Chapter 30: The Great Play

“Zhao Laoda is truly unlucky. He was fine during such heavy rain, but once it stopped, his foot was crushed by a rock.”

“You have no idea. As soon as I went up there, I heard his girl screaming. I walked over and saw Zhao Laoda still pinned under the rock, all covered in blood. It was a mess.”

“He’s lucky to be alive. A little closer and it wouldn’t have been just a leg, he would have lost his life.”

Liu Bingkun finished his explanation in one breath. Seeing that Zhao Mengcheng didn’t show much concern, he smiled and said, “At the time, my dad even told me to come call for you. I said, why bother? Your two families have severed ties and have nothing to do with each other anymore. I just let the others take them to town to see a doctor.”

Zhao Mengcheng only then learned that Zhao Laoda had been injured. Knowing that he hadn’t lost his life, he didn’t care.

“Akun, thank you,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a smile. “This is for the best. I don’t want to get involved in their family’s affairs. It’s better if we never interact again for the rest of our lives.”

Liu Bingkun laughed. “If you ask me, he deserves it. If he had notified the villagers, he wouldn’t have stayed on the mountaintop alone. Everyone else came down, yet they stayed up there to sleep. It was their destiny to face this calamity.”

Zhao Mengcheng narrowed his eyes, knowing in his heart that the reason Zhao Laoda’s family went up the mountain early was thanks to Zhao Xiaohua.

Only, he didn’t know how Zhao Xiaohua could have made such a mistake.

How could he know that in her previous life, when the flood came, Zhao Xiaohua’s family had followed the Village Chief up the mountain for refuge.

At that time, everyone was in a state of panic. As soon as the rain stopped, the Old Village Chief led the people back down the mountain, hoping to salvage some of the harvest, and did not linger on the mountain.

The mountaintop was empty when the large rock fell, so it didn’t hurt anyone and naturally went unnoticed.

In this life, Zhao Xiaohua thought she was being clever. She urged Zhao Laoda and his wife to go up the mountain early, and fearing that the Old Village Chief and others would snatch their good spot, she didn’t say a word to anyone.

Zhao Xiaohua only remembered when the flood would recede, but she had no idea that a large rock would fall from the peak and crush Zhao Laoda’s right leg.

“Alright, then I’m off. Call me if you need anything,” Liu Bingkun said as he stood up.

Zhao Mengcheng stopped him. “Akun, you know many people. Could you help me ask around about building a house?”

Liu Bingkun was surprised. “Brother, you want to build a house?”

“You’ve seen my house. It’s not safe to live in now. When winter comes and the wind leaks in from everywhere, the children won’t be able to handle it.” Zhao Mengcheng pointed at the walls.

Liu Bingkun asked, “What kind of house do you want to build?”

Zhao Mengcheng thought for a moment. “A brick and tile house. Four rooms plus a kitchen and a living room will be enough.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to build something larger, but that would be too conspicuous. Furthermore, a massive project wouldn’t be finished before winter arrived.

Liu Bingkun agreed immediately. “I do know some builders. You can buy bricks and tiles if you have the money, though the price will be a bit higher than before right now.”

“I know this. Money isn’t an issue. I just hope it can be done quickly, ideally finished before winter,” Zhao Mengcheng said.

Liu Bingkun gave his word, patting his chest in guarantee. “I’ll go ask right away. Once I’ve found them, I’ll bring them over so you can talk to them yourself.”

After he left, Zhao Chun asked curiously, “Dad, are we really going to build a new house?”

“We are. When the time comes, each of you will have your own room,” Zhao Mengcheng laughed.

The three children were all quite excited. Zhao Mao looked up and asked, “Dad, if it’s a brick and tile house, will it be like Grandpa Village Chief’s house?”

Most families in Qingshan Village lived in mud and thatch houses, similar to where Zhao Mengcheng lived now. It was fine normally, but once the wind blew and the rain fell, anyone living there would know how miserable it felt.

Only a few well-to-do families lived in brick and tile houses, but even those houses were quite old.

Zhao Mengcheng thought for a moment and simply took out a piece of paper to start sketching.

Soon, a sketch of a small farmhouse courtyard appeared on the paper.

