Chapter 37: The Young Stepmother

The caravan's owner was still in a corner, bowing repeatedly and negotiating with the gate guard.

Uncle Rong Kui frowned and called out to Xu Yuan: "Wait a moment, let's see what's going on."

The caravan owner, adhering to the principle of "when traveling, be kind to others," had accepted their ten copper coins, and at noon had invited them to eat with the caravan crew—two flatbreads and a bowl of meat-jerky soup for each person.

Xu Yuan simply waited along with them.

Not long after, the owner was waved back impatiently by the gate guard.

When the owner passed by, Uncle Rong Kui asked, "Didn't you count it correctly?"

The owner glanced toward the gate guard, hesitated, then shook his head: "Tomorrow... we'll see then."

There were several carriage inns just outside the city wall, catering to this kind of caravan business. There was no need to worry about having nowhere to stay overnight.

Uncle Rong Kui immediately understood what had happened and cursed: "These rotten scoundrels, breaking the rules again."

The owner sighed: "When traveling, one must endure what one can endure..."

Uncle Rong Kui grabbed him: "Come with me!"

"Hey, hey, hey..." The owner actually didn't want to go. He was willing to accept a smaller profit on this trip, but he would be running this route again in the future. If he truly offended this gate guard, every future trip would be met with harassment.

But Uncle Rong Kui's grip was extremely strong; he dragged him before the gate guard and, without any courtesy, threw out his badge: "Open your dog eyes and look! Do you dare to harass my father-in-law?"

The gate guard caught it with his hand, saw it was a badge of the Demon-Suppression Army, and immediately shivered. His previously arrogant attitude changed completely; he bowed and scraped, returning the badge with both hands: "My lord, I was blind. Rest assured, from now on, whenever your father-in-law passes through here, not a single coin will be charged!"

The position on this badge was "Squad Leader," not one of the common soldiers of the "Demon-Suppression Camp."

The Demon-Suppression Army was responsible for gathering intelligence and purging traitors.

Wasn't that to say whoever they claimed was a traitor simply became one?

You say you're not?

Come, come, come, witness our Demon-Suppression Thousand-Household Office's one hundred and eight torture devices.

"Hmph!" Uncle Rong Kui snorted: "That's more like it."

The gate guard immediately kicked and prodded, urging his few soldiers into action: "Everyone move! Clear the road for this lord."

Then he personally ran to the front of the caravan, directing the cart drivers to enter the city gate.

Everyone in the caravan was utterly stunned; they never expected the two hitchhikers they had picked up on the road to be such important figures.

The owner had been doing business in the Imperial Ming for twenty years, and this was the first time he had entered the city without spending a single coin!

The gate guard, leading his men, stood behind the city gate archway, bowing and waving continuously as he saw off Uncle Rong Kui and the caravan party.

After turning a corner, out of sight of the gate guard and his men, Uncle Rong Kui waved his hand: "That's enough. Let us part ways here."

As Uncle Rong Kui dragged Xu Yuan to leave, the owner hurriedly said: "My lord, I indeed have a daughter, precisely in her eighteenth year..."

Uncle Rong Kui erupted in curses: "Get lost! I helped you, and you actually think about becoming my father-in-law!"

The owner clasped his fists deeply by the roadside, expressing his gratitude as he saw the two off.

Uncle Rong Kui, feeling very proud, secretly observed Xu Yuan's reaction.

Of course, he hadn't helped out of pure benevolence; at most, benevolence accounted for thirty percent.

Xu Yuan, however, wore a calm expression and said to Uncle Rong Kui: "Let us part ways here as well. I am going home. My home is cramped with no space to host guests, so I will not invite Uncle Rong Kui to my door."

Having spoken, Xu Yuan also clasped his fists, turned, and left.

Uncle Rong Kui hurriedly called out to stop him: "Are you truly not going to reconsider?"

Xu Yuan turned back again and said solemnly: "Uncle Rong Kui, the Demon-Suppression Army is indeed very imposing; I have seen it all.

You say that following Second Uncle offers a bright future and high salary; I believe that too, but I truly do not wish to join the Demon-Suppression Army. Do not waste your efforts.

