Chapter Thirty-Nine: How Cold the Snowy Night Is

It was another beautiful, sunny day. The little river flowed leisurely under the white clouds, carrying away fallen white and red petals that vanished into the distance, never to be found again. Xiao Hua walked to the riverbank once more, squatting on a rock to beat her laundry.

The old rogue loitered over to the river again, sitting right behind her and gazing affectionately at her form. Xiao Hua’s waist swayed like a willow in the wind, brimming with the vibrancy of youth; all who saw her were intoxicated, and the old rogue was no exception.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Hua scolded, though for some reason, she let out a soft laugh.

"Nothing much. I saw a caterpillar on you and was just helping you catch it," the old rogue said, a grin spreading across his face.

"Is that so? Then I suppose I must thank you." With that, Xiao Hua landed a sharp blow on the old rogue and fled.

The old rogue’s head seemed to have split open; blood began to flow, and he collapsed to the ground, howling in agony. Just then, Uncle Hua arrived at the riverbank. Seeing this, he stepped forward to inquire, and the old rogue immediately accused Xiao Hua of assault.

Uncle Hua, a kind-hearted man, gathered herbs for the old rogue and offered countless soothing words. Yet, the old rogue would not relent, insisting he must move into Uncle Hua’s house to recover.

Uncle Hua had no choice but to agree, setting a limit of one month. He warned that if the rogue did not leave after the month was up, he would curse him with all his might during the dark, lonely nights. The old rogue, frightened, agreed and moved into the house. Upon seeing Xiao Hua, Uncle Hua scolded her indiscriminately, leaving her in her room to weep loudly, even contemplating taking her own life.

However, Xiao Hua thought of Shao Qiu, who was likely busy studying. She felt it better not to trouble him with such matters. She sat alone in her room while the old rogue lay in the main hall, faking a grave illness. He frequently demanded that Xiao Hua come to his side, touching her hands or staring at her face, and even suggesting they sleep together.

That night, when Uncle Hua returned, Xiao Hua told her father what the old rogue had said.

"Dad, he said he wants to sleep with me," Xiao Hua said.

Uncle Hua remained silent, fearing some trap. He had suffered at the hands of this rogue before and dared not act on impulse. As he stood in silence, the old rogue began to moan from the other room, complaining of the cold.

"Are you cold even in the summer?" Uncle Hua asked, approaching him.

"Sigh, I won't lie to you. My health is poor. At night, I feel the chill deeply. If someone doesn't warm my feet, I fear I won't live to see tomorrow!" The old rogue groaned loudly, his coughing so severe it was alarming, convincing Uncle Hua to believe him.

Uncle Hua pondered that if the man died in his house, the police would come, and he might be sentenced to death—a terrible prospect. Moreover, if the villagers of the desolate village found out, they would surely mock him. He went to his own room, retrieved a thick cotton quilt, and covered the old rogue.

"It’s no use, I’m still cold. I have no internal warmth; no matter how many blankets you pile on, it’s in vain," the old rogue said, his face flushing slightly at the thought of what he was about to suggest.

"Then what do you want?" Uncle Hua asked.

"Just have Xiao Hua keep me company tonight. Otherwise, I really might not survive until tomorrow. If you don't believe me, look at how cold my feet have become," the old rogue said with a smile.

"This... let me think. But if Xiao Hua refuses, what then? She might even take her own life," Uncle Hua said, his face filled with dread.

"Then I shall just die here," the old rogue insisted, looking truly determined to meet his end.

Uncle Hua was at a complete loss. He knew he couldn't let Xiao Hua keep the man company, but he didn't know how to handle this wretched creature.

Just then, Xiao Hua emerged, coughing incessantly. Her complexion was poor and her hair disheveled, as if something were wrong.

"Let me keep him company," Xiao Hua said, coughing between words.

"Aren't you sick?" the old rogue asked.

"I won't hide it from you. Xiao Hua has contracted tuberculosis and it's contagious. If you don't mind, let her keep you company, how about that?" Uncle Hua stepped forward, smiling.

