Running around and playing minor roles

Chapter 1

The Horned Chapter 1: Little Barbarian (Part 1)

When Xiaoman was ten years old, her biological mother died.

She had been making a scene for over three years, and even on her deathbed, she was filled with resentment and bitterness, clutching Xiaoman's thin wrist as she said, "Your father and that bitch... I'll haunt them even as a ghost! Xiaoman, just remember that your father was a beast!"

She died with her eyes wide open, her expression twisted in horror, as she was buried in the ground. That day, it was both thundering and raining. Experienced elders said that this kind of weather was the most likely to cause a corpse to turn into a zombie, so Xiaoman's father took out another ten taels of silver, frowned, and had someone use copper chains to lock the coffin again and again before stuffing it into the pit.

A few days later, Father, who hadn't been home for a long time, returned with Stepmother. Stepmother wasn't the vixen Mother had described; on the contrary, she arrived wearing a white shirt, with a bright red beauty mark beside her nose, and a sweet smile.

She was over eight months pregnant, clutching her belly, looking at Xiaoman with a mixture of apprehension and uncertainty.

Father said calmly, "Xiaoman, come and greet your second mother. Your mother is dead, so from now on, your second mother is your biological mother. You must be filial to her, understand?"

He said it so casually, as if he were ordering pumpkin instead of cucumber for dinner. Pumpkin and cucumber can be substituted for each other, but can one's own mother be substituted for another?

"Yes," Xiaoman said to herself.

Then she walked over with a grin, like a little dove drenched in the rain, and nestled gently into her second aunt's arms, softly calling out, "Mother, you are so beautiful."

The moment she cried out "Mother!" her stepmother's heart trembled. She quickly bent down and hugged her tightly, her love overflowing. Her father, surprised by how smoothly things went, couldn't help but smile. He lovingly patted her little head and said softly, "Your mother had a tragic fate, Xiaoman, don't blame your father."

Her bright, clear eyes looked over innocently, and she said softly, "Mother is fierce... and not as pretty as this mother... Xiaoman likes this mother... Father, you won't leave in the future, right? Xiaoman likes Father very much too."

Children's words are innocent and uninhibited, and sure enough, they made the two adults laugh out loud.

Isn't this much easier? Xiaoman lowered her eyelashes and hugged her second aunt tightly, as if she couldn't bear to let go.

Why be so principled? It's too tiring. It's so easy to please others; just say seemingly sincere compliments, and everyone is happy.

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When Xiaoman woke up, it started raining again outside, a light drizzle that soaked a large area of the windowsill. Every time it rained, she would dream of events from six years ago. Her mother's bulging eyes as she died, her stepmother's gentle beauty mark beside her nose, her father's contented smile—everything was vividly clear, as if etched into her mind, and she couldn't forget it.

She lazily got up to close the window when the door was suddenly pushed open forcefully. Footsteps rushed in, followed by a small, fleshy ball bumping into her back. A child's soft voice called out to her, "Little Man, sister! Let me dodge! Mom is so annoying, forcing me to eat fish."

Xiao Man closed the window, slowly turned around and squatted down, gently tapping the little guy on the head, and scolded, "Don't be picky about food! Didn't you say you'd marry me when you grow up? If you don't grow tall, I won't want you."

The handsome little boy looked at her with teary eyes, like a wronged puppy. This was Erniang's son, Dami. Strangely, this boy wasn't attached to his mother; he was actually most attached to Xiaoman.

Second Aunt carried her rice bowl upstairs, yelling, "Dami! Finish your rice! You're not allowed to go to the martial arts gym today if you don't!"

Dami was so frightened that she hid behind Xiaoman, clutching her clothes tightly. Xiaoman smiled and took the bowl of rice from her, saying softly, "Mom, I'll feed my little brother. Don't worry about him! You still have a cold from the past few days. Go and rest, don't catch a chill."

Second Aunt sighed, "I'm fine, Xiaoman, but don't spoil him too much. That brat is always clinging to your sister!"

Xiao Man laughed and said, "My cute little brother is clinging to me, isn't he? Da Mi? Come on, let's eat first, and then I'll take you to the martial arts gym."

