Gu poison

Chapter 10

The people said again, "The village chief has done immeasurable good deeds; you must live up to his expectations!"

"Yes, yes," the mountain people nodded; people are all honest.

“We are going to build a shrine for him and erect a ‘living shrine stele’ for him. You should participate.”

"Yes, yes!" Everyone agreed.

So, every household chipped in, and people went from house to house, keeping the people extremely busy every day.

Yang Hong was overjoyed upon hearing this. You see, it is only after the death of a virtuous and respected person that people build shrines and erect monuments to commemorate him, inscribing his many righteous deeds and moral character during his lifetime to show their respect. To build shrines and erect monuments to praise him while he is still alive is called a "living shrine monument," which is a great honor not only in Qingzhu Village, but also in Jingyang County and even Chenchen Prefecture.

Zimin led the stonemasons around searching for suitable stone. On the way, they met Yang Hong, who said very respectfully, "We found a piece of Qinggang stone, more than ten feet square, at Wuli Cliff. We plan to use it for the body of the monument. What do you think?"

Yang Hong humbly replied, "I am neither virtuous nor capable, and I have not done much for my fellow villagers. How dare I trouble you! I feel uneasy about building a shrine and stele for him, so let's just forget about it."

“I asked the villagers, and they are all very grateful and willing to leave their clothes and hats to build a shrine and erect a monument for you. You must not let them down!” Zimin said, taking out a red paper with the names of the people who erected the monument written on it. The three characters “Su Zimin” were prominently listed at the beginning.

Yang Hong glanced at the list and saw that every household in Qingzhu Village, except for Su Changli, had their names written down without exception. He knew this was the result of Zimin's tireless efforts on his behalf, so he said, "Brother Zimin, thank you for your help. I will cover all the expenses for building the shrine and erecting the monument. I appreciate everyone's kindness! On your thirtieth birthday, I will host a banquet for everyone, drink a few cups, and have a good time!" Zimin asked for the date of your birthday, counted on his fingers, and realized there were still more than two months left. He then said, "We must build the shrine and erect the monument before your birthday. We will celebrate both happy events together!"

The people not only arranged for craftsmen to build the shrine, but also went to Wuli Cliff to supervise the stonemasons' work; at night, they stayed up all night with two stonemasons, carrying pine torches. Yang Hong was deeply moved when he saw this, feeling that the people had indeed changed their ways and were completely loyal to him.

Although the shrine was not large, it was still covered with glazed tiles and had upturned eaves, making it quite impressive. The stele was even more exquisite, with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns around its body. On the right, the inscription recorded how Yang Hong, the village chief, led the villagers to plant poppies to make a living and benefit their hometown. On the left, the names of the heads of the households in Qingzhu Village who built the shrine and erected the stele were densely engraved. In the center of the stele, four large characters were engraved in strong regular script: "Eternal Merit".

With the construction of Yang Gong's ancestral hall and the successful erection of the stele, praises were endless; Yang Hongzhi was so pleased with himself that he couldn't help but feel a little conceited.

On this day, the heads of all the households in Qingzhu Village and the leaders of the neighboring villages came to congratulate Yang Hong on his thirtieth birthday and the completion of his ancestral hall.

The shrine stele was erected, and laughter and chatter filled the courtyard. People looked at the shrine from all sides, then circled the stele, which was taller than a person, pointing and discussing it excitedly. A dozen tables of food and drink were set up in the courtyard, the aroma filling the air. The chief organizer of the celebration called out, "Take your seats!" Immediately, the mountain people sat down at the tables.

After Zimin finished his effusive congratulatory speech, the heads of each branch and the leaders of each small village offered Yang Hong a toast. Zimin handed a cup of rice wine to the leader of Wulong Village, saying, "This is the first cup of rice wine fresh from the kiln; you should offer it to the village chief!" The leader replied, "Why don't you offer it yourself?" Zimin said, "I'm too busy; I can't spare the time." Yang Hong happened to be standing not far behind Zimin, receiving the congratulations, and vaguely overheard their conversation, which aroused his suspicion. When the leader of Wulong Village offered a toast, Yang Hong took the cup, but as he was about to drink, someone brushed past him. He pretended to stumble, and the cup fell to the ground, spilling all the wine onto the rice grains.

