Bone-Returning Seed (Part 1)
The meeting with the cloth shop owner after the holiday went very smoothly.
The cloth shop and the weaving workshop signed a long-term contract for monthly supply. A 20% deposit was made at the beginning of the month, and the remaining 80% was paid upon delivery at the end of the month. As the weaving workshop increased its production capacity, the cloth shop also benefited. The owner was willing to raise the initial deposit to 30% for the first three months. In this way, the weaving workshop could immediately find craftsmen to order looms, and by the time the new looms were completed and delivered, the remaining payment would be in place.
Huai Xu and I immediately brought this good news to Yanziping, and everyone in the weaving workshop was overjoyed when they heard it.
On the way back to the inn, Huai Xu exclaimed, "Godmother, I think Madam Wang is amazing. At her age, she was exiled from so far away, and she even contracted the plague on the way, almost losing her life. But she still worked tirelessly to open a weaving workshop, teach everyone how to weave, and lead everyone to make money together."
"Before Niyi from Niumendong came to work at the weaving workshop, she would fight with her husband every few days. Now that Niyi is earning money to supplement the family income, she says that when she hits her husband, he is afraid that the pain in her hands will affect her weaving, so he doesn't dare to fight back. And Aunt Xia, who used to be bent over like a shrimp and always had a worried look on her face, now her posture is much straighter, and her eyes are shining."
"Without Madam Wang's help, they wouldn't have changed like this. I want to be as capable as Madam Wang in the future and help many Liao women."
I laughed and said, "Oh, my Huaixu has grown up! You're starting to have your own insights into things. Whatever you want to do in the future, your godmother will always support you!"
Two yellow chestnut horses were tied to the hitching post at the entrance of the inn. When Huai Xu saw them, he was very curious: "Godmother, what kind of horses are those? They are so short."
"Jianchang horse, don't let its short stature fool you, it's perfect for mountain roads." I was also surprised. Jianchang horses are mostly produced in Xuhen and Lianglin districts of Jianchang Prefecture. Now that Jianchang is under the rule of Dali, and Xuhen, which borders the Song Dynasty, has a long-standing feud with Mahu, this kind of horse is really rare in the 'southern half of the country'.
Huai Xu and I led the horses toward the stable. Lin Zhong came over and took the reins from us: "Master, two men from Mahu have arrived and want to see you and Huai Xu."
Lakers?
In an instant, I remembered that person and those eyes again, and my heart clenched inexplicably. I quickly stepped into the front room.
"Aunt, you're back." Feng Qiao's voice sounded a little nervous.
"Hmm." I followed his gaze and saw two people sitting at a table by the window. When they saw Huai Xu and me, they put down their teacups and stood up.
One of them said, "Lady Qing, we've met before."
I nodded: "That's right, it's in Yuezhou Bian City."
“You have a good memory, Qingniangzi.” The man looked Huai Xu up and down and said, “We people of Mahu are all straightforward and don’t like to beat around the bush. So I’ll be direct. My name is Asangzihe, and he is my wife’s younger brother, Amu Suo. We’ve come today to propose marriage to you, Qingniangzi.”
Huai Xu was confused: "You're proposing marriage to my godmother? What kind of marriage?"
Looking into Asangzi's extremely aggressive gaze, I finally understood where the unease that had been lingering in my mind these past few days came from.
Perhaps, this is just a mother's intuition...
Asangzihe's gaze fell on Huaixu again: "Little sister, your mother's name is Ashu."
Huai Xu exclaimed in surprise, "How did you know?!"
"Young Lady Qing, this girl's mother, Asang Zishu, is my own sister. I'm her maternal uncle." Asang Zishu revealed a smug smile.
“Little sister, when you were very young, your mother took you back to Mahu and stayed at your uncle’s house. Do you remember? There was a little brother in your uncle’s house who was very good to you. He always gave you the best food and toys.”
"I don't remember!" Huai Xu turned to look at Feng Qiao, then turned the back of his head to Asang Zihe.
Amu Suo suddenly shouted, "You little brat, you have no manners at all! How dare you speak to your uncle like that?"
I raised my voice in response: "Can't you understand human language? My daughter is none of your business to lecture her!"
"You... Brother-in-law, don't stop me!" Amu Suo was about to argue with me when Asang Zihe stopped him.
Huai Xu spread his arms to block me, but Feng Qiao rushed over and blocked Huai Xu behind him.
Asangzihe's gaze was like a cold, venomous snake, slowly sweeping over Feng Qiao and Huai Xu before settling on my face: "You've raised my niece for so many years, I respectfully call you 'Qing Niangzi,' but you must know that my niece is the flesh and blood of my own sister."
