Chapter 6: Zhang Jianmei meets his biological father Xiao Xiangyue in the county government office and earns money in the teahouse
The county government office is located on a bluestone street in the south of the city.
It was already evening when Luo Guoyun and Zhang Jianmei arrived at the county office. Warlords were fighting each other, and the government was weak. The county office consisted of only two or three brick and tile buildings, and the few agencies that existed were all crammed together.
The old man, half-dead, glanced at the two of them and said it was their day off. If they wanted to file a complaint, they should write it and come back tomorrow. Luo Guoyun claimed he had an urgent case to report to his superiors, but the old man said the county magistrate was out on business. Just as they were getting anxious, they saw a middle-aged man in a navy blue cotton gown and a side-parted hairstyle hurried toward the county gate.
"Hello, County Magistrate." The old man immediately perked up.
"Dad!" Zhang Jianmei screamed.
The visitor was none other than Zhang Tingyun, the magistrate of Yishun County. He was also the father Zhang Jianmei had been searching for for over six months. Zhang Tingyun was also from southern Hunan. He had been engaged to Zhang Jianmei's mother, Fu, since childhood, and they were married at the age of sixteen. Born into a poor family, Zhang Tingyun was gifted and intelligent. With his uncle's financial support, he attended a modern school for several years and was admitted to the Normal School in Jincheng. He was a progressive and open-minded young man. After graduation, he stayed in the provincial capital as a secretary to the governor. The governor admired his talents and offered him his daughter in marriage. While having a wife in his hometown wouldn't have prevented him from marrying, the governor refused to tolerate his daughter's injustice and insisted he divorce her and remarry. After weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Tingyun decided his future was more important. He gave Fu a sum of money and, under the auspices of the clan elders, formally divorced her. Since the daughter belonged to the Zhang family, he wanted to take her with him, but Fu refused, and so the plan was abandoned. After marrying the governor's daughter, Zhang Tingyun was exiled to serve as an official, traveling to various locations in western Sichuan. It has only been a little over a month since he took office as the Yishun County Magistrate.
Orphans and widows inevitably faced bullying. Her brothers, coveting Fu's money, conned her out of it and falsely accused her of adultery. Uneducated, Fu believed that her marriage to Zhang Tingyun was her lifelong husband. Unable to remain in her hometown, she took her daughter and traveled thousands of miles in search of her husband. She had heard that Zhang Tingyun was an official in western Sichuan, and so she went through great pains to find him.
Zhang Tingyun was a progressive thinker and a passionate young man when he was studying. He was full of enthusiasm to contribute his knowledge to serve the country. After several years in the officialdom, he finally understood the darkness of the world. The central government was incompetent, warlords were divided, and corruption was rampant. Without support and skills, it was extremely difficult to achieve anything. After being in Yishun for more than a month, he was hindered by local tyrants, military bandits, and ruffians. Taxes could not be collected, the county government was extremely poor, and it was difficult to support a few more officials. The job of county magistrate was really frustrating. He had no choice but to abandon Zhang Jianmei and her daughter, and he felt guilty. Now seeing his daughter and hearing that Fu was dead, he was also sad.
They were robbing innocent people in broad daylight. County Magistrate Zhang was looking for a way to find fault with the local wealthy and crack down on them, thus resolving the tax problem as soon as possible. He immediately took the five or six police officers he had and rushed to the palace with Luo Guoyun and his entourage.
Xiao Xiangyue was suddenly taken to another strange place, and she was even more anxious. Looking at the deep courtyard and the houses one after another, she was worried that Brother Yun would not be able to find her when he came, so she said nothing and took out the bamboo flute and blew it vigorously, hoping that Luo Guoyun could follow the sound to find her. After playing for a long time, it was dark, and she was tired and had no strength left, so she leaned on the bed of Luohan and took a nap. Boss Wang looked at the child carefully under the lamp, and the more he looked at him, the more he loved him. He thought that he had brought the child home, and it was not a one-time deal. He was a little tender to eat now, and it would be a pity to break it casually. If he couldn't eat it, he could just touch the child to satisfy his desire. He pressed the child in his arms, calling him his darling, and put his hand inside his clothes. Xiao Xiangyue was dazed and twisted her body to refuse.