After the banquet, Yang Hong called a hen with a twisted shape to peck at the grains of rice on the ground. The next day, the hen struggled and died. When its belly was cut open, its intestines, liver, and lungs had all changed color.

After thinking it over, Yang Hong suddenly realized: it turned out that his subjects were acting out of character, flattering and fawning, in order to deceive him; he had always harbored ulterior motives and had been using witchcraft when no one was paying attention, and he had almost fallen for it, mistaking a treacherous official for a loyal one.

If you are unrighteous, I will be unrighteous too; Yang Hong sent Zhu Hu to secretly monitor his people, looking for an opportunity to eliminate him without anyone knowing, so as to prevent future troubles.

Zimin was completely unaware that Yang Hong had seen through his disguise, and greeted him with a beaming smile; Yang Hong also smiled back. That night, Zimin had some urgent business at Wulong Village, so he hurried there overnight, covering eight or nine miles of mountain road in an hour. After finishing his business, he rode back under the moonlight. He had traversed the rugged, winding mountain path countless times before, paying it no heed; but when he reached the Five-Mile Cliff, a pair of large hands suddenly reached out from the roadside and struck him hard; he lost his footing and fell off a hundred-foot cliff.

Two days later, his mangled body was discovered. His wife, Ayaka, was devastated and believed that her husband had accidentally fallen off the cliff.

Yang Hong held a grand funeral for his cousin Su Zimin. In front of the memorial tablet, he held his nephew Hei Gou's hand and said to Caihua, "Hei Gou can't live like his father. I will support him to go to school in the county town so that he can become a successful person in the future."

12. She heard a heart-wrenching story of evil.

The cultivation of poppies has transformed the lives of the mountain villagers. Not only are their families more prosperous than before, but their customs have also changed: the off-season has become the busy season, and the busy season has become the off-season. During the off-season, the sounds of firecrackers celebrating weddings and building new houses can often be heard, making Qingzhu Village colorful and lively.

Yang Hong built a new wooden building and a side building next to the old house, forming a unique manor-style building.

With a maid hired, Xiaoyu no longer needed to do housework, and not having to cook made her feel much more refreshed. One day, having nothing to do, she joined a caravan to attend the annual temple fair in the prefectural city. Inside Feishan Temple, gongs and drums resounded as a grand opera was being performed; in front of the temple, a crowd watched monkey tricks, saw people practicing acrobatics and magic tricks, and saw vendors selling steamed cakes, rice tofu, and fried glutinous rice cakes…

The noise was deafening, making it exceptionally lively. She looked around, and before she knew it, she had wandered into the street.

"Madam, please have mercy—"

A gaunt man knelt before her, stretching out his thin, stick-like hands to beg: "I am dying, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!"

Xiaoyu felt a surge of pity and took out four silver dollars, handing them to him and saying, "This money is for your medical treatment; find a good doctor to take a look—"

To everyone's surprise, the man didn't answer or say thank you. He took the money and ran towards the nearby opium den. Xiao Wang was utterly bewildered. An old man selling rice noodles nearby said to her, "This lady is a rare kind person, but he's beyond redemption!"

What illness does he have?

"He's not sick; it's opium addiction that's making him sick."

Xiaoyu was still puzzled and asked, "Is opium harmful?"

The old man sighed, "Alas, opium is so harmful! Opium addicts can't do any work and don't live long..."

Xiaoyu was still skeptical, but she went back to the opium den. Inside, she saw that the opium users were indeed all emaciated. The man who had begged her earlier was now lying on the opium couch, thoroughly enjoying himself, not even glancing at her. Only then did Xiaoyu believe that opium was indeed a harmful substance.

When they got home, Xiaoyu told Yang Hong about the strange phenomenon she had witnessed. Yang Hong said, "That old man is talking nonsense! Who has ever seen opium harm people?"

Who else has died from opium addiction?

Xiaoyu said, "Most of the smokers look like they're sick."

"They were somewhat listless, but once they started smoking opium, they became energetic!"

