Chapter 474 - 397: Had to Bow (Part 2)
"Sigh!" Zhao Guofeng tossed and turned, rolling from his left side to his right and back again, but sleep wouldn’t come.
He glanced out the window and saw the sky was already growing light. Zhao Guofeng gave up on sleep, sitting up on the bed and swinging his legs over the side.
Just then, his tossing and turning woke Qin Xiaojuan, who mumbled with her eyes still closed, "Can’t even get a peaceful night’s sleep. Become some piddly little official and suddenly you don’t know how to act!"
Zhao Guofeng was already off the bed. He had just grabbed his coat and pants, which were draped over the back of a wooden chair, when he heard her words. He couldn’t help but retort, "This is men’s business. A woman like you should stay out of it!"
As soon as he spoke, Qin Xiaojuan threw off the covers and sat bolt upright.
Clutching his clothes in one hand, Zhao Guofeng yanked the door open with the other and stepped out. As he pulled it shut, his voice, though forceful, held a slight tremor. "Just go back to sleep!"
In the outer room, Zhao Guofeng got dressed, slipped on his shoes, and pushed open the main door. With his hands clasped behind his back, he left the house, heading for Zhang Zhanshan’s place with a measured stride.
When Zhao Guofeng reached Zhang Zhanshan’s house, he found the courtyard gate wide open.
In the village, an open gate in the morning meant someone was up and about. But the Zhang family’s situation was different today; they had left in a hurry before dawn and simply hadn’t had time to shut it.
Knowing that two dogs and two bears were tied up in the Zhang Family Courtyard, Zhao Guofeng didn’t dare enter directly. He stood at the gate and called out Zhang Zhanshan’s name.
But his calls failed to bring out Zhang Zhanshan. Instead, they roused the animals inside. A chaotic racket of barking dogs and roaring bears erupted, making Zhao Guofeng even more hesitant to step foot in the yard.
After waiting at the gate for a long while with no one appearing, Zhao Guofeng finally recalled what Zhao Youcai had told him.
Zhao Guofeng shook his head in resignation. Clasping his hands behind his back, he started for home. But after just a few steps, he suddenly remembered something and changed course, making his way to the tofu shop.
It was barely past four in the morning, but the tofu shop was already bustling with people waiting to trade for firm tofu and other soy products.
The moment Zhao Guofeng arrived, everyone, young and old alike, stepped aside to let him go first.
The tofu shop was run by an old couple. The husband’s surname was Hao, and his name was Hao Jindou. His wife’s maiden name was Liu, but she had no given name of her own.
Seeing Zhao Guofeng, Hao Jindou broke into a wide grin. "Guofeng," he asked, "what’ll you have?"
"Uncle Hao," Zhao Guofeng said a little sheepishly, "I didn’t bring any soybeans or a container. Is it all right if I bring them by later?"
In those days, you had to bring your own soybeans to the tofu shop to trade for things like firm tofu, pressed tofu, and soft tofu pudding. And since there were no plastic bags, you had to bring a container from home—one to carry the soybeans on the way there, and the tofu products on the way back.
Before Hao Jindou could even reply, Mrs. Liu of the Hao Family spoke up from the side. "Of course that’s all right!" the old woman said. "Besides, just because you forgot your beans and a container, does that mean you can’t have any tofu?"
With that, she waved a hand at Zhao Guofeng. "Tell me what you want. I’ll get a container for you."
Zhao Guofeng smiled. He knew she was doing him a favor to show him respect. "In that case, Auntie, I’ll take a container of soft tofu pudding. My mother loves it."
Mrs. Liu of the Hao Family had just picked up a small enamel pot. Hearing his words, she laughed. "It’s not your mother who likes soft tofu pudding. It’s your Xiaojuan who loves it."
Before she could finish, Hao Jindou snapped at her from the side, "What do you know? That good lady has had a taste for this for years! Now hurry up and serve him. Stop your nonsense!"
Mrs. Liu was taken aback by his outburst, but then she saw her husband shoot her a meaningful look. She quickly caught on and began ladling the soft tofu pudding into the enamel pot, murmuring, "Right, right."
A short while later, Zhao Guofeng returned to his house, carrying the enamel pot. Just as he was about to enter his courtyard, he heard the sound of sobbing from not far away.
Zhao Guofeng stopped in his tracks. He looked toward the sound and saw Zhang Zhanshan, Xu Meihua, and Zhang Laifa stumbling in his direction.
Zhang Zhanshan was in the lead, with Zhang Laifa supporting Xu Meihua from behind.
"Guofeng!" Zhang Zhanshan spotted Zhao Guofeng from a good distance away and came running over, calling his name.
