Chapter 14: Ah Wu

The Black Man's home was very small, consisting of only two gray, dilapidated rooms. The west room contained a stove and served as a storage area, while the east room had a clay kang, which could barely be called a bedroom.

Inside the west room, little Ah Wu was standing on a large rock, busy working by the stove.

Seeing that Ah Wu was so small she had to stand on a rock to reach the stove, Wang Yang wanted to help. However, remembering his disguised identity as a member of the gentry, he held back and asked the Black Man, "How old is Ah Wu this year?"

"Replying to the young master, she is seven this year."

Perhaps due to malnutrition, the little girl was so thin and small that she didn't look seven at all. Wang Yang couldn't help but sigh, "She can cook at such a young age."

"My girl has been managing the household early; usually, she handles all these chores by herself." As the Black Man spoke, he invited Wang Yang into the east room and sat him on the kang he had just re-spread.

"Where is her mother?"

The Black Man sighed and said in a low voice, "Her mother disliked that Ah Wu was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and insisted on throwing her into the river. I disagreed, so we had a huge argument. I couldn't hold back my temper and hit her, and then... then we divorced..."

The Black Man didn't continue. He paused and smiled bitterly, "I heard she married a candle seller and went to Jiankang. She must be living quite well now."

At that time, most ordinary families couldn't afford candles. So, when the Black Man learned the man was a candle merchant, he knew she wasn't lacking for money.

Wang Yang felt a pang of emotion and asked, "Then when you go to the military camp, is Ah Wu always home alone?"

"Yes! At first, I asked the neighbors to help look in on her, but they weren't willing to come. Fortunately, Ah Wu is smart and capable; she can take care of herself. When I came back last month, Young Master, guess what? Heh, she even learned needlework!" The Black Man lit a clay oil lamp, its faint light illuminating his face, which was full of pride.

Wang Yang had seen the Black Man's fawning and apologetic expressions many times, but this was the first time he saw him looking so smug and proud.

The little girl's voice drifted in from the west room: "Dad! There's moonlight! Why light the lamp? Put it out!"

The Black Man felt a bit awkward and said loudly, "This is lit for Young Master Wang!"

The little girl's voice stopped for a few seconds, then started up again: "Dad, come over and help me serve the food."

Then Wang Yang heard the father and daughter arguing. The volume was low, and the content wasn't clear, but he heard the little girl say something about "not much hemp oil left."

Wang Yang smiled and blew out the oil lamp. The arguing in the west room stopped instantly.

The Black Man hurried over: "Did the lamp go out? I'll light it again for you, Young Master."

Wang Yang said, "No need, moonlight is enough."

The Black Man's expression turned nervous, and he stammered, "Young Master, my girl is used to being wild and doesn't understand anything! Please, don't hold it against her!"

Wang Yang smiled indifferently: "How could I? I'm not reading or writing right now, so I really don't need a lamp. Moonlight is enough."

The Black Man was afraid Wang Yang was displeased and was about to explain further when little Ah Wu ran over: "Dad! Young Master Wang! Time to eat!"

This was Wang Yang's second meal since crossing over: a bowl of bean and wheat porridge, a bowl of bean leaf soup, and a small dish of salted black beans.

The bean and wheat porridge was made by boiling soybeans and barley together. The bean leaf soup used dried soybean leaves, also known as "huo greens." As for the salted black beans, also known as "fermented soybeans," they were a common seasoning for meals among the common people at the time.

"Didn't I tell you to make bean and wheat rice? Why did you make porridge?" The Black Man pulled little Ah Wu aside and asked in a low voice.

Ah Wu wrinkled her little nose: "There was only that little bit of wheat; I wanted to save it for the Cold Food Festival to make barley porridge."

"You!" The Black Man couldn't bear to scold his daughter and just gently poked her forehead.

He didn't dare sit at the same table as Wang Yang, so he and little Ah Wu sat by the stove.

Wang Yang knew that if he wanted to play the part of a scholar-official convincingly, it was best to keep his distance. But since he was staying in their home and eating their food, he felt it was rude to take over. So, he invited the Black Man and the little girl to eat together.

Only after seeing them did he realize they were eating something different from him.

The father and daughter were eating steamed beans. There was a term in ancient times to describe the poor: "eating beans and drinking water." "Eating beans" meant eating beans to stave off hunger.

