Smoke and Fire

When Wang Quan returned to the barracks after his shift, he had just stripped off his uniform, stained with dust and blood, and roughly wiped his face with cold water when Wei Dayong came looking for him.

"Brother Wang," Wei Dayong leaned against the doorframe, a trace of a smile squeezing across his dark face as he jerked his chin at him. "Tired as hell today, huh? Come on, drop by my place. We'll get something to eat, have a couple of drinks, and unwind. You've been wound tighter than a drawn bow every day."

Wang Quan paused. Wei Dayong's home? He had heard that Wei Dayong had settled down in the city, married a wife, and had a child. Among their rough lot, men who wore their heads on their belts, he was one of the rare ones who had "a nest." Usually, after their shifts, they either gathered at the little tavern beside the garrison and downed a few cups, or returned to their barracks to lie there like corpses. Few went visiting.

"Uh... would that be convenient?" Wang Quan asked as he pulled on a clean gray cotton shirt and trousers.

"What's inconvenient about it?" Wei Dayong waved his hand and broke into a wide grin. "Your sister-in-law's been nagging me for ages, saying I never bring my newly sworn brother home so she can meet him. Come on, come on, don't dawdle. On the way... I'll take you somewhere to broaden your horizons."

He lowered his voice for the last sentence and winked at Wang Quan, the words carrying a hidden meaning.

Wang Quan's heart stirred. A good place? He recalled the vague "connections" Wei Dayong had mentioned before... He nodded. "Then I'll be imposing on you and Sister Xu. I'll change clothes."

"Hurry up. I'll wait outside." Wei Dayong swayed off after saying that.

Wang Quan quickly tidied himself up. He had no decent clothes, just one somewhat worn gray cotton outfit, though it had been washed clean. After thinking it over, he dug a few copper coins out of his pitiful savings, wrapped them in a clean scrap of cloth, and tucked them into his robe. It would look improper to show up empty-handed.

When he left the barracks, Wei Dayong was indeed squatting outside. Neither of them rode horses. They simply walked along the streets, which were still fairly empty in the early morning. After passing through two reasonably orderly lanes, they turned into an alley that was a little narrower but still clean enough, and stopped before the gate of a courtyard with gray walls, black tiles, and an old locust tree by the entrance.

Wei Dayong stepped forward and pounded on the gate. "Xingniang! Open up! I'm back, and I brought Brother Wang!"

A woman's crisp reply and the patter of footsteps came from inside. The gate creaked open, and a woman in a blue floral skirt with an apron tied around her waist poked her head out. She looked under thirty, with delicate brows and eyes, healthy yellowish skin, and hair combed smooth and coiled at the back, secured with a wooden hairpin. Though she wore coarse cloth, she was neat and tidy. She first glared at Wei Dayong with a smile. "Why are you shouting? The whole neighborhood can hear you." Then her gaze fell on Wang Quan, and her smile softened. "You must be Brother Wang, right? Dayong often talks about you, says you're capable and steady. Come in, come in. The house is a mess, so don't mind it. My surname is Xu. Just call me Sister Xu."

"Hello, Sister Xu." Wang Quan cupped his fists, forcing a somewhat unnatural smile onto his face. "Sorry for the trouble. Brother Wei usually looks out for me."

"Why are you standing at the door? Come in, come in!" Wei Dayong called, stepping into the courtyard first.

Wang Quan followed him in. The courtyard was not large, but it was kept quite orderly. Chopped firewood was stacked in one corner, while a small shed stood on the other side, piled with miscellaneous things. The main house had three rooms. It looked somewhat old, but the windows had been wiped until they shone.

"Daddy's home!" A crisp little girl's voice rang out. A girl of about five or six ran from the main house. Her hair was tied into two little tufts, her cheeks were rosy, and her large eyes were bright as she charged straight at Wei Dayong.

"Oh, my good Nannan!" The fierce look on Wei Dayong's face vanished in an instant. Grinning from ear to ear, he bent down and swept his daughter up high, rubbing his stubbled chin against her tender cheek. The little girl giggled and giggled, pushing his face away with all her might.

"Hello, big brother!" In Wei Dayong's arms, the little girl showed no shyness at all. She eyed Wang Quan with round, glossy eyes and called out crisply.

"Hello." Watching the scene before him, Wang Quan felt the frozen, hardened place in his heart lightly brushed by something. The lines of his face softened without him realizing it. He tried to make his smile more natural, but perhaps he had gone too long without smiling so easily, for his expression came out a little stiff.

"All right, all right, put her down. Look at all that dust on you. Don't rub it onto our daughter." Sister Xu came over and slapped Wei Dayong's arm, then smiled at Wang Quan. "Brother Wang, come inside and sit down. Have some water. Dayong, hurry and fetch some water to wash up. You reek. I'll bring the food."

