28. The Mrs. Long San Who Experiences Robbery Grievances
Translated by Ju Hua | Edited by Pu Er
Long San could neither laugh nor cry, and without any ideas, he could only remain very silent. Feng Ning grew anxious, and was wheezing heavily. “You have to speak, just pretending to be deaf and mute is not good enough.” Long San shifted both arms, tightened his hold, and leaned his head against the side of her face. He was tall enough, and in this manner it seemed like he was holding her in his bosom. He lightly whispered, “Don’t be mad, don’t be mad.”
Feng Ning’s face was suddenly red again. She didn’t know what to say, and feeling extremely wronged she walked in silence and didn’t bother speaking to him again. After a while, Long San quietly called out to her, “Feng Ning…”
Feng Ning ‘humphed’ once ignoring him, so Long San called out once more, ” Feng Ning…”
Feng Ning felt invigorated, and with a coa.r.s.e voice and rough att.i.tude replied, “Annoying, what are you calling for?”
Long San said, “The farmer’s house you were speaking of, are we almost there?”
“Hey…” Feng Ning lifted her head and looked around. “How do you know?”
“There’s a little trail that someone shoveled out here, which means there must be a family nearby that uses it to move around.” Long San explained. This discovery made him extremely happy, because going on as they were, he estimated that the two of them would be unable to hold on for much longer.
Feng Ning looked at everything in detail, and saw that it was indeed the case. After walking for a while again, they quickly saw the farmhouse. She found a hidden place, and temporarily placed Long San there, saying, “I’m going to take another look. If there are no problems I’ll come back to get you.”
Long San also knew this was necessary. Feng Ning didn’t need to explain but it was thoughtful. Thinking it wise, he nodded his head, and gave her his sword. “You need to be very careful.” Feng Ning nodded her head, and just as she took two steps, she turned around again. “This sword should stay with you. It’s difficult for you to move around, and if anything was to happen, you can use the sword to defend. I can run and jump, so it’s not a problem.” She stuffed the sword into his hands, and quickly left.
Long San saw her figure disappear in front of his eyes, and couldn’t help but sigh. He didn’t even bother holding it. He clearly warned himself again and again, but in a moment of impulse he forgot his etiquette. Before he could finish being vexed, Feng Ning was already hastily returning. “Long San, I’ve already scoped out the entire area and there are no problems, let’s go. We’ll just put on a little play, then there’ll be a house we can stay at for a while.”
On one side she was talking, and on the other she supported Long San up. Long San asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Feng Ning flashed him a smile. “Pretending to be pitiful.” After she finished speaking, she supported Long San for a few steps, and then started to loudly cry out, “Help, help…”
She started acting without warning, and this kind of panicky tone caused Long San to be scared breathless. After violently coughing a few times, Feng Ning half dragged and half carried him, pulling him forward, and on one side loudly said, “Husband, husband how are you? Just hold on for a little longer, we’ll definitely be okay. You just need to keep enduring for a bit. We’ll definitely find someone to help us…”
With no one in sight, Feng Ning alone acted out a one-man drama. Long San couldn’t restrain himself and started coughing again. Feng Ning then suddenly started crying and shouting again, “Husband, husband, you can’t die ah! If you die, how am I going to explain this to Popo[1]? What about our two year old daughter who is waiting for us to return? Husband, husband, you absolutely must hold on… Those thieves who deserve a death by a thousand knives[2], even if I become a ghost I won’t forgive them… Husband, you can’t leave me, you can’t die…”
What a good show with having the elderly and the young, meeting mountain bandits and becoming a malicious spirit. Long San clutched his chest. From the start, he didn’t even need to coordinate with the pretense. He was completely frightened by her which aggravated his injuries, and he could neither laugh nor cough. This actually managed to force an internal injury.
“Aiyah, husband, look, there’s a family. I’ll go ask for help, just wait here, you absolutely mustn’t die…” Feng Ning seriously continued to act. She left Long San, and quickly ran to the door of the farmhouse and knocked on it. The lantern inside immediately brightened, and the owner of the house didn’t even bother asking questions before opening the door. Obviously, this family was long startled awake earlier by the activity outside, and were inside quietly listening and sneaking peeks, pondering for a while.
