Chapter 58 - 28: Imposing Arrival
Chapter 58: Chapter 28: Imposing Arrival
Beneath the boundless dark dome of the sky, the crescent moon hung dim while countless stars flickered, their light glittering like an infinity of stellar embers.
In the Fang home, the flame of an oil lamp leaped and flickered, casting its glow upon the three people gathered around the table.
"The thief was caught... and he committed murder. I heard it was a family of five. The old, the weak, women, and children—not one of them was spared..."
Fang Rui relayed the news he had heard from Jiang Ping’an to Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling.
"That’s just terrible..."
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family sighed, but she was also overcome with relief.
Fang Ling was old enough to understand some things now. She asked in her innocent, childish voice, "Brother, if Mother and I hadn’t hidden in the cellar, would we have died too?"
Hearing the word "die" from the mouth of a five-year-old child carried an unspeakable weight and sorrow.
The corner of Fang Rui’s eye twitched. He fell silent for a moment, then smiled and patted Fang Ling’s head. "Of course not. There’s no point in ’what-ifs’."
Only then did he have a moment to untie his satchel. To lighten the heavy atmosphere, he took out some soybeans and cured meat.
"Wow, soybeans! And meat!" Fang Ling cried out in delight.
"Brother, are we having meat again?" In the twilight, her big eyes sparkled.
’This silly little girl is so carefree,’ Fang Rui thought, amused. ’One moment she’s talking about death, the next she’s already thinking about meat!’
"What do you mean, ’eat’ it?" Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family tapped Fang Ling on the head. "This is cured meat. It’s for storing!"
"That’s right, we need to save it."
Fang Rui thought for a moment before speaking. "These days... I have a feeling things are going to get worse. We’ve stored up a good amount of coarse grains, but we need to start stockpiling other scarce goods, too..."
He hadn’t planned on saying anything, but after what happened today... he figured it was best to give Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling a warning.
Of course.
Fang Rui wasn’t going to tell them everything and make them worry needlessly. He just wanted to mention it, to plant a seed of caution in their minds so they would be even more careful.
...
After washing up, they all went to bed.
Fang Ling had gotten used to sleeping in the same room as Fang Rui. He was easygoing, never scolded her, and even told interesting stories.
Since Fang Rui had gone to the Black Market tonight, Fang Ling had stayed up late. The fright from the thief incident had also left her unsettled. As Fang Rui told a story, it wasn’t long before the little girl drifted off to sleep.
Fang Rui, however, lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He closed his eyes and summoned his panel, discovering that his Tribulation Points had climbed to nearly two hundred.
’What happened today must have accounted for a large chunk of that!’ Fang Rui thought.
Lately, the accumulation of Tribulation Points had suddenly accelerated.
Strangely, Fang Rui felt no joy. Instead, his thoughts ran deeper. ’To be as insignificant as a blade of grass in this tumultuous era is, in itself, a kind of tribulation. The accumulation of Tribulation Points is a microcosm of these chaotic times.’
’Does the faster accumulation of Tribulation Points mean that the tribulation afflicting all living things is growing more intense?’
’The great tides of this era are overwhelming. The common folk are like mayflies; a single crashing wave means shattered homes and lost lives. In a world like this, peace and tranquility have become rare luxuries!’
One might look at the neighbors in Willow Alley—life is hard, to be sure, but they can still live in relative stability. In reality, that stability is like a sandcastle, ready to collapse at the first touch of wind and waves.
His own painstaking preparations were, at best, a small skiff. It might be able to flounder about for a bit, but it was a far cry from what was needed to ride the wind and brave the waves of this chaotic era.
"Strength... I need strength!"
Fang Rui’s eyes grew profound as he gazed out the window at the starlit sky, a sigh echoing in his heart.
...
「The next morning.」
Fang Rui carried two jin of corn flour and five portions of Scar Remover to Jiang Ping’an’s house in Sweet Water Well Alley.
The corn flour was one thing, but when Sister-in-law Jiang saw the Scar Remover, she was overjoyed. She was so enthusiastic she looked like she might kiss Fang Rui on the spot.
At lunchtime.
As was customary, the two men, Jiang Ping’an and Fang Rui, drank outside while Sister-in-law Jiang took the children to eat in the inner room.
Lunch was corn porridge and corn buns—which was nothing out of the ordinary, as they had prepared it knowing Fang Rui was coming.
But the dishes served with the wine, aside from a plate of dried tofu and a platter of fennel beans, surprisingly included a large bowl of roasted chicken!
"Sister-in-law Jiang, is this... roasted chicken?! You’re being far too generous!" Fang Rui was genuinely overwhelmed by the gesture.
In times like these, in a year like this, an ordinary family might not even eat meat for New Year’s, let alone serve it to a guest.
Besides, as he looked at the large bowl of shredded roasted chicken, he noticed three drumsticks. This was clearly more than one chicken’s worth.
"Oh, don’t mention it! We have you to thank for this, Xiaofang," Sister-in-law Jiang explained. "You see, me and my friends..."
Fang Rui understood.
It was likely that Sister-in-law Jiang had promised to get them the Skin Care Cream, and her friends felt too embarrassed to accept it for free... They had made a trade.
’So, it really was thanks to him,’ he realized. ’Sister-in-law Jiang was making a gracious gesture with resources he provided. At the same time, she was clearly angling for him to get more Skin Care Cream... no, Scar Remover.’
’It seems that no matter the era, as long as they have the means, women will always care immensely about their appearance!’
Fang Rui mused. Thinking about it, he was even tempted to change the name from Scar Remover to Skin Care Cream.
Sister-in-law Jiang was a good cook, and the roasted chicken was fragrant and delicious. The wine was the old yellow wine Fang Rui had brought last time, most of which was still left.
Chicken and wine—the more they drank, the more their spirits rose.
Fang Rui and Jiang Ping’an drank and chatted, their camaraderie growing deeper with every cup.
They drank until the sun had shifted in the sky. By the time the session ended, Jiang Ping’an was dead drunk, and Fang Rui himself was pleasantly buzzed. He said his goodbyes and rose to leave.
Before he left.
Sister-in-law Jiang was incredibly insistent. She packed up some of the chicken bones and forced them into Fang Rui’s hands. "Take this back for your mother and sister to try! I didn’t pick the bones completely clean, so they can still nibble on them for a taste!"