Chapter 10: Spring Begins Tonight

  It's a great pleasure to see a dignified and respectable person sweeping the floor, just like it's a thrill to push down a high-and-mighty young lady who thinks she's above everyone else. So, after being slapped by Xiao Erge at Baifeng Tower, Yin Erpeng enthusiastically spread the story of Ding Chongyi, the second young master of the Ding family, who was impotent and had contracted a venereal disease. The story quickly spread throughout Bazhou City, with various versions emerging, each one making Ding Chongyi look even more despicable.

  As a result, some young women and the red girls of the painting hall were nervous for half a day. Although they were too embarrassed to show up in person, most of them sent their trusted maidservants to buy some detoxifying medicine at the pharmacy, only buying expensive ones, not the right ones. With the arrival of the Spring Festival season, the business of each pharmacy became even more prosperous.

  Ding Ershao went to Xiongzhou, and the work of Xue Liang and Ding Hao became much easier. Every day, they fed the mules, cut the fodder, swept the third courtyard, and that was all they had to do.

  On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the Ding family starts sweeping dust, cleaning the environment, washing various utensils, taking down and washing bedding and curtains, sprinkling and sweeping the six courtyards and yards, dusting off spider webs, and dredging clear streams and hidden ditches. Then they prepare goods for the new year: chicken, duck, fish, meat, tea, wine, oil, soy sauce, stir-fried goods from the north and south, sugar, snacks, fruits, and also prepare some gifts to give when visiting relatives and friends during the new year, and buy new clothes and hats.

  The gates of the Ding family's courtyards were pasted with red paper and yellow couplets, the god of wealth and the character for good fortune, while inside the houses, colorful New Year pictures were put up, and beautiful window decorations were stuck on the windowsills, keeping everyone in the household busy for a while.

  The housekeepers are busy, collecting annual fees, preparing goods for the year, making offerings to gods and ancestors, and dealing with all sorts of things such as three sacrifices and five sacrifices, five grains and six fasting days, incense candles rice fruit, pomelos cannot be put on the table, fish must have scales... There are too many trivial matters to attend to, and they are busy running around in circles.

  Yanjiu had always been in charge of hosting banquets for the tenants and long-term workers on behalf of the Ding family, distributing gifts to them. However, he was not at the manor now. It was said that Second Young Master had taken a carriage from the Ye family's transportation business and run off to his uncle's house in Xiong Prefecture. Yanjiu immediately rushed to see Old Master Ding, kowtowing and requesting to be sent to Xiong Prefecture to bring back the young master.

  Ding Tingxun was ill at the time. His second son was not filial, causing him to lose face everywhere, especially after contracting such a shameful disease. He had no chance to explain or deny it, so wherever he went, he felt like people were pointing and whispering behind his back. As a prominent figure with many connections, there were many places he needed to visit during the Chinese New Year, and he couldn't avoid going out. As a result, opportunities for losing face increased.

  For many years, old friend Li Yuchang also had a grudge in his heart. Although he apologized and thanked him with a thick face, the relationship between them was finally eased, but Li Yuchang's expression was still a bit cold after being frightened. The relationship between the two was no longer as close as it used to be. With so many things mixed together, Ding Tingxun felt depressed and exhausted, and eventually developed a high fever.

  When a person is ill, his heart becomes weak. This son is not promising, after all, he is the most beloved youngest son. He ran out of several hundred miles away, and he was really worried. Moreover, the eldest son transported grain to rush to General Guangyuan's mansion to deliver military rations, and it was unknown whether he could return during the New Year. He had to worship gods and ancestors, and there must be a son serving by his side. Thinking of this, his face was cold, but he agreed.

  Then Yanjiu immediately set off for Xiongzhou, and the task of hosting tenant farmers and long-term workers, distributing annual goods fell to Liu Ming, who was in charge of the kitchen. Because of Yang Danni's relationship with him, Liu Guan Shi was very familiar with Ding Hao and Xue Liang. He was originally in charge of the kitchen and was afraid that he would not be able to handle it, so he borrowed these two people from the outer courtyard manager. As a result, the two followed Liu Guanshi and spent several days enjoying good food and drink.

  At the beginning of the year, they would invite tenant farmers and long-term workers to a banquet and give them gifts. This was a common practice among wealthy landlords, unlike those depicted in movies who bullied men and women, treating them as if one person was two servants. When collecting rent, the family's servants would carry guns and whips, and at the slightest delay, they would lash out with their whips. However, such cruel landlords did not exist, and those who were too stingy towards their workers would eventually decline within a few years.

  The powerful landlord is not an official, if it's not a noble family with the power of life and death, the tenant will have more room to maneuver and bargain. If they encounter a cunning tenant who delays payment, asks for leniency, secretly harvests and divides the crops, suppresses production, refuses to pay rent, abandons the land, or escapes without paying rent, then the landlord will be in trouble.

