Chapter Two: The Troubles of Youth

Chapter Two: The Troubles of Youth

Tieshinyuan bypassed the main road and climbed over the wall into the manor.

After scaling the wall, he found himself quite dissatisfied with the manor’s outer defenses. He had easily slipped over the wall by placing just a half-rotted tree trunk by its base. If legendary thieves could do the same with such ease, wouldn’t they be treading the grounds as if it were flat earth?

When he had been in Guanzhong before, he had seen many households plant cacti atop their walls, which effectively deterred thieves. Yet in the Song Dynasty, not a single cactus leaf could be found.

As for shards of glass?

Such things only attracted more thieves.

The eastern courtyard was noisy—noisy enough that Tang Tang’s sharp voice seemed about to pierce the roof. Under such circumstances, it was better not to intervene.

Tieshinyuan headed directly to the western courtyard, where six well-behaved young ladies lived—perhaps there he might find a moment of peace.

Young Rou’s disposition was naturally gentle, and her figure slender. Her skill in tailoring was the thing Tieshinyuan liked most about her. Apart from having two prominent buck teeth, there was really nothing else to criticize.

No sooner had Tieshinyuan entered than Rou carefully dusted off the grass and dirt from his clothes.

He had just half-reclined on the soft couch when Rou brought out delicious pastries and cool fruit juice. Taking a sip, he found the taste delightful—the newly harvested winter melon juice, sweetened with honey, was enchanting.

Tieshinyuan glanced at Rou’s half-smiling mouth and sighed. “Your tiger teeth are too long. We should find a way to pull them out. Though it might make eating a bit difficult later, it will help you in the future.”

Rou shook her head. “My parents abandoned me because of these teeth. If I were to despise my own teeth, I truly wouldn’t have a chance in life.”

Tieshinyuan lifted Rou’s round chin with his hand, regretful. “When I taught you all to be self-reliant, perhaps I was mistaken.

Several of the girls in this family were abandoned by their parents due to some disability. Back then, I only wanted you all to survive strongly, so I taught you self-reliance and various skills.

But now, each of you stubbornly refuses to look back. This will inevitably delay your marriages—it’s hard to say whether that’s good or bad.”

Hearing her brother speak of marriage, Rou became uneasy. She took a short jacket from a nearby bamboo basket and lowered her head silently to sew.

“The Zhu family’s Zhu San was beaten so badly by Qiao that he lost all his teeth. Now he can only eat gruel. You don’t need to hide at home anymore. Don’t worry—no one dares to say a word against you.”

Seeing Rou’s sadness, Tieshinyuan felt like storming the Zhu family’s manor to drag Zhu San out for another beating. Such a good girl didn’t deserve a blockhead like him to be picky, yet he dared to spread rumors that Rou looked like a man-eating demoness. That was unbearable.

Rou shook her head. “My brothers treat me well, and I know that. I don’t want to marry anymore. As long as my brothers don’t dislike me, living my life here in the manor is enough. I can be happy without marrying.”

Tieshinyuan shook his head. “Nonsense. Girls must marry eventually. Zhu San just doesn’t appreciate your good qualities.

This is your home; it’s your choice how long you want to stay. All the family’s wealth includes a share for you—that’s written into the contract. Who would dare kick you out?

If you don’t want to go out, stay here. Sooner or later, a good man will see your merits and come to marry you in the finest carriage.”

Rou simply smiled quietly, seemingly indifferent to Zhu San’s matters, her demeanor generous and calm.

After eating two pastries, Tieshinyuan pointed to the eastern courtyard. “What are they arguing about?”

Rou frowned. “Qiao went to see Granny Wang today. Liu Er, the leper, showed up and got scared off by Fu and the others. He’s now lying on the ground, refusing to get up, saying he’d rather die than not get justice.”

Tieshinyuan shook his head. “That makes no sense. Since when did Qiao pick up such a bad habit?”

Rou was somewhat annoyed. “It started when people began calling him ‘Official Li.’”

Tieshinyuan laughed. “The ancients did not deceive me—a high official is usually no good.

What’s Qiao planning? To kill Leper Liu and snatch Granny Wang?”

“I’m not that low!” The tall Qiao stepped in from outside, annoyed, and said to Tieshinyuan.

Tieshinyuan laughed heartily. “Oh, what could be more lowly than this, then?”

Qiao snatched the fruit juice from Tieshinyuan and took a big gulp. “Better than those filthy creeps spying on girls. At least I own my deeds.”

Tieshinyuan choked on his own saliva, coughing for a long while before pointing to the east courtyard. “Did Tang Tang say this herself? Is she clever or foolish?

No, this must be clarified. If I run again, the reputation of the lewd villain will be sealed.”

