UCTOOT CH70.3

Shi Shu settled down in this seaside village. The village was isolated from the world, with endless stretches of soft sandy beach. Every morning, Shi Shu would walk barefoot on the damp, cool sand, watching the seawater beat against the pale limestone reefs, the sound of the waves rising and falling, and watching the sun rise from the other side of the world.

This world was too quiet, like a dream of Xanadu. Was this the end of the world?

Shi Shu walked along the coastline. The waves would kiss his toes from time to time, and Laifu would follow behind him, leaving a series of small paw prints on the beach. Peace and stability were present in the seaside village. This place seemed to be no longer under the political jurisdiction of Great Jing.

The people in the village were also very good. They rested after farming, but most of the time they could live off the sea. Every day they would go to the beach, bring back a bucket of crabs, fish, and shrimp to stir-fry and eat. There were abandoned houses in the village that had been hit by the tide. They were repaired a little, and Shi Shu and Du Zihan were allowed to stay there.

Life by the sea was carefree. Shi Shu almost never thought of Xie Wuchi. After staying for three days, Du Zihan asked him, “Should we stop for a while? Our questioning of this world ends here for now.”

Does the questioning of the world end here?

Shi Shu said, “Sure. Winter is coming anyway. Once winter comes, everything is tiring. Let’s get through the winter first.”

From behind, a voice called out, “Xiao Shu, time to eat.”

The village that took him and Du Zihan in was called Qin Village, named because everyone in the village was surnamed Qin. Shi Shu was staying with the family of the village head, Qin Liu. He had three children: an eldest brother who was twenty-four or five and had a child named Abu, and the brother and sister they had met on the beach that day. The brother was named Akan, and the sister was named Xiaobei.

Xiaobei was only ten and loved to play with Shi Shu. She would always tilt her head and look at him. “Xiao Shu, you’re so fair.”

Shi Shu asked, “Huh? Let me ask you, why don’t you call me brother?”

Xiaobei said, “Xiao Shu, why are you so fair? Everyone in our village is dark.”

Shi Shu said, “Because you live by the sea and are always in the sun. Quick, call me brother.”

Xiaobei said, “We’re having steamed crab tonight. I’ll ask my brother to pick a big one for you.”

“…”

Akan glanced at her and said, “Xiaobei, come over here and wash the clams. You wash them cleaner.”

The family got along harmoniously, the atmosphere was pleasant. In this village, there was only leisure and peace, none of the scheming and plotting that existed when he was with Xie Wuchi. Shi Shu went over to look at the wooden bucket, which was filled with expensive but locally abundant seafood. Qin Village was a lucky village. They lived off the mountain and the sea, and the sea they lived by happened to have an endless supply of delicious food, allowing them to live without much hardship, and even to be kind enough to help two complete strangers.

Shi Shu helped wash the clams, finding it very fun. He got excited and washed more than half a basin, which resulted in the family eating clams for dinner and breakfast the next day. The whole family’s faces turned bitter, but they couldn’t help but laugh, saying they had never seen a child from the mainland like Shi Shu.

It was a joyous atmosphere. And so, on the warm coast, Shi Shu spent his second winter in this ancient world.

In Qin Village, Shi Shu got to know everyone in the entire village. They all liked him very much. Du Zihan started a class, teaching the children here math every day.

This left Shi Shu at a loss, so he went to the beach every day. While playing, Shi Shu got to know a group of young people from the village. He went out to sea with them, rowing to a distant market to buy salt, tea, and wine. It was then that Shi Shu discovered that Qin Village was not actually isolated from the world. It was also under the rule of Great Jing and had government offices.

After learning this, Shi Shu’s heart was no longer at peace. Or rather, he knew that all external peace would sooner or later be broken. Unknowingly, spring arrived.

Nothing much happened these days. He sat idly and watched the sea.

Shi Shu sat on a stool, playing cat’s cradle with Xiaobei. He had to hold his hands apart as hooks, letting Xiaobei manipulate the string to create changing shapes. Shi Shu was slightly distracted, and the string slipped from his fingertips.

