Chapter 14: Let’s Go Visit Brother Yi

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What was it like for someone who had never once eaten his fill to finally do so?

Yun had never thought about that question before. Now, he was seeing the answer firsthand.

Chen Gouzi had nearly polished off an entire large bowl of millet rice and two big steamed cakes. If the maidservant had not stopped him, he might even have licked the bowl clean.

It was hard to imagine that this was the appetite of a six-year-old child.

After eating, Chen Gouzi rubbed his round, swollen belly. The happiness on his face—the sort of happiness that would make him willing to die at that very moment—shook Yun deeply.

Yun thought, Is the world outside truly this harsh?

Chen Gouzi sat there stupidly for quite some time before suddenly coming to his senses and getting to his feet. Timidly, he looked toward Yun and Madam Xin.

The moment he moved, he could feel the food rising to his throat.

Yet Chen Gouzi did not feel sick. On the contrary, he savored the sensation of the food creeping up to his throat, then happily swallowed it back down into his stomach.

When Chen Gouzi had been starving in the past, he would imagine sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night and eating every bit of food in the house. He was so hungry that he could hardly bear it. Even if his mother beat him to death the next day, he would not have said a word.

He was truly too hungry.

But in the end, he had never dared.

The dream of eating his fill seemed to have taken root in his mind from the moment he was born. Today, at last, it had come true.

Chen Gouzi thought that he had been right all along. Being full really was the greatest happiness in the world—so great that it left him trembling with belated fear. Fortunately, Yun had chosen him back then.

“It’s all right.”

Chen Gouzi did not want to make a mistake. Not even a little one.

As he sat there, satisfied by his full belly yet still anxious, he heard Yun’s childish voice.

This time Chen Gouzi heard clearly, and only then did he let out a long sigh of relief.

Madam Xin stroked Yun’s hair and said with a smile, “Since it has been decided, Gouzi, the maidservant will take you to the kitchen in a little while to see Madam Guo. She will take you to see your father.

“You should also know that your father signed a death contract. We have already given him quite a lot of grain. From now on, you belong to the Li household. Follow Yun properly. If you take good care of Yun over the next few years, I will even let you go home for a visit.”

There were not many maids and servants in the Li household. In the rear courtyard, Madam Bu and Madam Xin each had a maidservant of fifteen or sixteen to attend to their daily needs. Outside, there was an older woman who specialized in drawing water and sweeping fallen leaves. Some time ago, because of the dozen or so pots of chrysanthemums, Li Fu had also hired an elderly gardener. Then there was the kitchen, where two older women worked.

One was Madam Guo, who handled the purchase of food and anything else the masters required. The other was simply the cook, responsible for preparing their meals.

That was the entire household staff.

Madam Guo often went out, so whenever something required communicating beyond the residence, she was usually the one sent.

Chen Gouzi had hardly any education at all. He did not understand what a death contract meant, but his father had told him that if fortune smiled upon him and he was chosen, he must work diligently from then on. Otherwise, if he were beaten to death, their family would not only have to send a straw mat to wrap his body in, but also go to the household and apologize. Therefore, he absolutely must not make any mistakes.

Though he was only six, Chen Gouzi had long since learned to be sensible.

Thus, when Madam Xin spoke, he immediately nodded.

Yun could see that Chen Gouzi was still frightened, but he did not try to comfort him again. In any case, Chen Gouzi would be spending a long time with him. In time, Chen Gouzi would learn that Yun was not a bad child and would never bully him.

With his instructions given, Chen Gouzi was soon led away by Madam Guo.

The side gate that the Li household usually used for purchases was opened. Chen Gouzi obediently held Madam Guo’s hand. The moment he stepped outside, he saw his father squatting not far from the gate.

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This year’s cold had arrived earlier than last year.

His father wore a straw rope around his waist. His thin clothing could not keep out the cold, and all he could do was squat there with his body hunched up.

Perhaps he had heard the sound, for the dark, somewhat dirty man immediately turned his head.

“Chen Mugen.” Madam Guo was broad and sturdy, but her expression was kind.

Chen Mugen hurriedly rose to his feet. The first thing he saw was the child holding Madam Guo’s hand.

It was Gouzi!

Chen Mugen could hardly believe his eyes.

In the space of half a day, Chen Gouzi had been dressed from head to toe in new clothes. A sturdy blue cotton jacket covered his body, and his shoes were clean and thick as well.

It was obvious that everything was new. In just half a day, Chen Gouzi’s complexion had grown noticeably rosier, and his belly was round and full.

Anyone could see that the household treated him well—extremely well, even.

Chen Mugen felt envious, and the guilt he felt toward his son eased somewhat.

When honest, ordinary families sold their sons or daughters, the parents were always ashamed and full of remorse. What was more, he had signed a death contract simply to obtain a little more grain.

Once the contract was signed, Chen Gouzi’s life was no longer his own. It belonged to the people who had bought him.

Chen Mugen thought again: What choice did he have?

Even if Gouzi had ended up in a cruel household, at least he would survive the winter. If they did not sell him, the entire family would die this winter.

Freezing or starving to death was no better than eating one full meal before being beaten to death.

“Father.” Now that Chen Gouzi was full and had strength in him, even his voice was louder.

With reddened eyes, Chen Mugen wanted to touch Gouzi’s head. But when he saw how cleanly the boy had been dressed, he instinctively drew back his dirty hand.

