Xu Li was once the envy of everyone in the village. Before he got married, he was pampered by his parents and married the most dignified man in the village. He had three sons and didn't even have to cook at home. Two of his sons were even sent to a private school to study.
But the He family suffered one blow after another. Now they have no money, and their mother-in-law has died. As the eldest son, they naturally have to shoulder the burden of life.
They hired an oxcart to transport over 300 jin (approximately 150 kg) of soybean paste to sell.
Xu Li was extremely uncomfortable. Although he had mentally prepared himself before coming, the reality was still different from what he had imagined. He was even afraid to talk to people. He finally mustered up the courage to ask the customer if they wanted some sauce. The customer ignored him, and he became dejected.
Wan Hai used to adore this pitiful look of his, and would always hold him in his arms and comfort him. But now, with the burdens of life weighing on him, he had no patience for romance and said, "If we don't sell all of these today, we won't have anything to eat when we get home."
Xu Li didn't take it to heart. He had a family in the village, so he wouldn't starve to death!
Wan Hai seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "You're a married man, don't keep going back. People will laugh at you. Why haven't I seen you go back so often before? Is it because you can only enjoy happiness and not suffer hardship?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Li's face turned pale, and he said, "No, that's not it." He wasn't good at arguing, and he had already mustered up his courage, but now he was being ridiculed. He felt wronged and sad, and tears streamed down his face.
Wan Hai didn't comfort him as usual; he just gave him a cold look.
Wan Haineng's face fell, and he began to hawk his wares: "Homemade soybean paste, five copper coins a pound." Normally it would sell for at least seven copper coins a pound, but he had already taken so much paste; he couldn't very well carry it back. For him now, money was the most important thing; he'd sell it for whatever price he was offered.
When the people in the county heard that he was selling it so cheaply, they said, "Let me see?"
Upon opening it, the sauce's color and quality were indeed quite good; it was a genuine fermented sauce at such a low price. Those who managed to get their hands on it were willing to buy some.
"Give me ten pounds, I'll give you a discount, and you can throw in an extra pound."
Wan Hai agreed in order to open the business. After that, customers naturally followed.
Xu Ligang was still a little nervous, but after a while, he realized that when Wan Hai was greeting guests, all he had to do was serve the sauce bowls.
As time went by, I gradually relaxed.
The sauce here is cheap, and people who come here to buy groceries often call others over to buy it.
This sauce, if you're not careful, can easily get it on your clothes. Xu Li was helping a customer scoop some sauce when he heard someone say, "Oh, I thought I was seeing things, it really is you!" Xu Li looked up and saw that it was also a young man, out for a stroll with his three-year-old son. This man had once pursued Wan Hai, but Wan Hai hadn't reciprocated his feelings. He'd heard that Wan Hai had later married a merchant and moved her whole family to the county town. He hadn't seen him for many years, but judging from his clothes, he must be doing quite well now.
As former rivals, the two felt somewhat awkward meeting, especially in this situation.
"Daddy, it stinks." The child in his arms covered his nose; the smell of the sauce was too strong for a child.
The man said, "Don't talk nonsense. I'll make you braised eggs with soy sauce today. If you don't like the smell, then don't eat it." He then bought ten catties of soy sauce from him, as a way of supporting his business.
But for a moment, Xu Li felt a pang of sadness.
When Xu Li arrived in the county, he found that most people were gathered at Qiu Yu's stall. Qiu Yu sold braised food, which was expensive and delicious, and most of his customers were repeat customers. Judging from his customers' clothes, they were all well-dressed, and there were even some who looked like servants who went there specifically to buy from him.
Unlike here, where everyone comes here looking for a bargain, they all want more sauce and less money. Some even stubbornly refuse to admit they've been shortchanged by a few coins; you can only accept your bad luck when you encounter such people.
Although the two were selling goods, their eyes were fixed on Qiu Yu. Soon they saw Qiu Yu pack up her stall, lead out her horse-drawn cart, load up her goods, and drive away.
