Chapter 50 – No one remembers me

The next morning, Zhou Yuan went to the village well to fetch water and saw Niu Niu playing nearby. He called out to him.

Niu Niu greatly admired Zhou Yuan. When he saw Zhou Yuan, he left his friends and ran over to him. “Big Brother.”

Zhou Yuan patted his head. “When you go home later, invite your big brother and Aning to my house. Tell them I want to talk to them about something.”

Niu Niu nodded and ran off.

When Zhou Yuan returned from fetching water, Chen Qing had already prepared breakfast:

It was corn porridge, a pile of pickles, and a few steamed corn buns. Chen Qing couldn’t change his thrifty nature. Now that he didn’t have to work in the fields, there was no reason to eat well.

While they were eating, Chen Qing said, “I want to clear a plot of land in front of the cowshed to grow some vegetables. The soil there must be very fertile, and the vegetables should grow well.”

“Alright, I’ll help you dig it this afternoon.” Zhou Yuan ate very quickly. Before Chen Qing had finished one steamed bun, Zhou Yuan had eaten three and finished a bowl of porridge.

Chen Qing: …

After dinner, Zhou Yuan washed the dishes while Chen Qing combed his hair inside the house. Ever since he got married, he had kept his hair tied back. He had several hair ties that he used in rotation, but his favorite was still the moon-white one that Zhou Yuan had given him the first time they met.

When he finished, Li Xin and Qi Shuning arrived.

“Niu Niu said you were looking for me. Is something wrong?” Li Xin sat on a chair in the yard while Qi Shuning greeted Chen Qing and Zhou Yuan first.

“A couple of days ago, my mother said my godmother wasn’t doing well.” Zhou Yuan told them what Aunt Sun had said that day. Li Xin looked more confused than ever.

“Then what should I do?” He stood up, feeling anxious, and paced around the yard.

Qi Shuning stood beside him and held his shoulder. “Xinxin, don’t worry. Let’s hear what your big brother has to say.”

Zhou Yuan asked, “What did the doctor in the prefecture say when you went there before?

Li Xin shook his head. “Nothing useful. Just the same old things—that Mother is weak and frail and should drink more ginseng soup and donkey-hide gelatin. Father bought a lot of it.”

Since Li Xin’s marriage, Zhang Yin’s health seemed to have improved significantly. Li Xin thought it was because his marriage had lifted her spirits. Since his father had often taken her to see the doctor before, and the doctor hadn’t mentioned anything serious, they assumed she had truly gotten better.

Zhou Yuan recalled the doctor he had met earlier in Yunxi Town who seemed knowledgeable and reliable.

“On the way back earlier, I passed through Yunxi Town and met a doctor. I told him about my godmother’s condition. The doctor said he doesn’t see patients casually and that medicine shouldn’t be used recklessly.

“So I was thinking, maybe there’s a chance she could be cured if I bring her to see him,” Zhou Yuan said.

Li Xin paused, considering Zhou Yuan’s idea. “But Yunxi Town is so far away. I’m afraid Mother’s condition might worsen on the way.”

Li Xin sat down again. “Also, would Mother even be willing to go with me?”

“That’s up to you,” Zhou Yuan replied. “If you can persuade her, then let’s go to Xixin Mansion.

Li Xin came in a hurry and left anxiously.

Chen Qing walked over to Zhou Yuan and held his arm. “Do you think going to Xixin Mansion could cure Aunt Yin?”

Zhou Yuan patted Chen Qing on the head. “I’m not sure, but Doctor Yu seems very reliable.”

Chen Qing sighed.

“If Godmother decides to go, you have to come with us. Yunxi Town is very interesting.”

There are many types of fresh food there that we’ve never seen before. The local customs and habits were also different from those in Luohe Village. He wanted to take Chen Qing on a trip, and Yunxi Town could be their first stop.

It was a hot afternoon. Chen Qing was lying on the bed while Zhou Yuan fanned him with a round fan.

Feeling drowsy, Chen Qing said, “Wait until the sun sets, then we’ll plow the land.”

Zhou Yuan agreed.

After a while, Chen Qing fell fast asleep.

When he woke up, it was drizzling. The drizzle wasn’t cold but stuffy. The air felt like the steam from a steamer drying food, making it hard to breathe.

Still, plowing would be easier with a light drizzle.

Zhou Yuan wasn’t particularly skilled at farming, and soon, the blisters on his palms were rubbed raw from using the hoe.

Chen Qing was picking wild vegetables nearby. Purslane weed was growing very well at the moment, sprawling across large patches of ground. He picked them all and piled them to the side, planning to cook them for dinner later.

