Chapter 74 A Letter from the South
"That Xie Pei is a fool. He left such a menace in the Xie family. Now look what's happened, the ancestral home is gone when he comes back."
"Pshaw, Xie Pei might not even make it back alive. He went to fight the Southern Barbarians, which was extremely dangerous. It's not like he can just come back anytime soon."
"That's right, that's probably why this jinx dared to wreak havoc after everyone left."
Several people huddled together, chattering excitedly about other people's family affairs.
Unfortunately, Zhu Mingyue couldn't hear a single whisper of gossip. He was so busy making money in the morning and going back to the village to supervise the construction in the afternoon that he had no time to care about what others were saying about him behind his back.
The house was demolished, and a huge pile of weeds from the roof was left. Zhu Mingyue was about to throw them away but found it too troublesome. Just then, Li Zhengyang's mother came over and asked him if he still wanted the weeds.
Zhu Mingyue waved her hand dismissively, asking what she needed it for.
Li Zhengyang's mother said happily, "Then I'll take it back and use it for firewood."
"By the way, where are you staying now? Zhengyang's dad said you're just making do at a shop in town."
Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "Auntie, that's not true. I stayed at the shop for two days and really couldn't get used to it, so I rented a courtyard in town."
When Li Zhengyang's mother heard him say that, she felt sorry for him because of the money: "Why rent a courtyard in town? It's so expensive. Why don't you come live with us? It's convenient and doesn't cost any money."
"Auntie, the houses in town aren't expensive. I'll make do for a few months and move back once this place is almost finished," Zhu Mingyue explained. If he lived alone, he could rent a house like Xiao Cui, but that would make it inconvenient for Er Ya to come and go. Besides, houses in town aren't that expensive, and renting one for a few months wouldn't cost much.
“That works too,” Li Zhengyang’s mother said, holding a stack of dry straw. She and Zhu Mingyue stood under the tree watching the craftsmen work, their eyes filled with envy. Zhu Mingyue was really something; she had only been in the village for a year and had already built a big house.
"By the way, Auntie, could you help me find someone to cook?" Zhu Mingyue suddenly remembered. "Just one meal at noon will do. My shop doesn't close until after noon every day, and the cooks would be hungry long before I get back to cook, so it's really inconvenient."
Without a second thought, Li Zhengyang's mother agreed immediately: "What's so difficult about that? People in our village don't earn much. If you pay seven or eight coins, I guarantee there will be people scrambling to do it."
Zhu Mingyue: "Isn't that a bit too little?" What can seven or eight coins do?
"Hey, isn't that enough? It's not like it's hard work, just cooking a meal. If it weren't for the spring planting preparations, and only your uncle and I were busy at home, I would have cooked for you."
Zhu Mingyue was somewhat worried: "You know my reputation in the village, I don't know if anyone would be willing to do it."
Li Zhengyang's mother said, "They want to do it but can't." She shifted her body and asked Zhu Mingyue mysteriously, "Do you still remember Liu Lao Er?"
Zhu Mingyue nodded. Of course he remembered, and the impression was still very deep! After all, he was the only oddball who could come up with the idea of hiding in his house to avoid being conscripted. It was hard for him to forget.
"I never really thought much of him before, but his wife is a decent person. It's pitiful that she's all alone now. You asked me to help you find someone to cook, so I thought I'd recommend her. What do you think?"
Speaking of Liu Lao Er's wife, Zhu Mingyue immediately pictured the thin woman who had come to apologize that night with her child on her back. It had truly been a difficult time for her, and he wanted to help her if he could. He immediately agreed, "Sure, but my status makes it inconvenient. Could you please talk to her for me? Tell her the wages are eight coins a day, plus lunch. She can come if she's willing."
"Yes, yes, definitely! I'll drag the straw back and talk to her." Li Zhengyang's mother said excitedly and left.
Liu Lao Er's wife's name was Mingxiu, but few people knew her real name; they all just called her Liu Er's wife. Zhu Mingyue only knew her name because Mingxiu told her herself.
