The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 004 Tang Shen
The hoodlums swarmed over, one hugged the big man's waist, and the other picked up the bench and tried to smash it over his head.
How could Tang Shen let this strange man be attacked from both sides? He pushed his sister far away and jumped into the fray with his own bench. Although there were many hoodlums, not one was of any serious threat. The two hoodlums worked together to knock the big man down, but the big man didn't move an inch and instead gave each one a punch.
The big man punched hard, his fists stirring up the wind. Tang Shen was young and a scholar. Though he wanted to help, he could only cause some trouble for the hoodlums on the side.
In the past, they used their large numbers to run rampant in the village, and the villagers did not dare to say anything. Now faced against the big man who seemed unaffected by their punches and kicks, even managing to counterattack from time to time, plus Tang Shen's assistance. The leader of the hoodlums was beaten so hard that he staggered back, bruises blooming on his face.
"What are you doing? What are you doing here!" A sharp shout came from a distance. The crowd of onlookers moved out of the way, and the village head came over with several people.
Seeing that the momentum was not right, the hoodlums spat blood and saliva in Tang Shen's direction and ran away.
The village head was also out of ideas regarding these hoodlums. These young men were all destitute, their parents already gone, and they have no relatives either. They were not afraid of heaven or earth, so even if they committed a crime, at most they would just stick their neck out, no big deal, it was just a cheap life they had. The village head expressed condolences and hearing that the Tang siblings were fine, he told them to close the stall early and go back to rest.
The villagers helped clean up the broken tables and chairs.
Tang Shen rubbed his arm. During the fight just now, his arm was hit by a hoodlum and turned red. Ah Huang anxiously ran over and looked at Tang Shen's arm, flustered and annoyed.
"Those damn hoodlums!"
Tang Shen looked at the big man and saw an old woman running over anxiously to check the big man's injuries.
This sturdy man was the same man who asked for juice at Tang Shen’s stall two days ago.
Tang Shen had delicate skin and tender flesh, and his skin easily bruised when touched. This big man was muscular all over and should likely be very resistant to beatings, but he was beaten all over by those hoodlums and was covered in bruises. He didn't utter a sound during the fight, but now Tang Shen discovered that there was a bloody wound on the man's arm. Don't know when, but he was scratched by a sharp weapon.
Tang Huang said nervously: “Such a serious injury!"
Tang Shen said: "Take the rest of our things and let's go to Doctor Liu's place at the east end of the village to have a look."
Hearing this, the man said: "It's no big deal, little brother, it's just a minor injury. Those thugs only know how to use street tactics. They can only throw aimless punches and kicks and can't hurt anyone."
Ah Huang: "You say it's fine, but you are bleeding!"
The man wanted to say more, but Tang Shen forcefully took them to see the doctor. The doctor prescribed some medicine, but the man had a look of difficulty, so Tang Shen paid for it. The man and the old woman stood on the village road, at a loss. Tang Shen looked at their ragged appearance and asked, "What are you called, big brother? From your accent, are you from the north?"
The man said: "Yes, we came from Shanxi."
"How did you end up like this?"
A trace of pain appeared on the man's face, and he sighed deeply and said, "I'm not afraid of being laughed at so I can tell you. I was originally the guard of a juren’s family, and although I don't make much, I could still provide my family a happy life. Unexpectedly, last month, there was a flood in Shanxi and the Yellow River overflowed. Aside from my family, even the juren laoye's whole family was buried in the Yellow River. I could only take my mother all the way to Gusu Prefecture to seek my relatives. But who knew that our relatives passed away last year, so we are like this."
Tang Huang hid behind Tang Shen and stuck her head out at this time: "So you were a guard. No wonder you are so powerful. You beat those hoodlums until they cried in pain."
Tang Shen pressed his sister's head down: "I see, but with big brother's skill and age, you should be able to make a living easily."
The big man sighed: "If it's only me, I would not have to worry about food and clothing wherever I go. I could make a living as a guard for others. But there is still my old mother. I actually found a family to work for in Gusu Prefecture City before. My boss valued me very much, but when he heard my request to support my mother, he didn't want to hire me anymore. Little brother, you don't know, but although Jiangnan and Suzhou are rich, there are many people like me who come from other places. Others don't have the burden of family, so naturally they are more popular with employers than me."
Tang Shen understood this.
For the same package of providing food and accommodation, as well as a monthly payment, everyone would choose the one with no burdens, rather than the one with such burdens.
Tang Shen's eyes lit up: "You've been to Gusu Prefecture City?"
"Yes. My relative was from Gusu Prefecture City. I stayed there for more than half a month until I could no longer afford it, so I brought my mother to the village to try my luck."
