Chapter 5

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 5: Act of Courage

This wasn’t Zhang Xiaohua’s first time in this market in Lu Town either. After all, it was the busiest time of the year, the liveliest place within dozens of miles. Since he could remember, he came here every year. But when he came here in the past, his memories were filled with candy figures, pastries, and other treats. He never thought much about the crowds, or perhaps, navigating through the crowd was a game, something fun for the young him. This time, as he stood at the northern end of the street, looking at the bustling crowd, the variety of goods and gadgets being sold along the street, and the food stalls, Zhang Xiaohua felt like he needed more eyes to take it all in.

The Zhang family followed the crowd, slowly making their way deeper into the street from the northern end. Every time they passed a shop, they would squeeze inside to take a look, whether it was selling silk, antiques, or even medicine. Zhang Xiaohua and his two brothers not only observed the items being sold but also paid attention to the surrounding crowd. When could they see so many people in their small mountain village, especially gorgeously dressed and attractive young girls, which caught the young boys’ attention even more.

Unfortunately, the three of them had ordinary appearances and wore simple clothes, clearly indicating their rural background. The girls’ gazes slid past them, unlike the way the boys stared at the girls. Occasionally, a girl would sense their burning gaze, naturally feeling shy and quickly walking away, while some girls even turned to look back at them, causing the three brothers to blush awkwardly and feel very uncomfortable.

Zhang Xiaohua’s gaze was filled with nothing but novelty compared to when he was young. As for his brothers Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu, they were more focused on the future. Perhaps they were hoping to meet a suitable girl and find their own happiness, but most girls didn’t pay much attention to their gaze. it’s unclear what thoughts were going through the minds of the two older brothers.

In the center of the street stood a large storefront with a sign that read ‘Qian Family Fabrics’. Zhang Cai’s eyes lit up when he saw it, and he called out to his three sons, leading them inside. At the entrance of the shop stood a shop assistant, when he saw Zhang Cai walking in, he quickly greeted him, saying: “Sir, please come in, what would you like to see?” It seemed that the assistant didn’t notice Zhang Cai’s unease or his somewhat worn-out clothes.

After entering the fabric shop, Zhang Cai didn’t walk directly to the counter. Instead, he stood to the side of the entrance, feeling a bit awkward as he observed the numerous male and female customers and the bustling shop assistants inside. Unsure of what to do, he snapped out of his daze upon hearing the assistant’s greeting. He then awkwardly said: “Um, I’d like to get some clothes for the children and maybe some fabric for their mother too.” As he was talking, Zhang Xiaolong and his younger brothers entered the shop. They too felt a bit out of place. It was rare for them to visit such a large store, and now that they were here to make purchases, they weren’t sure how to express themselves, so they became somewhat timed. However, the shop assistant remained unfazed by their demeanor, still wearing a welcoming smile as he approached them and said: ” Then please come over here and take a look. Let’s see if we have any suitable fabric.”

He then led them to a corner of the counter where the fabrics were displayed. This corner of the counter was noticeably less crowded. There were two groups of people already present, two young girls were selecting colors with their heads bowed, and a family of three, accompanied by a toddler, that had already chosen their fabrics and were having them wrapped by a shop assistant. Aside from this corner, the rest of the counter was adorned with brightly colored silks and satins. Surrounding them were many well-dressed individuals commenting and selecting. It seemed that the shop assistants were well trained to understand the needs of their customers. Judging from the attire of Zhang Cai’s family, they were perceived to be in need of durable and practical fabrics rather than flashy ones.

Even though the shop assistants were attentive and had brought Zhang Cai’s family to the right place, Zhang Cai still looked uneasy. In the past, when they came to buy fabric, it was always the children’s mother who made the decisions, Zhang Cai never had to worry about what style or color to buy. However, this time, as she was at home accompanying the children’s grandmother, Zhang Cai was tasked with buying the fabric. He hadn’t thought much about it before coming to the shop, and now he was unsure of what to choose. Seeing the shop assistant’s somewhat displeased expression, Zhang Xiaolong quickly stepped forward and said to the assistant: “Let us take a look first and then decide. You can attend to other customers for now.”

After the shop assistant left, Zhang Cai couldn’t help but regretfully say: ‘Look at my head, I didn’t even ask your mother what kind of fabric to buy before we left. Now, we’ll all go back empty-handed.'”

Coincidentally, the taller one of the two girls who were picking fabric just happened to walk behind Zhang Xiaolong, picking up a piece of navy blue fabric on the counter, heard Zhang Cai’s words, and then walked back to her companion’s side. She glanced at Zhang Xiaolong again and seemed to have a brief discussion with her companion before approaching Zhang Cai and saying:

“This uncle, I have something to discuss with you.”

Zhang Cai, puzzled, replied: “What is it, miss?”

The taller girl said: “Uncle, I was just about to pick out a piece of clothing for my older brother, but he’s not here. I noticed that this big brother here has a similar build. Could I possibly ask him to help try it on? I heard you say that you don’t know how to choose a suitable fabric, so in return, my sister and I can also help you with some suggestions, if you’d like?”

