Chen Yunqi also got up. He hadn't slept well last night; the bed was too short, and he hadn't been able to lie flat all night. Now, he felt sore all over. He was brushing his teeth in the yard with a cup in his hand, watching with interest as Sheng Xiaoyan sat in front of a large tin basin, reluctantly washing clothes with a washboard.
Despite her distress, San San's mother was still worried about her daughter. She bustled in and out, adding hot water to the basin every now and then to keep the girl's hands warm. But she complained, "Lazy girl, you always accumulate a week's worth of dirty clothes to wash. I'm afraid you'll have a hard time getting married in the future!"
Sheng Xiaoyan first rolled her eyes at her mother behind her back when she wasn't looking, then cleverly stuck out her tongue. She then noticed that Chen Yunqi was looking at her with a half-smile, his mouth full of toothpaste foam. She quickly put away her funny face and buried her head in rubbing her toothpaste again.
Laundry detergent water was splashed all over the floor. Her approach was anything but professional; she just crumpled the clothes into a ball, rolled them around on the washboard like dough, rinsed them in the water, and then, without even knowing if they were clean, wrung them out and threw them into the basin next to her to rinse with clean water.
Winter clothes are thick and heavy, and washing them is indeed a lot of work. She couldn't wash more than a few pieces, so she simply stretched out her legs, shook the foam off her hands, and kept saying she was tired.
San San, carrying a bowl of corn kernels, had just stepped out of the door when he saw his younger sister sitting on the ground, looking up at him with a fawning smile, and sweetly calling out:
"elder brother--"
San San looked at her coldly. Sheng Xiaoyan put on a pitiful look and said, "Brother, can you help me wash it? I hate washing clothes the most. If you help me wash it, I'll do something else for you."
San San knew that this little girl was up to her tricks again. He had no choice but to put down what he was holding and say, "Go play, I'll wash it."
Sheng Xiaoyan shouted "Hooray!" and threw down a basin of messy laundry. She ran off in a flash, not forgetting to flatter San San as she ran, her little mouth as sweet as honey: "Brother is the best!"
San San shook her head helplessly, sat in front of the iron basin, scooped up the haphazardly washed clumps of clothes, soaked them in the water again, and scrubbed them vigorously.
Chen Yunqi went inside and brought over a kettle of hot water to add to the basin for him. San San looked up with a shy smile and thanked Chen Yunqi. Chen Yunqi noticed a few drops of water on his chin and couldn't help but bend down and gently wipe them away with his thumb, saying softly, "San San is such a good brother who loves his sister."
The moment his fingers touched San San's chin, San San's heart pounded wildly. Teacher Chen's fingertips, which had never done any housework, were so soft, and they tickled his skin as they brushed against him.
The sensation hadn't faded when Chen Yunqi quickly straightened up, put down the kettle, walked back to the stone table, sat down, and lit a cigarette. San San stared at him blankly for a while, then quickly looked away before Chen Yunqi noticed, lowering her head to speed up the washing of clothes.
After breakfast, everyone in San San's family except Sheng Xiaoyan put on their shoes at the door and prepared to go out. San San's mother didn't go to turn over the tiles; instead, she carried half a basket of potatoes on her back and took a hoe to the field to plant them. Chen Yunqi secretly stuffed San San's T-shirt into his down jacket, planning to take it back, wash it, and then return it to him.
When San San's mother heard that Tang Yutao and Li Hui hadn't returned yet, she wanted Chen Yunqi to stay at home and play with Sheng Xiaoyan, asking Sheng Xiaoyan to cook lunch for him. Chen Yunqi politely declined; it was really inappropriate for a grown man like him to be taken care of by a fourteen-year-old middle school student.
Chen Yunqi had nothing to do, so he decided to go back to school to study. He and San San went out of the courtyard first, and San San whispered to him, "Brother Xiaoqi, I can't keep you company today. If you get bored or hungry, go find Li Laoqi. He'll definitely be home."
After pausing for a moment, he added with concern, "Don't forget to take a flashlight with you when you go out. I'll come find you after I finish my work."
Chen Yunqi felt that San San was really treating him like a rich young master from the city. Although he did lack many life skills, he had lived independently for many years. If he couldn't cook, he would eat instant noodles; if he didn't have a washing machine, he would wash his clothes by hand. It wasn't a big problem. He emphasized to San San several times that he didn't need to take such meticulous care of him, but San San just couldn't change his ways.
Oh well, I'll just accept it as having a younger brother who's always causing me worry, and be a good older brother who can't take care of himself.
He secretly resolved to do everything he could to tutor San San and help her return to school, as a way of repaying her.
So he didn't say anything more, just nodded: "Okay. Don't worry."