Tang Shen said: "Brother, I think we have quite the affinity. I can trust your character." This was someone who was willing to carry their old mother across thousands of miles, never abandoning her, and taking good care of her. A filial person would not be a bad person. "My sister and I became orphaned last year, and the two of us can only depend on each other. If you don't mind, you can come and stay at my house."
The big man was shocked and said: "This is not good. How can I receive this favor for no reason?"
Tang Shen smiled and said, "You saved our lives after all."
The big man refused again and again, but in the end he couldn't persuade the other, so he followed Tang Shen back home.
Tang Huang was a little girl who was very fierce at home, but always listened to Tang Shen in external matters. When the four of them returned home, the big man and his old mother diligently helped with cleaning and cooking, and always tried to keep themselves busy. Within two days, the four of them became as close as one family.
This big man's surname was Yao, and his name was Yao Cheng. He was the third in the family, so others called him Yao San.
Yao San insisted on calling Tang Shen his little boss, feeling that he was being hired, and Tang Shen couldn't convince him otherwise, so he let the matter go.
In the following month, the four of them were busy making fruit juice. They received a lot of orders at the temple fair, and with the help of Yao San and Aunt Yao, more than a hundred catties of fruit juice were made. In the meantime, he also received some additional orders. From the beginning of August, Tang Huang always liked to count the sixteen strings of coins they earned and slept with them every night.
After dinner in the evening, Tang Shen sat on the patio outside the house and counted the money he had earned in the past six months since transmigrating over.
"... plus the 80 copper coins from this morning, twenty-three strings of coins in total."
Yao San ran out: "Little boss, the quilts in the house are all ready. It's getting dark. Come in and have a rest."
Tang Shen raised his head and looked at the sky: "The moonlight is bright tonight, very bright. Call Tang Huang and Aunt Yao to come out to bask in the moonlight for a while. I also want to say something."
Yao San went to call the others over in confusion, and the four of them sat on the wooden chairs in the patio.
Yao San: “Little boss, do you have any urgent instructions?"
Tang Shen nodded and looked at Tang Huang: "You have hidden all the money. Tell me how much money our family still has."
Tang Huang clasped her hands in fear: "What, what do you want to do, don't you dare touch my money!"
Tang Shen didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Little boss Tang, that's your money? That's our family's money. Don't be ridiculous, let me ask you, are there more than twenty-three strings?"
The little girl nodded reluctantly and vaguely said a number.
Tang Shen: "I didn't hear clearly."
"Twenty-three strings and forty-one coins! Aunt Yao, he's bullying me."
"Alright, don't pretend to cry." After calculating the numbers, Tang Shen said, “It's like this. From the beginning, I didn't plan to stay in Zhao Family Village for long. I'll tell the truth. In two days, Tang Huang and I will be going to Gusu Prefecture City, and we may never come back.”
Yao San: "This..."
Tang Shen: "Brother Yao, I have never regarded you as a servant. It is a certainty that we are leaving, and we will definitely sell this house. If you and Aunt Yao are willing, you can go to Bush Prefecture City with us. If you are unwilling, there is a small house in the backyard. I don’t need to sell it and I can give it to you.”
Aunt Yao said: "How can we accept such a gift?"
Tang Shen said: "Brother Yao hasn't established a solid foundation in Zhao Family Village yet, so don't refuse, Aunt Yao."
The mother and son looked at each other.
Yao San thought for a while, then gritted his teeth and said, "Little boss, please give me one night to think about it."
In the early morning of the next day, Yao San came to Tang Shen and said, "Little boss, I want to go with you. My mother and I didn't have a place to belong to begin with, but you gave us a place to stay. Besides, you two are still young, and going to Gusu Prefecture City by yourselves must be really inconvenient.”
Tang Shen: "If your decision to come with us is because you are worried we will meet with trouble on the road due to our age, then brother Yao, don't even think about it."
Aunt Yao came out of the room and said, "He has a clumsy tongue and doesn't know how to speak the right words. Little boss, don't listen to his nonsense. Although my eyes are dim, I can see that little boss will have a bright future. San'er will only have a way out if he follows you, and we want to go together with little boss."
So the matter was settled like this.
In truth, the fact Yao San was willing to go with them caused Tang Shen to breathe a sigh of relief. What he said was true. It was indeed inconvenient for two children to go to an unfamiliar place alone. Even though Tang Shen was actually a doctoral student in his twenties from a prestigious university, his current body was that of a child. If they really met a crook halfway, ten of them would not even be a match against one Yao San.
After confirming that they would leave in ten days, Tang Shen and Yao San began to prepare their luggage.
