Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The child stopped crying and looked up at him pitifully before he burst into tears again. The child quickly got up and ran towards the other children. The child may have been young, but he was still fairly on guard against strangers.
At that time, it was common for parents to sell their children due to the famine. It was also not uncommon to hear of others kidnapping children to sell to slave traders.
There were a few families in the village, and everyone knew each other. A child would obviously be terrified when they saw a strange, dark-skinned, and bigger than a normal man around. Some of the children burst into tears and ran off, attracting much attention from the adults tending to the fields.
To prevent any tragedies from befalling on their families, most of the adults would tell tales of unscrupulous slave traders kidnapping children or stories of wolves dragging off small children for food. Such stories had led the village’s children to have a very high guard against outsiders and prevented them from wandering off too far.
Two farmers ran over with hoes they were using when they heard the children’s cries. “Get lost! What are you trying to do? Get away from the children, or I’ll kill you!” One of the farmers raised his hoe in a threatening manner while another held his in front of himself as a shield.
“This farm belongs to a person of high rank! If you don’t want to die, then leave!” The man’s clothes were tattered, and in some places, large holes revealed his bronzed skin. He did not look like a good soul, and he had scared the children. The farmers immediately thought the worst of him.
The man flushed and raised his hands in surrender. His face was black as though he had some ash or coal residue on him.
“N-no… I’m not a bad person… Eh… I’m just passing through…” He inched towards the two farmers and that caused them to be more on guard against him.
The man was much bigger than them and was obviously very fit. Even though he was dressed in rags, he still had an imposing figure.
One of the farmers looked at the other and said, “Since you’re passing through, then leave now.”
The stranger wrung his hands together while he asked, “C-can I have some water…? I’ve been on the road for a few days, and my sandals have broken. I haven’t eaten either… Can you be so kind…”
When they heard that, the farmers noticed that the stranger’s grass sandals had no soles and a few of his toes were sticking out. When the man saw them looking, he fidgeted uneasily, revealing some broken blisters.
When they noticed how pitiful the man was and how he had shown no animosity, the farmers let their guard down.
One of the farmers released a sigh of relief. As long as the stranger was not a bandit or a slave trader, everything was fine. The village was honest and unsophisticated. They had always been very hospitable towards travelers. Random strangers coming up to them for water was quite common.
“Your feet are covered in blisters. If you don’t mind, you can wear mine,” a farmer said while removing a clean pair from his person and handing them over to the man.
Most of the farmers carried extra pairs on their person when they worked the fields as their work wore the grass sandals down.
“How, how could I…” the man bowed his hand in shame. He only accepted the sandals after the farmer had persuaded him. The sandals were obviously brand new. “Thank you.”
The man’s feet were large. When he put on the sandals, his feet covered the soles and even protruded out a little.
“Heh, this is nothing.” The farmer smiled kindly.
He set down his hoe before grabbing the child that was clinging to his pants. “Please don’t mind our reactions. There are too many cases of children being stolen these days. A while ago, we heard some neighboring farms lost three children. That’s why we’re so protective right now.”
The man did not seem to mind. Instead, he smiled and said, “It’s all right. With the world in such a state, one should be mindful of their child at all times. At least the children know to cry for the adults. In my village, you wouldn’t know when a child has been taken.”
When the farmers heard that, their impression of the stranger changed for the better.
“It should be time for food. How about coming to my house to eat something?” The farmer smacked his child lightly, his expression full of love.
It seemed that the child who had knocked into the stranger was this farmer’s kid.
Another farmer carried his hoe in one hand and in the other, he carried another child. As though they were herding sheep, the farmers quickly brought their children back home.
“It’s hard to find such cheerful children these days…” The man sighed as he walked alongside the farmer.
“These days, it’s hard to keep the adults fed, much less the children.” The farmer replied with a grim expression. “I’m lucky to work for such a good and generous family, or else I would not have survived either.”
The man did not continue the conversation and followed the farmer to his home. Once they had arrived, the latter yelled, “Oi! Have you baked the millet pancake? Bring two over and boil some water.”
“I know you’re back. What are you yelling for?” A woman dressed in clean, coarse hemp clothes walked out from one of the rooms while carrying two steaming pancakes.
“Give this man some hot water,” the farmer said to his wife. “Get some hot water in him to warm up.”
The man was about to say that cold water was fine with him, but the woman had already entered the kitchen. While she walked away, she nagged, “Only you would want boiled water. You think our firewood is free?”
“Didn’t the mistress say drinking the water as it is is bad for the body? Why are you so obstinate when I just want you to boil some water…”
Although the couple was bickering, it was obvious to anyone that they were showing affection for each other.