Gushui Village

Near dusk, they finally reached their destination. A village nestled among several low hills. Before it stretched endless fields of wheat, with a winding tributary of the Wei River meandering past. One glance told anyone it was a place of fine feng shui. Beneath the setting sun, golden waves of wheat surged and rolled, a pastoral picture of tranquility. "This is Gushui Village," Sha Lifei said, leading his horse ahead of the group. "There’s an ancient spring up on the hill here, which gave the village its name. The biggest landowner around is Squire Lu." "This Squire Lu is quite something. Word has it he used to be a major merchant in the imperial capital. After making a fortune, he returned home to buy up land. See that? All these fields before us belong to him." "The best part is how generous he is. Who knows how many people have their eyes on this fat prize? If it weren't for my wide connections, you lot would've had to scrap with the reapers from Longyou..." In the wheat-reaping trade, there were local Guanzhong men, but far more came from Longyou. Those folks could endure hardships, worked tirelessly, and weren't picky about their food, making them far more popular with masters—the most cutthroat competitors among reapers. "Hero Sha really has some clout!" "Didn't I say it? Sticking with Hero Sha means you'll never get the short end of the stick..." Praise broke out among the crowd, puffing Sha Lifei up with even more pride. *** Squire Lu’s estate sat at the eastern edge of the village. Just as Sha Lifei had said, it was a truly prominent household. The compound was arranged in a concentric square of brick and timber, spanning four courtyards across three tiers of depth, all enclosed by high perimeter walls. Even the blue foundation bricks outside were etched with intricate carvings. Gatehouse, decorative archway, horse-tethering posts—everything was fully appointed. Beneath the sunset, it radiated an imposing, ancient dignity. In Fort Li, the home of Li Huairen, the village's wealthiest landlord, was merely a two-courtyard compound. When had these reapers ever laid eyes on such opulence? They marvelled endlessly. "Good grief, just how rich is he..." "This trip is really opening my eyes..." Clearly, more than one crew was working for Squire Lu. Outside the main gate lay an open square, larger than a threshing ground. It looked as though it had been sprinkled with water and rolled perfectly flat with stone rollers. Poplars and willows were planted around its perimeter, lending it an imposing air. Several groups had already gathered on the grounds. Packs on their backs and sickles tucked at their waists, they squatted on the earth, chatting idly or puffing clouds of smoke from long tobacco pipes. Sha Lifei told his men not to wander off, then headed toward the front gate. Standing there was a gaunt, elderly man in neat attire, wearing a small skullcap and sporting a head of snow-white hair. A pair of black-framed spectacles sat on his nose, and several hands flanked him from behind. Sha Lifei seemed to know him. Striding up, he bent at the waist and cupped his hands in greeting, an obsequious grin spread across his face. "Steward Lu, these are my men." "Why are you a day late?" "Ran into a bit of trouble on the road." "All right. Wait for the master to address everyone, then we'll assign the work..." While the two talked, Li Yan looked around. His eyes were sharp, and with his familiarity with the tricks and ways of the jianghu, he picked up on many details at once. The crew on the right hailed from Longyou; their accents were slightly different. Their leader was clearly a Longyou bladesman of advanced years, still wearing a sheepskin vest despite the sweltering heat. Though his hair was silver, his arms bulged with ropy sinew. Judging by those hands, he had trained in Eagle Claw techniques. The hands standing behind Steward Lu seemed to lack proper posture, yet each was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, their eyes gleaming with sharp focus—patently guards kept to protect the compound. In the cant of the jianghu, they were known as "fixed retainers" in the martial trade. Men of this sort, whether working as personal bodyguards or escorting caravans, had to possess genuine skill and know every unspoken rule of the rivers and lakes; not one was an easy mark. Carrying themselves as household servants meant they were kept for life, not hired on temporary wages. This Lu family was far wealthier than any ordinary country squire... "Master Lu has arrived!" As a servant sang out the announcement, a party emerged from the grand manor. At the front walked Squire Lu himself. He was a tall, fair, plump man with a benevolent countenance. A long black beard reached down to his chest, and clothed in fine silk brocade, he cut a magnificent figure. Behind him, alongside his guards, followed two women. One wore white, her features delicate and refined; the other wore red, possessing a seductive charm, fair skin, and a beauty mark upon her chin. Their temperaments were distinct, and both were quite young—standing beside Squire Lu, they looked almost young enough to be his daughters. Yet anyone could tell they were almost certainly his concubines. Most of the men in the square were farmers who scratched a living from the dirt. Even the bladesmen who frequented brothels had never seen women this lovely, and their eyes instantly went wide. Sha Lifei swallowed hard, turned around, and hissed a warning: "Keep yourselves in line! Don't stare, and don't get any ideas! If anyone makes a fool of himself and loses us this gig, see if I don't skin him alive!" Hearing this, the reapers quickly bowed their heads. Sha Lifei at least understood propriety. Farther off, the bladesman leading another crew of reapers was staring bug-eyed, drool practically dripping from his lips, completely oblivious to his own men. Li Yan, however, found something strange about the scene. By right, to avoid impropriety, the concubines of prominent households rarely showed their