Chapter 3 (She is Lu San Niang)
Chai Yong suddenly reached out and pressed Pei Jingyao back down.
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Pei Jingyao suppressed his excitement, sat down and poured himself a glass of wine, his eyes still fixed on the direction of the dancer.
The dancers did not raise their heads until the banquet ended.
Wu Yanxing, with two dancers in his arms, swayed as he stood up, and the magistrate of Liucheng County personally escorted him back.
The other young masters also chose a beautiful dancer they found pleasing to the eye and took her back to their rooms.
The dancers and musicians who were not chosen dispersed together, took off their gorgeous dance dresses, and returned them to the steward.
The steward stopped the sword-wielding dancer, who had changed into an old robe, and handed her a string of coins, saying, "Third Sister, this is a reward from Magistrate Guo."
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After the clerk left, the dancer next to him spat and said, "Third Sister, you won the applause of the whole audience today. All those young masters took off their gold ingots to reward you. I even heard that Young Master Chai promised to give you another thirty bolts of silk. Why did Magistrate Guo only give you one string of cash? Is he trying to fob you off like a beggar?"
A musician carrying a pipa passed by and sighed, "We are lowly people of lowly status, summoned at will and dismissed at will. All the rewards we receive go to Magistrate Guo. If Magistrate Guo can even let a little slip through his fingers, that's considered generous."
The dancer didn't say anything, covered her face with a dusty gray towel, and squeezed into an open space with the others to sleep.
As dawn broke, she went straight to the market, sat by the roadside waiting for the pharmacy to open, and counted out most of her money.
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"Here it is, all wrapped up, just for you, Third Sister!" The pharmacy clerk took the money and took out several packets of medicine. "Third Sister, the shopkeeper said that the Western Liang Kingdom has robbed several of our cities again, and the Turks are not behaving themselves either. The governor has led his troops out of the city, and a major battle may be coming. Some small caravans have not dared to come to Xizhou in the past few months. We don't have much stock in these pharmacies, so we'll have to raise the price by 20% next month."
The dancer frowned, thanked the shopkeeper, put away the medicinal herbs, and turned to walk back.
As I passed the street corner, a rich aroma wafted from the eatery next door. A freshly baked, fluffy, golden-brown flatbread was stacked steaming at the entrance.
The dancer glanced at the flatbread, then looked down to count her money. She counted it three times before finally finding ten coins. She bought a few flatbreads and tucked them into her sleeve.
She hurried away from the market with her head down, without glancing at any other shops.
As dawn broke, the dancer traversed most of Liucheng, entering a winding, narrow alley in the south of the city. She arrived at a low, rammed-earth house, wiped her sweat, lifted out the stove hidden behind the door, brushed aside the ashes, and carefully blew on it until the charcoal was lit. Then, she grabbed two pieces of dried sheep dung and stuffed them in, picked up a ceramic pot, poured in the medicine she had just bought, filled it with water, and placed it on the charcoal fire.
The water in the earthenware jar had run dry, but the dancer did not sit down to rest. Instead, she picked up the jar and went to fetch more water.
The irrigation ditch was far away, and she had to make several trips back and forth to fill the earthenware jar, sweating profusely.
A cough came from the dimly lit room: "Third Sister is back?"
The dancer washed off her makeup, waited until she was breathing normally, poured a bowl of hot water, tore up some flatbread and put it in the bowl to soak, then brought it into the room. She smiled at the woman leaning against the headboard and said, "Sister-in-law, the weather is nice outside today. After you take your medicine, I'll help you go out and sit for a while."
The woman was in her thirties, with sunken eyes and a sickly appearance. Her gaze lingered on Third Sister's face for a moment.
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The dancer shook her head: "Sister-in-law, have something to eat."
The woman took the bowl and ate a couple of bites. The flatbread was filled with mutton, and the hot water had softened the flatbread and made the meat tender; it melted in her mouth. She hadn't been able to eat anything for the past few days, and this bowl of soup suited her taste perfectly.
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Outside the window, a dancer squatted in the courtyard washing the dirty clothes that the women had changed out of. Sweat rolled down her forehead, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. After washing the clothes, she brought out several jars of dried soybeans, mung beans, long beans, and sedges, and sat in the brightly lit doorway. She picked out the beans that hadn't shriveled and ground them into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.
This job looks easy, but it's actually the most tiring. After picking for a while, your back will ache and your waist will hurt. It takes a whole day of grinding to produce just a small bowl of fine powder.
The woman looked at the dancer's slender back and lowered her head to wipe the corner of her eye.
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After drinking the medicine, the woman caught a glimpse of the scars and calluses on the dancer's fingers, and overwhelmed with sorrow, tears fell into the medicine bowl.
"Feifei, you've suffered so much these past few years... I haven't been able to help you, I've only been a burden to you..."
