Snake Venom - A Gift (3)
"In a few days, your brother will give you a gift."
The next morning, my brother left again, leaving a few words, basically telling me to wait for him, and giving me some money before hurriedly departing. I walked him all the way to the village entrance, where I saw two unfamiliar faces and a neatly maintained donkey cart—my brother said those were the people who came to pick him up, and told me not to see him off any further. As we parted, I hugged him tightly, almost wanting to hold him back forever. I buried my face in his chest, catching a faint, heavy scent of incense mixed with the stale smell of candle wax. The soft fabric absorbed the few tears that had inadvertently spilled from my eyes. I looked up, smiled, and said goodbye to my brother, watching the cart slowly disappear into the distance.
How long did I stand there?
I don't know, but it was probably about fifteen minutes.
They moved the coffin back home and slowly began carving the wood. Grandma Li's coffin wasn't finished yet. The Li family was already one of the better-off families in the village. In this day and age, they were still able to order a coffin for their elderly relative—although they had scrimped and saved for a long time to finally afford a thin coffin, it was still better than most people's.
Do you think things after a person dies are really that important, that young people have to go to such lengths?
In about a hundred years, we'll all be nothing but a handful of dust. What difference does it make whether we're cheap or precious?
Tsk, I don't understand, I'm too lazy to care, as long as I can make money.
I couldn't even persuade my own brother, so why should I meddle in other people's family affairs?
The heavy smell of smoke lingered around my nose, and the wisps of smoke constantly rising from the incense table and the neatly arranged fruits on the table were all so irritating.
It's these awful things that are causing my brother so much trouble, keeping him from having a moment's peace day and night. He's someone who's been gone for ages, yet he insists on leaving behind fragments of words to torment his descendants! How can he expect his children to do things he himself couldn't even do? Why should my brother bear the burden of his own mistakes?
I was born a narrow-minded person destined for mediocrity, with only my brother in my eyes. I don't care who anyone else is, or what morality or shame they hold. All I want is for my brother to be safe, well, and carefree, but even this small wish can't be fulfilled. It's as if the whole world is against me!
I feel no gratitude whatsoever towards that father I never met in my memory; only resentment remains.
Many more days passed, and my brother would come back every few days, but there was no regularity to it. So every day when I opened my eyes, I would pray devoutly in bed, "Please let me see my brother today too."
What? You want to ask me which deity I'm praying to?
I don't know either. Anyone will do, gods or bodhisattvas, as long as my wish can be granted.
But perhaps that's why they think I'm not sincere, and most of the time they just let my expectations fall short. Or perhaps there aren't that many reasons, and that the gods simply don't care about the suffering of humankind.
Fifty-nine days have passed since my brother first returned. The gentle drizzle has transformed into plump wheat grains, and the verdant grass has gradually turned yellow. Once again, after a long absence, I returned to the village entrance. Waiting is a strange thing. Even though I've experienced it so many times, the torment in my heart only increases, and I just can't get used to it.
Instead of my brother, a man arrived driving a donkey cart—one of the two who had picked up my brother—and said that my brother had sent him to pick me up. He also showed me a letter from my brother.
It was definitely my brother's handwriting, and only then did I reluctantly believe him. I asked him where he was going and how long he would stay so I could keep an eye on the packing.
A strange expression appeared on his face, almost like a sneer. He glanced at me, looking me up and down for a long time, before speaking in a condescending manner, but without answering my question, "No need to collect your... things, just leave."
I always felt he really meant "rubbish," but I don't know why he changed his words. I don't know him, but he seems quite dissatisfied with me, like... jealousy?
Why?
Is there something about me that he would covet?
I'm just a poor country boy, and this guy is really strange, don't you think?
I boarded the donkey cart with a belly full of suspicion, and heard him mutter to himself, "He really hit the jackpot."
Lucky?
What exactly happened, brother?
Thinking about my brother's recent state, which can only be described as going mad, I can't help but feel a little worried. However... "good luck" shouldn't be such a bad thing...
Filled with trepidation, I didn't even notice when the carriage stopped. The driver stopped the carriage and gestured for me to get out. I nodded in agreement, but was stunned by the scene before me, remaining motionless for a long time. Suddenly, the lines of poetry my teacher had taught me popped into my mind: "Red gates, carriages and horses, red candles, singing and dancing pavilions."
