Linxia

Chapter 93, Letter

Xiaohe Village.

At this time, it was mid-afternoon, and under the scorching sun, a large river outside the village flowed quietly, sparkling with light.

At the entrance of the village, a rooster flapped its wings and flew up to the pile of firewood, cackling from above; two old men were playing chess under an old locust tree, with two or three people watching nearby; not far away, a group of children were looking for fallen leaves and playing the game of pulling out leaf stalks.

At this time, a donkey cart drove up, with Qiao Cunzheng and others sitting on it. They were returning from the market in Haining County.

"Uncle Qiao, did you bring any letter back today?"

"Yes, is there a letter from Brother Fang? I would love to hear it."

"Last time we talked about bad neighbors and good teachers..."

……

Several half-grown children gathered around and asked questions.

As mentioned before, Xiaohecun has no privacy. Qiaocun was reading a family's letter, and everyone gathered around to listen.

The reason why these children specifically asked about Fang Lin's letters was naturally because his letters were interesting, more interesting than other people's letters. When Qiao Cunzheng read them, it was like listening to a story.

Every time they listened to the letter, the world of the distant city seemed to open up a corner for them, and they could imagine the scene: the rivers were hung with flags of various colors, and ships were coming and going; near the dock, there were hot oil and meat sauce, and noodles were sizzling when splashed on them; there was an urn hall where many people could take a bath together; under the osmanthus tree, lying on a rattan chair and waving a cattail leaf fan, a scholar who was well-versed in ancient and modern times...

In this era with little entertainment, every time Qiao Cunzheng read the letters sent by Fang Lin in public, it was as if a window was opened for them, through which they could see a colorful world that was completely different from Xiaohe Village.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the anticipation of these children.

"Yes, yes, there is a letter from the Fang family." Qiao Cunzheng got off the donkey cart, touched the head of a child in the front, smiled and nodded.

"Wow, come here and listen to Muramasa read the letter!"

"There's a letter from the Fang family, Erya sister, come and listen!"

"Let's go to Qiao's house quickly and grab a good seat in the front!"

……

Upon hearing this, the half-grown children cheered, called their friends, and ran towards Qiao Cunzheng's yard, as excited as if it were New Year's Day.

When the adults in the village heard about it, men, women, young and old, as long as they had no urgent things to do, went out to join in the fun.

There is not much entertainment in Xiaohe Village, so such a lively scene cannot be missed, especially listening to the letter from the Fang family today - although the adults are not as enthusiastic as the children, they are also interested in the letters written by the other party. It is so interesting, just like a free storytelling, you are lucky to listen to it.

"Mrs. Bai, are you going too? I heard there was a letter from the Fang family today."

"Yes, there might be a letter from my precious son!"

"I still think the letters from the old Fang family are the most interesting. The letters are well written. When Qiao Cunzheng reads them, it's like listening to a storyteller. It's free. I'll take my kids to listen and get some literary inspiration."

……

It was the slack season for farming, and almost all the villagers, young and old, men, women, and children, had come, and soon the Qiao family's yard was packed.

"Qiao Cunzheng, read the letter from the old Fang family first!"

"Yes, let's read the letter from the old Fang family first. Last time, Linzi mentioned that bad neighbor. I don't know what will happen next. I have been thinking about him these days."

"Yes! Yes! Let's read Brother Fang's letter first!" The group of children in front started to make a noise like a group of little ducks.

……

For a time, many people asked to read the letter from the Fang family first, especially the children who were the most active. Instead, the recipients of the letter, Grandpa Fang, Grandma Fang, the first wife, the second wife, and the fourth wife of the Fang family, had their opinions directly represented.

Fang Lin himself didn't know that the letter he wrote had gained such popularity in the village.

"Okay, then read the letter from the old Fang family first."

Qiao Cunzheng followed suit, found the letter from the Fang family, opened it, and started reading without keeping everyone in suspense.

The moment he opened his mouth, the huge yard that was crowded with people suddenly became extremely quiet, and you could hear a pin drop. Especially the group of children in front, they all looked at him with their mouths tightly closed, their eyes shining.

The beginning of the letter, as usual, is greetings and concern for everyone in the Fang family, without any omissions, and always different each time. Then comes the most popular and interesting life in the capital, including the scenery of the capital and what one has seen and heard in the capital.