The palace servants saw the county magistrate and his officers approaching with a menacing air. Unaware of what had happened, they hurried to inform their master. Luo Guoyun wanted nothing more than for him to lead the way. They passed through two square courtyards, walked along a long glazed corridor, and stopped before a vermilion-lacquered bedroom door.
Without waiting for the servant to say anything, Luo Guyun kicked the door open and saw the man with a lewd smile hugging Xiao Xiangyue, his hand reaching into her clothes. Furious, he rushed forward, grabbed the child with his left arm, and punched Boss Wang hard on the nose with his right hand.
Xiao Xiangyue shouted in surprise, "Brother Yun!" and threw herself into his arms, but burst into tears.
He had never shed a tear since falling into the hands of the evildoers. But now, seeing Luo Guyun, he felt a surge of grievance and fear. He cried until he was out of breath, and his tears and snot soaked a large area of his clothes.
Luo Guoyun felt both distressed and guilty. He thought of this child, raised in the palm of his hand, and how could he have ever suffered the slightest injustice? Now his father had been implicated and died in vain. He had been displaced with him, sleeping in the open air all the way, and today he was almost molested by a wicked person! He kept comforting him: "Yue'er, don't cry... don't cry... it's okay... it's okay..."
Boss Wang was suddenly attacked and was terrified: "How dare you! How dare you break into my house?"
"You robbed innocent people and kidnapped children. Cuff him!" Zhang Tingyun ordered the officers.
"Nonsense... I spent five hundred dollars to buy this child!" Boss Wang protested.
"Hmph... bought? Where's the deed? Where's the written agreement?" County Magistrate Zhang sneered, "Take it away!"
Xiao Xiangyue was tired of crying and lay limply in Luo Guoyun's arms. Luo Guoyun carefully picked him up and walked out of the palace gate.
When they returned to the county office, Xiao Xiangyue, who had been frightened all day, had fallen asleep in Luo Guyun's arms.
The news that Commander Luo had been betrayed by his sworn brothers had spread far and wide throughout the country. Zhang Tingyun, seeing the young man's remarkable bearing and the surname Luo, had a pretty good idea of what was going on. He tentatively asked, "Commander Luo Qifeng, is that you...?" Seeing his wary expression, he quickly explained, "Young Master, please don't misunderstand. I had the honor of meeting Commander Luo several times while serving in the provincial capital. Commander Luo was compassionate to the poor and a hero who stood up for justice. I admire him greatly. What a pity! A hero of his generation met his end at the hands of a villain..." Hearing someone mention his father, Luo Guoyun's eyes welled up slightly.
Zhang Tingyun saw that, despite his downtrodden state, Luo Guoyun was well-spoken, unrestrained, and open-minded, reminiscent of his father. He was eager to make friends and repeatedly tried to persuade them to stay in Yishun City. Luo Guoyun, having learned his lesson from the Alsophila Valley, did not want to implicate innocent people again and firmly refused to leave. After a few days of lingering, Zhang Tingyun provided them with sufficient funds and escorted them all the way to the county seat.
Zhang Jianmei followed behind, and they walked for several miles together, still reluctant to go back. Qiqi Aiai pulled Xiao Xiangyue and said, "Yue'er, why don't I go with you? Daddy always talks about revolution, and even mother's life was revolutionized. I'm a little afraid that he will also revolutionize mine."
Xiao Xiangyue was about to agree when Luo Guyun slapped her hand away and said with a raised eyebrow, "Your father won't kill you. Go back quickly." He thought to himself that he could not bear the charge of kidnapping the county magistrate's daughter.
Zhang Jianmei's initial encounter with Luo Guoyun had her heart set on him. Though illiterate, she had heard numerous operas and felt the characters Zhao Yun and Yue Fei resembled something like this. If he said he couldn't do it, then he couldn't do it. She abandoned the idea of leaving together and repeatedly urged them to return to see her.
Xiao Xiangyue waved her little hand, looking back every few steps, and said goodbye to Zhang Jianmei reluctantly.
The further down the Qingyi River one went, the denser the population became. Villages of all sizes were scattered across the landscape, and there were market towns every ten miles. The docks along the coast were bustling with activity. Xiao Xiangyue found everything interesting and flocked to crowded places. Luo Guoyun, knowing he had never seen the outside world, let him do what he wanted. However, when there were many people around, they would hold his hand tightly, fearing the child would stray and get lost.