“This side is the living room. To the left and right of the living room are two side rooms each. It’s just right for each of us to have one. The east side will be the kitchen, the west side will be the warehouse, the middle area is the courtyard, and the back will be fenced off to remain a vegetable garden.”

Zhao Mengcheng explained while pointing at the drawing.

The three little ones couldn’t take their eyes off it, staring intently at the drawing. “It’s so beautiful. This is the house we’re going to live in.”

“It’s so big, even bigger than Grandpa Village Chief’s house,” Zhao Chun compared.

Zhao Mao also liked it and added, “I want to live on the same side as Daddy.”

Zhao Mengcheng grew more enthusiastic as he spoke. “We can also dig a water well in the courtyard. That way, using water will be more convenient in the future, and we won’t have to carry water from the river.”

Zhao Chun said, “Then can I set up a target in the courtyard to practice my punches?”

“Of course you can.” Zhao Mengcheng agreed immediately and even drew a circle for him. “We’ll put it right here. You can practice in the courtyard every day.”

Zhao Xin jumped up and down as she asked, “Dad, I want to plant a peach tree in the courtyard so I can eat peaches in the summer.”

Zhao Mengcheng drew a circle around the backyard. “We can plant fruit trees here. Peaches, plums, and apricots, we’ll plant them all. Then we’ll plant grapes along the wall. That way, our family will have fruit to eat all year round.”

“Wow!” Zhao Xin’s eyes sparkled as she listened.

Zhao Mengcheng looked at the second son. “What does Amao want? Dad will add it for you too.”

Zhao Mao leaned softly against his arm and simply said, “I just want to live closer to Daddy.”

Zhao Mengcheng rubbed his hair firmly, smiled, and said, “Then tell me when you think of something else.”

Zhao Chun mimicked his younger brother’s expressions, making faces. He didn’t care when he was glared at, and even complained to his sister, “Second Brother is getting more and more clingy with Dad. We’re all in the same house, yet he still wants to be closer to Dad. He’s like a baby who hasn’t been weaned.”

Zhao Xin said, “Daddy isn’t just our father, he’s also Second Brother’s savior. Everyone says Dad didn’t even care for his own life to save Second Brother, jumping into the flood to pull him out.”

Zhao Mao’s cheeks turned rosy, and the look in his eyes as he watched his father was full of adoration.

He didn’t remember the events of that day, but learning from the villagers that his father had jumped into the flood without hesitation to save him filled Zhao Mao’s heart with gratitude.

In the past, he always felt that his father favored his eldest brother and didn’t like him. Thinking back now, that was so wrong of him.

His father must love him very much in his heart, which was why he would risk his life to save him.

Zhao Mao looked at his father, his eyes shining like little stars, blinking rapidly.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know what his second son was imagining. After eating and drinking his fill, he sent the children away. He spread out his brush and ink and began his creation.

The Wan Family was powerful and influential. It was very likely they would pin all the blame on Monkey Face alone, allowing themselves to get away scot-free.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t want to let them off like that. If he didn’t give them a harsh lesson, the Wan Family would treat him like a pushover again next time.

Picking up his brush, Zhao Mengcheng wrote five words on the paper.

White Dragon Saves the Child.

With a concept in mind, his brush moved as if guided by a spirit. Zhao Mengcheng grew more energized as he wrote, and the oil lamp stayed lit until dawn.

The next morning, Zhao Chun woke up and heard movement. He went over to look and saw that his father was actually still writing.

“Dad, you didn’t write all night, did you?” Zhao Chun asked in disbelief.

Zhao Mengcheng put away the manuscript he had revised once. “I got inspired and lost track of time.”

Zhao Chun strongly disapproved. “Dad, your body just got a bit better, you can’t do this. Staying up late ruins your health. What if you get sick again? Go lie down and catch up on some sleep.”

Seeing his son acting like a little housekeeper, Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Seeing that it was still early, he simply lay down for a while.

But he didn’t lie down for long, soon getting up feeling refreshed.

After eating a little something, Zhao Mengcheng said, “I have business in town. You kids stay home and be good.”

With that, he left, carrying the story he had written last night.

The three little ones looked at each other. Zhao Chun slapped his forehead. “What’s up with Dad? He’s being so mysterious.”