Xiaobei screamed, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

“…”

Shi Shu said, “Don’t be nervous, watch your brother restore it for you!” He stared at the string for a long time but couldn’t restore it. Xiaobei bared her teeth. “Let’s start over. You’re not allowed to move this time.”

“Fine, fine. How much longer do I have to play with you? I want to go.”

Shi Shu looked up and saw Qin Liu’s sturdy figure walking back on the long beach, sighing. Abu went up to ask, “Dad, what did they say? Do we still have to go?”

Qin Liu looked helpless. “Yes, we have to set out in a few days. Our village has to transport grain to Changping Prefecture. They say Great Jing and Beimin are at war now, and we have to pay a new war tax. The village head has to escort the grain to the front lines.”

Shi Shu leaned against the door, watching them. Abu looked resentful. “It takes two months to walk from Qin Village to Changping Prefecture, and we have to escort grain. It’ll be more than half a year before we get back! I don’t want to go!”

Qin Liu’s wife’s eyes were red. “My son, there are so many chores to handle at home. I don’t want you to go either. It’s just that in this village, your father is the village head, he has to do things for the whole village. He has to go!”

Abu said angrily, “I don’t want to go!”

Watching, Shi Shu understood in his heart that even the peace at the ends of the earth had been shattered by this war between Great Jing and Beimin. Shi Shu handed the string to Xiaobei and walked to Qin Liu’s side. “How big of a matter is it?”

Qin Liu said, “Ai, each household has to contribute grain. Thirty catties per person. Our family has to contribute two to three hundred catties. The whole village’s adds up to a lot!”

Shi Shu asked, “Do you have to escort it yourself?”

Qin Liu said, “Yes. We haven’t paid this tax for many years. Now it’s starting again. I’m so old, it looks like I have to make this trip.”

The chaotic era had arrived. Shi Shu knew that peace was long gone.

Shi Shu patted his shoulder and said with a grin, “How about I help you escort it? I’ve been here for half a year, eating and drinking for free, and haven’t helped with much. I haven’t repaid your kindness. Your family has things to do, but I don’t have much to do. I’ll make the trip for you.”

Qin Liu’s expression was complicated. After a moment, he gratefully grasped his hand. “Xiao Shu, I don’t know what to say.”

Shi Shu took Qin Liu’s place to escort the grain to Changping Prefecture, shouldering the responsibilities of the village head, similar to a grassroots civil servant. Shi Shu liked this job very much. Every day, he helped everyone set up tents, cook, check the route, count the people, and solve daily difficulties. The adults all lived in the seaside fishing village and were not familiar with city life and rules, so Shi Shu came in handy.

It was just that with twenty to thirty people on this journey, there were inevitably quarrels. Sometimes over an egg, a piece of clothing, which road to take, or even whose animal ate whose fodder, causing his little mule to go hungry. They would argue the whole way. “Aiyo, every time we stop, you rush to feed your horse! It eats for half an hour. When my little mule goes to eat, it can only gnaw on grass roots!” “My horse is valuable, more valuable than my son!” “Your horse is valuable, but my little mule isn’t?!” “You!”

Shi Shu’s handsome, fair face looked left and right, raising his hand to mediate among this group of people every day.

“Uncle, uncle, listen to me for a moment…”

“Big brother, big brother, listen to me for a moment…”

“Little brother! Listen to me for a moment!”

“…”

In the long run, in the mountain pass, the carts rumbled along the mountain path. After the boat ride, there were endless mountain roads.

Shi Shu lay on the cart. After spring, the weather slowly warmed up. Patches of sunlight fell through the gaps in the forest leaves onto Shi Shu’s face. He raised his hand to block his eyes.

Du Zihan was driving the cart. “Are we getting farther and farther from Qin Village? Are we coming back after delivering the grain?”

Shi Shu said, “Of course we’re coming back. Why wouldn’t we? I quite like Qin Village.”

