A Road Through the Jianghuai Marshlands

A Road Through the Jianghuai Marshlands

"Shunzi, hurry up, give that back to Water Bro! Do you know how expensive that is, just taking it like that?"

Chen Qingjiang rushed over to snatch the Peach Crisp from Shunzi's mouth, startling the boy senseless.

Liang Qu stepped forward and stopped Chen Qingjiang.

"Uncle Chen, that's not right. Things are bought to be eaten—whose stomach they go into makes no difference. How is that wasting them? Those lords eat this stuff every day. They've all got two eyes and one mouth—could they somehow taste a different flavor?

"Don't be afraid, Shunzi. If I tell you to eat, then eat. It's mine. Can your father control what I do with my things?"

"How can it be the same? Shunzi! Why are you being so disobedient?"

Chen Qingjiang called out again, his voice rising with anxiety.

Standing there with a miserable face, Xiao Shunzi had stopped daring to eat the moment he heard how expensive it was. He broke off the bitten edge and held it out in both hands, intending to return it to Liang Qu.

"Uncle Chen! If you keep this up, I won't come next time!"

"What's going on? Why are you arguing? Qingjiang, what are you doing? What did I just tell you? How could you forget in the blink of an eye?" Hearing the commotion, Chen Renxing thought the two had gotten into a fight. He hurried out in a robe thrown over his shoulders and gave Chen Qingjiang a thorough scolding.

"Dad, no, I, this..." Chen Qingjiang was truly aggrieved and had no idea how to explain himself, getting scolded like a son.

Oh, he was one. Never mind.

Liang Qu laughed. "It's fine, Grandpa Chen. We weren't arguing, just joking around. I brought things for Shunzi, but Uncle Chen insisted on stopping him. If I don't put my foot down, he thinks they're too hot to handle."

"Right, right, that's exactly it."

Chen Renxing eyed them suspiciously. "Really?"

"Really." Liang Qu lifted Xiao Shunzi with one arm and stuffed the Peach Crisp back into his hands. "So, Uncle Chen, really, don't stand on ceremony with me. I get annoyed when people are too polite with me."

Chen Renxing glanced at the Wu Fang Zhai box in Liang Qu's hand. Remembering that his son had always been honest, he finally relaxed and ushered Liang Qu inside. "Then come in quickly. It's cold outside. And Qingjiang, what are you standing around for? Why have you become so dull-witted now?"

"Oh, oh, come in. I'll get stools. A Di, go pour some water."

Liang Qu shook his head with a laugh. There was always a higher mountain beyond the next.

Once inside, everyone found a place to sit. Chen Qingjiang brought over the brazier and shut the front door. They gathered around the fire, gradually warming up.

"A Shui, are you short on money? I've saved up a little more recently. I'll go get it for you now."

"This has nothing to do with money. Uncle Chen, sit down! I'm not short of money. Have you paid back the medical clinic?"

Chen Qingjiang sighed. "Not yet. It's cold, so we can't catch fish. There isn't much money left over."

"Then that settles it. I'm not in a hurry for my money. I mainly came to talk about three things today, and also brought you some things—this, and this."

Liang Qu set the Wu Fang Zhai box and a large paper parcel on the table, pushing both toward them.

"For us?"

A Di stared at the Wu Fang Zhai box in disbelief. She knew of Wu Fang Zhai too. Wouldn't one box cost several qian of silver? Chen Qingjiang repeatedly said he could not accept it. He had thought Liang Qu was merely giving Shunzi a Peach Crisp in passing; he had never expected Liang Qu to give them the entire box.

"Uncle Chen, don't speak. Listen to me first." Seeing Uncle Chen about to refuse again, Liang Qu directly cut off his attempt to begin his spiel.

"The first thing is that the master of Yang Martial Hall in Ping Yang Town has taken me on as a Personal Disciple. You might not quite understand what that means, so simply put, I won't need to pay to learn martial arts from now on. I can study directly under Master Yang; I'm no longer an ordinary apprentice who pays tuition. This box of pastries is for you to celebrate with me.

"When Shunzi gets a little older and fills out, he can come with me directly to the martial arts school. There'll be no need to pay. My master won't mind such a small matter.

"The second thing is that I asked my Senior Brothers for some medicinal powder to treat Grandpa Chen's injury. Dissolve it in water and drink it twice a day for two days. Finish this packet, and you'll be better.

"The third thing is that I've found a route through the Jianghuai Marshlands, a place where fish schools gather. I need to practice martial arts myself, so I won't have as much time to take the boat out. I'd like Uncle Chen to come fishing with me for the next few days, as a small favor. We'll split the fish we catch fifty-fifty.

