Nephew

Wang Liuwu was working in the fields with his family when he learned that the general's household had sent someone with gifts for them. The news stunned him.

He waved at the man who had brought the news. "A Zhao, don't joke with me. My son's an official now. You lot can't bully me anymore."

The man smiled apologetically. "Uncle Liuwu, how would I dare joke with you? I was thoughtless before. You're my elder, so please don't hold it against me. If I ever offended you, just think of me as a fart and let me go."

Wang Liuwu said, "So you're not joking?"

"I really am not! The carriage is parked right outside your house, and even the general's head steward is here! Little Seven too-Lord Wang came back with him!"

Wang Liuwu was about to head home with mud all over his feet when his eldest daughter, who had only returned for a visit yesterday, straightened up and said, "Dad, take Heidou back with you. He... he misses his uncle too."

A child of two or three raised his grimy little face. "Mom, Dou doesn't miss him."

Then he lowered his head and went back to digging at a mouse hole, hoping to dig out some of the mouse's winter stores.

"No, you do."

"No, I'm scared of Uncle."

"Then are you scared of my shoe sole?"

Dejected, the child clutched Wang Liuwu's clothes and trudged home with him. When he saw the big carriage outside the gate, he suddenly jumped for joy. "Grandpa! Big horses! Big carriage! A big horse carriage!"

Quite a few people stood on either side of the street: men returning from the fields with hoes over their shoulders, women who had come out while washing clothes, and, most of all, children and youths. Their faces were full of curiosity and awe. When Wang Liuwu appeared, all eyes turned to him.

Humble out of habit, Wang Liuwu nodded and bowed to everyone around him.

Seeing his father return with his nephew, Wang Qilin flicked his hand and drove the demon saber into the ground. "Oh? Dad, where did you pick up a child?"

The little boy hurriedly wiped his face on Wang Liuwu's clothes and gave him a flattering smile. "U-Uncle, it's me! I'm Heidou, the Heidou you held at New Year!"

"Who's U-Uncle?" Wang Qilin asked.

The little boy blinked.

"So did I hold you?"

"Yes, yes! You scared me so much I peed. I peed all over you."

Wang Qilin sighed. "Now that you put it that way, I really do remember."

The child was a little afraid of him, and all the people around made him shy, so he hugged Wang Liuwu's thigh and buried his head in his clothes.

Wang Liuwu exchanged greetings with the steward, then pulled the child out. "Heidou, what are you doing? Have you forgotten what your mother told you?"

Heidou thought hard. "I... I forgot."

Wang Liuwu clicked his tongue. "You child. Have you forgotten what your mother taught you to say when you saw your uncle?"

Heidou hurriedly nodded. "I remember! I remember!"

"What did she say?"

"When you see Uncle, you have to be p-polite, be affectionate with him, and say nice things to him."

Xu Da and Xie Hama burst out laughing.

Wang Liuwu said helplessly, "You silly child. Oh, hurry up and say something nice."

"Uncle," the little boy said after racking his brains, "may you live as long as the Southern Mountain and soon be blessed with a son."

Wang Liuwu was about to glare at him when Xu Da came over with a smile. "Stop scaring the little fellow. Hey, boy, look what I've got!"

He opened his palm, revealing a handful of roasted broad beans flecked with salt.

The little boy immediately broke into a grin.

"Your name means black bean, and these are broad beans. Here, black bean eats broad beans," Xu Da teased.

Delighted, the child held the broad beans in the front of his clothes, squatted by Xu Da's feet, and crunched away.

After eating two, he thought for a moment, then hurried over to give Wang Liuwu and Wang Qilin one each.

Rolling up his sleeves, Wang Qilin said to his father, "Dad, I helped General Huang with a small matter. The general was so kind that he insisted on sending gifts for you, Mom, and my sisters."

Wang Liuwu asked quietly, "How did you get so capable all of a sudden? You can do things for a great general?"

Wang Qilin said, "I went to shovel manure and plow his fields. Surely I can manage that much?"