He was about to say goodbye to San San and turn to leave when a thought suddenly struck him. He hesitated and said to San San, "Or... shall I go with you?"
Somewhat unexpectedly, San San stared at him with wide eyes: "Huh?"
San San's father, with his hands behind his back and a cigarette dangling from his mouth, stepped out of the courtyard gate and heard Chen Yunqi say, "I'd like to go with you, but I don't know if it's convenient. I've never seen a roof-turning ceremony before, so I don't know if I can be of any help, but I'd like to learn something new."
“What’s inconvenient about it? Tiling roofs isn’t anything special. Even if you learn it, it won’t be of any use. You don’t have any tiles to tumble on your roof, do you?” Seeing that it was getting late, San San’s dad urged, “Let’s go together, let’s go quickly, let’s finish early and go home early.”
San San is right, today is also a beautiful, sunny day.
The three quickened their pace and headed towards the mute man's house.
San San felt a little excited and walked briskly while talking to Chen Yunqi. The mute man's house was not far from Li Yan's house and was also on high ground. When Chen Yunqi and the others arrived, there were already four or five people drinking tea and waiting in the inner room.
Roof tile repair, as the name suggests, involves removing and replacing roof tiles. In the rainy season in the mountains, after an autumn, many houses have roof tiles that are damaged and leaking, or clogged with mud and dead branches, leaving them in a mess. Roof tile repair is a skilled job, requiring three or four people working together: some to flip the tiles, some to catch them, and others to clean up. It can take almost a whole day to repair one house's roof.
In the past, being a tile setter was a profession, but it was a trade only found in cities. Rural people couldn't afford to hire tile setters, so they would help each other with the work without charging any fees. Therefore, the food and drink for those who helped with the tile setting were provided by the homeowner.
The mute man was a chubby guy in his early twenties, and his mother was also a plump woman like him. He was born mute, as was his father. The whole family was short and appeared honest and simple. The mute man was unmarried and childless, and rarely interacted with the school teachers. Upon seeing Chen Yunqi arrive, his mother quickly prepared a cup of sugar water to welcome her distinguished guest.
The mute man's family raised many sheep, but they hadn't been let out yet. A dozen or so sheep were crammed into the yard, leaving a trail of dung that stank. The mute man's mother, wearing sleeves and an apron, directed the mute man to catch a small sheep, intending to slaughter it to treat everyone to a meal.
Everyone was there, and they prepared to start removing the roof tiles. San San wanted to climb onto the roof, and Chen Yunqi helped hold the ladder for her.
Chen Yunqi was quick to learn and learned everything very fast. After watching for a while, he was eager to help pick up the tiles, but his mute mother wouldn't allow it, telling him to just sit and drink tea and eat melon seeds. San San's father, however, was less reserved and, along with the others, egged Chen on, urging him to give it a try.
Ignoring his mute mother's pleas, Chen Yunqi stood up, took off his coat, and prepared to roll up his sleeves and get to work. One hand was still in his trouser pocket, while the other casually unzipped his down jacket—
So everyone, from those squatting on the rooftops and standing under the eaves to the flock of sheep smacking their lips in the yard, watched as a wad of light blue cloth fell from his arms and floated lightly to the ground.
San San stared wide-eyed at the familiar blue cloth on the rooftop.
That...isn't that my clothing...?
Teacher Chen...why did you steal my clothes...?
Chen Yunqi had completely forgotten about the clothes he had hidden in his arms. He gave San San, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression on the roof, an awkward smile. Then he quickly bent down, picked up the T-shirt, shook off the dirt, and hurriedly crumpled it into a small ball before stuffing it into the large pocket of his down jacket.
Fortunately, apart from San San, the other people and sheep didn't take it seriously. Those who were turning over the tiles continued turning over the tiles, and those who were grazing continued grazing. Chen Yunqi walked to the eaves, intending to explain a few words to San San in a low voice, but San San's father suddenly moved next to him, so Chen Yunqi had no choice but to give up. He imitated San San and caught the tiles, secretly hoping that San San wouldn't misunderstand.
Everyone chatted and flipped through the tiles, and the morning passed quickly.
The mute father slaughtered a lamb in the yard. It was Chen Yunqi's first time seeing a live sheep killed; it was quite bloody. The mute mother grabbed the lamb's two front legs and called Chen Yunqi to help hold its hind legs. Unexpectedly, this small lamb was surprisingly strong. Chen Yunqi gripped its hind legs tightly to stop it from kicking, while the mute father swiftly and decisively cut the lamb's trachea and artery with a knife. He then dragged over an enamel basin and placed it under the lamb's neck to bleed it. Chen Yunqi felt the lamb's frantic kicking gradually stop, its bleating grew weaker and weaker, and it died within minutes.
