Chapter 640: New Year's Eve Dinner

In the evening, the courtyard of Yang Liushui's home bustled with busy figures mingling with drifting cooking smoke, brimming with the rich flavor of life.

The yard had been specially swept clean; even the chicken coop in the corner had fresh straw, and the yellow watchdog had been given a rare bath.

The yellow-lacquered square table in the center of the yard was an old piece of furniture, its paint chipped in several places. After being carried out from the main house today, it had been polished to a shine. Now, bowls, chopsticks, and dishes were already laid out on its surface.

The dishes were covered with blue-and-white porcelain bowls to keep the heat from escaping.

The blue-and-white bowls covered the dishes but could not contain the aroma of the plum sauce duck and red-braised pork. Yang Jia Dazi could go a whole year without smelling so much meat; ever since the dishes hit the table, he had been circling it nonstop, drool dripping down.

In the end, Dazi could not suppress the primal craving for protein etched into his genes and secretly lifted a bowl, preparing to steal a piece of meat.

Dazi's attempt ultimately failed. Accompanied by a loud "Smack!" and an "Ouch!", Dazi was caught red-handed by Yang Liushui, who was carrying a wine pot, and got a slap to the back of the head.

"You worthless thing, acting like a starving ghost reincarnated every day! I've never skimped on food or drink for a debt-collecting brat like you, and you dare reach for the table meant for guests!"

Yang Liushui roared this, set the wine pot on the table, bent over, and expertly took off his shoe, ready to strike. Dazi, equally practiced, began his escape according to the routine.

Yang Saozi was a kind-hearted woman of short stature.

Seeing the familiar scene, she hurried forward to stop her man: "It's the New Year, don't tear the new clothes. Don't get angry."

After that, she pulled her son aside, found a few scraps of meat and bone on the stove, put them in a bowl, and watched heartbroken as her son stuffed the meat into his mouth in huge bites.

Yang Liushui, his "violence" halted by his woman, took the chance to climb down. He carefully dusted off his new clothes, muttered under his breath, and plopped down on the long bench at the table, reaching to pour wine into the pot.

Just at that moment, Yang Liushui's arm holding the wine pot stopped: standing sideways at the doorway, no one knew since when, was a smiling young man. Leaning against the wooden door, silent and soundless, he had apparently watched the entire scene of him disciplining his son.

"Aiyo, Brother Zhou!"

Yang Liushui slapped his thigh and stood up: "You're here but didn't come in, just watching your old pal make a fool of himself!"

The young man stepped over the threshold with a grin.

Up close, his age became apparent. The young man looked about twenty-four or twenty-five, with a gentle face that seemed a bit simple and honest. Only an occasional glance of his eyes revealed a well-hidden glint of cleverness.

The young man was not tall. He wore a set of fine cloth robes, about eighty percent new, a soft cloth cap, and thick-soled cloth shoes on his feet. At a casual glance, he looked like an utterly ordinary Ming person.

"You, brother, coming is one thing, but bringing gifts to your own home!"

From the moment the young man entered, Yang Liushui's face was full of joy. While complaining, he grabbed the visitor's arm and tried to usher him to the seat of honor.

The person addressed as Brother Zhou had been smiling ever since he came in. Now, he declined the gesture, set down the gifts in his hands, and first bowed to Yang Saozi to offer New Year greetings: "Your younger brother greets Sister-in-Law, wishing Sister-in-Law an early New Year!"

Yang Saozi was so happy she couldn't stop grinning.

Immediately after, Brother Zhou pulled a red envelope from his sleeve and stuffed it into the hands of Yang Jia Dazi, who had long been standing to the side, face full of excitement and expectation.

"Hurry up and kowtow to your uncle for the New Year!"

Yang Liushui now transformed into a loving father, his face full of tenderness, as he affectionately patted Dazi lightly on the back of the head again.

After a round of greetings and pleasantries, Brother Zhou and Yang Liushui finally sat down at the yellow-lacquered table, pulling at each other in a show of politeness.

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The Brother Zhou that Yang Liushui spoke of was originally named Zhou Yi.

Four years ago, it happened to also be the New Year. Yang Liushui, then still a peddler, went out to work in the morning and found a person collapsed in front of his door.

Looking closer, he saw the person's clothes were ragged and his body hunched. But when he brushed aside the disheveled hair, it revealed a young face.

Touching the forehead—good heavens, it was burning hot.

For a peddler like Yang Liushui, who toiled from dawn to dusk roaming the streets and alleys, he had seen too many sick paupers like this. By all logic, he didn't need to bother with this matter. Soon enough, half a day at most, this person burning with fever would die naturally, then be carted off by the corpse collectors who roamed the city at all hours to be burned at the crematorium.

Besides, Yang Liushui usually couldn't afford to bother. A poor household like his, worrying about the next meal before finishing the current one, had absolutely no resources to meddle in others' business.

But Yang Liushui's thoughts that day were somewhat different from usual.

