Chapter 26: Good things cannot be reversed
To save money, the villagers usually worked from sunrise to sunset, and few used oil lamps at night. But today was different for the Zhang family. As soon as the Gu family father and daughter entered the Zhang family's courtyard, they saw a faint firelight flickering under the window of the house.
Zhang Shinan had written a letter and had left it to dry. He quietly tucked it away and handed it to his son, who was standing nearby. "Go to the Yunlai Inn in Songjiang City tomorrow and give them the letter."
Zhang Yinshan took the letter and took a look. The recipient's name was Zhang Shiwen, the head of the Zhang family.
"Come back when the letter is delivered. There's no need to talk to them."
"knew."
Zhang Shinan pushed open the window and saw the Gu family father and daughter coming in. He smiled and said, "Why are you here at this time?"
Zhang Shinan's tone was calm, and there was nothing wrong on his face. Gu Wen didn't ask any more questions and smiled, "It's about the canal. Last evening, Wu Dalang from the village entrance came to me and said that his land is far from the canal. Even if he could save some trouble by fetching water from the canal to irrigate the land, he still couldn't make it in time. He wants to dig a ditch through your land to divert the water."
Gu Wen slowly walked under the eaves and said, "I know you have a distant guest today, and Boss Wu couldn't come over. Our two families live close by, so Boss Wu asked me to come and ask you about this."
Zhang Shinan said nonchalantly, "It's not a big deal if they dig a ditch through my land, but the ditch here is no better than a canal. If I divert a bucket of water there, I'm afraid half of it will seep back into my land and be wasted. Nowadays, everyone draws water from the canal. If he wants to divert water, would other families be willing?"
"He made an agreement with the others that he would start diverting water in a few days after everyone had finished watering the first batch."
"Then tell him I agree."
After talking about the canal, it was hard to say anything else. Gu Wen just said, "They say that a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. Our two families haven't known each other for long, but our friendship still exists. If you need any help, Brother Zhang, please feel free to ask."
"Thank you, Brother Gu. I'm sorry for your concern."
Zhang Shinan is not a person who likes to trouble others. He didn't want to say more. Gu Wen nodded, and it was getting late, so he said goodbye.
Gu Youan called out to Zhang Yinshan, "Would you be free to take me up the mountain to identify medicinal herbs tomorrow?"
"I'm busy tomorrow, so maybe the day after tomorrow."
"Okay, then the day after tomorrow." It's not easy for outsiders to interfere in the affairs of the Zhang family. Zhang Shinan didn't say anything, and Gu Wen's plan to inquire about the court's affairs from the Zhang family was completely impossible.
Gu Youan knew what her father meant. The next morning, Zhang Yinshan went to Songjiang City to deliver the letter, and Gu Youan also went to Songjiang City.
The Gu family's vegetable garden grew a variety of vegetables well. The family couldn't finish eating them all, so they picked some and dried them to store. For the rest, Mrs. Du picked them and asked Guo Su to send them back to the Ping'an Escort Agency to provide some vegetables for the children of the agency.
Guo Su and Gu Youan each carried a basket of vegetables to the Ping'an Escort Agency. They set out late and arrived in Songjiang City around noon.
The two men carried the vegetables and entered from the East City Gate, crossed the East Street, turned to the South Street, and walked straight west to the Ping'an Escort Agency.
"Is anyone home? I'm back!"
Guo Su shouted, and a group of children of all ages ran out of the escort agency. Each of them was like a monkey in the mountains, energetic and agile, laughing and giggling, which made people happy to see them.
"Sister Su, you're back!"
"Why hasn't godfather come back?"
"Oh, Sister Su brought us some food. We can save some money on food today."
"Susu, I heard you're a teacher now? How impressive is it to be a teacher?"
A group of children were rushing to talk, and Guo Su, who was talkative, had no chance to get a word in. It was an older sister-in-law who came out and held the group of little ones down, asking them to take the vegetables to the kitchen and then bring the baskets back.
