Bravery

The Lu Town market was not Zhang Xiaohua's first time visiting. After all, it was the liveliest time of the year, and the most bustling place for dozens of miles around. Ever since he could remember, he had come once a year. However, in his memories from previous visits, there were only candied figures, pastries, and other foods. There was nothing else, so he had never thought about crowds, or that weaving through the throng was a game that amused his young self. This time, as he stood at the north entrance of the street, gazing at the packed crowd, and the shops and stalls lining the street selling various goods, trinkets, and food, Zhang Xiaohua felt as though he wished he had more than two eyes.

Zhang Cai's family followed the flow of people, slowly moving from the north entrance of the street deeper into it. Every shop they passed, they squeezed inside to take a look, whether it was selling silk or antiques. They even paused briefly at a pharmacy. Zhang Xiaohua and his two brothers not only looked at the items for sale but also paid attention to the surrounding crowd. They rarely saw so many people in their small mountain village. Especially the pretty, elaborately dressed girls, they attracted the attention of the young men. It was a pity that the three of them had ordinary looks and wore simple clothes, clearly indicating they were from a mountain village. The girls' gazes slid past them, unlike how they stared at people. Occasionally, a girl would notice their intense gazes and, feeling shy, would quickly walk away. Some would even look back at them, causing the three of them to blush and feel extremely awkward. Zhang Xiaohua was merely experiencing more novelty than he had as a child. Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu, the brothers, were looking more at their future days, perhaps hoping to meet a suitable girl and find their own happiness. But seeing that most girls paid little attention to them, it was hard to know what the younger brothers were thinking.

In the center of the street was a large storefront with a sign that read "Qian Family Cloth Arts." Zhang Cai saw it, his eyes lit up, and he called his three sons, Zhang Xiaolong, leading them inside. A shop assistant stood at the entrance. Seeing Zhang Cai enter, he quickly stepped forward and greeted him, "Sir, please come in. What would you like to see?" He didn't seem to notice Zhang Cai's awkwardness or his not-so-new clothes.

After entering the cloth shop, Zhang Cai didn't go directly to the counter. Instead, he stood by the door, looking awkwardly at the many male and female customers and the busy shop assistants inside, unsure of what to do. Hearing the shop assistant's greeting, he finally came to his senses and said sheepishly, "Uh, I'd like to get some fabric for the children's clothes, and a piece of cloth for their mother." As he spoke, Zhang Xiaolong and his brothers also entered. After all, they rarely visited such large shops. They had just looked around before, but now they were going to buy something themselves, and they became a bit hesitant about what to say, all of them shrinking back a little. The shop assistant, however, was unfazed and greeted them with a smile, saying, "Then please come over here and see if there's any suitable fabric."

Saying this, he led them to a corner of the counter and showed them the fabrics displayed there. This corner of the counter was clearly less crowded. There were already two groups of people. One group consisted of two young girls, who were looking down, choosing colors. The other group was a family of three with a young child, who had also chosen their fabric and were having it wrapped by a shop assistant. The rest of the counter, apart from this corner, was filled with colorful, vibrant silks and other fine fabrics. Many well-dressed people were gathered around, commenting and selecting. It seemed the shop assistants were well-trained and knew the customers' needs. Judging by the attire of Zhang Cai's family, they knew they needed durable and practical fabric, not flashy exteriors.

Although the shop assistant was very thoughtful and brought Zhang Cai and his family to the right place, Zhang Cai still looked troubled. This was because whenever they came to a place to buy cloth before, their mother was always in charge. Zhang Cai never had to worry about what style or color to buy. This time, because his wife was accompanying their mother-in-law at home, Zhang Cai had come to buy the cloth. Zhang Cai hadn't thought much about it, but upon arriving at the shop, he found himself unsure of what to buy. Seeing the shop assistant's slightly displeased expression, Zhang Xiaolong had a sudden idea and quickly stepped forward, saying to the shop assistant, "We'll look around first. Please attend to other customers."

After the shop assistant left, Zhang Cai couldn't help but regretfully say, "Look at my brain. I didn't ask your mother what kind of fabric she wanted before we left. Now, here we are, a bunch of men, and we'll have to go back empty-handed."

As it happened, one of the two girls who had been selecting fabric, the slightly taller one, walked behind Zhang Xiaolong. She picked up a piece of dark blue fabric from the counter, heard Zhang Cai's words, and walked back to her companion. She glanced at Zhang Xiaolong, and after what seemed like a brief discussion, she walked over and said to Zhang Cai:

"Uncle, may I discuss something with you?"

Zhang Cai asked curiously, "What is it, young lady?"

The taller girl said, "Uncle, I was planning to pick out a piece of clothing for my brother, but he didn't come. I see that this young man's build is quite similar to his. I wonder if I could ask him to help try it on? I heard you say that without fabric, there's no reference. In return, how about my sister and I give you some suggestions?"