She was overjoyed to learn that she could have a job. She left her child in her mother-in-law's care and brought half a basket of bamboo shoots to express her gratitude.
Her in-laws and brother-in-law were still somewhat wary of Zhu Mingyue, but she was not afraid. Her life was already like this, it couldn't get any worse.
Eight coins a day was quite a lot. If she could work for two months, that would be nearly half a tael of silver. If she was careful with her spending, it could support her family for quite some time. In the past, she never imagined she would be able to earn money.
Zhu Mingyue declined the bamboo shoots, saying, "I appreciate the thought, but you can take them back. I'm currently living in town and eating and drinking at my own shop, so I can't eat these."
Mingxiu was still a little reserved in front of him, her voice as soft as a fly: "They're very tender. If you can't finish them, you can dry them." She clearly wanted Zhu Mingyue to accept them.
Zhu Mingyue was helpless; he really couldn't eat that much. Now that Xie Pei wasn't around, he basically ate and drank as he pleased. If he wanted to be lazy, he would cook more at the shop at noon and eat the leftovers in the evening. Or he would have some snacks, keeping it as simple as possible. He basically didn't cook when he returned to the courtyard in the evening.
"Take it, it's okay if you can't finish it." Mingxiu was inexplicably persistent and tried to put down the basket and leave.
"Wait a minute." Zhu Mingyue called out to her, taking a few out of the basket. "I'll just take a few to try, I can't eat the rest, you can take them back."
This time, Mingxiu didn't persist. She smiled at him, but it was a smile tinged with tears.
Zhu Mingyue pursed her lips and said to her again, "Your aunt should have told you about the meal plan, right? I will have someone deliver the vegetables, meat, rice and noodles for the next few days to your house tomorrow morning. You can decide how to distribute them, and remember to make sure the chefs are well-fed."
Mingxiu nodded repeatedly, making sure she remembered what he said.
The next day, she and her in-laws and brother-in-law saw the meat and vegetables that Zhu Mingyue had sent over at home, and they were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths for a long time.
The deliveryman was Xiao Cui's eldest adopted brother. He was strong and quick-witted, but he was still quite young. If you gave him a few copper coins to do some odd jobs, he would do them very well.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and pointed to the basket on the ground: "Brother Zhu asked me to bring this. We'll finish the fresh meat in the next couple of days, and you can decide what to do with the remaining smoked meat."
After saying that, he left.
"Good heavens! So much meat and rice. You're really generous!" The two elders looked at the meat in the basket and couldn't help but swallow.
It's also their bad luck that they had a son who's like a living devil. For many years, they haven't had a proper meal of meat, so they're really craving it.
"Is this guy surnamed Zhu really making money running a shop in town, with such generosity?"
Mingxiu frowned, somewhat displeased: "How could it be fake? I heard from the village chief's aunt that Li Zhengyang used to work in his shop, and he's known for being kind and generous."
Her mother-in-law hesitated for a moment: "But..."
Mingxiu: "What do you mean 'but'? Don't get involved with other people in the future. My boss is not a jinx. What jinx can open a shop in town and make money? No one in the village is more capable than him."
Her brother-in-law didn't think much of it: "We're in luck. This meat looks fatty, and we'll get plenty of oil in our pan when we stir-fry it. It'll be a treat to have some meat."
...
Time flies, and before we know it, it's the month of the lotus.
The construction of the house is nearing completion, and it is mostly finished. The wooden furniture that he had previously commissioned a carpenter to make has been gradually moved into the house. Zhu Mingyue moved her belongings back from town yesterday.
The rice paddies in Xie's fields were lush and thriving, thanks to the village chief who had arranged for someone to plant his fields during the spring planting season. Although it cost some money, he was happy to have an easy time. Otherwise, without Xie Pei, Zhu Mingyue really wouldn't have been able to manage those few acres of land.
