Back to the Countryside

Chapter 5: Understanding

~rechecked and edited version~

"I said Qi Yue, you don't really like that He Zhen, do you?" Lin Sheng afraid that Qi Yue as a newcomer, didn't know the situation, so he would have any thoughts about that He Zhen.

    "What is Lin Da Ge (big brother Lin) talking about? I don't like him!" Qi Yue was a little bit dumbfounded*,(哭笑不得 : not know whether to cry or smile) thinking that Lin Sheng's conclusion was inexplicable. (莫名 :irrational) 

    "Then why are you smiling at him?" These his new brother is good looking, when he smile, which girls and gers can stand it? 

    Qi Yue really think that Lin Sheng worry too much. "It's fun to see them 'talk to one self*'"

[ 自说自话* : to decide for oneself; to talk to oneself]

Lin Sheng's eyes widened, somewhat speechless, must be, he was worried for nothing, the person himself didn't think that it has anything to do with himself at all!

    "But..." Qi Yue's turned the conversation, seemed to sigh and said: "That aunt's attitude towards her own ger is really very different!"

    "What? !" Lin Sheng waved his hand at him, "He Ling is not her child!"

    "Oh?" Qi Yue raised his eyebrows.

    The two of them just happen to walk by the edge of Lin Sheng's house, Lin Sheng's father, Lin Shan and Lin Sheng's wife, Wu Yulan were waiting for them to come, Qi Yue bowed to both of them, and they sat down on the ground. 

    Wu Yulan handed them the whole coarse grain steamed buns, while asking them why it took so long for them to come here. Lin Sheng took a bite of steamed buns, told them about what just happened. 

    "Ay, this Ling Ge Er is also a bitter soul*!" Wu Yulan put the vegetables out of the basket and arranged them, she sighed softly.

[命苦* Pinyin: mìngkǔ

Definition : to suffer from a difficult fate or to be born under an ill star ⭐]

    Lin Shan also shook his head, looking helpless, "These He Tian's family is getting worse and worse!"

    Lin Sheng picked up the chopsticks, and told him about the family's affairs.

    He Ling was actually a child of He Tian's younger brother's family, his mother was a woman from outside the country, her appearance is beautiful, gentle personality, which attracted the admiration of many men in the village at that time.

    He Ling's father, He Ming, is also one of them (it mean one of the admirer), his character is honest, not able to 'smooth talk*' at all,he is not a man who particularly attract girls and gers, but He Ling's mother just fall in love with him.

[花言巧語*/huā yán qiáo yǔ

Luring speech, sweet words, slick talk]

    He Ming's mother was reluctant, He Ming was seventeen at the time, He Ling's mother was twenty, already considered as an old girl in the village! Moreover she felt that the beautiful girl is not restless*, not to mention that she was still a foreigner, not knowing her inside story! 

[安分*/ ān fèn : knowing one's place, not going beyond one's bounds]

    He Ming disregarded her objections, determined to marry He Ling's mother. Out of anger, his mother cut him out from the family, threatened him from now on, he would be treated as an outsider, as if she never has this son. 

    But He Ming is capable, He Ling's mother also did a good handcraft work, able to supplement the family, the two live a very abundant life.

    In the second year of marriage, He Ling's mother was pregnant. They were very happy, looking forward for the birth of the child.

    However when she was seventh month pregnant, when He Ming returned after buying meat from the town, he saw she fall in the snow and her dress was stained with blood!

    He Ling's mother gave birth prematurely, lost too much blood. After giving birth to him, she lost her life. He Ming gradually became thin and pallid, when He Ling was six years old, he passed away and leave him alone. 

    He Ming's mother couldn't bear it after all, so she took him home to raise, but she didn't like him, but didn't mistreat him harshly, although some children from his uncle's family always bully him, life is still pretty good. 

    But it was only well for two years, after his grandmother died of illness when he was eight years old,after that his uncle's family no longer concealed their disgust.

   Later, in the village, began a rumour which said that he is a 'hard life'* , (命硬: die Hard: Superstition says that the birthdate is bad, and it kills relatives.) His mother died after he was born, later he killed his father and grandmother. He has a face that was similar to his mother, even more gorgeous! It must be the reincarnation of "a seducing fox"* (狐媚子 read hú mèi zǐ, is words used to describe a woman/person who is good at deceiving people with her charming attitude.) It will bring bad luck to people!