Envy flashed in Xu Li's eyes; a horse-drawn carriage was much faster than an oxcart. He wanted to ask Qiu Yu for a ride, but before he could voice the idea, he gave up. After all, they had had a falling out, and he was too embarrassed to bring it up.
Soon the sauce here was sold out, and the remaining sauce base was sold off at a loss.
The smell of soy sauce on their clothes was so strong it was almost like they were marinating themselves in it. Everyone didn't notice it when they were buying the clothes, but now, as they passed by, everyone wrinkled their noses and looked disgusted.
Xu Li felt a lump in his throat and tears streamed down his face again.
Wan Hai and his companion reluctantly searched for a vehicle, but the oxcarts on the return journey refused to let them ride because they smelled too bad and were afraid that if they took them, they wouldn't be able to find other passengers in the future, unless they paid fifty coins to hire a car to go back.
He asked a few experienced taxi drivers, who seemed to have done their research. They stuck to their price and wouldn't budge. Wan Hai got angry and took Xu Li back.
Upon hearing this, Xu Li felt even more sorrowful and envied Qiu Yu's tall horse even more.
...
Seeing that Wan Hai and his group had opened their business, He Zifeng stopped paying attention and turned to go to the yamen to check in.
After roll call, it was time to patrol the streets, as is customary.
Originally, the street patrol was done by Brother Xiong and Bingzi, but after He Zifeng went in, Brother Xiong stopped doing it. He also went to drink with his fellow constables. Their drinking wasn't just about drinking; if the conversation turned to ways to make money, everyone who heard it would get a share.
By attending their drinking party, I've essentially become part of their circle.
Bingzi was a little envious and wanted to go too, but it was not easy to say so. There were at least two people patrolling the streets in the county, that was the rule!
Just then, the constable Xie Rui came out and said, "Bingzi, go if you want. I'm going to patrol the streets today."
Bingzi followed behind Brother Xiong, profusely thanking him. His face was beaming with joy.
Among the yamen runners, some either sided with one of the three factions within the yamen, while others, like Brother Xiong, remained aloof. Bingzi had only been there a short time, had no connections, and was rather slow-witted, so nobody associated with him. He could only get in through Brother Xiong's guidance; otherwise, he would never be able to join their drinking parties.
Yesterday, Brother Xiong briefly described the people here. When he mentioned Xie Rui, he said that Xie Rui came from a powerful family but was cowardly. He was placed in this position by the head constable, so he became one of the head constable's men as soon as he entered.
When Brother Xiong talked about it, he still looked envious. For him, being born into a good family is better than being born a human.
He Zifeng knew that the Xie family held considerable influence in the county, sharing power equally with the Gong family. The other half of the street belonged to his family.
People in the county all said that Xie Rui was from a collateral branch of the Xie family, but He Zifeng had heard that the Xie family had a sickly third son who had never seen anyone before and was timid as a mouse, just like He Zifeng. He guessed that the Xie family thought he was really hopeless, so they spent a lot of money to get him into the yamen (government office) so that he could be trained.
Although He Zifeng knew Xie Rui's identity, he didn't think much of it and went to patrol the streets as usual.
Xie Rui said, "Brother He, let's go together. That way we can help each other if something happens."
“Okay,” He Zifeng agreed.
Then they carefully walked through each street one by one. The official's uniform was indeed impressive; as they walked, everyone either respected or feared them, and all behaved themselves obediently.
Patrolling the streets wasn't difficult, but many people in the yamen (government office) thought it was a chore and avoided it whenever possible. But He Zifeng walked every single street. He was from another village and wasn't very familiar with the county; only by walking through each street did he learn where the most people lived, where the academies were, and where the taverns were.
Xie Rui arrived around the same time as Bingzi. He had seen many people just make a show of visiting before going off to enjoy themselves elsewhere. He thought He Zifeng would do the same, but to his surprise, He Zifeng was very serious.
If Xie Rui walked a little slower, he would fall behind, and he didn't want to be left alone, so he had to quicken his pace to catch up with He Zifeng.