Du Zihan said, “I like it too.”

Shi Shu said, “Let’s go. It’ll take more than half a year to go back and forth. We’ll be back in Qin Village just in time for winter.”

Du Zihan drove the cart, keeping it behind the convoy in front to avoid bumping into anyone’s rear. He said, “But as soon as we left Qin Village, I thought of your ex-boyfriend. I wonder how he’s doing now.”

Xie Wuchi…

Shi Shu turned over and climbed up from the cart, unexpectedly laughing. “Time passes so fast!”

Du Zihan said, “Yeah. Was it a dream in Senzhou, or is it a dream in Qin Village? There’s always a sense of unreality.”

Shi Shu thought of Xie Wuchi’s name. This person could still stir ripples in his heart, but it had mostly turned into the gloom of escaping from him. However, for the first time in a long while, Shi Shu remembered that snowy night in Great Sheng Prefecture. Xie Wuchi’s wrist was bleeding, and he walked towards him step by step, his figure ferocious, saying those words.

“Is he that in love?” Shi Shu was scared at the time, a little surprised. Even now, thinking back to that scene, his heart still trembled. But Xie Wuchi was like a yellowed photograph. At this point, he didn’t know how to imagine being with him.

“He must be thriving now, with wealth, glory, a brilliant future, and a meteoric rise. He’s probably forgotten about us,” Shi Shu said with a laugh. “We were never on the same path to begin with.”

“You’re up? Alright, alright, it’s my turn to lie down. You drive!” Du Zihan moved to the back.

Shi Shu went to his seat, patted the sleeping Laifu’s head, took the reins, and started driving the cart again.

“Creak, creak—” The cart moved forward.

Along the way, Shi Shu found that after staying in the seaside Qin Village for more than half a year, the landscape of Great Jing had undergone considerable changes, especially the extent of the war between Great Jing and Beimin, and its impact on the entire dynasty. In many places, county magistrates or village heads were continuously converging towards the border, carrying or transporting grain, conscientiously paying their taxes.

This tax hadn’t appeared for many years. It was only after the surprise attack on Great Sheng Prefecture last year on a snowy night, when the flames of war engulfed the land, that it started again. The common people came from all over. After a brief twenty years of peace, they were once again affected by the war. Almost every household had to pay a new war tax, escorting it from their hometowns to the border war zone thousands of li away.

As Shi Shu walked this road, he saw the hardships of the people’s livelihood. At the same time, he did not deliberately inquire about Xie Wuchi’s news, afraid that he was doing well and afraid that he was not. But as the cart entered Xingu Prefecture and Changping Prefecture, even if Shi Shu didn’t listen much, the voices on the road grew more and more numerous.

“Haha? Not paying the grain tax? Then you’d better ask if our Commandant’s ‘Konghe Army’ agrees.”

“Fuck off, give it here!”

Shi Shu sat in a teahouse, gulping down water and wiping the sweat from his forehead. A soldier was questioning a passing grain convoy. The so-called harsh government is fiercer than a tiger, and soldiers passing through are like bandits. Changping Prefecture and Taiyin Prefecture were connected, both important border defense towns, and they also shielded each other with Xingu Prefecture, serving as the heartland for providing grain. This time, the grain was to be transported to the junction of the two prefectures.

The border areas were full of soldier-bandits, using all sorts of deception and extortion. Moreover, there were many different types of troops in the area, with complex formations. Sometimes it was impossible to tell if the person speaking was a ghost. But the banner they flew was, of course, the most terrifying and intimidating one.

The man quickly snatched someone’s wallet and shook it. “Alright, a filial piety payment. I’ll put in a good word for you with the Commandant.”

Someone on the side couldn’t help but sneer, “The Commandant? Is that someone you can get close to? A damn swindler has a point.”

A group of commoners said blankly, “In previous years on the border, we only heard of Lord Feng Zhongshan, Lord Zhao Shirui, and Lord Chen Rulian. Who is this new Commandant?”

