After jumping down from the low wall, Li Kun did not approach. He stood in place, brow knotted, staring at Sui Rui.

“Come… come over here.” Sui Rui squeezed out an odd smile.

Shen Zhuxi guessed she was doing her very best to put on what she imagined “gentleness” to look like.

“I’m not coming over,” Li Kun muttered.

“Since Brother Li has already come down, the rest of the matter can surely be talked through.” Wen Youzhi said with a cupped-hands bow and a smile. “This humble student ought not linger. Li Niang’zi, if you encounter any difficulties, you can find me at the bookshop in town.”

Shen Zhuxi returned the courtesy distractedly. Wen Youzhi gave a slight smile, turned, and left.

Sui Rui stared at his retreating figure and said: “…Why is he so good to you?”

Shen Zhuxi said vaguely: “Perhaps because I’m a newcomer from out of town, and because I’m Li Wu’s wife.”

Sui Rui turned to look at her, and the look in her eyes returned to its usual steadiness: “…I suppose.”

By now Shen Zhuxi had an idea in mind. She hesitated for a moment, then made her request earnestly:

“Miss Sui, could I ask a favor of you?”

“Don’t even think about asking me to spare that big oaf — and anything to do with Li Wu, don’t even open your mouth!” Sui Rui said impatiently.

“It’s not that… I’d like to ask Miss Sui, if you could find a quiet moment, to sit down and have a real conversation with Li Kun.” Shen Zhuxi said.

Sui Rui was taken aback. The tight furrow of her brows eased slightly: “What would you have me talk to him about?”

“Miss Sui — do you look down on Li Kun?”

“What would I look down on him for?” Sui Rui’s voice went up a note. She stared at Shen Zhuxi with disbelief. “I don’t have that kind of leisure!”

“Wouldn’t Miss Sui treat Li Kun differently because his mind works differently from most people’s?”

“I’m not that idle!” Sui Rui countered at once. “If that’s what you’re implying, then there are plenty of people I look down on — I might as well spend my whole life looking down on people instead of making roast chicken!”

Shen Zhuxi smiled: “Don’t be upset, Miss Sui. I know you’ve always treated Li Kun like an ordinary person.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Li Kun told me.” Shen Zhuxi said.

“He told you?” Sui Rui looked at Li Kun doubtfully.

Li Kun’s ears twitched. His toe nudged a pebble on the ground: “She’s lying…”

“Some things can be said without words.” Shen Zhuxi said. “Miss Sui, if Li Kun stops causing trouble from now on, could you chat and joke with him the way you would with anyone else?”

“If he stopped causing trouble, would I need to curse at him?” Sui Rui said. “I’m not the one who’s unwell! I’m busy enough trying to keep up with the roast chickens!”

“Miss Sui, could you say that directly to Li Kun?”

“What good would that do? If it did any good, it would have done it by now.” Sui Rui didn’t look convinced, but after a pause she still, under Shen Zhuxi’s earnest gaze, looked toward Li Kun, who stood a little way off: “Hey! You big oaf…”

Li Kun didn’t move.

“Stop stealing from me, and stop throwing things at me. If you can do that, I’ll stop cursing at you and hitting you.” Sui Rui spoke the words of negotiation, but her manner was just as forceful as ever. “Can you manage that?!”

Li Kun played deaf, and his unstoppable foot resumed grinding away at a scraggly little weed growing up through a crack in the stone.

“Miss Sui, you haven’t said yet — if he behaves himself, you’ll spend time with him,” Shen Zhuxi said quietly.

“Why are there so many conditions with you lot?” Sui Rui complained, but she did as Shen Zhuxi said, raising her voice toward Li Kun: “You big oaf! If you stop causing trouble, when I have time, I’ll come and play with you!”

Li Kun finally raised his eyes and shot Sui Rui a sidelong glance.

“…Really?”

“I’ll try.” Sui Rui grew more and more impatient: “My shop has so much work — do you think I’ve got as much free time as you to go bothering people?”

“I’ll help you.” Li Kun turned to face her properly and looked at her directly. “I’ll help you… with the roast chicken…”

“…You’re not one of Li Wu’s spies sent to steal my secret recipe, are you?” Sui Rui went on immediate alert.

“Not at all,” Shen Zhuxi said, afraid Li Kun’s clumsiness with words might spoil things, and quickly spoke before him to explain: “At heart, Li Kun is an honest and guileless child.”