The mute mother wiped the blood splattered on her face and said to Chen Yunqi with a simple smile, "Teacher Chen, you've never killed a sheep before, have you? Are you scared?"
Chen Yunqi smiled and said, "I'm not afraid, but I feel a little sorry for the sheep, which is quite small. But I really like eating mutton."
Someone on the rooftop overheard this and teased, "What's so pitiful about sheep? Teacher Chen looks so refined, but he probably hasn't even been in a fight, let alone killed a chicken or a sheep."
"What kind of fight are you talking about? Is it fighting with you, or fighting with your wife in the dark? I don't know if Teacher Chen could win against his wife. He might even be the one getting beaten up!" another person said, pretending to be serious.
Chen Yunqi smiled but didn't respond, letting them tease him endlessly, their words becoming increasingly explicit and vulgar. The villagers all treated him like a rich young master from the city, unable to do anything, and what good was his education? Here, education wasn't a tool for making a living. If you couldn't do farm work or be with women, you'd only be looked down upon.
At noon, under the blazing sun, the work was mostly done. Unable to withstand the scorching sun, everyone stopped what they were doing, picked up their bowls, drank tea or wine, and sat in a row under the eaves waiting for lunch.
A rich aroma of meat wafted from the house. San San came down from the roof, took off her cotton gloves, took a bowl of water from the mute man, and sat down to rest with Chen Yunqi.
San San hesitated and whispered to Chen Yunqi, "Brother Xiaoqi, they like to joke, don't take it to heart."
Chen Yunqi frowned upon hearing this, and glanced at San San with feigned displeasure: "Do I look that petty?"
"No, no...you're not petty at all...I'm just afraid...they talk nonsense, they'll say anything...I'm afraid of you..."
"Afraid of hurting my self-esteem?" Chen Yunqi interrupted him.
San San didn't reply, but lowered her eyes to stare at the bowl of water in her hand.
Chen Yunqi rubbed his head and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, your little brother Qi isn't thin-skinned. If we really want to have a verbal battle, I'm not going to back down."
After speaking, he sat up straight and looked at San San with a confident expression.
San San didn't look at him, still looking down at the water, and said, "I really dislike the way the villagers are. They love to say hurtful things, and many children don't even understand what they mean but they still learn to swear."
Chen Yunqi suddenly remembered Huang Yelin saying that Sheng Qinyu called him a "son of a bitch." At the time, he was surprised that a six-year-old child would use such vulgar language, but now he realized that he must have learned it from adults.
During lunch, San San's father drank quite a bit of alcohol, and Chen Yunqi also couldn't escape being forced to drink several cups. The work in the afternoon was done quickly; before the sun had even set, the roof tiles at the mute's house were all turned. Everyone then ate the leftover mutton from lunch at the mute's house and gathered around the fire pit to warm themselves.
The temperature plummeted in the afternoon, and San San's father kept drinking to warm himself up while turning over the roof tiles, getting drunk by dinner time. Drunk, he was a far cry from his usual kind and gentle self, his words becoming sharp and sarcastic. He first criticized the village chief, saying he was always just going through the motions, attending meetings every few days without achieving anything, and failing to raise money for road repairs and electricity. Then he berated San San for not having gone out to work and earn money to help support the family, wondering how long she would remain idle at home. Finally, he complained about the high cost of his daughter's education, causing him constant worry about money.
When he said "San San," Chen Yunqi unconsciously clenched his fists and nervously turned to look at San San sitting next to him, afraid that he would be upset by those drunken ramblings and unsure whether the usually gentle San San would get angry on the spot.
He felt deeply indignant for San San and was quite uncomfortable, but he had no right to speak up for her, so he could only endure it. Fortunately, San San didn't react strongly; she just lowered her head and remained silent, as if she hadn't heard him, her eyes filled with indifference.
They didn't care about the cost of drinking at other people's houses. Several people who came to help with the work drank freely, afraid of being shortchanged if they didn't drink enough. They wanted to get back all the effort they had put in today through the food and drinks, and they all got quite drunk.
Some people started talking nonsense under the influence of alcohol:
"Then don't study anymore, just get married as soon as possible."
San San suddenly looked up, staring intently at the person who had spoken, her eyes filled with anger, but she suppressed it and said, "My sister is only fourteen years old, how can she get married?"
In fact, he knew that these people were drunk and couldn't say anything nice. He had seen similar scenes since he was a child. Apart from the mute man and his mute father, who could only listen but not speak, none of the others could control their mouths. They would say something today and forget it tomorrow. He knew these people in front of him too well.
But he was still afraid, afraid that his father would really consider the suggestion. After all, it was no big deal for a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl to get married and have children.