Xie Rui, who had been following him closely, was a little out of breath: "Why are you taking this so seriously? It's just about making a living. You'll get paid when the time comes."
He Zifeng said, "Speak, what do you want from me?"
Xie Rui was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "You really can't hide anything from me."
He Zifeng remained silent, accepting the compliment. He had already inspected several important streets. He had finished his work for the day.
Xie Rui said, "I've taken on a job." He became quite animated when talking about it.
The yamen runners were in charge of all sorts of trivial matters in the county. There were always people who came to them seeking favors, and the rule among the runners was to split the money in half upon meeting them. However, if someone came on a solo patrol, they could keep the money for themselves. This was an unwritten rule among the yamen runners.
The higher-ups knew, but no matter how many county magistrates came and went, they all turned a blind eye to this. No one dared to skimp on the underlings' meager allowances. After all, the meager salaries from the county government were simply not enough for these yamen runners to live on, let alone afford a daily drink.
Xie Rui said, "Let's work together, and I'll give you half of it."
Xie Rui was timid by nature and refused to even go out on patrol alone. The old constables in the county laughed at him, saying he was like a baby who was still being nursed, and they wouldn't take him along if it weren't for giving the head constable some face.
Xie Rui could also sense that, after a while, he didn't want to hang out with those people anymore. But he didn't know who to hang out with. Yesterday, looking at He Zifeng, he felt that they were compatible, so he didn't even participate in the drinking party this time, just to talk to He Zifeng alone.
He Zifeng said, "Speak."
Xie Ruiming is clearly an old man, but when he's with He Zifeng, he inexplicably listens to He Zifeng's orders, and he actually thinks that's not so bad.
Then he told He Zifeng about it.
Upon hearing this, He Zifeng immediately felt like he was screwed.
The man who came to the door was said to be handsome. He had caught the eye of Li Xiao'e, the only daughter of the cloth shop owner, and they had exchanged betrothal gifts, waiting to marry each other a year later. But who would have thought that this man would seduce an even better woman, another girl who was a well-bred lady from a scholarly family.
His social standing was far superior to that of the merchant's daughter, so he wanted to break off the engagement. This sudden decision to break off the engagement infuriated the father and daughter of the cloth shop owner, especially Li Xiao'e, who displayed an unusually fiery temper. She was so disgraced that she even attempted suicide, but was saved. Now, the two families are at an impasse. The woman refuses to break off the engagement, and the man refuses to marry her.
The man begged Xie Rui for help, offering them three taels of silver and promising to do anything to break off the engagement.
In such matters, if the old yamen runners don't listen to their complaints and just arrest his father for a few days, the common people won't fight against the officials, and the woman will naturally agree to their conditions. Maybe they can even extort some money from them.
Make money easily.
Xie Rui was thin and frail; in his father's words, even wearing a dragon robe wouldn't make him look like a prince. Having no other choice, they had to ask others to come over; the two of them looked more imposing.
He Zifeng said, "Let's go, let's go take a look." In his opinion, this man was no good. He wanted to climb the social ladder and disregarded the girl's reputation. Seeing that they were not getting what they wanted, he even wanted to arrest the man and put him in jail, which showed how ruthless this man was.
He Zifeng went to the cloth shop with them. There weren't many people on the street when they patrolled it earlier, but now everyone was gathered there. They could hear people arguing inside from afar.
Upon closer listening, he said, "No one wants your daughter from the Li family, so you insist on marrying her off to my nephew. Why are you in such a hurry to marry her off? Is there something going on inside?"
Old Li, the shopkeeper of the cloth shop, was trembling with anger. He said, "Bullshit!" Then he picked up his carrying pole and was about to hit someone.
Before he even saw anyone, he heard a scream like a pig being slaughtered rang out from the other side: "Murder!"
He Zifeng immediately shouted, "No noise allowed!" and then squeezed in.
There were two men on the male side: his aunt and his mother. The mother remained quiet and reserved throughout, while the aunt kept talking non-stop.
A large crowd gathered outside to watch the spectacle.
