Chapter 37: New Year, the Li Family, Relatives

The problems identified were many. Wang Dou had Zhong Rong record each one in the military ledger; these combat records would later become a precious asset for the troops.

This method of discussion struck Han Chao and the others as novel. Everyone spoke freely and pointed out many existing problems.

One point was very important: Jingbian Fort needed to hire several physicians. Whether for treating the military households within the fort or for accompanying the troops on future campaigns as medics, physicians were indispensable. However, accompanying the army was dangerous, and few private physicians would likely be willing. The best official physicians in Baoan territory were concentrated in the Medical Office at the department seat; it was uncertain whether they could recruit some physicians from there later.

Moreover, the rich spoils from this bandit-suppression campaign also showed everyone a shortcut to rapidly accumulating wealth.

After much deliberation, Wang Dou decided to pull Han Chao out and have him form a squad, specifically drawing elite soldiers from the fort to train night scouts and other reconnaissance cavalry.

Wang Dou said to Han Chao, "Brother Han, from now on you will lead those men, traveling everywhere to scout bandit traces, gather intelligence, and annotate maps with the population and terrain of each area. In the future, we can follow the maps to seek out and exterminate bandits, safeguarding the villages!"

Receiving this new appointment from Wang Dou, Han Chao was very pleased; he was finally returning to his old line of work. The squad of troops he had originally led would be temporarily commanded by Wang Dou himself.

After the military affairs were discussed, Wang Dou ordered the entire fort to take several days off to prepare for the New Year, which was immediately met with cheers.

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month, heavy snow began to fall from the sky. The snowflakes danced all across the heavens, quickly piling into a thick layer on the ground.

A timely snow promises a bountiful year — such heavy snow, how many years has it been?

Amid the sky-filling snow, inside and outside Jingbian Fort, a festive cheer prevailed. For the New Year, Wang Dou had made a special trip to the department city to buy a batch of New Year goods. From early that morning, the adults busied themselves changing door gods and pasting spring couplets, while the children gleefully set off firecrackers nearby. Amid the popping of firecrackers, a rich New Year atmosphere spread.

Wang Dou had also sent men to buy several pigs and sheep. That day, everyone could eat meat to their heart's content, and the people beamed with joy. In all these years, this was the most secure New Year they had ever celebrated.

Besides slaughtering pigs and sheep, from that day on, every man and woman in the fort pitched in together, kneading dough to make white-flour steamed buns. Large shallow baskets of snowy white steamed buns were continuously brought out of the steamers, filling everyone with satisfaction. Just like with the meat, during the New Year days, every military household in the fort could eat their fill of white-flour steamed buns.

How rare — after so many years, many had already forgotten the taste of white-flour steamed buns.

The first-milled flour from wheat was the finest white flour, producing steamed buns as white as snow. But white flour was precious, and milling was not easy — they had to go to Dongjiazhuang and Xinzhuang to mill it. How could they ordinarily eat it so easily?

After Wang Dou recruited the military households, although he ensured they ate their fill every day, ordinarily they only ate millet, sorghum, and other coarse grains. Sometimes they ate yellow or black steamed buns full of bran, made from wheat milled three or four times over. Today, at last, they could eat to their hearts' content.

Amid everyone's busy joy, their attachment to the fort grew ever deeper. Although Jingbian Fort had been established less than half a year, many already regarded this place as their home, their roots for the future.

……

Over these two days, Yang Tong and Qi Tianliang had both brought their families and children from Dongjiazhuang to spend the New Year. In the past, when they served as beacon tower soldiers, their parents, brothers, and children all lived in Dongjiazhuang, and they would likewise bring their wives back to the village for the New Year. This year, they brought the entire family, young and old, to Jingbian Fort for the holiday. In a few months, once the fort walls were completed, their whole families would move over to live here.

Seeing the joy on their families' faces, the two men's high spirits went without saying.

Unlike Qi and Yang, Zhong Rong still returned to Dongjiazhuang for the New Year. Wang Dou paid him his salary rice for the past few months and sent a military household member to escort him back. When Zhong Rong returned to the village, he also brought a basket of white-flour steamed buns, plus several jin of meat, some dried goods, snacks, and candies. Such abundant New Year provisions gave Zhong Rong a sense of vindication as he returned; presumably, those who had once slighted and snubbed him would be utterly astonished to see Zhong Rong today.

