A Mix-Up

Old Chen Family Backyard

Old Master Chen had just poured a heavy sack of soybeans into the wooden basin beside the stone mill. Exhausted, he hunched over, bracing himself against the millstone as he gasped for breath. Cloudy sweat ran down the deep furrows of his face.

Second Aunt hurried over with a bowl of water, concern in her voice. "Father, hurry and rest. Have some water."

Old Master Chen took the bowl and gulped down more than half of it. Wiping his mouth, he asked, "That... that lazy good-for-nothing? Still not up?"

He meant his worthless youngest son.

Second Aunt's eyes flickered as she answered softly, "N-Not yet."

She did not dare say more, afraid of provoking Old Master Chen's anger again.

"Ah!"

Old Master Chen let out a heavy sigh and slapped his callused hand against the cold millstone. "How did my Old Chen Family end up with something like him!"

His voice was full of the weary despair of hating iron for not becoming steel.

"Father."

Second Aunt hastily changed the subject, her face clouded with worry. "Oh, right, Xiao Heng told me yesterday that he's nearly out of Blood Vitality Pills for his training. Look..."

"What?!"

Old Master Chen abruptly raised his head, his brows knotting together. "How long has it been? He's used them all up already?!"

Buying medicine for Chen Heng's martial arts training was the family's largest expense, and the heaviest burden on his heart.

Second Aunt wore a miserable expression, pleading in her voice. "Father, you have to think of something. Xiao Heng absolutely cannot go without that medicine for his training!"

"Ah!"

Old Master Chen sighed again, as though he wanted to expel every knot of gloom from his chest. He stared blankly at the basin of golden soybeans. "I know... I'll think of something."

But where was there a solution? Every relative and neighbor who could lend them money had already done so. The old debts remained unpaid—where would new debts come from?

Whenever he thought of the costly medicine, it felt as though a huge boulder were pressing on his chest, so heavy he could barely breathe. The bitter lines on his face deepened further.

Just then, a burst of hurried, chaotic noise came from the front hall of the general store.

"Old Chen! Old Chen! Wonderful news! Tremendous news!"

Old He from the coffin shop practically crashed through the curtain into the backyard, his face flushed with unprecedented excitement.

Old Master Chen was startled by the commotion and asked instinctively, "Old He? Why are you in such a panic? Whose funeral is it this time?"

He thought Old He had come to report a death.

"Pah, pah, pah! What funeral? It's a wedding celebration! Wonderful news!"

Old He slapped his thigh in excitement, his voice cracking. "Your Xiao Heng! He passed! He passed as a Martial Scholar!"

"Clang!"

The smoking pipe in Old Master Chen's hand dropped straight to the ground with a sharp clatter.

His entire body froze. His eyes went wide, as though he had not understood—or as though the sudden news had stunned him senseless. "Wh-What did you say? Say that again?!"

Beside him, Second Aunt stopped breathing for a moment, then wild delight burst across her face.

Before Old He could speak again, neighbors from Firewood Fish Market surged into the tiny backyard like a tide. Their overlapping congratulations instantly drowned the little space.

"Old Master Chen! Wonderful news! Your Xiao Heng has passed as a Martial Scholar!"

"Oh my, why is this winnowing basket in the way? Hurry and clear it up!"

"Just say the word if you need anything! We neighbors will all lend a hand!"

"Old Master, after all that hardship, sweet days have finally come. Just wait and enjoy your blessings!"

"Xiao Heng has made something of himself! He's brought glory to all of Firewood Fish Market!"

Old Master Chen was completely dazed by the surging joy and the flood of compliments. He stood there blankly, looking at one familiar, excited face after another, listening to cries of "Martial Scholar" and "passed with honors." His ears buzzed, and everything before his eyes seemed unreal.

A tremendous sense of happiness swept away his earlier sorrow like a warm tide, leaving him dizzy and at a loss.

Second Aunt was already beside herself with joy. Her face flushed red with excitement, and her voice rose several pitches as she proudly announced to everyone, "I knew it! I knew my Xiao Heng would pass! He's been smart and hardworking since he was little!"

She seemed already to see her son dressed in the robes of achievement, bringing honor to the family name.

Seeing Old Master Chen's dazed expression, Old He laughed and cupped his hands again. "Old Master Chen, congratulations! Congratulations! From now on, just wait to enjoy the blessings brought by your children and grandchildren! Better days lie ahead!"