When he heard Zhou Yuan hiss in pain, Chen Qing quickly took the hoe from his hands and saw the blisters on his palms. He glanced at Zhou Yuan, worked the land for a bit himself, then pulled Zhou Yuan back into the house.

Zhou Yuan looked at the blisters curiously. He had always thought he was a strong man who could handle any kind of work. However, he hadn’t expected that turning the soil would cause blisters.

He couldn’t help but recall last year when he helped Aunt Sun plow the land; even the oxen had turned to look at him.

By now, it was getting dark. Chen Qing lit the lamp and took out his sewing kit. After heating the needle over the flame, he pricked all the blisters on Zhou Yuan’s hands. Then, he applied medicinal powder and carefully wrapped the hands in cloth.

Looking at his tightly wrapped hands, Zhou Yuan grinned. “Now I can’t do any work…”

Chen Qing shot him a look. “There’s no work you can do at home anyway. It’s better for you to rent out the land. You don’t know how to farm, and I’d be exhausted doing it alone.”

“How did you learn to farm?” Zhou Yuan knew that farming wasn’t common in his hometown.

Chen Qing said, “At first, I was the same as you. I would get blisters from working, and my mother would apply medicine to them.” Back then, however, Chen Qing was very afraid—afraid that if he couldn’t work, Aunt Sun would kick him out. So, he never said anything when he got blisters and insisted on working. Eventually, his hands became infected, but Aunt Sun didn’t notice.

Work in the fields didn’t stop just because someone was injured. Chen Qing’s hands healed and blistered again and again. After two months, his hands stopped blistering, and he had learned how to plow and plant.

“In that case, I’ll learn more. I can get the hang of it later,” he said. Zhou Yuan smiled, ruffling Chen Qing’s neatly combed hair and removing his headband. Today, he was wearing an old, dark one.

“Why aren’t you wearing the one I bought you?” Zhou Yuan asked.

“You need to work around the house, so don’t get it dirty.” Chen Qing took the headband back and fixed his hair. “What do you want for dinner?”

Zhou Yuan thought for a moment. “Let’s make noodles.”

It was too hot, and his appetite was lacking, so Chen Qing rinsed the cooked noodles with cooled boiled water. He boiled the purslane he’d picked while plowing earlier, added some seasoning, and mixed everything together.

The noodles were chewy, and the purslane had a slight tang¹it refers to a sharp, slightly sour or acidic flavor that’s lively on the tongue., making the dish quite appetizing. Zhou Yuan unknowingly finished a big bowl.

Any cook loves to see the food they make eaten completely. Every time Zhou Yuan ate, he cleared his bowl. Chen Qing didn’t say it aloud, but he was happy inside.

After eating, they took the cow out to graze as usual. As they passed some villagers who were out for a walk, Chen Qing stayed slightly behind Zhou Yuan.

“Hey, Zhou Yuan, did you injure your hand?” An uncle asked when he saw Zhou Yuan’s wrapped hands.

Zhou Yuan couldn’t hide his smile. “Oh, it’s just a minor injury, but my husband was worried and insisted on bandaging it.”

The uncle chuckled. “You two have a good relationship.”

Zhou Yuan wrapped an arm around Chen Qing’s waist. “That’s right.”

The villagers couldn’t tolerate the lovey-dovey behavior, so they quickly found an excuse to leave. Chen Qing, unable to take it anymore, pinched Zhou Yuan’s waist. “Why didn’t you tell Uncle that you hurt your hand because you don’t know how to work?”

Zhou Yuan just smiled and took Chen Qing’s hand, walking forward. “How could I say that?”

Chen Qing snorted, handed him the rope, and walked ahead.

They waited at home for two days for news from Li Xin, but he didn’t come. That morning, the village started beating gongs and drums. Chen Qing came out of the house and asked Zhou Yuan what was going on.

Zhou Yuan then remembered—it must be someone coming to announce good news. News of Qi Shuning’s college exam results quickly spread through the village.

When the yamen runners arrived, the Li family was prepared and had generously paid them. The yamen officials were all smiles and offered many auspicious words. They said that with the scholar title, the Li family would be exempt from taxes and that Qi Shuning was young and promising and would surely become a top scholar in the future.

Village Chief Jiang was there, of course, saying that it was a joyful event for the village to have a scholar and that a banquet should be held to celebrate. The blacksmith Li had the same idea, and since his new house was about to have its beams and tiles installed, they decided to hold the banquet together.

They set it for the tenth day of the fifth month and invited all the villagers to enjoy the celebration, except for the village chief’s family.

