Chapter (6): A Trip to the Port City to Sell the Great Wild Boars
To the south of Nanchang Village sat Nan Mountain, and to the north ran the Chang River—hence the name "Nanchang." The Bai family's fields were situated to the north of the village, nestled between the settlement and the riverbank.
Jiang Qing, the youngest son of the Village Head, was currently sprinting toward the Bai family's fields in a frantic rush. He appeared incredibly agitated, shouting from a distance.
"Uncle Bai! Uncle Bai! Something huge has happened!"
With the exception of two pregnant daughters-in-law, every member of the Bai family was out working the fields, including ten-year-old Bai Mei. In Nanchang Village, the Bai family owned slightly more land than even the Village Head; if the entire family didn't pitch in, they would lose a fortune hiring outside labor.
Bai Zhou (Father Bai) and Mo Hua (Mother Bai), along with their children, stopped their work the moment they saw the young man running toward them. They had actually been in the middle of a heated debate regarding their second son, Bai Li, unable to truly believe that he had genuinely changed his ways.
When Mother Bai recognized the youth as the Village Head's son, her brow furrowed. Though she didn't know the details yet, she had a sinking feeling this involved her second son, and her expression darkened instantly.
Could it be that her wicked son had done something shameful again? She had seen the Village Head's bow at Bai Li's house yesterday—did he sell the man's bow?
As Mother Bai's thoughts raced, Jiang Qing arrived, doubled over and gasping for air, struggling to speak through his exhaustion.
"Uncle Bai! Your... your second... huu... Bai Li. My Father said... come to his house... right now!"
The Bai family was struck with terror. One could hardly blame them; the original Bai Li had brought them nothing but bad news in this exact manner for years.
Bai Zhou, a simple and honest farmer, knitted his brows at Jiang Qing's words.
"Qing'er, do you know what happened to my second son?"
Jiang Qing had caught his breath slightly. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he managed, "Uncle Bai, your son encountered two wild boars deep at the foot of the mountain!"
He intended to follow up by saying Bai Li had killed them both, but how could he have predicted Mother Bai's panicked outcry?
"Ah! My son! My second son! Is... is he hurt? Is he badly injured? Where is he now? Has something terrible happened to my foolish boy?"
Mother Bai's eyes reddened as she spoke, leaving Jiang Qing looking utterly bewildered.
In truth, Mother Bai wasn't to blame for her reaction. The original Bai Li was a shiftless loafer; even if he had caught some pheasants yesterday, there was a world of difference between a pheasant and a wild boar. Thinking he was in mortal danger upon hearing "wild boar" was a perfectly logical conclusion.
Jiang Qing looked at Mother Bai's tearing eyes and the pale faces of the Bai family, unable to comprehend the devotion. Bai Li was a notorious, silver-tongued scoundrel. Why did the Bai family still harbor such affection for such a piece of human trash? If Jiang Qing were even a tenth as bad as Bai Li, his father would have beaten him to death long ago.
However, Jiang Qing didn't dwell on the mysteries of fate and quickly waved his hands.
"Auntie Bai, you've got it all wrong! Your son killed both wild boars! One is already at his house, and he's gone with his eldest brother to retrieve the other. Father told me to bring the cart so we can go to town and sell them before it gets late!"
There were only two carts in Nanchang Village. One belonged to the Xiao family (Xiao Han's natal family). The Xiaos ran a transport business between the village and the town for a fee; they prioritized this trade, owning no paddy fields and only two small vegetable plots. If villagers needed to rent their buffalo and cart, they had to pay.
The other cart was shared equally between the Bai family and the Village Head's family, a partnership formed for the village's agricultural needs. The Bais owned the cart, while the Village Head's family provided the buffalo.
Since the two families were the most well-to-do in the village and shared a harmonious relationship, this arrangement had never caused a single dispute. They worked purely on mutual understanding.
This partnership also benefited the other villagers. The Village Head and the Bais would rent out the buffalo and cart for farm work at a very low rate—sometimes even in exchange for a few sweet potatoes.
The Bai family felt a wave of relief upon hearing Jiang Qing's explanation, though it was quickly followed by utter confusion.
Two wild boars! Heavens!
Bai Zhou asked in disbelief, " Qing'er, are you serious? Are you absolutely sure they were wild boars?"
"Uncle Bai, it's harvest season. Would I leave my work just to play a prank on you? You'll see when you get there. That boar is massive! It's bigger than a grown man!"
Though the Bai family remained skeptical, they had to go to Bai Li's house to see for themselves.
Bai Zhou commanded, "Eldest son, go get the cart!"
The Bais were currently using the cart. Dropping their work, the entire family, along with Jiang Qing, headed toward Bai Li's hut. Neighbors from the surrounding fields, having overheard the word "wild boar," were eager to see the sight as well, quickly filling the cart to capacity.
By the time the cart reached Bai Li's home, a trail of curious villagers followed on foot. Word of the wild boars had already spread through the entire village.