One day, a group of merchants came to the village. They were stopped as soon as they arrived at the village entrance. Everyone was unsure of what to do since the people looked unfamiliar, so they called the village chief over.
Zhu Mingyue was cleaning dust at home, and Li Zhengyang's mother was helping him. Hearing the commotion outside, she pulled him along to join the fun at the village entrance.
He appeared completely at ease, explaining to the villagers in his somewhat broken Ganzhou dialect that he was being entrusted to deliver something.
As for who sent the gift and what it was, I'm sorry, I can't say since the person didn't come.
The village chief, his hands still covered in mud, was summoned over. Upon seeing this group of people, he couldn't help but ask with some confusion, "Who are you?"
"You're the village chief?"
"I am."
Upon hearing this, the merchant took out a package from the carriage, but did not give it to him immediately. Instead, he asked, "Do you know Xie Pei, Li Zhengyang, and Ma Dazhuang? Are they all from your village?"
"Yes! Yes!" Li Zhengyang's mother's eyes reddened with excitement, her voice trembling. She grabbed Zhu Mingyue's wrist and raised it high. "Li Zhengyang is indeed my son, and Xie Pei is from his family. Is there any news from the south about the two of them?"
Ma Dazhuang's mother, having heard the news at some point, rushed over, shoved the village chief aside, and tried to snatch the package from Shang's hands.
"But it was sent back by my son?"
The merchant nimbly took a few steps back, looking at the villagers who had surrounded him, all of whom were looking at them with expressions of either expectation or doubt, which made him feel a little uneasy.
He turned his gaze to the village chief: "Is what they said true?"
“It’s true,” the village chief said, glancing at the package as if to himself. “But did they send a letter?”
The merchant breathed a sigh of relief. "The villages in Shangyang County are all built against the mountains, which made it easy for me to find them." He wouldn't have done this kind of business if the person who asked him to deliver the goods hadn't paid a hefty sum.
He opened one of the packages; inside were two letters. He glanced down at the words on the envelopes: "One of these letters is from Ma Ping, and the other is from Li Renzhong."
The village chief's stern face trembled slightly as he reached out, but his wife and Ma Dazhuang's mother snatched the letter away before he could.
"Do you have any of my family's? My son's name is Niu Da."
"My son's name is Li Guang."
“My son, my son’s name is Liu Kun’er.”
Seeing that Ma Dazhuang and Li Zhengyang had both replied, other families whose husbands or sons had gone south to fight also started to shout.
Some were unreasonable; they saw his package and tried to snatch it. Others went even further, trying to search the carriage behind him.
The bodyguards wouldn't let them have their way, and they all raised their weapons to intimidate them back.
The merchant snorted, his face showing a hint of displeasure. He had been traveling all over the country transporting goods for many years, and encountering bandits was commonplace for him. If he could still be robbed by these villagers, then he might as well give up his job.
He held up the remaining package and shouted, "Whose name is Zhu Mingyue?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment and fell silent.
Zhu Mingyue was still in a daze during the confusion, but now she suddenly realized what was happening and called out, "It's me, my name is Zhu Mingyue."
"Excuse me, please make way." As soon as he said this, everyone made way for him, not daring to approach him. Zhu Mingyue walked in from the periphery of the crowd and went straight to the merchant.
He wanted to speak, but found himself not much calmer than Li Zhengyang's mother. His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard. "Is this for me?"
The merchant stared at his face ever since he saw him, finding it both novel and stunning. Thinking of the man who had approached him, a knowing look flashed across his face.
He handed the package directly to him, saying, "It's all yours."
Ma Dazhuang's mother, holding the letter in her hand, was very dissatisfied upon seeing this: "Why does he get a package? What about my Dazhuang and Li Zhengyang's? Did you steal it?"
"Don't bring my son into this with your Dazhuang. I know my son very well. It's a wonder he even knows how to send letters home." She said this only to distance herself from the situation, but she was secretly delighted. As long as there were letters, it was enough to prove that her son was still alive and well.
