Chapter Seven, South of the City (Seven)
"Do not exchange with the Lao Zhou family!" Cheng Xiaojiu gently shook her head. "The rice from the Lao Zhou family has just been soaked by the rain; if you take money to exchange, you will definitely end up with wet rice. It won't hold up. The Li Ji rice shop in the north of the city has last year's millet and pepper (Note 1), which are cheaper than rice and more filling. Let’s push the cart over there now and exchange for a few bags of millet in front of everyone. Then we can say that we have spent all the money, so that others won't have any ulterior motives."
"Unless the people in their family have grown donkey ears!" Wang Ermao shook his head and responded nonchalantly. "Xiao Jiu Ge, I just went to your house looking for you. We suffered a great loss today, and I don't know if we can recover it tomorrow"
"Is there anything in this world that you, Cheng Xiaojiu, would not dare to do? I heard that just now, during the thunder, you were standing at the bow of the boat the whole time." Xiao Xinghua widened her eyes, a smile that was neither here nor there.
No, it's nothing! Cheng Xiaojiu slapped her own head hard and responded loudly. "I was just tired earlier, so I squatted for a while. Let's go home first and hide our money well. There shouldn't be any trouble in the next few days. Tomorrow, we can earn another one and a half dou of rice, and then calm down and think of a plan slowly"
As if struck by lightning, Cheng Xiaojiu's body trembled slightly and suddenly went rigid. The arm forcibly held by the girl remained as hard as steel, yet a scorching sensation coursed through his skin and into his veins, traveling straight to his heart.
The maid Qiao'er, who had been following Xiao Xinghua closely, wanted to laugh but was afraid of embarrassing the future son-in-law, so she helplessly turned away and casually looked at the scenery by the roadside
As he pondered, the originally cold and hard gaze of the young man gradually became lively. He turned and took a few steps toward his home, but felt a sharp pain in his foot and nearly stumbled. "This little girl is so heavy!" he muttered through gritted teeth, dragging his swollen right foot as he slowly disappeared at the end of the street
I was just thinking about something! Cheng Xiaojiu quickly adjusted her emotions and explained with a forced smile
Hehe! Hehe! Hehe! Cheng Xiaojiu quickly laughed a few times, interrupting Wang Ermao's boasting midway. The neighbors in Donkey Dung Alley are all good people, but that does not mean they are free from jealousy towards others who unexpectedly come into wealth. When they encounter someone less fortunate than themselves, they are more than willing to lend a helping hand. However, when faced with a companion whose circumstances suddenly improve, their gaze may not be as benevolent as it appears.
He squatted on the ground with a pale face, breathing in the unique smoke of Donkey Dung Alley, feeling dizzy. Twenty taels of silver, ten times all his savings! The anger provoked by Zhu Wanzhang and his wife, along with the joy brought by Xiao Xinghua's concern, slowly faded away. At this moment, he could only feel the weight of money. Heavy as ice in the twelfth lunar month, it pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe, leaving him unable to struggle or escape
"What urgent matter is it?" Xiao Xinghua asked, puzzled, furrowing her brow as she scrutinized Cheng Xiaojiu, who had always been dismissive of her since childhood. "Do you and the library not want to come to my house? Are you afraid my grandfather will nag you again?"
"That old miser! Bah!" Wang Ermao immediately recalled the ancient wisdom of not flaunting wealth, and spat angrily on the ground. "He originally promised to give us a raise, but in the end, he changed his mind. I spit!"
My grandfather said that the person with the scarred head caught the Dragon King's fish without permission, which is why the Dragon King turned him into a fool A boy with a bulbous nose interjected in a deep voice
Before he could even laugh out loud, Cheng Xiaojiu had already rejected the proposal. "No, with so much grain, it will definitely attract rats! Over 5,000 jin of grain, just the two of us can't move it."
At that time, I was braving hailstones the size of eggs, helping Xiao Jiu Ge cover the grain with tarpaulin for the old Zhou family. The lightning was flashing all around us. Xiao Jiu Ge was unafraid, and I was unafraid as well, while the other men and women on the boat were paralyzed with fear; it was just the two of us who remained...