Xiaoyu wanted to say something, but before she could speak, Yang Hong said again, "You can't understand the things in this world, so stop worrying about them and just stay home and enjoy your life."

He instructed the foreman, Old Hu, and the packhorse handlers: Do not discuss opium in front of her; do not take her into the city; those who violate this rule will not be let off lightly.

Yang Hong's ambiguous words failed to dispel Xiao Wang's doubts; she wanted to ask more, but Yang Hong deliberately talked about the various benefits of opium in front of her and others. She understood his meaning and turned to ask Lao Hu. Lao Hu said, "I don't know much about this either, but opium peels mixed with vegetables and stewed in hot pot are quite delicious."

She then asked Old Zhang, a porter from the caravan, who said, "If people want to smoke opium, let them smoke it!"

They all gave evasive answers, which made Xiaoyu even more uneasy, and she was determined to find out the truth.

Xiaoyu caught a cold and vomited, losing her appetite but craving pickled radishes and ginger. She ate a large bowl of them but still wasn't satisfied. The next day, she went to her neighbors and asked for another large bowl, which she ate with great relish. Seeing this, Yang Hong was puzzled and laughed, "Are you going to be pickled in a jar?" Xiaoyu replied, "I just love sour things." Yang Hong said, "You weren't like this before." Xiaoyu, quick-witted, feigned shyness and said, "I've heard...I'm afraid...maybe..."

"I'm pregnant..."

"You're pregnant?" Yang Hong was overjoyed. He picked her up and kissed her cheeks repeatedly, exclaiming, "I'm going to be a father! I'm going to be a father!"

Xiaoyu then said, "I'm going to the city to find an old doctor to check my pulse. If I'm really pregnant, I'll get some medicine to help me maintain the pregnancy."

"Okay, okay!" Yang readily agreed and instructed the foreman, Old Hu, to prepare a sedan chair to carry Xiaoyu directly to the old doctor's pharmacy.

Xiaoyu arrived in the county town by sedan chair and saw a emaciated little girl with a straw tag stuck in her back, kneeling on the ground in the market. Beside her, a sallow-faced, thin man said to the crowd:

"My daughter is so good, obedient, and hardworking. I'll sell her for a cheap price of twenty silver dollars. Do you want her?" The girl cried and said, "Father, please don't sell me! I promise I won't cry that I'm hungry anymore. I'll go out and beg for food to bring back for you. Please don't sell me!"

Xiaoyu quickly called for them to stop, stepped forward to ask, and heard a heart-wrenching story of a heinous crime—

In Longjiazhai, a village a dozen miles from the county seat, lived a small landlord named Long Qixian, who earned a hundred dan (a unit of weight) of rent annually. He started smoking opium in his twenties, and his father died because of his addiction. After his father's death, his opium use became even more unrestrained. When his elderly mother tried to discipline him, he drove her out of the house. His wife dared not discipline him anymore, and the family's land dwindled day by day. They sold all their land and house, and the family of three moved to a dilapidated temple, becoming destitute. His daughter cried incessantly from hunger. One of his childhood friends, unable to bear seeing his plight, said to him, "If you truly repent and quit opium, I will help you recover and rebuild our family fortune!" He immediately left ten silver dollars. His wife pleaded with him, and he was moved, vowing to quit. But quitting was easier said than done. Before long, his addiction returned, even more intensely, and his once-thriving family fell apart again. When he had nothing left to pawn, he sold his wife, who was still reasonably attractive, to a brothel. With the money, he went back to the opium den. After the money from selling his wife was spent on opium, he was now ready to sell his six-year-old daughter…

Hearing this heartbreaking story and seeing the tragic scene before her, Xiaoyu burst into tears. She walked up to Long Qixian, took out twenty silver dollars, and said, "Here's the money. Don't sell the child!"

Long Qixian's eyes lit up as he accepted the silver dollars, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. The little girl knelt and kowtowed to her, saying, "Thank you, Madam!" before being pulled away by her father.

The person next to her said, "Your kindness has been wasted. Once he's squandered all his money on opium, he'll sell his daughter!"

