Mo Sang – CH 086

Chapter 86. Brother Mao and Brother Ma

The three men, including Datou, were so excited that they shouted and talked, each calling out twice on average, before Li Sangrou finally understood what had happened.

“Da Chang, go check it out,” Li Sangrou immediately instructed Da Chang, then pointed at Mazha and said, “Go find your blind uncle and tell him about this; tell him to go check it out too.”

Mazha did not even finish a “yes” before darting out. Da Chang hurriedly followed Datou outside, while Chuantiao squatted on the steps, constantly sighing: “Brother Mao is so lucky.”

“Chuantiao, come and start the fire,” Li Sangrou said, rolling up her sleeves and heading to the kitchen.

It was already getting late; she could not wait for Da Chang to return before cooking.

Li Sangrou had just finished cooking a large pot of rice and several dishes when Da Chang and the others returned.

Da Chang was carrying a large bag of pig’s head meat. Chuantiao, seeing the amount, simply grabbed a copper basin used for washing vegetables, scalded it with boiling water, and then poured the pig’s head meat in, filling the basin to the brim.

“It’s Liu’s braised meat shop, just two streets away. I never expected it to be Brother Mao’s sister’s place.”

“Liu’s family has a famous pot of ‘Hundred Families Old Broth’; we often buy braised meat from them. Their braised pig’s head meat is the best.” Datou pinched a piece of juicy pig’s head meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

“It’s his sister. Their eyes and eyebrows are similar, and they speak the same language, though I cannot quite understand them. I’ve never heard Jin Mao speak like that before,” Da Chang muttered.

“And their hair! His sister’s hair is also yellow, and his eldest niece has yellow hair too!” Mazha quickly chimed in.

“I really did not expect this!” Blind Mi ate several pieces of pig’s head meat, took rice from Datou’s hand, and gestured to Chuantiao. “Go get a spoon; I will scoop some meat gravy to mix with my rice.”

After everyone finished eating, Blind Mi picked his teeth with a bamboo strip from the bamboo cage outside the warm nest.

“Let’s wait until Jin Mao comes back tomorrow to find out what happened.

That family has three children, two boys. One was four or five years old, jumping around wildly; the other, a year or two, was crawling all over the place, all yelling and screaming. And an old lady, deaf and loud-voiced; they made the whole courtyard so noisy.

I will go check on them again in a few days.” Blind Mi clicked his tongue, looking utterly exasperated.

Li Sangrou hummed in agreement.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Jin Mao knocked on the door and returned.

Li Sangrou had just gotten up and was washing her face and brushing her teeth when Da Chang came forward and took the steamed buns and sesame cakes Jin Mao was carrying.

Jin Mao stood beside Li Sangrou, waiting for her to finish washing and brushing her teeth.

He then sat down with a cup of tea, squatting down next to her with a smile. “It really is my sister.”

“What were you saying yesterday, Brother Mao? I did not understand,” Mazha said, squatting down next to Jin Mao.

“Come and get the food!” Da Chang called out.

Mazha responded with a “Yes!” and jumped up to get chopsticks and bowls to serve the food.

Datou brought out a table, Da Chang carried a large pot of rice porridge, and Chuantiao carried a basket of steamed buns and flatbreads. Mazha ran back and forth several times, bringing pickled vegetables, salted beef with chili sauce, sesame oil and fermented bean curd, and a large bowl of cold chive and bean sprout salad.

Datou was serving the rice porridge when Blind Mi, carrying his cane, burst in, sniffling and exclaiming, “These are mutton buns from Liu Lao Jiu’s house! I’ve been craving them for almost half a month!”

Mazha had just picked up a bowl when he quickly put it down and ran to get more bowls and chopsticks. Chuantiao hurriedly brought over a bamboo chair.

Blind Mi grabbed a mutton bun, took a bite, and sat down.

