Chapter 63

Translated by Aviana

Bonus chapter (2/2)

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A carriage was unhurriedly advancing through the official road Huaihe County to Luoyun Town.

Seated in it were four people: One was a middle-aged man, who was lying in the carriage with thick quilts under him. Another one was a woman of more or less the same age as the middle-aged man. She was continuously observing the man’s facial expression attentively. Prepared to have the carriage driver go slower if he showed even a trace of pain. Among the other two, one was a youth, and the other was a young girl. Their age didn’t seem to be much; the young man seemed to be 13-14 years old, while the young girl seemed to be only 10 years old.

These four people in the carriage were precisely the ones for whose arrival Yang-shi had been looking forward—her son, Xia Dacheng, and his family. At this moment, the four of them were on their way back to their old house.

“Daddy, is it still painful?” Xia Dacheng’s youngest daughter, Xia Lanju, asked.

At this moment, Xia Dacheng’s appearance cut an extremely sorry figure, with merely skin and bones, his complexion was extremely sickly.

“Daddy isn’t feeling pain. Ju’er be good for a little longer. We will be home soon.” Xia Dacheng weakly comforted his slightly terrified daughter.

Compared to Xia Lanju, Xia Dacheng’s eldest son, Xia Hongzhi, was much calmer. Although his eyes were filled with uneasiness and seemed to be slightly muddled, the panic wasn’t evident on his face.

After all, this year, he was 14 years old, much older than Xia Lanju. Moreover, he was a boy and has matured a lot. Not to mention, Xia Lanju was only 10 years old; for her to be able to endure now without breaking into tears was already a courageous feat.

Xia Dacheng, who was supposed to be full of mettle, falling into such a plight was beyond anyone’s expectations. Even Xian Dacheng himself hadn’t anticipated such an outcome.

He couldn’t be compared to the kids of those wealthy families. However, as a kid born in a peasant’s household in a village, he had managed to gradually climb up to an assistant shop manager. One had to say, the energy Xia Dacheng had invested was multiple-folds more than others. It wasn’t something an ordinary person could achieve.

Perhaps in Huaihe county, his ability couldn’t be regarded as much. However, in Luoxia town, or even in the surrounding ten li and eight villages, not a single person was able to attain his level. When mentioning Xian Dacheng, which villager hadn’t praised this young man for being astounding. A mere man from a village with no background yet was able to mingle with the people to that stage. This wasn’t something they could dare to imagine.

里 (lǐ): li, an ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m

十里八乡 (shí lǐ bā xiāng): 10 li and 8 villages, a large area

However, neither could any of them even imagine that Xia Dacheng could cut such a sorry figure.

Overnight, the owner of the store changed. The owner’s several di and shu born sons vied against each other, implicating the subordinates under them in the process. At that time, he was promoted by the store’s general manager based on his skill. Thus, naturally, he always followed all the instructions of the general manager. However, this was also the very reason that Xian Dacheng was implicated.

嫡 (dí ) : di means legitimate, a child born from the official wife

庶 (shù): born of a concubine

This general manager worked for di son, who was the owner of the shop at that time. But recently, this di son passed away from an illness. As for whether he truly passed away from an illness or because of some other cause was not something they, mere subordinates, could be aware of. They were only aware that the owner of the store had changed. Among the fight between the di and shu sons, a shu son emerged victoriously.

When immortals fought, the ones who suffered were the mortals. The same is the fate of Xia Dacheng and his immediate superior, the store’s general manager.

It was justifiable that when the owner changes, naturally, he would like to insert his own people under him, replacing the previous employees. However, that shu son’s means were too ruthless, for he actually wanted to eradicate everyone. It was unknown what sort of strategy he had used. But in the end, he reported Xia Dacheng and general manager in the county yamen, for bringing the store to losses. He had even produced a pile of evidence, proving them guilty.

衙门 (yámen): government office in feudal China/yamen

Xia Dacheng and that shop manager were imprisoned right away.

One certainly can’t admit to something they hadn’t done.

However, if the other person wants to fix you, can you protest?

After getting tossed in prison for a while, the general manager couldn’t endure any longer in his old age and passed away. Xia Dacheng was grief-stricken and heartbroken, feeling extremely resentful. However, such emotions were of little use. If crying out one’s injustices was useful, if one’s grief and indignation were useful, then there wouldn’t be any injustices at all in this world. And even the general manager wouldn’t have to pass away in such a fashion.

Before passing away, the general manager advised Xia Dacheng to quickly plead guilty, for he wouldn’t be able to bear it any longer and couldn’t make it. Usually, in cases as this, where an employee had lost the funds, once the perpetrator pleads guilty, he would be punished with a penalty and flogged with a few hits. Furthermore, with his, the mastermind of this incident, passing away, Xia Dacheng won’t be implicated much.