Guo Su wiped the sweat off her face and said, "Sister Zhang, these are vegetables from Aunt Du's family. Aunt Du grew a lot and couldn't finish them all, so she asked me to send some back to the escort agency. In addition to the vegetables, there is also a summer-heat-relief herbal tea. Sister Zhang, remember to make some for them."
"Oh, that's so thoughtful. Thank you, Mrs. Du, for thinking of us."
Mrs. Zhang smiled at Gu Youan and said, "This must be the young lady of the Gu family. Thank you for your trouble."
"Sister-in-law, you're too polite. My family calls me An'an, so you can just call me An'an."
After a round of polite greetings, the three of them entered the house. Mrs. Zhang sent for tea. Guo Su drank a bowl to quench her thirst before asking, "Aren't Brother Zhang and the others home?"
"No, a few days ago, several caravans from the interior of China came to Songjiang City. Your brother Zhang took the older members of the escort agency to South Street to carry some work. They will probably be busy for a few days."
From June to September every year, the caravans are the busiest and this is also the time when the most casual work is done.
Mrs. Zhang asked, "Are you and your adoptive father doing well at the Gu family? You've been in the neighboring village for so long, and you didn't even send a message back for the Mid-Autumn Festival. We were discussing yesterday that we would go to the neighboring village to visit you in two days."
Guo Su laughed heartily: "My adoptive father is busy, and I am busy too. I have been living comfortably in the neighboring village, so I didn't think of sending a letter home."
After hearing what Guo Su said, Mrs. Zhang looked at Gu Youan with an especially gentle look. It seemed that this member of the Gu family was a good person and did not treat their family members harshly.
Guo Su handed Mrs. Zhang a few taels of silver and said, "This is the wages of my adoptive father and me. He asked me to bring it back and put it in your account."
"Give it all to me? Why don't you keep some for yourself?"
"No, I don't have much money to spend. Sister-in-law, we have something else to do, so we'll leave first."
When Guo Su saw Gu Youan winking at her, she said a few words and was about to leave with Gu Youan.
"Hey, kid, stay and have lunch before you leave."
"No, we have something else to do. See you later, sister-in-law."
Gu Youan nodded to Mrs. Zhang: "We'll leave first."
After leaving the Ping An Escort Agency, the two of them carried empty backpacks. Gu Youan asked Guo Su, "Where is the Yunlai Inn?"
"The Yunlai Inn is on South Street. I heard it's run by the Han family, and most of the people staying there are merchants from the interior."
"Is the food at Yunlai Inn good?"
Guo Su nodded quickly. "I heard that the chefs at Yunlai Inn are all hired from the interior of the country. The food there is especially delicious. When I went to South Street with my brothers and sisters to carry heavy loads, whenever it was time for dinner, we would definitely not go to Yunlai Inn. The aroma was so delicious that it made our mouths water."
"Hearing what you said, let's go try it today. It's my treat."
"Really? Let's go quickly." Guo Su was craving for food.
The two of them walked to the Yunlai Inn. The waiter who was greeting guests at the door was stunned when he saw the two girls dressed in ordinary clothes and carrying two backpacks. When he saw that one of them had a different temperament from the ordinary girls, he hurriedly smiled and welcomed them in.
"Would you two ladies like to stay overnight or have a meal?"
"Eat."
"Those two have come to the right place. Even though our Yunlai Inn is an inn, the food our chef cooks is even more delicious than in a restaurant. The chef in the guesthouse up ahead can't even compare to ours."
Guo Su whispered that he was bragging.
Gu Youan couldn't help but smile. He looked around and saw seven or eight tables of guests in the lobby. After a quick look, Gu Youan pointed to the window by the alley and said, "Let's sit there. It's bright and sunny by the window."
The waiter led them over and introduced them as they walked: "The shopkeeper bought a pig this morning. The chef's braised pork is especially delicious. Would you like a bowl, young lady?"
"Have a bowl, please."
The two sat down, and Gu Youan saw the menu hanging on the wall and ordered a braised fish, a pot of vegetable soup, and a bowl of rice.
