Chapter Thirteen: The Steamed Bun Shop

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On this day, the Black Bandit lingered once more in the desolate village with nothing to do. Left with no other choice, he joined a few women to play cards. These women, for reasons unknown, couldn’t stop laughing whenever they saw the Black Bandit, which only emboldened him to act even more recklessly and without restraint.

Meanwhile, Shao Qiu stayed inside his own room. It was a rainy day with nothing to occupy him but reading.

Curiously, the Black Bandit suggested setting up the card table right outside Shao Qiu’s door, occasionally uttering baffling remarks. Shao Qiu paid them no mind, content to continue reading his book.

Thus, the rustling of pages and the sounds of card games outside blended together, becoming a peculiar scene in this forsaken village.

As the Black Bandit played cards outside Shao Qiu’s door, he suddenly began calling out to him.

“Shao Qiu, come out quickly and bring me a bowl of tea!” he demanded in a tone that brooked no refusal.

Shao Qiu hesitated, unsure whether to comply or not, but eventually stepped out to pour some tea from his own home and placed it before the Black Bandit.

“Here, it’s still hot,” Shao Qiu said.

Having poured the tea, Shao Qiu hurried back to his desk to avoid wasting time.

But outside the room, the laughter of the women mingled with the heavy thumping of the Black Bandit on the table, making it impossible for Shao Qiu to focus on his reading.

At that moment, the Black Bandit said he needed to use the restroom but found no paper, as he hadn’t brought any with him. Hearing the rustle of pages, he had a sudden idea: why not go inside and ask Shao Qiu for some to wipe with?

Ignoring all proprieties, the Black Bandit barged into Shao Qiu’s room and stood behind him, first asking what he was doing.

Before Shao Qiu could answer, the Black Bandit tore a page from the book he was reading. Shao Qiu, just about to lose his temper, dared not say a word because of the Black Bandit’s imposing figure.

Shao Qiu was at a particularly good part in his book, and to have a page torn out was infuriating. He even contemplated confronting the Black Bandit, but how could a lone scholar hope to match such a brute? Alone and vulnerable, living to see another day was itself a blessing.

After tearing the page, the Black Bandit went to the toilet, used the paper to wipe himself, then returned to the women, shouting loudly to assert his masculinity.

Shao Qiu was left to skip the missing page and continue reading the next, while the women’s mocking laughter outside made it clear they were ridiculing him.

Dear readers, please do not mock Shao Qiu; he had no choice. To confront the Black Bandit would have meant certain defeat.

The Black Bandit continued playing cards outside with the women, while Shao Qiu, his favorite parts ripped away, lost interest in reading and sat by the window, gazing out. But what could he see here?

The card game ended as dusk fell, and night quietly descended, draping the desolate village in an even greater air of mystery.

Shao Qiu stepped out of his room aimlessly and, without realizing it, found himself outside Hua Bo’s house.

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Hua Bo was busy picking vegetables in his home. Seeing Shao Qiu approach, he inexplicably became furious, brandishing a knife and shouting at him.

“Stop right there!” Hua Bo bellowed. “Don’t come any closer, or this knife won’t be polite!”

“I’m just out for a walk,” Shao Qiu tried to reason.

“Don’t play tricks on me. I know you’re not just out for a stroll—you want to look at my little Hua, don’t you?”

“I’m not, really. I’m just taking a walk, Uncle. You’re overthinking.”

“Get lost! If you come any closer, see how sharp this knife is. Want to try it?”

“All right, no need for that. I won’t come closer. I’ll go back, okay?” Shao Qiu said, tears streaming down his face.

“That’s better. You should know your place and remember who my little Hua is. If you dare to fancy her, I’ll make sure you don’t live to regret it!” Hua Bo shouted before crouching down to continue his work in the yard.

Shao Qiu had no choice but to return to his room, closing the door behind him. He gazed out at the scenery—the beautiful trees and the majestic shadows of the mountains.

Meanwhile, Dog Master had nothing to do that day, so he wandered into Lü Town hoping to find some opportunity. But wandering about, what could he possibly gain there?

At that moment, a quarrel broke out between a shopkeeper and a customer inside one of the shops. The cause of the dispute was unknown.

Dog Master stood by watching. The customer was tall and robust, while the shopkeeper was thin and frail. Yet in this era of law and order, brute force alone was no longer acceptable.

The customer spat on the ground and prepared to leave, heading toward the town’s dock, when someone called out to him.

“Hey, want to vent some anger?” Dog Master asked.

“Sure, but what can I do? The law’s on his side. I shouldn’t have stolen from him,” the customer sighed.

“But he hit you, didn’t he? Are you just going to let him go?” Dog Master pressed.

“It’s my own fault for being so reckless. Who else can I blame for stealing?” the customer replied.

Just then, the shopkeeper approached and slapped the customer twice, humiliating him in front of the entire town. The customer’s face was so ugly that his shame was palpable, yet he dared not resist. Covering his face, he prepared to board a boat and leave.

“Damn it! Stealing in my shop—next time if I catch you, I’ll break your legs,” the shopkeeper said, spitting on the ground before departing.

“Want to get back at him?” Dog Master asked again.

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“Sure, do you have a way?” the customer asked.

“If you pay me, I can make him look bad,” Dog Master said.

“How much?”

“One hundred coins.”

“Fine, here you go.”

“I guarantee your satisfaction.”

Near closing time, Dog Master somehow obtained two buckets of manure and placed them in front of the shop, loudly proclaiming a discount sale.

Passersby covered their noses, afraid to breathe due to the unbearable stench, many retching.

“Hey, can you move this stuff somewhere else? This is my shop’s doorstep,” the shopkeeper complained.

The shop sold steamed buns and bread, but with Dog Master’s foul display, no one dared come near—not even to look. All covered their noses and hurried away.

“Boss, I’m desperate too. The family’s in hard times and I couldn’t think of anything else to sell. After much thought, I came up with this,” Dog Master said with a wry smile.

“But you can’t place it right at my door like this. It’s improper,” the shopkeeper said, his face darkening. Yet he dared not lash out, for assault was against the law, a fact well known in Lü Town.

At that moment, someone approached Dog Master, asking, “How much for the manure? It looks decent. Want to sell it to me?”

Seeing Dog Master had a buyer, the shopkeeper, also a merchant, thought it best to let him finish selling rather than chase him away.

“Since you’re buying, I’ll give you a good price. I need the money badly. Otherwise, I’d just use it to fertilize cabbage and radishes—what’s wrong with that?” Dog Master said.

The man bought the manure, and Dog Master left. The shopkeeper sighed deeply, relieved to have the foul smell removed. Yet strangely, no one came to buy buns from his shop anymore; the place seemed permanently tainted by the stench.

The customer who gave Dog Master the money chuckled quietly before departing.

Dog Master looked at the setting sun in the west. It was getting late; he had to return to the desolate village before something unfortunate befell him in Lü Town.