Jing Xingzhi’s Daily Life in Ancient Times

The second time there was a response, it was Tan Mingfa’s voice, slightly annoyed.

“Who is it! Knocking on the door in the middle of the night?”

Tan Xingwang remained silent and just stood outside the door, waiting.

Tan Mingfa, holding a stick behind his back, opened the door latch and peered through the gap. His surprise was evident upon seeing his familiar adopted son.

Thinking of his wife making a commotion at home, Tan Mingfa was momentarily stunned. After a moment, he opened the door and whispered, “It’s Xingwang, why aren’t you saying anything? Come in quickly!”

Relieved to hear his father’s words, Tan Xingwang entered the house. Tan Mingfa, concerned for his son, quickly brought him in and gently tended to him.

When his adopted son didn’t speak, Tan Mingfa remembered what the neighbor had said about a possible beating. He thought, “Wait a minute, I’ll get you some medicine.”

An embarrassed expression crossed Tan Mingfa’s face as he left the room.

Tan Xingwang caught the strangeness in his father’s expression but chose to endure it, saying, “Dad, forget it. It’s late; go to bed.”

“You are injured; you need medicine,” Tan Mingfa insisted before leaving the house.

Tan Xingwang took a breath and laid down on the dusty quilt. The pain from the twenty blows lingered, making him uncomfortable. Despite the minor injury not affecting his movements, it still hurt.

Shortly after Tan Xingwang lay down, a quarrel erupted in the room where Tan Mingfa and Mother Tan lived, on the other side of the main room.

As Tan Mingfa searched for medicine, Mother Tan knew what he had done to Tan Xingwang. Thinking of Chen Fulang’s cruelty towards her, she grew even more unhappy.

Tan Xingwang overheard the heated exchange between his parents.

“This is the medicine for Jiabao’s hands! Don’t take it! Where can I find more for Jiabao? He hasn’t finished wiping his hands yet.”

“Give it to me!”

“I won’t give it to you. Buy it yourself! We don’t have any money at home, I have no money to buy medicine! I keep this for my Jiabao!”

“Give it to me!”

“No! Tan Mingfa, don’t try touching me again!”

“Ah——”

“Bang——”

A commotion ensued with various banging sounds in the room, resembling objects being thrown or a physical altercation.

In the past, Tan Xingwang might have been extremely worried, trying to find a way to persuade his parents. However, this time, he became the reason for his parents’ quarrel, and he felt too tired to intervene.

Tan Xingwang had seen his mother at the Yamen during the trial, so he assumed his mother knew about the beating. Yet, no one had picked him up, and his father was now arguing and fighting over a medicine…

Feeling the anger rise in his heart, Tan Xingwang got up, knelt on the edge of the bed, and began searching inside. After a while, he had a purse in his hand, undetected and surprisingly heavy.

The purse contained not much except twenty taels, which Tan Mingfa had kept for himself. Tan Xingwang listened to the ongoing commotion, sighed, and took out one of the only two gold ingots from his purse. He carefully placed the gold ingot in the quilt where it would be visible when lifted.

After covering it with the quilt, Tan Xingwang tightened his purse and stuffed it into his arms. Looking at the house where he had lived for more than 20 years, he stood up, opened the door, and walked out.

.

He stood at the intersection, head drooped, walking toward the place he wanted to go most. A quarter of an hour later, Tan Xingwang stood in front of Chen Fulang’s door.

Dong dong—

“Who?!” Alarmed by the late-night knock, Chen Fulang, a widower, reached for the big scissors under his pillow and cautiously approached the door.

Tan Xingwang’s muffled voice came from outside: “Ah Lin, it’s me.”

Mulin was Chen Fulang’s maiden name, and his full name was Chen Mulin. As soon as Tan Xingwang spoke, Chen Fulang knew who was outside.

Chen Fulang, aware of the rumors about Tan Xingwang being beaten twenty times, asked in a calm tone, “It’s so late at night. You’re not going home, why are you coming to the house of a widow like me?”

Tan Xingwang felt flustered, unsure how to explain the situation, especially considering Chen Fulang’s heartbreak in the cell.

Tan Xingwang’s heart weighed heavy as he faced rejection from Chen Fulang. The cold response shattered his hopes, and tears streamed down his face. His pleas and apologies fell on deaf ears as Chen Fulang retreated into his house.

Outside, Tan Xingwang continued to plead, “Ah Lin, I was wrong! I know I was wrong! I shouldn’t have did it without thinking about you. Can you let me in? Can I kneel on the washboard and apologize to you?”

However, his desperate cries seemed to have no effect. The cold night wind and raindrops added to his misery. Realizing that Ah Lin was truly angry with him, Tan Xingwang had no choice but to find somewhere to rest.

.

With a heavy heart, he decided to seek refuge with Wang Xiang. As he approached, he witnessed Wang Xiang’s distress. Wang Xiang, sitting on the wall, was crying loudly, “My money! Where is my money!! Those dog thieves with no eyes! I want to use my money to buy meats and drink. My money! Why am I so miserable, I got beaten and my money was stolen!”

Tan Xingwang couldn’t help but empathize with Wang Xiang’s plight, realizing that both of them were facing harsh realities.

He sat down against the wall. The tears flowed again as he pondered the miseries of his own life.