On the tenth day of the fifth month, Zhang Yin was in high spirits. Though the blacksmith disapproved, she chatted with villagers at the banquet. Li Xin and Chen Qing stayed by her side. They didn’t have to be busy today because the blacksmith had invited a professional banquet chef.

Zhou Yuan stayed with Qi Shuning and the blacksmith throughout the lively feast.

Nearby, Aunt Sun looked at the spirited Zhang Yin and felt even more uneasy.

The Li family’s celebration lasted into the night. After bathing and changing into pajamas, Zhang Yin sat on the bed.

The blacksmith had also finished bathing and was gently holding her. “Rest early. You’re tired today.”

Zhang Yin didn’t want to sleep. Smiling, she said, “Old Li.”

The blacksmith was already a bit muddled—he had drunk too much that day—but no matter how tired he was, he had to respond. “Hm?”

“Now everyone calls you Blacksmith Li. Who still remembers your real name?” Zhang Yin asked.

He opened his eyes. “What’s my name again?” He had almost forgotten it himself.

“Li Feng—abundant like flowing water.” Zhang Yin smiled. “I still remember the first time I saw you. You stared at me with wide eyes.”

He hugged her, feeling a little embarrassed. “Talking about that now, we’re already an old couple.”

She leaned on his shoulder. “Everything is going well right now. Xinxin and the others are doing well. Niu Niu can learn from Shuning. Ayuan can stand on his own. And Aqing has the bearing of an eldest brother-in-law.”

His eyes cleared. “Why are you saying this?”

Zhang Yin shook her head. “I just feel so happy today.”

“May your days always be this happy,” he said. “Yinyin, go to sleep.”

He remembered the doctor’s warning that Zhang Yin shouldn’t stay up late.

“All right, let’s sleep.” She rested her head on his arm. “A Feng must also be well. Thank you for always reminding me that my name is Zhang Yin, not Madam Li.”

Having drunk too much, the blacksmith instinctively felt that something was wrong with her words. He sobered up instantly and sat up. “Why are you saying this?”

Cold sweat broke out on his back. He thought of the saying about a dying person’s final burst of energy. Zhang Yin had been so lively today—could this be…?

He gently touched her face. “Why don’t we go with Zhou Yuan and the others to Yunxi Town to see the doctor?”

Zhang Yin shook her head. “I don’t want to. It’s too far. What if I die on the way?”

He hugged her tightly. “Only for my own sake? Besides you, who else in this world knows my name is Li Feng?”

“What if something really happens to you? What will I do?”

She felt the large damp patch on her pajamas. Would a man as strong as him cry like this?

Even if she died, their child would still have someone to love them. But what about her husband?

She had always thought that she just needed to hold on until Li Xin got married. After that, she thought she should wait until Zhou Yuan was married. Then, once Zhou Yuan was married, Xinxin’s house was renovated, and Shuning passed the exam, she could finally rest.

But seeing her husband cry like this made her realize that she had considered so many people but not him.

He was a father and had to be strong, but who would feel sorry for him? Everyone knew him as Blacksmith Li, but after she was gone, would anyone still remember his real name, Li Feng?

She took a deep breath and held his head. “Promise me that no matter what happens on this trip, you will stay healthy and take good care of Xinxin and Niu Niu, especially Niu Niu.”

She knew he resented Niu Niu—after all, giving birth to him had made her weak.

“Alright.” He nodded. “As you wish.”

“Also, you don’t have to come. Let Xinxin and Shuning accompany me. Ayuan and Aqing should come, too. You can stay home and look after Niu Niu.”

“How could I not go?” He grew anxious. “You—”

“How many orders are left in your shop? You’ve been too lazy lately.” She looked at him seriously. “Besides, medical treatment costs money. We’ll be staying in Yunxi Town for a while. If you go too, who will earn money?”

Reluctantly, he agreed. “All right, fine.”

Then, the two of them rested.

The blacksmith slept deeply, and many scenes flitted past in a haze. Perhaps it was because Zhang Yin had spoken of the past before falling asleep—he dreamed of when he had just started learning to forge. At that time, Zhang Yin was still a maiden in the workshop. She looked at him and smiled. “Hello.”

He scratched his head, tongue-tied and unsure what to say.

Before he could respond, she asked, “Don’t you want to talk to me? Then I’ll leave.”

He hurriedly said no, but Zhang Yin was walking too fast and he couldn’t catch up.

In the darkness, he opened his eyes, reached out to hold her, and touched her warm cheek. He heard her short breaths. He let out a sigh of relief.

• 1
  it refers to a sharp, slightly sour or acidic flavor that’s lively on the tongue.