“Uncle, Aunt…[3]” Feng Ning really seemed like a daughter-in-law who had encountered mountain bandits. When she saw someone answer the door, she knelt to the floor with a ‘plop,’ and with a runny nose and teary eyes said, “My husband and I were returning home after visiting my maternal home, but as a result we met with robbery on the road. In order to protect me, my husband was injured. We’ve been escaping this entire time, but this night has been heavy in cold dew. My husband couldn’t bear the injuries he sustained, and got sick. We’ve come from far away, and we’re at the end our rope. Please Uncle and Aunt, help us. We will definitely repay you heavily in gold.”
The more than forty something farmer man waved his hands. “Don’t say such a thing, saving a person’s life doesn’t need repayment. Where is your husband?” Feng Ning on one side pointed, and on the other ran towards Long San. “Over there, over there. Husband, we’re saved! We’ve encountered a good family.”
The farmer followed Feng Ning, and with one on the left, and one on the right, they supported Long San up and brought him towards the house. The farmer’s wife carried a lantern, and anxiously went over to help them illuminate the road. Once they entered the house and saw Long San’s body covered in mud and blood plus his deathly pale complexion, they exclaimed, “aiyah!” Towards the story of them encountering mountain bandits, they completely believed it one hundred percent.
The farmer couple discussed a few things in low voices, and then the farmer’s wife lit a new lamp and went out. The farmer walked over and said, “My house has a small side room. Originally my daughter lived in it, but she married out and the room is now empty. It is just perfect for the two of you to make do for a night. My home is situated a bit isolated, and there is some distance from the village. Looking for a doctor will have to wait until tomorrow.”
Feng Ning quickly thanked him, and the farmer once again spoke, “My surname is Ma, how should I address you two?”
Feng Ning smoothly replied, “My husband’s surname is Zhu, while mine is Yang.” The farmer lowered his head and looked at Long San’s bodily wounds, and said, “Zhu Gongzi’s[4] injuries don’t seem to be very light.”
“My family’s husband does business, and he knows this kind of profession is not easy. He’s kept something like jin chuang medicine[5] on hand, that’s why it can be said that he barely kept his life. It’s just that because of the blood loss earlier, and also being chased by the mountain bandits then coupled with the cold night, he suffered from the chills. If it wasn’t for you, Uncle Ma, and your wife offering us shelter, I’m afraid he wouldn’t have made it past tonight.” As Feng Ning was speaking, she started to wipe at her tears.
At this moment the farmer’s wife came over, and that Uncle Ma then said, “The small room is tidied up, the two of you should rest first. In a little while my wife will bring you two some hot water and something to eat. If there is anything you need, please let us know.”
Feng Ning complied, and at this moment Long San weakly called out, “Feng’er.” Feng Ning lowered her head and went over to hear what he had to say, then afterwards she grabbed a few pieces of silver from the inside of his clothing at the chest area. “Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, we’ll have to trouble you. These few silvers are for our lodging and meal fees.”
As Uncle Ma frowned, Feng Ning stuffed the money into Aunt Ma’s hands and said, “This is necessary. Living is not easy, and we’ve disturbed you two. We’ve really just brought additional trouble to you.” The Ma couple looked at each other, then accepted the money.
Feng Ning pulled Aunt Ma’s hand, and said, “I also have one more request. Normally when those mountain bandits receive money nothing would happen, but when their chief saw my beauty, they wanted to s.n.a.t.c.h me away. My husband at the time went all out against them, and afterwards they have been chasing us to kill us. We’re really worried, whether or not they will search all the way here. If there is someone looking for information, please Uncle Ma and Aunt Ma, you must help keep us a secret.”
“That son of a b.i.t.c.h!” After hearing that, this Uncle Ma was really angry, and slapped his chest. “You two rest a.s.sured, I, Ma Qin Sui, am an unrefined man, but I know what compa.s.sion, duty, propriety and integrity is. Since we’ve already helped you two, there’s no way we would send you into the pits of h.e.l.l. The two of you can just hide at my place, I will help you look out for any news.”
