Fortunately, he slept soundly for the first half of the night, but Meng Wan couldn’t sleep at all for the second half. He thought about a lot of random things, and finally brought it all back to Zhu Ge’er, who almost lost his life.
As dawn broke, Meng Wan took the soaked beans to the grain drying ground to grind them. Few people in the village were up so early. After he finished grinding the beans and returned home, Chang Jinhua was already up.
”Didn’t I say I’d go? Why did you go by yourself again?”
Meng Wan helped her bring in the firewood and start a fire, saying, “I got up early this morning.”
Chang Jinhua knew that he wouldn’t listen to her anyway; her ger was very opinionated.
After making a block of tofu, Chang Jinhua placed it outside the door, covered it with burlap, and then guarded it for sale. There were few customers in the early morning, mostly locals. It sold out faster around noon, when people from nearby villages came to buy it.
Chang Jinhua only makes one batch a day. Sometimes it sells out quickly, and if you come late, it’s gone. Sometimes she still makes three or five yuan a day, and she and Meng Wan eat it for two or three days.
These days, she eats tofu for every meal, and occasionally a radish. Meng Wan is happier than if he were eating meat.
As the sun rose directly overhead, Xiaomei from next door called out to Meng Wan over the wall, “Brother Wan, are you coming or not?”
Meng Wan slung his basket over his shoulder and called out, “I’ll head out now.”
After saying goodbye to Chang Jinhua, the three of them met at the door.
As always, Xiaomei was cheerful and lively. Meng Wan didn’t see any signs of pregnancy in her belly, so he asked curiously, “Xiaomei, how many months pregnant are you? Can you go hiking?”
”Hey, what’s the big deal? My sister-in-law was nine months pregnant and she was still working in the fields.” Xiao Mei had been there when her sisters-in-law gave birth, so she knew more than Meng Wan, who was completely unfamiliar with her.
”Oh.” While talking to Xiaomei, Meng Wan was also secretly observing Zhu Ge’er, who was hurrying along with his head down.
Xiao Mei was the one talking to Meng Wan the whole way. Zhu Ge’er was usually quiet, but today he was even more silent. His neck was covered by the collar of his inner garment, so the scars under the fabric could not be seen. He seemed to move very awkwardly, and his neck rarely moved.
After observing for a while, Meng Wan suddenly asked Zhu Ge’er while Xiao Mei was gathering firewood, “Are you alright?”
Brother Zhu froze as he gathered firewood, and squeezed out two words in his rough voice, “It’s nothing.”
Meng Wan pursed his lips and said softly, “What about next time?”
He stepped back from Zhu Ge’er, his back to him, and said, “You only have one life. If you always silently endure it, sooner or later…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. Now that the married man was returning home, his family wouldn’t take him in, and he would be bullied to death all by himself. Either way, it was a dead end, so he might as well stand up for himself and fight back.
But he couldn’t say that. His relationship with Zhu Ge’er wasn’t close enough to be so open and honest. If the other party told others and something went wrong, he would become a sinner.
The sun shines brightly on the high mountains in front of Snake Gully, and the firewood there is thicker than here. The men take sickles to cut firewood there, bundle it up, and carry it down the mountain on shoulder poles.
Xiao Mei looked at the bundles of firewood with envy and said, “If you don’t prepare enough firewood in winter, you’ll freeze to death. My brother and Tian Wang have been out working these past few days and haven’t had time to chop firewood. How about we go up that mountain over there tomorrow?”
For some reason, Zhu Ge’er glanced at Meng Wan, but Meng Wan didn’t notice. He looked up and was also tempted by the dense thickets of firewood on the mountain. In previous years, Chang Jinhua would carry firewood to burn only the stove in her house, but now she burned firewood in both. She also had to make tofu during the day, so the firewood burned quickly. Song Tingzhou was always in a hurry to come and go while studying away from home, and there was no man in his family who went up the mountain to chop firewood.
Otherwise, why don’t he take a sickle and try it out on the mountain ahead tomorrow?
The three of them each picked up a basket of firewood and carried it back. When they arrived at the Tian family’s door, they ran into the two brothers who were about to go out. Tian Wang was tall and thin, and had a smiling face just like Xiao Mei. The two of them chatted and laughed as they entered the yard.
Tian Xing was shorter than his younger brother, with a broad nose and wide mouth, and a kind and honest appearance. He thoughtfully took the basket from Zhu Ge’er and carried it himself, while smiling and greeting Meng Wan, “Wan Ge’er, come to our house to play sometime.”
”Go when you have free time in winter,” Meng Wan said politely.
Zhu Ge’er glanced at Meng Wan, but didn’t follow up with what Tian Xing said. Tian Xing turned around, his smile fading, and he seemed somewhat displeased. The couple entered the courtyard one after the other.
The tofu stall in front of the Song family’s house was closed. Chang Jinhua sat on the threshold sewing shoe soles and smiled when she saw Meng Wan carrying a basket of firewood on his back. “The firewood you collected is just enough to heat the kang (a heated brick bed) tonight.”
