Chapter Twenty-Nine
There were families in town who specialized in hatching chicks and ducklings. While Musheng and Munianjun went to town to sell cloth, Mujin followed them and rode along in an oxcart.
About ten years ago, a group of craftsmen who made kang (heated brick beds) came from the north, charging five taels of silver per kang.
There were a few wealthy families in the village who had plenty of money, so they bought it.
Zhou Ling had just given birth to Mu Zhou when she begged Mu Laoqi to build a kang (heated brick bed) in the main room. Mu Jin had gone inside to collect clothes in the winter, and it was so warm that he didn't want to leave.
In town, families who hatched chicks and ducklings would build a large kang (heated brick bed) in their houses.
As soon as Mu Jin went inside, she felt a bit hot; it didn't feel like the same season inside or outside.
The cubicle wasn't as hot, and the newly hatched chicks and ducklings chirped and chattered noisily inside.
The woman laughed and said, "Young man, take a look. You can choose any of my chickens and ducks; they're all very healthy. Chicks are three coins each, and ducklings are four coins each. If you think these are too small, there are some plucked ducks in another room, which are easier to raise, but they're a bit more expensive—chickens are ten coins each, and ducks are twelve coins each."
Besides the hibiscus, some people who knew the woman came to buy chickens and ducks. After the woman finished speaking, she went to greet them.
Chickens and ducks costing around ten coins are easy to raise, but we still can't afford to buy them at home these days.
Hibiscus looked at the fluffy, golden-yellow chicks and ducklings, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
I selected eight of the most lively chicks. One of them had a small yellow head with a tuft of brown hair, which looked quite pleasing.
I selected five ducklings from Hibiscus and put them in a bamboo basket. They chirped and quacked, making quite a racket.
Mu Jin showed the woman the chicks and ducklings in the bamboo basket, counted them, paid the money, and carefully covered them with an old garment belonging to Zhou Lin.
Carrying a bamboo basket, he went home first without waiting for Mu Nianjun and the others.
Although spring has arrived, the weather is still cold, and Mu Jin walks a little faster.
As they approached their home, they heard faint cries for help coming from not far down the mountain.
Mu Jin paused for a moment, then quickly put the chicks and ducklings into the kitchen and called Zhou Lin and Zhou Silai, who were digging outside.
As the three approached the source of the sound, they saw a man dressed in a red brocade robe embroidered with twin lotus flowers, a plum blossom painted in gold powder on his forehead, and a bright red birthmark that looked like a drop of blood on it.
Long eyebrows cast a deep shadow beneath narrow eyelids.
Her face was rosy and fair, her bright red lips were a little chapped, and she unconsciously cried out for help.
Mu Jin and Zhou Si were both stunned; they couldn't believe there were such handsome young men in the world.
“He’s really handsome. Brother, I think he has a fever. Let’s take him home first and ask Doctor Mu to take a look. If we stay any longer, he might get brain damage from the fever.”
Zhou Sixian snapped out of his daze; it was the first time he had ever seen a boy even more handsome than Mu Jin.
Upon seeing the boy's mole, Zhou Lin stepped back to avoid suspicion.
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin frowned slightly. This young man's origins were unknown, and bringing him home rashly might cause trouble.
But the boy lying in the jungle at the foot of the mountain was really beautiful, as delicate as Xi Shi, and I felt sorry for him.
"Take it home, but don't tell anyone else about it."
Since Mu Jin had spoken, Zhou Lin, not wanting to bother with a stranger, checked the surroundings to make sure no one was around and then led the way.
Fortunately, this area at the foot of the mountain is remote, and the villagers who came to dig for wild vegetables early in the morning had all gone home, so there was hardly anyone around.
Mu Jin and Zhou Si picked up the bundle that had been left on the ground and carried the boy home.
Fearing complications, Mu Jinmu asked Zhou Si to invite Doctor Mu to the house. He reached out and touched the boy's forehead, and found that he indeed had a high fever.
"Si'er, go to Doctor Mu's house and tell him I have a fever. Ask him to prescribe some fever-reducing medicine. Remember to borrow a medicine stove. Don't say anything else."
Zhou Si nodded, took the money, and hurried out the door.
Mu Jin asked Zhou Lin to fetch a basin of water from the river, wet an old cloth made from fabric, and place it on the boy's forehead.
After being exposed to the cold, the young man seemed to feel better and less uncomfortable.
"Ah Jin, there's nothing for me to do here, so I'll go to the fields first."
Mu Jin nodded, saying that they needed to hurry up with the spring planting and clear the wasteland; there was a lot of work to be done.
After buying the medicine and decocting it, I helped the boy swallow it, but he vomited up quite a bit, probably because it was too bitter.
Mu Jin wiped his mouth with a cloth. At noon, she cooked some brown rice porridge and fed it to him.
When night fell, Zhou Si observed that the boy had developed a fever again.
Mu Jin quickly prepared another dose of medicine and fed it to him. The two of them stayed by his side until the fever finally subsided in the early hours of the morning.
Early the next morning, the boy woke up and saw a face very close to his. If it weren't for the boy's mole on his forehead, he would have been so frightened that he almost kicked it.
Hearing the noise, Zhou Si opened her eyes sleepily and said in a hoarse voice, "You're awake? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
The young man paused for a moment, then shook his head.
Zhou Si got up and yawned widely. He and his older brother hadn't slept well yesterday because of this boy.