The man was so drunk that he didn't realize San San was angry at all. He slurred, "Why not? Lan Jian's wife is only sixteen years old and she's already had two kids. What's the point of girls studying? Books don't teach how to serve men. It's better to lose your virginity early so you can get some dowry."
San San was so angry that his teeth itched, and he wished he could punch that shameless man in the face. He could no longer hold back. He would not allow anyone to treat Sheng Xiaoyan as an object of desecration when drunk, not even if she was drunk!
He looked at his father again, hoping he would still have some sense and stop these people's absurd words. His father usually doted on his sister; he must just be tired, drunk, and talking nonsense. How could he bear to give his young daughter away to another man to be defiled for a little money?
She had already dropped out of school to give her younger sister the opportunity. As long as her sister could persevere in her studies, regardless of her grades, she would have a degree, be able to leave this place, find a good job, and marry a good man. As for her own future, it didn't matter; it was all worth it.
But the tiny flame of expectation in San San's eyes was completely extinguished when he saw his father's expression.
Sheng Xuelu sat there holding a wine glass, grinning lewdly like the people around him, as if they weren't talking about his daughter, but some unfortunate Yi girl from the opposite mountain.
San San felt despair. He suddenly felt an urge to explode, an unprecedentedly strong impulse to kick all these people down, break their noses, and tear their mouths apart.
Before he could react, a bowl of tea was thrown over the head of the grinning man.
Chapter Thirteen Night Visit
It wasn't oil tea, just a bowl of ordinary brick tea, and it had already gone cold.
The man was splashed with tea, which soaked his collar and chest. He was already slow to react after drinking, and just a second ago he was having lewd thoughts. Caught off guard by this sudden attack, he was stunned and sat there with his mouth half open, unable to react for a long time.
Not only him, but everyone was stunned.
San San looked at Chen Yunqi in disbelief. Chen Yunqi slowly put down the bowl in his hand. He and the other man sat facing each other across the fire pit. When the tea was poured over, it splashed onto the burning firewood, and a wisp of smoke rose with a "hiss".
"I think you've had too much to drink, brother. Let me help you sober up and stop saying things that hurt others and don't benefit yourself. If you can't hold it in, San San and I won't talk about it again next time. I don't like what you said, and neither does San San."
"Go home and rest early. Drinking too much will make it hard to get an erection, and your wife will start to dislike you," Chen Yunqi retorted sarcastically.
When he said, "San San and I don't like to hear this," he deliberately didn't include San San's father, in order to make San San's father understand that he had gone too far. As a father, he shouldn't have let these people make such a despicable joke about his daughter, completely disregarding San San's feelings.
But Chen Yunqi wasn't sure if he could understand and agree with this "shouldn't be".
He was an outsider in this mountain village. He had neither the ability nor the right to interfere in other people's family affairs. He could neither change nor shake anything. He couldn't even remember how he impulsively spilled that bowl of tea.
All he knew was that when he saw San San's eyes turn so red they looked like they were about to bleed, he felt a pang of pain and was filled with uncontrollable anger.
Before anyone in the room could react, he grabbed San San's hand, helped him up, and walked out.
Only after I stepped outside did I hear furious shouts and curses coming from inside:
"What's it to him! What kind of teacher is he?! Teachers are nothing! He comes here to tell me what to do about my drinking and bragging?!"
The curses were mixed with Yi language that Chen Yunqi couldn't understand, so they probably weren't nice words. The mute mother chased after them. She was an uneducated woman who couldn't control the men's drinking and tantrums, nor did she know how to resolve the conflict. She could only hold onto Chen Yunqi and apologize repeatedly, saying "I'm sorry" and "I'm sorry," and looked at San San for help: "San San, can you persuade Teacher Chen?"
San San was still polite to the mute mother and didn't want to make things difficult for her, so she said to her, "Go back quickly, Auntie. Who knows what they'll do in a little while. Don't let them break your things. Teacher Chen is different from us. She can't stand those kinds of things. Don't take it to heart."
The mute mother waved her hands repeatedly: "It's alright, it's alright. Your mute uncle is inside trying to calm things down, so it won't cause any trouble. Teacher Chen, please don't take them seriously. They're just a bunch of uneducated hooligans. Come back for dinner another day, and I'll kill a chicken for you."
Chen Yunqi smiled generously and said, "Alright, I'll come visit another day. I was a bit rude today because of San San, please forgive me, Auntie."
After the mute mother repeatedly urged him to come back another day, Chen Yunqi led San San away from the mute's house. It was already dark, and San San hadn't had time to grab his coat, so he was shivering from the cold. Chen Yunqi simply took off his own down jacket and forced him to wear it, then hurried home.
Along the way, Chen Yunqi only cared about pulling San San along and walking with his head down. He was also freezing cold, and his two long legs took one step for every two steps San San took.