First, this person had collapsed right at his doorstep. If he just let him lie there, and he himself turned around and went off to do business, leaving his wife and child at home, it would be inconvenient to come and go, and somewhat improper.

Second: seeing the person's young face, Yang Liushui, for some unknown reason, felt a faint stir of compassion.

So, after much deliberation, Yang Liushui finally opened the door, called out his wife, and the two of them together exerted their strength to carry the young man collapsed on the ground into the courtyard.

For a feverish and comatose patient, Yang Liushui actually had no real solution. His family was poor, with no medicine, unable to afford a physician or brew herbal remedies. The only thing he could do was have his woman fetch warm water and feed the young man a few sips.

After that, Yang Liushui went out and called for a donkey cart.

Supporting Yang Liushui's actions like this was actually another important hidden reason: not long before, south of Guangzhou City, across the Pearl River on the southern bank of Hainan, a large construction site had newly opened, bustling with activity.

Yang Liushui was a peddler; wherever crowds gathered, he would go. So a few days earlier, he had crossed the river to that large construction site to do business. He had heard idlers say that the large construction site was land bought with silver by the Regional Commander who had recently quelled the pirates, intended for building an official residence.

Yang Liushui had no idea how large an official residence such a vast stretch of land would require. He only knew that this huge construction site, with its sea of people all shouting work chants, was still short of hands; it seemed that Regional Commander was very rich.

The shortage of people and the wealth were well-founded.

That day, as Yang Liushui finished his business and was about to head home, he was stopped by robust "household retainers" dressed in black, armed with blades and spears.

Yang Liushui assumed this was the usual collection of protection fees, so he hurriedly nodded and bowed, ready to pay up to become a familiar face.

Unexpectedly, these household retainers were very amiable. After asking a few questions, they let him go. Not only that, as he left, the retainer had words for him: "Old brother, when you go back, spread the word among the neighbors. If any relatives or friends want to come work and sell their strength, we want them all. We're short of cooks too, men, women, old, young—no picking and choosing, even beggars will do."

Finally, the retainer even pulled out over a dozen fine copper coins, calling it some kind of "propaganda fee," and tossed them into Yang Liushui's goods box.

From then on, Yang Liushui was filled with goodwill toward the large construction site on the southern bank, and he incidentally helped them spread the word among his neighbors.

Today, upon seeing this young man, Yang Liushui had a vague idea from the start: sending this person to the construction site—surely the Regional Commander's household had mountains of gold and silver, and since they were desperately short of labor, they could probably afford to get a dose of herbal medicine, right?

So, with a mix of anxiety and tragic resolve over losing half a day's business and the travel fare, Yang Liushui called a donkey cart the whole way, then transferred to a ferry, and delivered the unconscious young man to the southern bank dock.

After disembarking, just as expected, the black-clad household retainers at the construction site dock immediately summoned a physician to examine the patient.

After this, an old clerk wearing a front-buttoned short jacket carefully questioned Yang Liushui, recorded his detailed personal information and the entire course of events, and then told him: the construction site would take in this young man. However, since this person was a sick case, and it would take a couple of days to see if he could be saved, even though he was a strong laborer, the construction site could only reimburse Yang Liushui fifty percent of the "finder's fee."

That day, in the end, Yang Liushui returned home in a daze, two lovely bits of broken silver tucked snugly in his bosom.

This finder's fee was what Yang Liushui usually earned from half a month of hard work.

The matter seemed to end there. After this incident, there was no further news of the young man. The honest Yang Liushui continued his business, except he started running over to the construction site more often.

However, half a year later, one day, a young man with "kun hair," wearing a leather jacket and leather shoes, suddenly came knocking on Yang Liushui's door.

In the Yang family's courtyard, this young man, now restored to health and having found "work" under Regional Commander Cao, introduced himself: his name was Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi was actually not a local. His old home was in Ezhou; he was a genuine Hubei native.

In his early years, Zhou Yi was an apprentice at a paper and book shop. The reason he had drifted to Guangzhou was that his old home had suffered a great flood, and a plague ran rampant. With no other choice, to survive and escape the disaster, Zhou Yi followed relatives southward to Guangzhou, seeking kin and a way to live.

After a thousand hardships he finally arrived, only to learn that his relatives in Guangzhou had long since left. And his own family, worn out by the journey, fell gravely ill and died within days.

Not long after, Zhou Yi himself, his travel money spent, began wandering the streets. Soon he caught a fever from being unused to the local climate, and just when it seemed he was done for, he collapsed at Yang Liushui's doorstep.

Having learned the whole story, Yang Liushui sighed with emotion: the world is harsh, and staying alive is no easy thing.

After this, Zhou Yi, having barely escaped death, knelt on the spot and performed a grand kowtow to his lifesaver Yang Liushui.

Delighted and feeling he had done a good deed, Yang Liushui thereafter called Zhou Yi brother, and Zhou Yi did the same.