The merchant was even more displeased by her words. "Your son didn't give me a package. These two letters were just an accompaniment. I didn't take a single copper coin from them. I'm paid to do this job. The one who gave me the money is his family." The merchant gestured with his chin toward Zhu Mingyue, making his meaning very clear.
Upon hearing this, Ma Dazhuang's mother felt ashamed. She looked at the thin piece of paper in her hand, then at Zhu Mingyue's package, stomped her foot, turned around, and left.
Sigh, she's still unhappy. Isn't it good that her son can send a message to let her know he's safe and sound, even though he's traveled a thousand miles? Everyone else, who came empty-handed, was incredibly envious.
The village chief then spoke up: "Those who have been doing their work should go back to their jobs. If it's not your business, don't get involved."
Upon hearing this, everyone realized it wasn't their business and left. A few, however, remained reluctant to leave, their eyes fixed on Zhu Mingyue's package.
She thought to herself that Ma Dazhuang's mother was right; why should Zhu Mingyue have what they didn't?
Zhu Mingyue opened a corner of the package, revealing a brown envelope, and his heart immediately felt much more at ease. He then stepped forward to talk to the merchant.
He pretended to know nothing and asked, "May I ask if you traveled all the way north from Ningjiang to here, brother?"
"How could that be?" The merchant chuckled, his expression softening slightly. "Ningjiang is still occupied by the Southern Barbarians. Let alone getting out of there, it's difficult to even get in!"
Village chief: "And who are you?"
“Jizhou,” the merchant replied, “but during this time in Ganzhou, Jizhou is probably no longer safe.”
Zhu Mingyue's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked him, "Why? Is a fight about to break out?"
"Tsk," the merchant shook his head, "Your information is way outdated. What do you mean a war is about to break out?"
Oh, so there hasn't been a war yet. No war means they're safe now. Zhu Mingyue, the village chief, and Li Zhengyang's mother all relaxed.
Before he could even relax for three seconds, the merchant blurted out, "They've been fighting for ages! Even if they're fighting, I still want to do business. These days, nobody has it easy. It's just..."
Their hearts were in their throats: "But what?"
The merchant sighed, "But the situation is not good now. Although the Jizhou troops have been defending the city for nearly a month, they cannot withstand the repeated fierce attacks of the Southern Barbarians. Many soldiers have already died in the city, and now there is panic everywhere. I'm afraid it won't be long before Jizhou falls."
Was it really that fast? Last time I inquired, Suiyuan hadn't even fallen yet, and now...
Zhu Mingyue's heart suddenly felt as if something was pressing down on it, making it hard to breathe. The joy of receiving Xie Pei's letter had vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of fear.
War has already broken out! The situation in Jizhou is so dire. I can't believe it. What will happen to the people in the city if Jizhou is captured? What will happen to Xie Pei?
She heard a sobbing sound nearby. Zhu Mingyue turned around blankly and found that it was Li Zhengyang's mother covering her face and crying.
He feigned composure: "Brother, are you going to return this time you came all the way from the south?"
"Jizhou?" the merchant retorted. "What, you want me to deliver a message to you?"
Zhu Mingyue chuckled dryly, "Big brother is smart. There is something I would like to ask you to take with me."
The merchant raised his eyelids slightly and said, "Given the current situation in Jizhou, I'm not sure if I can go back." He pondered for a moment, "I still need to go to the capital. I'll probably be back here in about half a month. I'll rest in Shangyang County for a while before deciding whether to go to Jizhou or not. You can come to Zhengfu Inn to find me anytime."
Seemingly afraid that he might not trust him, he patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I only care about money. As long as you pay me enough, I promise I will do my best to bring you whatever you ask me to bring."
Is the money enough? How much is enough?
Zhu Mingyue felt a surge of curiosity: "May I ask how much silver Xie Pei gave you when he asked you to deliver something?"
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