At last, Old Master Chen recovered a little from the tremendous shock. His lips trembled. He wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Instead, he suddenly turned and staggered toward the basin of golden soybeans. His withered hand shook as it grabbed a great handful, then let them sift through his fingers. It was as though only that solid sensation could convince him that this overwhelming fortune had truly descended upon the shabby Chen family courtyard.

"Good! Good! Wonderful!"

Old Master Chen's gaunt hands trembled uncontrollably, and unprecedented light burst from his cloudy old eyes as he threw back his head and laughed.

"Heaven has eyes! Green smoke is rising from the ancestral graves of my Old Chen Family! At last... at last, we have produced a Martial Scholar!"

Chen Heng was the grandson he had raised by pouring everything he had into him. Now that he had earned this achievement, Old Master Chen's old face shone brighter than if it had been rubbed with oil.

Looking at the eager, envious eyes of the Firewood Fish Market neighbors filling the courtyard, Old Master Chen felt heat rush straight to his head. His back became ramrod straight, his legs seemed nimbler, and the gloom he had felt over the medicine money vanished without a trace. It was as though he had become twenty years younger.

"Clean up! Hurry and clean up!"

Old Master Chen moved briskly, as if he had strength to spare, and began tidying the clutter inside with great energy.

Seeing this, Old He hurriedly called out, "Don't just stand around, everyone! Lend a hand and help the Old Chen Family straighten up! This is tremendous news!"

"Right, right, right! Let's all get to work!"

The neighbors were overflowing with enthusiasm. They moved clutter, swept the ground, and sprinkled water. In an instant, the small courtyard was bustling with activity.

Chen Wen shuffled out from the inner room, rubbing his bleary eyes. He was startled by the sight. "Father? Wh-What's going on? Did thieves rob the house?"

Sister-in-law Lin grinned from ear to ear and rushed to say, "Second Uncle Chen! Are you still half asleep? Wonderful news! Your Xiao Heng has passed as a Martial Scholar! The Official Messengers will be here any moment to announce it!"

"He passed?! Xiao Heng really passed?!"

Chen Wen's drowsiness vanished instantly. His eyes went round as a huge wave of joy surged into his heart. His son's achievement would be what he could rely on for the rest of his life.

Retirement? He would never have to worry about it again!

Every wrinkle on Old Master Chen's aged face smoothed out. Looking at this son who was usually so useless, he found him much more pleasing to the eye now. Rarely, he even praised him. "Good! You brat, you've finally done something proper for the Chen Family!"

Second Aunt stood even straighter, chin raised high. Her face was filled with undisguised smugness and pride, as though she herself had earned that achievement.

Her eyes shifted, and she deliberately called out in a concerned tone, "Oh, Sister-in-law Lin, didn't my nephew Qing also take the examination? Has there been any news of him?"

The question was clearly intentional, meant to give everyone another chance to praise her Chen Heng.

The smile on Sister-in-law Lin's face stiffened. She answered vaguely, "I-I heard from Xiao Hai that only one of them passed."

Second Aunt immediately raised her brows and said in a comforting tone tinged with superiority, "Ah, that child Qing has somewhat poorer aptitude, and he's too impetuous. But it's fine. When my Xiao Heng returns, he can give him guidance and support for a few years. There may still be hope for him."

Several nearby neighbors nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Just then, Xiao Hai finally squeezed his way in, panting for breath and covered in sweat. With a broad smile, he bowed to Old Master Chen. "Old Master Chen! Congratulations, congratulations! Tremendous news!"

"Good child, you've worked hard."

Old Master Chen was in excellent spirits and gestured for Second Aunt to give him some copper coins as a reward.

Second Aunt took out several copper coins and stuffed them into Xiao Hai's hand, smiling as though bestowing charity. "Here, take them and share in the good fortune. Now hurry and say a few auspicious words to congratulate my Xiao Heng."

Xiao Hai accepted the coins happily. Mimicking the way performers spoke in operas, he called out in a proper, impressive manner, "Congratulations, Old Master Chen! Congratulations to Master Chen Qing for passing as a Martial Scholar! May he bring honor to his ancestors and rise step by step!"

Second Aunt's face immediately darkened. "Xiao Hai, I gave you money—why are you congratulating Chen Qing?"

Xiao Hai blinked. "Master Chen Qing passed, so of course I should congratulate him."

Master Chen Qing passed?!

The entire Old Chen Family backyard instantly fell into suffocating silence.

Even the sound of breathing could be heard clearly.

Every busy movement came to a halt.

The smiles on the neighbors' faces froze. Shocked and unable to believe it, they all turned to look at Old Master Chen and Second Aunt.