“You don’t know yet? With the new emperor’s ascension, this Commandant rose rapidly. If you haven’t heard of him, you must have heard of the merit of retaking Great Sheng Prefecture, right? Even if you haven’t heard of Great Sheng Prefecture, you must have heard of Lord Xie, the one who toured the country during the new policy reforms, made officials and commoners pay taxes together, and cleared up wrongful cases for everyone, right?”

Shi Shu’s hand trembled. Xie Wuchi, are you doing too well??? What kind of official is a Commandant?

Thinking of Xie Wuchi’s meteoric rise, it was hard not to think back to the bloodbath in Great Sheng Prefecture. Shi Shu had mixed feelings. Du Zihan drank his water faster, his hand trembling violently. “I’m convinced. If I run into him now, I don’t know how many pieces I’ll be chopped into. My flesh and blood will probably be ground into powder and fed to pigs and dogs.”

Shi Shu also laughed. “I’m convinced. I’m really convinced. Not only am I convinced, Xie Wuchi, you never cease to amaze.”

Du Zihan asked, “We’re both transmigrators, so why?”

Why? Because of his heaven-defying methods, his unfathomable shrewdness, his extreme calculations, his demonic heart. Shi Shu couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. He only knew that if Xie Wuchi wanted him dead now, he would truly die without a complete corpse. Was I too heartless when I left?

As the two reminisced about old times, the person on the side was still boasting, “Our Commandant is now the most authoritative person on the border. He can also lead troops into battle, trap and kill the Beimin, wipe out our shame, and kill enemies like flies. Do you understand? You ignorant fools. What Feng Zhongshan, what Zhao Shirui, they are all in the past. The master of the hundreds of thousands of troops on the border has long since changed his name.”

“Is the Commandant ruthless in his actions?”

“That’s called魄力 (pòlì), understand! Charisma!”

“…”

Shi Shu really couldn’t drink anymore. He turned and paced around. May the heavens protect me, may I never run into Xie Wuchi again in this lifetime. Qin Village is very good, and Shi Shu still wants to live.

After the bragging in the teahouse was over, the group had to continue their journey. Du Zihan had a nightmare that night and came to find Shi Shu. “Fuck, so it’s true that a tyrant can stop a child from crying at night!”

Shi Shu said, “…To be honest, I can’t sleep either.”

A few more days passed, and the grain was finally transported to Yanzhou, the northernmost part of Xingu Prefecture. Shi Shu breathed a sigh of relief. After transporting the grain to the designated location by the army, they, the common people, could go back. Shi Shu unconsciously sped up his horse. However, on this day, the endless stream of grain transport convoys was suddenly intercepted at a wooden bridge they were about to cross.

Shi Shu jumped off the cart. It was early summer. Rows and rows of the people’s grain carts were blocked on the wooden bridge, making a noisy racket, pushing the grain carts to the side.

“What’s the meaning of this? Why aren’t you letting us pass?!”

“There’s a deadline for escorting grain. Don’t delay military matters, it’s a crime punishable by death!”

“We’ve traveled for more than three months to deliver grain. Why won’t you let us pass?”

“Don’t push the people too far!”

A hot-tempered person in the crowd shouted, “Move!”

A group of people stood on the wooden bridge. It was a short, fat, round middle-aged man who said with a condescending air, “If you want to cross this bridge, you have to pay.”

Shi Shu immediately thought, “What the fuck,” and walked forward to watch.

Someone in the crowd was immediately displeased. “We’ve traveled a thousand li specifically to pay taxes. We’ve already given the money and grain. We’re about to reach Yanzhou, and you’re still making us pay taxes? Are you trying to kill us! We’re already penniless!”

The official said, “I don’t know if you’re penniless or not. In short, if you want to cross this bridge, you have to pay. Oh, and by the way, this isn’t my idea. This is the idea of the Yanzhou government office. If you want to argue, go argue with them!”

The people grumbled, “We really don’t have a single cent left on us!”

