Chapter 2 Relatives

  Shi Wen, son of the Zhang family, courtesy name Zong Xing, was a general's brother. Initially, he held a minor official position in taxation. At that time, the general was still young and had a good relationship with Shi Wen. Shi Wen did not look down on the general because of his poverty and married his younger sister to him. Relatives and friends all thought this was unusual, but Shi Wen was delighted. When someone asked him about it, he just smiled and didn't answer. Later, the general rose to prominence, achieving great things and reaching the highest position under heaven. The general did not forget old kindnesses, and the entire Zhang family became prominent. Other people all sighed at how easily the Zhang family had achieved their noble status, but they didn't know about Shi Wen's discerning eye, which was truly laughable.

  The Legend of Qin's Great Wall

  A man in his twenties, with a greasy face and a shiny complexion, walked in, carrying some miscellaneous items. His name was Zhang Shiwen, courtesy name Zongxing, but despite the elegant name, he looked more like a butcher wielding a cleaver.

  Zhao Shi knew who the person was, and it turned out that the two families were relatives, and they were real relatives. Zhao Wanshan's father-in-law's surname was Wang, and the Wang family was originally from a nearby village, also hunters. But the Wang family had a good daughter, not referring to Zhao Shi's mother, this good daughter is now Zhao Shi's mother's younger sister. It is said that in those days, the whole town knew that the Wang family had produced a golden phoenix, as beautiful as a flower, and at the age of 16 or 17, she married the young master of the wealthy Zhang family in the county seat, becoming the legitimate wife of the eldest son, and it can be said that she jumped onto the branch. The other family's belly was also competitive, and within a few years, they gave birth to three big fat boys one after another. This Zhang Shiwen is the third child of the Zhang family.

  The Zhang family can be considered a half scholarly family, their ancestors had passed the imperial examination and became officials, the family was wealthy and prosperous. By the time of Zhang Shiwu's father, although no one in the family had become an official again, Tongyi County was just a small place anyway, such families were already considered noble and respectable by the villagers.

  Zhao Shi's father was a simple and honest man, who had never been to the county town more than a few times since his birth. He didn't have any idea of social climbing. Although he had a good relative, Zhang Shiwu, who was a tax collector in Gongyi County, he rarely visited them. It was actually Zhang Shiwu who would often come to visit Zhao Wanshan's family when he came to collect taxes, as his mother had asked him to take care of them. Other tax collectors also followed his instructions and gave Zhao Wanshan's family some consideration within their means whenever they collected taxes. This made Zhao Wanshan feel extremely grateful.

  "Zhang Shiwen, this guy is really not easy to get along with. Just now he was talking about you, have you eaten? Come on in and have a bite at my brother-in-law's place, let's have a drink together, and chat nicely?" Zhao Wanshan warmly invited Zhang Shiwen into the house.

  Having arrived here, Zhang Shiwen didn't stand on ceremony either. He often came here every now and then, and wasn't an outsider. He also didn't have the bad habit of looking down on poor relatives like some rich family's son. First, he put down the things he brought, greeted Zhao Wanshan and his aunt a few times, and sat down at the table.

  He casually patted Zhao Shi's head and laughed: "It's been a year since we last met, Stone has grown so big, just like a little man!"

  Zhao Shi strongly suppressed the urge to twist his opponent's hand off, tilted his head and dodged the fat hand that was stretched out towards him. It wasn't that he didn't understand human relationships or social norms; he actually knew very clearly what a normal person's life should be like. However, the imprint of being a warrior had been etched too deeply into his body, so deeply that it made him instinctively reject others getting too close to him, giving him a sense of danger.

  "What's wrong?" Zhang Shiwen was taken aback, "It's only been a year since we last met, and Shi Tou doesn't recognize San Ge anymore?"

  Zhao Wanshan glared at Zhao Shi, about to speak, but his wife took over the conversation. As she set out bowls and chopsticks for Zhang Shiwu, she explained: "Third child, it's all your aunt's fault. Last year I wasn't watching him closely, and he fell into the well. When we rescued him, he was left with only one breath. Luckily, heaven had mercy and didn't cut off the Zhao family line. We managed to save our child... but..." At this point, the woman wiped away tears, her voice choking up.

  As soon as he mentioned this, Zhao Wanshan's heart was also blocked, and he let out a long sigh.

  "Is this true?" Zhang Shiwen's surprise and concern were completely genuine, and he also held the Zhao family in high regard. The Zhang family was a well-known wealthy household in Gongyi County, and they had many relatives of all kinds. As the saying goes, "When one is rich, there are distant relatives everywhere." But relatives like the Zhao family were extremely rare. They didn't ask for anything else, nor did they try to curry favor, but during holidays, they would always send their best things to the county town through someone. Although the Zhang family looked down on those small gifts, the thought and intention behind them was truly precious. Naturally, in Zhang Shiwen's heart, he also held this relative in high esteem.