Aunt Ma also nodded her head, and consolingly stroked Feng Ning’s hand. “Rest a.s.sured.”
Feng Ning wiped her tears, and with an extremely pitiful countenance gave thanks. Then everyone helped Long San over to the small side room, where water, a coal furnace, blankets, pillows, and so on were accommodated. Feng Ning helped Long San redress his wounds and, while Long San was meditating to circulate his inner energies to force out the poison, she ran over to the kitchen. With Aunt Ma’s a.s.sistance she cooked a large nice and warm bowl of sweet potato porridge, and brought it back into the room.
“Long San, Long San, come quickly to drink some hot porridge. Their house had nothing else, and it’s too late to fix anything else up. We’ll just make do with this first, and tomorrow we’ll have better food accommodations.”
Long San shook himself, and grew spirited. He received the porridge bowl and spoon, and ate. After a few mouthfuls, he lifted his head to see Feng Ning just staring at him. He looked at the porridge in his hands, and asked, “Is this the only bowl?”
“En.” Feng Ning nodded. “This bowl is so huge, is it not enough for you to eat?”
“Then what about you?”
“I’m not hungry.” Just as Feng Ning finished speaking, her stomach made ‘gugu’ sounds, and she could only embarra.s.singly ‘hehe’ laugh.
Long San patted the place next to him. “Come here.”
Feng Ning took a seat there, and Long San scooped a spoonful of porridge and brought it to her mouth. “Eat.”
Feng Ning swallowed her saliva, and shook her head. “Even if I eat this it won’t be enough. Rather than having two people starving, why not just let you be full. You’re sick, so you should be eating something. I’m fine, I’ll just wait until tomorrow morning and there will be food.”
Long San held onto the spoon without moving. “I only want to eat a bit of something, so we’re going to split this porridge into two portions.” Feng Ning’s heart felt sweet, and she swallowed the porridge at her mouth. She took the bowl and said, “Let me hold it, so you won’t be tired out.”
“Do your legs hurt?” Long San ate a spoonful of porridge, and asked. Feng Ning lowered her head to look at her own knees, and ‘hehe’ laughed. “No problem, I’m very durable.”
“You carried me while walking such a long distance. Tomorrow you probably won’t be able to lift your legs.” Long San fed her some porridge, and spoke.
“Then there’s nothing to be afraid of. We have a place to stay here and food to eat, compared to the cave it’s a lot better. You’re getting better, and my legs are fine. In the worst case, I’ll just accompany you in recuperating tomorrow.” Feng Ning thought this kind of ‘you one bite, me one bite,’ made the sweet potato porridge a delicious delicacy.
In this night, the two of them tidied up, changed into the clean clothes Aunt Ma provided them, and squeezed onto the hard stone bed[6] to sleep. They nestled together, and covered under the same blanket, the exhaustion and pain from Feng Ning’s entire body flowed out. Being close to Long San, she felt his body sweating and his temperature was normal, but she felt like this stone bed was really warm and comfortable. In the darkness, there were no other sounds, only Long San’s and her own breathing.
Feng Ning quietly held onto Long San’s hand, but she didn’t expect Long San to actually not be asleep, and he suddenly said, “I haven’t heard Hua Guniang[7] sing a lot of ballads.”
Feng Ning blanked for a moment, then awkwardly ‘hm’ once, and did not speak.
Then Long San said, “I have also never bitten any other guniang’s ears.” This time Feng Ning couldn’t “hm” in response, but Long San continued, “No other guniang has carried me before.” Feng Ning anxiously said, “So from what you’re saying, if another guniang were to carry you, you would bite down.”
“If any other guniang were to encounter such a situation, I’m afraid they would’ve only been wiping their tears or ran off to find some soldiers for help.” Long San tightly held onto Feng Ning’s hand. “They’re not as foolish as to carry a heavy man and walk ten li (roughly 3.11 miles).”