"That's about it. I'm done."

Liang Qu looked around. The Chen family had fallen into silence, as though their minds had yet to catch up.

"Any questions?"

"Personal Disciple?"

"Mm."

"Shunzi can learn martial arts too?"

"That's right."

"This medicine must be expensive, right?"

"Not expensive. Very cheap."

It truly was cheap. Liang Qu had not spent a single coin on it. It was simply lotus root ground into paste and dried. The effects were somewhat weaker, but still decent. The packet contained the equivalent of two lotus root sections, enough for Chen Renxing to recover his vitality.

The Chen family was left dizzy by the wave of good news. Only Shunzi squatted by the brazier, gnawing on Peach Crisp, not quite understanding what had happened.

Peach Crisp is so good. Water Bro is such a good person, he thought.

"Of course I can fish. If A Shui asks, then I'll definitely help. But the other two things really are..."

"Stop! I know what you want to say, Uncle Chen. If you say another word, I'm leaving. Don't keep being polite back and forth—I can't stand that."

Chen Qingjiang's attempt to begin his spiel was interrupted once more. His face had reddened from holding it in, making him feel thoroughly uncomfortable.

"Since Uncle Chen has agreed to fish, then there's no problem."

Having Uncle Chen help with the fishing had been Liang Qu's idea from the start.

On one hand, it would improve Uncle Chen's family's circumstances. Uncle Chen was proud, and with so many debts and so few winter catches, Liang Qu could not simply give him money. So he had thought of a way to increase his income.

On the other hand, it would free up Liang Qu's time so that he would not need to pretend to take the boat out every day.

Fat Catfish had only one mouth. Going back and forth, its efficiency was actually very low.

If it could join forces with Cannot Move, the two beasts could surround and drive the fish schools underwater while Chen Qingjiang cast nets from above. Their efficiency would increase severalfold, and splitting the proceeds fifty-fifty would let everyone earn.

Uncle Chen was a good man. Even if he accidentally saw something he should not see, he would not tell anyone. He would only let it rot in his own belly.

Besides, raising Water Beasts did not prove anything. There were people who liked raising Giant Crocodiles too.

After a long silence.

Chen Qingjiang finally squeezed out a sentence. "A Shui... you've really made something of yourself."

"Yes, you've made something of yourself." Chen Renxing immediately followed.

"You've made something big of yourself," A Di added.

"Water Bro has definitely made something of himself!" Having finished a Peach Crisp, Xiao Shunzi wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth and was the first to raise his hand.

"Then won't A Shui become a lord someday too?" Chen Renxing's hand unconsciously went to his waist support, wanting to take out his pipe for a puff, but he noticed Liang Qu was still there and held himself back.

A lord!

What a distant, imposing term. It seemed that those two words alone carried an air of lofty superiority.

At the thought of his neighbor becoming a lord, even the wounds on Chen Renxing's back grew hot and itchy.

"So accept this box from Wu Fang Zhai. As for the money, there's no rush—take it slowly. Pay off the medical clinic first. I'll come find Uncle Chen tomorrow, so don't take the boat out for now."

"Alright."

"Oh, there's one more thing. Do you know about the Great Demon from the night before last?"

"We heard. There should be a sacrifice soon."

"Right. I might not be home these next couple of days." Liang Qu took two qian of silver from his waist pouch and placed it on the table. "If someone comes by to collect the money, Sister A Di, please keep an eye out and pay it for me. I asked Uncle Li Dakang; two qian of silver should be enough."

"Alright."

A Di nodded. Chen Qingjiang usually went out fishing, while Chen Renxing went out to sell baskets and cloth. She was the only one who could stay home all the time.

They chatted for a while. Just as Liang Qu was about to leave, Chen Qingjiang suddenly spoke up. "A Shui, if you're going to town in the next few days, be careful. I went to sell fish this morning and heard something. They said a Martial Master died in town."

Liang Qu's heart jolted. "A Martial Master? What was his name?"

"I don't remember clearly. It was something like..." Chen Qingjiang frowned in thought. He was not one to pry into gossip, so he truly could not recall at once.

"You boy, why does your brain turn to wood at the crucial moment? What can you ever accomplish? If you can't remember, then don't eat today."

Chen Renxing was so angry that he struck the back of Chen Qingjiang's head with his pipe. Chen Qingjiang seemed to have been jolted awake.

"Oh, I remember now. His name was Lu Shaohui!"