Chapter 3

Wang Rouhua was far from as carefree as Tie Xin yuan. She was now holding a club and facing off against a snow-white fox. The fox was very beautiful, with a coat of silver-white fur that spread out even when it was in the water. Its four paws splashed in the water, and its black nose was raised high, making sounds like a child crying. On a normal day, Wang Rouhua would be very happy to catch this fox and trade its fur for some copper coins to buy a pair of shoes she had her eye on, but she had no money. Her seventh brother would never spend a single copper coin on such things. Today was different. The fox bared its teeth and tried to approach the bathtub again and again. Wang Rouhua did not think anyone or any animal other than herself and her son had the right to jump into the bathtub. Even in the water, the fox still held its head high, its strange pale blue eyes fixed on Wang Rouhua. It tried to approach the bathtub from the front again and again, only to be driven away by Wang Rouhua's club each time. In the end, Wang Rouhua was the victor. The fox's nose was hit by the club, and it let out a mournful cry as it was carried away by the current, but it kept looking back at the bathtub, as if trying to remember Wang Rouhua's appearance. Thinking of the legends about foxes in the countryside, Wang Rouhua covered her face with her sleeve and loudly scared the fox as it drifted away. In her haste, she did not notice that a small head seemed to be peeking out from under her son's arm, looking at her sadly. Tie Xin yuan was extremely frustrated. His mother was so preoccupied with fighting the big fox that she did not notice what was happening behind her. After the big fox drew her attention, a small, wet fox cub took the opportunity to climb up the other end of the bathtub, but it used up all its strength just to do so. After falling in, it gave Tie Xin yuan a cold look and then, without hesitation, burrowed into the swaddling clothes, finding a very comfortable spot under Tie Xin yuan's ribs and preparing to sleep. Tie Xin yuan could feel the cub's weakness. Although its wet fur made him uncomfortable, he still accepted its presence, feeling a strange connection to it. He could confide in it about things he could not say to others. The cub smelled the scent of Wang Rouhua's milk and stubbornly tried to reach out to lick it, which made Tie Xin yuan very unhappy. Using his weak hands, he pushed the cub's head back into the swaddling clothes and then started to cry loudly. To him, his son was everything, and Wang Rouhua immediately put the nipple back in his mouth, looking around for a place to get ashore. She did not notice that her milk was dripping from her son's mouth and falling into the hungry stomach of the cub. The water slowed down, and on the surface, she could see some unharvested crops. The wheat had fallen into the water, but the soybeans still stood strong, their furry pods struggling to stay above the water. This made Wang Rouhua extremely happy. Not far away, there was a low hill, and it was full of people. Some of them saw Wang Rouhua and her son and shouted, and some men even got into the water to try to pull them to shore. Wang Rouhua only glanced at them and quickly used her club to push the bathtub away. As a resident of Tokyo, she knew these ragged people were beggars who had come to Tokyo. If her seventh brother were here, she would not be afraid of them, but now, as a widow and a mother, the consequences of falling into their hands were too terrible. There were many terrifying legends about these people in Tokyo, the most terrifying being that the beggars living in the sewers of Tokyo would drag good women and children into the sewers, where the women would disappear and the children would become deformed beggars. The men watched as Wang Rouhua moved away and started to curse. Wang Rouhua patted her chest in relief, grateful that her seventh brother had warned her about these people. The family's household registration was safely tucked in the swaddling clothes, which her seventh brother had put there at the last moment. In such a disaster, only residents of Tokyo could receive government assistance, while the beggars were considered lazy and unwilling to work in their hometowns. After checking the registration and carefully folding it, Wang Rouhua angrily spat at the beggars. In her view, those who did not work the land were useless and lazy. Lowering her head, she saw her son sleeping, his face rosy. She affectionately pressed her forehead against his, thinking that as long as her child was safe, she still had hope. This child was so sensible; as long as he was fed, he