sinovels Chapter 11 The Girl Wielding a Shovel
Chapter 11 The Girl Wielding a Shovel
As Shen An emerged from Qunyu Courtyard, dusk was approaching, and the place was truly starting to come alive. However, this had nothing to do with Shen An anymore.
Looking back at the scene of laughter and bright lights, Shen An thought with a bittersweet smile:
Sigh, I never imagined that on my first visit to a place like this in both my lives, I would only spend half a day sitting with an old man.
When they arrived at the wonton stall, He Sanqi was indeed still there, calmly tapping his bamboo sticks. The "tap-tap" sound had a unique charm in the slightly noisy market. A few customers sat scattered in front of the stall, slurping up the steaming wontons.
It's strange. When he came at noon, he just thought he was a slightly timid old man. But after learning his identity, Shen An could feel the demeanor of a hermit master who lived in seclusion in the city.
He Sanqi raised his eyelids, saw it was him, and continued working on his hands, only grinning to reveal his teeth, which were slightly yellowed from smoking:
"Didn't I make things difficult for you?"
Shen An shook his head and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you for your help, senior."
He Sanqi remained noncommittal, pinched together the last few wontons in his hand, wiped his hands with the rag, reached into his pocket, took out the silver coin, and tossed it back. "Now that the matter is settled, go talk to that girl yourself. She probably doesn't want an old codger like me."
Shen An opened his mouth to speak, but the old man had already stretched out his withered palm and spread it out in front of him—palm facing up, with flour and oil stains embedded in the lines.
"Ten coins. Money for wontons."
Shen An was speechless and could only count out the copper coins and place them in the palm of his hand. He Sanqi clenched his fist, the copper coins clinking together with a dull sound, then waved his hand as if shooing away mosquitoes: "Go on, don't delay the old man from packing up his stall."
Knowing his temperament, Shen An said no more, took back the silver, bowed again, and turned to disappear into the deepening night. He hadn't gone far when the wind faintly carried the old man's words, whether spoken to him or to himself, it was unclear.
"I await your gentle breeze and bright moon."
After leaving the wonton stall, Shen An headed towards Bailianfang. When he passed by the house of the young woman surnamed Wang, he had a sudden thought and decided to go and take a look.
But as they got closer, they noticed something was off about the sounds coming from inside.
Shen An frowned and quietly approached.
"...Brother! I won't go! I'd rather die than go!" It was the girl's voice, hoarse yet stubborn.
"It's not up to you!" a shrill woman's voice rang out. It was her sister-in-law. "You jinx! You're the one who killed our parents! Now you've offended Master Zhao. Do you think keeping you at home will kill us again? It's your good fortune that Master Wang wants you!"
"Your sister-in-law is right!" The man's voice rang out, hoarse and hesitant, but ultimately hardened. "The Wang family... the Wang family is a wealthy family, after all. If you go, you won't have to worry about food and clothing... We... we'll have someone to rely on. That twenty taels of betrothal gift can... can still be used to smooth things over, so that Master Zhao's people won't cause any more trouble..."
"Rely on? Dowry?" The girl's voice trembled with tears, yet also carried a desperate, reckless edge. "You're all just after that little bit of money! Our parents' bodies aren't even cold yet!"
"Smack!" It sounded like a hand slamming on the table. The sister-in-law said sternly, "The eldest brother is like a father! Your brother's word is law!"
"I don't!"
A series of pulling and colliding sounds came from behind.
Shen An's eyes turned cold, and he was about to push the door open when he heard a change in the noise inside.
"You... don't come any closer!" The girl's voice suddenly rose.
Through the crack in the door, Shen An saw in the dimly lit room that the girl was gripping her shovel tightly with both hands, the shovel head stained with dark red blood aimed at her brother and sister-in-law. Her thin body was tense from the effort, her face still wet with tears, but her eyes were fixed on her brother and sister-in-law who were closing in. The shovel was clearly too heavy for her, and the head trembled slightly.
The elder brother and sister-in-law were clearly intimidated by this display and hesitated to step forward. The sister-in-law slapped her thigh and yelled, "You've gone too far! You dare use a weapon!"
The elder brother was both shocked and furious: "Put those things down! What kind of behavior is this?!"
The girl didn't answer, but gripped the shovel tighter, her knuckles turning white. The dried bloodstains on the shovel, in the dim light, gleamed with a cold luster, as if telling a story of the tragedy that had just occurred, and reflecting the coldness of the kinship before her.
Without further hesitation, Shen An raised his hand and pushed open the slightly ajar door.
"Squeak—"
The sound of the door hinges turning, like a cold knife, severed the tense and scorching atmosphere inside the room.
Three pairs of eyes turned to the doorway, where Shen An stood on the threshold.
The resolute look in the girl's eyes instantly turned into unbelievable hope, and tears welled up in her eyes again, but she bit her lip and didn't cry out. She just loosened her grip on the shovel a little.
The elder brother and sister-in-law's faces turned deathly pale in the dim light. The elder brother's lips trembled, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed. The sister-in-law instinctively took a half step back, her sharp demeanor vanishing, replaced by fear and panic.
Shen An's gaze swept over them, finally landing on the girl and the shovel in her hand, which she used as a weapon. He sighed silently in his heart, realizing that he had been negligent.
He spoke, his voice low:
"I'll take her with me, no objections, right?"
On the way back to Bailianfang, the girl silently followed behind Shen An, carrying a bundle and holding a shovel, just as she had when she came to Hengyang City with him.
Shen An hesitated for a moment, paused, and looked back. The girl stood three steps away, holding a blood-stained shovel. Her messy hair clung to her delicate but pale face, and her eyes were red and swollen. Only her eyes, which were fixed on him, still held the stubborn spark that had been there when they confronted each other with the shovel during the day.
"I'm sorry, if I had told them beforehand not to worry about Zhao Da Kui's retaliation..."
Before she could finish speaking, the girl shook her head rapidly, the movement very small, as if she didn't want to hear any more.
"It's not my benefactor's fault." Her voice was hoarse, and she spoke faster, as if afraid of being interrupted, or as if she was not used to saying so much. "Even without Zhao Da Kui's affair, they would have sold me anyway. It was just a matter of time, just a matter of price."
She looked at Shen An again, her eyes full of seriousness: "If my benefactor continues to blame himself because of me, I, Xiaocao, will have no face to live on."
Shen An's throat tightened. He knew she was right, but he didn't know how to comfort her. He avoided her overly clear and direct gaze, turned away, and changed the subject: "Your name is Wang Xiaocao?"
"Hmm." The girl, Wang Xiaocao, nodded, tightening her grip on the shovel. Her voice lowered. "My parents gave me this nickname, saying it would be a humble name so I would be easier to raise. My formal name is Wang Cuiqiao."
Shen An had only read a little of the "Three Words and Two Slaps" collection, let alone the later additions to "Three Collections of Amazing Stories." Naturally, he couldn't realize what a turbulent life the young girl in front of him would have experienced if he hadn't appeared.
"Shen An." He said his name, his voice softening. "My parents probably named me this just hoping I would be healthy and safe."
Wang Xiaocao was stunned. She felt that the simple words were too gentle. She secretly looked at Shen An's handsome profile, which was turned away. A blush rose on her cheeks. She lowered her head shyly and answered softly with "Mmm".
Such a lovely view, but Shen An, who had turned his head away, was unable to see it.