Chapter 341: Home

The door leaf swayed gently. Only then did Guan Dadi notice the door was not locked. He pushed it open and walked in. Two chickens flapped their wings and hopped away. The yard now carried a stronger smell of chicken and duck droppings than before, and a pile of firewood was stacked high in the corner.

A familiar back was busy with something at the dining table in the main room. Guan Dadi stood there grinning foolishly, walked to the doorway of the main room, and called softly, "Ma, I'm, I'm back."

The figure paused, then hurriedly turned to look at Guan Dadi. A moment later, the same foolish grin appeared. "Dadi's back. Good that you're back." Mother Guan came over and looked her eldest son up and down, her two hands rubbing together ceaselessly, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Dadi, have you eaten? I'll go make you some white-flour steamed cakes."

Guan Dadi quickly shook his head. "I just ate up ahead. Some students gave me flatbread."

His mother saw the crutch in Guan Dadi's left hand. Her face twitched, her eyes reddened, and two tears fell. She wiped her face with her sleeve, her mouth stretching into a grin. "Dadi, Ma heard it was all men with broken hands and feet coming back. I didn't dare go look. I was afraid I'd see you there. So it's just your foot that's broken. Doesn't matter. You're back, that's what counts."

"Ma, I'm not..."

Mother Guan didn't let him finish. She came over and helped Guan Dadi over the threshold, found a stool for him to sit on, then found one for herself and sat opposite him. She looked at Guan Dadi and said, "Dadi, you've filled out some. Don't be afraid of being lame. Later on, Ma will find a live-in husband for your little sister, make him do all the housework, so you won't be worn out."

"Ma, no need. Little Sister might not be willing."

Mother Guan cut him off peremptorily. "A girl's family — it's not up to her to be willing. I heard from the neighbors. A child's marriage, a daughter's marriage, it's all for the mother to decide."

"Where is Little Sister now?"

Mother Guan stared blankly. "How would I know? That wretched girl left without even sending word back, didn't bring any silver home either." She wiped away tears, then suddenly put on a smiling face. "Dadi, you should know your little brother has made something of himself. A while back in Wendeng he made some kind of machine. Before he left he came home once and gave me thirty taels of silver. I heard the workshop rewarded him for it. A few days ago he sent word saying he made some kind of machine in Zhaoyuan and got another few dozen taels. Next month he's going back to Wendeng. His monthly pay is already four taels a month. The Tuntian Chief got word and came to propose a match with me. The girl is the Tuntian Chief's cousin's sister. Very good, anyway. But Zhou's wife advised me to wait a bit longer. She said Little Brother can even meet Mr. Liu, so he can probably meet other lords too. Maybe one day some lord will take a liking to him and marry an official's daughter to him. Our Guan family, we're counting on Little Brother."

At the happy part, Mother Guan covered her mouth and laughed loudly. Guan Dadi was just feeling the five taels of silver in his pocket. Hearing this, he smiled awkwardly and withdrew his hand. He had only just been promoted to First-Class Non-Commissioned Officer. His monthly pay was two taels, and after deducting the retirement pension, only one and a half remained. Before, it had been even less — just one tael — far less than his little brother. Even that First-Class Medal had only earned him twenty taels of silver. Back at the Guandi Temple, one life had only been worth ten mu of land and a few dozen taels. Now Guan Xiaodi had made two machines and already earned several dozen taels.

He turned his head and saw some cotton cloth laid out on the dining table, along with a pair of scissors. It seemed his mother was cutting something. Mother Guan saw him looking, stopped her loud laughter, and said to Guan Dadi, "Ah, this war, you tell me — all fine young men, gone just like that. Our Company lost quite a few. Every family is sending condolence gifts. Our family's Little Brother has made something of himself, has face and standing now. We can't fall behind."

Guan Dadi nodded. "We were the first row, most of us standing in front. Our Company died the most. In Fuzhou, there were eleven in all."

"Isn't that so? Why couldn't the other companies die more? Why did it all have to fall on our company? Was that officer of yours playing favorites?"

Guan Dadi hurriedly covered his mother's mouth. "Ma, you mustn't say that. If people hear, they'll hate you for it. Everyone's from the same village. Who would you have die instead? Besides, it was all the Tatars who killed them. What's it got to do with the officer? My officer is a good man."

Mother Guan slapped his hand away. "What are you covering my mouth for? You think I don't know what's what? Just saying a few words at home, who's going to hear?" She turned and went back to the table, picked up the scissors, and went on cutting the cotton cloth.

Guan Dadi watched, puzzled. "Ma, what are you doing?"

"So many young men in our Company died. I have to go pay my respects. Ah, such a pity."

Guan Dadi heard his mother's words and nodded in agreement. In the Ming Dynasty, sending cloth as a funeral offering was a common custom. So many village neighbors had died, most of them young men. It truly was lamentable.

Mother Guan then continued, "A pity about my cloth. I have to send to over ten families. I'll just take one bolt, cut it apart, and give half to two families. People won't be able to tell."

Guan Dadi: "..."

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Guan Dadi put on his uniform, pinned the First-Class White Blade Assault Medal to his chest, then leaned on his crutch and went out, slowly making his way toward Old Zhou's house. Some boys in their early teens, carrying flatbread as they headed out to the village school to learn to read, saw Guan Dadi and called out loud greetings. They gathered around to look at his White Blade Assault Medal, letting out bursts of admiration from time to time.

Only after they had looked their fill did Guan Dadi continue on his way, chatting idly with acquaintances along the road. Just as he reached Old Zhou's doorstep, he saw the Zhou family's Erdan driving a few goats out. He wore hemp clothing, and on his back was a carrying basket.

"Erdan, why aren't you at home keeping vigil?"

That Erdan was only ten. He looked at Guan Dadi and grinned. "My ma told me to go gather the autumn harvest. Don't let anyone sneak off with our family's wheat."

"How can you harvest the wheat all by yourself?"

"My family hired some refugees. One fen of silver per mu. The village helps harvest five mu." Erdan raised his head, blinking as he spoke to Guan Dadi.

Guan Dadi rubbed his head. "You should go study at the village school. How good to have someone teach you to read. Look at my little brother. Studying well earns way more silver than farming."

Erdan scratched his head. "I'm no good at reading or arithmetic. The teacher scolds me. Now Dad's dead too, and there's no one to work the fields. My ma says I don't need to go learn to read anymore. Just honestly farm the land."

"You still have to study. How good to be literate. Even as a soldier you get more pay. Your Big Brother Guan here is no good at reading, or I'd have been an officer long ago."

"Really?" Erdan touched Guan Dadi's medal. "It's got a tiger head. The instructor said only high-class medals have that. I want to wear one like this someday. My dad died. Did he get a medal or not?"

"He definitely got a medal. Your dad was a brave man. Killed lots of Tatars. I saw it with my own eyes. The Military Affairs Office said all fallen soldiers are heroes. The medals are all to be sent to the families." Guan Dadi took out three taels of silver and pressed them into Erdan's hand. "Go back and give this to your mother. Hire refugees to harvest your family's wheat. You go study."

"Oh, thank you, Big Brother Guan." Erdan took the silver and was about to go back inside. Guan Dadi quickly stopped him and gave him the remaining two taels as well. "Let your brother study too."

Erdan took it happily and ran back into the house. Guan Dadi raised his head. In the alley before him, quite a few households were holding funerals. Spirit-summoning banners hung before their doors. The ashes brought back were all buried in a cemetery on Jiashan. The Martyrs' Shrine was also built at the foot of that mountain. Guan Dadi planned to go there and take a look. He thought of renting a donkey cart from the cart-and-horse service at the street entrance, but when he felt his pocket, there was no silver left. And there was no Military Affairs Office here. He had no pay ticket, so even if he wanted to withdraw money, he couldn't.

"Should've known to draw more silver."...

"Of course we want silver. We want people too."

"You Plain Blue Banner come with a few hundred men and want to split the same as our Bordered Yellow Banner?"

"This is what the Great Khan said. The population is to be divided equally among the Eight Banners. Do you dare disobey the Great Khan's strict order?"

Twenty li outside Datong. Zhang Zhongqi followed behind his own Niru Ejen, listening to the tedious quarrels of several masters. On the official road, countless commoners supported each other as they trudged forward with difficulty. All around were mounted Later Jin soldiers, who from time to time used horsewhips and wooden poles to beat those Great Ming commoners.

Zhang Zhongqi watched those people expressionlessly. He was now an officially registered bannerman of the Plain Blue Banner, with two bondservants in his household. However, one had starved to death last year during the Dalinghe campaign. This time, the Plain Blue Banner had only drawn a portion of armored soldiers to assist in the defense of Fuzhou. Several hundred others had followed a Meiren Ejen to attack the Chahar. Zhang Zhongqi had little fighting ability, but his Niru Ejen always remembered how Zhang Zhongqi had saved his life, so he brought him along to Mongolia. This time they had captured many Mongols and Han people. He hoped he could be allotted one more. He himself still preferred Han bondservants. Those Mongols only knew how to herd; they had no idea how to farm.

After breaking through the border wall, they had been plundering around Datong and Yanghe. Now it was nearly over. The Later Jin soldiers had captured tens of thousands of Han commoners and gained no small amount of property. It could be considered a subsidy for the travel expenses back to Liaodong. Lin Danhan was indeed a bit poor, far less profitable than raiding the Ming realm.

Even Zhang Zhongqi had been allotted a mule. On the mule's back he had placed satin and cotton cloth. On his own back he carried a small bundle containing quite a bit of silver. He was originally a Han from Liaodong and had seen many commoners fleeing military disasters. They liked to hide their valuables in certain places. Zhang Zhongqi could guess with near certainty. His Niru Ejen was therefore willing to bring him along.

Zhang Zhongqi already had the consciousness of a bannerman. He somewhat looked down on these commoners and also looked down on those so-called high officials. That Grand Coordinator Shen had actually agreed to give provisions and silver, and even went to swear an oath and form a covenant with the Great Khan, signing a peace treaty, without ever mentioning that the Later Jin should return the commoners. Such conduct naturally made Zhang Zhongqi despise him.

They very much wanted to plunder for a while longer, but this time the Later Jin soldiers were exhausted and their horses spent. They had relied entirely on their reputation to bluff that Grand Coordinator Shen into giving them ample provisions and silver. Once they had these things in hand, the Great Khan repeatedly issued orders demanding they leave as soon as possible. They were now preparing to exit the border wall by the same route they had come.

Several Niru Ejen were bickering noisily. Zhang Zhongqi listened, bored. Having followed his Niru Ejen for a long time, he knew that one had to fight for everything. That way, one could always get a bit more. If one fought for nothing, one wouldn't even get the average share.

Just then, an elderly Han commoner nearby collapsed. Zhang Zhongqi drew his smooth-edged saber and walked over. This was also the Later Jin soldiers' method of driving the Han commoners: those who couldn't walk were executed on the spot, forcibly completing the culling process.

He was about to cut down the old man when the other Han commoners nearby hurriedly dodged away. A figure suddenly threw herself onto the old man. It looked like a young woman. Women still had to be kept. Zhang Zhongqi grabbed her by the hair, intending to drag her aside. The woman raised her head, her face covered in tears, and cried out to him with babbling sounds, her eyes full of pleading.

Zhang Zhongqi froze for a moment. "Are you a mute?"

The woman opened her mouth and nodded slightly. Zhang Zhongqi muttered, "A mute."

Another old bondservant came over, about to cut down this woman. Zhang Zhongqi roared, "Get lost!"

The old bondservant was startled and slunk away, dusty and disheveled. Zhang Zhongqi pointed at the old man on the ground and asked, "Is he your father?"

The woman nodded repeatedly. Amid the astonished gazes of the surrounding commoners, Zhang Zhongqi sheathed his saber and helped the old man up. He threw the cloth off the mule's back onto the ground and helped the mute woman's father onto the mule.

Zhang Zhongqi came back and pulled up the dazed mute woman. "You follow me. I'll give you flatbread to eat. From now on, you'll be in my household. That place will also be your home." (To be continued.)

PS: Begging for monthly tickets.