The yamen runners surrounded them, and few dared to meet their gaze.
Only Jiang Sheng stared blankly at them, too young and shabbily dressed to pose any threat, so the runners paid him no mind as they clapped their hands and returned to the county yamen.
Zhang Qiquan struggled to his feet, staggering to the street corner before collapsing again.
In Jiang Sheng's mind, this man was a villain, though his wife seemed nice, her wailing still fresh in his memory.
He hesitated over whether to help, wondering if leaving a man to die here would lead to future blame.
His brothers seemed to be pondering the same.
Just as the donkey cart was about to pass Zhang Qiquan, Fang Heng cursed under his breath and reined in the donkey.
Zheng Ruqian and Fang Heng lifted Zhang Qiquan onto the cart, while the children shielded them from view as they hurried back to Shili Village.
Reaching the village entrance, still worried about bringing the unconscious Zhang Qiquan home and unjust blame, they left him in the dilapidated temple instead.
Zheng Ruqian went to boil water and clean his festering wounds.
Wen Zhanyun ground medicines for his injuries.
After much effort Zhang Qiquan finally stirred awake.
Thinking himself dead, he wept at the sight of the Buddha statue looming over him.
Startled by a child's head popping into view, he choked back his tears. "Where is this place?"
Jiang Sheng pursed his lips, anger at the stolen goods still fresh. "The village entrance."
"You...I..." Zhang Qiquan wasn't stupid. Calming down, he said, "You saved me. Thank you."
Jiang Sheng snorted, he hadn't wanted to help, they only carried the man because third brother stopped the cart.
Fang Heng's face was expressionless, he hadn't wanted to help either, but seeing his sister so upset made it hard to refuse.
Oblivious to their reluctance, Zhang Qiquan's eyes brimmed with tears. "I wronged you before, yet still you saved me. I'm worthless, not even as good as a child, wasting over twenty years of life."
He lifted a hand as if to strike himself, but winced from the pain.
Silent till now, Xu Mo finally spoke up, "Why did you offend the authorities? The new magistrate is not one to provoke."
At this, Zhang Qiquan's eyes filled with hatred.
"Not just provoke, he's downright lawless! Before, Magistrate Xu loved the people like his children, yet this man plotted to frame and murder him. After, Doctor Wen worked diligently and refused to treat his concubine's illness, so he beat him to death under false pretenses. And I, an ordinary commoner, just wanted to sell pelts and meat in a remote corner of the county town, yet he took everything and beat me too.
I reported this injustice by beating the county drum, and this is how I ended up."
Zhang Qiquan gave a bitter laugh. "Such is the county's father and mother official, the glorious magistrate of Xieyang County. With him in charge, Xieyang County truly prospers, a blessing unto three lifetimes."
The temple's remote location kept them apart from the villagers' homes.
Unable to restrain his resentment, Zhang Qiquan buried his face and wept.
A grown man weeping so piteously was disturbing to see.
Jiang Sheng dared not speak, cowering behind Zheng Ruqian's back, his earlier grudge forgotten.
"I know you've suffered," Xu Mo said calmly. "But the county has rules against private sales. Do business properly at the market with your own stall, isn't that better than sneaking around?"
Not just the county seat, any decent-sized town had such rules, mainly to control prices and prevent large fluctuations.
Overall it was good, though rents could be considered a downside, costing at most a dozen silver coins per month, which the Zhangs could presumably afford.
"A dozen coins?" Zhang Qiquan laughed. "That was under Magistrate Xu. Now the market rents are two hundred coins!"
Nearly twenty times as much!
A meat seller earning twenty coins a day would have half a tael of silver per month. Ten to twenty coins rent was negligible, but two hundred coins cut income sharply. Who would be happy with that?
Some persisted, others turned to selling in towns with lower rents.
And some desperate souls like Zhang Qiquan resorted to furtive selling, only to be beaten bloody when caught.
Hard times breed hardship.
Venting done, Zhang Qiquan struggled upright. "Thank you again. I will repay your kindness. I must go home now."
As he limped from the temple, Fang Heng suddenly asked, "You mentioned pelts and meat, you mean mutton?"
He couldn't think what animals had both pelts and meat.
Zhang Qiquan froze. This secret wasn't meant to be shared, but after the children's kindness he reciprocated in good faith, "It's game from the mountains. Dangerous work, but the pelts, bones and meat fetch good money."
"If not for the runners, I might have saved enough for the new year."
Zhang Qiquan limped away.
Silence filled the dilapidated temple.
Xu Mo hadn't realized just how much had changed since his parents died a few months ago.
Fang Heng hadn't realized the mountains held more than mushrooms, and felt he should make use of his light and heat, not just drive the donkey cart.
Wen Zhanyun was even more shocked to learn his father had been killed for refusing treatment to a concubine.
It was heartbreaking how everything was connected.
One could foresee that under this magistrate, Xieyang County's days would only grow darker, and more bloody tragedies would keep occurring.
Xu Mo straightened his back and gazed toward the rising sun.
He understood now.
He would not only attend school, but also work hard to pass the imperial exam.
He would become a degree-holder, a gentleman scholar, and if the realm lacked good officials, then let it be Xu Mo who assumed that role!
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