The flush on Old Master Chen's face faded at a visible speed. The hearty smile seemed frozen on his face, leaving behind only stiffness and confusion.

His lips trembled. A rasping sound came from his throat, but he could not force out a single word.

Second Aunt's expression was even more spectacular. In an instant, the proud flush on her face turned to shocked pallor, then from pallor to humiliated green, and finally to a liver-purple red.

She felt blood rush straight to her head, her ears buzzing. She wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and crawl into it on the spot!

"X-Xiao Hai!"

Old He was the first to react. He grabbed Xiao Hai's arm, his voice changing pitch. "Did you see it wrong? Or remember it wrong? The one who passed is Chen Heng! Chen Heng!"

Xiao Hai was frightened by the scene. Bewildered and aggrieved, he protested, "N-No, I didn't get it wrong! I saw it clearly! The list said 'Chen Qing,' registered in Yazi Bay! I was afraid my eyes were playing tricks on me, so I specifically asked several people beside me. They all said it was Master Chen Qing!"

His mind had always been slow to turn. How could he understand all these twists and turns of human affairs?

He only knew that Old Master Chen's grandson was Chen Heng. He had never expected that the one who had passed as a Martial Scholar was Chen Qing, the other grandson who lived on a broken boat!

Boom!

Xiao Hai's firm answer was like the final sledgehammer blow, utterly shattering the dream the Old Chen Family had just begun to weave.

They had gotten it wrong!

The one who had passed as a Martial Scholar was not Chen Heng, in whom they had placed such great hopes, but Chen Qing, who had been forgotten on a broken boat in Yazi Bay.

"Whoosh—!"

After the brief dead silence came an irrepressible stir and hushed murmuring.

The neighbors' gazes toward Old Master Chen and Second Aunt instantly became incredibly complicated—sympathy, shock, embarrassment, and even... a faint, indescribable mockery.

Second Aunt felt as though countless needles were pricking her face. It burned with pain, and those few copper coins she had handed out became the most glaring ridicule of all.

She abruptly turned her head, no longer daring to look at anyone.

Old Master Chen, meanwhile, seemed to have had all his strength drained away in an instant. His straightened back hunched once more, and he stared hollowly at the smoking pipe on the ground. It was as if he had aged another ten years.

He had never imagined that the Old Chen Family really had produced a Martial Scholar—yet in this manner, it had delivered him the loudest slap in the face.

"Ahem..." Old He cleared his throat awkwardly, his voice dry as he tried to smooth things over. "Well... everyone, disperse. Disperse. Let Old Master Chen... have some quiet."

The Firewood Fish Market neighbors seemed to awaken from a dream and scattered at once like birds and beasts. Their steps were hurried, as though fleeing an awkward whirlpool.

Yet their low whispers still drifted back on the wind, stabbing into Old Master Chen's ears like icy needles.

"Ah, Old Master Chen... he was too biased..."

"Isn't that the truth? If he'd treated that mother and son in Yazi Bay even a little better back then..."

"I heard that boy lived on a broken boat, never knowing whether he'd have food for his next meal..."

Xiao Hai, however, remained completely unaware. He tucked away those copper coins and happily followed the crowd out.

In the blink of an eye, the Old Chen Family backyard, which had been so noisy and festive and packed to the brim moments ago, was left with only a mess on the ground and a chilling emptiness.

Old Master Chen stood blankly beside the basin of golden soybeans. His withered hand unconsciously grabbed a handful, then let them sift through his fingers, as though the "good fortune" he had just clutched had flowed away with them.

Rare warm sunlight spilled across the filthy waters of Yazi Bay, casting even them with a few false glimmers of gold.

"He passed! He really passed! A Martial Scholar! Chen Qing has passed as a Martial Scholar!"

The messenger shouted until his voice cracked, running barefoot across the muddy dock as though the good news were his own.

The news was like a droplet of water falling into boiling oil, instantly setting everything ablaze.

The entire Yazi Bay was like a hornet's nest that had been viciously poked—it boiled over in an instant!

Curtains were flung open from ramshackle sheds and rotten boats. On faces long numbed and weather-beaten, there remained only shock and disbelief.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The crisp, resounding beat of a bronze gong came from afar, drowning out all the noise.

Two Official Messengers dressed in dark constable uniforms, red plumes tucked into their caps, strode forward with heads held high behind a minor clerk carrying a vermilion-lacquered wooden tray.

Their expressions were arrogant, and their steps carried a deliberate air of authority, utterly out of place amid the decay of these Slums.