Before me stood a magnificent mansion, with two imposing stone lions standing before its tall, vermilion gates. They were so imposing that it was almost suffocating to stand in front of them, and one would subconsciously slow down their breathing.
It was only then that I suddenly realized that the noise I had experienced when entering the city had long since disappeared. There were no other houses around this huge mansion; it was quiet and dignified, a unique sight amidst the bustling city.
"Aren't you getting off yet?" The driver's words broke into my ears, and I snapped back to reality.
Seeing the disdain on his face, I couldn't help but feel ashamed amidst the silent harassment and solemn splendor—it was truly embarrassing.
I forced myself to remain calm, trying to appear more natural, and tried to force myself to look up, but I was dazzled by the magnificent golden plaque and involuntarily lowered my head. The courage I had painstakingly mustered vanished completely, and now I couldn't even manage a simple glance. In my haste, I only caught a glimpse of the character "姜" (Jiang, meaning ginger) and a festive red lantern beside it.
They even share the same surname.
I followed closely behind the servant who was leading the way, entering through a side door. The coachman from before didn't follow; instead, he led the donkey away through an inconspicuous alley next to the main gate. I kept my head down, only daring to look at the few steps in front of me. Thinking back to the decorations I'd seen along the way—lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere, large "囍" (double happiness) characters pasted on the walls—was this family celebrating some kind of wedding or other joyous occasion?
As I was lost in thought, the waiter stopped, and I stopped as well. Before me was an exquisitely beautiful private room. The waiter raised his hand and gently knocked on the door, raising his voice slightly as he said, "Miss, the young master's brother has arrived."
Having not seen my elder brother for so long, I was already quite uneasy. Hearing the waiter's words, my mind went completely blank, frantically trying to figure out if I had another brother. Someone inside said "Come in," and I was led in, still dazed. The first thing I saw was an exquisite screen painted with beautiful landscapes. The waiter gestured for me to stop, and only after receiving permission did he lead me around to a very pretty young woman, with a gentle demeanor, who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old.
As I entered, she handed the embroidery she was holding to a woman who looked two or three years older than her. The woman was dressed much more simply and was probably her maid.
She beckoned me over, her smile beautiful. "Your brother has mentioned you to me before, saying he'd bring you here when the opportunity arises. Today I finally get to see you in person." She reached out and touched my hair, then affectionately pinched my cheek. "From now on, you'll have to call me sister-in-law."
Is my brother getting married?
All the various stares and glances I received along the way suddenly made sense; it turned out to be this kind of "luck"—it seems I was the last to find out about this.
But I am clearly the closest person to my brother... Will I still be the closest person to my brother? My brother is getting married, and the person in front of me claims to be my future sister-in-law.
My heart ached terribly, as if a million ants were crawling on it, gnawing at it, causing a dense, persistent pain.
"Where is my brother?" I stubbornly wanted to see him; I wanted to hear him tell me himself.
The young lady in front of me wasn't angry at my intrusion. She simply continued with her embroidery and casually replied, "Your brother went out on business with my father and won't be back until tonight. Would you like to stay here and chat with me, or stay in your room by yourself? They should have already tidied up for you."
She held the red cloth up to the light and sighed, "It will take several more days to embroider. I'll sleep half an hour later tonight, or it won't be good if I don't finish it."
That's when I realized she was embroidering a red veil for herself.
"Miss, be careful not to ruin your eyes!" a maidservant beside her couldn't help but advise.
"Just light a few more candles, it'll be fine for the next few days. Thank you for keeping me company." She reassured the maid with a few words, then turned to me, "Have you made up your mind?"
Seeing my hesitation, she winked at me, "Your brother said he would bring something back for me when he went out. If you stay with me, you might be able to see him sooner."
I agreed.
She talked to me for a long time, but it was mostly her asking questions and me answering; I didn't initiate any conversation. Later, probably seeing that I wasn't very interested, she stopped trying to talk to me and instead started chatting with her maid, and the two of them had a back-and-forth exchange.
I learned a lot from their conversation—my brother was originally just a coachman for the Jiang family. Because he was literate, he was appreciated and assigned by the master to this Miss Jiang, to accompany her to the temple every month to burn incense and pray for blessings, and to distribute porridge.
