章節 13: Chapter 13 Discussion
Although Qi Younian didn't lay a hand on Lao Liu, that person who had betrayed his brothers still died that very night, plunging his head into a foul-smelling ditch just one foot deep and drowning.
Perhaps his cowardly spirit, having seen the two brothers who were still alive, could no longer bear the pain of living, giving him the courage to end his own life in a shallow stinking ditch.
Qi Younian and his brother stayed in Suicheng City for a few days, where old acquaintances told them that after the six brothers were imprisoned and sent to the army, a gentry's brother-in-law stepped in to take over their business.
At that time, Lao Liu seemed to be doing quite well, but he repeatedly went to the gentry's residence to cause trouble, claiming that most of the silver the gentry had promised him hadn't been delivered.
Not long after, Lao Liu was covered in injuries and had both his legs paralyzed. Later on, abandoned by his wife and children, the helpless paralytic became a beggar, and even the most pitiful beggar in the city.
Initially, Qi Younian and his brother had returned from the border pass with the determination for revenge, only to witness a scene drastically different from what they had imagined. That despicable wretch who wasn't even worthy of being their enemy had already received the punishment he deserved, even more satisfying than if they had dealt it themselves.
As for the gentry and his brother-in-law, a disheartened Qi Younian persuaded his younger brother, "Let it be, one cannot fight against fate. Even if Lao Liu had not betrayed us, we still couldn't have held onto our livelihood. You still have a wife and children waiting for you; don't let them wait in vain for ten years. Forget about this matter, go home and live a good life, be happier. Live the days for our four brothers as well."
The two brothers brought the relics to the relatives of their other four brothers and left behind the little money they had. Qi Younian escorted his younger brother back to his hometown but didn't know where to go himself.
Having been away from home for more than two decades, he ended up being exiled to the army; how could he face his parents and siblings at home? He wandered aimlessly until, by chance, Miyi County government office was hiring masons, and he stayed in Miyi County ever since.
Years have gone by, and now that he's approaching old age, his mindset has changed dramatically. The longing for home grows stronger, and he often finds himself thinking of his parents and two brothers, yearning to return to his roots, unwilling to be buried in a foreign land.
However, he is now old, unable to endure long journeys. Even in the familiar trade of tile work, his hands and feet aren't as nimble as before, much slower.
His body, after being tormented by prison and the frontier, was nearly spent. His hometown Eastern Yu was thousands of miles away; if he insisted on making the trip alone, there was an overwhelming chance he would end up dead in the wilderness. A no longer vigorous Qi Younian had lost the nerve to face such an end.
He had already given up hope, resigning himself to never returning home, but now there was a twist of fate, which was the pair of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law next door.
They claimed to be in-laws, but with Qi Younian's years of experience, he could sense that the mother-in-law sometimes showed respect towards the daughter-in-law. There was much affection and concern there, but the respect hidden beneath the surface, deeply ingrained, couldn't be fully concealed.
Their urgency about finding kin and dealing with household registration was certainly not as simple as they themselves described, just about seeking relatives without success or losing their way.
The only thing Qi Younian was uncertain of was the woman who claimed to be the daughter-in-law, Ye Zi. Although her so-called mother-in-law treated her with unyielding respect, she herself did not at all seem like someone pampered and served by others but rather like a clever woman from an ordinary household.
Then again, that didn't quite fit either; although Ye Zi didn't act spoiled, there was something within her demeanor suggesting she had experienced grand occasions, maintaining an unusual calm and confidence even in such dire straits.
No matter what, the fact that this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo had nowhere to live was true, and their identity did raise some suspicions, indeed. However, after two months of cold observation, regardless of their identity, they proved to be respectable people who really did search for their relatives.
Qi Younian looked at the chilly winter sunlight and felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. Tomorrow would be New Year's Eve, everyone would be off, and perhaps he could mention it to Ye Zi, she was probably the one in charge of her household…
......
On the twenty-ninth day of the last month, most businesses had closed down. Nanny Jin wanted to buy some New Year's food and cloth but realized that at this time, even with silver in hand, there was nowhere to buy the festive goods.
She had roamed the streets and alleys and was eventually only able to get half a chicken and a pound of meat from someone.
Fortunately, a few days earlier, Ye Xinyan had impulsively bought some white flour. With this flour, combined with the half-chicken and bit of meat she had brought back, they would be able to enjoy dumplings and chicken noodle soup for a couple of meals during the New Year. For a poor family, this was indeed a rare treat.
Ye Xinyan had never lived a life of delicacy and luxury, but she had also never suffered like this. These past months had been a bit too hard, and combined with the anxiety of having no place to call home, even she, who considered herself to be very resilient, was starting to feel overwhelmed.
In the beginning of their escape, although they had money, they faced the looming threat of capture and the worry of possessing something valuable, which meant, even with silver, they dared not spend carelessly. Now… even if they wanted to spend money to slightly improve their living conditions, they had no money to spend.
Moreover, the status of homeless refugees constantly accompanied the two of them, making Ye Xinyan detest their current life of starvation and cold. At the same time, she could only be patient and cautiously plan for the future.
Even if they had earned some money these past days, it was only enough to ensure they wouldn't be penniless if something came up. Besides that, the small amount of silver really had no other use.
To put it bluntly, their meager amount of silver wouldn't last through even one expenditure.
Seeing Nanny Jin present that little bit of ingredients with a face full of guilt, Ye Xinyan comforted her, "Since we have already come out here, we are now impoverished commoners without any advantages. Look at our neighbors around us, every family lives like this. Besides, it's better that we couldn't buy anything; by saving the silver, when the weather gets warmer, we will have more silver in hand to serve as capital for some other small business ventures."
As for whether they ate well for the New Year, Ye Xinyan wasn't too obsessed with it. Even if they had a nice meal for New Year's, would that really mean that they could have a comfortable life day after day in the following year? They would still need to rely on their hands and wits to earn money.
So, for New Year's Eve lunch, they still ate the same simple fare of mixed flour paste and cornbread as usual. It was only for dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve that they kneaded dough, chopped filling, and made dumplings. In addition, they stir-fried the hearts of cabbage with chili, considering it a satisfactory Chinese New Year's Eve dinner.
After boiling the dumplings, Nanny Jin asked Ye Xinyan to take a bowl over to Old Uncle Qi next door. Although Old Uncle Qi's New Year's Eve dinner was certainly better than theirs, they had received much care from him since they moved in nearly two months ago. Now that they had made something tasty, they of course wanted to show their appreciation.
Qi Younian might have been alone, but years of living by himself meant he didn't skimp on food. When Ye Xinyan brought over the dumplings, Qi Younian was also about to have his meal, which was a pot of steaming stew and a plate of braised pork, not dumplings.
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