Changhu and Xiangping

"Because he is ruthless enough." Before the sound of Li Tongya's voice had even faded, Li Changhu felt a chill creep up his spine. His pupils dilated abruptly, and the hair on his body stood on end. He stared at his younger brother's smiling face, a shudder running through his heart. "Hahahahaha..." Nudging Li Changhu's shoulder, Li Tongya tossed the wooden slip in his hand lightly into the air, looking at him with a soft chuckle. "You silly boy." Li Changhu let out a long breath, taking it merely as a joke from Li Tongya. Waving his hand gently, he said, "I'm off to prepare for Xiangping's wedding." With that, Li Changhu straightened his clothes, stepped out the door, and headed toward the Tian household. Li Tongya, however, put away his smile. Sitting quietly by the wooden table, he spoke: "Father." Li Mutian had already appeared silently upon the stone steps. His expression was stern, lost in thought. Hearing Tongya speak, he turned his head to look at him. Last night, while sitting before the door gazing at the moon, Li Mutian had seen Li Xiangping dash toward the back mountain in a fierce hurry. Unable to set his mind at ease, he had quietly followed the boy up the mountain. Who would have thought that Li Tongya had also been worried about his brother and trailed behind in secret? When father and son ran into each other, an awkward silence had fallen between them. With unspoken understanding, they watched Li Xiangping kill the man, then witnessed the wild beasts devour the corpse clean, before Li Mutian finally came down the mountain. "Xiangping also did it for the family's safety. There is no need for Father to be angry..." Li Tongya consoled. "What the devil would I be angry about!" Oppressed in spirit, Li Mutian no longer cared for polite speech. Squinting, he said, "The lad killed that good-for-nothing, and he killed him well! If he had merely frightened him, I would have leapt down and hacked that trash to pieces myself! Well killed, well killed! Why should I be angry? Don't you try to cover for Li Changhu!" Li Tongya let out a heavy sigh and said somberly, "Eldest Brother is generous and kind-hearted. The villagers and tenants all revere him. He is capable of preserving the family estate." "Bullshit!" Li Mutian slammed his hand on the tabletop, his face darkening with anger. "Who they revere is me, Li Mutian! They flock around your elder brother only because Li Changhu sets the rent low! These people have always feared might, never cherishing virtue. Look at how he acts—if I were to die today, tomorrow Li Yesheng would dare roll right up to our door to make a scene! Would Li Changhu dare kill him?" Seeing Li Tongya bow his head in silence, Li Mutian softened his tone considerably, whispering, "In the past, I wasn't afraid. With you two brothers around, Li Changhu being generous was for the best—balancing grace with severity, the future looked bright. But things are different now. Our Li family harbors a treasure beyond our station, walking on thin ice! If the head of the house is not ruthless enough, ruin will come easily!" "Furthermore..." Li Mutian caught his breath, his eyes clouded with restless anxiety. "These past few days, a sinking dread has weighed constantly on my heart. I fear a mortal calamity is upon us." *** Li Changhu went to the Tian family, settled the various matters of the betrothal, and then sat blankly by the fields, his expression complicated. He had taken a stroll through the village, and Li Yesheng was the only one he had not seen. Recalling his younger brother's low bark from last night and Li Tongya's insinuation, Li Changhu knew that Li Yesheng had most likely been killed by Xiangping. Li Changhu felt a pang of heartache. When they were young, Yesheng and Tongya had been two tiny tots, always obediently following behind him to the river to catch fish. He vaguely remembered Sheng'er clutching a large black carp, grinning and calling out, "Eldest Brother, Eldest Brother, look at me!" Though Tongya was thoroughly envious, he would always turn his head away and pout, refusing to look. When the three of them grew tired of playing, they would stand by the riverbank to pee, competing over who could pee higher and who could pee farther. Only later, after their aunt died and their second uncle lay bedridden with illness, Yesheng's temperament changed drastically in just a few short months. He was no longer the boy he once was. "His crimes did