Chapter 17: The Journey by Car, The Unparalleled Zhou Chunxiang

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Upon hearing this, Jinshan cheerfully went to soak the dry grass. After the whole family had eaten their fill, Jinshan took several children to the village entrance to board the ox cart, leaving only Zhou Yaru at home to keep watch.

“Brother Shan, off to the market?” Zhou Changhe at the village entrance saw the large group approaching and called out from afar.

“Yes, taking some vegetables to sell and exchange for silver,” Jinshan replied, helping Meng Yun, Jin Yanchuan, and Jin Qiao’er onto the donkey cart, while he and his two sons carried large bamboo baskets on their backs.

“Why aren’t your grandpa and the others getting on? And carrying so much?” Zhou Changhe stepped over and took the basket off Jin Yanzhe’s back.

“That’s at least sixty or seventy jin. The poor kid’s shoulders would get crushed. Hurry and put the baskets on the cart. If you don’t want to ride, then don’t.” Zhou Changhe’s tone was firm.

Jinshan knew that Brother Changhe meant well, so he let it be.

“We’ll head off first,” Jinshan said, setting off with his two sons.

Meng Yun knew her father-in-law was trying to save a few copper coins each on the fare, preferring to walk himself while letting her and the “foolish” husband ride. This kind-heartedness was so heavy it was almost unbearable. Her determination to earn money and provide a better life for her family grew even stronger.

Soon the donkey cart was full with eight people. The three baskets from the Jin family took up quite a bit of space, causing some discontent.

“Uncle Changhe, whose baskets are these? They’re really in the way,” said Zhou Chunxiang, daughter of Widow Wang from the village. Widow Wang’s husband, Zhou Erlai, had been eaten by a tiger three years ago while hunting in the mountains. By the time the villagers arrived, only his head remained untouched.

Zhou Erlai was known as a lazy good-for-nothing, and his wife Wang Shi was a notorious shrew—a firebrand among firebrands—who could gossip endlessly about anyone, making up stories when none existed. The villagers all knew her to be shameless and despicable, so they kept their distance. Their two children had inherited their parents’ nature.

Their son, Zhou Dahu, was twenty-one, had married twice, but both wives had been driven away by her. Now he was a bachelor, with a daughter left behind by one of the former wives.

The daughter was Zhou Chunxiang, the very one speaking just now. She was quite pretty but overly proud, longing to marry someone from the town. She looked down on the village mud farmers, except for Jin Yanchuan before he was branded a fool. Back then, she would occasionally “bump into” Jin Yanchuan and even give him little gifts like small pouches, but Jin Yanchuan was devoted to his studies and never paid her any mind. Rejected time and again, she grew to resent him. Later, when Jin Yanchuan went to the prefecture city for the exam and he and his brother Jin Yan’an were both injured, Zhou Chunxiang was secretly delighted.

“Does it bother you? This place is big enough. Isn’t there room for you to sit?” Zhou Changhe said irritably, though he was mindful of the younger generation and did not want to offend too much.

Meng Yun didn’t want to put Uncle Changhe in an awkward position, so she held Qiao’er in her arms and scooted the baskets over, freeing up quite a bit of space.

“Oh, whose fool are you? Turns out you’re the Jin family fool’s, ha ha,” Zhou Chunxiang sneered, shamelessly hitting where it hurt.

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“You’re the fool. Your whole family is the fool,” Jin Qiao’er immediately shot back, pointing at Zhou Chunxiang and cursing.

“You brat, I never said you. Why so upset? Oh, your family has a fool, ha ha ha.” Zhou Chunxiang didn’t care about Jin Qiao’er or the Jin family—they were outsiders. Without the Zhou family’s old estate nearby, they wouldn’t have a foothold in Zhou’s village.

It was worth mentioning that Zhou Erlai’s grandfather and the clan chief were brothers, which gave Zhou Erlai’s family some impunity in the village.

“You…” Jin Qiao’er wanted to retort but Meng Yun stopped her.

“Qiao’er, do we have dogs in our village?” Meng Yun asked.

“Yes, Uncle Changhe’s family has one,” Qiao’er replied, puzzled by her sister-in-law’s sudden shift to talking about dogs.

“Imagine if a dog bit you. What would you do? Stay far away from the mad dog, or turn around and bite it back?” Meng Yun smiled as she asked.

“Of course stay away. Dogs are dirty. I wouldn’t bite them,” Qiao’er answered.

“Exactly, you’ve just been bitten by a dog, so…” Meng Yun deliberately dragged out the last word.

The little girl instantly understood. “I get it, sister-in-law. I won’t say anything and just let the dog bark.”

“Right, smart girl.” Meng Yun patted Qiao’er’s head.

Jin Yanchuan shot an angry glare at Zhou Chunxiang, knowing full well she had just called him a fool.

“Ah Chuan, don’t look. Got dog hair stuck on your clothes already. We don’t have silver to buy new clothes,” Meng Yun tugged his hand gently.

“Okay, wife, I won’t look. It’s dirty,” Jin Yanchuan obediently replied, as if agreeing to everything his wife said.

Everyone on the cart covered their mouths, chuckling, unsure whether they were laughing at the Jin family calling Zhou Chunxiang a dog or at Jin Yanchuan being such a fool and so obedient to his wife.

“You filthy woman, you insulted me!” Zhou Chunxiang, though dim-witted, understood perfectly that the “fool’s wife” had called her a dog.

“I never said names. If you take it personally, that’s on you,” Meng Yun shook her head.

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“You filthy woman, I’m going to tear your mouth apart!” Zhou Chunxiang lunged forward aggressively.

“Enough. If you don’t want to ride, get off,” Zhou Changhe blocked her with his whip.

“Uncle Changhe, you siding with them?” Zhou Chunxiang asked in disbelief.

“I’m not siding with anyone. If you want to ride, sit properly. If you want to fight, get off,” Zhou Changhe said sternly, showing his displeasure. No matter if she was unmarried or not, this girl was far less sensible than a dutiful young wife.

“You… I’ll hold it in,” Zhou Chunxiang said venomously, casting a hateful glance at Meng Yun with a silent message: Just you wait.

Meng Yun wore a carefree expression, ready to face whatever came, openly or in secret.

The donkey cart finally started moving. Meng Yun admired the passing scenery. The original owner rarely went to the market, always struggling to find enough to eat and overwhelmed with chores. There was never time or money to ride a donkey cart and enjoy the market.

Thinking of her current situation—how the Jin family treated her with wholehearted kindness—she felt sorry for the original owner. She vowed to repay the Jin family’s goodness tenfold or even a hundredfold.

After about half an hour, they caught up with the three Jin men.

“Dad…” Jin Qiao’er called sweetly.

“Sit tight, don’t fall off. Changhe, take us to the town. Just leave the baskets at the city gate,” Jinshan instructed.

“Got it, Brother Shan!” Zhou Changhe cracked his whip and the donkey cart clattered away.

Jin Yanchuan waved to his father, his legs restless, swinging back and forth. Jinshan’s face lit up with a pleased smile.

Jin Yanan and Jin Yanzhe bore no resentment toward their father’s special affection for their eldest brother. On the contrary, they believed their brother’s mind was troubled, so the family should love him even more.

After nearly another half hour, Meng Yun finally saw the three large characters “Wanqing Town” carved in bold relief on the imposing city gate.

There were no soldiers on the city wall, only two guards at the gate, casually inspecting suspicious vehicles and luggage. Since these were villagers coming to the market nearby, the guards merely glanced over and let everyone pass freely.