The waiter called out the names of the dishes loudly and poured tea for a while: "Please sit down, the dishes will be served soon."
After the waiter left, Guo Su whispered, "They charge for their tea."
Gu Youan poured her a cup and said, "Merchants cannot sit down to discuss business without tea. Providing it for free would be a big loss, so it's normal to charge for tea."
"There's the Yingbin Inn in the southeast corner. If you stay or eat at their place, they'll provide you with tea and water."
Gu Youan nodded, picked up the tea and sipped it slowly.
"You just read the letter Zhang Shinan wrote to the clan leader. Zhang Shinan was frightened and has no ambition to improve himself. He is also unwilling to lend a helping hand to the Zhang family. Our trip here has been a waste of effort."
"I think what Shinan said makes sense. The master above may be in a good situation today but not tomorrow. If the people below are implicated by mistake, it will be a disaster of confiscating property and exterminating the clan."
"You fool! Don't you know how hard the Zhang family is right now? Without an imperial physician to support the family, even third-rate pharmacies in Luoyang City dare to withhold our herbs and give them to other families. How much has our doctor suffered in the past few years?"
"Alas, the prescriptions those women used for maintenance were all his. If he doesn't respond, there's nothing we can do."
"I think we should go to the neighboring village again this afternoon. Since he won't give it to us, we can just spend money to buy it. Zhang Shinan is aloof, but his son Zhang Yinshan is already old enough to start a family and marry a wife. Which one doesn't require money?"
"Besides, the Liu family has also come along, and they absolutely must have the recipe. If Zhang Shinan refuses to give it to us, it will put both us and their family in a difficult position."
Gu Youan's eyes glared. Did the Liu family come to Songjiang City? To ask for Zhang Shinan's prescription? Or to visit the Liu family?
"You two, your braised pork, braised fish, and vegetable soup are all here. Enjoy!"
Guo Su had been waiting. As soon as the dishes were served, she quickly picked up some food for Gu Youan and said, "Try their braised pork."
Gu Youan ate a piece and found it was indeed delicious.
Guo Su smiled and said, "I just said their food is delicious."
Guo Su ate contentedly, but Gu Youan ate distractedly, his ears always focused on the Zhang family's table.
Those people said a few words about the Zhang family's difficult situation and that Zhang Shinan, as a member of the Zhang family, had no conscience, and then left with a sigh.
Gu Youan ate quickly. After finishing his meal, he bought two bowls of braised pork to take away.
Without taking a break, Gu Youan and Guo Su rushed back to the neighboring mountain village. As soon as they entered the village, they met her father talking to the head of the village about the canal planning. Gu Youan waited for them to finish talking before stepping forward to talk about the Zhang family.
Gu Wen: "Don't worry about it, I'll talk to your Uncle Zhang."
"Dad, Uncle Zhang will give me the recipe, right?"
Her father had just taught her last night that large families are always tangled and difficult to sort out, with broken bones and entangled tendons.
Gu Wen sighed and said, "Their family is in Songjiang City. The Liu family has no control over this place, so they can naturally act tough. The Zhang family in Shandong is dependent on others, so there is nothing they can do."
Gu Wen and his daughter had predicted Zhang Shinan's temper, and in the end, just as they expected, Zhang Shinan handed over the prescription. After everyone left, Zhang Shinan got so angry that he fell ill.
Gu Wen and Tian Qingde went to visit Zhang's family. Tian Qingde advised him, "Where there are people, there are bound to be disputes. You step on me and I bully you. It's common. In our village, for example, there are many fights and quarrels over water and land. You've lived to this age, and you still can't let it go?"
"If you were single, I wouldn't advise you, but you have a wife and children. How are your family going to survive if you, the pillar of the family, are so useless?"
Zhang Shinan sighed and said, "In one's lifetime, it's so difficult to have both."
Gu Wen smiled and said, "You can control yourself, but can you control others? It's hard to find the best of both worlds."
