“Banana leaves?” Su Tai walked over and touched the lush green banana leaves, each one taller and wider than him. “Can you actually write on these things?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but there’s a historical anecdote called ‘Huai Su Writing on Banana Leaves,'” Su Lu said, pulling a sickle from his backpack. “It tells of the Tang dynasty monk Huai Su, who loved calligraphy but was too poor to afford paper. So he practiced writing on banana leaves and eventually became a Sage of Cursive Script.”
“What’s a Sage of Cursive Script?” Su Tai asked, puzzled.
“It means someone whose Cursive Script has reached a divine level of mastery,” Su Lu explained.
“Because he wrote on banana leaves, is that why it’s called Cursive Script?” Su Tai inquired further.
“Uh…” Su Lu couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Although banana plants are indeed a type of grass, Cursive Script refers to a specific calligraphy style, not writing on grass.”
“I see. Autumn Boy, you’re becoming more knowledgeable every day,” Su Tai finally understood. He then took the sickle from Su Lu’s hands, preventing him from working. “Your hands are for writing. Let me handle this.”
With a few swift motions, Su Tai cut down several banana leaves. Holding the thick stem with one hand and pressing where the leaf connected to the stem with the other, he twisted twice and pulled, cleanly separating the entire stem.
“Second Brother, is there anything you can’t do?” Su Lu stared in amazement.
Su Tai efficiently removed all the stems, then rolled up the leaves and stuffed them into his backpack. Grinning sheepishly, he said, “I can’t study, that’s for sure.”
“What does that matter? You could take the Martial Arts Imperial Examination and become a Martial Arts Top Scholar—that would be just as glorious!” Su Lu quickly responded.
“Heh, taking the martial exam costs even more money,” Su Tai replied with a bitter smile, hefting the heavy backpack. “It’s full now. Let’s head home.”
“Alright,” Su Lu nodded. After spending half the day in the mountains, he was exhausted.
~~
The descent was much easier than the ascent. The two brothers chatted and laughed, soon arriving back at the arrow bamboo forest.
Passing through the bamboo grove, they reached the previous fork in the path.
“I wonder if Uncle has returned yet?” Su Lu couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
“Shh,” Su Tai pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to listen carefully.
Su Lu pricked up his ears and indeed heard faint sobbing from the small forest. He whispered, “Is Uncle crying?”
“Sounds like a woman,” Su Tai shook his head.
“Let’s go take a look.” Not even the highest authority could restrain Su Lu now.
Su Tai hurried to follow.
After walking east a few steps, the crying grew increasingly clear—it was indeed coming from the Dove Tree Forest ahead.
The brothers crouched low, lightening their footsteps as they stealthily approached the scene. Finally, behind a thick dove tree, they spotted Uncle’s back.
“Is Uncle really crying?” Su Tai was startled.
“Let’s change our angle,” Su Lu, more experienced, moved with Su Tai to another tree. From here, they could see Uncle’s profile.
They could also make out a petite figure with her head buried in his chest, shoulders trembling—clearly the one who was crying.
“It’s the woman crying,” Su Tai noted meticulously. “But she’s wearing men’s clothing. Could be an effeminate man.”
“…” Su Lu was speechless. It turned out his second brother was even more gossipy than he was.
Unfortunately, to avoid detection, the brothers had to hide at a distance and couldn’t hear what Uncle and the other person were saying.
At that moment, the person lifted their head, and the gossipy brothers finally confirmed it was a delicate young woman, though her eyes were swollen and red, clearly from prolonged crying.
~~
“Is that her?” Su Tai stared in stunned disbelief upon recognizing the girl’s face.
“Who?” Su Lu asked urgently.
“Elder Master Cheng’s only daughter, the one everyone calls the ‘Flower of Erlang Beach’!” Su Tai remained astonished. “How did she end up with our Uncle?”
“So you’re saying our Uncle is like cow dung?” Su Lu pulled a handful of pine nuts from his basket – gathered while cutting pine resin torches. He shared half with Su Tai and said, “Second Brother, you’re really underestimating our own side. Do you really think our Uncle isn’t good enough for the Cheng family girl?”
