The Road to Glory

Chapter 11

The blood and water on his hands instantly soaked through the handkerchief...

Xiao Li pushed the door open with half a side of pork slung over his shoulder and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to smoke some cured meat? Since we need to pay New Year's respects to Brother Song anyway, I ordered a whole pig from Butcher Li. We'll keep this half, and I've already had the other half delivered to Brother Song's place."

Xiao Huiniang couldn't help sighing: "You're always so free with money. I told you to save up for wedding expenses, who knows how many years it'll take at this rate..."

Though she said this, she still went to the courtyard to help, calling out to Wen Yu to bring two more long benches.

These benches were usually placed around the square table for meals. Looking at the rather plump half pig Xiao Li had brought back, Wen Yu thought even two benches pushed together probably wouldn't be enough to hold it.

But since Xiao Huiniang had asked, she carried the benches out as instructed. Before she could arrange them properly, she saw the Rogue simply set the pork down on the ground in the courtyard.

Wen Yu paused in surprise, wondering if he too had realized two benches wouldn't be enough for the pork.

After setting down the meat, Xiao Li removed the leather shoulder pad he'd used as padding, shook off the blood and water, and tossed it aside. When he looked up and saw Wen Yu watching with undisguised confusion in her eyes, he glanced at the two benches she'd placed together and said, "Don't put the benches together. Space them apart."

Then he walked toward the kitchen and removed the door.

Now Wen Yu understood - the two benches were meant to support the door panel.

After arranging the benches, she stepped back. When Xiao Li placed the door panel over them and prepared to lift the half pig onto it, she noticed Xiao Huiniang rolling up her sleeves as if to help lift. Hesitating for a moment, Wen Yu also moved forward to assist.

But seeing Xiao Huiniang approach, Xiao Li said, "Step back, I can manage this alone."

With that, he grabbed a pig leg in each hand and effortlessly hoisted the half pig onto the door panel.

For easier work, he had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. When he exerted force, the pleasing curve of his tensed muscles extended toward his elbow joints, disappearing into his sleeves above while still faintly revealing their powerful contours.

With stray hairs falling over his forehead, combined with his intense, striking features, he looked less roguish and more youthful.

Watching from the side, Wen Yu thought this man possessed strength comparable to some beast of burden. In her father's army, soldiers who could draw a one-stone bow were already considered elite. She wondered how many stones this man before her could draw with such arm strength.

After setting down the pork and straightening up, Xiao Li raised a hand to wipe his sweat, but his hands were covered in blood from carrying the meat. He could only awkwardly wipe his temple with his arm. Spotting Wen Yu standing nearby, he called out, "Get me a cloth."

Startled back to awareness by his sudden request, Wen Yu didn't immediately think about where to find a cloth, so she handed him the silk handkerchief she had used as a face veil at the tile market.

Xiao Li clearly hesitated when he saw the neatly folded handkerchief in her palm - he had meant for her to find some old rag indoors to wipe the blood from his hands.

But after a moment's pause, he finally reached out and took it.

The blood and water on his hands instantly soaked through one corner of the handkerchief. He crumpled it up, wiped the sweat from his face, and out of habit, tucked it into his chest.Wen Yu's expression shifted slightly upon seeing this, and just as she was about to speak up, Xiao Huiniang emerged from the kitchen with a cleaver, saying, "Using this cleaver to chop bones will probably dull the blade. Why didn't we ask Butcher Li to portion the meat properly?"

Xiao Li turned to examine the cleaver. After a glance, he said, "Never mind, I'll just use the hatchet."

With that, he returned the cleaver to Xiao Huiniang, picked up the hatchet, and walked over to the water jar. He splashed some water on the blade and whetstone, stepped on the whetstone to secure it, and pressed two fingers against the blade as he sharpened it, remarking, "If we asked Butcher Li to portion the meat, he'd charge another sixty coins. Since I'm home today, I might as well do it myself."

Xiao Huiniang sighed helplessly at her son's stubbornness. She pulled over a low stool, sat down, and began tearing palm leaves into strips, twisting them into ropes and tying knots as she scolded, "I keep telling you not to be wasteful, but you never listen. Yet you pinch pennies over trivial matters like this."

Xiao Li, seemingly accustomed to such lectures, replied, "This is called saving where you should and spending where you must."

As the mother and son drifted further from the original topic, Wen Yu found it inappropriate to bring up the handkerchief again. She figured he had likely been too busy and absentmindedly tucked it into his collar—after all, the handkerchief was stained with blood. It was better to let him discover it himself.

If she went out of her way to remind him, it might seem like she, with her face full of red rashes, was being presumptuous, which would only lead to awkwardness for both of them.

Just as she had settled her thoughts, Xiao Huiniang, exasperated by her son, turned to Wen Yu and said, "Look at this stubborn temper of his. Who knows what girl would ever take a liking to him? A Yu, when you look for a husband in the future, make sure not to find someone as stubborn and headstrong as him!"

Caught off guard by the sudden mention, Wen Yu was at a loss for words, completely unsure how to respond.

Xiao Li frowned and called out, "Mother."

Xiao Huiniang immediately dropped the subject and whispered to Wen Yu as if sharing a secret, "Alright, alright, I'll stop. If I say more, he'll just find this old woman annoying."

Wen Yu handed the torn palm leaves to Xiao Huiniang and said gently, "Second Master is filial. He just wants to show his devotion to you."

As they spoke, another knock came from outside. Wen Yu went to answer the door and found a young teenager she had never seen before.

The boy seemed about to gasp at the sight of the rashes on her face but caught himself, realizing it would be impolite. He muttered under his breath, "Just as Third Brother said."