  She took a closer look at Zhao Shi, and her expression changed. She hadn't paid much attention to him when she first came in, but now that she looked again, she felt a bit flustered. Her nephew, who had always been so carefree in front of her before, had become like this? So she hastily said: "It's been a whole year? Why didn't you send someone to the county town to notify me? I could have found a good doctor for him to see... it's all my fault, I've been away on a trip and..."

  "Shiwen, the child is fine, and her body has become stronger than before. The doctor has also examined her, there's nothing seriously wrong with her, it's just that her personality has changed a bit... Ah, never mind, let's not talk about this anymore. Today you're here, your uncle is happy, we'll have a few more drinks together, and I also need to ask for your help with something." Zhao Wanshan obviously didn't want to say any more on the subject, and changed the topic.

  He looked at Zhao Shi with a somewhat uneasy expression, then Zhang Shiweng said: "Uncle, if there's something on your mind, just say it, no need to be polite with me."

  "This matter is also related to stones, that is... ...just want to find a wife for the stone..."

  When he finished speaking, not only did Zhang Shiwen pause, but Zhao Shi, who was listening on the side, almost fell to the ground with his temperament. He was only eleven years old, and even if ancient people got married early, an eleven-year-old child finding a wife was what kind of situation? He thought about it and still felt chills all over his body. He wasn't someone who hadn't been in contact with women before. For a warrior like him, relieving the pressure from the battlefield and endless training was necessary, and there were many ways to do so. Finding a woman was undoubtedly the most direct and effective way, but he still couldn't imagine what kind of bizarre scene it would be for an eleven-year-old child to have a snotty little girl following behind him.

  Zhao Wanshan didn't care what his son was thinking in his heart. As the saying goes, "parents' orders, matchmakers' words", this matter has always been something that juniors are not allowed to interfere with. He continued: "My intention is to first arrange a marriage for him, wait two or three years until the child grows up and then bring the person over, originally there were several suitable ones in the village, but... ...but now it's not good to say, the child has become like this, I'm also embarrassed to mention this to others.

  But don't worry, the child is physically fine, it's just that her personality has become a bit... strange, she doesn't like to talk to people, but it's not like we're going to rush into anything, in two or three years, when the child grows up a bit more, this problem should be mostly resolved. If the other party is still not satisfied at that time, we won't force it, we can just call off the engagement, absolutely won't make things difficult for you."

  Zhang Shiwen heard this, hesitated for a moment, and nodded: "Okay, I'll go back to the city to find out, after all, we have to find a suitable one for Shi Tou. However, I think it's better to let me take Shi Tou back to see the doctor, Auntie has only him as her sole descendant, being cautious is always good, isn't it?

  "Besides, the stone is not small either. Staying in the village all the time doesn't have much prospects. I think it's better to take advantage of this opportunity to go to school at the county academy. Even if studying doesn't work out, you can still learn some skills and make a living somehow. What do you think, Aunt?"

  Zhao Wanshan's face immediately lit up with joy, and he nodded repeatedly: "Well done, well done! Having a brother like you is truly a blessing for Shi Tou. Shi Tou, don't you thank your third brother? You're so foolish and ignorant, not understanding anything."

  Zhao Shi slightly raised the corner of his mouth, but did not object. Although he was cold and cruel by nature, he was most cautious in his actions. After listening to the conversation between the two people, although he was initially shocked, he quickly realized that these things would not harm him. As for matters that did not affect his own safety, he had always been indifferent, so he simply said lightly: "Thank you, Third Brother."

  。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

  The interlude is over, Zhao Wanshan and Zhang Shiwen clinked their cups together, eating and chatting, both with a 70-80% drunken intention.

  At this time, only Zhao Wanshan said: "Wawa's mother has a weak body, I have a roe deer here that was just caught the other day and is now clean, take it with you when you leave, to nourish your mother. Wawa's mother has been thinking about you these days, saying that you haven't come to see her in a long time, I don't know if her asthma is any better. If you don't come again, I'll have to bring her to the county town for a visit. There are only three children left at home, and it's really not reassuring."

  After hearing this, Zhang Shiwen drained the wine in his cup with one gulp, but he sighed and his face turned gloomy. Zhao Wanshan was startled, "What's wrong, has your old illness relapsed?"

  Zhang Shiwen hastily shook his head and explained: "My mother is fine, well, anyway, it's not an outsider, so I'll tell you, nephew. You don't know, this year our family has been turned upside down..."

  "What's going on?"

  "You know those uncles of mine?"

  "I know, I've seen them before, they..."