  Can't collect rent, just use force? Then who will dare to farm your land next year. Beat people? If someone gets injured, it's a lawsuit, even if you settle the case, don't you have to spend money on it? Who can't get along with whom? Therefore, for familiar tenants, every major festival, the landlord has to invite them to a banquet and give them some cured meat, wine and other festive gifts.

  Ordinarily, when tenant farmers or long-term workers fall ill or encounter misfortunes, the landlord would offer assistance by providing them with medicine. The long-term workers also have their ways of "living in the palm of their hands". If the landlord and the long-term worker are at odds, the worker wouldn't dare to openly resist, but they have many ways to slack off and be uncooperative. In farming work, it's easy to cause trouble, and in the end, it's still the landlord who loses out. Therefore, on the first and fifteenth of every month, they would offer some sacrifices, during festivals, they would give some grain, and at the end of the year, they would give a red envelope - these are all tactics used by far-sighted and generous landlords to retain those honest, hardworking long-term workers.

  The real slaves are the family slaves. One type is those who have signed a contract to sell themselves into slavery, like Yang Daigne. Another type is the children born to family slaves, who serve this family from birth. Although their bodies are free, due to their parents and elders' relationships, plus they have never left this circle of life since childhood, they completely lack independence and become slaves in disguise.

  If such a house slave encounters a kind master, it's fine; otherwise, they can be beaten and scolded at will, and their status is much lower than that of free tenants and long-term workers. It wasn't until now that Ding Hao realized his own status was even lower than that of tenant farmers and long-term workers. Tenants and long-term workers are common people, while he is a slave; this is a fundamental difference in their relationship.

  Having figured this out, Ding Hao was even more unwilling to stay in the Ding family. Here, he would never have a chance to turn things around, and if he wanted to change his life, it wouldn't be possible without leaving. But that mother Yang, who was not his biological mother but had treated him with deep kindness, could he really bear to abandon her? If he left this place, he would be empty-handed, what else could he do?

  Far and near, there would be a few firecrackers going off from time to time. Today was the 30th of the lunar year. At this time, everyone in the mansion had taken a break, leaving only the maids and servants in the inner courtyard busy with some scattered tasks. Ding Hao relaxed and lay down on the high pile of straw in the courtyard, basking in the warm sunshine as he gazed up at the azure sky. He dug a hole in the straw pile and lay inside, feeling soft and cozy, with the sun shining on his head and the wind blowing gently around him, making it very warm.

  "Ah-Dai, what are you thinking about?" A voice came from a nearby haystack, it was Xue Liang's.

  Ding Hao leaned on his arm and gazed at the blue sky, murmuring: "I'm thinking, how can I get out of this Ding family's big courtyard."

  "Where can we go at this time? Today is the 30th of December, and tonight is New Year's Eve. We can only have a good meal today." Xue Liang rubbed his belly, sighing contentedly: "If we could eat like this every year, that would be great..."

  Ding Hao fell silent for a moment, then said softly: "I'm thinking, how can I forever leave this Ding family compound, stand up straight and live the life I want."

  "What? What did you say, what's wrong with your waist, did you strain it when carrying pork? I told you not to carry such a big piece of fatty pork, but you still showed off..."

  Xue Liang crawled out of the grass pit, propped his dark, chubby face on the edge of the straw heap, and looked at Ding Hao with concern: "If you've strained your waist, don't take it lightly, or you might end up with a chronic illness and be unable to do hard labor for the rest of your life. Why don't I go ask for some medicinal wine and give you a massage?"

  Ding Hao felt a warm feeling in his heart, he reached out and plucked off the blade of grass stuck to Xue Liang's chin, saying softly: "Piggy, if one day your brother me has the ability, I will definitely let you have a life of luxury and comfort for the rest of your life."

  "Then I don't want to," Xue Liang's face turned red with embarrassment: "Ah-Dai, if one day you really have great abilities, help your brother find a wife."

  He used his two chubby hands to hold up his fat chin, and said with a distant thought: "People say that if you haven't slept with a woman in your lifetime, you're not considered a man. I'll be 20 years old after this year, but I still haven't touched a woman's finger."

  Ding Hao smiled and said: "Look at your attitude, if I had money, I would help you find a wife, no, I would find two for you."

  "This is great", Xue Liang chuckled, he rolled up his eyes and gazed at a cloud in the sky, smacking his lips, and said with infinite yearning: "Ah-Dai, you tell me... what's the taste of sleeping with a woman? I see Liu Guan Shi talking about it with flying colors, but I just can't figure it out, is the taste of sleeping with a woman more fragrant than eating fatty pork? Can't understand it at all..."