Turning his head, the instant he saw that guy, his mouth, which was already open, instantly forgot to close.
That young man had a pair of phoenix eyes with upturned corners; he was even more beautiful when he woke up than when he was asleep.
"Did you save me?" The young man's red lips parted slightly, bringing Zhou Si back to her senses from her daze.
He nodded hurriedly and said, "You fainted at the foot of the mountain in the village yesterday. My older brother heard you calling for help and brought you home."
Just as Zhou Si finished speaking, Mu Jin called his name from outside the door.
"Si'er, are you awake? Breakfast is ready. Is the young master awake?"
Zhou Si got up and got out of bed, and the boy sat up as well.
"Big brother, he's up, he's awake too."
At the dinner table, the four of them looked at each other. Mu Jin spoke first, "What's your name? Where are you from? How did you end up fainting at the foot of the mountain?"
The young man blinked, still feeling unwell, his face pale.
Not wanting to hide anything from his savior and harm them, he chose to tell the truth.
“My name is Wen Liangzhao. I am... I escaped from Yuemanlou. My family is in the northern border region. There are hardly any people left in my family now. A few years ago, my uncle sold me to a broker for fifty taels of silver. Later, I was taken in by the madam of Yuemanlou. When I got older, I didn’t want to... so I ended up here.”
Mu Jin was surprised. She had thought he was a rich young man, but she never expected him to be such a pitiful person. Yue Man Lou was a famous brothel in town, and he was really a troublesome person.
After exchanging a glance with Zhou Lin, Zhou Lin finished his brown rice porridge in two gulps and said, "Ah Jin, I'll listen to you."
Mu Jin sighed, "Oh dear, I really don't know what to do with you like this. I was thinking of taking you home after you woke up, but this..."
Wen Liangzhao hurriedly said, "My benefactor, please don't worry. I'll be leaving soon. This is a small token of my gratitude for saving my life. Please accept it."
As he spoke, he took out a gleaming gold ingot from the bundle beside him.
Mu Jin and Zhou Si were almost speechless with astonishment. They had never seen gold before in their lives, and they quickly waved their hands, saying, "It's nothing, don't be so kind."
Wen Liangzhao shook his head and said, "This is nothing but material possessions, a life-saving grace. Please don't despise it, my benefactor."
Mu Jin gasped. So many villagers toiled in the wind and rain for this gold and silver, their faces to the earth and their backs to the sky. Some people never earned this much gold in their entire lives.
Looking at Wen Liangzhao's sincere eyes, Mu Jin felt a headache coming on.
Zhou Lin had already gone to the fields with his hoe. The sun was getting higher and higher, and the chores at home couldn't wait for anyone.
Mu Jin composed herself and said, "Forget about the gold. You have no future anyway, and it's probably difficult for you to grow up like this. If you don't mind, you can stay at my house and help take care of the vegetable garden and poultry. Don't go out."
Wen Liangzhao's eyes lit up. He was worried about what to do next, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better.
"Thank you so much, my benefactor! I will definitely not go out and cause you any trouble!"
Mu Jin smiled helplessly, "Si'er, should we let him stay in your room, or clean another room for him?"
Zhou Si couldn't bear to let such a handsome young man wander around, and she was overjoyed when her elder brother agreed to let him stay at home.
Hearing this, he said, "As for my older brother, just let him live with me. I tried it yesterday, and although my bed is small, it can still fit two people."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll clean out another room."
Zhou Si nodded.
Wen Liangzhao thought for a moment and said, “My benefactor, I can’t stay here for free. Gold is too much to exchange. I have some silver here. I’ll give you twenty taels of silver first. Your family’s food, clothing and daily necessities will all come from here. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease staying here.”
Seeing the bare walls of the house, he figured that his benefactor's family was not well-off; even their pots were cut in half. Adding another mouth to feed would probably not be an easy task for them.
Mu Jin thought for a moment, then took it and said with a smile, "Stay here in peace. I'll take this twenty taels of silver for now, and I'll remember your food and clothing."
When Wen Liangzhao saw that Mu Jin had taken it, the weight in his heart was lifted. After breakfast, he took the things out of the bundle and put them into Zhou Si's chest and cabinet.
When a new person came to the house, the little owl sniffed left and right, memorizing Liang Zhao's scent, and wagged its little black dog tail around him as if it wanted to fly away.
Zhou Si chuckled: "Big brother, I told you, this little guy just likes pretty things."
Mu Jin shook her head and then gave Wen Liangzhao a few more instructions, "If you hear any noise, you must hide first and never show your face."
After saying that, he and Zhou Si got off at the ground.
His main concern was that the madam would be unwilling to accept losing such a cash cow and might report it to the authorities early on.
Just as Mu Jin had expected, the soldiers arrived in the village shortly after the two of them got out of bed.
The madam of Yue Man Lou, Yue Niangzi, spent a lot of gold and silver, so the county magistrate naturally sent more people to search for her. Soldiers were also sent to the surrounding villages of Qingshui Town.
Have any strangers come here?
The officer in charge impatiently summoned Village Chief Mu, gathered all the villagers in the threshing ground, and shouted loudly.
The villagers who had been summoned looked at each other and shook their heads.
The officer in charge threatened, "If you know something but don't report it, that's a crime of harboring a criminal. Think it over carefully!"
As he spoke, he held up the portrait in his hand, and sure enough, it was Wen Liangzhao, who could be recognized at a glance.
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