  "A few people at the beginning of the year were making a fuss about dividing the family property. At first, my father didn't take it seriously, but unexpectedly, they thought my father was ignoring them and became more and more unreasonable. My third uncle even spoke coldly to my father's face. Can you say my father wouldn't get angry? After several days, my father fell ill and still hasn't fully recovered. As you know, I'm young and the third child in the family, so no one listens to me when I speak. My second brother is even more useless. Those cousins of mine are not easy to deal with either. The whole family is on the verge of a big fight. Luckily, my eldest brother is reasonable, but he's studying abroad. As soon as my father fell ill, the household erupted into chaos."

  I took a look and it wasn't a big deal, so I let my second brother take care of the house while I personally went to the capital to bring back my eldest brother. Things were still relatively smooth, and after more than three months, things hadn't gotten out of hand yet. You also know my eldest brother's temperament, he's very capable and can make decisions. Those people in front of him were like mice seeing a cat, and with just a few words from my eldest brother, the household was stabilized. However, in a fit of anger, my eldest brother drove out several of our cousins who had caused trouble and forcibly divided the family property. Although it seemed like we were still all part of the Zhang family, he left some face for our uncles. Even so, my eldest brother was scolded by my father until his face was covered in blood, saying that what he did was too extreme and would make people look down on our Zhang family's main household.

  Let me tell you, my big brother did a great job, the only thing that's not right is that he was too kind to those people, in my opinion, nothing should be given to them, haha, I'm sorry to make you laugh, my nephew said so too...

  It's been almost a year since the commotion, and the relationships between the families have also become lukewarm. When we meet, it's like seeing strangers. Now that I think about it, my heart feels suffocated. If I'm like this, let alone my dad, who has been ill for so long and still hasn't recovered. It's all because of the unhappiness in his heart. This time, I finally understand that every family has its own difficulties, and sometimes thinking about it, life was more comfortable when we were a small family with fewer troubles. But even small families dream of living like big families. You say, things in this world are really hard to explain, aren't they?

  Zhao Shi slightly pursed his lips, as the saying goes, human emotions are cold and warm, and worldly affairs are hot and cold. These were most thoroughly embodied in him during that year. When he was young, he had suffered countless white eyes with his mother, and since he could remember, he understood this truth. Zhang Shiwen was already over 20 years old, but when something happened, he didn't take any responsibility and ran far away to find his own brother back. He still had the nerve to say that.

  Zhao Wanshan and Zhang Shiwen didn't notice the small movements of Ding Dapeng's child, and the two of them chatted on and on for half a day. Every family has its own difficulties, and men generally don't discuss these things deeply with outsiders. As they say, "family shame should not be made public." But since the two families were not considered outsiders, and both men had become somewhat drunk, they took advantage of the wine's effects to sigh and lament, consoling each other.

  Zhao Shi stood quietly beside, he didn't have much contact with people, his understanding of this era was almost a complete blank, and he wasn't the kind of person who could communicate smoothly with others. Now that he was an eleven-year-old kid, even if he had something to say, others wouldn't take him seriously, so he could only get the information he wanted from fragmented conversations.

  Just then, Zhang Shiwen said: "This year is also unknown, the days are not smooth, you don't know, do you? The county has a new county magistrate, which is actually nothing, the old county magistrate is not bad, but his age is not forgiving, and retiring to his hometown is everyone's expected thing, but... ...but this newly arrived official...

  "Alas, you also know that the county lieutenant is in charge of us tax runners, but this new big shot is quite something. He brought over a dozen family servants, all of whom are domestic slaves. In just two days, he's already thinking about placing his trusted followers... There aren't that many good positions in the county government...... I think that after a few more days, our lives as tax runners will become difficult."

  "Besides... Taking advantage of his intoxication, Zhang Shiwen seemed to want to say all the words he had been holding back in his heart. "The position of salt monitor at the western salt yard has also become vacant. Hehe, there are not just one or two people eyeing this position. Our county produces salt and coal, but coal is something that ordinary small households can't afford, and it's also needed to supply other places. That place is a clean and honest government office, unlike the salt yard. Every household needs to eat salt, right? The benefits in this industry are enough to make people jealous. County Magistrate, County Lieutenant, and County Captain are all eyeing it. In previous years, the salt yard was not something that they could get their hands on, as it was controlled by eunuchs. But now things are different. Qi Gonggong from the imperial palace in Beijing suffered a disaster because of this salt yard. Not only did he lose his head, but many people under him also lost their lives. Even now, no high-ranking official dares to take over the salt yard. It's just sitting there, but everyone needs to eat salt, right? So they let the lower officials manage it for now, and wait for the high-ranking officials in the imperial court to come up with a solution before making a final decision. In my opinion, the lower officials are already fighting fiercely over this, not to mention the high-ranking officials in the imperial court. This matter won't be settled anytime soon."

  "This is good, it's cheaper for the people below. Look, the new county magistrate relies on his family background and has already quarreled with the other two magistrates to the point of no return. Until now, there is still no result. It's like this, so he hasn't had time to bother us tax runners yet. But things will eventually come to an end, won't they? As for the future... who knows how we'll get by..."