Feng Ning blinked, and snuggled a bit closer to Long San. She could hear Long San speak again, “They also wouldn’t always make me laugh, and wouldn’t starve themselves to give the only bowl of porridge to me to eat.”
Feng Ning felt very moved. When she was doing those things she didn’t think too much about them, and naturally just did them. Now that he’d pointed them out, she couldn’t help but also feel that she was really amazing.
“They also wouldn’t twist the situation, mislabel me and curse me as a pig.”
“Humph.” Feng Ning was dissatisfied. Long San wanted to laugh again.
The two of them were silent for a while. Feng Ning seemed to hesitate for a little bit, wanting to speak but did not say anything. Long San kneaded her hands, “What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“Say it.”
Feng Ning didn’t want to say it, but when she heard Long San say those two simple words she couldn’t resist the gentleness, and dazedly followed his command. “I was just thinking, if we had just met now it would’ve been great.”
Long San’s heart was startled, because just now he was also thinking the same thing.
“Feng’er…” Long San turned his head around, and looked into her pure, confused childlike eyes. He couldn’t resist lifting his hand and touching her face. “I’m the one who’s doing wrong by you, Feng’er.”
Feng Ning softly let out an “ah”, and said, “It’s who I was in the past that did wrong towards you, that’s why you don’t dare to treat me too well, right?”
“I’m really afraid. If you change back to the person you were, what should I do?”
“Then if I never change back, what should I do?” Feng Ning tightly pulled on his hand. “I’m also afraid.”
“Feng’er…”
Feng Ning suddenly widened her eyes till they were round. “Why are you calling me Feng’er?”
“Hey, aren’t you called Yang Feng Er?” Feng Ning’s ability to suddenly change topics was something Long San was already used to, so he amazingly coordinated with her words.
“Yang Feng Er?” Feng Ning ‘hehe’ laughed. “This name isn’t bad.” She thought about it, and laughed again.
Long San tugged at her hair. “What about the name you gave me? How are you planning to call me, Zhu what? We should correspond, so tomorrow we won’t expose ourselves in front of Uncle Ma.”
As Feng Ning heard this, she couldn’t help but ‘haha’ laugh and grew happy. She proudly and satisfyingly said, “You’re called Zhu Long San.” She deliberately kept the ‘Long’ word m.u.f.fled as she spoke, so at the first listen it sounded like, “Pig Head San (Zhu Tou San).” After she finished speaking, the more she thought of it, the more she found it funny, and she couldn’t stop being amused.
Her happy expression was sort of cute, and Long San couldn’t help but laugh as well. No matter what happened, and no matter how poor the circ.u.mstances were, she was always able to make him laugh. Long San felt that there were some things that couldn’t be changed, and that his defenses were not as strong as he thought they were.
“Long San, of the things that I’ve done in the past, which one was the one you couldn’t stand the most?”
[1]Popo; original text is 婆婆 (popo). Means husband’s mother, mother-in-law, or grandma. The Chinese have specific t.i.tles for different family members depending on who’s addressing who.
[2]Death by a thousand knives; original text is (殺千刀) (shā qiān dāo). I think this is the right way to translate it, but it pretty much means someone who deserves to die.
[3]Uncle, Aunt…; original text is 大叔，大嬸 (dàshū, dàshěn). They are not really Feng Ning’s relatives. They can be used in familial situations, but are also a general form of address towards strangers as well.
[4]Gongzi; original text is 公子 (gōngzǐ). Polite way to refer to men who are often n.o.bles or sons of officials. I guess it’s sort of like sir?
[5]Jin Chuang Medicine; original text is 金創藥 (jīn chuāng yào). Mentioned back in ch. 26. I have no idea what the actual name is, but it’s pretty much medicine for wounds.
[6]Stone Bed; original text is 土坑 (tǔ kēng). Literal translation is earthen pit. I don’t know if the author left out a word, but I decided on stone bed because it would make more sense this way 土坑床 (tǔ kēng chuáng) which is an actual thing. Image here.
[7]Guniang; original text is 姑娘 (gūniang). It generally means a young girl or young lady, and can be used as a form of address.