He was not a man of many words. He merely bent his back and repeated stiffly, “Work hard. Work hard. Work hard…”

Madam Guo sighed.

Such was the world. What could anyone do? Fortunately, the Li household was indeed a good place to be. Its master, Li Fu, rarely concerned himself with the affairs of the inner household, and the two mistresses were both kindhearted women. The servants who worked there all counted themselves fortunate to have entered such a family. With Gouzi following Yun, nothing terrible would happen to him.

“Chen Mugen, here is the grain you are owed.” Madam Guo was strong; even when she came out, she had been carrying a large sack of grain in one hand.

“I packed in a little extra. It is all hulled millet, and it is all new grain from this year. It will smell wonderful when you cook it at home.”

Madam Guo handed the large sack to Chen Mugen. After he took it, she smiled and told him to wait, then turned and went back inside.

She soon emerged again.

“Here, these are the wheat bran I scooped out. The Li household does not keep livestock, and the masters do not eat food mixed with wheat bran. Madam Xin said earlier that the bran should be divided between me and Madam Chen, the cook. This is my share; poor families treasure such things, so take it with you.

“And these are the clothes Gouzi changed out of. They are worn, but I did not throw them away. Take them home for the little ones to wear. There are also several outfits Yun has outgrown. The mistress had cloth made into them for him. Look at how quickly Yun grows—he only wore these little clothes a few times, so they are still nearly new. If you have no child small enough for them, take them apart and sew them into something larger. They should be comfortable to wear.”

Chen Mugen bent over, his shoulders trembling and his eyes red as he murmured agreement again and again.

Madam Guo drew a breath. “All right. Take one more good look at Gouzi. You may not see him again after this. At least you will have the memory.”

But Chen Mugen did not look.

“No, I won’t look. Gouzi belongs to the master’s household now. I am no longer his father. His father is no longer me.”

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Chen Mugen could not make his thoughts clear, so he steeled himself, turned away, and left with the gifts.

Gouzi was doing well. He could not speak too much with the boy. A child so young might become confused and make a scene, demanding to return home and angering the masters. The Li household was no ordinary family, either. Li Fu was the county magistrate of Long County. To people like them, he was no different from Heaven’s own emperor.

And so Chen Mugen left.

Chen Gouzi sniffed, but neither cried nor made a fuss. Looking back again and again, he quietly followed Madam Guo back into the Li household.

Yun had been rather bored lately.

The weather grew colder with each passing day. Long County had probably suffered some kind of disaster, because Li Fu had become as busy as he had been during the spring planting season. He now came home for meals even less often, and even the compulsory evening lessons in useful knowledge had begun to dwindle.

But Li Fu was the one who was busy. Yun was only a one-year-old child; there was truly nothing for him to do.

Before, Yun had not yet learned to walk and could only be carried from place to place. Now that he could walk, he could no longer sit still.

The boy next door, Yi, could not sit still either, but Yi had it worse. The last time they had played in the little garden, he had taken advantage of everyone’s inattention and thrown himself into the small pond. He had nearly frightened Madam Bu to death. For the past several days, he had been forbidden from going outside.

Thinking of Yi made Yun want to laugh. Suddenly, he decided that he had to find something to do.

Madam Xin had been feeling somewhat unwell these past two days because of her monthly cycle. After lunch, she always needed to nap for a while, and the maidservant would doze off as well.

Perhaps Yun had always been so well behaved that they trusted him completely.

Yun lay with both hands braced on the bed, his short legs straining to reach the floor below.

Oh dear, he could not reach.

Yun flushed with effort and struggled to inch his upper body downward.

After a while, he felt someone lift him up. In the blink of an eye, he was placed on the floor.

He did not even need to turn around to know that it was Chen Gouzi.

Chen Gouzi straightened Yun’s rumpled clothes and asked cautiously, “Why didn’t you call me, Yun? Your legs are still so short.”

Yun felt deeply aggrieved.

Chen Gouzi was six years old. He had once been thin and dark. After spending nearly a month in the Chen household, he had not yet regained much weight or color, but he had grown noticeably taller, and his strength increased by the day. Madam Guo often said that Chen Gouzi had simply been malnourished before. Once he had enough to eat and drink, he would become a little strongman.

Yun quickly stopped minding the remark about his short legs and whispered, “Come on. Let’s find Yi and bring him out to play.”

Chen Gouzi immediately nodded.

During this time, eating and playing alongside Yun every day, Chen Gouzi’s fondness for the Li household had reached its limit, as had his fondness for Yun.

He had truly decided to follow Yun.

Chen Gouzi also seemed somewhat single-minded. Once he accepted someone as his master, he obeyed that person without question. These days, Madam Xin’s words carried less weight with him than Yun’s.

Chen Gouzi was older and nimble on his feet, so he carefully opened the door first.

Yun peered around cautiously, then slipped through the gap as soon as Chen Gouzi opened it. The instant he stepped outside, a blast of cold wind struck him, making him shiver.

Chen Gouzi, who was holding the door, noticed at once and gestured for Yun to wait. Then he carefully returned inside without making a sound and came back with a small cape, which he wrapped securely around Yun.

“Yun, put on something thicker. You are not used to the wind. You will get sick.” Chen Gouzi was still only a child himself, but he was already remarkably skilled at taking care of others.

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