First signs
It seems the mine is about to officially start operations, as the market has been bustling with activity these past few days. Shops selling daily necessities like oil, salt, and cloth are especially busy, making a fortune.
Wang Pan'er's braised meat is also selling much faster than usual.
Mu Chuan and Mo Feng are scheduled to leave tomorrow, so Wang Pan'er thought she should close up shop early today and prepare a feast to bid farewell to her sworn brother.
Zhao Niangzi had been exhausted these past few days, so taking advantage of the fact that there were no guests, she moved over to Wang Pan'er's place to get some mung bean soup.
"How long do you think this crowded situation can last? I've been so tired these past few days that my back and legs ache. If I have to work like this year after year, I'll lose decades of my life."
"I reckon it won't be this lively once construction officially starts. Once the miners are in the mines, they won't be allowed to wander around our market."
Zhao Niangzi rubbed her waist and slumped in her chair; "You're right. I was thinking of hiring a helper, but I'll wait a few more days and see how things go."
"Yeah, I'm also planning to close down my stall and find a small shop to rent. The sun and wind are too harsh on me, I'm not in good physical condition."
Before he finished speaking, the stall was surrounded by people.
The newcomer stepped forward, grabbed Wang Pan'er's wrist, and yanked it hard.
Wang Pan'er stumbled and almost fell into the braising pot.
Looking up, she saw three faces she would never forget—her parents, and her good-for-nothing younger brother, Wang Yaozu.
Wang Yaozu smirked, staring at her menacingly: "It really is you, you shameless slut!"
"And what are you then, a coward?" Wang Pan'er sneered. "You still have the guts to come looking for me! What, you went to Zhang the Landlord's house and dug up his ancestral graves but couldn't find me, so you want to come and claim kinship now?"
Seeing this, Aunt Wang slammed her hand on the chopping board on the cart and cried out, "What sins has our Wang family committed to produce such a shameless brat? Because of you, our whole family is being talked about behind our backs in the village and can't hold our heads up!"
“And your younger brother.” Old Man Wang pulled Wang Pan’er out of the stall. “Nobody wants to arrange marriages for him right now.”
Wang Pan'er swung her elbow hard, pulling her hand away: "Is it my fault?"
Grandma Wang's shouts drew a crowd of villagers, both those with nothing else to do and those with nothing else to do, all eager to find out what was going on.
Seeing the large crowd, Granny Wang became even more enthusiastic, perfectly portraying a pitiful woman abandoned by her daughter: "We found you such a good marriage. Although Young Master Zhang is seriously ill, he is the only son of a landlord. After he passes away, you will be the mistress of the house. Our whole family of farmers has burned incense for generations to get such an opportunity, but you, of all people, do not know how to cherish it."
"Pah!" Wang Xiaoyao came out wielding an iron rod used for forking meat, its pointed end aimed at the three of them. "If you're so good, why don't you marry her yourself? You drugged Sister Pan'er to arrange a ghost marriage for a dead person. Is this what you parents do?"
"Don't make false accusations! We clearly sent Pan'er to be a young mistress!" Aunt Wang retorted. "And Sanya, your mother was already in poor health, and now she's passed away, and you haven't even come home to visit her. You two unfilial children are now throwing mud at us!"
Wang Xiaoyao plunged a fork deep into Wang Da Niang's hair, her eyes bloodshot: "That dog of a man beats people every day when he's drunk. You dare say it again in front of everyone: my mother really died of illness!"
The onlookers were startled by Wang Xiaoyao's sudden action and began to chatter amongst themselves.
"You beat your wife to death, and then you want to spend money to remarry? That's a bit much!"
"I also say, even a tiger doesn't eat its own cubs."
"Exactly... even broken bones are still connected by tendons. This young lady has no reason to slander her parents just because she's unhappy with the marriage. And what's this talk about someone being beaten to death while drunk? How could someone in good health die from just a few blows!"
"If you don't want to raise it, just drown it in a potty when it's born. What's the point of raising it until it's grown up and then killing it?"
"What else could they possibly be after?" Wang Pan'er glared at the person who chimed in. "The Zhang family gave a whole ingot of gold as a betrothal gift."