Little Ah Wu peeked at Wang Yang's meal while eating. After all, she hadn't smelled wheat porridge in over a month, and as for the huo green soup, she hadn't had it in a long time.

Wang Yang caught Ah Wu's longing gaze and asked, "Do you want some?"

Little Ah Wu shook her head quickly and buried her face in her beans.

"Come, I don't have much of an appetite; I'll share some with you."

"No need." Little Ah Wu's voice was like a mosquito's. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation, so she didn't even dare to look up.

The Black Man urged, "Young Master has been hungry all day, please eat, don't mind her."

Wang Yang took a sip of porridge: "I can only drink half a bowl; if no one eats the rest, I'll just pour it out." As he spoke, he pretended to go outside to pour the porridge.

Little Ah Wu stood up with a 'swoosh,' flew to Wang Yang like a little rocket, held out her bowl, turned her face away, and mustered her courage: "If you're going to pour it, pour it here!"

"Ah Wu!" the Black Man scolded.

Wang Yang smiled and said, "It's fine." He poured half the porridge for little Ah Wu.

Little Ah Wu sat back down, overjoyed. Just as she was about to start eating, she stopped and ladled two big spoonfuls for her father.

The Black Man had been displeased that Ah Wu asked for the porridge, but seeing his daughter ladling it into his bowl, his heart softened. He ladled it back: "Ah Wu, you eat it. Dad eats this often in the military camp!"

"Dad is lying again!" Ah Wu stubbornly poured the porridge back.

Wang Yang felt a lump in his throat watching the father and daughter argue over the porridge and said, "Black Man, bring your bowl over, I'll share some with you too."

The Black Man refused quickly: "No, no, Young Master has already eaten so little!"

"I have no appetite. Besides, it was your grain to begin with."

No matter what Wang Yang said, the Black Man refused.

Wang Yang then told little Ah Wu to come and ladle the porridge for her father.

The Black Man scolded little Ah Wu: "Don't you dare!"

Wang Yang's face hardened: "I told her to go."

The Black Man didn't dare say more, but glared at his daughter.

Little Ah Wu stuck out her tongue, ran to Wang Yang with her bowl, and Wang Yang ladled two spoonfuls for her. When he was about to ladle a third, little Ah Wu pulled back her hand and whispered, "That's enough!"

Little Ah Wu passed the porridge to the Black Man. Seeing Wang Yang eating the remaining porridge with the salted beans in a few bites and then frowning while drinking the huo green soup, the Black Man realized he wasn't used to it. He instructed his daughter: "Take out that piece of cloth from the bottom of the chest, go to Zhang Lisi's house, and trade it for some pickled fish for Young Master Wang."

"Do we have to?" Little Ah Wu's eyes widened. If this was the price for sharing the porridge, she would rather pour the porridge back!

"Go quickly!" the Black Man said with a stern face.

"Gan" meant a clay jar, and "Zha" meant pickled or fermented fish; this was a very popular food in the south at the time.

For Wang Yang, who had been influenced by modern food processing and was a bit particular about his food, this bowl of wild vegetable soup was truly hard to swallow; it had an indescribable fishy and bitter taste. But seeing how impoverished the Black Man's family was, how could he let them trade for pickled fish? He hurriedly said, "No need, I'm fine with this."

He didn't dare taste it again, gritted his teeth, and gulped down the huo green soup, his expression as painful as if he were taking medicine.

Little Ah Wu felt very pained watching him.

Of course, she wasn't pained for Wang Yang, but for the huo green soup.

Hey, hey, hey! If it's so hard to drink, then don't drink it! Leave me half a bowl!

After Wang Yang returned to his room, little Ah Wu pulled her father into the west room and said with a very serious little face: "Dad, I think this Young Master Wang has a problem!"

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Note: "Divorce" (lihun) is an ancient term, not a modern-only expression. For example, when Wang Xianzhi was critically ill, he said, "I don't feel there is anything else, I only remember divorcing the Xi family." (Book of Jin, Biography of Wang Yan): "The Crown Prince was framed by Empress Jia; Yan feared disaster and petitioned for divorce himself."

As for "Heli" (peaceful separation), it is a term from the Tang Dynasty, originating from the "Tang Code," and this concept did not exist during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. ===== CHAPTER 15 =====