“Honest? Guileless?” Sui Rui looked the hulking figure before her up and down doubtfully. “A child?”

“…Not… not that guileless…” Li Kun scratched the back of his head.

“You’ll see for yourself after spending time with him!” Shen Zhuxi said with certainty. “If he comes to help, you could have him move things, or turn the roasting spits — that way, Miss Sui, you wouldn’t need to worry about the recipe being stolen.”

“…That’s hard to say. What won’t Li Wu do? Using a simpleton — he’d have no trouble sleeping at night over that.”

Shen Zhuxi had been curious about this for a long time, and at last could not resist asking: “Miss Sui, may I ask what grievance you and Li Wu have from before?”

“I’m only saying any of this to you because you seem like a decent person.” Sui Rui said with a cold laugh. “Li Wu — that man’s schemes run deeper than the holes in my furnace coals. I’m not the only one who’s wanted my family’s roast chicken recipe, but he alone had the nerve to spend an entire year pretending to be blind just to steal it —”

Shen Zhuxi gaped: “He… pretended to be blind for a whole year?”

“That’s exactly right!” Sui Rui said furiously. “At the time I was only eleven or twelve. He was about my age. My father was knocked down by someone in the street and hurt his back, and it was Li Wu who carried him to the Suxin Hall to be treated. My father took pity on such a young child wandering the streets without a home and with eyes that couldn’t see, so he brought him back to work as a hired hand. Because of his blindness, no one guarded against him, and my father often let him come and go freely in the kitchen.”

“That rotten wretch — he even did it deliberately at meals, dropping his chopsticks on purpose. He spent a full year in our house pretending to be blind, and not a single soul ever suspected him! If I hadn’t happened to catch him in the act of picking out the fattest roast chicken to eat on the sly, I would never have known he’d been deceiving me for so long!” Sui Rui said, gnashing her teeth with fury. “That rotten thing eats people alive and leaves no bones behind. Anyone who trusts him is in for a world of trouble!”

When Sui Rui finished, she suddenly turned her aim on Shen Zhuxi: “You don’t doubt what I’m saying, do you?”

“I believe you…” she said awkwardly.

Even serving as a companion-for-hire was something Li Wu had done — what was beyond him?

Shen Zhuxi had already apologized on Li Kun’s behalf. Now she began to apologize on Li Wu’s behalf as well.

“Miss Sui, I apologize to you on Li Wu’s behalf for what happened in the past — I’m truly sorry…”

Sui Rui looked at her for a moment and said with poor grace: “You’re the unlucky one — how did you end up saddled with these three brothers?”

Shen Zhuxi said sincerely: “I’m not unlucky at all. If Li Wu hadn’t taken me in, I don’t know where I’d be wandering by now. Miss Sui, Li Wu made many mistakes in the past, and I am sorry on his behalf. I will keep watch over him, and do my best to steer him back onto the right path. But Li Wu — he really is a good person at heart…”

“Oh, enough — in your eyes, everyone is a good person.” Sui Rui cut her off, turned on her heel, and walked back the way she had come. As she walked, she muttered under her breath: “I think you’re more of a simpleton than the big oaf himself…”

Shen Zhuxi followed after her for a few steps, then remembered something and turned back to look at Li Kun, who was standing in place: “Come on, let’s go.”

“…You’re not going to scold me?”

“I’m not going to scold you.” Shen Zhuxi beckoned to him: “Come on.”

Li Kun ambled slowly over. Shen Zhuxi lightly patted off the dirt he’d picked up from climbing the wall and said: “Next time you want to do something, come and tell me first and I’ll help you figure it out. You mustn’t be as reckless as you were with Miss Sui.”

Li Kun kept his eyes on her hand, standing perfectly still as she patted him — his expression at once docile and put-upon.

Shen Zhuxi finished patting off the dirt and put her hand down. She said patiently: “Look — she’s promised to be your friend now, hasn’t she? Isn’t that a good thing? Isn’t it?”

“…It is,” Li Kun muttered.

She smiled: “Let’s go — we mustn’t keep Miss Sui waiting.”

The three of them made their way back to Sui’s Chicken Shop, one after another. Sui Rui handed Shen Zhuxi the lotus-leaf-wrapped roast chicken, then hurried off to tend to the roasting spits at the charcoal furnace.

Shen Zhuxi was just about to leave when she spotted the scrap of fabric on the ground. She bent down and picked it up.

