Snow was falling in the twelfth lunar month as a large cauldron of boiling water sat in the courtyard. The snowflakes melted before they could even reach the pot, vaporized by the rising steam. The accumulated snow on the ground had been trampled into a muddy slush. Next to the cauldron, a wooden door panel was propped up on benches, with half a pig carcass laid out on top.
Fan Changyu brought her cleaver down with a swift chop, severing a hind leg from the pig. The makeshift table shuddered, sending bone fragments and bits of meat flying. The cleaver in her hand had a thick, broad back and was entirely black except for its gleaming snow-white edge, which looked frighteningly sharp at a glance. A skinning knife and a boning knife lay beside the chopping board, their dark iron bodies and bright white blades part of a set with her cleaver.
Today, the Chen family in town was slaughtering their New Year’s pig and had invited neighbors and clan relatives to join in the festivities. It was quite a lively affair. The guests huddled around the fire pit inside, stealing glances at Fan Changyu busying herself in the courtyard, and began to whisper among themselves:
“The Fan family just finished their mourning period. Why did the Chens invite that slip of a girl, Changyu, to butcher their pig?”
“The Chens are on good terms with Second Brother Fan’s family. They’re not so superstitious…” The speaker’s voice trailed off, perhaps remembering the Fan family’s tragic circumstances, and glanced outside.
Snowflakes drifted like cotton in the air. In the courtyard, the young woman wielding the cleaver wore a plain, slightly worn jacket and skirt. She was tall and slender, with her black hair pulled back, revealing half of her fair and delicate profile. Though she looked thin, she worked with remarkable efficiency.
When Second Brother Fan’s wife first arrived in Linan Town with her husband, she caught the eye of many admirers. Some jealous women even privately speculated that she must have come from a brothel, a testament to her striking beauty. Both of her daughters had inherited her good looks and were exceptionally attractive.
The younger one was only five and hadn’t yet grown into her looks, but if the elder daughter hadn’t been betrothed to the Song family’s son from a young age, suitors would likely have worn down the Fan family’s doorstep these past few years.
Someone sighed, “Second Brother Fan and his wife were killed by mountain bandits, leaving only two young girls behind. And Big Brother Fan is heartless, only thinking about seizing his brother’s property. Changyu and her sister have had it rough! We thought Changyu’s life would improve once Song Yan passed the provincial exams and she married into their family, but who knew that engagement would fall through too? That girl Changyu is tough though, following in her father’s footsteps as a butcher to support the family. She’s managed to keep the Fan household afloat. The Chen family hiring her to slaughter their pig is a way of looking after her business.”
Hearing these hidden stories, the crowd couldn’t help but sigh. However, one voice, barely above a whisper, added, “I heard that the Fan family’s elder daughter is cursed and caused her parents’ deaths. Even her younger sister was born sickly because of her bad luck. The Song family had their fortunes read and found out she was born under an ill-fated star, which is why they hurriedly broke off the engagement…”
The previous speaker scoffed, “Do you know where the Song family had those fortunes read?”
The sighs from the crowd grew louder. Everyone could see through the Song family’s intentions in breaking off the engagement at this time.
There was an old saying that when a man is promoted or strikes it rich, his wife dies. Song Yan had passed the provincial exams and was destined for an official career. How could he still marry a butcher’s daughter?
The chopping board in the courtyard was not far from the main house, forcing Fan Changyu to overhear the gossip about herself. However, her face betrayed no emotion. Her parents had passed away over a month ago, and she had long since come to terms with it.
Her story with Song Yan was nothing more than a tale of Qin Xianglian and Chen Shimei.
Years ago, when the Song family couldn’t even afford a coffin, Madam Song knelt in the street with Song Yan, kowtowing to passersby and begging for help to buy a thin coffin to bury her husband. Even with her forehead bloodied from kowtowing, no one had offered assistance. It was Fan Changyu’s parents who, unable to bear the sight, had helped buy a coffin for the burial.
Madam Song had been overwhelmed with gratitude and voluntarily proposed betrothing Song Yan to Fan Changyu, promising that once Song Yan achieved a high rank in the imperial examinations, he would marry her and give her a life of comfort.