not warrant death!" Tears glistened at the corners of Li Changhu's eyes. He had always felt that he could persuade him again, guide him back to the right path, so that he could protect his younger brother Yesheng well and live a good life. "Changhu!" A shout roused Li Changhu from his thoughts. He quickly lowered his head, wiped the corners of his eyes, and looked toward the voice. It was an old, white-haired farmer with an honest, simple face and sun-darkened skin, dressed in homespun cloth with baggy trouser legs. "Uncle Xu." Li Changhu stood up, dusting off his trouser legs, and asked with concern, "How is it? Is there enough grain at home to eat?" "Enough, plenty!" At the sight of Li Changhu, tears welled in the old farmer's eyes. Though aged, he was still in decent health, but his only elder son had fallen bedridden with illness, unable even to finish planting their fields. Li Changhu had reduced his rent and sent over grain, allowing them to barely scrape by. Old Man Xu had watched Li Changhu grow up and naturally regarded him like his own kin; having gone through this, his heart was filled with boundless gratitude. "Please don't stand on ceremony!" Li Changhu swiftly recovered from his melancholy and said seriously, "My father instructed me a few days ago to look after your fields, Uncle Xu. That's why I came over." Old Man Xu was worldly-wise. How could he not know Li Changhu was winning goodwill on Li Mutian's behalf? Smiling faintly, he cupped his hands to Li Changhu and said, "Please thank the patriarch for me! My family will remember this kindness." "Ah, don't speak of kindness. It's only what should be done!" Li Changhu waved his hands. While the two were talking in the fields, Li Xiangping carried a cloth bundle to the edge of the reed marsh, silently watching Li Yesheng, who sat by the shore. Li Yesheng was counting on his fingers, muttering to himself, "The day before yesterday I went to Third Uncle's, the day before that to Eldest Uncle's. Fourth Uncle kicked me out yesterday, so today I can only boil some wild greens and catch a few river shrimps for broth." He looked at the undulating reed marsh before him—the place that had given him life and raised him. If not for this generous reed marsh, he, Li Yesheng, would have died in some forgotten ditch long ago. "And Eldest Uncle's household," he thought quietly, only to spot a figure emerging from the reeds. "Brother Xiangping!" Li Yesheng stood up in pleasant surprise. Ever since the main branch had built the high-walled courtyard, Li Xiangping rarely walked outside. He was said to study in the courtyard all day, and Li Yesheng could only catch a glimpse of him when going to the main courtyard for meals. "Come, come." Li Xiangping smiled, pulled out a white steamed bun from the cloth bag, and handed it to him. Li Yesheng took it eagerly, taking ravenous bites, mumbling with his mouth full, "Brother treats me the best!" "Hahahaha." Li Xiangping was closest to Li Yesheng among the peers. When they were little, he would sneak food from home to give him. With Li Mutian turning a blind eye, Li Xiangping had brought him quite a lot over the years. "Here." Li Xiangping's expression grew somewhat complicated. Thrusting the cloth bundle into Li Yesheng's hands, he said, "These are the primers from when I began my studies. You can read them more often while grazing the ducks." "Thank you, Brother!" Moved to tears, Li Yesheng cupped river water to wash his hands before carefully tucking the bundle away. "In a few days, I'll go beg Father to speak with the teacher. When you have free time, go over there to read more. If you run into anything you don't understand, you can always ask us." "How could I impose like that!" Overwhelmed by both shock and joy, Li Yesheng demurred repeatedly. Torn between anxiety and anticipation, he waved his hands over and over. "I hear one must pay tuition to study. My elder brother won't give me any money." Li Xiangping studied him for a moment and said calmly, "There's no need for that between us. When I go ask Father, that will take care of it for you." "This..." Li Yesheng wanted to say more, but looking at Li Xiangping's calm, indifferent expression, an unbidden feeling of awe rose in his heart. He thought to himself: 'Brother Xiangping looks so much like Eldest Uncle!' Unaware of what was going through Li Yesheng's mind, Li Xiangping patted his shoulder, exhorted him about his studies, and headed back home.