The marketplace in Shiquan County was as lively as ever. Familiar faces mixed with ones that seemed faintly unfamiliar, and most people took the initiative to come over and greet Wang Cheng.
Wang Cheng had smiled until his face went stiff, the corners of his mouth twitching from time to time. To everyone else, though, it looked like he was forcing a smile through his grief. Someone even came up to persuade him not to do anything foolish… Damn it, what part of him looked like he was about to do something foolish?
It had been more than half a month since the old monk died. Everyone in the villages and town who ought to know had already heard, even the children knew that the very old monk from the temple was gone. Most people felt sorry for Wang Cheng, so they were somewhat warmer toward him than usual, constantly looking at him with eyes that said my condolences or poor kid, as though without the old monk he no longer had anyone in the world to rely on.
“Dad, Mom, I’m back.”
Wang Cheng crossed the bustling marketplace and stopped in front of a house. Before he even stepped through the gate, his earthshaking shout rang out. The courtyard immediately erupted into chaos, chickens flapping and scattering everywhere while a jumble of noises came from inside. A middle-aged woman charged out with a broom in hand, and the instant she saw him, her eyes went round.
“Wang Xiaocheng, are you asking for a beating? Every time you come home, you have to scare my chickens! Believe it or not, I won’t let you eat a single chicken ever again!”
The broom in Mama Wang’s hand looked ready to come down on him at any second, but Wang Cheng knew it was only a threat. He had been doing this sort of thing for more than ten years. Even when he had been especially naughty and she swung it at him with gusto, the broom had never once truly landed on him. Thinking about it now, those memories had already grown hazy.
“Mom, I’m helping toughen them up. That way, our chickens will grow especially big and strong, and the meat will be extra tasty and chewy.” Shamelessly, Wang Cheng hugged Mama Wang’s arm, rubbed his cheek against it, and gave her his most ingratiating smile.
Normally, Mama Wang would have fired back with something like, Toughen my ass! But today she only glared at him, muttered, “You’re this old and still acting spoiled,” then turned back into the courtyard to continue feeding the chickens. This was their usual feeding time, which was why the courtyard had exploded into such chaos in the first place.
Wang Cheng trotted after her with his tail practically wagging.
Papa Wang was inside the house. Hearing the commotion, he poked his head out, saw Wang Cheng, and called, “Chengcheng, have you eaten?”
“I have. Dad, keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll help Mom feed the chickens.” Wang Cheng took the rice from Mama Wang and finished feeding the chickens in the courtyard before going inside to join Papa Wang. Wood shavings littered the floor, and several large pieces of timber lay messily nearby for the new bed Papa Wang was making. “Dad, I haven’t seen you in a while. Your craftsmanship keeps getting better and better.”
“Compared with your Uncle Jiang, your dad still has a long way to go. I’m just tinkering around. As long as it works, that’s enough. We’re not fussy about how pretty it looks.” Papa Wang kept tapping away with the hammer in his hand, and the shape of a bed had already begun to emerge. He really was no expert at this, having learned only the basics from Uncle Jiang, who did this kind of work professionally. Papa Wang made some of the simpler furniture in the house himself mainly to save money.
“Dad, where’s Little Sister?”
Wang Cheng looked around but did not see Wang Ziyu, his younger sister, who had just finished the college entrance examination and should have been at home. He returned to Papa Wang’s side.
“Xiaoyu went to work. She won’t be back until dinner.” Papa Wang did not even raise his head.
“Where is she working?”
Wang Cheng knew their family had always struggled financially, especially when the three siblings were young. They had therefore learned to be sensible early and grown into hardworking, independent people, especially his elder brother and little sister. His elder brother had made it all the way through university largely on scholarships and the tuition he earned from part-time jobs, while his little sister helped with the work at home and was quick and capable at everything she did… So did that make him the most useless one?