Xiao Xiangyue had been a beggar for a few days and found it quite interesting. Whenever she saw a crowd, she would clamor to return to her old profession. Luo Guoyun, of course, would not allow her to do so. The child could only vent his craving: "Brother Yun, do you know why Jianmei and I can beg so much money every day?"
"I don't know." Luo Guyun held his hand and walked slowly, answering casually.
"Damn it! Yue'er discovered that the more pathetic the little tune, the more people give money. One day, I was playing "Meng Liang Buries His Mother," which my father taught me, when an old man with a cane came over shakily and threw a whole silver dollar into a broken bowl. Wiping his tears, he said to Jianmei, "My daughter, please ask your brother to stop playing. I... this is so sad..." Xiao Xiangyue imitated the old man's demeanor and tone, telling him the story vividly, with a smug look on her face. Luo Guoyun was amused by him and laughed so hard that he forgot for a moment that they were on the road of fleeing in panic.
Xiao Xiangyue soon gave up the idea of continuing to be a beggar because he found a more profitable livelihood.
There are many teahouses in Sichuan.
Teahouses are places where locals go to discuss business, meet friends, relax, or just relax. The wealthy can book an eight-person table and order a pot of the best Biluochun tea, where the place is packed with friends and people talk about everything. The poor can just sit on a bamboo chair and order a large bowl of tea and spend the whole day there. Teahouses are always crowded with people from all walks of life. The larger teahouses usually have a small stage where singers, storytellers, and street performers take turns on stage. When the performances are exciting, the audience throws money on the stage, and the money is split 50-50 with the teahouse owner. The teahouse not only attracts people but also has an additional source of income, making it a win-win situation. After observing for two days, Xiao Xiangyue was very tempted. She begged Brother Yun, saying that she also wanted to go on stage. Luo Guyun disagreed at first, but seeing his persistence, he thought that the boy was too naive and it would be good for him to see more of the world, so he reluctantly agreed.
Xiao Xiangyue perfectly inherited her parents' artistic talent and acting aptitude, a natural fit for the stage. Standing on the stage with her charming face, her dark eyes swept across the audience, capturing the audience's attention even before she opened her mouth. Children often improvised, sometimes playing the flute, sometimes singing, sometimes playing the piano. Each performance was followed by roars of applause, and coins of all sizes flew onto the stage like snowflakes.
Xiao Xiangyue was on the stage, and Luo Guyun was watching from not far below. The teahouse was a mixed bag, with all kinds of people. It was hard to guarantee that someone wouldn't have dirty thoughts like Boss Wang. The two had learned their lesson from the last time, and no matter how the teahouse owner, who had tasted the benefits, tried to persuade them, they never stayed in one place for too long. They would just collect the money and leave. With the money they earned and the money given by Zhang Tingyun, they could stay in a good inn every day and no longer have to suffer the hardship of sleeping in the open air. The bed in the inn was spacious, but Xiao Xiangyue was still used to sleeping on him like an octopus every night. Luo Guyun knew that Yue'er was afraid of the dark, so he would always leave a small lamp in the corner at night to make the room a little bright so that the child would not be too scared when waking up in the middle of the night.
The two of them traveled all the way, moving very slowly. After more than a month, they had only walked less than a hundred miles.
Xiao Xiangyue had just arrived in the outside world and wanted to try everything new she saw. One day, she came to a passenger ferry terminal where a boatman was ferrying people and goods across the river. The child had never been on a boat before, and Luo Guoyun saw him looking eagerly at it, so he took him on the boat even though there was no need to go to the other side of the river. Xiao Xiangyue was overjoyed, looking left and right, and was reluctant to get off the boat after it went back and forth dozens of times. Later, she became familiar with the boatman, ran to help row the boat, and even learned to shout the boatman's call. Together with the old boatman, they shouted on the rippling river surface, and their clear and pleasant voices could be heard from far away.