"Brother Zhang, we all know your abilities. Even if you don't seek fame or fortune, you should strive for progress and a future. Otherwise, if someone bullies you again, you won't have any way to retreat."
You can't hide from it!
There is no paradise on earth. If it does exist, it is not something that people like them can enjoy.
It is difficult to enter the world, and it is even more difficult to leave it.
Zhang Shinan sighed, well, well!
When Zhang Shinan recovered from his illness, the land in the neighboring mountain village had been watered twice, and the third round was about to be completed. The corn cobs were gradually ripening, and the smell of autumn harvest was blowing in the wind.
Mrs. Du went to the field to pick a few green corn cobs, threw them into the pot to cook, took them out and rinsed them with cold water. Each member of the family held one in their hands and ate it happily.
Mrs. Du sighed, "I've eaten fresh corn before, but I feel like the ones I grow myself are tastier."
"Of course, the ones you grow with your own hard work are tastier. But I wonder if it's because of the climate and soil in Songjiang City?"
Master Guo agreed with Gu Wen's words: "Although Songjiang City is not as good as Jiangnan and can only harvest grain once a year, I also think that the fruits, vegetables and grains grown here taste better than those in the south. It must be because of the different climate and soil."
Guo Su nodded quickly: "Delicious!"
Ah Xuan muttered, "Braised pork is the best!"
Ah Xuan was still thinking about the braised pork her sister bought last time, so she ran to her sister and said, "Sister, Ah Xuan wants to eat braised pork."
"If you want to eat, go ask your mother to make it."
"I want to eat something bought outside."
Mrs. Du narrowed her eyes and said, "Why, do you think my cooking isn't as good as the ones out there?"
"No, Xuan is just... just worried that Mom will get tired."
The little girl was very clever, and she pestered Mrs. Du and said coquettishly, "Mother, mother, let's go buy some braised pork."
Mrs. Du finally couldn't help herself and burst out laughing. She pinched her little face unhappily and said, "You are a picky eater, you know how to eat."
Gu Wen smiled and said, "If you want to eat, go buy some. Even though our family is poor, we can still afford a meal of meat."
"If Mr. Gu's family were poor, our Guo family would probably have to beg on the streets."
"Of course not. Mr. Guo has many children, houses and properties. My family can't compare to that." Gu Wen said with a smile: "Look, my family still lives in a mud house."
Gu Wen and Master Guo started chatting and laughing. Ah Xuan threw herself into Gu Wen's arms, twisting her little body into a twisted knot. "Daddy, eat meat, eat meat."
Gu Wen hugged his little girl and said, "Ask your sister to buy it tomorrow."
Gu Wenqing, who had been silent the whole time and had already chewed three heads of corn, said, "Two bowls are not enough. Buy four or five bowls."
Ever since Gu Wenqing started learning martial arts from Master Guo, his appetite has greatly increased. If you ask him to eat as much as he wants, he can eat two bowls of meat by himself.
Gu Youan nodded in agreement. Since he was going to buy it, he would let the whole family eat their fill.
Mrs. Du said: "The autumn harvest is almost here, and we need to take good care of ourselves. An An, please buy some chickens and ducks so that the whole family can have some nourishment."
"good."
Gu Youan was going to Songjiang City, so Guo Su naturally had to follow him.
When I went to Songjiang City again a month later, the South Street area in the city seemed to be more lively than a month ago.
Guo Su: "I heard that this is the last group of caravans coming to Songjiang City this year. If the weather turns cold early, it will snow after the autumn harvest. No other caravans dare to leave the customs and come to Songjiang City."
The two went to Yunlai Inn to buy braised pork and paid for five bowls. However, the five bowls of braised pork were not easy to carry, so the innkeeper asked the kitchen to find a clean jar to put the meat in for them to take away.
"Just take it home, young lady. Next time you have time, just return the jar."
"Thank you, shopkeeper."
After buying the braised pork, Guo Su took Gu Youan to the East Street Market to buy chickens and ducks.
