MLH | Chapter 27

Fang Zichen counted out six pieces, then wrapped the oiled paper back up and stuffed it into Guai Zai’s hands. “Keep it and eat it slowly, don’t finish it all at once, or your teeth will go bad.”

Guai Zai held it in both hands. Sweet things had too much temptation for a child, and on top of that Guai Zai had never eaten them before. He was so rare and happy that his eyes were fixed on it, unable to look away. He kept nodding like a chicken pecking at rice.

“I kno’.”

Fang Zichen stood up and came over to Zhao-ge’er. “Here, six pieces each, fair and square.”

Zhao-ge’er didn’t take it. “You eat it. This thing is expensive.” He was satisfied that Fang Zichen had this thought.

“I don’t eat this,” Fang Zichen said. “Eating candied fruit is not very manly.”

Zhao-ge’er: “······”

Fang Zichen: “It’s just for you and Guai Zai, take it. It’s only six pieces, don’t be stingy. When I make big money in the future, I’ll buy you basket after basket to eat.”

This stuff really was expensive.

Fang Zichen felt rather embarrassed. Around noon, after hearing what the shop assistant said outside the door, he had gone in on a heat of the moment.

He had still been the Third Young Master Fang back then, so wealthy that he ate one piece and threw one away. But now he was strapped for cash, and could only buy candied fruit by the piece.

Zhao-ge’er took it and asked, “You’re not angry anymore?”

He was referring to the matter of Liu Laizi.

Fang Zichen had long stopped being angry, but seeing Zhao-ge’er’s careful and uneasy look, he wanted to tease him.

“Praise me once and I won’t be angry with you anymore.”

Zhao-ge’er frowned and thought seriously for a while. After holding it in for a long time, he said, “······You’re very good-looking.”

……

“Does that count as praise? That’s just stating a fact.” Fang Zichen waved a hand. “Try another one.”

Zhao-ge’er hesitated slightly. “You have a very good temper.”

“Everyone can see that, next one.”

“You’re very tall.”

“Anyone who isn’t blind can tell. Doesn’t count.”

Zhao-ge’er coughed twice, not daring to look at him, somewhat unnatural. “Your skin is very fair, and your eyes are very good-looking.”

“That would be more fitting if you were praising yourself,” Fang Zichen said helplessly. “You can’t praise people like that.”

“Then how should I praise you?”

“You have to look at the person! I’m a man, what use is it to praise me for fair skin and beauty? You should say I’m big where it counts and I’m good in bed.”

Zhao-ge’er: “······”

Those words carried a hint of teasing, and in their current situation, it was also a little awkward.

Seeing Zhao-ge’er’s expression change a little, Fang Zichen rubbed his nose and looked up at the sky. “…Ah, the weather is nice today!”

Zhao-ge’er stared at him without speaking.

Fang Zichen gave an awkward laugh. “What are we eating tonight? I’ll go check the kitchen.” He ran off without delay.

Zhao-ge’er pressed his lips together. His ears slowly turned red, and seeing Fang Zichen flee in a fluster, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhao-ge’er’s cooking was still pretty good.

After the pig skin and meat were boiled, they were cut into small pieces and mixed with fish mint, minced garlic, and scallions. Setting aside the taste, just how it looked was already very appetizing.

At the dining table, Zhao-ge’er picked up a chopstickful. Seeing Fang Zichen staring hard at the pork on the table without moving his chopsticks, he asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Fish mint was the kind of thing some people loved to death, while others felt their stomachs churn just from smelling it.

Fang Zichen felt the dish had a strange taste. It wasn’t fragrant, and it wasn’t really stinky either.

He just didn’t know how to describe it.

Guai Zai stood on a small stool and picked up a chopstickful. The fish mint had been chopped up finely, and he didn’t hold the chopsticks very steadily, so he placed one hand under them, and whatever fell into his palm he slurped up.

His eyes curved into crescents, his face full of satisfaction.

Here it came again, Fang Zichen thought.

Guai Zai really looked as if he were eating abalone or seafood of some kind.

Seeing how fragrant he was eating it, Fang Zichen swallowed and couldn’t help asking, “Guai Zai, is it tasty?”

Guai Zai blinked and looked up with a smile. “It’s tasty.”

Fang Zichen felt he was taking revenge on him, and still didn’t believe it.

Zhao-ge’er smiled. “Is it because you’re not used to it? Sorry, everyone in our village likes to eat this. I… Zhou-ge’er gave me some cabbage, I’ll go make you another dish, okay?”

“No need.” Fang Zichen shook his head, and his gaze fell on the bowl of food again.

Maybe this stuff worked on the same principle as stinky tofu.

Both smelled bad but tasted good.

He tentatively picked up a chopstickful… hmm, really fragrant.

In the end he said, “I still want to eat this tomorrow.”

Maybe because he had eaten something good, Fang Zichen slept especially soundly that night.

Zhao-ge’er was used to getting up before it was light. Outside, the sky was still dim, and the chickens in the village were crowing non-stop.

Maybe it was father and son nature, Guai Zai was especially clingy to Fang Zichen. Before, when he slept, he had been proper and well-behaved, but after one night had passed, he was sprawled over Fang Zichen’s chest like a turtle.

Earlier, Fang Zichen had even complained to him that it felt like being pinned by a ghost in bed.

He carefully lifted Guai Zai down, covered him with an old piece of clothing, stepped over Fang Zichen, and got out of bed, never making a sound the whole time.

But just after he had washed his face in the kitchen and was about to knead dough, Fang Zichen walked in yawning.