Later, the two families became neighbors, and Fan Changyu’s parents often helped the widowed mother and her orphaned son. Madam Song was determined to have her son take the imperial examinations, but couldn’t afford the tuition fees. Before Song Yan was admitted to the county school, much of his tuition had been covered by Fan Changyu’s father.
Song Yan did prove to be talented. A few years ago, he had already passed the county-level examinations, and this autumn, he achieved the rank of Juren in the provincial exams. Many local gentry were now eager to curry favor with him, and even the county magistrate showed him preferential treatment, reportedly intending to take him as a son-in-law.
Madam Song’s attitude had become noticeably ambiguous. She seemed to feel that a butcher’s daughter was no longer a suitable match for her son, now a Juren.
Fan Changyu’s mother, sensing that Madam Song was no longer as amiable as before, feared they might be misunderstood as trying to cash in on past favors. She suggested calling off the engagement, but Madam Song vehemently refused, insisting that the Song family was not the kind to forget debts of gratitude.
After Fan Changyu’s parents died unexpectedly, rumors spread from an unknown source that she had a hard fate that had caused her parents’ deaths.
When Madam Song came to break off the engagement, she used this very excuse, claiming that she had consulted a fortune teller who determined that Fan Changyu and Song Yan’s birthdates were incompatible. If they were to marry, not only would it bring misfortune to Song Yan, but with Fan Changyu’s parents gone, the bad luck would extend to Madam Song herself.
Thus, Song Yan conveniently dissolved their engagement without a trace of the accusation of ingratitude. It was only Fan Changyu who became known as the ill-fated star that everyone avoided.
Fan Changyu pushed these thoughts aside and let out a heavy sigh. There was no use dwelling on such depressing matters.
After finishing butchering the pig, she collected her pay. Without even entering the main house, she bid farewell to the hosts. During the New Year season, everyone emphasized auspiciousness. Although the Chen family didn’t mind inviting her to slaughter their pig despite her family’s recent funeral, she was well aware of the situation.
The hosts didn’t insist on her staying and gave her a bucket of pig offal as she left.
This was an unwritten custom in the village. When someone was hired to slaughter a pig, besides the wages, they were also given a piece of pork. However, most of the time, pig offal was substituted instead.
Before heading home with the offal, Fan Changyu stopped by the pharmacy to pick up two prescriptions of medicine.
One was for her younger sister, and the other for the man she had rescued.
Yesterday, she had taken a job slaughtering a pig in the countryside. On her way back, she had found a bloodied man in the snow, who appeared to have fallen victim to mountain bandits.
Because her parents had also died at the hands of mountain bandits, Fan Changyu felt compassion and carried the man back with her.
To her surprise, none of the medical clinics in town dared to treat someone who was already half-dead. Unable to simply abandon him on the street, she had no choice but to try her luck. She brought him back home and asked a neighbor, a former veterinarian of fifteen years who had switched to carpentry, to try and treat him.
Fan Changyu wasn’t sure how effective the treatment had been, but at least the man was still breathing.
The prescription was also written by her neighbor.
After getting the medicine, Fan Changyu headed home.
The Fan family residence was located in a residential alley in the west of the town, where houses were crowded closely together.
The alley was dark and damp, with moss growing along the walls. The houses on both sides were old, their plaster walls mottled and wooden doors and windows old and decrepit, exuding a musty odor.
As if by some cruel twist of fate, just as Fan Changyu entered the alley, she ran into the Song mother and son.
Both were wearing newly tailored winter clothes made of fine fabric. Madam Song even wore gold earrings, her demeanor no longer meek and pitiful as before, but rather proud.
After Song Yan passed the provincial exams, local gentry and wealthy merchants sent silver and even houses as gifts. The Song family was now quite prosperous.
As the saying goes, “A man relies on his clothes as a horse relies on its saddle.” Song Yan wore a long raven-blue robe embroidered with bamboo leaf patterns, exuding a scholarly air. Gone was his former poverty-stricken look, replaced by the demeanor of a refined young gentleman.
Fan Changyu had just come from butchering at the Chen family’s house. She carried a leather bag containing her butcher’s knives on her back, and her patched old jacket was splattered with blood from the slaughter. In one hand, she held a package of medicine, and in the other, a wooden bucket of pig offal. She looked quite disheveled.