Upon hearing this, Meng Wan poured the firewood from her basket directly onto the kitchen floor. “Isn’t that perfect? I’m thinking of taking a sickle to chop some fine firewood tomorrow.”
Chang Jinhua put down the shoe sole and said, “Tomorrow you stay home and sell tofu, I’ll go.”
Meng Wan washed his hands and opened the large pot. Sure enough, it was cabbage stewed with tofu again. He ladled the dish out and said to Chang Jinhua, “Didn’t you say that people from all over the village come to buy tofu? With so many people around, it’s easy to get distracted. You were worried that I, as a young ger, would suffer losses if I stayed at home, so you didn’t ask me to sell tofu at the door?”
Chang Jinhua took out a bowl and chopsticks from the cupboard and put them on the table, giving him a disapproving glare. “We made some money this year, but if it’s not enough to burn, we’ll buy twenty bundles. I’ll go chop firewood with you this afternoon, and that should be enough. If you want to play, go play on the mountain. Do you really expect me to ask a young ger to chop firewood?”
Meng Wan served her rice and advised her, “I’m just free and want to go for a walk in the mountains. Xiao Mei and Zhu Ge’er from next door will come with me, so I won’t be alone. Besides, my cousin will be back tomorrow, right? Even if I don’t chop firewood, I can still pick some dried goods. He loves tofu with mushrooms.”
As soon as Song Tingzhou was mentioned, Chang Jinhua fell silent. In her heart, she still hoped that the two children could get closer.
Meng Wan simply doesn’t like being idle at home. How long has he been here? Even if he likes the same sex, he hasn’t quite adapted to going from a man to a young ger. He can’t do embroidery at home, not even in his entire life.
That night, for the first time, he heard a different sound from next door besides the abuse. Meng Wan turned over and saw first an argument on the other side of the wall, then pleas and crying, and finally a rough and unpleasant cry. After suppressing and enduring it for so long, this was the first time that Zhu Ge’er had cried out loud like this.
Not to mention Meng Wan, the mournful and aggrieved cries could probably be heard in both courtyards.
Meng Wan covered his head with the blanket and closed his eyes.
It’s good to vent; at least Brother Zhu should know that blindly enduring is a mistake.
The next day, the three of them went to the mountains to collect firewood again. Meng Wan did not carry the basket she had carried yesterday, but instead took a small piece of hemp rope and a sickle.
”Xiaomei, aren’t you going today?”
Only Zhu Ge’er carried a basket, while Xiao Mei’s hands were empty. She pouted, half distressed and half sweet, “My mother-in-law said early this morning that I’m not allowed to go up the mountain. We need to be careful for the first three months.”
Meng Wan was somewhat surprised, wondering why the issue hadn’t been raised yesterday.
Zhu Ge’er lowered his head slightly, his gaze just enough to see Xiao Mei’s belly, which was not yet heaving.
Meng Wan and Zhu Ge’er went up the mountain together. This time they went straight to the high mountain behind Shegou. This mountain is called Zhaoshan, which is also the highest mountain in the entire Sanquan Village. It is unclaimed and belongs to the government. Normally, no one manages it and people can pick the fruit freely.
In spring, when people are short of food, they go to this mountain to dig for wild vegetables. Hunters also use this mountain to hunt in winter.
”Wan-ge’er…” Zhu-ge’er, a few steps behind Meng Wan, called out to him just as Meng Wan was about to enter the mountain.
”Hmm?” Meng Wan turned around and saw that Zhu Ge’er was looking at him with a complicated expression.
He was taller than Zhu Ge’er, but this time Zhu Ge’er was a step behind him again, looking up at him as he spoke. If he got close, he could see the terrifying purplish-red scars under Zhu Ge’er’s collar.
Zhu Ge stood on the path slightly below him and inexplicably said, “Do you think all young men[1]ger jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2996111_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2996111_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); are destined for a lowly life?” This was the question he had heard most often from his parents’ and in-laws’ homes since he was a child. He wanted to find the answer from Meng Wan because Meng Wan seemed different; he could sense it.
Meng Wan felt a tightness in his chest. He wasn’t surprised at all that Zhu Ge’er would say such a thing. In this era, it would be strange if someone from a poor family remarried into a family that was abusive.
Women already face all sorts of injustices, not to mention the gers, who are in the lowest social class. Once married into their husband’s family, their lives are no longer in their own hands, and the thought of separation or abandonment is unthinkable.
I’ve heard that in small towns, some wealthy merchants dote on their children, even buying them a small courtyard to support them after a divorce, but those are a minority. In reality, the more prestigious the city or capital, the more importance is placed on reputation; being divorced and returning home only leads to certain death.
A woman or ger who is divorced will not tolerate such a marriage. If he is divorced, it will bring shame to the entire family. Therefore, even if he has to die, he will die in his husband’s family.
”Your fate is your own. Although your parents have the grace of giving you life, they cannot live your life for you. Whether you have a lowly fate or a rich fate, if you accept your fate, then whatever fate others give you, that is your fate. If you don’t want to follow the path others have given you, you should think carefully about where your own way out is and then work hard for it.”