"Sure thing!" Wei Dayong cheerfully set his daughter down and said to Wang Quan, "Brother Wang, sit wherever you like. Make yourself at home. I'll wash up and be right there."

As soon as her feet touched the ground, the little girl cast Wang Quan another couple of curious glances before hopping after her mother toward the kitchen.

Wang Quan was ushered into the main room. It was not large, and the furnishings were simple, but every corner radiated the warm feeling of an ordinary life. There was a square table, several benches, an old cupboard, and faded New Year paintings pasted on the wall. A chipped pottery jar sat on the windowsill, holding several wildflowers in full bloom.

He sat beside the table, his gaze sweeping over the scene of this ordinary household, and felt something indescribable well up inside him. Stability, the everyday, the warmth of smoke and fire... all of it felt as distant as something from his previous life. The night battles, the sinister mysteries beyond the city walls... those cold yet utterly real things and the warm stove fire before him, the child's laughter, and the woman's chatter seemed to belong to two different worlds.

Before long, Wei Dayong came in, washed clean and changed into old home clothes, his wet hair still dripping water. Sister Xu also entered carrying a large wooden tray. On it were several dishes: a plate of thinly sliced sauced meat, a steaming bowl of stew with a few vegetable leaves and scattered bits of rendered fat visible inside, a plate of blackish pickles, and several mixed-grain steamed buns. It was not a lavish spread, but the food steamed hot, and its fragrance burrowed straight into their noses.

"We don't have anything fancy, so don't take offense, Brother Wang. Make do with this." Sister Xu set out the bowls and chopsticks, then brought out a small wine jar and two rough pottery bowls.

"You're too kind, Sister Xu. This is already wonderful." Wang Quan hurried to reassure her. This meal was a hundred times better than the dry cakes he usually gnawed on with cold water. More precious still was the taste of "home."

"Nannan, come sit properly. It's time to eat." Sister Xu called her daughter over.

The little girl climbed onto a bench and sat down, her eyes shining as she stared at the sauced meat on the table.

Wei Dayong knocked open the clay seal on the wine jar and poured a bowl for himself and Wang Quan. The wine was cloudy rice wine, not very strong, but it smelled quite fragrant.

"Come on, Brother Wang, bottoms up!" Wei Dayong raised his bowl. "Once you're here, stop thinking about all that rotten business at the garrison. Drink and eat!"

"Thank you, Brother Wei, Sister Xu." Wang Quan also raised his bowl, clinked it against Wei Dayong's, and tipped back a mouthful. The wine was faintly sweet and sour. As it slid down his throat, warmth spread through him.

Sister Xu placed a slice of meat in her daughter's bowl, then called to Wang Quan as well. "Brother Wang, don't just drink. Eat something. Dayong is a rough man and isn't good with words, but he's always talking about you, saying you're truly capable and honest. The work you do is the kind that risks your lives. It gives us peace of mind knowing you look out for each other out there."

"Sister-in-law's right!" Wei Dayong mumbled around a mouthful of steamed bun. "Old Wei is pretty good at judging people, and you're someone who can get things done. But don't push yourself too hard. Eat when you should, drink when you should, and relax when you should. A string that's pulled too tight snaps easily."

Wang Quan nodded silently and picked up a chopstickful of stew. The vegetables had been cooked until soft, and the seasoning was just right. He ate slowly, listening to Wei Dayong and Sister Xu chatter about household matters, while the little girl occasionally piped up with some childish remark that made the adults laugh. Outside, the sky darkened. Inside, an oil lamp was lit, its dim yellow halo enveloping the family of three... and him, the outsider.

After three or four bowls of wine, and with more than half the food gone, Sister Xu coaxed the little girl into the inner room to sleep. Wine had colored Wei Dayong's face. He leaned close to Wang Quan and lowered his voice. "Brother Wang, now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, how about I take you to broaden your horizons?"

Wang Quan understood at once. He put down his chopsticks and looked toward Sister Xu.

As Sister Xu gathered the bowls and chopsticks, she said to Wei Dayong, "You're going to that mess of a place again? Don't drink too much, keep an eye on Brother Wang, and come back early."

"I know, I know. A wife's always so talkative." Wei Dayong chuckled and shot Wang Quan a meaningful look. "Come on. I'll show you the 'other side' of Anping County."

Wang Quan rose and said to Sister Xu, "Sorry for the trouble, Sister Xu. The food was delicious."

"Why be so polite? Come by often in the future." Sister Xu waved with a smile. "Take care."

Once they left the courtyard, the night had deepened. The smile on Wei Dayong's face faded as he led Wang Quan through streets and alleys toward an area near the city wall, one even darker, where the houses were lower and more run-down.

"The Black Market?" Wang Quan asked quietly.

"Mhm." Wei Dayong nodded, lowering his voice as well. "It's just ahead, behind the secondhand market. It's a mixed bag, with all kinds of people, and you might see all kinds of things. Stick with me. Talk less, watch more."