Madam Song discreetly moved aside, even taking out a handkerchief to fan in front of her nose. She was now wearing a gold ring on her hand as well.
They had truly become wealthy.
The alley was narrow, and neither the mother nor son spoke. Fan Changyu didn’t give them much attention either. She acted as if she hadn’t seen the pair and walked straight ahead with her bucket of offal. “Make way!” she called out.
As they brushed past each other, the bucket of pig offal accidentally grazed Song Yan’s new clothes, leaving a large wet stain of blood on the fabric.
Watching Fan Changyu’s retreating figure, Madam Song’s face turned green with anger. She lamented, “That careless girl! This is Hangzhou silk!”
Song Yan’s eyes betrayed no emotion as he said, “Mother, let it go.”
Madam Song’s face was full of frustration. “Fine, in a few days, we’ll be moving away from this poor neighborhood anyway!”
Meanwhile, as Fan Changyu approached her home, a five-year-old ball of snow darted out from the neighbor’s house at the sound of her arrival. “Sister, you’re back!” the child exclaimed.
The little snowball was delicately beautiful, utterly adorable. She opened her arms, wanting to hug Fan Changyu, her smile revealing a missing tooth.
Fan Changyu held her sister back by the collar. “Don’t touch me, my clothes are dirty.”
Little Chang Ning obediently stopped in her tracks. Seeing her elder sister carrying many things, she voluntarily took the medicine package.
She had a pair of almond-shaped eyes identical to Fan Changyu’s, though rounder at the corners due to her young age. Her cheeks were still chubby, making her look like a plump porcelain doll.
The neighbor’s wife came out upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Fan Changyu, she smiled and said, “Changyu’s back.”
The neighbors were an elderly couple. The husband’s surname was Zhao, and he was a carpenter who had to go out during the day to make furniture for people or set up a stall in the market to sell wicker and bamboo baskets, only returning home in the evening.
The two families were on very good terms. Whenever Fan Changyu had to go out, she would leave her younger sister with the neighbor’s wife, not wanting to leave the child alone at home.
Fan Changyu responded with a sound of acknowledgment and picked out a piece of pig liver strung together with palm leaves from the bucket of offal. She handed it over, saying, “Uncle likes this. You can stir-fry it as a dish to go with his wine.”
The neighbor’s wife accepted it without hesitation and then added, “The young man you brought back last night has woken up.”
Fan Changyu was surprised by this news. “I’ll go check on him in a bit,” she said.
With her parents gone and only herself and her younger sister left in the house, it wasn’t appropriate to have a strange man stay with them. After bringing the man to her neighbor’s uncle for treatment last night, she borrowed a room from the neighbors and temporarily settled him there.
Little Chang Ning looked up and said, “That big brother is so beautiful!”
Beautiful? Fan Changyu couldn’t help but laugh, patting her sister’s little topknot. “How can you describe a man as beautiful?”
However, when she found the man, his face had been covered in dried, blackened blood, making it almost impossible to discern his features. When she brought him back yesterday evening, it was already dusk, and in the rush to seek medical help, she hadn’t even thought about cleaning his face.
She truly didn’t know what he looked like.
Fan Changyu went back to her room to change out of her butchering clothes before heading next door.
Winter evenings always came particularly early. Before the hour of you had passed, the sky had already darkened.
When Fan Changyu entered the room, it was dim inside, and she could only see the outline of a figure on the bed.
The room was filled with a mixture of herbal medicine smell, the stench of blood, and sweat, creating an indescribable odor.
The weather was bitterly cold, and Uncle Zhao and Auntie Zhao, probably fearing the man wouldn’t make it through the night, had sealed the doors and windows tightly. They had even lit a charcoal brazier in the room, intensifying the smell in the heated air.
But Fan Changyu, who had been in pig pens when catching pigs, wasn’t particularly bothered by the smell. She only wrinkled her brow slightly as she entered, then went to the table to light an oil lamp.
A warm orange glow illuminated the small space. When Fan Changyu turned back towards the bed and saw the man’s face, she was slightly taken aback.
She now understood why Chang Ning had described him as beautiful.