Chapter 5: Courage

Xiaohua had been to the market in Luzhen before, as it was the busiest time of the year and the most bustling place within dozens of miles. Since he could remember, he had come here every year. However, in the past, his memories were mostly of the sugar figurines and pastries, with no other content. He had never thought about the crowds, or perhaps, moving through the crowds was a game for the young him. This time, when he stood at the north entrance of the street, looking at the crowded people and the shops and stalls selling various goods, toys, and food, Xiaohua felt as if he needed more eyes to take everything in.

The Zhang family followed the flow of people, slowly walking deeper into the street. They squeezed into every shop they passed, whether it was selling silk, antiques, or even a pharmacy, they would stop for a moment. The three brothers, Xiaohua, Xiaolong, and Xiaohu, not only looked at the items for sale but also paid attention to the crowds around them. They rarely saw so many people in their small mountain village, especially the beautifully dressed, charming young women, who attracted the attention of the young men. Unfortunately, the three brothers were of ordinary appearance and dressed simply, clearly from a mountain village, so the girls' gazes would quickly slide past them, unlike the boys who stared. Occasionally, a girl would feel their intense gaze and shyly walk away, or some would look back at them, making the three brothers blush and feel extremely uncomfortable. Xiaohua saw more new things than when he was a child, while Xiaolong and Xiaohu looked more to the future, perhaps hoping to meet suitable girls and find their own happiness. However, seeing that most of the girls paid little attention to them, it was unclear what the two younger brothers were thinking.

In the middle of the street, there was a large storefront with a sign that read "Qian Family Textiles." When Zhang Cai saw it, his eyes lit up, and he called out to the three brothers, leading the way inside. A shop assistant stood at the entrance, and upon seeing Zhang Cai, he quickly greeted them, "Sir, please come in. What would you like to see?" He did not seem to notice Zhang Cai's nervousness or his not-so-new clothes.

After entering the textile shop, Zhang Cai did not go directly to the counter but stood by the door, nervously looking at the many male and female customers and the busy assistants, unsure of what to do. It was only when the assistant greeted him that he came to his senses and said awkwardly, "I want to buy some cloth for the children and a piece for their mother." As he spoke, the three brothers also entered. Being rarely in such a large shop, they had been content to look around, but now that they were buying something, they did not know how to speak and were somewhat hesitant. The assistant, however, was not bothered by this and continued to smile, saying, "Please come this way and see if there are any suitable fabrics."

He led them to a corner of the counter, showing them the fabrics displayed there. This corner was noticeably less crowded. Two young women were already there, choosing colors, and another family of three with a young child had also chosen their fabric and were being wrapped by an assistant. The rest of the counter was filled with colorful and high-quality silk and other fabrics, with many well-dressed people commenting and selecting. It seemed the shop assistants were well-trained and knew what customers needed. Seeing the Zhang family's attire, they knew they needed durable and practical fabrics, not flashy and ornate ones.

Although the assistant had been very considerate and brought them to the right place, Zhang Cai still looked troubled. In the past, when buying fabric, it was always his wife who decided what to buy, and he did not need to worry about the style or color. This time, because his mother-in-law was at home with the children, he had come to buy the fabric. He had not thought much about it, but now, in the shop, he did not know what to buy. Seeing the assistant's slightly impatient face, Xiaolong quickly came up with an idea and said, "We'll just look around first. Please attend to other customers."

After the assistant left, Zhang Cai could not help but regret, "Look at my brain. I didn't even ask your mother what kind of fabric to buy. Now, we'll have to go back empty-handed."

Coincidentally, one of the two young women who had been choosing fabric, the taller one, walked behind Xiaolong, picked up a piece of dark blue fabric, and overheard Zhang Cai's words. She walked back to her companion, glanced at Xiaolong, and after a brief consultation, approached Zhang Cai and said, "Sir, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Zhang Cai, puzzled, said, "What is it, young lady?"

The tall girl said, "Sir, I'm trying to pick out a piece of fabric for my brother, but he's not here. I think this young man's build is similar to his. Could he help me try it on? In return, my sister and I can help you choose some fabric."

Zhang Cai was delighted and said, "That's great, that's great."

So, Xiaolong became a clothes hanger, helping the two girls try on several pieces of clothing until they were satisfied. Zhang Cai's wish was even more easily fulfilled. The two girls helped them choose the fabric and colors, which pleased the entire Zhang family, and even the shop assistant thought the girls had good taste. The only thing that disappointed Xiaolong was that by the time the assistant had wrapped the fabric and brought it out, the two girls had already left, and he had not even learned their names.

Xiaolong, feeling frustrated, held the fabric and followed Zhang Cai, who was about to look at some farming tools in a nearby shop. Suddenly, they heard the sound of gongs and drums. Xiaohua, excited, said, "Father, hurry, the play is about to start. Let's go watch it first."

As Xiaohua called out to Zhang Cai, the crowd at the market also heard the gongs and rushed over. Zhang Cai quickly called out to Xiaolong and Xiaohu, and they followed the crowd to the stage.

In Luzhen, there was a custom during the New Year to set up a large stage in one corner of the market, where a theater troupe would perform every day until the market ended. For the farmers who had no entertainment, this was a major highlight of the New Year. No wonder Xiaohua was so excited.

When the Zhang family reached the stage, the play had already started, and the area was surrounded by three layers of people. Fortunately, the stage was high enough that the people in front did not block their view. The audience, though numerous, listened attentively, unlike the noisy crowd in the shop.

The play was a popular folk story, and everyone watched with great interest. Xiaolong gradually forgot his earlier frustration.