"A gold ingot!"
A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd, but then everyone fell silent.
Giving a farmer's daughter a gold ingot as a betrothal gift is illogical; only the farmer himself knows what kind of shady dealings were involved.
When Wang Yaozu thought of that gold ingot, his mind went blank, and he blurted out, "That gold ingot has already been taken back by the matchmaker. It's all your fault, you slut. Now I can't get a wife, while you're living a good life here."
"Ha, you idiot, admit it yourself!" Wang Pan'er raised her cleaver at her brother, this bastard. "It's your fault for not being able to get a wife. You're a coward in the whole village, a spineless coward. You squeeze dowry money from your sister to get married, and then you take advantage of your wives to have more children. The men of Wangjia Village are the best at reaping the benefits. Folks, watch out! Whoever sends their daughter into this fire pit of Wangjia Village is a coward! Don't cause trouble here and get in my way of doing business!"
"You still have the leisure to do business!" The various meats and vegetables in the stew pot were tempting, and Granny Wang, who hadn't eaten anything rich or oily for days, was so hungry that her eyes turned red with cravings. She spat into the stew pot and said, "Let's see how you sell it! You ruined the wedding, so take all the money you've earned these days and use it to help your brother get married. Go home and get married honestly, and we'll still consider you a member of the Wang family!"
The brine was ruined, so Wang Pan'er, in a fit of desperation, scooped up the brine and splashed it at the three men: "Go to hell! Aren't I a shameless slut who shows her face in public? Even if you sold me, I wouldn't be worth this brine. You bunch of leech bastards are the ones who should pay for it!"
The three men were drenched in water and, enraged, smashed the large pot on the ground.
The braising sauce splashed out, and glistening chunks of meat, stained brown with caramel coloring, rolled onto the ground, leaving the three of them staring in disbelief.
The family was struggling financially and hadn't had enough to eat for days, yet this runaway girl had so much meat on her hands.
This shameless daughter ruined her entire family's fortunes, while she herself is now living a good life!
Old Man Wang and Wang Yaozu exchanged a glance and together overturned the cart.
The earthenware jar containing the sweet water shattered into pieces, and the stove with burning charcoal tipped over towards Wang Xiaoyao. If Wang Xiaoyao hadn't reacted quickly and dodged it, he would have been burned.
This is outrageous!
This is something that can be tolerated but not tolerated!
Wang Pan'er finally lost her mind and her eyes turned red. She swung the machete at them.
People cried out and scattered. When Mang Ge and Mu Chuan arrived at the stall, the group was fighting, and the scene was a complete mess.
Mang Ge brandished his single-edged sword and roared, "Which bastard dares to run wild on my turf!"
Immediately afterwards, more than ten burly men surrounded them. Seeing that things were not going well, Old Man Wang grabbed Wang Yaozu and started to back away, cursing incessantly: "Damn it, you've got some nerve! You whore, just you wait!"
"Screw you!" Mang Ge cursed angrily. "Damn it, it was you people from Wangjia Village who were spouting nonsense in the market last time. Get out of my territory! I'll beat you Wangjia Village bastards every time I see you."
"Wait!" Mu Chuan also rushed over and stopped Mang Ge from chasing people away. "Although Pan'er and I have secretly pledged our lives to each other and become husband and wife, we have neither violated the laws of nature nor violated human ethics. How have we become the prostitutes and sluts you speak of?"
Mo Feng stopped the three members of the Wang family from retreating: "Such unrestrained and vulgar language, I will teach you a lesson today."
Mu Chuan drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly. In a few swift movements, he shaved off the hair of the three men and tore their already tattered coarse clothes. Addressing the onlookers, he said, “Look, everyone. We three are making a living honestly, yet these greedy wolves and hyenas who sell their daughters for personal gain have tarnished our purity. Now, cutting our hair is like severing ties with our family. From this day forward, Pan’er will have no further connection with Wang Family Village. Tell them to go home. This is not me bullying the weak.”
It's not very harmful, but extremely humiliating. If the three of them return to the village looking like this, they'll probably be pointed at and gossiped about for a long time.
They care so much about this little bit of face-saving, which is better than nothing, that Wang Yaozu can forget about getting a matchmaker now.