I am going home now; do not follow me—my stepmother has a bad temper. I dare not provoke her, and I advise you best not to do so either."

Xu Yuan turned and left once more: "My words end here."

Uncle Rong Kui watched his resolute back from behind, opened his mouth, but finally slumped and slapped his thigh.

He checked the direction and headed toward a local freight station.

That place was also a covert outpost of the Demon-Suppression Army. Since Xu Yuan was unwilling to join, Uncle Rong Kui had already sent a message out last night via Widow Yang. Now, Uncle Rong Kui could only wait for further instructions from his old comrade, the new commander.

Xu Yuan had seriously considered whether or not to join the Demon-Suppression Army.

It seemed Second Uncle had made a name for himself; joining the Demon-Suppression Army and leveraging Second Uncle's power to solve the family's "difficulties" seemed like a good choice.

But Uncle Rong Kui had first observed him secretly, discovered his capabilities, and then appeared extremely urgent.

That made Xu Yuan dare not go.

Since Xu Yuan could remember, he had never seen Second Uncle.

What familial affection could such a relative possibly have for him?

Had he suddenly come to find him truly out of great benevolence to "bestow favor" upon him... or was there some dangerous matter that happened to require someone of his "nephew" status to handle?

Xu Yuan actually did not want to obtain a definite answer.

After all, he was Second Uncle, the only younger brother of his father.

Without knowing the answer, they were still relatives.

Shanhé County town was not large; Xu Yuan had grown up here since childhood and was familiar with every street and alley... as well as the low walls and dog holes that could be used as shortcuts.

In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Xu Yuan stood at the eastern entrance of Hégōng Alley.

This alley roughly formed a "concave" shape, with an exit at both the east and west ends, and inside lived seven or eight households.

The two households at the very end were the Xu family and the home of Grandpa Shen, who sold dog-skin plasters.

Grandpa Shen had always been very proud; since his dog-skin plasters were extremely effective, "good wine needs no bush."

At the two alley entrances, the eastern side held Uncle Mao Si's carpentry shop, while the western side held Aunt Wang's basket-mending shop.

The carpentry shop's main door was tightly locked; Uncle Mao Si had likely gone out to work.

Xu Yuan entered the alley, and his footsteps unconsciously quickened.

All the way to the front door—this was a small gate.

The theater's door was the main entrance, right in the center of the "concave" character, and it opened only when the opera was performed.

Xu Yuan pushed the door open and went straight in.

Creak—

The sound of the wooden door startled a young woman in the courtyard; she wore a blue cotton padded jacket, a starched white apron tied around her waist, and had rolled up her sleeves to reveal two arms as white as lotus roots, while she was washing clothes in the yard.

Her black hair was styled in a falling-horse bun, making her Bai Xi and delicate face appear even more radiant. She was just in her early twenties; hearing the sound, she turned her head to glance toward the gate, saw it was Xu Yuan, and a surge of joy welled up in her ink-black eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

Xu Yuan also saw his stepmother.

The afternoon sunlight lazily crossed over the west wall and spilled onto the well at the eastern end.

A wooden basin leaned against the well's edge, with a washboard propped inside. When his stepmother turned to look over, a few strands of hair fell across her forehead, and under the sunlight, they took on a semi-transparent, hazy appearance.

The instant she saw him, her red lips parted slightly; joy, surprise, and bewilderment flashed across her bright eyes, finally coalescing into a single point of doubt: "Did Qiao Zi'ang kick you back here?"

She "whooshed" to her feet, and her height was actually about the same as Xu Yuan's.

The scholars of the Ming still favored the fashion of thin horses, and she clearly did not fit this pathological aesthetic.

But she was vigorous and capable, spirited and heroic, just like the row of green, upright bamboo along the wall behind her.

The woman slapped the half-wrung garment from her hands back into the wooden basin, splashing up a spray of soap pod suds.

"I'll go argue with him!" she said, picking up the washboard.

Begging for monthly tickets.

There will be more tonight.

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(End of this chapter)