Hmm! Wang Ermao nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with intense light. Currently, the market price is ten good meats for a dou of rice; millet and pepper are not as good as rice, and basically, eight good meats can buy one dou. With one thousand coins, one can purchase over one hundred and twenty douts of millet, and if the price is negotiated well, it can reach one hundred and thirty douts. One hundred and thirty douts of rice and sixty-five douts of pepper amount to nearly three thousand jin of grain, piled in one's own house, reaching from the ground to the beams. Starting tonight, I will no longer have to dream of starving; I will sleep beside the grain, dreaming of the aroma of rice. One hundred and thirty douts of rice and sixty-five douts of pepper amount to nearly three thousand jin of grain, piled in one's own house, reaching from the ground to the beams. Starting tonight, I will no longer have to dream of starving; I will sleep beside the grain, dreaming of the aroma of rice
Joy immediately sparkled in Wang Ermao's eyes, "Yes. Let's do it this way. Stay close to those with the surnames Liu and Shi."
"Go, don't listen to your grandfather's nonsense!" Wang Ermao scoffed, "Catching fish is a later matter. There are plenty of people fighting for the fish; apart from the scarred head, I haven't seen anyone turn into a fool!"
The latter part of the vow was stifled by the pain coming from her toes. "You little fool, are you crazy?" she exclaimed. "In broad daylight, you aren't even afraid of being seen!" The young girl resentfully lifted her toes from the cloth boots that Cheng Xiaojiu had always been reluctant to wear, quickly glanced around, and then stomped down hard again.
Cheng Xiaojiu nodded gently, feeling somewhat unable to face the trusting gaze of his good friend. Did he really have the ability? What means did he have to escape his current predicament? He bit his tongue hard, driving away the tumult of thoughts in his mind. Then he took Wang Ermao's arm and solemnly promised, "After tomorrow, we will treat the four coins we have as our capital and find a way to do business. In short, money rolls forward, and people chase after it. Earning money is easy, but earning a living is hard. I refuse to believe that we are destined to remain in this miserable state!"
Cheng Xiaojiu nodded with a smile, "Let's borrow a cart from someone; we can each push one. We'll exchange a handful of corn for a handful of pepper. The remaining half handful of money, let's quietly bury it with the books tonight, and don't tell anyone else. I reckon that grain prices can only go up from now on, not down. Today, we should firmly negotiate with Zhang's grain shop to lower the prices. If we can't finish it ourselves, we can sell half when the prices are high, and still make a profit"
After he said that, Cheng Xiaojiu also felt it was quite a pity. The wages for half a day's work were not worth being so calculative about, but given his current situation, he could not afford to be generous. After pondering for a while, he finally came up with a plan. He leaned closer to Wang Ermao and whispered, "We have already benefited from others, and if we lead the protest again, we will surely be envied. However, those surnamed Liu and Shi did not help cover the tarpaulin. Therefore, they definitely did not receive the five dou of rice as payment. Tomorrow, when we board the boat, we should stick close to those two. They will surely not want their half day's wages counted as just one day. As long as they take the lead in demanding their wages, we can blend in with the crowd. After all, the old Zhou family has plenty of grain, so they won't miss this one and a half dou!"
Cheng Xiaojiu was startled and quickly stood up from the well platform. Two taels of silver in Donkey Dung Alley is not a small sum; if a thief were to set their sights on it, it would be too dangerous for his mother, who usually stays home alone. Where could it possibly be hidden? The entire courtyard is only palm-sized, and there is barely enough room inside the house to turn around.
The engagement between her and Cheng Xiaojiu is not a secret, so whenever her close friends hear any news about the male counterpart, they always inform her at the first opportunity. The thunder and lightning scared away all the strong men, leaving the honest Lord Zhou and his servants in a state of panic, while the only one who remained calm amidst the storm was Cheng Xiaojiu. To others, this news might not be considered significant, but to the young girl, it carried a certain sweetness and pride.
Cheng Xiaojiu felt the stiffness on her face, forced a smile, and replied softly: "That's not true! Uncle has always treated me very well! Very well! I just said goodbye to your family and immediately returned, which is not very appropriate! Let's do it another day! I will definitely come to see you next time. By the way, measure if I've grown taller!"
"It's not the same thing!" Cheng Xiaojiu felt somewhat embarrassed under the girl's fiery gaze and quickly turned her head away, stating honestly: "Thunder strikes in the sky, and we hear it more than ten times every year. What's so frightening about it? Moreover, Mr. Cheng has promised to help with the work, and he gives five dou of rice..."
Indeed! The garlic-nosed one could not argue with Wang Ermao, scratching the back of his head in agreement
I will partner with you! One half each. If we make a profit, we split it evenly! If we incur a loss, we share it equally!" Wang Ermao was inspired by Cheng Xiaojiu's words, nodding in agreement and exclaiming loudly
You rascal, be careful not to be overheard by the Zhou family!" Cheng Xiaojiu said with a smile as she playfully punched Wang Ermao, scolding him.