The dancer smiled, helped the woman to her feet, and let her sit in the doorway to bask in the sun. Then she continued pounding medicine with a pestle: "My mother passed away early."
My sister-in-law raised me, so it's only natural for me to take care of her.
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She used to be the eldest daughter-in-law and matriarch, surrounded by servants, taking care of her sister-in-law. She only needed to give orders to the maids and servants, without having to lift a finger herself. Unlike Feifei, who had to work so hard.
Feifei was also frequently summoned by the county magistrate to perform dances at banquets, where she was ordered around and bullied at will...
Several barefoot children ran in from the alleyway, perched on the low wall, and chattered excitedly, calling to Third Aunt: "Your brother fell off the city wall while moving stones! You must go and see!"
The dancer and her sister-in-law were both taken aback.
"I'll go take a look."
The dancer put away the pestle and led her sister-in-law back to her room to lie down. She covered her face and hurried to the city gate.
A gong clanged by the roadside, voices shouted, and a group of men gathered in a corner to watch cockfighting.
A young man in a turban and brocade robe saw the dancer, narrowed his eyes, and jumped out to block her way.
"Is this Third Sister? Where are you going? Look at you, walking so fast, you must be tired. It really hurts to see you like this. Come, sit down and have a bowl of chilled yogurt!"
The dancer bypassed the young master and continued walking forward.
Seeing this, the young master's companions exchanged glances and then crowded around, surrounding the dancer in layers, shouting, "Third Sister, it's your good fortune that Young Master Zhou takes pity on you!"
"Be polite, everyone, don't frighten our Third Sister." Young Master Zhou feigned anger and scolded the crowd, blocking the dancer's path. He then put on a smiling face, "Third Sister, I heard your brother fell and got injured? Poor laborer, he fell and was thrown into a mass grave, nobody cares whether he lives or dies. Don't worry, I'll send someone to carry him back right away and ask a doctor to treat his injuries..."
He paused, staring intently at the section of fair neck exposed beneath the dancer's veil, his heart itching with desire.
"Just ask me."
The people around immediately started to jeer:
"Third Sister, if you just beg Young Master Zhou, your brother can be saved!"
"Third Sister, your brother has fallen and his head is bleeding profusely. If we delay any longer, he will die!"
"He's the only man left in your family. You don't want to collect your brother's body, do you?"
They shouted and pushed their way in, trying to shove the dancers into Zhou Gongzi's arms. In the chaos, some people deliberately tore at the dancers' clothes, while others took the opportunity to touch her shoulders and arms several times.
Passersby looked up and glanced in this direction.
Young Master Zhou's servant stepped forward: "What are you looking at? Mind your own business!"
Before anyone could respond, a slender figure swept over like the wind, and the dancer rushed in front of them with a pestle in hand.
Chai Yong kicked the stunned Pei Jingyao: "The person is right in front of you. Go up and ask her and you'll know if she's Lu San Niang. Why are you being so coy?"
Chai Yong, who was traveling with him, also urged his horse to follow.
The slanting sunlight shone on her face, making her flushed cheeks appear even more strange, with streaks of sweat running down them.
The dancer showed no mercy, slamming the pestle down heavily several times. Young Master Zhou couldn't dodge and suddenly burst into tears.
The two men led their horses apart.
The main streets and roads of Liucheng are also made of rammed earth. The terrain is high in the north and low in the south. Over the years, it has been eroded by wind, resulting in pits, unevenness, and a rustic and desolate landscape.
"Third Sister, don't be impulsive! Don't be impulsive! We were just joking with you!"
The men swarmed forward and continued tearing at each other.
Pei Jingyao stared blankly into the depths of the alley, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "No... I might have mistaken her... It's not Third Sister... Third Sister wouldn't have become like this..."
The pedestrians, not daring to cause trouble, quickened their pace and walked away.
"ah--"
"You're forcing me into a corner. I have no other choice but to fight you to the death. Today, you either let me through, or we'll both perish!"
At the street corner, Pei Jingyao flew into a rage, cracked his whip, and spurred his horse into the alley.
With a series of panicked shouts, the crowd scattered, and several men staggered out of the crowd, fleeing in panic.
Chai Yong shook his head, "I live in Luoyang and have never met her."
"Murder! Murder!"
Pei Jingyao regretted his hesitation earlier. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Prefect Guo said that Liucheng is not big and there is only one main street. I will look to the east, and you go to the west, Sanlang. If you really can't find her, go to Sanniang's house and wait for her."
Young Master Zhou was struck several times and staggered back, only regaining his footing after being supported by his servants on either side. Enraged and humiliated, he stamped his foot in anger: "You lowly servant! You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences! How dare you..."
"You've attacked me! This is Liucheng, and the Ming family is my uncle. You won't escape my grasp today!"