Zhang Cai was overjoyed and said, "Excellent, excellent."

So, Zhang Xiaolong became a mannequin for a while, helping the two girls try on several outfits before they made their satisfactory purchase. Zhang Cai's wish was even better fulfilled. The fabrics and colors the two girls helped them choose were very pleasing to Zhang Cai's family, and even the shop assistant thought the girls had good taste. The only thing Zhang Xiaolong was unhappy about was that by the time the shop assistant had wrapped their fabric and came out, the two girls had already left, and he hadn't even found out their names.

Zhang Xiaolong gloomily took the fabric and walked forward with Zhang Cai. Just as he was about to look at the farming tools in the shops along the road, he suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums. Zhang Xiaohua heard it and excitedly exclaimed:

"Dad, quickly! The grand opera is about to start. Let's go watch the opera first."

As Zhang Xiaohua called out to Zhang Cai, the people in the market also heard the gong sounds and all rushed towards that direction. Zhang Cai quickly called for Xiaolong and Xiaohu, and they hurried along with the crowd.

Lu Town had a New Year custom where a large stage was set up in a corner of the market. A troupe performed on it every day until the market ended. For the farmers, who had no other form of entertainment, this was a highlight of the New Year. It was no wonder Xiaohua was so happy.

When Zhang Cai's family arrived at the stage, the grand opera had already begun. The area was already surrounded by three layers of people. Fortunately, the stage was high enough that the people in front did not block their view. Although there were many people watching the opera, they were all holding their breath and listening intently, unlike the noisy commotion in the shop earlier.

The opera being performed was a popular folk tale, and everyone was watching with great interest. Zhang Xiaolong gradually forgot his earlier regret.

Just as everyone was engrossed in the lively performance, a commotion suddenly arose from the other side of the stage, and it grew louder and louder. However, with so many people in between, they couldn't hear clearly. But Zhang Xiaohua could recognize one of the speaking voices as a girl's voice, and it sounded familiar. Could it be someone he knew from his village? Coincidentally, there was a tree not far away. Zhang Xiaohua nimbly climbed it. He took a look and exclaimed, "Oh, I do recognize her!" He shouted to Zhang Xiaolong, "Big brother, it's the sister who helped us pick out clothes earlier! She's in trouble."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaolong didn't bother to tell Zhang Cai. He quickly pushed aside the people next to him, squeezed through the crowd with all his might, and headed towards the other side of the stage. Zhang Cai quickly grabbed Zhang Xiaohu, called out to Zhang Xiaohua, who was climbing down from the tree, and followed behind.

When Zhang Xiaolong finally managed to squeeze through the crowd with great effort and reached the other side of the stage, the scene before him made his blood boil.

The stage was built against a tall wall. Beneath the tall wall were two lonely, small figures of women, clinging to each other, their faces flushed red. Beside them lay two small parcels, from which some clothing corners had spilled out, presumably the clothes they had bought at the fabric shop. In front of them stood two short, plump men holding folding fans, dressed in bright clothes. They were muttering and making advances towards the two girls, forcing the girls to dodge them under the high wall. Around the two fat men stood seven or eight burly men dressed in coarse cloth. They had separated the audience watching the opera. Some of these fierce-looking retainers were smiling at their young masters' vile behavior, while others turned to glare at the onlookers, occasionally giving threatening glances to prevent anyone from intervening. Although many people wanted to step forward and help the two bullied village girls, they were all intimidated by the presence of these ruffians and could only watch with unwilling eyes.

When Zhang Xiaolong rushed over and saw this situation, he was about to consider how to respond when he saw the pitiful, pleading eyes of the taller village girl looking in his direction. Although she wasn't looking directly at him, he couldn't help but want to charge forward regardless of the consequences. At this moment, Zhang Xiaolong was pulled back by someone behind him. He turned to see that it was his family who had caught up, and Zhang Cai was holding his arm. Zhang Xiaolong anxiously said, "Dad..."

Zhang Cai said in a low voice, "Xiaolong, don't be impulsive. The few of us can't beat them."

Zhang Xiaolong said, "But if we don't help, those two girls will be bullied."

Zhang Xiaohua also said, "Yes, Dad. That sister just helped us."

Zhang Cai said, "Of course, we can help, but we can't help in a way that gets ourselves into trouble. Look at the man in black holding a great saber over there."

The three Zhang brothers followed their father's gaze. Indeed, by the retainers' side stood a tall man in black attire, holding a great saber in his left hand, with his arms crossed over his chest. He was leaning against a tree, his eyes narrowed as if he were asleep. He seemed to be the bodyguard of those two ruffians.

It seemed that a large part of the reason why many people dared not come forward was the saber in the bodyguard's hand.

What should they do now? Zhang Xiaolong was also getting anxious.