This was the first time He Zifeng had seen Li Xiao'e. The round-faced girl was quite pretty, dressed in clothes from the cloth shop. Xie Rui, who was taking on a job for the first time, had already inquired about the business. The shop was their own business, and she was an only child. Although the business wasn't big, it was enough for them to live on. They sold local homespun cloth, which was cheap, durable, and long-lasting. Many villagers bought this kind of cloth to make clothes.
Having a cloth shop to do business with may not make you rich, but it will certainly ensure you have enough to eat and wear.
The man's mother and aunt knew they had spent money, so they stood up straight. When they saw the officers, they didn't flinch at all. Instead, they shouted, "Sir, you saw it for yourself! He just raised his board and tried to kill someone in the street. It really scared me to death!"
"You're spouting nonsense." Li Xiao'e had been in business with her father since she was a child and had met many people, but this was the first time she had ever seen such a bizarre person who called black white.
Seeing that there were quite a few onlookers, He Zifeng said, "Everyone disperse, no more crowding." He was very assertive, and once he made the statement, no one dared to look anymore.
Xie Rui was also speaking from the side. Although he was timid and couldn't take charge on his own, he was very willing to help if asked, and then he dispersed the crowd.
He Zifeng went to the man's side first and said, "Speak!"
The groom's mother, out of consideration for her son's reputation, didn't want to push things too far, as it would delay her son's marriage proposal. She simply said, "It's just a misunderstanding. As long as they're willing to call off the engagement, that's fine."
His aunt, standing nearby, yelled incoherently, "It's a misunderstanding! He almost killed me just now!"
He Zifeng said, "I have eyes, I can see. You don't need to say such misleading things."
Although the man's aunt dared to stand up to others, she didn't dare to confront the yamen runners head-on. After being rebuffed by He Zifeng, she refused to speak again.
He Zifeng then called the girl into the cloth shop to talk.
After all, it's an annulment of the engagement, so it's not appropriate to make a scene in front of everyone.
After He Zifeng called the people in, the man's aunt craned her neck to see what they were saying inside. She was a little worried, even though she knew money had been spent. But if the other party became ruthless and took the money, they might not be able to break off the engagement.
My aunt is a formidable person. She wanted to say something, but before she could even open her mouth, He Zifeng's gaze swept over her. She immediately dared not say anything more.
He Zifeng entered the room and said to her, "Tell me what you want to say."
Li Xiao'e was known far and wide for her quick wit and generosity. But this was the first time she had ever lost face like this, and she cried incessantly until her father told her the whole story.
The version was almost identical to what they knew, except for one additional point: the man had also borrowed ten taels of silver from her under the pretext of business turnover. Because they were engaged, she had no suspicions about him, and for such a large sum of money, she hadn't even written an IOU. However, there was another witness present who hadn't initially thought anything was amiss, but now, every time the Li family girl recalled it, it felt like a lump in her throat.
Li Xiao'e said, "I'm not angry that he wants to break off the engagement. But he should return the money I owe him. A bolt of coarse cloth only costs a hundred coins. We can't earn that money back in three years. And he's turning around and blaming me." Knowing that the other party wanted to marry into a higher social class, Li Xiao'e became even more resentful. Why should she be a stepping stone to the other party's happiness?
They've been coming to their house to cause trouble, ruining several of their businesses. Since they're so shameless, let's go all the way and make a scene. Li Xiao'e said, "If that doesn't work, I'll hang myself in front of their door and see how they'll bring a new bride into the house then."
Shopkeeper Li cried, "If you leave, how will your parents live?" The whole family cried bitterly.
Even Xie Rui, standing to the side, felt a little uneasy. He had taken the three taels of silver not because he was short of money, but just for fun. But Li Xiao'e was a woman of fiery temper, and if her father were really imprisoned, who knew what might happen?
He Zifeng asked, "Do you still want to marry this person?"
Li Xiao'e said, "I wouldn't even want to wash my feet if he were such a coward. But I wouldn't be willing to let him marry a new woman comfortably."
He Zifeng said, "Marriage is about forming a bond, not a feud. Since you know he's unreliable, why choose him to entrust your life to? It's better to break off the engagement than to get married and then be divorced. There are plenty of men in the world, so why waste your precious youth on a coward like him?"
Li Xiao'e was taken aback.
Shopkeeper Li quickly said, "Daughter, break off the engagement. I'll find you a better match." Then he turned around, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "I've said everything I could. But she was so stubborn and wouldn't listen to anything. Now that you've spoken, she's listening right away."
Li Xiao'e's eyes reddened, and she said to Manager Li, "Father, go and get the betrothal papers. I'm not marrying into this family."
Upon hearing this, Manager Li agreed, "Good, good." He then handed the betrothal letter to He Zifeng, who came out with Xie Rui. As soon as they emerged, the two men from the man's side approached them with ingratiating smiles, "Sir, how was it?"
He Zifeng said, "The Li family is reasonable. You shouldn't have blocked their door and prevented them from doing business, thus ruining the girl's reputation. Go in and apologize now!"
The aunt looked somewhat unconvinced, but the groom's mother was quite sensible and quickly went in to apologize.
Although Xie Rui had dispersed the onlookers once, they quickly gathered again, all eager to see how the situation would end.
He Zifeng then had someone bring the man over.
The man was mixed in with the crowd and came immediately when summoned. He Zifeng asked, "Did you still borrow ten taels of silver from the woman?"
The man immediately protested, "Sir, that's not true! She's trying to extort money from me." He deliberately spoke loudly.
Li Xiao'e, who was listening in the shop, couldn't stand it anymore and quickly came out, saying, "When you borrowed the money, the jewelry dealer's assistant, Xiao Zhu'er, was also there. Don't try to deny it! It would take our family a long time to earn ten taels of silver. Since you've already sided with someone else, why are you still trying to cheat me out of these ten taels?"
Even He Zifeng, who was standing in front, couldn't help but applaud the girl; she was indeed a capable person.
The man was immediately annoyed. The onlookers, who had initially sided with him, were now starting to murmur amongst themselves. While these people enjoyed the drama, they weren't stupid. A little thought was enough for them to realize what kind of person would so readily break off an engagement after climbing the social ladder.
Just as He Zifeng was about to call someone to examine him, his mother intervened, taking a small but pure gold hairpin from her hair. She said, "Consider this hairpin as a return of ten taels of silver. As long as you produce your birth certificate, we'll be even."
Li Xiao'e immediately accepted the gold hairpin and went to the pawnshop across the street. She pawned it for twelve taels of silver, giving two taels to the man's mother. This action was a slap in the face to them. Afterwards, He Zifeng gave them the betrothal gifts.
Although the man got what he wanted, he still left dejectedly.
The crowd gathered around them dispersed only after they all left.
After He Zifeng left, Xie Rui quickly followed, his eyes filled with admiration: "Brother He, you're amazing! You resolved such a mess with just a few words." Then he took out some money, intending to give him half.
He Zifeng said, "You can keep it."
Xie Rui was already wealthy, and now, idolizing He Zifeng, he insisted that He accept the money. He even said he wanted to follow him in the future, wishing he could give him all his money.
He Zifeng only took his share of the tael and a half, and repeatedly refused the offer to take on followers. As a newcomer, how could he establish his own faction as soon as he arrived?
Xie Rui understood and didn't bring it up again. But she was overjoyed after going out. She insisted that she thought He Zifeng was a good man and wanted to introduce a girl to him. He Zifeng said, "I'm married?"
"Huh?" Xie Rui was a little disappointed.
He Zifeng didn't say anything more. When he returned to the yamen, he saw that they had already come back after drinking, and several people were slumped in their chairs. Brother Xiong was also drunk. Bingzi was very excited because it was his first time attending such an event. When he saw He Zifeng, he insisted on drunkenly telling him how great it was to attend the drinking party.
But after only a few words, Xie Rui took the initiative to pour tea for He Zifeng.
Bingzi, still a bit tipsy and not quite processing what was going on, said, "Why are you all so nice to me?" After saying that, he passed out drunk to the side.
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