The Village Head's family was already waiting at Bai Li's house. A massive wild boar, carried in on a makeshift litter, lay in the open space in front of the house, causing everyone who arrived to gasp in shock.
When Bai Zhou saw the Village Head, he rushed over. "Lao Jiang! Did you see my second son? Is he injured at all?"
Bai Zhou and the Village Head, Jiang Yan, had grown up together as childhood playmates and shared a deep bond. The Village Head, who had been sipping tea while admiring the boar, set his cup down and replied.
"Lao Bai, forget about injuries! Your son ran all the way to my fields carrying this boar on his back all by himself! From a distance, we thought a live boar was charging at us and were about to bolt!"
Only then did the Bai parents truly relax. Jiang Qing's words were one thing—they were hesitant to believe a youth's tall tales—but the Village Head was different. He was the leader of the village; his word was gold.
Mother Bai finally let out a breath and looked around for her grandsons. She spotted the little ones standing by the doorway, each clutching a leg of Xiao Han. The little Ge'ers were peering out at the crowd surrounding the boar with wide, hesitant, and curious eyes.
Though Xiao Han still had a lingering fever, he was no longer bedridden. He had taken the time to wash the children. Now clean, the two little Ge'ers looked as fair and soft as white steamed buns—absolutely adorable. The small, vivid red moles beneath the outer corners of their left eyes looked like drops of crimson ink placed carefully on white porcelain.
Mo Hua's heart always melted whenever she looked at her eldest grandsons. She could never understand how her second son could bring himself to neglect such precious little ones.
Just as she was about to approach them, she noticed the Village Head's wife, Du Shi, nearby and went to greet her first. Du San Nan (Du Shi) and Mo Hua had been like sisters since childhood. They were both fortunate to have married good men. Mo Hua's only misfortune was giving birth to a son like Bai Li.
Du San Nan loathed Bai Li; she couldn't fathom why someone like him existed. The Bai family owned ten paddy fields and twenty vegetable plots; they should have been living comfortably in a house with a tiled roof. But because of Bai Li's predations, their wealth was merely a name on paper. They had even been forced to pull their fourth son out of school. Du Sannian detested "trash" who brought ruin to their families. She liked everyone in the Bai house, with the sole exception of Bai Li. She thanked the Heavens daily that none of her own sons turned out like him.
Du Shi saw Mo Shi (Mother Bai) approaching. Realizing it wasn't appropriate to remain seated among the circle of men, she met Mo Shi halfway and led her, along with Xiao Han and the children, into the small hut.
Du Shi liked Xiao Han and the children; it was only Bai Li she couldn't stand. However, after hearing of Bai Li's change in behavior yesterday, her opinion of him had shifted slightly.
The table inside had been taken out for the elders to sit on, so the women gathered on the brick kang bed. Despite having heard the Village Head's reassurance, Mother Bai couldn't help but ask Du Shi again.
"Is my second son truly safe? I'm so afraid he's hidden some injuries."
Du Shi sighed.
"Mo Shi, didn't you hear what my husband said? Your son isn't hurt. I saw him myself; he was energetic and full of life."
"Are you sure? What if the wounds are under his clothes?"
Du Shi felt a surge of exasperation at her friend's overprotectiveness.
"He's fine! You should be worrying about something else. Listen to me: I don't know how big the other boar is, but the one in the yard alone will bring in a lot of silver. You must supervise this strictly. Don't let your son revert to his 'trash' ways. Look at your daughter-in-law and the grandsons—look how thin they are! Your second son is a truly wicked boy. He seems to have changed since yesterday, but I fear it's only temporary. If he gets his hands on that much silver, he might go back to his old habits. You must seize the money the moment he shows signs of trouble. Then you can use it to buy food and necessities for his family yourself."
Mo Shi understood what Du Shi was saying. She, too, didn't want her son to return to his old ways. She just wanted to see the family live in peace and happiness.
"I know. When they go to sell the boar, the Village Head and the men of our family will surely go along. He won't be able to squander the money easily. I'll tell his father to take the silver the moment he tries anything foolish."
Du Shi, satisfied, nodded. "Good. That's exactly what you should do. Stop spoiling that brat."
Du Shi then looked at Mo Shi, the children, and Xiao Han, letting out a soft sigh.
"If only your second son would stay reformed. Look at today—no one in the village could believe he had such hunting skill. If he continues like this, you all will finally be able to live in peace."
At those words, Mother Bai's eyes reddened once more.
"It was my fault. I spoiled him far too much."
They truly had. Because of complications during the birth of their eldest son, they hadn't been able to conceive again for seven years. They had almost given up hope when the second son arrived, and they had doted on him excessively. Originally, they had even wanted him to attend school instead of the eldest. Unexpectedly, he not only hated school but grew increasingly wayward until they could no longer discipline him.
Du Shi knew this history well. She reached out to comfort her old friend.
"That's all in the past. Your second son is starting to change now. You just need to make sure he stays on the right path."