Wang Pan'er's mood brightened, and she smiled with half her face flushed.
Mu Chuan's sword strikes seemed casual, but Mang Ge actually recognized their skill: "I didn't realize Brother Mu was a trained fighter. Let me drive them out of the market first!"
Mu Chuan clasped his hands in a gesture of greeting to Mang Ge, then quickly walked to the two sisters' side.
Seeing this, Mo Feng dispersed the crowd: "Let's go, let's go, what's so interesting!"
Protected by Wang Pan'er, Wang Xiaoyao suffered no superficial injuries, though her hair was disheveled and her skirt was smudged. However, upon hearing the devastating news of her mother's passing, she was heartbroken and silently clenched her fists, tears streaming down her face.
Wang Pan'er had a clear five-finger mark on her left cheek, and her right hand was also scratched by a shard of the earthenware pot that held the sweet soup.
Without a word, Mu Chuan grabbed Wang Pan'er's right hand: "Let's go to the clinic..."
"No need, I can take care of these injuries myself." With Mu Chuan's help, Wang Pan'er limped onto the bench.
"You don't even have legs!"
"It's alright," Wang Pan'er shook her head, comforting her. "I only got kicked a couple of times. Now I've figured out something more important. Do you want to hear it?"
Mu Chuan sat down next to Wang Pan'er on the other side of the bench: "You go ahead."
"The people of Wangjia Village, for money, poisoned their daughters to force them into ghost marriages. I escaped from Wangjia Village just to survive, because once people get greedy, there's no end to it. I originally thought that after escaping Wangjia Village, I could open a shop and live a peaceful life on my own, but fate has been against me. Now that the shop is ruined and they know our whereabouts, we have nowhere to retreat. I'm thinking of going all in and going to Jinzhou Prefecture with you to take a gamble. The five hundred taels you gave me, for whatever reason, is an opportunity for me. Many people praise my skills, and with a smart sister like Xiaoyao by my side, I shouldn't have given up so easily that I can't establish myself in Jinzhou Prefecture."
Mu Chuan had never heard of poisoning his daughter for a ghost marriage, and his heart was filled with shock and turmoil. He didn't know how to comfort her for a moment. Seeing Wang Pan'er continue talking about what she wanted to do, he finally put his worries aside.
“That’s how it should be!” Mu Chuan patted Wang Pan’er’s shoulder solemnly. “That’s more like you.”
"It's a pity Xiaoyao didn't get to see her mother one last time." Wang Pan'er beckoned to Wang Xiaoyao. "I don't know how to comfort you. Now I'm at odds with my birth parents, and in the future, my sister and I may only have each other to rely on. I can promise that if I have a bite to eat, I'll share half with you. Do you want to come with me?"
“I don’t need comforting.” Although Wang Xiaoyao was sobbing uncontrollably, her mind was perfectly clear. “Mother didn’t know how to resist, nor would she allow me to fight back. It was my fate to escape and survive, and it was her fate to die. I foresaw it. It is true that I am sad, but I don’t want to, and I will not, look back. I want to go to Jinzhou Prefecture with Sister Pan’er to open a shop.”
Unfortunate girls are always so sensible that it breaks your heart. While wiping away her tears, Wang Pan'er asked Mu Chuan, "My leg is injured and I can't walk. Can you accompany Xiao Yao back to the village? Let her offer incense to her mother, kowtow three times, burn some paper money, repay the debt of life, and put an end to our past. When she comes back, we'll pack our belongings and set off with you."
Before Mu Chuan could respond, Mo Feng volunteered, "Miss Wang is injured and needs someone to take care of her. Why don't I accompany the Second Miss on this trip? Once I've gotten to know the two ladies and the shop is open, please save me an extra portion of any good food."
Wang Pan'er looked at Mu Chuan and gave him a meaningful look.
Mu Chuan had no objection and let Mo Feng take Wang Xiaoyao away.
The mutton soup shop next door, owned by Zhao Niangzi, was also affected by the brawl and may be unable to serve customers today.
Zhao Niangzi is kind-hearted and considerate of the two sisters' difficulties, so she has already taken the initiative to help clean up the ruins of the stall.