Holding the enamel pot of soft tofu pudding, Zhao Guofeng was frozen, unsure whether to go forward to meet them or to turn away.
But after a moment’s thought, Zhao Guofeng decided to stand his ground. When Zhang Zhanshan reached him, his eyes were brimming with tears. "Guofeng," he cried, "something’s happened to my Laibao!"
"What?" Zhao Guofeng was taken aback. "You already know?" As he asked, he couldn’t help but think, ’If you knew your son was taken by Zhao Youcai, why weren’t you at home?’
"My Laibao is missing!" Zhang Zhanshan yelled, and at his words, Xu Meihua, who was just behind him, broke into fresh sobs.
Zhao Guofeng felt a headache coming on. "It’s the crack of dawn, Elder Zhang, don’t go shouting like that," he said quickly. "Your Laibao isn’t missing. I know where he is."
"Where is he?" Hearing this, Xu Meihua lunged toward Zhao Guofeng. Startled, he quickly sidestepped, raising the enamel pot high above his head and crying out, "Whoa, whoa, easy now!"
Zhang Zhanshan quickly pulled Xu Meihua back. "Guofeng," he pleaded, "we’ve been out searching all night and couldn’t find Laibao. If you know where he is, please just tell us. If you don’t, then please, rally the villagers to help us look."
"There’s no need to rally anyone. I know where he is," Zhao Guofeng said. "He went to South Land last night to steal corn—from Li Dayong’s fields, of all places. He was caught red-handed. Now they’ve got his ’four legs’ all tied up, with a pole stuck through the middle."
"’Four legs’..."
People don’t have four legs, but Zhao Guofeng’s description was so vivid that as soon as Zhang Zhanshan and Xu Meihua heard it, a horrific image of Zhang Laibao’s plight flashed through their minds.
"Ahhh..." Xu Meihua collapsed to the ground, wailing uncontrollably.
Zhang Laifa tried to console her, but it was no use. Zhang Zhanshan wanted to speak to Zhao Guofeng, but his wife’s crying was grating on his nerves. He spun around, pointed at Xu Meihua, and roared, "Stop your squawking! Swallow it!"
At his command, Xu Meihua instantly fell silent.
Having silenced his wife, Zhang Zhanshan turned back to Zhao Guofeng. "Guofeng, I’m afraid we have to trouble you again."
Zhao Guofeng gave Zhang Zhanshan a long, hard look. "I’m not the one in trouble. You are."
"Huh?" Zhang Zhanshan stared, dumbfounded. He heard Zhao Guofeng continue, "They said you have to pay them five hundred yuan. Only then will they let your son go."
"What?" Zhang Zhanshan instantly exploded. "Five hundred?" he roared. "Are they insane? Why would they demand so much?"
Zhao Guofeng’s brow furrowed. His eyes widened as he snapped, "Why are you yelling at me? It’s not me demanding the money! You think I want to get involved in your family’s damn mess? They said if you don’t pay up, they’ll strip your son naked, carry him through the village like a slaughtered pig, and then haul him off to the Forest Farm."
The words made Zhang Zhanshan’s vision go black. "Guofeng, that can’t happen," he said frantically. "Laibao is just a boy! If they do that to him, his life will be ruined, won’t it?"
"If you want to save your son, then give them the money," Zhao Guofeng said irritably. "Figure it out yourself. I need to go home and eat." With that, he turned to enter his courtyard with the soft tofu pudding.
"Wait!" Zhang Zhanshan suddenly shouted, stopping him. He clenched his jaw, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. "I’ll pay it! You take it to Zhao Ergudong for me!"
Zhang Zhanshan was no fool. Even though Zhao Guofeng had said his son was caught stealing from the Li Family, Zhang Zhanshan knew that the one making such an exorbitant demand had to be Zhao Youcai.
"Then go get the money!" Zhao Guofeng tossed over his shoulder as he turned and walked into his courtyard.
Watching Zhao Guofeng’s retreating figure, Zhang Zhanshan’s expression was a mixture of indecision and fury. He quickly turned, pulled Xu Meihua to her feet, and said, "Stop crying! Let’s go home and get the money! This isn’t over between me, Ergudong, and Li Dayong!"
At the mention of paying money, Xu Meihua began to cry even harder, but she kept walking toward home nonetheless.
Just then, Zhang Laifa called out from behind, "Dad, if all the family’s money is spent on my brother, what am I going to do when it’s time for me to get married?"
"You won’t be left out in the cold," the vexed Zhang Zhanshan snapped, flinging his arm out. He thought furiously to himself, ’Zhao Ergudong, you dare tie up my son and extort my money. Just you wait and see how I’ll deal with you!’