FMT 35

Chapter 35 Strolling the Market

The next morning, Tang Hua and his husband pushed the cart over. Their child was still too small, and in the ice and snow they worried she would freeze, so they left her with Li Fu’s parents.

Liandan had already spoken with Aunt Wu the day before and arranged to leave Xiaodan with her and Sister Tingzi for the day.

When Tang Hua arrived, he had just finished feeding Xiaodan. Chen Shuangning shouldered the things Liandan had prepared the night before, and together they brought Xiaodan next door before setting out.

On the road, the two men took turns pushing the cart. When Tang Hua and Liandan grew tired, they sat in the cart to rest a bit, but not for long, since staying still in the cold without moving one’s limbs would freeze them.

They were all young. With walking and resting along the way, the ten-li journey took them just over an hour.

The road wound through some mountain paths and passed a few villages. The closer they came to town, the livelier it became.

Before they even reached the town, Liandan already found it fresh and new. When they arrived and stood on the busiest street, his eyes could not take in everything.

Before him was a shop selling fried cakes and flour tea. When glutinous rice cakes were dropped into the hot oil, they sizzled and puffed up, quickly turning golden and giving off an inviting fragrance.

Turning his head, he saw a shop selling clay figurines. On the racks at the door, rows of colorful, lifelike figures stood — men, women, young, old, all with festive looks.

Walking further, a shop clerk with a dark-blue cloth draped over his arm called out. The open doors revealed all kinds of fabrics, dazzling to the eye.

In front of this shop was also a stall selling little toys for children. Liandan wanted to go look, but when he saw Tang Hua and the others still walking ahead, he pulled his gaze back and tried to keep up.

But someone caught his wrist. Liandan looked up and saw Chen Shuangning looking down at him. “If you want to look, then go look.”

By then Tang Hua and her husband noticed the two had fallen behind and came back through the crowd.

Tang Hua said, “Ah, how did I not notice this stall earlier.” He leaned in and said to Li Fu, “So many fun things. Let’s pick one for Xiaohua.”

Standing beside Tang Hua, Liandan chose a small wooden monkey with movable limbs. Tang Hua chose a little ball woven from cane.

When he asked the price, Liandan’s choice was more expensive. He normally did not dare speak with strangers, but since it cost so much, he forced himself to bargain with the stall owner.

The stall owner was easygoing. He laughed. “With such a good-looking ge’er buying from me, of course I’ll give the lowest price.”

Tang Hua laughed and nudged Liandan’s shoulder with his own. He said to the stall owner, “Then thank you, shopkeeper.”

After paying and taking the toy, Liandan nearly bumped into Chen Shuangning, who had been waiting silently by his side. Chen Shuangning steadied him with a hand on his arm, and when Liandan had found his footing, he took the wooden monkey from his hands and tucked it into his bundle.

They continued walking. Though they had eaten before setting out, the long walk in the cold had left them hungry.

At a wonton stall, each had a bowl. The hot broth warmed them at once.

Further ahead, a performance was happening outside a shop. Crowds were packed tightly, cheers ringing out from time to time.

Tang Hua tried but could not squeeze through. Even jumping, he could not see. Nearby, a short wall held children whom their parents had lifted up to watch.

Li Fu saw this, picked Tang Hua up by the waist, and helped him climb up to sit on the wall.

Once up, Tang Hua let out a “Wow” in excitement, his face red with delight. Li Fu quickly held his legs from below, afraid he might fall.

Tang Hua waved vigorously to Liandan and called, “Come up, come up, someone’s doing somersaults!”

Liandan wanted to, but…

At his ear, a hoarse voice asked in a low tone, “Do you want to go up?”

Liandan lifted his eyes to look at Chen Shuangning. Before he could respond, the other man’s hand was already on his waist. Startled, he let out an “Ah,” flustered, as his whole body was lifted with ease and set down on the low wall.

Li Fu was not short, yet Chen Shuangning was even taller.

Chen Shuangning did not hold Liandan’s legs. Instead, he stood before him, letting Liandan rest his hands on his shoulders for support.

The long hair tied at the back of Chen Shuangning’s head was blown by the wind, strands brushing coolly across the back of Liandan’s hand resting on his shoulder.

From this angle, Liandan could see his lowered eyelashes and the faint rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

The street performance was lively and entertaining, but Liandan did not watch with full attention.

….

After the performance, they went to the butcher’s and the shop selling dried goods. Since they were buying for the New Year, they bought many large and small bundles.

They carried the things that were more valuable, for fear of theft from the cart.

When they passed Xinglong Treasure Shop, even though many people were going in and out and the goods inside looked fine, neither Tang Hua nor Liandan had the slightest thought of entering.

At a glance, it was clear the items inside were far too expensive.

Two clerks from Xinglong Treasure Shop were at the door greeting customers. They saw, with their own eyes, their sect master who was always stern and distant toward them, now carrying bundles across his back and chest, passing right by without even glancing their way.

The shopkeeper, having received word, hurried anxiously to the doorway. Looking at the young man’s back, he hesitated again and again but did not dare step forward to disturb him.

….

The Zhang family that Bai Lianye had married into lived five or six li from town. On the way to town, they had taken the mountain road outside that village, not through the village itself.

On the way back, Tang Hua knew Liandan wanted to see his sister, so he suggested they go through the village.

Liandan was not the type to trouble others and quickly said, “It won’t take long. We’ll just sit a while and go.”

Tang Hua laughed. “It’s fine. We’re tired from walking anyway. We’ll drink some water and rest at your sister’s house.”

When they reached the village, Chen Shuangning and Li Fu asked for directions and soon found the Zhang family’s gate.

But when the villagers heard they were going to the old Zhang family, they asked who they were. After learning, their expressions grew complicated. Once the group left, the villagers whispered to each other, shaking their heads with sighs.

Seeing this, Liandan felt uneasy.

When they arrived at the Zhang house, the courtyard gate was shut tight. It was impossible to tell if anyone was home.

Fortunately, after Chen Shuangning knocked for a while, they heard a door inside open and footsteps crossing the courtyard.

“Who is it?” A young woman’s voice asked.

The gate creaked open, revealing a face both delicate and weary. When she saw who stood outside, she froze, then at once threw her arms around her younger brother in joy. “How did you come?”

Liandan hugged his sister as well. “We went to town to buy things and stopped by on the way.” He raised his head, looked at Lianye, and his expression grew worried. “What happened? Why do you look so unwell?”

No longer able to hold back, forgetting the others nearby, Lianye’s tears fell. Choking back sobs, she said, “This family is falling apart. I… I can’t live like this anymore…”