When Wang Pan'er set up her stall, she brought a box full of loose copper coins for making change. With today's revenue, she estimated it to be about three or four taels of silver.
She picked up the box and apologized to Zhao Niangzi: "I am about to leave Da'an Town. Thank you for taking care of me these past few days. I have delayed your business today, so please accept this money as an apology."
Zhao Niangzi said "Eh" without refusing, and took the box: "I've lost another interesting companion."
She carried the box back to her stall, then filled two large bowls of mutton soup and brought them to Wang Pan'er and Mu Chuan: "Pan'er, you are quick-witted and diligent. You will definitely do well in Jinzhou Prefecture. We started with mutton soup, so let's finish with this same mutton soup."
The soup was still the same soup, but because of the mixed feelings in Wang Pan'er's heart, she tasted regret and the bitterness that she couldn't help.
After chasing the people away, Mang Ge returned and, upon learning that Wang Pan'er was leaving, he cursed the entire Wang family of three again, and finally beat his chest and stamped his feet: "My wife loves your braised pork knuckle the most. Where am I going to buy it now that you're gone!"
“Brother Mang, I’ve placed an order with Manager Yao for his Bazhen Pavilion for braised food spice packets. Even after I leave, I’ll continue to send them to him.”
"What about the beauty soup? My wife is always asking for it."
Wang Pan'er chuckled: "I've written down the prescription for Brother Mang. Brother Mang can go to the pharmacy and get it himself."
Upon hearing the recipe for the beauty soup, Madam Zhao also came over: "I want one too!"
"We have everything!"
"Good, good!" Brother Mang breathed a sigh of relief, took off the small iron tag tied to his waist and handed it to Wang Pan'er. The tag had a dragon pattern on it. "Jinzhou Prefecture is our Xinglong Gang's territory. Take our Xinglong Gang's iron tag to the Xinglong Escort Agency in the north of Jinzhou City to get acquainted. From now on, we're all family."
Connections are something money can't buy; Brother Mang really gave us a treasure.
She struggled to her feet, clasped her hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Brother Mang!"
"You're welcome. Although you are a woman, you are righteous and generous, and your actions are quite like those of my Xinglong Gang. What's that saying again? A gathering of something?"
The skinny monkey added, "Birds of a feather flock together."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Brother Mang laughed heartily, leading a group of brothers, they came in high spirits and left with their heads held high.
Wang Pan'er also went home, canceled her rent with the landlord, and sat on the edge of the bed applying medicine to the back of her hand.
Mu Chuan pushed open the door and entered the room with icy well water: "You need to apply a cold compress to your leg, otherwise it will swell up tomorrow."
Wang Pan'er wrung out the towel and reached out to roll up the hem of her trousers.
"You really are something!" Mu Chuan quickly put down the rolled-up hem of her pants.
Wang Pan'er looked up in confusion, and seeing Mu Chuan's face was flushed, she remembered the strict separation between men and women in ancient times. He seemed to have something to say, so she didn't dare to roll up her trouser legs anymore.
Mu Chuan waited for a long time, but Wang Pan'er didn't say anything. He said dryly, "I'm just like you, not very good at comforting people. You were crying so hard a few days ago, and about this at noon..."
"I'm not sad anymore." Wang Pan'er had just applied medicine to the back of her hand, picked up scissors to cut gauze, and prepared to bandage it.
"real?"
"Absolutely true!" Wang Pan'er tried to tie it up several times, but couldn't manage a knot. She felt it would be beneath her dignity to bite it with her teeth in front of Mu Chuan.
Mu Chuan pressed down on Wang Pan'er's injured hand as she struggled to reach the ribbon, pulled out the gauze strip, tied a knot, and carefully hid the beginning and end: "If you're feeling sad..."
"Stop!" Wang Pan'er looked at Mu Chuan's bandaging with satisfaction, and then, by the candlelight, she could see Mu Chuan's bright eyes reflected in the light. "I have decided to sever ties with them, to cut all ties from now on. Regardless of honor or disgrace, joy or sorrow, it is all due to our own karma. Just like Xiao Yao, I will look forward and not look back."
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