Rice pouted and said, "I don't like fish! There are so many bones!"

Xiaoman scooped up a spoonful of fish meat, carefully removed all the bones, wrapped it with some rice, and put it in his mouth, saying softly, "Here, you've removed the bones—how is it? Is it delicious?"

Dami nodded obediently. He always indulged Xiaoman's every whim; perhaps he even found the stones she fed him more delicious than the delicacies his mother fed him. After finally feeding this little tyrant, Xiaoman took the bowl to wash it. Her stepmother, looking at the gloomy sky, said, "I don't think this rain will stop anytime soon. Let's not take Dami to the martial arts school today. Be careful he doesn't twist his ankle on the way. That child is always so mischievous; don't always give in to him."

Xiao Man smiled and said, "It's alright, Mother, don't worry. I also want to go to the martial arts school. I've finished making the knotted cord I promised to make for the martial arts master a few days ago, and I need to send it to them."

Second Auntie exclaimed "Oh!" and was about to say something more when she suddenly heard that guests had arrived outside. She quickly wiped her hands and went out to greet them, saying, "Remember to come back for dinner tonight! Don't be late. We have your favorite eel today."

Xiao Man's father was originally a pedantic scholar, but unfortunately, he failed the imperial examinations repeatedly. Helpless, he had no choice but to abandon his studies and go into business, opening a small restaurant. In this remote border region, there were often travelers from afar, so the business was surprisingly good, and he no longer had to worry about making a living; he had more than enough to eat and wear.

Xiaoman grabbed her umbrella and a small package, about to leave, when she turned back and saw Dami peeking into the restaurant's main hall from behind the curtain. She went over and gently patted him, whispering, "Is it right for you to spy on customers like that?"

Da Mi waved to her and whispered, "Look, the guests who have come these past few days have all been dressed so strangely."

Xiao Man curiously peeked through the gap in the curtain and saw several people sitting in the main hall. Sure enough, they were dressed strangely and in fine clothes, but they looked travel-worn. Each of them wore a wet black hat and had their heads down, with the hats covering most of their faces. Unlike the other guests who chatted freely, they sat there quietly without saying a word.

Xiao Man's eyes darted around them, finally landing on the weapons they wore at their waists. She said, "These must be the chivalrous heroes they're talking about. How strange."

Seeing her interest, Da Mi eagerly showed off, saying, "It wasn't just them! A few days ago, a lot of people carrying knives and guns came to our shop, scaring my mother half to death."

Xiaoman lowered the curtain, turned around and left: "Are you still going to the martial arts school? If not, I'm going alone." Dami quickly chased after her and grabbed her sleeve, and the two went out together.

The rain showed no signs of stopping; instead, it intensified and was on the verge of becoming a downpour.

Xiaoman tried to huddle under the umbrella with Dami, but it was no use. The wind and rain soaked them from head to toe. She couldn't help but regret that she should have brought a raincoat and a straw hat. In the storm, the oil-paper umbrella was not only useless but also a burden.

Suddenly, she heard the loud sound of galloping hooves ahead. Looking up, she saw a person riding a tall, magnificent horse charging towards them from behind the white curtain of rain. Instinctively, she quickly dodged to the side, but before the horse even reached her, the person on it was thrown off hard, landing face-first on the ground and unable to get up for a long time.

The horse neighed and stopped by the roadside. Seeing the man lying motionless on the ground, Da Mi was frightened: "Sister... he's not dead, is he?"

Xiao Man hummed in agreement and casually said, "So what if he's dead? It has nothing to do with us. Let's ignore him."

Dami was dumbfounded, probably never expecting his usually gentle and kind sister to say such a thing. He looked at the man in black, wanting to go and see, but afraid that he was dead. He hesitated, but seeing that Xiaoman had gone far away, he quickly chased after her and grabbed her wet clothes.

As the two walked past the man in black, they suddenly saw him move, as if he had risen from the dead, his upper body trembling violently. Da Mi screamed in fright and burrowed into Xiao Man's arms like a monkey.