"Good news—Chen Qing of Yazi Bay, Gaolin County, has passed this county's Martial Arts Examination as a Martial Scholar, ranking seventh on the Rank C list! Congratulations, Master Chen! Congratulations, Master Chen!"

The clerk drew out the announcement in a long, booming voice that penetrated every corner.

The crowd erupted with a hum, then fell into dead silence. Only rough breathing and stifled gasps remained.

Every gaze fixed upon that broken boat.

Madam Han's hunched back straightened in an instant. She held onto the cabin door, her lips trembling violently as tears surged forth and rolled down her cheeks.

The clerk stood on the narrow bow, simply waiting quietly for the reaction of the mother of this newly elevated scholar.

Madam Han suddenly shuddered, snapping awake from the tremendous shock.

Overwhelming panic and an awe she had never known seized her. She hurriedly bent down, about to perform a deep bow. Her voice trembled with tears. "T-Thank you for gracing us with your presence, honored officials! This humble woman... this humble woman..."

"Oh, Old Madam, you are far too gracious to this lowly one! You absolutely must not!"

The clerk's arrogance instantly turned into a fawning smile. He bent lower than even the yamen runners who usually collected taxes.

With both hands, he respectfully presented the great red announcement. "Master Chen is a young talent who has soared skyward in a single flight. His future is boundless! We have come especially to bring this good news and share in Master Chen's fortune!"

Only then did the surrounding neighbors awaken from their stupor.

"My heavens, A Qing really passed! A Martial Scholar! Yazi Bay has produced a scholar!"

Uncle Gao was so excited that his beard shook. He was the first to drop to his knees before Madam Han. "I bow to Old Madam Chen! You've finally lived to see brighter days!"

His kneeling was like the first fallen domino.

On the dock and aboard the neighboring boats, people dropped to their knees in waves... These uncles and aunts who had watched Chen Qing grow up wore expressions mixed with awestruck reverence, envy, and a thrill of shared glory.

"Master Scholar! Aunt Han, you've finally made it through!"

Aunt Cui Hua had the loudest voice. Her words carried a sob, but also boundless excitement. "I always said A Qing had been extraordinary since he was little!"

As she spoke, she secretly pinched her thigh, afraid she was dreaming.

Er Ya felt as though something had clenched her heart hard, then suddenly released it, leaving behind a hollow, staggering shock.

In the blink of an eye, he had become the lofty "Master Chen"?

Even Steward Zhao, whom she served, had to bow when he saw a scholar.

Madam Han finally caught her breath. Wiping away tears, she said in a choked but unprecedentedly strong voice, "Rejoice together! We all rejoice together, neighbors! Honored officials, please come in and sit!"

Flustered, she turned and rushed back into the cabin. A moment later, she came out carrying a coarse pottery bowl filled to the brim with steaming, snow-white wheat porridge.

Trembling, she offered it to the Official Messengers. "Honored officials, you've worked hard. Please... please have something to fill your stomachs..."

The clerk looked at the bowl of wheat porridge. There was not the slightest hint of disdain on his face. Instead, he accepted it with a broad smile. "Oh! Many thanks for Old Madam's generous gift! This bowl of fortunate noodles smells wonderful. We will certainly share in your household's great fortune!"

One of the Official Messengers cleared his throat and announced loudly, "By the Imperial Court's grace! Since Master Chen has passed as a scholar, his household is exempt from the Poll Tax and Corvée Labor for this year and next! From now on, taxes shall be collected at only forty percent of the standard rate! This is the vast imperial grace, whose blessings reach all scholars!"

At those words, everyone present was filled with envy.

These fishermen had spent their whole lives bowed beneath taxes, Corvée Labor, and Incense Money.

Madam Han was overwhelmed with emotion. From her robes, she fumbled out a small, heavy cloth pouch she had kept close to her body and tremblingly offered it to the leading clerk. "Honored official, you've worked hard. Just a small token... Please let you and your brothers have some tea."

The broken silver inside was what Chen Qing had left her.

The clerk took the pouch and weighed it in his hand. The smile on his face became even more dazzling, nearly overflowing. "Old Madam is too courteous, far too courteous! May Master Chen soar ten thousand miles like a great roc, and soon pass as a Martial Champion! We shall take our leave now and return another day to pay our respects to Master Chen and Old Madam!"

With that, he led the two Official Messengers away. Amid the neighbors' reverent gazes and the still-unsettled uproar, they beat their bronze gong and departed in high spirits.