Chapter 34

The Zhuo family's passenger boat reached the wharf inside the Jinshui Gate at dusk the next day; under the veil of drooping willows, the setting sun broke into pieces on the canal water. Zhuo Siheng had waited anxiously on the bank a full four hours before his family came.

Like the boat Zhuo Siheng had taken to the capital, this one was broad-beamed and two-storied. The boatmen had only just made the mooring rope fast and the gangplank was but half laid when Zhuo Ciheng, without warning, sprang out from the deck in a single bound — startling a cold sweat down Zhuo Siheng's back as he rushed forward to catch her! But nimble as Ciheng was, what need had she of his hand? She landed steady, then seized Zhuo Siheng's arm outright, shaking and tugging it: "Elder Brother! I've missed you so!" — and at the words she choked up a little, her eyes reddening despite herself.

Ciheng was the most competitive and unyielding, and had scarcely wept since she was small; if she weren't missing him beyond bearing, she'd never show such softness so openly. Zhuo Siheng's heart ached; he drew his sister's faintly trembling shoulders in and soothed her gently: "You're here safe, that's what matters. Now that you're here we'll see each other every day — soon enough you'll be the one sick of your big brother pestering you."

"Never, never! I've got a sickness — a day without Elder Brother's nagging and my whole body feels wrong!" Ciheng swiped the tears away fast, and was at once her usual lively, irrepressible self, circling Zhuo Siheng to look him over: "You're no fatter, no thinner — just a bit less flesh on your face."

"You're young — what's all this talk of sickness!" Zhuo Siheng meant to glare at his sister, but after so long apart, with joy and tenderness more than he could contain, no glare would come, and even this was said around a smile. He was twenty; his looks weren't apt to change much now. Ciheng, though, just turned fifteen, had shot up a little, with the slender grace of a young woman already, the round fullness of her cheeks much receded, her brows and eyes ever more spirited — clear and comely and upright, and yet brimming with a leaping vitality that filled the heart, at the sight of her, with a fondness full of morning freshness.

By the time they'd exchanged a good few words, the gangplank was finally down for good, and a tall, strapping fellow came off it, a case-trunk shouldered on each side, his step still light and sure — enough that even the trackers and porters passing on the wharf cast looks of astonished admiration.

"Xiao Yong!" Zhuo Siheng went at once to greet him, and he and the beaming man about his own age slapped each other hard on the upper arm.

Huyan Yong had the blood of the northern steppe's Eight Tribes of Wohan — burly enough that even in a place like the wharf, where men lived by their strength, he looked not the least out of his depth; yet he spoke mild and warm, wholly at odds with his rough, powerful frame and features: "My good brother Si! You've truly made something of yourself! Let your old brother have a proper look at you! Well done, truly!"

When Zhuo Siheng had first come to Xingshan Township, Huyan Yong had been the terror of the village; but after hearing Zhuo Yan's teaching and learning a good many principles, he'd left off his endless mischief and studied alongside Zhuo Siheng for a year and more. Old Huyan often took them both along to range the hills and hunt, and the two were the fastest of friends, well matched in temper, and had many a time, after drinking together, gone off to scoop fish from the riverbank or catch rabbits on the back hill. Later, for his uncommon nerve and his letters, Huyan Yong was taken on as apprentice by the manager of a great merchant caravan that came north to trade, and in these few years had traveled nigh half the realm, his speech grown far more capable than before.

"I really never thought you'd come too! Was the road very hard?" Zhuo Siheng, who at the grand court assembly stood out among the civil officials as pine-straight and outstanding, looked a touch small beside Huyan Yong.

Huyan Yong bumped Zhuo Siheng's shoulder with a fist: "I couldn't rest easy letting your whole family head south alone — if anything had gone wrong, how could I face you!" Then, as if remembering something, he hurried to clear the way off the boat: "Don't let me keep you talking — Sister Hui and Fourth Brother are longing to see you!"

"Elder Brother!"