His words were somewhat profound and difficult for the country boy to understand, but seeing that Brother Zhu seemed to be thinking about them, he seemed to have really understood what he meant.
The forests of Zhaoshan are deep and high, with many towering trees that are all about the same height. It is easy to lose one’s sense of direction once one goes in. Apart from hunters who are familiar with the forest, villagers always go in groups and only look for some mountain products on the outskirts. They dare not go into the deep mountains, because there are not only wild beasts but also traps set by hunters.
”Brother Zhu, there seem to be some mushrooms over there. Shall we go pick some?”
Startled awake by Meng Wan’s shout, Zhu Ge’er realized that Meng Wan had already gone into the mountains.
He lingered there for a while, his numb eyes gradually clouding over, before following them with an inscrutable expression.
Meng Wan gathered a handful of wild mushrooms from the base of a tree. Song Tingzhou loved mushrooms—whether stir-fried, tossed in a salad, or made into a savory sauce, he enjoyed them all. Since he had used him as an excuse for the outing, he really ought to bring something back for him.
Meng Wan didn’t bring a basket today, so he carried a small basket on his arm and threw the mushrooms into it. He didn’t forget the important thing he needed to do today, so he found a well-lit spot with lots of slender branches, placed the basket on the ground, and prepared to get started.
”Wan-ge’er, are you chopping wood?”
Meng Wan worked with great enthusiasm, but whether it was due to incorrect posture or insufficient strength, he achieved little after half a day, though he did make quite a commotion.
This attracted Tian Xing, who was also chopping wood nearby.
Zhu Ge’er was picking mushrooms and firewood nearby; he was easy to spot. Meng Wan wondered why Tian Xing hadn’t looked for Zhu Ge’er first, but instead asked him. He replied distantly yet politely, “I was just bored at home, so I went up the mountain for a bit. Brother Tian, were you nearby just now? Why didn’t you go up the mountain with your wife?”
Everyone in the village knew that Meng Wan was good-looking, but this was only the second time Tian Xing had seriously looked him over.
With his fair, translucent skin, slender figure, and delicate features, his personality influenced his appearance, giving him a more heroic air than other young men.
Yet it didn’t feel out of place; the combination created a unique charm. He was only sixteen, still a green, unripe fruit, but one could already glimpse the allure he would have in the future.
Tian Xing stared at his fair and rosy cheeks, unconsciously swallowing twice. His originally honest appearance became somewhat lewd because of this action and his staring eyes.
Your appearance reflects your inner state.
Meng Wan became alert and roughly wiped the sweat from his face. “Brother Tian, your sister-in-law is under that tree over there. Didn’t you see him?”
Tian Xing pretended to look around. “No, did he go home?”
”Really? Then I’ll go down the mountain first, or my aunt will come looking for me.” Meng Wan calmed himself down and gripped the handle of the sickle tightly.
Tian Xing smiled. “Then you can go down now. Do you need me to see you off?”
Meng Wan remained wary and politely said, “No need, Brother Tian, you keep chopping. I’ll be going now.”
The moment he turned around, Tian Xing pounced on him. Meng Wan’s heart leaped into his throat. He tried to raise his sickle, but Tian Xing, who was on top of him, grabbed his wrist instantly.
He even heard a crisp “crack” from his wrist, followed by a soreness and pain. Meng Wan struggled and started shouting, but his struggles were barely more than a tickle in the eyes of this strong farmer.
“Wan-ge’er, Wan-ge’er, listen to me. As long as you follow me and have a child, I will immediately strangle Zhu-ge’er and marry you.”
”I’ll treat you so well, I’ll treat you like royalty.”
”Listen to me, then you’ll obediently have a baby with me, okay?”
Tian Xing’s thick, nauseating words fell into Meng Wan’s ears, accompanied by his disgusting panting breaths. Meng Wan’s lower body was pinned down, unable to move at all. His hands and feet were restrained, and his clothes were almost torn open by Tian Xing, revealing most of his undergarment. The undergarment was only tied at the waist with a belt. If it were torn open, wouldn’t Meng Wan be at the mercy of this villain?
This beast showed no regard whatsoever, giving Meng Wan no chance to resist, and immediately began to act.
”Tian…Xing!”
At this critical moment, the beast panting heavily on his body was suddenly pulled away.
Song Tingzhou was still wearing the scholar’s robe, which was torn and tattered by the branches in the forest. But he didn’t care about the scholar’s dignity. With a cold face, he pressed Tian Xing to the ground and punched him again and again until the other man covered his head and howled in pain.
Meng Wan covered himself with his clothes, suppressing his nausea, and reminded Song Tingzhou, “Cousin, don’t hit his face, hit his stomach.”
Upon hearing this, Song Tingzhou stood up and kicked Tian Xing in the stomach several times. He was tall and strong, a head taller than Tian Xing. These kicks were accompanied by a gust of wind, and the powerful force impacted Tian Xing’s flesh, causing his internal organs to shift. His cries of pain startled a large flock of birds in the trees into flight.
At the foot of the mountain, Zhu Ge’er touched his neck, feeling a burning pain every time he touched it. He picked up his basket from the ground and walked home without looking back.
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