Chapter 26: Repayment

The group of children, having spent their money, found themselves with only a dozen or so wheat stalks to show for it. They were crestfallen, but when Yang Chunlei gifted them a small chick, their disappointment vanished, replaced by sheer delight.

Carefully cradling the chick, the children thanked Yang Chunlei repeatedly before skipping away in high spirits. They ran to an open space and set the chick down. Hearing it chirp, they assumed it was hungry. They immediately shucked their wheat stalks, placing the kernels before the bird. Seeing the chick begin to peck at the food, the children were invigorated, and before long, they had fed it more than half of their wheat.

After the children left, Yang Chunlei returned to his busy work. The commotion they had made earlier had drawn a crowd, and many onlookers, realizing it was a ring-toss game, began to join in. It must be said that these bamboo rings were notoriously difficult to handle, and many people failed to land a single toss after three attempts. For such customers, Yang Chunlei would compensate them with a stalk of wheat per penny. Seeing this, the crowd grew even more interested. People began calling over their friends, and soon Yang Chunlei’s stall was swarmed. The rings were being thrown so fast he could barely keep up with collecting them. Fellow peddlers nearby watched this scene, marveling at his ingenuity and business acumen.

Back at the Machinery Factory residential compound, the children had heard that a ring-toss game had arrived at the gate. Usually, such attractions only appeared during temple fairs, and they rarely had the chance to play. Now that the opportunity had arrived, they couldn't let it pass. Many immediately called their siblings to come and play, especially since the large rabbit on display was truly tempting. The children who had just left Yang Chunlei’s stall took their chicks home and then returned with their elders in tow.

Yang Chunlei had never expected that a single rabbit would draw such a massive following. His stall was now packed. Yang Xiaojun kept his head down, gathering the rings and handing them to his father, who would then sell them to the waiting customers. Zhang Guihua was in charge of collecting money and handing out the prizes. The wheat stalks on the cart were vanishing at an astonishing speed, and the chicks on the ground had been replaced several times over. Only the rabbit in its cage remained unclaimed. This only fueled the crowd’s excitement; everyone wanted to see if the prize would actually be awarded if won.

Amidst the noisy crowd, a few more people stepped forward to buy rings. Yang Chunlei noticed a group of children led by a white-haired old man. As they squeezed to the front, Liu Jianye shouted, "Grandpa, I want that rabbit! Can you win it for me?"

"Alright, let me see," the old man replied, gauging the distance before asking Yang Chunlei, "How much for the rings?"

"One penny for the small ones, two for the large ones. The small ones can only reach the first five rows; the large ones can reach everything."

"In that case, give me ten of each."

"Sure, I'll throw in one extra for free!"

"You're a generous merchant!"

The old man paid, took the rings, and carefully inspected them to get a feel for their weight and balance. He tossed his eleven small rings, successfully landing a few on the wheat stalks in the fourth row. The crowd cheered, and Liu Jianye, seeing his grandfather’s skill, was overjoyed. Clutching his prize, he cheered, "Grandpa, go for the rabbit! I want the rabbit!"

"Alright, alright, I'll get it for you!" The old man patted his grandson’s head with affection. He began tossing the large rings. These were harder to master, but one could tell by his stance that he was an expert; each ring landed close to the rabbit cage. The crowd held their breath, afraid to disturb him. Suddenly, one ring flew through the air, landing steadily on the cage and perfectly encircling the rabbit.

"Bravo! The old gentleman is truly skilled!"

"Incredible!"

Liu Jianye shrieked with excitement as he saw his grandfather win the rabbit. The onlookers were equally thrilled; they hadn't expected the old man to win such a large rabbit with only thirty cents. Yang Chunlei congratulated the man, then opened the cage and handed the rabbit to Liu Jianye. The boy hugged the animal, showing it off to his friends.

"Sir, you still have three large rings left. Would you like a refund?"

"No need, I'll finish them," the old man said, tossing them offhandedly. None of them hit the mark.

Yang Chunlei thanked him profusely, but the old man just waved him off. "You’re a man of your word. My grandson came to play earlier, and you didn't cheat him." It was only then that Yang Chunlei realized there was a history there.

After the grandfather and grandson left, Yang Chunlei placed another rabbit into the cage. The crowd’s enthusiasm reached a fever pitch. By the afternoon, everything else had been won, though the rabbit remained unclaimed. As it grew late, Yang Chunlei packed up his stall. He took the rabbit to a butcher’s stand and traded it for a slab of pork belly, weighing about three or four pounds. The family headed home in high spirits.

It was nearly dark when they arrived. Zhang Guihua cut the meat, keeping a small piece for themselves and taking the rest to Yang Chunsheng’s house. The Yang Xingwu family had been busy planting corn all day and had only just finished.

"Is Chunsheng at home?"

When Zhang Guihua arrived with the pork, Wang Zhaodi was cooking. Hearing her voice, she quickly asked Yang Xingwen to greet her. Yang Xingwen ushered Zhang Guihua into the courtyard, and seeing the meat, he hurried to the kitchen to call his mother. Wang Zhaodi, seeing the pork in Zhang Guihua’s hand, asked anxiously, "Guihua, did it go well?"

"It did. Everything sold out. We traded the last rabbit for this slab of pork belly. Look, it’s quite fatty. I kept a little bit and brought the rest for you!"

"Guihua, this is too expensive. Take it back! This piece must be at least three pounds!"

"Sister-in-law Zhaodi, don't be a stranger. If not for Xingwu’s idea, our family would still be worrying. Besides, I didn't spend money on this. Take it and let Xingwu build up his strength. Look at him, he’s so thin his bones are showing. He needs something with more substance."

Yang Xingwu, who had been playing with his little sister in the yard, froze. He had offhandedly complained about the lack of fat in rabbit meat just two days ago, and now Aunt Guihua was here with pork. He felt incredibly embarrassed, as if he had only helped out to get food.

"Aunt Guihua," Yang Xingwu said quickly, "take the meat back for Xiaojun and the others to build up their strength. I'm feeling much better lately!"

"We have plenty at home. You helped me so much, I don't know how else to repay you. You must accept this!"

After a few more exchanges, Zhang Guihua, catching them off guard, shoved the meat into Wang Zhaodi’s arms and ran off. Watching this, Yang Xingwu was dumbfounded—is that how one gives away meat?