A little while later, Sui Rui had turned over every roast chicken on the furnace that had been in danger of overcooking, and when she returned to the rocking chair by the shop entrance, Shen Zhuxi and Li Kun were nowhere to be seen.

She dropped back into the rocking chair, let out an “ouch,” and frowned as she fished around under herself — and pulled out a scrap of fabric.

Wasn’t this the thing the big oaf had just thrown at her?

She was just about to throw it away when her hand, already raised halfway, faltered and lowered again.

This wasn’t the first time the big oaf had thrown something like this at her. She had never opened any of them before, because she had long since decided in her own mind that they were filled with pebbles or something of the sort.

With the answer already settled in advance, naturally she never sought to find out the truth.

Yet today, for reasons she could not quite explain, a thread of curiosity stirred in her.

Perhaps it was because of what Shen Zhuxi had said. Perhaps it was because of the big oaf who, under Shen Zhuxi’s guidance, had been less unreasonable than usual. For the first time, Sui Rui had the desire to test her own answer.

She reached out her hand and revealed the secret within the scrap of fabric.

Inside were no pebbles, no wild berries — none of the things she had imagined.

Only a black-bean-sized piece of malt candy, lying quietly in the folds of fabric.

……

When Shen Zhuxi returned to the riverside, the bamboo hut had been transformed beyond recognition under Li Que’s cleaning efforts. She set down the roast chicken, looked around, and asked: “Where is Li Wu?”

“Big Brother went to weave a mat by the river.” Li Que said.

“I bought twenty catties of spirits. I’m not sure where to put the jar — would you go and let Li Kun know?” Shen Zhuxi said. “I’ll go down to the river to see Li Wu.”

Li Que smiled: “No problem — go ahead, Sister-in-law. Head upstream and it shouldn’t be long before you spot Big Brother.”

She stepped out of the bamboo hut and followed the river upstream. Sure enough, Li Wu was not far off.

Li Que had said he was weaving a mat, but he didn’t look at all like he was weaving a mat. He was lying on a broad, flat boulder, face up toward the sky, holding a book of some kind aloft in both hands, reading from it and murmuring to himself.

“Li Wu?” When Shen Zhuxi was nearly close enough, she called out his name first.

Li Wu startled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and flipped upright in an instant.

Once he was on his feet, the book Shen Zhuxi had seen him holding was gone. She walked to the great blue boulder and looked around curiously: “Where is the book you were just reading?”

“What book? What book would I have? I was sleeping soundly and you wake me up — you must have been blinded by the sun.” Standing in the glaring light, Li Wu narrowed his eyes and spoke at a faster pace than usual, as though deliberately giving Shen Zhuxi no time to react — each sentence coming right on the heels of the last. “You came to find me — does it mean it’s time to eat?”

Shen Zhuxi did not doubt him, assuming she had indeed been dazzled by the sun just now. Besides, she genuinely had something on her mind, so she let the subject be redirected with ease.

“It’s not time to eat yet. I came to find you because there’s something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Li Wu settled onto the boulder, propped up one leg, draped his arm over it, and adopted a casual, unhurried pose.

“It seems Li Kun has feelings for Miss Sui.” Shen Zhuxi said hesitantly. “I don’t know if ‘feelings’ is quite the right word, but the way he acts toward her is certainly different from usual. Today when we went to buy roast chicken, he threw a rolled-up piece of fabric at her, and I had quite a time calming Miss Sui’s anger. Afterward, I opened that piece of fabric…”

“Was it flowers wrapped inside, or candy?” Li Wu said.

Shen Zhuxi looked startled: “You already knew?”

“Do you really think I treat him like a slave?” Li Wu said with poor grace. “He’s my own brother — do you think I wouldn’t know what’s going on in his head?”

“I never said that…” Shen Zhuxi murmured in quiet protest.

“And then?” Li Wu asked.

“What then?” Shen Zhuxi looked entirely at a loss. “I don’t know what to do about it either — which is why I came to ask you, since you’re the one who’s his elder brother…”

“Just leave it alone.”

“Leave it alone?”

“Sui Rui isn’t the type to be a patient caretaker, and Li Diao’er isn’t the type to put on airs like that Wen fellow. What else is there to do?” Li Wu said, put out. “You’re just too prone to worrying. If you’ve got so much energy to spare on others, why not spend some of it worrying about me?”