Wang Liuwu gave an awkward smile. "Don't tease your old man."

He opened the door and went to tidy the side room, while Wang Qilin and Xu Da carried things inside.

Xie Hama sat by the entrance, basking in the sun. "This old Daoist's hands and feet aren't too nimble, so I won't be helping."

Xu Da said, "You're just lazy."

Xie Hama flicked out a talisman. "How about this, Lord Wang? Shall I fold a paper figure to do the work for me?"

Wang Qilin laughed. "No need. You could scare someone to death."

Xu Da shamelessly said, "Why not fold a woman? Just don't make her look like Huang Qingyun or her second mother. I don't touch military families' womenfolk."

"I'll fold you a sow!"

"Can we eat it? If we can, pigs, cattle, or sheep will all do. We won't open a brothel-we'll open a butcher's shop."

Xie Hama admitted defeat.

He thought he would never meet anyone more despicable and shameless than Xu Da for the rest of his life.

Once the gifts were unloaded, the steward took his leave.

To an old farmer like Wang Liuwu, the general's steward was an exalted figure far beyond his reach. Seeing that he was leaving, Wang Liuwu summoned all the males in the family to see him off. "Heidou, come here!"

Wang Qilin introduced him. "Uncle Ding, this is my nephew. He may look silly, but he's actually very clever. Come on, Heidou, greet him."

Heidou tried hard to look clever. "Uncle Ding."

Wang Liuwu smiled awkwardly. "No, no. Heidou, this is your Grandpa Ding. Give your Grandpa Ding a proper bow."

Heidou immediately dropped to his knees. "Hello, Grandpa Ding."

Thump, thump, thump-three resounding kowtows!

Wang Qilin tipped his head back and closed his eyes, unable to bear watching. "There's no need for such a grand greeting. Are you trying to send your Grandpa Ding off to the next world?"

Steward Ding hurriedly felt inside his robe, pulled out a silver zhu, and handed it to him.

Wang Liuwu shook his head repeatedly. "We couldn't, we couldn't."

Steward Ding said, "It's only right. Money for the kowtows."

Heidou was delighted to receive the silver zhu, then looked at the spectators. Everyone hurriedly dispersed.

At noon, Madam Wang née Lu and her daughters returned. Seeing all the boxes and chests in the side room, the women were overjoyed.

Without even stopping to wash her hands, Wang Liuqiao went straight to touch the dressing table. "Oh, Mom, come look! There's even a bronze mirror on it! This table is so pretty."

Wang Liuwu called out, "Wash your hands! All of you, wash your hands! Look at all that mud on you. You're like a troop of mud monkeys."

The eldest, Wang Qiaoniang, tidied her son up a little. "Did you greet your uncle?"

Wang Qilin laughed. "He did. He all but wished me immortality."

Heidou giggled and secretly tucked the broad beans into his mother's clothes. "Eat them, quick! Don't let Dad see."

Wang Qiaoniang had married young and was somewhat distant with him. After that brief exchange, she did not know what else to say, so she went to help put things away.

Looking at the baskets of fine silks, Madam Wang née Lu beamed with gratification. "Now that Little Seven's an official, we have money and nice things. This is wonderful. Our family finally has dowries. We can get the third and fourth girls properly outfitted and married off first."

Her words were tinged with heartache.

The Wang family had six daughters and one son, and that son was a little strange, leaving the family with neither money nor standing.

Over the years, only two of the six daughters had married. No family was willing to take the remaining four.

Wang Liuwu gave his son a proud look. "There's no need to worry. Little Seven's an official now. Matchmakers will soon be trampling our threshold to pieces. Come on, the general's household sent us chicken, duck, pork, and mutton today. Let's make a tableful of good dishes for lunch."

Heidou hurried into the kitchen, stood on tiptoe, and propped himself against the stove with his arms to peer up, swallowing saliva as though he were drinking water.

Wang Qilin came over and asked, "What would you like to eat?"

The little boy darted away.