"Help...help me..." the man said tremblingly, his body covered in blood.

Xiao Man pretended not to hear and quickly walked forward with the rice in her hand. But the rice refused to move, crying out, "Sister! He's not dead! You...you used to say you were always willing to help others!"

"That brat!" Xiao Man was a little angry. How could she believe her lies? The man in black caught his breath and said softly, "Miss... please do me... a favor."

Left with no other choice, she could only say softly, "Sir, you've lost a lot of blood. Shall I go and call a doctor for you?"

The man panted a few times before saying, "No...no need. Miss, please pass on a message for me: if a young man carrying three long swords comes here in the future, please ask him...if his name is Zexiu. If it is him...you...you pass on a message to him..."

Xiao Man grew impatient as he rambled on and on without getting to the point. She casually remarked, "So many people come to Wutong Town every day. How can I possibly tell them all apart? Do you expect me to ask them one by one?"

The man whispered, "No... I won't mistake him. Only he... can carry three swords..." With that, he pulled out a piece of bloodstained gold from his pocket and clutched it tightly. When Xiaoman saw the gold, her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly said, "Brother, just say it, I'll definitely pass on your message!"

She had her own internal struggle: since the man was about to die anyway, he wouldn't know whether she delivered a message or not, but she couldn't let the gold go! She couldn't let such a stroke of good fortune, like gold falling from the sky, slip through her fingers!

Just as the man was about to speak, he noticed Xiaoman's eyes darting around, her face full of mischievousness. Suddenly, he became alert, clutching the gold tightly, and said in a deep voice, "If you, young lady, are not sincere... please... leave! I dare not trouble you!"

She rolled her eyes a couple more times before smiling and saying, "Don't worry about delivering the message, brother. I'll go to town to find you a doctor first, but I don't have any money on me to buy medicine." As she spoke, her eyes never left the piece of gold.

The man sneered, stuffed the gold back into his hand, struggled for a moment, then climbed out of the mud, seemingly intending to mount his horse and leave.

It seems she was in too much of a hurry and scared him away. What a pity, such a fine piece of gold flew away before she could even touch it. Xiaoman watched his retreating figure with regret, took Dami's hand, and turned to leave.

The man suddenly asked from behind, "How old are you, young lady?"

Xiao Man was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Why should I tell you?"

The words had barely left her lips when she felt the man rush towards her like lightning, raising his hand and slapping her across the chest! She froze in shock. Could it be?! All she did was glance at the gold a couple of times! Was it really necessary to kill her to silence her?

After slapping the paper, the man leaped onto his horse and galloped away, saying, "So young, yet so cunning! This slap will teach you a lesson!"

Xiaoman and Dami stood there dumbfounded, soaked to the bone by the heavy rain. Much later, Xiaoman finally remembered to touch the spot where she had been slapped; it was a little numb. She unbuttoned her shirt and saw that it was completely unharmed—no redness, no swelling. For a moment, she didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or curse the man as a madman.

"Sister... are you alright?" Da Mi looked like she was about to cry.

Xiao Man shook her head, looked down, and saw a pool of blood where the person had just been lying, with a delicate, jade-white horn lying quietly in the pool of blood.

Her eyes lit up again, and she quickly picked it up, washed it clean with rainwater, and played with it in her hand. The thing was about the size of a thumb, with a smooth surface and a curved, hook-like shape. It was quite exquisite. When she tapped it with her fingernail, it felt a bit like jade. She estimated that it could fetch a good price.

This is a classic case of "a loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise"—what went wrong with gold came with jade. Haha~~ What a win!

She tucked the small corner into her bosom, took Da Mi's hand, and said with a smile, "Let's go. We've been taking up so much time; we can't keep Master Qian waiting."

Dami sniffed the air, timidly agreed, and after a while asked, "Sister, was that person... a bad guy? He hit you."

"Yes, he's a big bad guy, let's ignore him." She answered absentmindedly, her mind preoccupied with how much money she could make from that little horn, and she was quite happy.