Wen Yu didn't quite catch his words and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

When the boy looked up again, he wore a bright smile and lifted a wine jar in his hand, saying, "I'm here to see my aunt and second brother!"

Xiao Huiniang, hearing the voice from the yard, called out, "Is that Xiao'an? Come in quickly! You'll join us for the pork soup later."

Wen Yu stepped aside and said, "So you're a guest. Please come in."

The boy, clearly unaccustomed to such formal treatment, scratched the back of his head and said, "I'm Hou Xiao'an. You can call me Monkey or Xiao'an, sister."

He then stepped into the yard, and when he saw Xiao Huiniang, his smile widened considerably. "Auntie, it's been a while since I last saw you! You look even sprier than before, and younger too!"

Xiao Huiniang beamed with delight and said, "You sweet-talker, always knows how to make this old woman happy."Hou Xiao'an set the wine jar under the eaves and went over to help Xiao Li, saying, "How could that be? I'm telling the truth, Auntie just doesn't believe me."

This sent Xiao Huiniang into another fit of laughter.

Xiao Li cut short his banter with his mother and asked, "Didn't Tiger come with you?"

Taking the portioned meat from Xiao Li and threading it with palm leaves through the holes, Hou Xiao'an lowered his voice: "After Third Brother returned to the gambling house and learned that you had the brothers seize the market, he was overjoyed. Coincidentally, Wang Qing showed up with his men to cause trouble, so he got into a fight with Wang Qing. He's still being lectured by the proprietor right now."

Xiao Li paused while dividing the meat: "Did Tiger get hurt?"

Hou Xiao'an shook his head: "Not at all. He told me not to tell you, but I figured you'd find out sooner or later, Second Brother. If I didn't tell you now and you found out later, you'd definitely punish me."

Xiao Li exerted force in his right arm, and the thick pig leg bone was chopped off with the cleaver. He pierced a small hole in the pork leg with the tip of the knife and tossed it to Hou Xiao'an, saying calmly, "Good that you know."

Hou Xiao'an exaggeratedly shrank his neck: "Second Brother, I'm completely loyal to you, open and sincere, childhood sweethearts without suspicion, and yet you still..."

"Shut up!" Xiao Li's temple twitched when he heard him show off with idioms again, this time using "childhood sweethearts" incorrectly. He seemed unable to bear it any longer: "Don't use words if you don't know what they mean!"

As he turned and went inside carrying the palm-leaf-threaded meat, Hou Xiao'an was still pondering with his chin in his hand: "Huh? Did I say it wrong again? Doesn't 'childhood sweethearts' mean growing up together without suspicion toward each other?"

Wen Yu happened to come over to get some meat. She hadn't clearly heard what they had whispered about earlier, only knowing that Xiao Li had suddenly scolded him for misusing words.

Seeing the young man looking quite troubled now, she found it amusing and said, "The meaning you intended isn't wrong, but this term can only be used between a man and a woman."

Hou Xiao'an slapped his forehead in realization: "So that's how it is! No wonder Brother Xiao was so disgusted with me!"

His gaze swept over Wen Yu's hand holding the palm leaves, and he suddenly asked: "Sister, you know so much - have you studied?"

Meeting the young man's seemingly clear and obedient eyes, Wen Yu suddenly realized he was much more clever than she had thought. Showing no cracks in her composure, she smiled warmly and said: "I haven't studied, I just know a few characters."

Unable to get any information from her, Hou Xiao'an wasn't discouraged and obediently said "Oh."

When he took the two cuts of pork from Wen Yu's hands and brought them inside to hand to Xiao Li, he muttered quietly: "Second Brother, don't you think this sister that Chen Lai Zi pawned to you is... special?"Xiao Li was already tall, and now standing on a horizontal stool while hanging the meat on long nails on the beam, his elevated gaze was even more pronounced when he looked down at Hou Xiao'an."

His eyes plainly conveyed the words: Spit it out.

Hou Xiao'an scratched his head and ears for a moment before finally coming up with one phrase: "A young lady from a respectable family.".. Hmm... that doesn't seem quite right either. Why can't I think of the right term..."After struggling for a long while, he finally gave up and chose to speak more directly, trying to make Xiao Li understand: "It's just... although she doesn't look very attractive, she speaks in a refined manner, carries herself elegantly, and barely has any calluses on her hands. At a glance, you can tell she wasn't raised in an ordinary family, yet she doesn't have the slightest bit of a young lady's arrogance. She's... just very special. I wonder what her family originally did..."

Unexpectedly, Xiao Li calmly said three words: "I know."

"Ah? Second Brother, you know?" Hou Xiao'an was clearly taken aback, then asked again: "Has she already told you?"

Xiao Li couldn't be bothered to respond further. He snatched the remaining slab of pork from Hou Xiao'an's hands and hung it on the beam before saying: "I meant, everything you said, I already know."

Hearing this, Hou Xiao'an's expression grew even more peculiar, and he asked in confusion: "Second Brother, don't you want to figure it out?"

"No."

Xiao Li stepped off the bench, hooked it with his foot, and slid it back into place.

Hou Xiao'an picked up a nearby cloth and wiped the footprints off the bench as he asked: "Why not?"

Xiao Li had once wanted to get to the bottom of it too. After all, this was someone who, even after being beaten to such a state by Chen Lai Zi and in a weakened condition, had still grabbed a half-broken brick to fight back. Yet after coming to his home, she had retracted all her claws and teeth, pretending to be docile. At first, he had worried she might harm his mother.

But after a few days of observation, he realized she was only doing her utmost to protect herself.

He turned his head slightly, his handsome and clear-cut face divided by light and shadow, and said: "When someone uses every method available to them just to survive, there's nothing wrong with that. As long as she doesn't bring disaster to my family, I can turn a blind eye."

Author's Note: