Chapter 445: Liu Guozhong

"Hey, this isn't Brother Yong, is it?" A villager from the production team had sharp eyes, and at once recognized the bloody person lying on the pile of wild grass.

This bloody person is naturally Liu Guozhong, without doubt. Why the villagers call him Brother Yong naturally has its reason.

Yong is one of the characters in Liu Guozhong's courtesy name.

In ancient times, the given name was fate, the courtesy name was the courtesy name. According to convention, a child first receives a given name at birth, a courtesy name after the capping ceremony, and a posthumous name after death. The Book of Rites, Tan Gong Shang, calls this process: "child's name, capping courtesy name, the Zhou way."

The ancient "given name" and "courtesy name" often indicated one's generation within the family. In pre-Qin times, it was common to add Bo (Meng), Zhong, Shu, Ji before the name and surname to indicate the birth order of brothers: Bo and Meng are elder brothers, Zhong is the second, Shu is the younger, Ji is the youngest. For example, the famous Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms had the courtesy name Mengde. Confucius, being the second son, had the courtesy name Zhongni.

Even in the era of reform and opening up, some parents still passed on this tradition, giving a child a name at birth and bestowing a courtesy name upon reaching adulthood.

Of course, whether in ancient times or feudal society, ordinary commoners also had no courtesy name. In ancient times the class system was strict; those who could possess a courtesy name as adults were mostly from scholarly families, or their ancestors were fallen scholar-officials who had achieved distinction, not comparable to ordinary merchants and clerks.

Therefore, the glory of this empty name has taken deep root among these stubborn, unenlightened elders. Their thinking is: even if the family has declined, after all it once flourished. Having a courtesy name naturally shows how their family differs from ordinary families.

After all, this glory is nothing but an empty name. However, throughout China's five thousand years, people have valued nothing but fame and profit. Even if one is pure-sleeved and wholeheartedly serves the people, a scholar still regards reputation as extremely important, even more important than his own life.

Although it was the early days of reform and opening up, the Liu family still preserved this tradition; since their ancestors had produced military officers, the Liu family naturally had the qualification to bestow courtesy names on their children.

Of course, the courtesy name actually complements the given name. For example, the famous Tang poet Bai Juyi, courtesy name Letian. The meaning is: only by being optimistic can one live at ease.

Liu Guozhong's given name is Guozhong, his courtesy name is Mengyong. Meng means eldest, and combined with Yong it conveys the meaning of valor. The courtesy name fully displays the bearing of a military family. Only with valor can one serve the country loyally; only with valor can one protect the nation and bring peace.

In the past, people usually addressed others by their courtesy name rather than their given name. For example, Du Fu, courtesy name Zimei. In the Tang dynasty, people generally called him Du Zimei. However, in modern times, for simplicity and ease of memory, books often show only the two characters Du Fu.

For this reason, those who are familiar call Liu Guozhong Mengyong, or Brother Yong.

When Liu Guozhong was carried on the back by that sturdy team member, the familiar villagers immediately recognized him. Everyone bustled about, pressing on his chest and turning him upside down, shaking him… taking some post-drowning precautions.

And Aunt Wang's heart rose to her throat; as a descendant of a Daoist teaching family, she naturally knew how fearsome spirits could be—this Liu Guozhong… was probably beyond saving.

Thinking of this, Aunt Wang was overcome with grief; tears flowed uncontrollably, trickling from the corners of her eyes.

Who would have thought that at this moment, the unconscious Liu Guozhong suddenly vomited a big mouthful of water with a "wa", furrowed his brows, clutched his chest, and shouted in pain: "It kills me!"

Then came painful, repeated coughing, almost bringing up bile. After a moment, Liu Guozhong furrowed his brows, glanced around at the people nearby as if searching for something. Not long after, his eyes grew heavy with drowsiness, as weary as someone who hadn't slept for days; his head lolled to one side and he fainted again.

The old branch secretary checked Liu Guozhong's breath, finding it weak but still present—he had merely fainted—and involuntarily let out a sigh of relief.

He glanced at the dry well, narrowed his eyes at the desolate surroundings. Fearing that a long night would bring many dreams, the old branch secretary quickly had the sturdy team member carry Liu Guozhong; the group, holding torches, hurried down the mountain in a mighty throng.

As they went down the mountain, they still hoarsely shouted, loudly singing mountain songs.

The ringing song echoed in the desolate bamboo grove, accompanied by a long fire dragon. At this moment the villagers did not seem to be fleeing for their lives; rather, they seemed more like they were holding a bonfire party.

The old branch secretary's reason for making them do this was another, unknown factor.

Any elder or insider knows well that a person is like a lamp, with three flames: one on the forehead, two on the shoulders. From these three flames one can see the decline of a person's fortune.