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The Horned Chapter 2: Little Barbarian (Part 2)

Updated: 2008-10-04 15:08:46 Word Count: 3355

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Located on the frontier, Wutong Town enjoys a climate unlike the wind-swept and sandy areas beyond the Great Wall. Surrounded by mountains, it is a rare oasis. The townspeople are self-sufficient and live a relatively comfortable life.

The only drawback was that bandits from beyond the Great Wall would often come to plunder, but this stopped after a martial arts school opened in town. Many people say that Master Qian, who founded the martial arts school, was once a legendary figure in the martial arts world, possessing extraordinary skills. Back then, he single-handedly took on the eighteen notorious bandits from beyond the Great Wall without batting an eye, and in no time at all, he had them crying for their parents and fleeing back beyond the Great Wall in a panic, never daring to come back again.

Of course, legends are just legends. Xiaoman never witnessed Master Qian's heroic figure as he chased away the Eighteen Thieves. All she knew was that Master Qian was a greedy and somewhat lecherous old man, exuding a vulgar and sleazy aura, even his name reeked of money—Qian Zilai (meaning "money comes from nowhere").

He opened a martial arts school and announced that for two taels of silver a year, or an equivalent amount of grain and other goods, he could teach the town's children self-defense skills. The adults in the town admired his heroic figure in driving away the bandits, and the wealthy sent their children there, while the poor often sent food and clothing. As a result, Qian Zilai, this old devil, lived a very carefree life.

When Xiaoman and Dami arrived at the martial arts school, they heard shouts and cries coming from inside, indicating that the disciples were practicing. Dami loved watching Old Man Qian teach the disciples kung fu and always clamored that he wanted to learn kung fu when he grew up. He dashed inside without even having a disciple announce his arrival. Fortunately, the disciples knew the siblings and only smiled at Xiaoman.

"Brother Shovel!" Da Mi shouted excitedly from inside. Xiao Man peeked in and saw a young man standing shirtless in the corner, wiping his sweat. Da Mi was clinging to his leg, looking at him with admiration, as if he were a hero. Shovel smiled and ruffled his hair, then suddenly looked around and asked, "Where's your sister?"

The little rice boy, with his sly grin, said, "Brother Shovel's first question is always, 'You like my sister, don't you?'"

The shovel immediately turned red, and the many oily bumps on its face also turned red.

Shovel's real name isn't Shovel. Because his mother dreamed of an iron shovel the night before he was born, he got the nickname Shovel. Eighteen years old this year, Shovel's crush on Xiaoman is an open secret. Only he thinks no one else knows, pitifully guarding his little secret.

Xiao Man coughed and walked over gracefully. Shovel's face turned even redder. He was at a loss and stammered, "Xiao Xiao Man! You...you're here!"

Xiao Man gave a standard sweet smile and said softly, "Brother Shovel, my younger brother is very naughty and disturbed your practice. I'm really sorry."

"No, no, no, no! I, I, I really love rice!" He laughed foolishly, raised his big hand, and rubbed rice's head hard, making rice wince in pain.

The moment Shovel Brother saw Sister, he became a completely different person. His usual calm and honest demeanor vanished, and he acted like a fool. No wonder Sister didn't have any feelings for him. Rice curled her lips, turned around and saw some boys practicing with stone weights next door. She couldn't help but run over and pick up the smallest stone weight, but unfortunately, she was too small and weak. She dropped it on the ground with a loud bang.

A coughing sound came from the backyard, followed by a hoarse voice shouting, "Which brat is causing trouble again? If he breaks anything, his parents will have to pay for it!" As he spoke, an old man with silver hair and beard walked out from behind, holding a worn-out pipe in his hand, from which wisps of smoke curled.

Dami wasn't afraid of him at all. She turned around and hid behind Xiaoman, calling out, "Master Qian! My sister and I have come to deliver the netting to you!"

Qian Zilai's expression indeed brightened, his eyes crinkling with laughter behind his silver eyebrows. He trotted over, rubbing his hands together, and said, "Oh, oh, it's Xiaoman! It's raining, and you've gone to all this trouble. I could have just sent a shovel to your house! Look... sigh, you're all soaked..."