Because the wastelands outside Songjiang City are all in the east and north, and the north is still being reclaimed and has not yet developed, most ordinary people outside Songjiang City live in the east of Songjiang City. People go to the city to sell fruits, vegetables, chickens and ducks they grow themselves, as well as fish caught in the river and wild animals caught in the mountains. They all enter the city through the east gate.
As more people came into the city to do small business, the market near the east gate became bigger and bigger.
Gu Youan bought chickens and ducks. When she came across someone selling medicinal herbs, she would buy from those she knew. If she was unsure or didn't know the person, she would just go up and ask, but would never make an offer.
After a stroll, it was getting late, so the two of them hurried out of the city. When they returned to the neighboring mountain village, it was time for lunch at home.
“Meat!”
A Xuan was so happy.
A jar of meat!
The little girl had big eyes and a small belly. She sat across the table from Gu Wenqing. Seeing her brother eating a piece of braised pork in one bite, while she could only take three or four bites to finish a piece of meat, the little girl was very anxious.
"Brother, wait for me."
Gu Wenqing ate one piece after another, hmm, this meat is so delicious!
Ah Xuan was about to cry. Gu Youan took an empty bowl and put three pieces of meat on it for her: "Save them for you to eat at night."
"Humph, no, brother."
"Well, they're all yours. We won't eat them."
A Xuan was satisfied, and her greasy little mouth pouted for a kiss, but Gu Youan quickly dodged.
"Sister!" The little girl was dissatisfied.
Gu Youan: "Eat quickly, big brother has finished another piece of meat."
Ah Xuan opened her mouth wide, bit off half a piece of meat, chewed it a few times and swallowed it. The little girl shrank her neck and touched her face with both hands: "Sister, my mouth is sore, I'm so tired."
Everyone at the table burst into laughter. This girl!
The autumn wind carries the laughter far away, the moon rises and sets, and many days and nights pass. The wind coming down from the mountains finally turns the leaves yellow and ripens the crops.
The autumn harvest horn sounded, and the whole village went to the fields to harvest. Master Guo and Guo Su, the martial arts masters hired by the Gu and Tian families, were supposed to go home and rest for a few days, but they did not go back and stayed at the Gu family to help harvest the crops.
Even with the help of Master Guo and his daughter, the Gu family could not be quicker. When half of the grain from the fields was harvested, they asked the Luo family, who had finished their work, to help. It took several more days to harvest all the nearly 40 acres of land.
The Gu family's house and yard were filled with grain. Gu Wen had no time to take care of the household, so he went out with the blueprint of the canal he had planned.
The village head called on the young and strong people from each household in the village, and they had to build the canal before the ground froze.
The construction of the canal in the neighboring mountain village has started. Several other villages around Ping'an Town came to take a look. After they went back and discussed, they all asked Gu Wen to come over and help see how to repair the canal in their village.
Gu Wen was unable to handle the work alone, so he handed over the canal of the neighboring mountain village to Tian Qingde for supervision. He took Tian Dalang and Gu Youan to various villages to help repair the canals.
Gu Wen obviously trusts his daughter very much. The father and daughter discuss exploration, canal route planning, drawing blueprints, etc. As long as Gu Youan's words make sense, Gu Wen never refutes them.
Tian Dalang originally thought that Uncle Gu brought him and An An together to teach them how to do things. After following them for a few days, Tian Dalang found that he was the only one who knew nothing and needed to be taught, while An An seemed to be born with the ability.
When Tian Dalang returned home and told his father these words, Tian Qingde snorted, "What's the point of having you two? Mother and I worked so hard to raise you, but now you're almost adults, and you're of no use at all."
Tian Erlang, who was innocently implicated, was speechless: "Dad, I'm only eighteen this year, and it's my brother who is almost coming of age."
Tian Qingde scolded him, "Don't you think I and your mother should worry too much? You eat a whole bowl of food in one meal, more than a pig. What's the point of gaining weight?"
Tian Erlang's arms were bare, and his muscles were bulging. These were the result of his hard work in learning martial arts from Master Guo over the past six months.