Zhang Cai was overjoyed and said: “Good, very good.”

So, Zhang Xiaolong acted as a clothes hanger, trying on several outfits for the two girls until they found ones they were satisfied with. Zhang Cai’s wish was fulfilled even better than expected as the fabrics and colors chosen by the two girls left Zhang Cai’s family very pleased. Even the shopkeeper thought highly of the girls’ taste. The only thing that left Zhang Xiaolong dissatisfied was that when the shopkeeper brought out the packaged fabrics for them, the two girls had already left, and he hadn’t had a chance to inquire about their names.

Zhang Xiaolong, feeling dejected, held onto the fabrics and followed Zhang Cai as they walked forward. Just as they were about to glance at the farm tools displayed in the roadside stalls, they suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums. Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua said excitedly:

“Dad, quick, the big play is about to start, let’s go watch it first.”

As Zhang Xiaohua called out to Zhang Cai, the crowd at the market also heard the sound of the gong and everyone started moving in that direction. Zhang Cai quickly called out to Xiaolong and Xiaohu, and they hurriedly followed the crowd.

The New Year celebration in Lu Town had a tradition where a large stage was set up in one corner of the market. Every day, a theater troupe performed on the stage until the end of the market. For rural folks without much entertainment, this was a major highlight of the New Year festivities. It’s no wonder Xiaohua was so excited.

When Zhang Cai’s family arrived at the theater stage, the performance was already underway. The area was packed with people, but luckily the stage was high enough that those in the back could still see. Despite the large crowd watching the show, they all held their breath and listened carefully, fully immersed in the performance. It was a stark contrast to the bustling noise of the market earlier.

The performance on the stage was a well-known folk tale, captivating the audience’s attention. Even Zhang Xiaolong gradually forgot his earlier remorse as he became engrossed in the story.

As everyone was engrossed in the lively performance, there suddenly arose a commotion from the other side of the stage, growing louder by the moment. However, being separated by many people, it was difficult to discern the exact nature of the disturbance. Zhang Xiaohua, however, recognized the familiar voice of a girl among the noise. Could it be someone from their village? Conveniently, there was a tree nearby, so Zhang Xiaohua swiftly climbed up for a better view. Upon looking, he exclaimed to Zhang Xiaolong in a loud voice. “Big brother, it’s the big sister who helped us pick up clothes earlier! She’s in trouble.”

When Zhang Xiaolong heard this, he didn’t bother to tell Zhang Cai. He quickly pushed through the crowd, squeezing his way toward the other side of the stage. Zhang Cai quickly followed, pulling Zhang Xiaohu along and shouting for Zhang Xiaohua to come down from the tree and follow them. Zhang Xiaolong exerted a great effort to navigate through the crowd and reach the other side of the stage, when he saw the scene before him it caused his blood to boil.

The stage was built against a high wall. Underneath the high wall were two lonely young women huddled together, their faces flushed with distress. Beside them lay two small packages, from which spilled some pieces of clothing, likely the garments they had just purchased from the fabric store.

In front of them stood two short, fat men holding folding fans, that were brightly dressed. They were muttering to themselves, while simultaneously gesturing and pressuring the two young girls to move back and forth beneath the high wall. Surrounding the two fat men were seven or eight tall, burly servants clad in coarse clothing, who were separating the crowd of onlookers.

The intimidating servants had varying expressions. Some grinned at their young masters’ despicable behavior, while others kept a watchful eye on the crowd, occasionally giving threatening glances to deter anyone from intervening. Although many onlookers wanted to step in and help the two bullied village girls, they were intimidated by these evil servants’ menacing presence and could only gaze at the scene with resentment.

As Zhang Xiaolong rushed forward and observed the intimidating scene, he contemplated how to respond. However, he noticed the desperate plea for help in the eyes of the taller village girl, even though she wasn’t looking directly at him. Unable to ignore her distress, he was about to charge forward regardless of the consequences. At that moment, Zhang Xiaolong was restrained by someone from behind. When he turned around, he saw that it was his family who had caught up with him. Zhang Cai grasped his arm firmly, and Zhang Xiaolong, feeling urgent, exclaimed: “Father…”

Zhang Cai whispered: “Xiaolong, don’t be impulsive. The few of us can’t overpower them.”

Zhang Xiaolong responded: “But if we don’t help, those two girls will be bullied.”

Zhang Xiaohua chimed in: “Yes, Dad, that sister just helped us a moment ago.”

Zhang Cai said: “Helping is one thing, but you can’t help if you end up getting into trouble yourself. Look at that man over there wearing black clothes and holding a big knife.”

The three Zhang brothers followed their father’s gaze and sure enough, there was a burly man in black attire standing among the servants. He held a large knife in his left hand, with both arms crossed over his chest, leaning against a tree nearby, squinting as if half asleep. He appeared to be the bodyguard of the two ruffians.

It seems that the reason many people were hesitant to step forward was largely due to the presence of the bodyguard with the knife.

What should we do? Zhang Xiaolong is also getting anxious.