Luo Guoyun sat leisurely in the cabin, letting Xiao Xiangyue enjoy the boat ride to her heart's content. Seeing his smile, his eyes curved, a glimmer in them twinkling like stars, he sighed inwardly. This child had grown up in a paradise-like environment, harboring no hatred, seeing no distinction between high and low, his mind as clear as crystal. Now that he had followed him into this chaotic world, how wonderful it would be if he could remain untainted by the dust of the world, unaware of the world's sorrows.
That day, they arrived at a place called Jiangyin Town, just in time for the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. As soon as dusk fell, lanterns of all shapes and sizes lit up outside every shop. The streets were bustling with people, selling snacks, jugglers, and all sorts of gadgets. Xiao Xiangyue excitedly dragged Luo Guoyun through the crowd, dazzled by the sight, wanting everything. Finally, they picked out two Kongming lanterns and followed the crowd to the river to release them.
The two of them sat on the riverbank. Luo Guyun recalled last year's Lantern Festival, when he and Yishui and Yihan had sworn brotherhood at the Luo residence. Their parents were still alive, and the gatherings were filled with friends and family. What a carefree and joyful occasion! Now, his family had been torn apart, and he was stranded in this strange land, thousands of miles away. Less than six months had passed since the incident on August 15th, and yet it had become a world of difference. Life is so unpredictable, so unpredictable... Looking at the bright moon in the sky, he couldn't help but feel sad.
Xiao Xiangyue was very perceptive: "Is Brother Yun unhappy?"
Luo Guyun sighed, patted his head, and said sullenly, "Today is my brother's seventeenth birthday."
Xiao Xiangyue was inexplicably surprised and muttered, "I was just thinking about what to write on the lantern! Now I have an idea. I'll write 'Happy Birthday, Brother Yun!'"
He ran to the vendor and borrowed a brush, then wrote a few large, slightly childish characters. Luo Guoyun took the brush, thought for a moment, and then wrote the four characters "Peace and Smoothness" on another lamp.
Xiao Xiangyue's eyes widened, and she stamped her feet in dissatisfaction, saying, "Brother Yun, how can your handwriting be so beautiful! Yue'er's... is too ugly!"
Back at the inn, Luo Guyun was washing up when Xiao Xiangyue ran up from downstairs carrying a bowl of noodles. She said excitedly, "Brother Yun, I asked the shopkeeper to cook a bowl of longevity noodles. Come and eat it while it's hot! Every time it was Yue'er's birthday, Auntie would cook longevity noodles, saying that eating them would make you live a hundred years!"
The two of them took turns to share a bowl of longevity noodles. When it was time to turn off the lights and go to bed, Xiao Xiangyue was still very excited. She hugged Luo Guoyun's neck and leaned over to his ear, singing birthday songs one by one: "Look at the scenery on the high mountains, the vast sky and the surging water. The stars are bright on the birthday night, and the blessings are shining every day. Enjoy happiness for a long time, and the joy and friendship are long-lasting... As constant as the moon, as rising as the sun. As long-lived as the Nanshan Mountains, never collapsing. As luxuriant as the pines and cypresses, may you live forever..." These were all the songs his father sang to him on his birthdays in the past. Seeing that he didn't want to go to sleep, Luo Guoyun teased him: "Yue'er, do you know what songs your brother likes to hear you sing the most?"
Xiao Xiangyue's eyes widened: "Which song?"
"Sung in the tree hole, the clouds are flying in the sky... Moon, please sing it a few more times for Brother Cloud."
Xiao Xiangyue hummed softly while Luo Guyun patted his back. The child's voice gradually became lower and his breathing became heavier. He had fallen asleep.
The next day, the two of them went to the town's largest teahouse. A popular local form of kuaiban (a form of jingle), roughly equivalent to a jingle, was a bit like the talk show of later times. The performer held two thick bamboo boards in one hand and a gavel in the other, striking them in a rhythmic rhythm. The lines were meticulously rhymed and catchy, delivering a powerful and smooth performance. The content ranged from historical stories to gossip, and was a delight to the locals. It became a crucial way for ordinary people to connect with the outside world.