would not misbehave. Even when he needed to urinate or defecate, he would cry out, and once that was taken care of, he would be very quiet. The child's eyes were black and shiny, with a hint of pale blue. Her child's eyes were especially beautiful, round like two black gems. Although Wang Rouhua had never seen such things, this did not stop her from imagining. Gems were the brightest treasures, as her seventh brother had often said. Sometimes, she could see a look of confusion in the child's eyes, which made her proud. Whose child was as clever as hers? If her sixth brother-in-law survived this disaster, he would surely like Xin yuan. He always said that the Tie family's children were dull, good at hard labor but lacking in spirit. Now that Xin yuan had appeared, he would be satisfied, wouldn't he? Looking back at the vast flood, she could no longer see any trace of the Tie family's village. Wiping away the tears from her eyes, she set up the broken umbrella on the bathtub again, letting it take her and her son to a safe place. The rain had completely stopped, and the bathtub seemed to have stopped moving. Wang Rouhua rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked around, realizing she had fallen asleep. If it weren't for her son's crying, she might not have woken up for a while. Glancing at her son, she saw that he had stopped crying. Only then did she realize that the bathtub had brought them to the city wall of Tokyo. The soldiers on the wall had spotted them and lowered a thick rope with a bamboo basket attached, shouting for her to climb into the basket quickly. Wang Rouhua quickly put her son in the basket and grabbed the bathtub tightly, refusing to let go no matter how the soldiers on the wall shouted at her. The soldiers had no choice but to pull Wang Rouhua, her son, and the large bathtub up the wall. A bearded soldier raised his hand, but Wang Rouhua pinched Tie Xin yuan's bottom, and he started to cry loudly. The soldier, seeing the child's distress, sighed and said, "Forget it, a bathtub is worth something. Where is your husband?" Wang Rouhua shouted, "That scoundrel! He knew the flood was coming but left us to go into the city to play with his shady friends. I'll go to the military office and have his face scratched up." The bearded soldier sneered, "I doubt he can do anything. Since the river broke, the nine gates of Tokyo have been closed. Even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't." Wang Rouhua's face changed, and she stammered, "They won't let us in?" The bearded soldier laughed, "You're a resident of Tokyo. The city is surrounded by water on three sides. If the gates were opened now, where would the people in the city stand? Now you know how lucky you are. If you had been left outside, the beggars would have taken you. Your husband has some connections with the army, so go quickly before the captain finds you and throws you off the wall." Wang Rouhua thanked the soldiers who had pulled her up, tightened the cloth around her waist, and dragged the bathtub down the wall. Tie Xin yuan was very impressed by his mother's wisdom. A peasant woman could still talk her way out of a difficult situation and get them to safety. He felt that with such a mother, he could grow up happily even without a father. Wang Rouhua dragged the bathtub down the wall and through the gate, finally letting out a long sigh. There were not many good soldiers in Tokyo, but the one she had met today was somewhat decent. Normally, these soldiers often caused trouble in the surrounding villages, stealing chickens and dogs, and harassing women. The crops in the fields would often disappear overnight, stolen by these soldiers. They had even invented a new dish called green wheat, which was made by roasting unripe wheat in a large pot with salt water. It was said to be very tasty, and a small bowl cost two copper coins. The soldiers could do this, but the people outside the city could not, even if they harvested their own wheat to sell. The government's "Encouragement of Agriculture" order clearly stated that farmers were not allowed to harvest unripe crops. What kind of world was this, where green wheat was more valuable than ripe wheat? Clearly, the little fox had come back to life, moving around in the swaddling clothes. Tie Xin yuan's small hands could not control it, so he had to tighten his legs to prevent the fox from causing trouble. The fox would suck on any protruding object, mistaking it for a nipple. Wang Rouhua finally noticed that something was wrong with the swaddling clothes. When she opened them in the bathtub, she saw a small fox lying on her son's stomach and screamed...