Today's part is particularly exciting: go to a teahouse to watch a play, get free sugar cakes and dried fruits, watch "The Legend of Loyalty" where the woodcutter beats "Qin Hui"; Yang Juren holds a banquet and invites Sun Erniang, preparing 300 sheep, 500 ducks, and 800 fish, only taking a little of each, and the rest are used for a buffet; it snows in the city, and the porters at the dock have free ginger soup; it's cold, and the bookstore owner gives out cotton-padded jackets for free; Fang Lin saves the elementary school students, and Fang's father becomes the dock manager; the bad neighbor does not listen to Mr. Ou's advice, insists on gambling, and his wife and children are separated...

Recently, Fang Lin has been practicing his writing skills to pave the way for writing "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in the future, so he wrote about these things, telling them in a leisurely manner. The warmth and affection can be seen in the small things of life, which is very touching.

Qiao Cunzheng was also a wonderful person. When he read the letter, his voice was sometimes high, sometimes low, with ups and downs, as if he was putting himself into the story.

After he finished reading, the huge yard remained quiet. There was no sound for a while. Everyone seemed to be savoring the poem. It was a long time before they spoke.

"That's great. In the capital city, you can go to watch a play whenever you want. But it's not the case in our village. The last time a troupe came was the year before last, right?"

"I like the buffet the most, with lamb, duck, fish, and so many meat dishes, all for free. If I were there, wouldn't I be delighted?" The man said, swallowing his saliva.

"Wang Laosan, look at your achievements, you only know how to eat and eat. Didn't you hear in the letter that Fang Laosan is now a big shot, the manager of the dock, I wonder how many people he can manage!"

……

The villagers talked about these things, and in the end, they all turned into envy for the old Fang family. If a small manager at the dock is far from a big deal in the capital, but in Xiaohe Village, it is a dimensionality reduction attack, which can be called a prosperous one.

The news brought back in the letter could be considered a glorious return home. Since Fang's father was not around, other members of the old Fang family enjoyed the honor on his behalf.

Grandpa Fang and Grandma Fang felt very proud. Many people surrounded them and said nice things and flattered them, which made their faces blush and they couldn't stop smiling. They kept saying that the third family was very capable.

It can be said that under Fang Lin's continuous letter offensive, the situation in which the first and fourth wives were valued and favored, and the second and third wives were at the bottom, has gradually begun to reverse, and the third wife is almost ranked first in the hearts of the two elders.

——This is not surprising. Fang Lin's family lives far away, and they have a filter in themselves. They are not around, so there are no bumps and frictions. Instead, they write frequently, saying only nice things and winning face for the second eldest brother in front of the villagers. How can people not like them?
I can only say that, in many cases, what we do with our hands is not as good as what we do with our mouths.

If you are not from the same family, you will not enter the same door. How can there be a stupid person among the four branches of the Fang family? In this regard, the first and fourth branches are so favored that they are fearless and don’t care much.

As for the second room, she felt quite jealous: Well, our two rooms were in great distress before, but now your third room has turned things around?

For example, at this moment, Fang Lin's second mother, Fang Liu, saw through this after her husband's reminder. She had a smile on her face, but secretly pouted in her heart: "The third room's Linzi is really a cunning chicken. He only knows how to be filial and please his parents, but he didn't bring any good things from the city or anything practical. He just wrote one letter after another. What can they do? Can they wipe his ass?"

Of course, these are just sour words. Mr. Fang and Mrs. Fang would never use the letter to wipe their butts. They keep it carefully and treat it as a treasure!
Although she complained in her heart, when others looked at her, Fang Liu smiled again and kept praising Fang Lin's family.

——No matter what she thought in her heart, she had to praise it. Otherwise, how could she prove that the Fang family was harmonious?

No matter what conflicts there are within the family, the Fang family will be united to the outside world. If they manage the Fang family's golden signboard well, each branch will benefit from it.

"Okay, everyone be quiet. The next letter is from Fu Hong from the Fu family." Qiao Cunzheng clapped his hands and said.

After hearing this, the villagers quieted down. Although their expectations for Fu Hong's letter were slightly lower, it was still a lively event that should not be missed.