“The employee at Uncle Zhang’s bun shop in Zhang Family Village quit. They couldn’t find anyone to replace them for the time being, and Xiaoyu happened to have nothing else to do, so she went over to give it a try.” Papa Wang hammered in the final nail and was at last finished. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and the back of his shirt was soaked through.
Wang Cheng ran outside for a broom and dustpan and swept up the wood shavings on the floor. He set aside the usable scraps of wood since Papa Wang might need them next time. Just as he finished tidying up, Mama Wang came out carrying a plate of fried rice. Wang Cheng had smelled the aroma long ago and immediately sidled over with hungry eyes.
Wang Cheng had always had a big appetite, while the old monk had lived in relative poverty, so he often went without enough to eat. Papa Wang and Mama Wang both knew this. Every time he came home, they made sure to cook for him. One of their children was already working, and their eldest son in particular had done well for himself, reportedly landing a job at a large company. Their family was much better off now than it had been before.
“Slow down. No one’s going to steal it from you.” Mama Wang turned to pour him a glass of water, worried he would choke from eating too quickly.
Wang Cheng continued shoveling down huge mouthfuls as though his hide were so thick he could not even feel the heat. Before long, he had polished off the very last grain of rice on the plate and gulped down the entire glass of water. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his stomach and let out a satisfied burp. “Mom’s cooking is still the best.”
Mama Wang came over to collect the plate and chopsticks, but her usually brisk movements suddenly paused. “Chengcheng, from now on, stay here at home.” There was a trace of caution in her voice when she said it.
Wang Cheng chuckled, lunged forward, and wrapped his arms around Mama Wang’s waist. “Mom, you’re the best. I was afraid you still held a grudge because I accidentally broke your clay pot last time and wouldn’t even let me through the door.”
“You brat. I’d forgotten all about that until you brought it up.” Mama Wang laughed as she scolded him.
“Mom, I’m going to see Little Sister.”
“That brat sure runs fast.” Mama Wang walked to the doorway and looked out. His figure had already disappeared, quick as a rabbit. She shook her head helplessly, then suddenly sighed. When she turned around, she found Papa Wang wearing the same complicated expression.
Wang Cheng was the second child. When he was seven, the birth of his younger sister Wang Ziyu increased the burden on the family. After agonizing over it, Papa Wang and Mama Wang had no choice but to entrust Wang Cheng to the old monk, who had wanted to take him as a disciple. That arrangement lasted eighteen years.
Although Wang Cheng came down the mountain to see them from time to time and got along well with his elder brother and younger sister, Papa Wang and Mama Wang still worried that he resented them. Seven was already old enough to understand what had happened, and because of it, their relationship had never been especially close.
Now that the old monk had passed away, Papa Wang and Mama Wang were deeply worried about Wang Cheng. There was no way eighteen years together could have left him without feelings for the man.
They had seen the temple on Fengxia Mountain before. Even with two people living there, it had felt terribly lonely; with only one person, its vast emptiness was almost frightening. So when they heard about the old monk’s death, both of them wanted Wang Cheng to come home. They had seen him once a few days ago but had not known how to bring it up. Now that they had finally managed to say it, Wang Cheng had immediately started joking around to cheer them up instead.
“Chengcheng is just too considerate.” Papa Wang sighed with feeling.
They could both see that Wang Cheng had agreed so readily because he did not want them to worry. For all that the boy usually acted carefree and unserious, he was actually more sensitive and thoughtful than anyone.
Mama Wang felt miserable too. “We owe him.”
Papa Wang patted her back and comforted her. “All right. Once we’re living together, we can do our best to make up for all those years.”
Mama Wang nodded. Thinking that her second son would be living under the same roof with them from now on finally eased her heart a little. “What about that thing we talked about last time? Is it true?”
“Most likely. A while ago, I saw a group of strangers surveying our village. Everyone’s been talking about it lately too. I’d say there’s an eighty or ninety percent chance it’ll go through.” Papa Wang thought they should start making preparations as soon as possible.