“The food we eat is all old flour we brought from home. All the good grain has been given to you.”

“We really have no more money to give!”

The official rolled his eyes. “Then don’t cross! If military matters are delayed, it’s not me who will die.”

Shi Shu said, “…”

Shi Shu couldn’t take it anymore. He walked forward. “Why should we pay? You say it’s decided by the government office, where’s the official document? Or are you just trying to suck the marrow from the people’s bones, to corrupt and exploit? Without a document, we will never pay.”

“Insolent commoner!”

Shi Shu said, “We won’t pay. The people have traveled a thousand li to deliver grain, and we still have to pay a toll? Are you even an official? You’re more exploitative than a bandit. Can’t you see we don’t have a single cent left? We won’t pay. If you have the guts, kill us all.”

Akan, who had come with him from Qin Village, also chimed in, “Fuck you, we’ve brought you all the grain from our fields at home, and you still want to collect money! If you have the guts, arrest us directly!”

“Yes! Arrest us!”

“No money, we won’t pay!”

“Bastard! Corrupt official!”

The crowd erupted into a clamor. Shi Shu’s heart was pounding in his chest, filled with anger. The official’s face turned red with anger. He shouted, “Guard the bridge! I’d like to see if it’s you or us who will die if you can’t deliver the military grain on time!”

“Bastard!”

However, just as the scene descended into chaos, a thundering of horse hooves suddenly came from not far away. “Thump thump thump,” like a drumbeat, they stomped solidly on the ground, swift as a rainbow, stirring up the wind and sand by the roadside.

The official, who was facing the road, saw this scene, and his face suddenly changed. He pushed through the crowd to get out. “Move, move, get lost—”

“The master is back from hunting! Clear the road quickly! And get this group of insolent commoners out of the way!”

“Someone, maintain order! Clear the road quickly!”

“This humble official, Zhou Changde, pays his respects to—”

Shi Shu, being squeezed in the chaotic crowd, didn’t know what was going on. He turned his face. A dozen or so swift horses were galloping from the main road not far away. The horses were strong and magnificent, their posture as swift as lightning, filled with an intimidating pressure. And behind this column of people were dozens, even hundreds of guards. The horses came in a rush, a dozen or so galloping steeds. The person at the very front was wearing a conspicuous black hunting outfit, his figure upright and handsome. He held a horsewhip in one hand, his wrist wrapped in white gauze.

The horses charged straight ahead, almost not seeing the people in front of them. The crowd scattered in all directions. The cold wind was sharp, lifting his long black hair. Below his sharp eyebrows were a pair of glass-like, ice-black eyes, suppressed, with not a trace of emotion on his face. The horse galloped past. On the horses behind were the corpses of their hunt, dripping with blood. The guards blocked the people, but the obstacles on the wooden bridge were still being moved too slowly.

The horse came to a stop with a neigh, pacing impatiently.

Shi Shu backed away, having nowhere to go. In front of him was the corpse of a small deer, its neck pierced by an arrow, a bloody mess.

Xie Wuchi!

Shi Shu smelled the scent of blood. For a moment, his feelings were complicated. When he looked down, he couldn’t find Du Zihan. He was cowering behind a cart, trembling, holding Laifu tightly, suppressing Laifu’s frantically wagging tail!

Shi Shu was stunned for a moment. He wanted to run, but then he thought, I don’t owe him anything. Shi Shu stood his ground, watching quietly.

The official Zhou Changde crawled and stumbled forward to hold the horse’s reins, stammering, “Commandant, this humble official was collecting a toll here, so I had blocked the wooden bridge, obstructing your horse. My crime is worthy of ten thousand deaths!”

Arrogant before, obsequious after. Truly a man of officialdom. Shi Shu watched this official with amusement.

A sound came from the wooden bridge. “Click.” The wrist wrapped in gauze reached out and threw the horsewhip to a guard at the side. Xie Wuchi’s figure stood on the bridge, his eyes seemingly transparent, sweeping over the crowd, inch by inch.

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