After the meal, everyone busied themselves clearing the dishes. Da Chang, Datou, and Mazha went about their tasks, while Jin Mao brewed a pot of tea, poured some for Li Sangrou and Blind Mi, and sat down beside them. He began to tell them about his family reunion.

“I have a sister,” Jin Mao said with a smile.

Blind Mi nodded.

The first time he had met Jin Mao, Jin Mao was only seven or eight years old, skinny with a large head, and his eyes gleamed with hunger. The first thing Jin Mao said to him was, “My sister says I have a lucky face.”

“I always thought my sister was much older than me, but she’s only six or seven years older.

My hometown is Maojia Village in Wujin County.

When I was five, my family suffered a disaster. First, a hurricane struck, and then it rained for six or seven months straight, without stopping. The land was flooded, the houses were flooded, and everyone wanted to escape to survive.

But we could not escape; people were guarding the area, not letting us leave the land.

Later, my parents starved to death. I had an older brother, but my sister said he injured his foot, which festered, and he died too.

Only my sister was left, raising me alone, trying to escape with everyone else.

Later, my sister also fell ill. She dragged me to wait by the roadside. In the middle of the night, a caravan passed by, and my sister put me on a cart.

These are all things my sister told me; I do not remember much. The only things I remember are that I had a sister and that we begged outside Jiangdu City and later went into the city to beg.

My sister said that after she put me in the cart, she had no strength left and lay by the roadside waiting to die. She lay there for two nights and a day. Then, the old lady from the Liu family passed by with her son, carrying a jar of old soup. Seeing that my sister was still breathing, she fed her a small half-bowl of the soup, and my sister came back to life.

Later, in the town ahead, the old lady of the Liu family traded half a jar of her old broth for a travel permit. She then led Liu Dalang and my sister north, crossing the river from Runzhou all the way to Jianle City.

Later, my sister married Liu Dalang.

The Liu family’s braised meat was an ancestral craft, and that pot of old broth had been passed down to my brother-in-law for six generations. After arriving in Jianle City, their business quickly took off.

My sister said that ever since she had some extra money, she would go to the Daxiangguo Temple to light an everlasting lamp for me, praying to Buddha to bless me so that I could find her.”

“That caravan was good; at least they brought you to Jiangdu City. Sigh.” Blind Mi sighed.

“Yes, my sister said that when she was holding me and waiting by the roadside, she kept whispering in my ear: Our father’s name is Mao Wujin.

Later, I completely forgot. But yesterday at Daxiangguo Temple, when I heard my sister say that, I suddenly remembered: My father’s name is Mao Wujin.

My brother-in-law is also from Wujin, from Liuji, not far from Maojia Village. The whole family still speaks with a strong Wujin accent. Thankfully, I understood it immediately.”

“This is wonderful news!” Blind Mi patted Jin Mao.

“Yes, my sister is overjoyed, and so is my brother-in-law. When the old lady from the Liu family saw me, she exclaimed, ‘Dani’er, is this your brother? Ask him if his surname is Mao!'”

Jin Mao laughed as he spoke, “The old lady from the Liu family is very hard of hearing. You have to shout right next to her ear for her to hear a word or two; she also loves to talk, constantly yelling.

The whole family is very lively.”

“Your sister has one daughter and two sons?” Li Sangrou looked at the constantly laughing Jin Mao and smiled as well.

“Yes, the eldest is a daughter, named Canjie’er. She’s seven years old this year, and the old lady dotes on her the most.

The eldest son is called Erzhuang; he’s five years old and already helps his father sell braised meat. The youngest is two years old, called Gouzi; he eats and sleeps a lot, and he’s heavy enough to weigh you down.”

Li Sangrou chuckled.

This family’s names were really simple and honest.

“Nothing urgent today. You did not tell your sister when you left this morning, did you?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile.

“They are busy.” Jin Mao scratched his head.

“Take a day off today. Talk to your sister.

