covered their insteps. They knocked on the mountain rocks with their sticks, startling pheasants and wild birds. The birds fluttered away and shrieked the dense mist.
On Tianzi Mountain, Rhino Horn and Gate of Hell were the most dangerous sections. A peak suddenly emerged halfway up the mountain, thrusting directly into the blue sky, hence its name "Rhino Horn." On the precipice, there was a plank road built by the ancients. People must move across it cautiously. At the broken section, which was the most dangerous part, a suspended plank road was built of stones and wood. Over the years, the suspended part of the wooden support gradually tilted downward, and it became known as the "Tilted Bridge." When they walked on the Tilted Bridge, the planks creaked. Looking down through the cracks in the wood, they could see furious billows shrouded in dense mist. A waterfall overhead rushed down the deep ravine with an earsplitting sound. If two guys walked in opposite directions, one had to step aside to give way. While walking, Mendou grasped the green vines on the edge of the cliff with one hand and held the basket rope with the other, his soles itching. The water drops on the cliff looked like pearls. The planks were covered with moss. Walking on them, they could accidentally slide down into the abyss. As they were about to reach the other end of the bridge, Mendou suddenly slipped, and half of his body was suspended in the air! Kang Huaiyuan quickly pulled him back.
After crossing the Tilted Bridge, they dripped with sweat. Lyu Dashu suggested that they take a rest. After laying down his goods, he said, "There are three types of fatigue: after having sex, sawing and tamping. I think there should one more, shouldering salt!" They tried to smile, but were too tired to do so, so he shouted to the top of the cliff, "I shouldered ninety kilos of salt and tightened my waistband. In order to loosen the waistband, I have to carry salt for another three decades!" The voice sounded like the wail of a dying pig.
When Mendou had just laid down his baskets, he vomited all the fried rice he had eaten. His pulse raced. After a long rest, he finally recovered his normal complexion. Lyu Dashu said, "No more rest, or you won't be able to get up."
Sensing their depression, Pockmark Zhang stood at a high position and yelled, "Guys, would you like to eat some plums?"
A porter cried, "You're not carrying such a heavy load, that's why you have the strength to tease us!"
"You don't believe me?" Pockmark Zhang smiled. "After walking across the valley, you can reach Dujiazhai Village, where there's a woman surnamed Zeng who has thyroid enlargement. There's a green plum tree in front of her house."
"If you dare to eat one of her plums, that tigress will come after you, even when you arrive in Yunyang!"
"But I have an idea," Pockmark Zhang shot back. "You can not only eat plums, but also have a chance to stroke her breasts."
"Alright. But we only want the plums. You can stroke her breasts!"
Pockmark Zhang lowered his head and whispered to An Er. They then walked ahead of the other guys.
At the end of the valley, there was a big rock crevice. Looking through the crevice, they saw two mu of mellow soil in the middle of a patch of flat land surrounded by steep and towering stone walls, and several thatched huts. In the yard, there were two persons with thyroid enlargement: Ms. Zeng and her son. The woman was weeding and her son was picking plums with a bamboo pole, knocking them to make them fall. Tired and thirsty, they gawked at the plums.
Suddenly, there was a shrill sound from the cattle pen. The old bull seemed to have been stabbed by someone. Ms. Zeng dropped her hoe and immediately rushed to the cattle pen. The bull was dashing around madly and howling desperately! Ms. Zeng had never seen such a situation before, and she restlessly stamped her feet.
An Er ran towards her and asked, "Madam, what's wrong with your bull?"
Ms. Zeng knelt down. "Sir, please do me a favor. My bull is dying!"
"Stay calm. Let me take a look." With this, he pressed the bull's head against his chest, turned its eyelids over and patted it on the ear. Then he asked, "Madam, do you have rapeseed oil?"
"Yes!" Ms. Zeng said, and fetched an earthen jar from her house. An Er poured some oil into the bull's ear. A while later, the bull stopped howling and went out of the pen to eat grass.
The woman was overjoyed. "Call your fellows in. I'll make tea for you." she said.
"Thanks, but we're busy with our journey so we won't drink tea. I saw the plums in front of your house. May we pick some?"
"No problem!" she said.