“My younger sister is a native of Mahu Dong, and ‘returning the bloodline’ is an ironclad rule among our Dong people. I came to propose marriage with polite words, but you pulled this stunt on me instead.”
"Lady Qing, you're really underestimating the 76 Caves of Mahu!"
I sneered: "What do your Mahu rules have to do with me?"
"Huai Xu is the daughter I raised. Who she wants to marry or doesn't want to marry is up to her own heart."
"A cheap uncle like you, who disappears when something happens and tries to monopolize all the benefits... does he even deserve to set foot in my Qing Niangzi's house!"
"You savage woman!" Amu Suo grabbed a bench from beside him, raised it halfway, and suddenly his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground. Huai Xu snatched the bench away and slammed it down on him.
Amu Suo let out a scream as his head was split open, blood streaming down his face. Asangzi quickly covered his wound and helped him back outside.
Huai Xu spat and said, "Get lost!"
The sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the courtyard, and Asang Zihe's furious voice carried on the wind: "You just wait! This marriage is off the table!"
—Updated 8.21
I picked up half a broken branch from the ground, threw it into the teacup on the table, and said to Feng Qiao, "Throw away the bowls that these two beasts used! Bring a basin of water and clean the table and chairs."
Huai Xu threw herself into my arms: "Godmother!"
I hugged her tightly and said, "It's okay, you did a great job!"
"Godmother, I remember now! My cousin is a bit simple-minded. When we were little, if others took his things, he never fought back. Everyone else would grab their own food, but he always needed his mother to feed him!"
I suddenly remembered the reminder Wei Ji gave me in the side hall of the state government office that day: Huai Xu's birth mother was driven out by her husband's family. According to common sense, she should have sought help from her brothers in her own family first, but for some reason, she ended up selling herself into slavery.
Could this be the reason why Grandma Huaixu didn't want to take her daughter back to Mahu?!
The image of Asangzi drawing her sword and committing suicide flashed through my mind again, and I felt a surge of hot blood rush to my head. I closed my eyes to stop the dizziness: "This marriage, I'll never let it happen, not even if I die!"
Huai Xu hugged me and sobbed, "Godmother!"
Lin Zhong came over and helped Huai Xu and me sit on the stools. Feng Qiao washed the bloodstains off the ground and sat down with us.
After a long silence, Feng Qiao spoke up: "Aunt, what is 'Returning Bone Seed'?"
I slowly said, "In the southwestern barbarians, the marriage between maternal and paternal cousins is called 'returning the bone seed.' When the maternal cousin's sister marries into the family in this generation, the paternal cousin's daughter must 'return' to the maternal cousin's family in the next generation."
"When a daughter of a maternal aunt chooses a husband, she must first marry a son of her maternal uncle's family. Even if the son of her maternal uncle's family is young, if the daughter of her maternal aunt's family is of marriageable age, she must not marry outside the maternal uncle's family without the permission of her maternal uncle's family. The Han people also have this custom of marriage between relatives, but it is not mandatory."
“In the Nanguang area, there are many familiar people, and the marriage customs are gradually becoming more Sinicized. When it comes to ‘returning the bone seed,’ it’s just a formality. The aunt’s family doesn’t need to return the daughter to the maternal uncle’s family. They can just return some gifts and the daughter can be married off. In Mahu Dong, many people live deep in the mountains and don’t leave for generations. The marriage custom of ‘returning the bone seed’ is still deeply rooted.”
"Customs vary from place to place and time to time," Feng Qiao slammed his fist on the table in anger. "But Asangzi's intentions are far too malicious!"
I nodded: "On that day in court, Prefect Wei said that brokers eat people without spitting out the bones. Isn't this Asangzi the same way with his own family?"
Huai Xu kept wiping away her tears.
Feng Qiao said, "Huai Xu, don't be sad. Even if I, Feng Qiao, die, I will never let them take you away!"
Lin Zhong lowered his eyes: "Neither will we."
In the days that followed, I dared not leave Huaixu alone anymore. During the day, Feng Qiao and Lin Zhong took turns keeping her company, and at night I had her stay with me.
Huai Xu was frequently awakened from his sleep, and I often stayed up all night. Feng Qiao was visibly thinner, and Lin Zhong had not touched a drop of alcohol for several days.
The "Bone-Returning Seed" is like a black hole that devours people's souls, looming over the hearts of everyone in the inn.
When I woke up that morning, the sky was full of rosy clouds. I thought it might rain later, so I quickly told Feng Qiao to cover the hay piled up next to the stable with a tarpaulin.
Feng Qiao and Huai Xu went together, and not long after, Huai Xu’s out-of-control screams came from the backyard.