Huiheng, helped down by Ciheng, had come ashore. Perhaps from the jolting toil of the road, her whole color seemed at odds with the bright, lively spring day; only her bright eyes glittered with glistening, welling tears, outshining in lightness and grace even the soft, fine willow-tips brushed by the spring wind.

"Why do you look so unwell? Were you seasick?" Zhuo Siheng took Huiheng's outstretched hand, regretting he hadn't arranged a better boat and carriage, and said tenderly: "Xiao Ci, quick, help your sister into the carriage first; we'll talk more once we're home."

Huiheng shook her head hard, as if to prove she was fine, even lifting her voice: "Just tired, Elder Brother, don't worry. Brother Xiao Yong wanted to stop a night at the last town, but I was too eager to see you and pressed us on all the way here."

Just then Xiheng came off the boat last, carrying the remaining trunks and luggage, and stood quietly behind his two sisters. Seeing him come and saying nothing, Ciheng stepped half aside and laughed: "At home the one who missed Elder Brother most was you — couldn't sleep, always frowning; how is it that in front of him now you put on this grown-up composure?"

"Good little brother, come let your big brother look at you!" Zhuo Siheng said, stepping quickly over himself. In half a year and more, his twelve-year-old brother seemed to have grown taller; he looked much like Ciheng, but with a deep, still quiet within the spiritedness.

"Elder Brother..." Zhuo Xiheng's throat worked, and there came the rare smile a boy his age should have: "Have you been well, Elder Brother?"

"Especially well!" Zhuo Siheng said, not modest in the least, half wishing he could show off to his family right then the estate he'd won by examination; he pulled his little brother close, then looked at his sisters and Xiao Yong, and felt of a sudden that so long as there was this reunion day after day, he'd gladly go on fretting and working late before the throne every single day.

But someone seemed to be missing?

Zhuo Siheng looked and looked toward the boat, seeing only the other passengers coming off in a stream, helping the old and leading the young — no familiar figure among them — and asked hurriedly: "Where's Old Huyan?"

"That grandfather of mine — he's like some patriarch of old, there's no man more stubborn!" Huyan Yong heaved a heavy sigh, then, feeling the mood shouldn't be so, returned to the smile of the reunion's joy: "Don't stand about here — no sense leaving the sisters to the wind and sun; let's talk once we're home."

The joy of meeting was too great for many niceties; there were others about too, kin meeting again and husbands and wives reunited, none minding the forms of etiquette, and Zhuo Siheng cared for them still less. But Xiao Yong was right — how much better for the family to shut the door and talk over old times together. So he settled his two sisters in the family carriage, and he, his brother, and Huyan Yong loaded all the luggage onto a hired flatbed cart, and went home with everyone.

The Zhuo family's new home came alive at last.

When Zhuo Siheng lived alone, it was two plain meals a day, and Widow Chai had felt all her skill had nowhere to show. Now that the family was reunited and Zhuo Siheng had drawn his salary, she bought a great deal of provisions and gave her talents free rein, turning out a lavish, delicious reunion dinner — Xiao Yong alone ate three bowls of rice, and such sincere, appetite-honoring behavior so lifted Widow Chai's spirits that she made no end of sweets besides; after the meal, gathered in the little cool pavilion over tea, everyone's appetite revived, and even the ever-weak-appetited Huiheng ate two or three pieces of the fresh-steamed cheese-pastry.

To be able to huddle together as a family and talk left Zhuo Siheng's heart light beyond measure: his two sisters each improved in learning and conversation, his brother's studies advanced another rung, Xiao Yong now a route-foreman of a goods-train in his caravan, and himself — having plucked the star successfully, his career off to a small start. At so fine a present state, a sigh of satisfaction rose from his heart.

Soon after arriving, they set up and made offerings before their parents' spirit tablets and kowtowed together; and this comfort grew, threading along the bitter, sorrowful ache that the child would serve but the parents no longer wait. Life and death were not for human power to turn; but at least he had brought his sisters and brother back to the capital, won a roof of their own, and would henceforth shelter them in safety and ease — and with such action and such resolve to console his parents, their souls in Heaven could surely rest untroubled.