Just as Zhang Xiaolong hesitated, the situation on the other side of the high wall worsened. The two fat young men had already dragged the two village girls away, pulling them forcefully towards the alleyway around the corner of the high wall.

Zhang Xiaolong couldn’t hold back any longer. He forcefully shook off Zhang Cai’s hand and hurried over. The group of evil servants, thinking that they had already intimidated the nearby crowd, were converging towards the alleyway when they saw that the ‘good show’ was about to begin, unaware that someone would charge over at this moment.

Zhang Xiaolong rushed to the side of the two village girls and immediately reached out to grab their arms, pulling them towards himself. The strength of the two fat young masters couldn’t compare to his, as he worked in the fields day in and day out. In an instant, he had pulled them over. Seizing the moment while they were momentarily stunned, Zhang Xiaolong shouted loudly:

“What are you doing?”

The two fat young masters were very angry when they saw their prey being taken away. Their eyes met and the one in orange clothes said: “We didn’t do anything. Who are you? What are you doing?”

Zhang Xiaolong hesitated for a moment, then said: ‘I’m their cousin. Why are you pulling them? Be careful, we’ll report this to the officials.'”

The other person in black clothing said: “Report to the authorities? Sure, let’s go together then. In this Lu Town, this young master is the authority. Your cousin just stepped on my shoes and I want her to compensate me for them. Let’s see whom the officials will favor, you or me.”

At this moment, Zhang Cai and the others also rushed over. Zhang Cai quickly bowed and greeted the two young masters with a smile, saying: “You two gentlemen, please calm down. These two girls of mine are ignorant. If they stepped on your shoes, we’ll compensate. Today is a festive day for the market, please show some generosity. Let it slide, and you’ll have good karma this year.”

The man in the orange clothes smiled wickedly and said: “Fair enough. You, old man, seem to know your place. I’ll let it go this time. Just compensate for my shoes.”

Zhang Cai’s heart skipped a beat and cautiously asked: “Then may I ask, sir, how much should I compensate you?”

The man in the orange clothes held out his hand. Zhang Cai breathed a sigh of relief and said: “So it’s five copper coins. I’ll give it to you right away.”

Zhang Cai took out five copper coins from his pocket and handed them over. The man in orange didn’t even look at the five copper coins offered to him. He slapped them away with force, saying viciously: “You country bumpkin, do you think my shoes are worth only five copper coins, like those straw sandals you wear? Listen carefully, this young master’s shoes are worth five taels of silver!'”

Zhang Cai realized things were going south. He quickly put on a smiling face and said: “Sir, are you joking? My family’s annual income is only three taels of silver. Are your shoes worth that much?”

The one in black clothes said: “You little old man, are you doubting our integrity?”

At this moment, the village girl behind Zhang Xiaolong had regained her strength. She peeked out from behind him and said: “Uncle, they’re framing us! We didn’t step on their shoes at all. We just came here to watch the show, and before we knew it, they surrounded us here.”

Zhang Xiaolong also exclaimed angrily: “Dad, they’re clearly blackmailing us! Let’s take this girl and go to the authorities to report them.”

The man in black burst into loud laughter and exclaimed: “You country bumpkins, ignorant of the ways of the world. You don’t even recognize me, your Uncle Zhao, let alone talk about reporting to the authorities. Boys, come over here and show them what authority means.”

This Master Zhao waved his hand, and the servants who had been watching the commotion immediately came forward eagerly. Sensing trouble, Zhang Cai said to Zhang Xiaohua: “You and these two girls find a chance to escape. We’ll cover you.” With that, he led Zhang Xiaolong and Zhang Xiaohu to confront the approaching servants, while Zhang Xiaohua dragged the two girls and ran into the crowd watching the play.

Although Zhang Cai, Zhang Xiaolong, and Zhang Xiaohu were strong laborers from the countryside and had some strength, they found themselves outnumbered. Despite their strength, they were eventually overwhelmed by the group of servants. After several rounds, they were knocked to the ground, and the fists and feet of the evil servants came down upon them like raindrops. The three men sustained injuries to their bodies and faces. Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaohua and the two village girls initially showed some cleverness, managing to evade a few servants and attempting to break into the crowd. However, they were repeatedly blocked by the sturdy bodyguard, who stood in their way without resorting to violence, preventing their escape. When a servant chased after them, he would step aside, ensuring that Zhang Xiaohua and the girls were forced back towards Zhang Cai and the others.

Zhang Xiaohua, seeing his father and older brothers being pinned down and beaten, rushed forward in desperation to help them. However, he was kicked in the chest, causing him to fall backward onto the ground, covered in dirt. As he attempted to sit up and struggle, two more servants approached and shoved him against the wall. They then proceeded to slap him repeatedly, causing blood to trickle from his mouth. Taking account of his young age, the servants refrained from inflicting further harm but instead restrained him, preventing him from moving.

Zhang Xiaohua struggled with all his might but couldn’t break free from the grip of the two strong men. He watched in anguish as his father and older brothers were beaten by the evil servants, curling up in pain under the blows. His heart ached terribly, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.