When Lin Zhong and I arrived, we saw that the hay that had been piled up was scattered all over the ground. Feng Qiao said anxiously, "Auntie, the hay has been moved and mixed with maidenhair ferns!"
Maidenhair fern is poisonous to horses. If horses eat it, their eyesight will be impaired or they will go blind. For horses that travel on mountain roads, once their eyesight is impaired, it is tantamount to death.
Huai Xu squatted on the ground, her head in her hands, her body trembling. I quickly pulled her into my arms and gently patted her back.
Huai Xu cried out, his voice filled with anger and grievance: "Why are they so mean! Why do I have such an uncle! Why is this happening to me?!"
“Huai Xu, calm down. Listen to your godmother, he’s not your uncle. We can’t choose our birth, but we can choose to sever ties with it. Your mother didn’t take you back to Mahu back then; she made her choice, and now you can too.”
"Godmother!"
"Feng Qiao, take Huai Xu out for a walk to clear his head. Go to Yuejiang or Yanziping, but don't go too far."
"Auntie, what about these grasses—"
"Go ahead, your Uncle Lin and I are here."
After tidying up all morning, I leaned against the pile of hay, panting heavily: "I really want... I really want to stuff all these maidenhair ferns into Asangzihe's mouth..."
Lin Zhong leaned against the other side: "Shall I run the errand for you?"
"Don't say that." I moved closer to him. "Even if we kill Asangzihe, this matter is not over yet."
"It's not just Asangzihe alone, it's his whole family. Why was Amusuo so enthusiastic last time? Asangzihe's daughter will also be 'returned' to his family in the future. It's all interconnected, and no family can afford to drop the ball. 'Returning the bone seed' is in the common interest of all 76 villages of Mahu."
"Their desire to protect the order is the same as our desire to protect the Huai Order at all costs. Although Asangzihe is a scoundrel, he is right about one thing: 'Returning the bone seed' is an ironclad rule of the Mahudong people. In my opinion, it is probably even harder than iron."
Lin Zhong turned to me: "Are the rules untouchable?"
“You can touch it.” For some reason, I suddenly thought of Xiong Tu, who was dedicated to reshaping the rules for the southwestern barbarians, and I sighed, “It’s just that the price is a bit high.”
"The conflicts between villages and tribes often start from disputes between a family or clan. Once hatred spreads, more and more people in a village or clan, or even the entire Yi territory, are drawn into the conflict, fighting to the death and causing rivers of blood to flow."
"Is there no other solution?"
I shook my head: "I haven't thought of anything yet. The Dong people have a deep belief in the mountain god. Perhaps one day the mountain god will appear and take away all these broken copper and iron things."
"So what do we do next?"
"If all else fails, we'll have to send them away."
“They won’t leave unless you leave.”
I laughed and said, "It's alright. I told them, 'You're still here, aren't you?' I remember someone said they would take care of me in my old age and see me off when I die."
Lin Zhong met my eyes and said seriously, "Boss, you'd better keep your word."
To prevent further harm, Feng Qiao ignored our advice and moved into the stable. For several days, her body was covered in mosquito and fly bites, leaving only patches of healthy flesh. Huai Xu still felt that she had caused everyone's trouble, and every morning when she woke up, her eyes were swollen.
Sometimes I want to send them away immediately, but then I feel reluctant. I'm torn between these thoughts and decisions.
At noon that day, Aunt Xu suddenly arrived at the inn, carrying two plucked chicks in her hands.
I asked in surprise, "Why kill it so early? Aren't you going to keep it for the New Year?"
"Sigh." Aunt Xu sighed and waved her hand, "Don't even mention it. Last night, a thief broke into my yard. That damned thief probably thought the chickens were too small and didn't have much meat, so he trampled all my chickens to death."
"It's also because Xu Shan is a heavy sleeper and snores so loudly that I didn't hear a thing. I figured we shouldn't waste it, so I spent the whole morning preparing this and divided it between the two of you. You can have Huai Xu and the others pick some mushrooms to make a soup, just to add a side dish."
My heart sank to the bottom, and my last glimmer of hope vanished. I forced myself to stay strong and said, "Thank you, Aunt Xu. You must—be extra careful."
After seeing Aunt Xu off, Lin Zhong came inside and handed me a bamboo arrow: "I just found it on the hitching post."
The arrow's fletching was tied with a strip of cloth. I untied it and saw five circles painted with cinnabar and a crooked "double happiness" character on it.
Lin Zhong frowned: "The wedding is in five days?"
"Yes!" I closed the cloth strip and gave him a push. "Act according to our previous agreement, and quickly prepare the horses!"
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