There’s one more thing. Your sister has three children; the eldest and second eldest should be in school. Talk to your sister and brother-in-law about sending them to school for a few years. It’s not about academic achievement or exams, just to help them learn a few characters and understand articles. You can pay for it; it’s a small amount.

Also, see if your sister and brother-in-law have any other financial needs.” Li Sangrou continued with a smile.

Blind Mi nodded repeatedly. “That’s right, you need to know a few words.”

“Alright,” Jin Mao readily agreed, “then I am off.”

“Go on, go on.” Li Sangrou waved to Jin Mao.

Watching Jin Mao skip and hop out the door, Blind Mi turned back to Li Sangrou. “With a sister now, people will be urging him to get married, start a family, and have children. The Mao family will only have him as a man again.”

“Is that not perfect? ​​He can get married, have a job, and live a peaceful life. He will not have to follow me, living a life of danger,” Li Sangrou said calmly.

Blind Mi looked at Li Sangrou for a long while, then sighed, “That’s true; all good things must come to an end.”

……………………

On the last day of the Dharma assembly at Daxiangguo Temple, Hei Ma, Xiao Lu, and Wang Zhuang returned to Jianle City, weary from their journey.

Hei Ma and Xiao Lu went directly from their shop to Daxiangguo Temple. Wang Zhuang sat by the vegetable garden behind the shop, talking with Li Sangrou for over two hours before leaving the shop and going home.

Hei Ma heard from the gossip at Daxiangguo Temple that Jin Mao had found his sister. After leaving the temple, he and Xiao Lu headed straight for Liu’s braised meat shop.

It was dinnertime. Liu Da and his wife, Sister Mao, were busy cutting meat, adding sauce, wrapping meat, and collecting money.

Hei Ma and Xiao Lu stood opposite the shop, craning their necks to watch the busy Liu couple.

“Tsk, it’s true, the Mao family all have blond hair.” Hei Ma chuckled, looking at Jin Mao’s sister’s hair.

“She looks a bit like Brother Mao. Brother Mao is so lucky; he really found his sister! He always talks about her, how she doted on him!” Xiao Lu said, hands clasped behind his back, looking envious.

“Come on, let’s go buy some braised meat. Their braised meat uses a hundred different family recipes; it’s really good. I used to eat there all the time; I never even realized it was Jin Mao’s sister!” Hei Ma nudged Xiao Lu, and the two crossed the stone-paved street to buy braised meat.

“Do you still have braised large intestines?” Hei Ma craned his neck to look for them.

“Hey, is your surname Ma?” Jin Mao’s sister sized up Hei Ma.

“How did you know my surname is Ma?” Hei Ma was startled.

“It really is; just like my brother said, you are really dark-skinned.” Jin Mao’s sister did not answer Hei Ma’s question but looked at Liu Da and laughed first.

“The braised large intestines sold out this morning, but there’s half a piece of pig’s head meat and a piece of braised liver left. I will cut them up for you and pour extra broth on them.” Liu Da looked at Hei Ma, and before he could answer, he deftly began cutting the meat.

Jin Mao’s sister, busy flipping the signboard to indicate it was sold out, laughed with Hei Ma. “My brother says you are his best friend. You’ve saved him so many times. He said you’d be back in a few days and that you love pig’s head the most.

Tomorrow morning, have your brother-in-law buy a few more pig’s heads, braise them, and let them soak in the broth for half a day. They will taste best when eaten at dinner.”

Jin Mao’s sister was quick and efficient, speaking crisply.

Hei Ma looked on with a frustrated expression at the Liu couple, one busily cutting meat with a smile, the other chatting incessantly while tidying up.

Jin Mao actually said he was dark-skinned!

He’d asked him countless times if he was really dark-skinned, and Jin Mao, to his face, always insisted he was not at all!

Liu Da finished cutting the meat, poured an extra spoonful of broth over it, wrapped it in a lotus leaf, tied it up, and handed it to Xiao Lu.