As Zhang Xiaolong hesitated, the situation by the high wall worsened. The two short, fat young masters had already pulled the two village girls away and were forcefully dragging them towards the alley at the bend of the high wall. Zhang Xiaolong could no longer bear it. He forcefully shook off Zhang Cai's hand and ran quickly towards them. The group of ruffians, thinking the surrounding crowd had been intimidated, and seeing that the "good show" was about to begin, all moved towards the alley. They never expected anyone to rush over at this moment. Zhang Xiaolong rushed to the side of the two village girls and first reached out to grab their arms, pulling them towards himself. The strength of the two short, fat young masters could not compare to his, as he worked in the fields all day. He pulled them over in an instant. While they were stunned, Zhang Xiaolong loudly asked:

"What are you doing?"

The two short, fat young masters, seeing their prey snatched away, looked very angry. They exchanged glances, and one of them, dressed in orange, said, "We're not doing anything. Who are you? What are you doing?"

Zhang Xiaolong hesitated for a moment, then said, "I am their cousin. Why are you pulling them? Be careful, or we'll report you to the authorities."

The other person, dressed in black, said, "Report to the authorities? Good, then let's go together. In Lu Town, I, your Lordship, am the official. Your cousin just stepped on my shoe, and I want her to compensate me for my shoe. I want to see if the official sides with you or me."

At this moment, Zhang Cai and the others also rushed over. Zhang Cai quickly bowed to the two men and said with a smile, "Please calm down, sirs. My two girls are ignorant. You see, they stepped on your shoes, and we will compensate you. Today is a good day for the market. Be magnanimous, and you will be rewarded this year."

The person in orange clothes sneered and said, "Easy to say. Seeing that you're a sensible old man, I'll be generous and accept compensation for my shoe."

Zhang Cai's heart sank, and he cautiously said, "Then, sir, how much copper coin should I compensate you with?"

The person in orange clothes held out a hand. Zhang Cai breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Oh, it's five coins. I'll give them to you right away."

Zhang Cai took out five copper coins from his pocket and handed them over. The person in orange clothes, without even looking at the five copper coins extended before him, slapped them to the ground and said fiercely, "You country bumpkin, do you think my shoes are only worth five copper coins just because you wear those straw sandals? Listen clearly, five taels of silver!"

Zhang Cai thought to himself, "This is bad." He immediately plastered on a smile and said, "Sir, are you joking? Our family's annual grain supply is only three taels of silver. Are your shoes really worth that much?"

The person in black clothes said, "You little old man, are you doubting our integrity?"

At this time, the village girls behind Zhang Xiaolong had recovered and peeked out from behind Zhang Xiaolong, saying, "Uncle, they are framing us. We didn't step on them at all. We were just watching the opera and hadn't even gotten close when they surrounded us here."

Zhang Xiaolong also said angrily, "Dad, they are clearly extorting us. We should quickly take these girls to the yamen to report them."

The man in black clothes laughed heartily and said loudly, "You group of mud-legged, unsophisticated people, you don't even recognize Master Zhao, and you talk about reporting to the authorities. My men, come over and tell them what an official is."

This Master Zhao waved his hand, and the retainers who had been standing by watching the excitement immediately started flexing their muscles and surrounded them. Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang Cai said to Zhang Xiaohua, "You and these two girls find a chance to run out. We'll protect you." After saying this, he took Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu and engaged with the surrounding retainers. Zhang Xiaohua also grabbed the two girls and ran towards the crowd watching the opera.

Although Zhang Cai, Zhang Xiaolong, and Zhang Xiaohu were strong laborers from the countryside and had some strength, they were slightly superior to the retainers in one-on-one combat. However, even the strongest hero cannot withstand a crowd. After a few rounds, they were all knocked to the ground by the ruffians. The retainers' fists and kicks rained down on them. The three of them suffered injuries to their bodies and faces. Zhang Xiaohua and the two village girls were initially agile and dodged a few retainers, attempting to break into the crowd. However, they were blocked by the bodyguard in tight attire. Despite several turns, they could not escape the bodyguard's figure. The bodyguard didn't attack them but simply blocked their path, waiting for the retainers to catch up. Then, he would step aside, and Zhang Xiaohua and the two village girls were cornered back next to Zhang Cai and the others. Seeing his father and brothers being beaten on the ground, Zhang Xiaohua anxiously lunged forward to save them but was kicked in the chest. He fell backward onto the ground, covered in mud. Just as he was struggling to get up, two retainers came over and pressed him against the wall, slapping him repeatedly. Blood flowed from the corners of his mouth. These two retainers, seeing that Zhang Xiaohua was still young, stopped hitting him but held him down, preventing him from moving.

No matter how much Zhang Xiaohua struggled, he could not break free from the grasp of the two strong men. He watched his father and brothers shrink under the fists and kicks of the ruffians, feeling heartbroken. Tears instantly streamed down his face.