First they had to find a buyer and sell the Tang family house. There was also an acre of land that Tang xiucai originally owned, which was also sold to the old couple in a herbal tea shop. That acre of land had originally been rented to them for farming. Tang xiucai had never farmed himself, so it was very convenient to sell it to them now.
After getting his things ready and renting a donkey cart, Tang Shen still had thirty coins left.
Hearing that the Tang siblings were leaving the Zhao Family Village, everyone in the village came to see them off.
Tang xiucai was a rare scholar in the village. Although he was pedantic and did not like to socialize with the neighbors, there were no bridges or grievances either. Tang Shen and Tang Huang were even more likable and well-behaved. After starting to sell fruit juice, they get along with the villagers every day. Everyone became fond of the siblings very much.
The sister-in-law of the herbal tea shop stuffed a bag of steamed buns in Tang Shen's hands: "Little Tang Lang, don't starve on the road."
The neighboring auntie gifted a bag of clothes: "These are my son's old clothes. I hope you don't dislike it, Little Tang Lang. I heard that the things from Gusu Prefecture City are very expensive."
"Little Tang Lang, why are you leaving?"
"Little Tang Lang, once you leave, won't there be no more fruit juice to drink in the future?"
Tang Shen nodded repeatedly with a wry smile: "Yes, Little Tang Lang is really leaving."
"En, Little Tang Lang must definitely come back and visit when you have the time."
"Little Tang Lang must definitely not spend money randomly."
Alright, he might as well make fun of himself.
Yao San and Aunt Yao collected all the things given by the villagers and put them on the donkey cart.
Finally when he was about to leave, Tang Shen stood in front of Zeng fuzi. The gray-haired old man looked down at Tang Shen, looking at this young man who was only as high as his chest. He snorted and threw a package towards Tang Shen: "Study well!" After that, he turned and left.
Tang Shen watched Zeng fuzi's retreating back.
The village head said: "Little Tang Lang, don't forget our Zhao Family Village when you go to Gusu Prefecture City to study."
Many people in the village thought that the Tang siblings moving to Gusu Prefecture City was for his studies.
Tang Huang said proudly: "My brother will definitely pass the exam!"
"And gain a juren title?"
The little girl cared about face, how could she say that her brother had no ambitions and was content to be just a xiucai? She stuttered a bit and said: "That's natural. Uncle village head, will you change the name of Zhao Family Village to my brother's surname when the time comes?"
Zhao Family Village was not called Zhao Family Village before. It was renamed Zhao Family Village because there was a juren named Zhao.
The village head just thought the little girl was saying this for fun: "Okay, if Little Tang Lang really becomes a juren, our Zhao Family Village will be called Tang Family Village from now on. Do you folks have any objections?"
"We listen to the village head!"
Looking at the villagers gathered around him, Tang Shen smiled and said, "Don't send me off anymore, little Tang Lang is really leaving now."
On the country road, the donkey cart creaked forward. The figures of the villagers gradually turned into small black dots, and soon, Zhao Family Village could no longer be seen. Tang Huang was a little reluctant and her eyes became a little wet.
Tang Shen sat on the donkey cart and opened the package given by Zeng fuzi. Inside he saw a brand new set of inkstones and a set of four books. "The Analects of Confucius", "The Doctrine of the Mean", "The Great Learning", and "Mencius". Opening the books, he saw that there were dense notes written in it. The books were not new, the pages seemed to have been turned over and read many times.
It must have taken decades of studying it to have written so many insights and experiences in the book.
Tang Shen put the things away and sighed, "I will continue my studies."
Wu County was some distance away from Gusu Prefecture City. The four of them rested in the wild for a night and finally arrived at Gusu Prefecture City early the next morning.
There was heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below.
『Suzhou』
Two wild and unrestrained black characters were printed on the city gate, majestic and full of the vicissitudes of life.
This was a lofty and majestic city. The city gate was over ten meters tall, and the green brick city wall spread to both sides, so lengthy that the ends couldn't be seen at a glance. In the tall doorway, carriages and pedestrians came and went, painting a flourishing and bustling scene. Guards stood on the city wall wearing armor, and people were hurrying to and fro below the city wall. Before even entering the city, one could hear the bustling and noisy sounds in the city.
The sound of hawking of wares, the tinkling of horse bells.
Outside the city gate, Tang Huang looked at the scene inside the city and was dumbfounded. After living here for half a year, it was the first time that Tang Shen really saw a big ancient city and even he was stunned for a while.
After a long time, Tang Huang pulled at her brother's sleeve: "Tang Shen, this is, this is where we will live in the future?"
Tang Shen came to his senses.
"Yes, this is where we will live in the future."
Gusu Prefecture, Tang Family Village, Wu County, Tang Shen.
Only thirteen years old this year.