The most conspicuous person was Fu Lao Niang. At this moment, she held her head high and looked around like an old general on the stage, thinking that it was finally her turn to be in the limelight.

But then, a bucket of cold water was poured on Qiaocun’s head. Qiaocun was reading a letter, which said: Fu Hong worked in a pawn shop and was owed wages, so he stole things from the shop. He was fired by the shopkeeper and asked for compensation. Now he works in a factory...

When Mrs. Fu listened, her face turned purple. It could be said that just as she had boasted about her son in the past, she was now as embarrassed as before.

Some families who had bad relations with the Fu family looked over and talked openly.

"Mrs. Fu always boasts that her son found a job as a pawnshop assistant and became a city dweller, and that he has such a promising future. But now... Tsk tsk!"

"I knew that a dog will always eat shit. Fu Hong used to steal chickens and dogs in the village. How could he learn to be good in the capital? Now I see that it is true!"

"So, Fu Hong has only worked for a month and he was fired. He also has to pay compensation. It's like he worked for nothing. Now, let's see how Fu Hong will act in the future."

……

These voices were quite loud, or rather, they were originally meant for Old Lady Fu to hear - Old Lady Fu used to brag about it, and all she said was 'my son Fu Hong works in a pawnshop in the city...', which made them suffer so much. Now, they were finally getting their revenge.

After listening to this, Mrs. Fu felt extremely embarrassed. She could only hum to save face, took the letter, and went back in shame.

At this time, Old Lady Bai stretched her neck and asked, "Qiao Cunzheng, is there a letter from my precious son?"

Song family, Song Guangcheng didn't say anything, but he also looked over - at the beginning, Song Kai insisted on taking a shortcut and encountered robbers, and some villagers were arrested. The impact of this incident has not subsided until now. He can only sever ties with Song Kai on the surface, but in his heart, he naturally still has concern and expectations for his son.

"Bai Bao doesn't have it, and Song Kai doesn't have it either, but there is a letter from the government office in the prefecture, and I don't know what it is."

As Qiao Cunzheng was talking, he opened the book and took a look. His face changed immediately after seeing it. He did not hide anything and said, "Song Kai stabbed Bai Bao to death because Bai Bao took him to gamble and owed debts. This caused Song Kai's wife to commit suicide and his daughter was also abducted..."

"what?"

When the villagers heard the news, they were all stunned and couldn't believe it. In comparison, Fu Hong being fired for stealing was nothing.

It can be said that Song Kai and Bai Bao, on their own, overshadowed Fu Hong and even Fang Lin's performance and won today's 'Best of the Match' award.

"Murder? Hiss! The Song family kid is really brave!"

"Bai Bao, this is really a Changxing City. He gambles by himself and drags others to join him. He is not a good person either."

"Song Kai was dragged into gambling, owed money, his wife died, his daughter was kidnapped, and now he is going to be beheaded...Bai Bao was stabbed to death...It's hard to say who is worse off between these two."

……

The impact of this incident was too great. In the village, lazy people who usually do nothing but eat and do nothing would be criticized. Now, gambling and murder sounded to them like the ten unforgivable crimes in the legend.

Naturally, the two families involved had the biggest reaction to this.

"My treasure!"

Old Mrs. Bai cried out in grief and nearly fainted. She was supported by Old Mrs. Bai’s wife. But when she regained her composure, she rushed over again with a ferocious look on her face: “Song family, I will fight you to the death. You must pay for my precious son’s life!”

"I'll pay with my life!" Mrs. Song Liu pushed Old Lady Bai away. She was also extremely angry and her mind was almost broken. "If it wasn't for your Bai Bao who dragged our Song Kai to gamble, would we be in this situation now? Well, my daughter-in-law is gone, my granddaughter is gone, who should I ask to pay with my life? Now my son is going to be beheaded... woo woo!"

Not only the women, but even the men from both families had gloomy faces, quarreled and cursed, saying all kinds of unpleasant words, rolled up their sleeves, and started fighting.

"Pull them apart! Pull them all apart!"

Qiao Cunzheng was still able to control the situation. He called for people to separate the Song and Bai families, and tried to persuade them to go back and calm down.

……

(End of this chapter)