"Get out! All of you, get out! Go far away! I don't want company, I don't want anyone! I'm not cold, just die somewhere else!" The old rogue jumped off the bed, rushed out the door, and disappeared.

Xiao Hua closed the door, stopped coughing, let out a mischievous giggle, and returned to her room, laughing heartily.

Night deepened, and the desolate village fell into a profound silence. No human voices could be heard, and even the sound of the river flowing eastward had faded away.

One night, Shao Qiu awoke from a dream and stepped outside to look at the sky; only a few stars were visible. A large vehicle quietly appeared in the darkness, its headlights casting an uncomfortable glare, though they made the Gelimu Mountains seem less daunting.

Shao Qiu was ill, his coughing fits shaking the entire village. The vehicle, however, paid no heed, charging into the village with the audacity of a conqueror. The villagers dared not speak, only sighing quietly from their dilapidated beds.

Shao Qiu thought it had nothing to do with him; he glanced at it, went back inside, locked his door, and lay back down. In the pitch-black night, hearing the sound was not as frightening as he had expected. Though he was unsettled by the rumors of ghosts in his house, he kept a blade inside, which he hoped would drive any specters away.

He lay in the dark, listening to the vehicle pass through the village, finding a strange, unique quality to the sound. But as fate would have it, the vehicle stopped right in front of his house and refused to move. Who could understand why?

A loudspeaker blared, its piercing volume nearly causing Shao Qiu’s head to burst. He held his breath, listening to the commotion, hoping the nuisance would depart. But the vehicle stayed, and voices began to speak. Was that not Black Bandit?

Someone knocked on the door. In the middle of the night, the sound was deafening; a little more force and the rotting door would have given way. Someone began to curse. Then, the sound of urination was heard—not a pleasant sound, but what else could he do?

The night was truly cold, and the north wind whistled, stripping leaves from the trees and scattering them into the unknown. It seemed the first snow was not far off. A sound like falling stones hit the roof—no, it wasn't stones; it was snowing. On a quiet night, the sound might have been poetic, but tonight, it was harsh.

"Open the door!" someone roared.

"Who is it?" Shao Qiu asked. No one answered; the voice seemed frozen by the snowy weather.

"Me!" the person roared viciously. With the shout, the paper-covered window rattled, and the north wind burst in, carrying grains of snow.

Shao Qiu didn't dare speak further, hoping to stall them. The night turned quiet for a moment; it seemed his plan was working.

"Open the damn door!" After a long while, the person outside shouted again. Just when Shao Qiu thought they had left, they remained.

Shao Qiu coughed and climbed out of bed, tripping over his shoes and falling. He scraped his nose against the wall, and it began to bleed. He couldn't worry about his nose; he had to deal with the people outside.

He reached for the door, but it swung open before he could touch it. The person outside had reached in and undone the latch. A man entered, followed by a dark shadow. They were arrogant, acting as if the room belonged to them rather than Shao Qiu.

Shao Qiu, dressed in thin clothing, dared not stay inside. He stepped out and crouched in the corner, shivering as the heavy snow began to fall.

These men were summoned by Black Bandit. Thinking the heavy snow would freeze his boat, he had brought it to be stored in Shao Qiu’s room. With people nearby, perhaps his boat wouldn't be afraid. How thoughtful he was toward his vessel!

"This is my house. Why are you putting your boat here?" Shao Qiu asked timidly.

"The boss said it's snowing heavily, and the boat will freeze if left outside," one of them replied on behalf of Black Bandit.

Shao Qiu said nothing more. If he offended these men, he would never be able to live in the village again. Besides, what could a mere scholar do against such wolf-like men?

Black Bandit placed the large boat in the room, dragged Shao Qiu back inside, slammed the door, and left with a laugh. Faced with the massive boat, Shao Qiu didn't know what to do, yet he dared not move it out. He simply closed the door, lay on his bed, and let out a long, heavy sigh. What else could he do?