“It’s not about being good enough, it’s about the feud between our families.” Su Tai sighed while shelling pine nuts. “This match can never happen – Grandfather would never allow it.”
“The Cheng family wouldn’t agree either.” Su Lu finally understood why their Uncle had been beaten that day. The Cheng family had already made their position clear through their actions.
As they spoke, sudden hurried footsteps echoed from beyond the woods, accompanied by angry shouts:
“This time we won’t go easy on that bastard!”
“Must be the Cheng family!” Su Lu whispered.
Su Tai nodded in agreement.
Their Uncle naturally heard the approaching crowd too and tried to flee with the Cheng girl. But in their panic, they stumbled right into the approaching group.
Su Lu and Su Tai both facepalmed simultaneously – love really does make people foolish…
It was indeed Elder Master Cheng, followed by his six sons and two eldest grandsons, all glaring furiously at their Uncle as if ready to devour him.
“Father,” the Cheng girl whispered timidly.
“Quiet! You’ve disgraced our entire family!” Elder Master Cheng’s eyes blazed with anger as he stared at their tightly clasped hands. “Still not letting go?”
The Cheng girl tried to withdraw her hand, but their Uncle held on tighter, confronting Elder Master Cheng’s rage: “Direct your anger at me, don’t shout at Cui Cui!”
“I’ll shout at my own daughter if I want! None of your business!” Elder Master Cheng pointed furiously at their Uncle. “I warned you – if you bothered Cui Cui again, I’d break your legs!”
He turned to his sons and roared: “Why are you standing there? Get him!”
“Really beat him?” his eldest son asked quietly. Su Youma might not be worth much, but behind him stood the entire poor and fierce Su family military household!
“Beat him!” Elder Master Cheng exploded. “If we don’t crush his hopes, Cui Cui is finished! She’s my only daughter!”
“Sigh…” The Cheng eldest son reluctantly waved his hand, and his brothers rolled up their sleeves to teach Su Lu’s Uncle another lesson.
“Father, don’t hit him! Hit me instead!” Cui Cui spread her arms protectively in front of their Uncle, tears streaming like pear blossoms. “I was the one who asked to meet him! I don’t want to marry into the He Family!”
“I’ll deal with you at home! Pull her away!” Elder Master Cheng ground his teeth.
~~
Behind the large tree where the gossipy brothers hid.
Seeing this, Su Tai started rolling up his sleeves to intervene, but Su Lu grabbed his arm and whispered: “Brother, don’t be impulsive. Let me go reason with them first. If they try to hit me, then you come out.”
“Do you really think they’ll listen to you?” Su Tai looked at his thirteen-year-old brother.
“I’ll give it a try, just in case…” Su Lu smiled at Su Tai before stepping out from behind the large tree and shouting sharply, “Stop!”
The Cheng family members, who were busy tearing apart the star-crossed lovers, all jumped in fright. When they saw it was just a child, they grew furious: “Get lost, or we’ll beat you up too!”
“My second brother has already gone back to call for help.” Su Lu continued calmly to Elder Master Cheng, “If you dare lay a finger on my uncle today, by tomorrow the affair between my uncle and your daughter will be all over Erlang Beach. Let’s see how you explain that to the He Family!”
“You… you shameless brat!” Elder Master Cheng now recognized him—wasn’t this the little rascal who had thrown a snake at him last time? Trembling with rage, he spat, “Your family’s disgraceful deeds, and you have the nerve to spread them around? Pah, how vile!”
“Doesn’t matter to me. It’s not our family that stands to lose face anyway.” Su Lu grinned cheekily and curled his lip. “Besides, your family are scholars—you care about reputation. We don’t.”
His brazen attitude infuriated the young men of the Cheng family, who rolled up their sleeves, ready to thrash him:
“I’ll teach you a lesson, you little bastard!”