Qiao rolled his eyes disdainfully. “Relax, only I know, oh, and now Rou knows too.”

Tieshinyuan stood and walked out. “At first, only three people knew. Now you know, which means nearly all of Dongjing will soon know.

This must be settled. What, you’re not leaving? Might as well resolve your dirty business too.”

At the doorway, Tieshinyuan leaned on the frame and asked Qiao.

Helpless, Qiao grunted and stood up, pushing Tieshinyuan toward the eastern courtyard.

Seeing Tieshinyuan step forward, Rou finally breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to smile but, recalling her buck teeth, quickly shut her mouth, took out a bronze mirror, and examined her teeth carefully, pondering whether to ask Tieshinyuan and Qiao to pull out her two prominent tiger teeth.

Entering the eastern courtyard, Tieshinyuan made a calming gesture toward an enraged Tang Tang. When Tang Tang and her companions angrily left, he sat on a chair and looked at the writhing Liu Er and the weeping Granny Wang. “Three strings of coins. Shall we settle this?”

Granny Wang cried louder. Liu Er suddenly rolled over, grabbed Granny Wang’s hair, and tilted her face up. “Brother Yuan, my flower of a wife, you want to settle her for three strings of coins?”

Tieshinyuan sighed. “Since we’re talking money, let’s be practical. How much do you think your wife is worth? Speak up, we can negotiate. We are neighbors—after such an incident, no one’s face looks good.”

Liu Er glanced at the scowling Qiao. “A cow…”

Qiao was furious. “I offered you ten strings earlier, and you refused. Now you want a cow?”

Liu Er quickly hid behind Tieshinyuan. “If I took your ten strings, would I, Liu Er, still be alive? As long as Brother Yuan compensates me with a cow, I accept this. I won’t mention it again.”

Tieshinyuan smiled wryly and gave Liu Er a thumbs up. “This summer is looking to be dry. They say the scorching sun burns like fire—the noble sons wave their fans comfortably, but the farmers have a hard time.

We are all farmers here; the crops in the fields are our family’s lifeblood.

You have few workers, and your wife can neither lift nor carry. Ten acres of land is too much for one person to fetch water for.

This year especially, you rely on draft animals for work. Even if you had money, you couldn’t buy a cow.

I guess this was your last resort. Since you’ve invested heavily and my brother is willing to comply, there’s nothing more to say. A cow it is—I agree.”

He picked up brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from the table and quickly wrote a letter. After drying the ink, he folded it into a square and handed it to Liu Er. “If you have trouble at home again, come directly here. We are neighbors and will help as much as we can. Don’t make a mess of things—it’s unbecoming, understood?”

Liu Er pointed at the note, stammering. “This…”

Tieshinyuan smiled. “Take this to butcher Feng at the West Water Gate. The government market has no cows left, but he still has some. With my letter, you can get a cow. Hurry, before the strong cattle are gone.”

Liu Er clasped his fists in thanks and hurriedly left the manor, forgetting even to take his wife. Granny Wang stood, glanced deeply at Qiao, then followed Liu Er out of the courtyard.

Qiao rolled his eyes. “If you know they’re framing you, why give him a cow?”

Tieshinyuan snorted. “You’ve already stripped him bare and taken plenty of advantage. That’s enough. As Official Li, wouldn’t you have a cow to command?

Being an official means having the style and grace of one, right, Official Li?”

Qiao blushed deeply under Tieshinyuan’s repeated teasing and slammed the table. “I want to see how you handle your own dirty deeds.

Tang Tang isn’t someone you can placate with a cow. Her grandfather was appointed by His Majesty as a Yellow Gate Attendant; ordinary things won’t impress her.

Heh heh, Tang Tang isn’t a soft princess—she won’t be swayed by a few kind words or playing the victim.”

Tieshinyuan shook the folding fan in his hand and smiled. “I have my ways. After all these years, can’t you feel the difference between us?”

He suddenly closed the fan and sang in a theatrical voice: “I am like a phoenix descending upon the parasol tree; you are but a mud beetle wallowing in the slime.”

Qiao sneered. “Phoenix? Mud beetle? Heh heh, how many times have I, the mud beetle, pulled you, the phoenix, out of danger?”

Tieshinyuan looked at Qiao disdainfully. “The emperor even has three beggar friends.”

Qiao shouted and sprang up, his heavy frame looming like a dark cloud over Tieshinyuan...

In arguing, a hundred Qiaos could not match Tieshinyuan; in fighting, even ten tied-up Tieshinyuans could not best one Qiao.

Fu, Ling, and Shuizhu were long accustomed to these quarrels that always ended in blows and had lost interest in watching, turning away to attend to their own affairs.

(To be continued.)