As thick as a small bucket, the plum tree bore sweet and large fruits. Ms. Zeng shaked down many plums using a bamboo pole. The porters picked them up and put in their pockets. When their pockets were full, they ate some directly.
As the other guys were joyfully eating plums, An Er was planning a dirty trick. Although the woman suffered from thyroid enlargement, she had a pretty face, a nice figure and fair skin. He rubbed her breasts while he helped her hold the bamboo pole, either by design or accident. She was not annoyed, and put big plums in his pocket. "Sir, if it had not been for your help, my bull would have been dead." she said.
"This pocket is full. Put plums in the other pocket!" he urged her.
She put several plums in his trouser pocket, but quickly withdrew her hand. "Rogue, your pocket is broken, and you're not wearing underwear!"
"I'm single. No one will mend it for me at home."
"Though I'm no good at sewing, I can easily mend a pocket!" she suggested. An Er was pleased. After eating enough plums, the other porters were getting ready to hit the road. He suddenly hunched himself over, clutching his stomach, and said, "You go first. I'm going to the toilet!"
When the other guys had gone far up the path, An Er stepped out of the toilet. The woman drove the bull out with a bamboo pole, and asked her child to lead it. When the kid was gone, An Er entered the house and rushed to her bedroom in a flurry. The woman said, "Wait a moment. Let me go in first." After the woman entered the bedroom, she quickly bolted the door and An Er could not push it open. "Why did you close the door?" he asked. The woman pulled the curtain aside, allowing him to watch through the window. She then pulled down her trousers to show her thighs, and took off her clothes to show her slender waist, big butt and firm breasts.
An Er panted heavily, "Open the door! You only let me watch?" The woman turned around in a circle like a peacock spreading its tail. Then she put on her clothes, opened the door and came out. "Not now," she said. "Bring me some salt when you come back."
"I have copper coins!" An Er said.
The woman burst into tears. "I want nothing but salt! Because of not eating salt, I suffer from thyroid enlargement, which has destroyed my pretty appearance. I married into the deep mountains, and my husband fell off a cliff and I became a widow. My son also suffers from thyroid enlargement because of not eating salt!"
On seeing her tears, An Er quickly promised her, "No problem. I'll bring you some salt when I come back."
After a long while, An Er caught up with the other guys. They asked him to confess. He grumbled, "No, I did nothing. She asked me to bring her some salt!" They all burst into laughter.
After eating the plums, they were no longer hungry or thirsty. Mendou wondered, "Why did that bull go crazy after we arrived?"
An Er replied, "You'd better ask Pockmark Zhang."
As they were talking, Pockmark Zhang stood in the middle of the road. "Have you eaten enough plums?" he asked. "Have you saved some for me?"
They took out the plums and asked him. Pockmark Zhang said, "We performed a two-man act. I put a worm in the bull's ear. The bull was so itchy that it moaned. However, the worm was afraid of rapeseed oil. As the oil was poured in, it wriggled away." With a chuckle, Mendou released a series of loud farts. They teased him, "Boy, you ate too many plums!"
Around dusk, they finally saw Wooden Fish Temple. Looking up, they could make out dark clouds and an old cypress forest on the top of the mountain. Wooden Fish Temple was closely surrounded by dense canopies, showing golden cornices like Tathagata's flower-pinching finger. In the forest, a huge stone towering aloft was dyed red-brown by the setting sun. It looked like a watchtower guarding the temple. The bell from the clouds hovered over the valley. This ancient temple was as mysterious as a dream. Old porters said that many people were too tired to go any further after crossing Tianzi Mountain and the Tilted Bridge, but they became full of energy upon hearing the bell of Wooden Fish Temple. After that, they could climb up a steep slope without a hitch. The bell made Mendou think of going back to Meizi, his mother boiling a vat of hot water and stewing a big pot of sweet potato porridge, saying, "Go up quickly. Take a rest on the summer sleeping mat after you've eaten!"
The evening mist was even shorter tempered than they were. As they entered Wooden Fish Temple, it quickly enveloped them. Incense smoke permeated the darkness. Like fireflies flying in the dark, sparks gathered densely in the courtyard. At that moment, these porters who had laughed and joked all the way became solemn, and quietly stepped through the gate. The Temple was a big compound with three entrances, ancient trees, ancient wells, ancient bell ... Only the flowers growing at the foot of the wall were fresh, blooming in the black brickwork joints.