faces in the front courtyards, let alone before such a large crowd of commoners. Yet Squire Lu seemed entirely unbothered—perhaps even a little smug about it. Facing the crowd, he stroked his beard and smiled gently. "Fellow villagers and kin, I have returned to my native soil to rest my roots. Though I've acquired some property, I am not one to grow rich without being humane. Summer harvest is about snatching grain from the dragon's maw. If you put your backs into the work, our Lu family will never mistreat you. Steamed white buns and mutton offal soup will be yours to eat your fill!" "On top of that, I offer two sheng of wheat for every mu reaped." "However much you can cut, that's how much I'll pay!" The reapers below widened their eyes in disbelief. In past years, reaping one mu would yield only one sheng of wheat—just over two jin. More often than not, their wages were pinched and trimmed by employers. Yet Squire Lu offered two sheng outright, along with all the steamed white buns and mutton offal soup they could eat! Offal it might be, but it was still meat! "Squire Lu is truly benevolent!" The reapers bowed and voiced their thanks one after another. "Hahaha, my thanks to you all, my thanks to you all." Squire Lu cupped his hands with a smile, then turned and led his entourage back into the manor. Steward Lu stepped forward, his expression hardening slightly. "The master is kind-hearted, but the rules must still be observed." "White buns are all-you-can-eat, but you may only eat them here, not pocket them..." "No unauthorized entry into the inner courtyards. If you have business, ask someone to report it. If anyone dares step foot across this threshold on his own, do not blame me for being ruthless..." "Anyone who slacks off or secretly hoards grain will be handed straight to the authorities..." "Work begins each day at the hour of the Tiger. You rest only after the threshed grain is locked in the granary..." The steward was thoroughly competent, laying everything out in immaculate order. The reapers nodded eagerly in agreement. Strict though the rules were, the pay was remarkably high. In years past, they had never enjoyed such good fortune... After the arrangements were made, the reapers were led to the edge of the village. Makeshift sheds had been erected there in advance. This was where they would stay for the foreseeable future. Working under the moon and stars, their days would consist of nothing but labor, eating, and sleeping, without a single moment of leisure. It was grueling, but summer harvest was always like this; otherwise, how could anyone earn money? Beside the sheds, more than a dozen cauldrons had already been set up over roaring fires. Milky mutton-bone broth bubbled vigorously, chopped offal tumbling up and down in the boiling liquid. Above them, tiered wooden steamers sent fragrant plumes of wheaten aroma drifting through the air. The reapers had journeyed from every direction for days on end, subsisting on cold water and coarse-grain cakes. Catching that scent, their mouths watered uncontrollably. Jostling to line up, they squatted on the ground, cradling deep sea bowls and digging in ravenously. A hand sent by Steward Lu chuckled. "Eat your fill, folks, but mind one thing: don't ruin your bellies and end up unable to work tomorrow." An elderly reaper laughed. "Don't you worry, brother. We may be dirt-scratchers, but we know the difference between one full belly and a full belly every day!" "Hahaha..." The men eating around them erupted into hearty laughter. Their spirits were high; finding an employer like this was truly beyond anything they could have hoped for. Even Li Yan was no exception. He had been to temple fairs in Lantian County, but the mutton offal soup there was made for the destitute, prepared without the slightest care. Sometimes sheep fleece and flies floated in the greasy scum—something he could never stomach. The Lu family cooks, on the other hand, kept things clean, and the soup came topped with sizzling chili oil, scallions, and coriander. Paired with hot white steamed buns, it was pure bliss! A lad possessed a hearty appetite to begin with, and with his martial training building his vigor, Li Yan downed five large steamed buns and four bowls of mutton offal soup in a row before wiping his mouth, setting down his bowl, and walking over to Sha Lifei. After what had happened earlier on the road, everyone had marched in silence, leaving no chance to talk. Now that they had settled in, it was a good time to ask about their itinerary. Sha Lifei was boasting with several other bladesmen. Seeing Li Yan approach, he seemed to guess what the boy wanted to ask, but immediately steered the conversation away with a grinning, frivolous look. "Brothers of the road, allow me to make an introduction. This is Li Yan. His father is quite renowned—you're bound to know him: the Sick Tiger of Guanzhong!" Hearing this, Li Yan's temper flared with annoyance. He had not ventured out this time to make a name in the jianghu. Even if he wanted to ring his own name out loud, he would never trade on his father's reputation, nor did he need Sha Lifei running his mouth. Still, things having come to this, he could only offer a polite smile and cup his hands. "Greetings, seniors." The old Longyou bladesman in the sheepskin vest, crouching on the ground puffing on his pipe, nodded and said in a raspy voice, "I've heard Tiger Li's name as well. A righteous man. What a pity... ah." Others chimed in, "The lad looks exceptional at a glance. In the future, he's sure to be a figure of great renown along the roads of Guanzhong." The jianghu was always like this; pleasant words cost nothing to give. So long as no conflicting interests were involved, most men indulged in mutual flattery. Farther off, however, a young man crouching on the ground scoffed with a sneer. "Tch. Li Hu's whelp, out wandering the jianghu this young? His down hasn't even grown in yet, has it?" "The wind and waves run high out on the rivers and lakes, boy. Don't go throwing your back out..."