Xiaoyu felt very bad after hearing this. When they arrived at the pharmacy, the old doctor took her pulse and said, "This is due to cold in the heart; a few doses of medicine will cure it." He then wrote out a prescription and asked the clerk to fill it up.

A rolled-up tattered mat lay in the corner outside the door, revealing a pair of thin, grayish-yellow feet. Xiaoyu approached and saw that it contained a corpse. Seeing her astonished expression, the old doctor told her, "This man was once a strong and vigorous fellow, a master of sexual intercourse; alas, he became addicted to opium, not only losing everything but also ruining his health. By the time he was brought here, he was already dead. Alas—" The old doctor sighed deeply.

A gentleman in a long robe and mandarin jacket, waiting to see a doctor, chimed in: "Opium is a scourge to the country and its people, causing immense harm. Even the government is banning it; notices have been posted at the city gates and the bell and drum towers..."

When Xiaoyu and her party left the county town, she lifted the sedan curtain and saw the conspicuous "No Smoking Notice" posted on the city gate. She thought to herself: Now let's see what Yang Hong has to say!

Upon returning to Qingzhu Village, Yang Hong eagerly asked, "Is there really good news?"

Xiaoyu shook her head: "It's the chill in people's hearts."

Yang Hong said nothing more, only advising her to take good care of herself.

That evening, Xiao Wang told Yang Hong about what he had seen and heard during his trip to the city. Yang Hong dismissed it, saying, "Making a fuss over nothing."

Xiaoyu said indignantly, "How many people have been harmed by opium? Isn't that enough?"

"That's a woman's view!" Yang Hong curled his lip. "My growing poppies and producing opium doesn't bother anyone. I never force anyone to buy or sell. Which opium smoker doesn't come to me on their own? If you have money, you smoke; if you don't have money, you don't smoke; if you have no money and sell your children and go bankrupt to smoke, then you can only blame yourself. What does it have to do with opium?"

"How can you argue like that?" Xiaoyu was very unhappy. "Opium is clearly a harmful substance. Who doesn't hate it? If it's not banned, even more families will suffer..."

Yang Hong yawned: "I'm not going to talk about it anymore, let's go to sleep early."

After the autumn harvest, the mountain villagers started planting poppies again, and Old Hu and his helpers were busy in the fields. Xiao Yu tried to persuade them to stop, but they wouldn't listen. Xiao Yu asked Yang Hong to intervene, but Yang Hong said, "How can that be? If we don't plant poppies, won't we cut off many people's livelihoods?"

Xiaoyu said, "Didn't the millet we planted before survive?"

“How is it different?” Yang Hong said. “One acre of poppies yields the same profit as two acres of millet. Who would be so foolish as to forgo meat and eat vegetables?”

Yang Hong ignored Xiaoyu's words. Xiaoyu, however, couldn't find peace; every time she closed her eyes, those tragic scenes flashed through her mind. Driven by her conscience, she warned Yang Hong: "The government has long issued a ban on opium, demanding the eradication of opium seedlings and the confiscation of opium. Deliberately violating this rule will be severely punished!"

Yang Hong said nonchalantly, "I don't think this smoking ban can be lifted. There are quite a few officials in the county government who are addicted."

"You're talking nonsense!" Xiaoyu's almond-shaped eyes sparkled. "It's written in black and white on paper, how could it be fake?"

"I'm not going to argue with you," Yang Hong chuckled. "Ask the villagers if they're willing to give up this opportunity to make a fortune."

From then on, Xiaoyu was always downcast. When Yang Hong spoke to her, she would ignore him; when they were intimate at night, she would turn her back to him. Yang Hong wasn't angry, and he never mentioned her interference in the poppy cultivation.

Seeing that Xiao Shang was listless and had no appetite, even the most exquisite delicacies tasted like vinegar, Yang Hong was extremely anxious and asked his servants if they had any ideas.

The maid said, "When I was a child, I visited a Dong village. The Dong people pickled pork and carp in sealed jars and only took them out to serve guests after two years. They tasted really good!"

Yang Hong and the leader of Wulongzhai immediately ran to a Dong village a hundred miles away and obtained several kilograms of cured meat and fish. He personally cooked a plate of cured meat and a plate of cured fish according to the Dong people's method and served them to her.