She carried an injured man on her back, taking a few steps, stopping to catch her breath, and then continuing forward. Her face mask hung down, her hair was soaked with sweat, and strands of it clung to her face. Her forehead was covered in beads of sweat.
The magistrate was unaware of San Niang's identity, only knowing that she and her family had been brought to Xizhou about three years ago, and were later sent to Liucheng by the Prefect of Xizhou. San Niang's Xiliang sword dance was exquisite, and the magistrate would invite her to perform when entertaining distinguished guests.
The dancer gripped the blood-stained pestle, coldly surveying the crowd. Her crimson face was bizarre and terrifying, like a demon.
Pei Jingyao and Chai Yong dismounted and squeezed out of the market, but they couldn't find Lu Sanniang.
The men inside screamed and jumped up, clutching their heads and arms, and backed away.
Chai Yong searched in the west for a while, and was about to turn back when he stopped in his tracks.
Emerging from the alley, a wide street stretched out before you, the only market town in Liucheng. Shops lined the street, bustling with activity, and the sounds of vendors calling out in Sogdian, Turkic, Persian, and Heluo languages filled the air.
In the distance, Chai Yong came to his senses and spurred his horse forward.
Upon seeing the two unfamiliar young noblemen, the foreign man with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and a thick beard enthusiastically stepped forward to greet the guests.
Before the two even got close, several horrific screams suddenly rang out from the crowd ahead.
The Lu San Niang he remembered was vibrant and radiant, and although she was spoiled, it was a lazy and luxurious arrogance that came from being pampered in a life of luxury, not the hideous and grotesque figure he had just witnessed under the circumstances of her desperate situation.
Chai Yong paused for a moment, then mounted his horse and spurred it to gallop towards the dancer.
"Haha, perfect timing! Strip her naked and send her to Young Master Zhou's residence. We can get things done today!"
Everyone was terrified and shouted sharply, "Third Sister! Don't hurt Young Master Zhou!"
Pei Jingyao became increasingly certain that the dancer who performed the dance was Lu Sanniang. After finding out where she lived, he was overjoyed. This morning, he changed into a new outfit, called Chai Yong, and they went to visit Lu Sanniang together.
After saying that, she grabbed the pestle and smashed it hard against Young Master Zhou's arm without hesitation.
However, he had a hunch that the dancer was Lu San Niang.
The dancer lifted her leg and released Zhou Gongzi, raising her head with a flushed face and bloodshot eyes amidst her disheveled hair.
A thin figure staggered upwards, climbing step by step from south to north.
With two sharp rips, the dancer's old robe was torn in two places, revealing glimpses of her fair skin.
"Zhou Wei!"
Young Master Zhou took another step back, shouting, "What are you all standing there for? Tie this wretched servant girl up!"
"Outrageous! They attacked in broad daylight!"
"Yes, yes, third sister, we were just joking with you! Your brother is injured and is waiting for you to take care of him!"
She brandished the pestle and mortar: "Get out!"
The dancer stuffed the pestle back into her sleeve, picked up the towel that had fallen to the ground, tidied her messy hair, covered her face, and hurried away with her head down.
Pei Jingyao nearly fell off his horse. He cursed, steadied himself, and chased after the direction San Niang had gone.
Chai Yong turned to look at him: "What's wrong? Didn't you want to reunite with Third Sister?"
Young Master Zhou screamed in pain, kicking his legs wildly and struggling on the ground.
The dancer kicked Young Master Zhou to the ground, stepped on his arm, and raised the pestle.
Chai Yong stood in front of a spice shop with a strong aroma, looking down to the south.
"I was exiled to Xizhou for my crimes and have nothing left. Before I die, I will beat you, you scoundrel, to death. One life for one life. When I get to the underworld, let King Yama uphold justice for me!"
Chai Yong laughed and said, "Pei Wu, aren't you too nervous?"
The crowd was so frightened that they ran away in a panic, lifted up Young Master Zhou whose face was covered in blood, and scattered in all directions.
At the street corner, the dancer's long hair was disheveled, her clothes were in disarray, and she had somehow acquired a pestle in her hand, which she swung at Young Master Zhou.
Pei Jingyao, standing beside him, gripped the reins and remained motionless.
Pei Jingyao looked at him suspiciously: "Have you met Lu Sanniang?"
Last night, after the banquet, Pei Jingyao asked the magistrate of Liucheng County about the origins of Third Sister.
Chai Yong raised an eyebrow slightly: "Pei Wu, she is Lu San Niang."
They lost them.
Ordinary women from remote border regions could not sing the powerful and expansive lines, "May the four seasons be prosperous, may the nation last for a thousand autumns, and may the people of all nations pay homage to the emperor." Only Lu San Niang, born into a noble family, possessed such vision and knowledge.
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