Wang Dou entrusted the fort's affairs to Qi and Yang to manage temporarily, while he himself returned to Xinzhuang for the New Year. Since the walls of Jingbian Fort were not yet complete, his mother and his young wife still lived in Xinzhuang, which was relatively safe for the time being. But once the Jingbian Fort walls were finished, Wang Dou would bring them over to live.

Han Chao, Han Zhong, and Gao Shiyin — three bachelors with nowhere to go — accompanied Wang Dou to Xinzhuang to spend the New Year.

The four men rode out of the fort. The wind and snow still filled the sky, and a vast expanse of white stretched between heaven and earth.

The four wore worn-out felt coats, trampling through the broken jade and chaotic gems blanketing the ground as they headed straight for Xinzhuang.

Their horses were swift, and they soon entered the village. The civilian households inside were likewise busy pasting spring couplets and changing door gods. Though the harvest had been poor, everyone still had to celebrate the New Year, yet the festive cheer was not as strong as in Jingbian Fort.

Seeing Wang Dou and his three companions, the village households all hurriedly greeted and saluted them. Near the Temple of Fortune, a sedan chair came directly toward them, flanked by a dozen or so household servants and stout laborers, all carrying food boxes, gifts, and the like on shoulder poles.

The sedan chair procession advanced with great fanfare, and every villager they encountered deferentially stepped aside.

When the sedan chair reached Wang Dou and his group, a low voice came from within. The chair stopped, the curtain was lifted, revealing the figure of a man inside, and a deep voice rang out: "Is this not Worthy Nephew Wang Dou? Returning to the village for the New Year today?"

Wang Dou was taken aback. Under his influence, the people of Jingbian Fort and Dongjiazhuang had long since forgotten Wang Dou's former appellation; even if they called him Wang Dou, the "Dou" was in the fourth tone. Wang Dou had rarely heard the second-tone "Wang Dou" anymore.

Wang Dou looked over. The man in the chair was around fifty, wearing a square scholar's cap and a jade-colored round-collared gown with black trim and wide sleeves. Though his features were refined, his expression was stern and authoritative. Wang Dou recognized this man: he was Li Jichen, the head of the Li family in the village.

Wang Dou cupped his hands in salute from horseback: "So it is Uncle Li. What a coincidence — where might Uncle be heading?"

Li Jichen did not answer Wang Dou's question. He merely swept his gaze over Wang Dou a few times, then glanced at Han Chao and the others similarly mounted behind him, and said, "I had long heard that Worthy Nephew Wang had been honored with a promotion to Platoon Leader. As fellow villagers, I have yet to offer my congratulations — how remiss of me!"

Wang Dou said, "Uncle is an elder; how could I trouble Uncle to take the trouble? It should be Wang Dou who pays a visit to your esteemed residence."

Li Jichen was somewhat surprised by Wang Dou's manner of speech. He looked Wang Dou over a few more times and said flatly, "We should indeed become better acquainted!"

He nodded slightly, then closed the sedan curtain.

Watching the retreating procession of Li Jichen and his entourage, Wang Dou's expression turned somewhat grim. In Xinzhuang, the Li Jichen family was a large clan, possessing vast landholdings and collecting rent year after year. In Xinzhuang and other villages elsewhere, many households were their tenants, and they also owned numerous properties within the department city.

Moreover, the Li family had been a scholarly household for generations. Their ancestor Li Tinggui had once passed the Provincial Graduate examination, and a "Dengke" honorific archway had been erected in Baoan Department city. Li Jichen himself held Licentiate status and had purchased a National University Student title. The late Ming gentry were notorious for their greed; they wielded enormous power and enjoyed various privileges and exemptions from taxes and corvée. Though Li Jichen was merely a Licentiate, he had already amassed up to a thousand mu of fertile land near Xinzhuang. Many of his family's brothers and nephews also served as militia heads and squad leaders in the department. Although Baoan Department had only a few townships, the gentry's power was equally immense, severely undermining the local lijia village-head system.

In Wang Dou's memory, after his father passed away, this Li family had even set their sights on his family's fields and homestead.

In the past, Li Jichen would not have so much as glanced at him directly. Today, perhaps because he saw that Wang Dou had been promoted to Platoon Leader, he deigned to exchange a few words. Yet although his speech was polite, his manner remained cold. The several Li family servants beside the sedan chair looked at Wang Dou with equal disdain. Clearly, a martial man like Wang Dou, and a mere Platoon Leader at that, was not worth the Li family's deep association.