"Alas, alas!" Cheng Xiaojiu responded with a wry smile. Watching his fiancée's figure fade away, his heart was filled with a sweetness akin to honey. She didn't want to fetch medicine for me every day, which means that if I were free from illness and disaster, she would be with me. Just like when we were children, unable to escape from chasing after me for even a moment.
Turning onto Chengxian Street, Zhuque Alley, and Tianshuijing, he once again caught the familiar scent of smoke and fire. The families living in Donkey Dung Alley could not afford large pieces of firewood; when cooking, they either used the dry branches they had chopped from the outskirts or relied on some hay, cow dung, and similar materials. Thus, the smell of cooking smoke was quite unique, and the children who lived here could close their eyes and find their way home just by relying on their sense of smell.
What should I do? Wang Ermao sat down in frustration and picked up a stone to scrape the mud on the ground
The sweet pain made Cheng Xiaojiu grimace, yet he dared not cry out in pain to attract the attention of passersby, so he could only pretend to be nonchalant, allowing Xiaoxinghua's foot to continue its rampage on his own. Meanwhile, the subtle fragrance of the young girl slowly penetrated his nostrils, continuing to test his composure
"Come on, why aren't you moving? Dead little Jiu, what are you daydreaming about again?" The reproachful voice of Xiao Xinghua echoed in my ears, making my heart tremble involuntarily. Cheng Xiao Jiu walked a few steps forward in a daze, then slowly stopped again, forcing a smile as he pleaded, "Sister Xinghua, little Xinghua, can we go another day? I have something urgent to attend to today. It really is urgent!"
Cheng Xiaojiu was also quite frustrated, pacing back and forth around the well. At this moment, he realized that two taels of silver could buy so many things; if exchanged for grain, it could at least ensure that he and his mother would not go hungry for several years. It was laughable that he had previously not considered it a significant amount. Even more ridiculous was that on the way home, he had promised himself in his heart, while watching the silhouette of the small apricot blossom, that before the winter solstice, he would earn enough to propose to her family with twenty taels of silver.
Shall we? Let's go directly to Old Zhou's house to exchange rice tomorrow?" Wang Ermao cautiously asked, noticing Cheng Xiaojiu's serious expression. His father had passed away many years ago, and there were no other males in the family besides himself. In case a little thief came knocking, it would only be his mother and a few younger sisters who would be helpless against the intruder.
One person, one half! Cheng Xiaojiu laughed as she punched Wang Ermao's chest.
Wang Ermao was sitting on the well platform in the middle of the alley, chatting with a group of boys around his age. Drawing from his experiences at the dock that morning, he indulged in the thrill of being envied by others. "At that moment, I thought to myself, when a person dies, they face the sky; at worst, I would be taken by the Dragon King, and I could also take a look at what the Crystal Palace really looks like. So I picked up a washbasin and slammed it on my head, then rushed onto the big ship. At that time, the hail was hitting the basin with a loud clang, each piece was about this big..." He formed a ring with his thumb and index finger to describe the size of the hail. "Do you know that scar-faced guy from the alley by the pants? The one who bullies people on the street every day? He got hit just three or four times and ended up as foolish as a book!"
"Anyway, whenever you want to ignore me, you can always find an excuse!" The girl, sensitive to the indifference hidden beneath Cheng Xiaojiu's smile, stamped her foot and complained resentfully
That old fellow originally promised us a day's work unloading the boat, with a reward of one and a half dou of rice. However, halfway through, it started pouring rain, and all the porters ran off, so the unloading was not completed. Those carrying rice have bamboo sticks and can continue tomorrow, so they are not at a loss. But who will account for our half day's work? If we are not given half of our wages, we should at least receive five jin of rice" Wang Ermao said defiantly, tilting his neck.
"I guessed it, didn't I? You always have an excuse!" A hint of disappointment welled up in Xiao Xinghua's eyes as she gently released Cheng Xiaojiu's arm. "Anyway, I've already bought the fabric for your clothes, so you can come or not, as you wish"
The laughter of two boys spread in the evening glow, merging into the streets and alleys, blending with the evening smoke from cooking. Even many years later, as people pass by Donkey Dung Alley, they can still hear the laughter echoing in the well water
Wang Ermao blinked for quite a while before fully comprehending Cheng Xiaojiu's words. "All replaced? That would require several carts! Just the two of us will have to toil until midnight again tonight"
"Xiao Jiu Ge, what happened to you?" Wang Ermao was startled by the sudden change in Cheng Xiao Jiu and quickly squatted down in front of him, asking with concern.
Hmm, hmm, I will listen to you. Little Jiu, my mother said that you are promising, and I should follow all your arrangements! Wang Ermao did not dare to provoke Cheng Xiaojiu any further and repeatedly agreed.