    No children in the village dared to play with him again, but there was some boys who wanted to get close to him because he was good-looking, later set by ear* (揪著耳朵, see pic), would be taken home by the elders in the family to be teach a lesson. As time passed, no one willing to talk to him anymore.



    Now he is already 18 years old, no fixed marriage yet, his elder aunt Qian also let out a word, if someone want marry him, prepare thirty taels of silver, otherwise there is no way.

    Thirty taels of silver ah! Anyone in village, whose family can casually take out these thirty taels of silver? Normally, by giving a son 5 taels is considered decent to marry a wife, thirty taels could let a son marry 6 wifes. Who would do such a stupid thing? 

    So until now, He Ling still unmarried, no one dared to marry him. Even if sometimes he seems like having endless work, being yelled at, he could only sighed pitifully. Occasionaly someone like Lin Sheng who enthusiastically help him, will speak for him. Yet still, they won't meddling in his problem too much, they couldn't help worry about their own affairs, how can they have the time to worry about other people's affairs? 

   Listen to this, Qi Yue smiled clearly. The villagers have never seen outside the world, and there is nothing wrong with being a little superstitious. It’s just that they have never thought that sometimes the consequences of rumours was that they ruined a person’s life. This is the case with the so-called 'gossip is a fearfull thing' (人言可畏 : the tongue is not steel yet it cuts). 

     "Qi Yue, I have to tell you, you better stay away from that He Zhen, he is so lazy* (好吃懶做* : be lazy and fond of good food/be fond of eating and averse to work), a ger who think highly of himself, you have some money in your hand and good looking, pestered by him, it's just like a piece of sticky candy*!"

[ 牛皮糖*: sugar with strong stickiness and toughness. Also describe people who are very entangled. Such as: "He is like a piece of brown candy, can't shake it off."]

Lin Sheng didn't forget to tell him again. He has no good impressions for that family!   

 "Thank you, Lin Da Ge for reminding me. In the future, I must hide from him far far away!" Qi Yue very exaggerated by making a deep zhuo yi gesture to him

(作揖 read zhuo yi : The old courtesy to show respect, raise your hands to your chest, hold your fists, and lean forward.), he looks very gratefull. 

The other three were amused by him. Lin Sheng smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "It's good if you understand. You can rest assured ,if one day you fall in love with someone's family' girl or ger, I will call my mom to drop in and ask her to act as a matchmaker for you."     

Qi Yue held his hand again, "Then I have to rely on you big brother Lin!"

"Good to say! Good to say!!" Lin Sheng laughed ha ha ha, put the last bun on his hand into his mouth.

He had eaten with Lin Sheng and others, Qi Yue returned to his field. He didn't go down to the ground immediately, but he pick up the basket  he put on the ground. This was the lunch he had prepared, just now he was dragged away by Lin Sheng, forgot to take it with him.

He carried the basket, walked to He Ling’s ground, looked at the busy man, put the basket aside, and called: "He Ling."

The man who lowered his head while planted the seedlings stopped his movements,he raised his head and look up. The complexion of his face is not very good, there is a thin layer of sweat on the forehead, but the red plum on the eyebrows seems to be stained with dew, which is more bright and beautiful!    

 Seeing that the person calling his name was Qi Yue, He Ling was stunned for a while, then lowered his head to work again, as if he had never seen him.

    Qi Yue couldn't help but doubt, could it be because he looks fierce so that every time they meet,he will run away in confusion? or is it turn a blind eye? 

    He smiled and shook his head, bent over to take off his shoes and socks, pulled the trousers up to the knees, lifted his feet to the ground, and walked to He Ling, "He Ling, I am Qi Yue, a new resident in the village!"

It is obviously impossible for a person to stand by his side and pretend to be unable to see, He Ling straightened up, glanced at him, then he look down and avoided his gaze, "I know!"

=============≠=========

Translator has something to say :

He Ling is so pitiful , I almost cried.

it's so good that he meet Qi Yue