Han Zhong also found Li Jichen and his group's arrogance hard to stomach. He spat and said, "A stuffy pedant — what's he so smug about?"

Han Chao, however, held scholars in great respect. He rebuked him, saying, "Second Brother, do not speak ill of an elder!"

……

Wang Dou and his companions arrived before his own family home on their plump, large horses. After the repairs and renovations of that day, the place looked completely refreshed. Seeing the newly posted door gods and spring couplets at the main gate, and the scattered firecracker debris before the entrance, a warmth rose in Wang Dou's heart. There was still nothing like home.

The main gate was merely ajar. Wang Dou and the others dismounted and led their horses into the courtyard. Inside, it had been swept impeccably clean, the accumulated snow shoveled completely away. A small figure was busily at work, carefully sprinkling fine sand on the ground — it was Xie Xiuniang.

Hearing the noise, Xie Xiuniang turned around. Seeing it was Wang Dou, she said joyfully, "Brother is back?"

She seemed to have completely forgotten the unpleasantness of that day and simply greeted him with delight. Wang Dou smiled and nodded. Han Chao and the others hurriedly paid their respects to Xie Xiuniang. She moved to lead the horses to the back courtyard, but Han Zhong quickly said, "Sister-in-law, let me!"

As he led the horses inside, he shouted, "Old Madam, I'm here again!"

At the sound, Madam Zhong's joyful voice came from within: "Dou'er is back!"

Then Madam Zhong appeared, her face glowing, happily coming out from the house to greet them, followed by two men.

Wang Dou called out, "Mother!"

Han Chao and the others also stepped forward to pay their respects to Madam Zhong. Han Chao saluted and said, "Today we must trouble the Old Madam again!"

Madam Zhong laughed and scolded, "Why do you young lads stand on ceremony? That you come to see this old woman fills me with more joy than I can say. The New Year is all about having many people and much festivity!"

As she ushered them in, she said to Wang Dou with a smile, "Dou'er, see who has come?"

The two men stepped out from behind Madam Zhong, their faces wreathed in smiles as they looked at Wang Dou. Wang Dou was startled: "Uncle, Cousin?"

Of these two men, the older one was Wang Dou's maternal uncle, Zhong Zhengxian, in his forties, one of Madam Zhong's seven brothers. The younger man beside him was his eldest son, Zhong Diaoyang. However, their family lived in Weizhou and rarely came to Baoan Department. From childhood to adulthood, Wang Dou had only seen them a few times.

Zhong Zhengxian's face had a noticeable oily sheen. He smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Look at my nephew — it's only been a few years, and you've grown so tall. I hear you've even been promoted to Platoon Leader? At last, our family has produced an official…"

His gaze shifted to the horses beside Wang Dou and his group: "Tsk, tsk, look at these horses — so robust and strong. I hear my nephew seized them from the Tartars? Tsk, tsk…"

Wang Dou saluted him and said, "Is Uncle well? And Aunt — is her health somewhat better?"

In Wang Dou's memory, his aunt was a kind person, but her health was not very good.

Zhong Zhengxian shook his head and said, “What’s good about it? It’s only that your aunt is useless, unable to manage the household, forcing your uncle at such an advanced age to still have to come rely on your mother…”

He then called over his own son, Zhong Diaoyang, and had him meet Wang Dou. Zhong Diaoyang was around thirty years old, with a rough, dark face and a manner that was relatively silent and steady. He exchanged greetings with Wang Dou, and Wang Dou said, “I haven’t seen my cousin for many years. I heard that a few years ago my cousin got married, and my cousin’s wife even gave birth to a big, chubby son?”

At the mention of this, a smile appeared on Zhong Diaoyang’s rough, dark face, but he merely gave a salute and then went to stand behind his father. However, he kept his eyes on Han Chao and the others the whole time.

Lady Zhong said cheerfully, “Look at you all, standing outside chattering endlessly in this freezing weather. Hurry and come inside.”

Zhong Zhengxian said, “Yes, yes, hurry inside. I haven’t seen this nephew of mine for many years, and I have a bellyful of intimate words to say to him…”

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Old White Ox: I’ve been a bit unwell these past few days, but I will still update every day. I’ll add more once my energy recovers.

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