“Are you free tomorrow? Come over for dinner,” Jin Mao’s sister warmly invited. “No money needed! We are family! What would it look like to ask for money? Even though your brother-in-law’s business is small, we can afford these few pieces of braised meat. Take the money back! Do not be a stranger to your sister!”

Seeing Hei Ma pull out the money, Jin Mao’s sister pushed him forcefully, refusing to accept it.

Hei Ma did not insist either; he thanked Master and Madam Liu and walked about ten steps with Xiao Lu, then said, extremely annoyed, “Jin Mao said I am dark-skinned!”

Xiao Lu glanced back at him, coughed for a moment, and chuckled dryly, “Brother Ma, everyone calls you Hei Ma, do they not?”

Xiao Lu emphasized the word “Hei¹.”

“They call me Hei Ma, clearly because I am ruthless and cruel!” Hei Ma grumbled indignantly.

Xiao Lu chuckled.

……………………

The day after Hei Ma arrived home, Da Chang, along with Mazha and Old Zuo, the manager of Shunfeng Express’s main shop, joined Bao Ping’s group and headed north to Taiyuan to prepare for the opening of the Taiyuan Express Line.

Chuantiao followed Hei Ma, entering Shunfeng Express’s main shop for the first time.

Chuantiao crossed the courtyard and saw the clear moat, his eyes immediately lighting up. “This water is so nice!”

“Do not jump into this river!” Li Sangrou, who was tending the vegetable garden, preparing to harvest all the tender greens and stir-frying a pot of vegetables, stopped Chuantiao before he rushed towards the moat.

“I did not…” Chuantiao shrank back in fright.

“The Emperor lives on the other side of this river. This long river can only have fish, not people. Do not jump into this river,” Li Sangrou warned Chuantiao again.

Chuantiao nodded repeatedly.

“Boss! Boss!” Hei Ma, busy at work, shouted excitedly, rushing into the courtyard.

Li Sangrou, who was picking vegetables, sighed.

Sigh, in the past month or two, Hei Ma had indeed improved. In the year or so since he came, he’d gone from calling out “Shizi” to “Ru-Yi. It’s Ru-Yi,” and now, he’d finally progressed to calling out “Boss! Boss!”

“Boss! There’s someone outside, like Ru-Yi, saying, ‘Princess sent him!'”

The word “Princess” came out of Hei Ma’s mouth, filled with fear, reverence, and boundless excitement.

Li Sangrou sighed again.

She was wrong. Hei Ma did not call out, “Ru-Yi. It’s Ru-Yi,” not because he’d improved, but because he did not know his name!

“Invite him in.” Li Sangrou waved her hand weakly.

Hei Ma rushed out and then rushed back in, followed by a meek and obedient eunuch.

“Greetings, Boss Li. I am Qian-Shan, serving the princess. The princess asked me to inquire if you have time. If so, she would like to invite you to the palace for a chat,” the eunuch Qian-Shan said respectfully.

Hearing the name Qian-Shan, Li Sangrou subconsciously thought of Bai-Cheng and could not help but smile, “Qian-Shan, what a beautiful name. Is it convenient for your princess to come out?”

Qian-Shan was taken aback.

“I used to be an assassin. Someone like me should not come to the palace so easily. If your princess is available, could you please invite her here to speak? Even Master Wen praised the scenery here, and my tea is quite good too,” Li Sangrou said with a beaming smile.

“Yes, I will report back to our princess.” Qian-Shan smiled and agreed, taking two steps back and turning to leave.

Chuantiao, standing nearby, listened with wide eyes, staring until Qian-Shan was out of sight. He carefully moved to Hei Ma’s side and nudged him. “Brother Ma, what’s a princess?”

“Look at you, so ignorant! What else could a princess be? A princess is a princess! Look at your pathetic face; you are a disgrace to your Brother Ma!” Hei Ma said, slapping Chuantiao on the head.