Just as everyone was enjoying the play, a commotion arose on the other side of the stage, and the noise grew louder. Although there were many people, it was hard to hear clearly. However, Xiaohua recognized a girl's voice, wondering if it was someone from his village. There was a tree nearby, and Xiaohua quickly climbed up to take a look. To his surprise, he recognized the girl and shouted to Xiaolong, "Brother, it's the sister who helped us pick out the clothes! She's in trouble."

Hearing this, Xiaolong did not wait to tell Zhang Cai but pushed through the crowd, making his way to the other side of the stage. Zhang Cai quickly pulled Xiaohu and called out to Xiaohua, who had climbed down from the tree, to follow.

After Xiaolong pushed through the crowd with great effort and reached the other side of the stage, what he saw made his blood boil.

The stage was built against a high wall, and at the base of the wall, two young girls were huddled together, their faces flushed, with two small bundles of clothes scattered on the ground, likely from the fabric shop. In front of them stood two short, fat men with fans, dressed in bright clothes, mumbling and groping the girls, forcing them to dodge around the high wall. Around the two fat men, there were seven or eight tall, muscular servants in rough clothes, separating the crowd. Some of these servants smiled at their masters' despicable acts, while others glared at the crowd, preventing anyone from interfering. Although some people wanted to help the two girls, they were intimidated by the servants and could only look on helplessly.

When Xiaolong rushed over, he saw the situation and was about to think of a plan when he noticed the tall girl's pleading eyes. Although she was not looking at him, he could not help but rush forward. At that moment, he was pulled back by someone behind him. Turning around, he saw his family had caught up, and Zhang Cai was holding his arm. Xiaolong, anxious, said, "Father..."

Zhang Cai whispered, "Xiaolong, don't be impulsive. We can't fight them."

Xiaolong said, "But if we don't help, those girls will be bullied."

Xiaohua also said, "Father, that sister helped us earlier."

Zhang Cai said, "Of course, we can help, but we can't get ourselves into trouble. Look at that man in black with the big knife over there."

The three brothers followed their father's gaze and saw a tall, muscular man in black, holding a large knife, standing by a tree, eyes half-closed as if sleeping. He was likely the bodyguard of the two thugs.

Many people were hesitant to step forward, largely due to the bodyguard's knife.

Xiaolong was also getting anxious.

Just as Xiaolong was hesitating, the situation on the other side of the wall worsened. The two short, fat men had separated the two girls and were dragging them into a small alley around the corner of the high wall. Xiaolong could no longer hold back. He shook off Zhang Cai's hand and ran over. The servants, thinking the crowd was intimidated, moved closer to the alley, not expecting anyone to intervene. Xiaolong reached the girls, grabbed their arms, and pulled them toward him. The two short, fat men, who were not as strong as a farmer, were easily overpowered. Seizing the moment, Xiaolong shouted, "What are you doing?"

The two short, fat men, seeing their prey snatched away, were furious. They exchanged glances, and the one in orange said, "We're not doing anything. Who are you? What are you doing?"

Xiaolong, taken aback, replied, "I'm their cousin. Why are you harassing them? Be careful, we'll report you to the authorities."

The one in black said, "Report us? Fine, let's go together. In Luzhen, I am the authority. Your cousin stepped on my shoe, and I want her to pay for it. Let's see who the authorities will side with."

At this moment, Zhang Cai and the others arrived. Zhang Cai quickly bowed and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, please calm down. My nieces are ignorant. If they stepped on your shoes, we'll pay. Today is a good day for the market. Please be lenient, and you'll have good luck this year."

The man in orange sneered, "You're quite sensible, old man. I'll be lenient. How much should you pay for my shoes?"

Zhang Cai, startled, asked carefully, "How much should we pay, sir?"

The man in orange held up a hand. Zhang Cai sighed in relief, "Five coins? I'll pay you right away."

Zhang Cai took out five coins and offered them, but the man in orange knocked them to the ground, saying viciously, "You country bumpkin, do you think my shoes are worth five coins? Listen carefully, five taels of silver!"

Zhang Cai, realizing the situation was bad, said with a forced smile, "Sir, you must be joking. My family's annual income is only three taels of silver. Are your shoes really worth that much?"

The man in black said, "Old man, are you questioning our integrity?"

At this moment, the tall girl, who had recovered, poked her head out from behind Xiaolong and said, "Sir, they are lying. We didn't step on their shoes. We just came to watch the play and were surrounded by them."

Xiaolong also said angrily, "Father, they are clearly extorting us. We should take this girl to the authorities and report them."

The man in black laughed and said, "You country bumpkins, you don't even know who I am, and you talk about reporting us to the authorities. Servants, show them what authority means."

The man in black waved his hand, and the servants, who had been watching, immediately surrounded them. Zhang Cai, seeing the situation was dire, said to Xiaohua, "You and the two girls find a chance to run. We'll protect you." He then led Xiaolong and Xiaohu to fight the servants, while Xiaohua pulled the two girls into the crowd.

Although Zhang Cai, Xiaolong, and Xiaohu were strong farmers, they were outnumbered. After a few rounds, they were knocked to the ground, and the servants' punches and kicks rained down on them. Xiaohua and the two girls, initially clever, managed to dodge a few servants and tried to run into the crowd, but they were blocked by the bodyguard. Despite several attempts, they could not escape. The bodyguard did not attack but simply blocked their path, waiting for the servants to catch up. Xiaohua and the two girls were pushed back to Zhang Cai and the others. Xiaohua, seeing his father and brothers being beaten, rushed forward to help but was kicked in the chest, falling to the ground, covered in dirt. As he tried to get up, two servants grabbed him, slapped him several times, and blood trickled from his mouth. The servants, seeing Xiaohua was young, stopped hitting him but held him down.

No matter how Xiaohua struggled, he could not break free from the two strong men's grip. Seeing his father and brothers being beaten, he was heartbroken, and tears streamed down his face.