"I don't want to eat." Xiaoyu glanced at it and put down her chopsticks.

"Try it, you'll see once you try it." He picked up a piece of cured meat and put it in her mouth. She chewed it, and sure enough, this cured meat was unusual, with a unique flavor—fragrant, tender, and with a pleasantly sour taste that made it delicious. He watched her finish eating and said, "If you want more, I'll go to the Dong village to get some..."

After eating the sour fish and sour meat, Xiaoyu's appetite improved, and she was able to eat two bowls of rice. Yang Hong tried to amuse her and make her happy. But no matter how considerate and caring he was, Xiaoyu always looked worried, and she often heard the little girl's pleading cries: "Don't sell me! Don't sell me!" It felt like a heavy stone was pressing on her heart.

On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, Yang Hong personally wiped the shiny red gift box clean, put something wrapped in a fine white cloth into the gift box, and placed it in an exquisite bamboo basket. He then instructed Zhu Hu and Lao Hu to go to the prefectural city and the county town respectively to deliver gifts to the governor and the county magistrate.

Xiaoyu had seen Yang Hong prepare gifts for people before, but she never asked who they were for or what they were for. Today, hearing that it was for seeing off a guest, she wanted to know what precious gift it was. While everyone was eating in the back, Xiaoyu opened the gift box, untied the fine white cloth, and saw that it was a box full of opium, weighing about eight or nine pounds. She then understood why Yang Hong wasn't afraid of her reporting him to the authorities. The opium irritated her, and she said angrily, "I told you not to send it! I told you not to send it!" She angrily picked up the gift box and threw it forcefully towards the door. The box hit the bluestone pavement and shattered into pieces.

Hearing the noise, Yang Hong ran over and saw Xiao Yu smashing gift boxes. Enraged, he slapped her across the face and yelled, "Are you crazy?!"

She was stunned, staring blankly at him.

In all these years, had he ever laid a finger on her? Had he ever uttered a single word of abuse upon her? Yet, for these few boxes of opium, he hit her for the first time, lost his temper for the first time. In his eyes, was she really less valuable than a few boxes of opium?

Seeing that she remained silent and looked at him as if she didn't recognize him, he immediately regretted it.

"I...I shouldn't have..." he apologized, grabbing her hand, "Hit me then—"

"Let go!" she said coldly, pulling her hand away. "Don't touch me."

"Xiaoyu, you must forgive me!" Yang Hong said sincerely. "I know you can't stand me now, but I have no choice. This is all so that you can live a life of wealth and luxury with me. How can I side with someone else?"

Xiaoyu remained silent and ignored him. Having no other option, he said, "Think about it carefully—"

Yang Hong picked up the tobacco from the ground, repacked the gifts, and sent Zhu Hu and Lao Hu on their way.

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Section Chief Li from the county government, accompanied by several officials, arrived at Qingzhu Village to present Yang Hong with a large gold plaque on behalf of the county magistrate. The plaque was made of a nanmu board that was seven-tenths of an inch thick, six feet wide and three feet high, with a black lacquer base. The inscription and signature were in the upper right and lower left corners, and the four large gold characters "Benefiting One Side" in the center shone so brightly that they dazzled the eyes.

"Thank you, thank you!" Yang Hong greeted Section Chief Li and his entourage with a bow. Section Chief Li returned the bow and ordered the errand boys to set off firecrackers. The loud popping of firecrackers echoed throughout Qingzhu Village.

Yang Hong warmly entertained Section Chief Li and the constable. Before they left, he gave Li a box of opium and asked him to take another box to the county magistrate. The constable was also given a large sum of money, and everyone was happy.

Yang Hong instructed Lao Hu and others to hang the golden plaque on the gate, so that it could be seen from afar and would further enhance the festive atmosphere.

"Crackling and popping..."

The stewards from each branch of Qingzhu Village arrived and set off a string of "thousand-character whips" at the gate. Yang Hong came out to greet them, and the stewards cupped their hands and said, "We have come to offer New Year's greetings and to congratulate you on receiving the golden plaque—this honor makes everyone proud!"