Chapter 611: Yang Xiaohai

Chapter 611: The Boy Yang

A resounding clang echoed far and wide, shaking the very air. The kitchen door burst open with a sudden slam, and Yang Xiaohai, still pulling up his pants, hurriedly rushed toward the direction of the sound.

The long, drawn-out sound of the gong soon drew everyone in the Ox Heart Village to gather around. When Yang Xiaohai arrived, he saw a group of eunuchs standing before an orderly convoy, loading various goods onto the village.

Among them were live pigs, cattle, and sheep; silk brocades and satin in rolls; and stacks upon stacks of gold and silver.

The villagers who witnessed this scene were filled with astonishment, their voices rising in excited discussion.

"Did I hear that right? Are these gifts from the Emperor for us?"

"No, they're not for you—they’re for that Taoist master."

"My goodness, could it be that Gouwa wasn’t just boasting? Is the Emperor really his senior brother? Then we’ve somehow become connected to the Emperor himself?"

"What’s going on? What happened?"

As Yang Xiaohai peered through the crowd, he saw his senior brother Li standing before a eunuch holding a golden duster, speaking earnestly: "Tell Gao Zhijian not to worry about Ox Heart Village. I’m here, everything is fine. Besides, this place isn’t poor at all."

"Rather than sending all these things, he should learn how to be a worthy emperor."

"If the Emperor of Great Li were truly a good ruler, then not only Ox Heart Village but all the people under heaven would live better lives."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. I’ll report this to His Majesty when I return," replied the eunuch, his face powdered white, bowing respectfully to Li Huowang.

When the old eunuch noticed Yang Xiaohai staring at him, he apologized to Li Huowang and approached him, holding the duster.

"Child, you must be Yang Xiaohai, correct?" With a deliberately kind smile, the eunuch asked.

Yang Xiaohai nodded blankly, bewildered.

Looking around at the bustling crowd, the eunuch continued, "There are too many people here, too much noise. Let’s find somewhere quiet to talk—it concerns your parents."

Hearing those words, Yang Xiaohai’s mind buzzed like a swarm of bees. A sudden wave of fear surged within him—he didn’t dare face what was coming.

"Come," said the woman behind him, taking his hand and pulling him after the departing eunuch.

It had been only a short time since the New Year celebrations. The fields were frozen hard, and between the ridges, the eunuch stopped silently. He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it over. "Here, read it yourself."

Yang Xiaohai accepted the paper tremblingly, hesitated for a moment, then shakily returned it to the eunuch. "Can you read it aloud for me? I’m afraid to look at it myself."

"Oh, why be afraid?" The eunuch, with long nails on his right hand, took back the paper and began reading aloud.

"The letter says your father and mother aren’t from Great Li—they’re from Later Shu. That’s why it took so long to trace them. Going back three generations, your family were all boat people."

"Boat people?" Yang Xiaohai asked.

"Boat people are those who live on the sea without land of their own. Women collect pearls, men fish with nets. Do you understand now?"

"I... I see," Yang Xiaohai nodded slowly.

"But... how did my parents lose me?" As soon as he finished speaking, the woman beside him gently placed her hand on his right arm.

The eunuch glanced at Yang Xiaohai, then at the letter in his hands. "During the years you were born, there weren’t many fish or pearls in the sea. Your father couldn’t support you anymore, so he sold you."

Yang Xiaohai’s face turned pale as a sheet. If not for the woman holding him up, he might have collapsed. "So... that’s it? They just sold me like that?"

In recent days, he had imagined countless possibilities—but never had he thought it would be so simple, so cruel.

"What else could it be? Your family had nine children, and couldn’t afford to raise them all. Selling one was normal. Back then, we couldn’t support ourselves either, which is why I was castrated and sent to the palace to become a eunuch." The eunuch said, stuffing the letter into Yang Xiaohai’s arms.

"Your mother lost her hearing due to years of diving for pearls, and her health has deteriorated. She probably won’t live long. Your father still goes out to sea fishing. Of your nine siblings, two were sold, three died young, and four remain. Half a year ago, your eldest brother went out fishing and never returned. They were all boat people."

"They fished and collected pearls in a certain sea—there’s a note about it. If you want to find them, ask someone who can read to tell you. We have other matters to attend to, so we’ll go now."

With that, the eunuch turned away, leaving only Yang Xiaohai and the woman standing on the field ridge.

Yang Xiaohai pulled out the paper, studying it carefully—even though he didn’t recognize many of the characters.

After looking for a while, he folded the paper neatly and tucked it back into his chest.

He looked up at the woman and gave a forced smile. "You know, I thought I was descended from some great person like Brother Gao, but turns out I was just sold."

With that, he turned to walk back toward Ox Heart Village.

But the woman suddenly grabbed his arm from behind. "Don’t hold it in. If you want to cry, cry it out. It’s okay."

As soon as she said that, Yang Xiaohai knelt down and wept bitterly.

To his fellow disciples, Yang Xiaohai had always seemed mature and understanding. But in truth, he didn’t want to be so mature.

Yet among all the people, only this woman had noticed.

She embraced him, gently patting his back in silence.

Yang Xiaohai cried for a long time before finally standing again, walking back toward Ox Heart Village with the woman by his side.

"Hey! Where did you go, kid? What’s this? Look at how fat these sheep are—we should roast one tonight!"

"Since we ate that roasted lamb in Qingqiu, I haven’t been able to forget that taste. Roasting it is just so delicious."

"Great idea! Brother Cao, there are so many of us—roasting one won’t be enough. We should roast several."

Yang Xiaohai, smiling broadly like everyone else, entered the kitchen and pulled out his tools for slaughtering pigs and sheep.

Just as he brought out the whetstone and began sharpening his blade rapidly, his finger suddenly shot forward into the blade, slicing open and bleeding profusely.

"What’s wrong? Don’t move. I’ll get some medicine for your wound," said the woman as she prepared to head into the kitchen.

But Yang Xiaohai stopped her with a voice full of resolve. "I want to see them. I want to see my family."

Looking into his determined eyes, the woman nodded softly. "Alright. If you marry a chicken, follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, follow the dog. If you go, I’ll go with you."

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Next chapter updates at 11:30 PM.

(End of Chapter)