The stronger the three flames, the more they restrain spirits. In fact, these three flames are closely tied to one's emotions. For example, if you walk down a deserted street at night and someone suddenly taps your shoulder, you will surely startle and tremble all over. Or if a spirit behind you repeatedly calls your name, when you turn and suddenly see its form, you will surely be frightened again.

If you are afraid, the three flames instantly weaken; then a spirit can approach you. But if you are not afraid, instead wearing an angry face and staring at it without fear, the spirit might still only get within three tenths of you.

Although the old branch secretary understood no magic, he fully grasped this principle. That is why he had the villagers hold torches and, as if oblivious, sing mountain songs.

Song is a good thing that can express inner emotions, dispelling gloom and fear. Especially when a group sings mountain songs in unison, with such soaring, resonant tones, their emotions become uncontrollably excited.

One might ask, under such vigor, the hot blood in one's heart already rises and falls with the song—what is there to fear?

However, the villagers of the production team, holding torches and singing all the way, finally returned safely to the production team's dormitory.

The old branch secretary dared not delay; he quickly called an aunt to fetch the village's barefoot doctor, and placed Liu Guozhong in a better single room to rest.

After examining Liu Guozhong, the village barefoot doctor pondered briefly and roughly guessed the cause. However, because reform and opening up had just begun, people still harbored lingering fears of the ten-year Cultural Revolution. Thus the actual situation, the old Chinese doctor naturally dared not speak of, and merely brushed it off as a wind-cold ailment.

Why a wind-cold ailment? Because after Liu Guozhong was sent back, his body grew hotter and hotter, and he had already developed a high fever.

After the old Chinese doctor left, Liu Guozhong spent several consecutive days in coma and fever. Naturally, the person caring for Liu Guozhong fell to Aunt Wang.

Perhaps because of the life-saving favor, over the next long stretch of time Aunt Wang never left his bedside.

Speaking of Liu Guozhong, due to years of martial training his physique was solid; after long practice he had become extraordinarily sturdy. Once the blood and grime were washed off, a thick-browed, honest young man appeared vividly before Aunt Wang's eyes. Though not a handsome man, he possessed a certain steadfastness; in today's words… that steadfastness is the sense of security a man exudes.

Aunt Wang routinely, while feeding medicine to the unconscious Liu Guozhong, also furtively observed this steadfast fellow.

Moreover, which maiden does not harbor springtime feelings? Especially when the man she constantly associates with has also saved her life. Over time, Aunt Wang developed a vague affection for Liu Guozhong.

However, being an adolescent girl, she was bewildered and shy; even without sorting out exactly what this vague feeling was, even if she knew, she lacked the courage to speak of it to others due to embarrassment.

Until one rather accidental afternoon, when Liu Guozhong woke up under very sudden circumstances.

That afternoon, Aunt Wang was holding a basin of rice water, vigorously scraping Liu Guozhong's thigh wound—where it had been scratched—with a hard coin.

Speaking of using rice water, red thread, and hard coin to scrape wounds, this is one of the common folk remedies in the countryside. For example, if a child is bitten by a dog, or scratched by something dirty, an elder will soak a basin of glutinous rice water, first run the red thread over the wound like scraping the face, then use the hard coin to scrape out the clotted blood.

Although this method is rustic, it is quite effective; in the few days after Liu Guozhong was sent back, Aunt Wang used the hard coin to scrape off several layers of blackened matter from his thigh wound.

For this detox scraping, one must scrape until seeing red, from the filthy blood to bright red. Therefore, this treatment cannot be finished in a day or two.

Aunt Wang was gently scraping Liu Guozhong's thigh wound with the hard coin, but her mind had flown to the clouds, recalling that night when Liu Guozhong sacrificed himself to save her.

The absent-minded Aunt Wang did not notice Liu Guozhong's fingers trembling slightly. Until Liu Guozhong rubbed his aching forehead, pushed himself up, and painfully and bewilderedly shouted out, Aunt Wang suddenly straightened up and exclaimed "Ah!" in a daze.

After a moment, Aunt Wang's face flushed red, she lowered her head and fled out the door.

In the old society, feudal thinking was strong; after reform and opening up, the idea that men and women should not be intimate remained deeply rooted in some people's minds. Aunt Wang used a hard coin to treat Liu Guozhong's wound, and naturally their skin would inevitably come into contact.

At this moment Liu Guozhong suddenly woke up, while Aunt Wang had been dazed for a long time, unaware. Once she came to her senses, she naturally worried that Liu Guozhong had seen this intimate skin contact, and uncontrollably covered her flushed face and fled the door. She wished she could find a crack to crawl into, feeling utterly ashamed to face anyone.