“Like the Butterfly Lovers, my uncle and Miss Cheng are a perfect match!” Su Lu screeched theatrically, pretending to flee.
“Stop!” Elder Master Cheng growled, halting his sons, then roared at the shrieking Su Lu, “And you shut up!”
He knew that beating this brat to death wouldn’t solve anything now. Besides, he couldn’t actually kill anyone…
“Now that’s more like it.” Su Lu chuckled. “Let’s talk this out properly. Always fighting and brawling tarnishes your scholarly family’s image.”
“Our family’s image has already been ruined by your uncle!” Elder Master Cheng felt so frustrated he could spit blood. Last time, he had caught the two trysting in the sorghum field and nearly died of anger.
Truthfully, he hadn’t really intended to extort land from the Su family afterward—he just wanted to pressure Su Lu’s uncle into breaking up with his daughter. But this wretched boy had ruined his plan.
After a gloomy moment of thought, he grumbled, “I can let your uncle off, but you must make him swear to cut all ties with my daughter!”
“No! And it’s too late to cut ties now!” Uncle suddenly bellowed, startling birds from the trees.
“Too late or not, you will!” Elder Master Cheng’s voice rose even higher.
“Ugh…” Suddenly, Cui Cui turned pale, bent over, and retched dryly.
Uncle hurriedly patted her back…
“Well, well.” Su Lu spread his hands. Had he known, he wouldn’t have bothered with all the effort.
“Did Auntie eat mushrooms?” Elder Master Cheng’s grandson, too young to understand, asked innocently.
But Elder Master Cheng and his sons stood frozen in shock.
Once his daughter had recovered, Elder Master Cheng asked dazedly, “You two…”
“Yes.” Uncle nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. “Cui Cui came to tell me about this.”
“This… this is too much…” Overwhelmed by the blow, Elder Master Cheng’s vision darkened, and he fainted. Though the southwestern frontier was a mix of ethnic groups with liberal customs, and illicit affairs weren’t unheard of, pregnancy was a different matter—especially with the damned Su family involved. How could this mess be resolved now…
“Father! Father…” His sons rushed to support him, pinching his philtrum and slapping his cheeks until they managed to call his yang spirit back.
“Oh dear, oh dear…” But Elder Master Cheng still couldn’t accept reality, continuously moaning and groaning.
“Should we all return home first today and plan carefully?” Su Lu suggested.
“Let’s go home first and then discuss…” Elder Master Cheng shared the same view, weakly giving the order. He then said to his daughter: “You troublesome girl, go home too.”
“Cui Cui…” Uncle looked worriedly at his beloved, unwilling to let go.
“Don’t worry, that’s my father…” The Cheng family girl gave him a reassuring look, slowly withdrawing her hand. She whispered: “Actually, it’s better now that things are out in the open. I’ll go back and work on my father, you go back and work on yours…”
“Sigh.” Only then did Uncle reluctantly let go, watching as Cui Cui and the Cheng family departed.
After the Cheng family had gone far away, Su Tai emerged from his hiding spot carrying Su Lu’s bamboo basket.
“Second Brother, why did you take so long to come out? I thought you’d fallen asleep.” Su Lu took back his bamboo basket.
“Didn’t you say I went back to get people? I had to help cover for you.” Su Tai explained slowly.
“Sigh, thank you both.” Uncle gave a bitter smile to his two nephews: “Please keep this secret for now when we return.”
“My future aunt, didn’t she tell you to go home and work on your father?” Su Lu suggested: “Better a bitter ending than bitterness without end. Why not go back and confess everything today?”
“Ah, it’s not that easy.” Uncle let out a long sigh: “Don’t you know there’s a generations-old feud between the Su and Cheng families?”
“I don’t remember it clearly.” Su Lu suggested: “Why not start from the beginning? It would be good for us younger generation to learn about our Su family history.”
“Well, alright.” Uncle also wanted to get it off his chest, so he began:
“That goes all the way back to when Emperor Hongwu pacified Yunnan…”
“That’s really far back.” Su Lu remarked.