Saving one’s life in exchange for some silver wasn’t bad.

As for reputation? Who cared about his reputation when a person was about to be tossed to death?

Actually, the general manager had already figured it out and intended to admit his guilt. But, his old bones were unable to bear any longer. At the least, he didn’t want to see Xia Dacheng, who he had personally promoted, to be trampled upon. The character ‘official’* has two mouths. Since the other person had received money to fix them up, they could only wait in jail to die if they didn’t admit their guilt. From where would mere managers like them, who only work under someone else, have the background to compete with them.

From my meager understanding of Chinese, what I deciphered is that this phrase’s meaning is literal. Character official ‘官’ has two mouths ( 口 ) in it if you had observed. Metaphorically it may mean that the words of officials are unreliable and changeable. If I am wrong, please feel free to correct me.

Thus, Xia Dacheng pleaded guilty. Consequently, he was sentenced to 20 hits with big planks to compensate for the losses inculcated to the store. Since the general manager had already passed away, and Xia Dacheng, an assistant manager, was a mere accomplice, he was fined 200 silver taels.

Xia Dacheng’s monthly salary was but a few silver taels. Although, as a manager, he did have other additional income and saved a lot of silver these years; however, there were four people in the family. Furthermore, they were living in the county, and his eldest son was studying. Thus, his entire savings didn’t amount to much. This astronomical amount of 200 silver taels made him lose his entire family wealth.

Even if he had lost his entire wealth, he could still start anew. But the new owner here was extremely malicious. Not only did he make him lose his entire wealth, but he also made him unable to continue in this field of work. Now, no one would dare to hire him, who had allegedly lost money at his previous workforce.

Xia Dacheng’s wife was but an ordinary woman, without any connections or means. She could only try her utmost to bribe the jailer and visit Xia Dacheng twice. Then later, after the verdict was passed, when even after selling their house and pooling all the savings they had, the money wasn’t enough, Zhou-shi had to sell all of her jewelry and valuables in the house. Only then was she able to gather 200 silver taels.

In exchange for Xia Dacheng with a body full of injuries, they lost their entire fortune. However, for Zhang-shi and the two children, this was better.

After all, a family without a man as a pillar is equivalent to hell.

After coming out of prison, Xia Dacheng was soon sent to the medical center to get treatment. Actually, there was no threat to Xia Dacheng’s life. It was just that first he was tossed in prison, then was flogged twenty times. All of his wounds were just skin and flesh wounds and needed to slowly recuperate.

After paying the medical fee, Zhou-shi didn’t have much left in her hands. After selling the small courtyard in which their family previously resided, Zhang-shi and the two kids stayed in a small inn. Now, they could not even afford to stay in the inn anymore.

Thus, Xia Dacheng, helpless, had no choice but to return to their old home in Luoxia village.

All these matters pertaining to Xia Dacheng were concealed from Yang-shi. Xia Dacheng was aware that his mother also could not do anything in this matter, and their family also didn’t have any backing. Besides making his old mother worry over this matter, there wouldn’t be any use to tell his mother about it. Thus, when Zhang-shi came to visit him in prison the first time, he asked her to not tell his mother.

But now, they could not hide it any longer. As long as they returned, the entire matter would inevitably be exposed. However, apart from returning to their village, they also didn’t have any other alternative.

There wasn’t much silver left in their hands, and they couldn’t simply continue staying in the county hereafter. At the moment, they could only go back first, recuperate, and then think about what to do in the future.

Zhou-shi used the last bit of silver in her hands to hire a carriage to take them back to their hometown. Apart from their clothes, the family of four was practically empty-handed.

Xia Dacheng, who was lying in the carriage, felt extremely unresigned. But apart from accepting this misfortune as decreed by fate, he had no other choice. He was acutely aware that he would never have the opportunity to go back there again once he went back home this time. Recalling his ambitions and aspirations as a youth, a trace of mockery smile appeared on his face….

Peasants were merely peasants. No matter what sort of silk and satin they draped, their innate characteristic wouldn’t be changed. A slight flip of the hand of a person with an influential background was enough to tumble them down, leaving them with a torn body and crushed bones. Perhaps it would be better for him to stay in his hometown from hereon. At the least, his wife and children wouldn’t be implicated….

粉身碎骨 (fěn shēn suì gǔ):(idiom) lit. Torn body and crushed bones. fig. to die horribly / to sacrifice one’s life

The carriage carrying the four people steadily drove them back to their hometown. However, their visage was devoid of joy and pride they usually had on their every arrival…..

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