…It was truly rare.

Seeing him stare at himself without blinking, Fang Zichen asked, “Why are you looking at me like that? Found out I got even more handsome?”

He had just rubbed his eyes, and made sure there was no eye gunk.

“Why did you get up so fast this morning?” Zhao-ge’er asked.

Fang Zichen had the habit of lying in bed, and it was very serious. He himself knew it too.

Before, when he had to go to the town for work, he had repeatedly told Zhao-ge’er, “You absolutely have to call me up in the morning! Whether our family can eat enough, whether I can keep this job steady, it’s all up to you.”

He had spoken so seriously that Zhao-ge’er had done as he said.

He thought, it’s just lying in bed, how serious can it be? If one call doesn’t get him up, two calls should do it.

In the end, Fang Zichen was fine. With a stretch of time between them, he’d be called three times in the left ear and three times in the right ear, and every time he’d say let me doze for one more minute.

Zhao-ge’er didn’t know what the hell one minute was, and didn’t know how long it was either. Anyway, he had seen exactly how bad Fang Zichen’s habit of lying in bed was.

Today, for once, he got up so early without anyone calling him. It was rare.

“Are you feeling unwell?” he asked tentatively, unable to keep from feeling nervous.

Fang Zichen rolled his eyes at him. “It’s early in the morning, don’t curse me!”

Zhao-ge’er saw him wash his face, then go into the room to take the wooden stick he had brought back last time, and walk out without a word.

“Where are you going? Breakfast’s almost ready.”

Fang Zichen didn’t even turn his head, just raised a hand and waved it. “Eat first when it’s ready, don’t wait for me.”

Most people in Xiaohe Village all had the surname He. The village was only as big as a palm, and out of ten households, eight were related by some roundabout tie.

He Dagen’s family was considered pretty well-off in the village. In the morning his wife boiled him a few sweet potatoes. For families a bit better off, that was enough. For families worse off, there were only two meals a day.

No one dared to live as extravagantly as Fang Zichen’s family. Fortunately, the villagers didn’t know. If they did know his family ate white noodles every meal, Fang Zichen would probably end up a hot topic in the village again.

After eating the sweet potatoes, He Dagen slung his hoe over his shoulder and hurried to the fields. A voice came from behind him.

“Uncle, wait a moment.”

He Dagen turned his head. “Xiao Fang?” His gaze fell on the wooden stick on Fang Zichen’s shoulder, and he started to stammer. “Wh-what’s the matter?”

Fang Zichen smiled, looking perfectly mild and gentle. “I want to ask which way to Liu Laizi’s house.”

What had happened yesterday, when Liu Laizi chased after Zhao-ge’er to harass him, had spread all over the village. He Dagen immediately understood.

This was Zhao-ge’er’s man going to stand up for him.

“I know, I know,” He Dagen pointed in a direction, especially kindly. “Follow this road, then at the little poplar tree turn left, and keep going all the way. The one with a jujube tree in the courtyard is Liu Laizi.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

“No need for such politeness, we’re all in the same village!”

After Fang Zichen left, several people crowded around him.

“That was Xiao Fang, right? What did he say to you? Carrying a stick like that, I thought he was going to hit you!”

“Why would he hit me? I didn’t provoke him.”

“Then what did he say to you?”

“Asked me where Liu Laizi’s house was.”

“Oh no, he probably wants to hit someone again. Let’s go take a look.”

The few of them didn’t even go to the fields anymore, and went in a great horde toward Liu Laizi’s house.

Liu Dazhi, who had only shaken off the Liu Laizi who had chased him for three li yesterday like a vicious dog, was exhausted to the point of death. He was sleeping soundly this morning when there was a huge bang from outside.

He Dagen and the others saw Fang Zichen carrying a stick, come to the entrance of Liu Laizi’s house, look inside as if confirming something, then kick open the front gate and swagger in, like a bully come to collect a debt.

“Is Liu Laizi home? If he is, get the hell out here.”

Liu Laizi opened the door with a cold face. “Who the hell are you?”

“Fang Zichen, Zhao-ge’er’s man. Nice to meet you.”

Liu Laizi went silent.

“You, what are you doing at my house?”

“Nothing much, just here to talk to you about life, and talk to you about ideals.”

Liu Laizi did not want to talk to him about life and ideals.

He Ergou had said before that Fang Zichen had beaten Ma Dazhuang and the other two, and was especially good at fighting. When he heard it then, he hadn’t paid much attention, and had even somewhat dismissed it, but a few days ago when Fang Zichen stormed the Ma house, he had been outside at the time!

“How is it, not inviting me in to sit?”

Liu Laizi had only opened the door halfway. At the words, he subconsciously wanted to close it, and Fang Zichen gave a snort, then rushed straight over.

He Dagen saw Fang Zichen shove Liu Laizi aside, enter the house, and then close the door.

“What’s going on, why is he closing the door too? Should we…”

Before he could finish, a scream came from inside.

Then a second one.

A third one.

He Dagen and the others all got an inexplicable chill.

Good heavens.

When the village chief’s family killed a pig for the New Year, the pig’s cries weren’t even this miserable.

No one knew what cruel and inhuman treatment Liu Laizi had gone through to end up screaming like that, but it made their scalps go numb.

The door was pushed open from inside. Liu Laizi, with bruises all over his face and body, tried to crawl out from the ground, and then was dragged back in by a pair of lean, somewhat pale hands tugging at his calves.

Bang, the door was shut again.

He Dagen and the others: “······”