In the cool pavilion, Zhuo Siheng asked Huyan Yong again why the old man hadn't come. Xiao Yong set his teacup down hard, and said, angry and helpless at once: "That grandfather of mine is too stubborn — the two sisters and I went to persuade him time and again, and he just won't come; says he can't live anywhere without woods to slip into. Brother Si, you know that stubborn old man better than I do — if he says he won't, then even knocking him out and hauling him here trussed up would be no use, so I had to give in."

"The old man fears being a burden for us to look after; but our family long since took him as our own elder. As the eldest grandson, is caring for my own family's grandfather not the filial duty a junior owes?" Zhuo Siheng did know Old Huyan, no need to guess: "I'll write him another letter to persuade him — at worst I'll arrange a place for him in the capital's outskirts; there are plenty of wild woods out that way too."

"All right — he listens to you, and you've a way with persuading; now that you're an official you'll be even more silver-tongued. I'll stay close with the family in the capital a few days, then head south to see to business; when there's word, let me know." Huyan Yong always drank his tea in great gulps; draining another bowl, he suddenly remembered something: "Fifth Uncle Zhu and Fifth Aunt send you their regards — say serving before the emperor is a good thing, but be careful not to wear yourself out, and to mind your words with the utmost care. Fifth Uncle can't leave his post, being in the ranks, and Fifth Aunt can't well travel either; they had me bring you a good many things, saying that if you go about in the capital you mustn't be empty-handed."

Zhuo Siheng, deeply moved, said: "Brother Xiao Yong, how did the matter I wrote to you about privately turn out?"

"Found the right man!" Huyan Yong slapped the table, laughing, very pleased with himself: "You said you wanted to find the village another schoolmaster to teach the children their books — how could I not take it to heart? Before I left I got in touch with an old registrar in Yongshan Town who'd retired out of the army camp; probably not long after our family moved away he'll be able to bring his household over. The silver you gave was more than enough — he hardly demurred, and hearing a zhuangyuan had come out of this village, he was all the more glad to."

Since Zhuo Yan's death, Zhuo Siheng, busy with his own studies, had still now and then given the village children lessons; later, when he went off to sit the exams, it was Huiheng who taught when her health allowed. In their years living in the village his family had received no little care, and they couldn't just up and leave with no thought for it; now that Zhuo Siheng had the means, of course he would go on arranging this schoolmaster's post to keep the wind of learning blowing through Xingshan Township. His salary was meager, but this money, spent to repay the villagers, was money he was determined to spend.

"It's thanks to the villagers' help that my family is where it is today; from now on this matter of engaging a schoolmaster is my unshirkable duty — the villagers needn't put up grain or money for it. To receive others' kindness and keep it in mind, that's the thing."

Zhuo Siheng spoke very sincerely, but then he saw Huiheng lower her head a little, Xiheng seeming to ponder something, and even Xiao Yong looking somewhat ill at ease, about to speak — only to be beaten to it by the blunt, quick-tongued Ciheng: "Elder Brother, you've read widely — surely you know the line before 'to receive others' kindness, keep it in mind' is 'in doing others a kindness, don't speak of it.' We've received plenty of good from the villagers, and of course we should be grateful; but people who, the moment they see Elder Brother has made something of himself, think only of sponging off us with no regard for these years of goodwill — our family isn't so easily bullied either!"

"Xiao Ci!" Seeing how sharp she'd grown, Huiheng hurried to stop her; Ciheng, a little unconvinced but not daring to displease her sister, only looked to Zhuo Siheng for rescue.

"Second Sister, Elder Brother will have to know about this sooner or later." The ever-silent Xiheng spoke up suddenly.

Zhuo Siheng was thoroughly at a loss, not knowing what had happened; he saw that Huyan Yong too wore a shamefaced look, as if the matter cost him face and vexed him, and that Ciheng was craning her neck to gaze at him urgently, as though she'd burst if not let to speak it out.