Just last month, the usually docile horse suddenly became frightened and started running wildly with the carriage. Just as the young lady was about to get into the carriage, the horse inexplicably started acting out and charged straight at them. In that critical moment, her brother ran over, grabbed her, and pulled her away, avoiding the horse.
Who knew that this scene would be witnessed by someone else—a person who came to collect porridge—and so, the rumors about Miss Jiang and her coachman naturally spread.
The elder brother went to Master Jiang, wanting to explain and ask him to dismiss him so that he could leave voluntarily and preserve Miss Jiang's reputation.
Even if this action were carried out, it would hardly salvage Miss Jiang's reputation, but it did earn him some favor from Master Jiang. After some investigation, Master Jiang was quite satisfied with the young man's knowledge. He also learned that the young man only had a twelve-year-old younger brother, and that his ancestors were from a scholarly family—a clean background, simple family relationships, and the young man himself was both talented and good-looking. Moreover, he was able to step forward in times of crisis and did not shirk responsibility... Apart from being completely ignorant of housekeeping and business, he was quite satisfactory. In any case, he could be trained slowly later. In addition, considering his beloved daughter, Master Jiang asked him if he would be willing to become the Jiang family's son-in-law.
My brother agreed.
Miss Jiang was the only daughter of Mr. Jiang's deceased wife. He never remarried and had only this one child, whom he cherished dearly and doted on from a young age. In order to ensure that his daughter could marry with a clean reputation and avoid criticism, Mr. Jiang began to frequently take his elder brother out, personally teaching him some simple business skills. He told everyone that he had been arranged to marry into the family long ago, and then casually mentioned what had happened at the temple that day, explaining it briefly in a few words.
The rumors circulating among the people have quietly changed again, with slight differences in the details, but they have all changed from the story of Miss Jiang and the coachman eloping to the tale of the future son-in-law rescuing the beauty.
"Oh, alright, alright, I know you're worried about me rushing to finish this. It's just that the wedding date is a bit tight. If it weren't for him that day, something might have happened. It's an arranged marriage, and he's a good person, so it's all good." Miss Jiang smiled nonchalantly, her needle and thread never stopping, and replied without looking up.
The maid didn't say anything more, but silently arranged the thread she needed and helped her embroider some other things.
I felt a strange unease that I couldn't quite explain, so I simply kept quiet and waited for my brother to return.
As dusk fell, voices came from the doorway, followed by a servant coming in to announce that someone was requesting an audience.
It's my brother's voice! My brother is back!
I wanted to rush out, but my remaining rationality kept me in my seat. After Miss Jiang gave her permission, my brother walked in and stopped behind a screen.
I saw my elder brother's shadow bow respectfully and hand something to a servant beside him. The deceased brought up a tray containing an extremely beautiful phoenix hairpin, exquisitely crafted with a lifelike phoenix on it.
Miss Jiang's eyes lit up, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her lips. The two of them chatted happily back and forth in front of me. No one seemed to remember me waiting to the side; it was as if they were the most intimate couple in the world.
I should be the closest person to my brother!
I grew up with my older brother since I was little, and my older brother also... what else? I forgot, I've never had just one older brother.
I sat quietly in my seat, having lost the will to argue, and patiently waited for their conversation to end, remembering myself as an eyesore on the margins.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before my brother bowed again, preparing to take his leave. Miss Jiang then turned around with a smile, saw me sitting quietly to the side, and quickly called out to my brother, gesturing gently with her eyes for me to follow.
I thought I would be very excited to see my brother again, but at this moment I only felt uneasy. I slowly walked out and weakly called out, "Brother."
My brother seemed much happier than I was. He hugged me joyfully and chattered on and on. I just listened quietly and couldn't react much.
Even my older brother noticed something was wrong. He bent down, touched my forehead, and asked if I was sick.
I just shook my head, looking at my brother's handsome face. I took his hand and slowly walked forward, but finally couldn't help but ask, "Brother, are you going to marry that Miss Jiang from earlier...?"
My brother laughed heartily. With that laughter, he slowly raised his head and gradually straightened his spine. Then my brother said to me, "From now on, you'll be a rich young master too. Do you like this gift from your brother?"
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