Many people with different accents gathered here. In the afterglow, candlelight brought resplendence to the hall. It was said that the Temple was built with the investment of a squire surnamed Huang. Mr. Huang had made a fortune by digging wells and boiling halogens, so he built the temple to give thanks for the protection of the deities. Located in the middle of nowhere, the temple also provided a place where porters could rest, offering vegetarian food and healing herbs all year round. Upon hearing the bell of the Temple, porters passing by started to have something to look forward to.
The street of Wooden Fish Temple was hanging overhead. Its height allowed people to look afar. The surroundings were in darkness, but there was a ray of bright light on the horizon. As the light shone on the clouds, they turned fantastic colors, as though they decorated the dinner banquet of the Jade Emperor ... The undulating mountains resembled a number of islands emerging above the water. When the mountain winds became fierce, the trees pressed close like a rising tide, coming and going ceaselessly.
As the light in the distance dimmed, red lanterns appeared one after another in the dark. In the soft light, the shopkeepers were busy yet orderly. The street was not large. The people on the west of the street could immediately respond to shouts from the east. All the stores kept their doors open and lights on. The corn cake steamers were steaming. Though it was in the summer, the stoves were still burning in the taverns. Sitting around a stove, guests in twos and threes were drinking and chatting ...
Kang Huaiyuan and Pockmark Zhang took Mendou to a tavern. After entering, they sat around a stove. The tavern keeper's wife put a small pot of spicy braised pheasant with pickled cabbage over the stove. There were stars shining over the eaves, seeming as though they could be reached with the help of a ladder.
After drinking several cups of liquor, Kang Huaiyuan, who hadn't spoken much on the way, suddenly became talkative. However, he spoke of nothing but Yang Qingping. He said, "My life was saved by Yang Qingping." And he added, "Mendou, I had a crush on your mother when I saw her for the first time. I will never forget her ... "
On hearing this, Mendou sulked and thought to himself, "Don't pursue my mom. My dad may be still alive." Then he said, "Mr. Kang, continue to enjoy drinking. I'm going now."
Pockmark Zhang patted Kang Huaiyuan on the shoulder and said, "You drank too much. How could you speak such things to a kid?"
Kang Huaiyuan stopped speaking, but giggled gently, his eyes particularly soft. He seemed to be falling in love.
When they left the tavern, the mist had become thicker. The small stalls were gradually closing and the red lanterns went out one by one like sleepy eyes. They staggered back to the Wooden Fish Temple, threw themselves in woodpiles and started snoring.
Like a running brook, the Salt Road flowed from lofty mountains and high ranges before converging with a large river. As they walked further, there were more and more roadside stores and people. The road became wider. The teams of mules and horses came and went with tinkling bells. Like a fish in water, An Er succeeded in gambling. Each time he reached a post house, he would take out the drum and beat it. Upon hearing the drum, many onlookers crowded around. Then An Er started gambling. In the beginning, he lost every game. The onlookers tasted the benefits of gambling, so they wagered more money. However, he then began using the single-faced coin and won the remaining games. After winning a lot of money, he put the heavy silver coins into his bag.
Tempted by the silver coins clinking in An Er's bag, Mendou decided to learn from him. Kang Huaiyuan dragged him away. Mendou gave him a slap. "It's none of your business. If it hadn't been for my mom's help, you would've been dead from malaria!"
"Do you really think he's skilled at gambling?" Kang Huiyuan shot back. "His copper coin is made of two thin coins. Both sides are the same! His trick will be exposed sooner or later, and they'll beat him to death!"
Mendou lifted his shoulder-pole, making ready to hit Kang Huaiyuan with it. Lyu Dashu grabbed him and growled, "Don't irritate me, or I'll beat you black and blue!"