Tian Erlang wanted to make some excuses for himself, but seeing that his father was so angry that he had no place to vent his anger, he gave his brother a look that said "May the best of you" and quietly ran away.
Slip away!
Alas, his brother brought this upon himself. He knew that his father envied Uncle Gu for having a smart daughter, but he still went to his father and said this and that. He deserved to be scolded.
Tian Erlang recalled that night in the reed marsh, when Gu Youan killed someone with his skillful technique and calm eyes, and he shuddered suddenly.
He is a ruthless person, don't mess with him!
After being scolded, Tian Dalang still had to follow Gu Wen and his daughter to work the next day. He was so busy that it started snowing.
“It’s snowing!”
The fields were soon covered with a layer of white snow. The villagers who were digging the canals moved faster, trying to dig out enough water before the ground froze, and then slowly went to the mountains to find stones to build the canals. It would take some more effort in the spring of next year to finish the work, and the canals would come in handy when water was needed in spring and autumn.
"drive!"
Suddenly, they heard a chaotic sound of horse hooves. The villagers who were working looked up and saw a group of twenty people carrying bows and arrows riding horses towards the neighboring mountain village.
"Oh, I've been so busy that I forgot. In previous years, when the first snow fell, the guards of Prince Qi's mansion would go hunting in the mountains and drive the wild animals deep into the mountains."
The villager who was speaking turned to Gu Wen and said, "Mr. Gu, your home is in the neighboring mountain village. Your village is closest to Tiger Ridge. Every year, the guards of Prince Qi's palace enter the mountain from your village."
"It's been years since we've seen a tiger come down the mountain."
"Five or six years ago, when my family was still in Dongyuan County, a tiger came down from the mountains and killed four or five people in the first year of land reclamation in the neighboring mountain village. But we never heard of it again in the following years."
"The guards from Prince Qi's palace come here every year, and even the tigers are driven away."
The group of people talked for a while, and then the snow fell heavier, so they stopped what they were doing and went home to rest.
"See you tomorrow, Mr. Gu!"
Gu Wen waved his hand and said goodbye to everyone with a smile.
The three of them returned to the neighboring mountain village, which had already been harvested and was covered in white, just like what they saw when they were exiled here last year.
Gu Youan looked up at the lush green mountains behind him. Snow was falling on the treetops, and there was no bird singing. It was extremely quiet.
The first snow fell until midnight. The next day, Gu Wen took Tian Dalang to the next village, but Gu Youan did not go.
After a year of care, his body seemed to have finally recovered completely. After taking many health pills made by Zhang Shinan, Gu Youan had his period last night.
When she told her mother the news that morning, Mrs. Du was overjoyed and said in a low voice, "Oh my God, it's finally here. You just lie down at home and I'll ask your uncle Zhang to take your pulse later."
Mrs. Du went to Zhang's house. Guo Su made some brown sugar water and brought it to Gu Youan: "Does your stomach hurt?"
Gu Youan nodded silently, looking a little pitiful.
It turned out that she grew up with her grandparents. Her grandmother was an old Chinese medicine doctor who had taken care of her health since she was a child, so she had never suffered this hardship.
This is my first time in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Zhang Shinan and his son Zhang Yinshan came to Gu's house together. Gu Youan saw the medicine box on Zhang Yinshan's shoulder and couldn't help but be surprised. What does this mean?
After taking Gu Youan's pulse, Zhang Shinan said, "It's not a big deal. Use the prescription I gave you before to make two doses of medicine and continue drinking it. After a few more recuperations, it will be completely gone."
Zhang Shinan asked Zhang Yinshan to take out the gold needles so that he could give her a few acupuncture treatments.
Zhang Shinan had the habit of washing his hands before acupuncture. When he went to the Gu family's kitchen to wash his hands, Zhang Yinshan grinned and said, "My father said that he plans to open a pharmacy in Songjiang City next year to practice medicine."
"Uncle Zhang, have you figured it out?"
“That’s great!”
Zhang Yinshan smiled and nodded. It was indeed a great thing for their family!
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