Entering the teahouse, an old man was telling a story. Listening carefully, he discovered he was talking about how Commander Luo in Pingyang City had his entire family exterminated by his sworn brothers. The old man held a bamboo cudgel in his right hand and a gavel in his left, clapping his hands from time to time as he spoke with spit flying everywhere. He was probably talking about how Yang Lao Si was treacherous, wicked, and treacherous, having murdered his sworn brother. Rumors are inevitably exaggerated, and the old man's story was vivid and lifelike, as if he were there himself. The audience shook their heads and sighed, sometimes beating their chests and stamping their feet. Luo Guoyun's face was gloomy and he found a corner to sit down and listen carefully. The gossip wasn't all just hearsay. In the end, it was said that the young master of the Luo family had escaped under the protection of his sworn brother and might have ended up in the Zhongnan Mountains. He was both delighted and frightened. The good news was that justice was in the hearts of the people. Yang Lao Si had committed such a shameless act, becoming notorious and losing the support of the people, which would increase his chances of revenge. The bad news was that everyone knew about his escape, and now he was constantly hanging around in the crowds, so there was no telling when he would be spotted by his enemies.
The two of them did not delay any longer. They sped up their journey, traveling by day and sleeping by night, and headed straight for Lizhuang.
A few days later, they were only 20 to 30 miles away from Lizhuang. In their haste to travel, they missed the inn. It was already dark when they reached the wilderness. There was only a beekeeper's house with lights on, so they went there to stay overnight. The beekeeper was simple and hospitable, and he cut some fresh honey to entertain them. The honey was sweet and tempting, and Xiao Xiangyue ate a large piece. In the middle of the night, he suddenly flushed, his body was covered with rashes, he had a low fever, and he felt drowsy. Luo Guyun was anxious and picked up the child to go find a doctor. The beekeeper was experienced and took a closer look. He said to him, "Don't worry, sir. Judging from the symptoms of the little boy, it seems that he is not tolerant to honey. I have been a beekeeper for many years, and I have encountered such a situation after people ate honey. I will go to a nearby village to find a woman who is breastfeeding her child, and ask for some human milk. He will be fine after taking it."
The beekeeper lived in a remote area, seven or eight miles from the nearest village. At dawn, he brought back a woman in her twenties, who smiled naively and said, "This is Zhuzi's wife. Warm, fresh human milk is more effective, so I had to ask her for help." Luo Guoyun hurriedly thanked him.
Xiao Xiangyue drank a large bowl of warm human milk. The beekeeper then dipped gauze in some milk and rubbed it carefully over the rash. Sure enough, before noon, the rash had subsided and Xiao Xiangyue was awake. Luo Guyun's heart had just settled. But by evening, the child began vomiting and suffering from diarrhea. He vomited so violently that he couldn't even speak. Luo Guyun watched as his face turned from red to purple and then pale. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead. Even holding him was freezing cold. He was anxious and didn't know what to do. The beekeeper asked curiously, "Could it be that this child can't even drink human milk? My brother's child is like that—vomiting and diarrhea whenever he drinks milk, but this child's symptoms seem even more severe." Luo Guyun suddenly remembered Aunt Song's words about Xiao Xiangyue being unable to drink cow's milk since childhood. Goat's milk had to be specially processed by Doctor Sun before it could be used. So even human milk was out of the question. He secretly regretted his carelessness, causing the child to suffer in vain.
Xiao Xiangyue had a weak stomach since childhood. While in Alsophila Valley, Imperial Physician Sun meticulously treated him with medicinal foods daily. During these two months of wandering, he'd been starving and full, worried about the child's growth and lack of nutrition. Luo Guoyun saw that he either refused to eat or felt uncomfortable after eating many things, and he was deeply concerned. Fortunately, their journey was along the river, where fish were plump and easy to digest. They often ate fish, stewed, pan-fried, roasted, deep-fried... always selecting the best cuts, removing the bones, and giving them to him. Even so, after two months, he had lost a lot of weight.
The beekeeper ground wild yam into powder, added crushed hard-boiled egg yolks, and simmered it into a paste. He added a little salt and asked Luo Guyun to feed him half a bowl each time. It took several days for Luo Guyun to recover.
The two of them thanked the beekeeper and continued on their journey. Xiao Xiangyue's face had been weakened by the ordeal, leaving her with a more pointed face and a pitiful expression. She seemed a bit exhausted. Luo Guoyun carried her on his back, stopping to rest every few miles. By the time they reached Lizhuang, it was already the Jingzhe season.
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