The companions around showed far less interest in this topic than in the previous one, and after patting their backsides, they dispersed. Cheng Xiaojiu found a clean spot to sit on the well platform, pondered for a moment, and then said softly: "If you don't mention it, I really would have forgotten. However, since the two of us have already received the rewards for the later tasks, it is indeed inappropriate to bring up the earlier matters. Otherwise, we would surely be criticized by everyone for being ungrateful."
Do not let them see it! Cheng Xiaojiu nodded with a smile
How could I dare!" Cheng Xiaojiu laughed again, the corners of his mouth curling up, his eyes squinting into a thin line. He did not want Xiao Xinghua to see the sadness in his heart. That sadness had just been imposed on him by Zhu Wanzhang and his wife, and he wanted to hide it away, to slowly dissolve it. Before that, no one could see it, including the daughter of Zhu Wanzhang and his wife.
Note 1: Pepper, specifically referring to small black beans, was an important staple food for ancient people
"Next time, pretend you can't see me! Hmph!" Little Apricot finally vented her frustration, jumped down from Cheng Xiaojiu's boots, and strode away. After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned around, swung her fist vigorously, and said, "You little brat, remember to be more careful next time. I don't want to go fetch medicine for you every day!"
"In any case, Xiao Jiu Ge has always been very brave!" Clearly, Xiao Xinghua's focus was not on the reason why Cheng Xiao Jiu "is not afraid of the thunder," as she bit her lip in delight. Looking around, she noticed that no one was paying attention to her except for her own maid. She took a few steps closer and, emboldened, pulled on the other person's arm, "Come to my house and we can talk slowly. I like to hear about Xiao Jiu Ge. I learned to make clothes in spring, and I just happen to have a ruler to measure..."
"What loss?" Cheng Xiaojiu was unclear whether Wang Ermao was intentionally changing the subject or if there was indeed something he needed from her, so she followed his lead and pressed for more details.
The joy in his heart was gradually replaced by melancholy, and Cheng Xiaojiu's heart finally descended from the clouds back to reality. Every word spoken by Xiao Xinghua today, every frown and smile, suddenly became clear, as if they had been firmly etched in his heart. Every time he recalled them, it pierced his heart like a needle.
One person, one half! Wang Ermao sidestepped and then retaliated with a punch.
I assure you, I truly assure you! Cheng Xiaojiu solemnly raised her right hand, "I swear, I will definitely go to your house in a few days! If I go back on my word..."
He never believed that he had to marry Xiao Xinghua, and his resentment towards the couple Zhu Wanzhang primarily stemmed from their condescending attitude rather than their broken engagement. Now, having just endured a humiliation, he felt a delicate sensitivity within him, as fragile as the tips of grass touched by light frost, yet he clearly sensed the warmth conveyed through the girl's fingers. It was like the spring breeze, effortlessly penetrating the thick ice in his heart, shattering the indifference he had deliberately constructed within.
He looked around nervously, fearing that someone might expose him in public. Just then, he spotted Cheng Xiaojiu's figure and, filled with joy, leaped down from the well platform, grabbing the other person's shoulder and exclaimed: "Xiaojiu is here too; you can ask him if it was really like this at that time. Even Old Lian Chengbo admires our courage; others only receive five stones of rice and a small amount of money as reward, but we..." Even Old Lian Chengbo admires our courage; others only receive five stones of rice and a small amount of money as reward, but we...
The scenery by the roadside suddenly brightened, with the gentle cooking smoke and the thatched roofs after the rain appearing tranquil like a painting. A few colorful raindrops hung on the treetops, attracting countless chirping birds. Amidst the quiet bird songs, the setting sun, peeking at the earthly scenery, blushed with embarrassment, and where its gaze lingered, it painted half the sky in brilliance.
Wang Ermao nodded reluctantly, "Exactly. I also think that if we bring this up again, Zhou will definitely have something to say. But after all, it's half a day's wages. Throughout the summer, we've only done such a big job once. Who knows how long we will have to wait for the next opportunity!"
"Xiao Jiu, you are well-read, and your mind is certainly sharper than mine!" Wang Ermao expressed both admiration and envy. He glanced around and noticed that the other companions had all left. Lowering his voice to a level only the two of them could hear, he asked, "Xiao Jiu, my mother also asked me to inquire about something. What should we do with the two coins we earned today? Should we buy rice to store for emergencies, or should we dig a pit to bury part of it? Otherwise, with so much money left at home, it will surely attract the attention of petty thieves sooner or later!"