Frightened by Lyu Dashu's anger, Mendou followed them with a sullen face. When they reached Burning Hill Valley, he felt like they were entering a fairyland. The steep rock walls on both sides were red, like flames rising from the ground to the clouds. "Oh! The fire burns through the sky!" Mendou cried excitedly. Lyu Dashu laughed out loud, his laughter echoing through the valley. "It's said that there was once a monster living in that cave. The Jade Emperor kidnapped his wife. He was so angry that he decided to burn the Jade Emperor's Hall of Miraculous Mist! Before the fires extended to Heaven, however, they burnt the rock red." Mendou gawked at everything in front of his eyes, big trees with coiled branches growing on the walls, purplish red, bluish green, bright yellow ... They looked like the works of the female embroiderers of Meizi. There was a limpid brook at the bottom of the valley, which appeared white or green as it rolled along the fiery-red precipice. A woman with a baby on her back was beating clothes on a stone. Crowding around her, they splashed water all over her face on purpose.
At that moment, something fell in the water, causing a splash in all directions and wetting everyone's clothes. Looking up, they saw a monkey on the opposite precipice pushing a big stone down. When it saw them, the monkey fled to another tree, ran along the precipice and entered a dark hole.
Though Burning Hill Valley had beautiful scenery, the road was rugged. Walking on the cobblestones, they could easily sprain their feet. As they stepped on the sandy beach, their straw sandals became filled with sand. As Mendou walked with difficulty, Pockmark Zhang volunteered to carry the goods for him. When he had carried them for just a short while, he said that he had sprained his waist. Mendou threw a handful of colored stones which he had just picked up. "You only carried it a short distance, but made me owe you a favor!"
As they left Burning Hill Valley, Bunker with its pitch-dark archway was waiting for them. Mendou was astonished. "Is the red bandit's head still here?" he asked.
"No," Pockmark Zhang replied. "It was stolen by someone the next day!"
At the street entrance of Bunker, there were two rows of soldiers ready to conduct goods inspections and body searches. Mendou was afraid. An old soldier uncovered his basket and briefly looked it over. After asking him several questions, he let Mendou go.
They all successfully passed the inspections. After leaving Bunker, Pockmark Zhang offered to carry the goods for Mendou again. But this time, he carried them until they reached Mud Creek. All the inns on the street were full. They laid down their goods on some spacious steps and considered how to seek lodgings. At that moment, they heard a baby crying. After listening for a while, Pockmark Zhang asked Kang Huaiyuan to knock at the door. Upon hearing that a group of porters wanted to find a lodging for the night, the house owner made a bow with his hands folded in front, and said, "My baby is ill and I don't want strangers to come in. Please go somewhere else!" Pockmark Zhang continued to knock. Finally, the house owner became annoyed, pulled the door open and roared, "Didn't I give you an explanation?"
Pockmark Zhang said, "I heard your baby crying. Do you mind if I give him treatment?" With some suspicion, the house owner invited him in.
After entering the room, Pockmark Zhang held an oil lamp and carefully looked over the baby. "Nothing serious!" he said. "He will get better soon after drinking a bowl of 'Stable mud'!" He then walked out while holding the lamp, scraped some mud from the stable door and wrapped the mud in paper. He asked them to mix it with water and feed it to the baby. After a short while, the baby stopped crying and giggled with his eyes wide open.
The family was overjoyed. The old madam shouted, "God blessed us today. We met a talented doctor! Quick! Ask your fellows to come in. We'll cook dishes for you!" As the door cracked open, the porters sitting on the steps swarmed into the house with their goods.
This family treated them in a proper manner. The man lit the fire, the woman cooked dishes and the old madam cradled the baby. Moreover, they provided a big basin of water for them to bathe their feet in. An hour later, a tableful of dishes were completed. They ate their fill. The host did not have many beds, so he placed several quilts on the corn husks of a vacant room. They huddled together to sleep.
The next morning, the family stewed a pot of thick corn porridge. They burped after eating it. When they were ready to hit the road, the host saw them off until reaching the street corner, and repeatedly said, "Come to my house on your way back!"
After walking one or two kilometers, Mendou whispered to Kang Huaiyuan, "Since Pockmark Zhang can treat diseases, why didn't he treat your malaria?"
Kang Huaiyuan whispered, "Do you think the baby really drank 'Stable mud'? No, it was opium. Zhang is an opium trafficker. Yesterday, when we were in Bunker, he helped you carry your goods so he could hide the opium in your basket. As you're a kid, the solider didn't take a close look. When we left Bunker, he helped you carry the goods again so he could take the opium back!"
Upon hearing this, Mendou broke out in a cold sweat. "Such a shrewd bastard!"