“Don’t I worry about you enough? I’ve even been…” Shen Zhuxi swallowed the rest of the sentence.

She had been going to great lengths to earn money so he could escape his misery — what more did he want?

“You’ve even been what?”

“…Anyway, I worry about you plenty.” Shen Zhuxi said. “I just don’t show it.”

Li Wu raised an eyebrow with doubt: “Really?”

“Of course it’s true. I’m nothing like you — I don’t go about deceiving people.”

“I deceive people, but not you… or not much.” Li Wu said. “Fine — I’ll take your word for it. Show it more going forward. Otherwise, people who see us might think we’re a false couple. We agreed from the beginning — only you and I know about our arrangement.”

Shen Zhuxi didn’t want to listen to his lecture. She said, brushing it aside: “I’ll try.”

“This isn’t a matter of trying — you need to make an effort. Do you understand?”

Can’t get angry, can’t get angry, Shen Zhuxi kept silently reasoning with herself.

He had gone as far as to work as a companion-for-hire to support the household — what couldn’t she concede?

“Understood…”

“Good. Now that is a student worth teaching.” Li Wu said, satisfied.

Shen Zhuxi stared at him in amazement. Li the Fart-Man’s expression grew even more self-satisfied — his chin was practically pointing at the sky.

“A new day brings new knowledge — one ought to look again with fresh eyes.”

“Where did you pick up that line?” Shen Zhuxi asked.

“No one taught me.” Li Wu said. “I’m a natural-born genius.”

A Fart-Man spouting nonsense — perfectly natural.

Shen Zhuxi saw no point in pressing him further on what snippet of dialogue he had overheard at some roadside performance, and said: “It’s getting late. Let’s head back.”

Li Wu got down from the boulder.

Once the two of them returned to the bamboo hut, Li Wu directed Li Kun to carry the table and chairs to a flat stretch of sandy ground by the river. Shen Zhuxi helped Li Que set out the bowls and chopsticks. When mealtime came and all four of them had just taken their seats, Li Wu stared at the food and drink on the table and frowned deeply.

“Where are my pig’s trotters?”

Shen Zhuxi let out a cry of alarm.

The trotters had been left behind at Sui’s Chicken Shop!

She met Li Wu’s gaze and found herself speechless.

Li Wu’s face darkened: “I reminded you so many times, and you still forgot to bring them?”

“I did buy them…” Shen Zhuxi felt a pang of grievance. She said quietly in her own defense: “I bought them… but I forgot them at Sui’s Chicken Shop…”

Li Wu drew a sharp breath. His expression grew darker still.

“Have the roast chicken with your drinks — chicken goes with spirits too, doesn’t it?” Shen Zhuxi tried her best to make up for her mistake. She used her chopsticks to tear off a big, glistening drumstick and, under the longing gaze of Li Kun, placed it in Li Wu’s bowl.

She smiled at Li Wu with all the good cheer she could muster.

As the saying goes, one does not raise one’s hand to strike a smiling face. Under her earnest efforts at appeasement, Li Wu at last picked up his chopsticks and lifted the drumstick from his bowl.

Shen Zhuxi breathed a quiet sigh of relief and only then had the peace of mind to pick up her own chopsticks.

She had set her sights on a roast chicken wing and had barely raised her chopsticks when Li Wu, beside her, suddenly let out a long sigh.

He tilted his head up and gazed into the sky, wearing an expression of great sorrow.

Both Shen Zhuxi and Li Que put down their chopsticks to look at him — only Li Kun kept his head down, eating steadily on.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Zhuxi asked.

Li Wu didn’t so much as glance at her. In a slow, measured cadence, he began:

“A row of white clouds mourns the parting — strung together just like braised pig’s trotters.”

Shen Zhuxi stared: “?”

“The river below flows on quiet and still — just as I told you, time and again.”

“Li Wu, what — what’s gotten into you?”

Shen Zhuxi was so alarmed she stammered. Li Wu was deaf to it, utterly unmoved.

He let out another low, mournful sigh, looking more forlorn than ever:

“Wine without trotters simply won’t do — you bought them and then forgot to bring them through.”

“This grief runs deep, do you feel it too? I lift my cup, and still no words come through.”

“To drink one’s wine without trotters beside — if this happens again, we will have words. I decide.”

He turned his head and looked at Shen Zhuxi at last.

“Let us call this poem ‘Lament for the Pig’s Trotters.’ What do you think?”