In the years that followed, Zhou Yi, a stranger all alone in a foreign place, came to treat Yang Liushui and his wife as his own relatives, and they visited back and forth frequently.

Whenever he had free time from work, Zhou Yi would use his salary to buy daily sundries and come see his elder brother. Yang Liushui and his wife were also fond of this sworn younger brother, and whenever the household was intending to make some good food or had stitched new shoe soles, they would send word to Zhou Yi.

Through their constant contact, Yang Liushui gradually learned the name of the office where Zhou Yi served at the General Headquarters: the Intelligence General Bureau.

For his part, Zhou Yi was always very guarded about his duties and usually offered no extra explanation. Even when he did speak of it, he followed internal regulations and had a set spiel.

And Yang Liushui, an uneducated native of the Ming dynasty's lowest rungs, could not even tell apart the departments of the prefectural and county yamens, and had even less of a clue about a newfangled term like Intelligence General Bureau.

However, as time passed and through Zhou Yi's daily hints and guidance, intentional or not, Yang Liushui eventually got the rough idea: this sworn younger brother of his worked in some private office under Regional Commander Cao, something to do with "hunting criminals and investigating arrests," usually handling shady business that couldn't be spoken of openly.

The years flew by, and in a blink, four years had passed. To Yang Liushui, who often dealt with Zhou Yi, this sworn younger brother of his had changed greatly. Yet if you asked him to point out what had changed, this illiterate man could not put it into words.

Though he could not describe it, the benefits Yang Liushui had gradually received from Zhou Yi were solid and real.

At first it was just information — where a market was being held, where there was a quick-money business opportunity... By last year, Zhou Yi had gotten hold of large iron drums and all the necessary gear from who knows where, and had taught Yang Liushui a complete set of retail skills.

And so, Yang Liushui the peddler transformed into a mobile barbecue stall owner.

The barbecue stall business was excellent. After over a year, though you could not tell from his appearance, Yang Liushui had truly become a well-off household in the slums.

And Zhou Yi, who had brought all this about, became increasingly "precious" in Yang Liushui's eyes, elevated to the status of "noble benefactor" for this grassroots man. Now, no matter what idea Yang Liushui had, he would first discuss it with Zhou Yi.

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"Come, little brother, another cup!"

As they spoke, the sky had already darkened. The New Year's Eve dinner in the Yang family courtyard, with the dishes on the table seventy to eighty percent gone, was already drawing to a close.

At this moment, Yang Liushui, his face flushed red, was raising his wine cup, intending to clink another with Zhou Yi.

"Too much, too much — today I've truly overdone it!"

Zhou Yi's face was also somewhat flushed, but he was clearly still clear-headed, probably because he had dodged quite a bit of wine earlier.

"Ha, your elder brother knows your office has strict rules. Come, I'll drain mine — little brother, just do as you please."

As he spoke, Yang Liushui, in unusually high spirits today, tilted his head back and downed another cup of fine Fujian yellow wine.

Seeing that Yang Liushui was about done, Zhou Yi hurriedly called the Yang family woman to clear the table, while he himself supported Yang Liushui into the main room.

By custom, the main room was empty at this time, left just for the two sworn brothers to talk. On this special day, a bright kerosene lamp was lit in the main room.

The lamp was a gift Zhou Yi had brought the previous New Year. The Yang Liushui household would normally be unlikely to use such a luxury; it was only because of today's holiday, and because Zhou Yi himself was visiting, that they had lit the kerosene.

After being helped into the main room, Yang Liushui picked up the tea bowl his wife had long prepared and gulped down a large mouthful of warm sobering tea.

He let out a long breath, feeling his head clear up considerably. Then, Yang Liushui picked up from the table a machine-rolled cigarette, the kind he was normally just as reluctant to smoke, tore open the packaging, and sighed with emotion as he offered one to Zhou Yi: "To think — it's been four years now!"

A rare vivid expression appeared on Zhou Yi's face. He nodded and sighed: "Yes, four whole years..."

They silently reminisced for the time it took to smoke half a cigarette before Yang Liushui finally emerged from his memories.

Thinking over these four years, which for him could be counted as steadily improving days, Yang Liushui said gratefully to Zhou Yi: "Brother, today's New Year, and we two brothers haven't drunk our fill. You truly can't come back for the New Year? I was still be prepared to have a good couple of pots with you on New Year's Eve!"

Zhou Yi heard this, shook his head with a bitter smile, and unconsciously touched his own topknot: "The office set the schedule long ago — the day after tomorrow I must leave on assignment to the north. Today I really had to squeeze out the time to come."

Hearing that Zhou Yi was going north on assignment, and watching him touch his topknot, Yang Liushui suddenly had a flash of inspiration, a rare moment of cleverness. He slapped his thigh and asked in surprise: "All this past year or so, you've been growing your hair and wearing robes — could it be... it was all for this assignment?"

At the last sentence, Yang Liushui seemed to realize something and hurriedly lowered his voice.