In the blazing hot July, Heaven had unleashed several heavy rains that alleviated the scorching heat, and the destroyed crops in Wozi Village had all been replanted.
Now, nearing noon, under the ancient locust tree in the village, groups of villagers sat leisurely chatting in the cool shade.
Baozi, who had beaten someone, was reclining on a large stone slab under the tree, picking his teeth with his pals from the village and cracking coarse jokes from time to time, making it such that other young wives didn’t dare sit under this tree.
When Wufu, leading Liu Jin over, Baozi was pointing at a passing young wife, commenting about how she was busty and curvy, which left the woman red-eyed and wiping away tears as she hurriedly ran away.
"Hey, why run? Little brother says a few words and you get shy," Baozi chuckled roguishly, and the boys around him burst into laughter as well.
"I’m telling you, women, they’re like those which have just bloomed... Why are you poking me?" Baozi was in mid-sentence when he felt an uncomfortable jab at his waist and turned his head to see it was Doggy, that lewd fellow poking him.
"Boss, look," Doggy indicated towards a certain direction with a nod of his head.
Baozi followed his gaze.
Not far away, two figures were approaching. The younger one, his face bruised and swollen, eyes bright red—wasn’t that the same kid who looked like a girl and whom they had just beaten up mercilessly?
Next to him, Baozi squinted his eyes.
The background of Madam Zhou and her daughter was well-known in Wozi Village; aside from the newly married women or outsiders, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t recognize them.
Baozi had dealt with Wufu before. Despite her young age, she had already turned out quite well, and it was uncertain whether she took after her mother or her father. Anyway, she was even prettier than Madam Zhou, and Baozi had teased her more than once.
At the moment, the girl was dressed in a garment of coarse clothes, a pale blue sash tied around her waist, her feet in a pair of embroidered shoes, and her black hair tied up with a string, unlike the other village girls who would weave it into braids. Instead, it was tied high upon her head like a horse’s tail.
While her appearance seemed somewhat unconventional, Baozi found it nonetheless captivating—what was the phrase? Ah, yes, "valiant and heroic"—that’s how those literati and romantics would put it.
It was truly bizarre; where did that term spring from, and why did it surface in his thoughts about this girl?
Baozi watched Wufu, whose whole being exuded a valiant aura, feeling a little surprised. This girl seemed different from before?
It was still her, and that was still her face, but her eyes, they had gained something new.
The Wufu of the past would never dare to look at him that way. When teased, she would only scream and curse, but she would never stare at him as though she was looking at some filthy, worthless trash.
"Ptooey!" Baozi spat the toothpick from his mouth, standing up while his tongue gave another swirl inside his mouth before he spat a gob of thick phlegm right at the feet of Wufu, who had walked up close.
Wufu stopped, looked down at the spittle, and thought, ’This is truly filthy!’
"Look who it is? Isn’t it our Wozi Village wildflower, Wufu? What brings you here?" Baozi jeered with a sneer, "Could it be that you’ve come to look for young master to have a good time? It’s alright to play, but I’ve got no silver to give. Don’t worry though, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied."
"Bastard!" Liu Jin was so angry that his face turned red, and like a young bull, he wanted to charge forward.
Wufu reached out to stop him, holding his shoulder, and looked at Baozi: "I hear you’ve hit my person?"