Zhao Mao scolded him, “Dad has his reasons. He must be going to do something very important.”

Zhao Chun squinted at him. “Amao, I suspect that if Dad farted right now, you’d say it smelled like perfume. How did you turn into such a suck-up?”

Zhao Mao’s cheeks turned bright red, and he glared at his elder brother defiantly. “I’m telling the truth.”

“Whatever you say. I say a couple of things and you get angry.” Zhao Chun muttered.

Zhao Mao huffed loudly and sat down at the doorway. “I’m going to wait here for Dad to come back.”

“Then I’ll wait here too.” Zhao Chun sat down beside him.

He was a bit annoyed that since coming down from the mountain, his younger brother was overly obsessed with their father, as if Dad belonged only to him.

Zhao Mao moved a bit further away, unwilling to lean against him. “Don’t crowd me.”

Seeing this, Zhao Chun grumbled unhappily, “Dad isn’t yours alone. I insist on waiting here.”

“I never said he was mine alone. I just told you not to crowd me,” Zhao Mao said.

Zhao Xin sat down in the middle, mediating between her two brothers like a little adult. “Alright, stop arguing. Daddy doesn’t like hearing you fight.”

“As if you know,” Zhao Chun huffed.

Zhao Xin said, “Of course I know. Because when Daddy is happy, his eyes curve like crescent moons. When Daddy is unhappy, the corners of his mouth hang down like this, and his eyes turn to ice.”

Recalling Zhao Mengcheng’s expressions, the three little ones couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhao Xin sighed, resting her chin in her hands as she looked outside. “Sigh, when will Daddy come back? I miss him already.”

Zhao Mengcheng was unaware of the brothers’ bickering for his affection. Carrying his manuscript, he found a theater in town.

The theater owner flipped through the script, his eyes lighting up. “You wrote this? How much silver do you want for it?”

Zhao Mengcheng lowered his hand, which had been reaching for his silver. “I don’t want any money, as long as you get it on stage as soon as possible.”

The owner clapped his hands. “No problem. Three days at most, and I guarantee it will be performed.”

“One day,” Zhao Mengcheng said, holding up a finger.

The owner looked troubled. “One day isn’t enough time to even get the costumes and lines ready.”

Zhao Mengcheng countered, “The flood has just receded, so this script is timely and novel. Besides, a play like this relies on being fresh. Costumes and such are secondary.”

The owner grit his teeth. “Fine. One day it is. You can come and watch tomorrow.”

Zhao Mengcheng cupped his hands in a parting gesture and left.

On the way home, thinking of his three children, Zhao Mengcheng stopped to buy a bag of candied fruit.

He didn’t notice a group of people hurrying toward the County Yamen as he turned to leave the city gates.

The family rushing to the County Yamen was none other than Zhang Dahu’s neighbors. They had four sons before finally having a daughter. She had been a lovely, fair child since birth, raised as the pearl of their palm.

Who could have known she would suddenly go missing? They had searched the entire county town but found nothing. Everyone said she had been abducted by human traffickers.

The mother had cried herself nearly blind, but the whole family refused to give up. Finally, they heard from old lady Zhang that the County Yamen had caught a kidnapper.

Like people grasping at a lifeline in a desperate situation, the family rushed to the County Yamen to inquire.

The Yamen Runners all knew them. Seeing them approach, one said, “We really haven’t found her. If there’s any news, we’ll definitely let you know.”

“I heard the Yamen caught a kidnapper. Is it true? Does he know where my little girl is?” the woman asked repeatedly.

The Yamen Runner was startled. “How did you find out?”

“You really caught one? Did he confess? How many did he take? Where is my daughter?”

Seeing how pitiful they were, the Yamen Runner revealed, “We did catch a kidnapper, but he’s just a local thug from the town. He stole a child because of a private grudge. It probably has nothing to do with your daughter.”

The desperate family refused to let go of any lead. “How could it have nothing to do with her? Even if he didn’t take my daughter, he must know where the other traffickers are. Make him confess!”

The Yamen Runner felt helpless. “I can’t make you understand. These are two different matters.”

But the girl’s family refused to leave, effectively blocking the entrance to the County Yamen.

Gradually, other families arrived. All had lost children recently, and without exception, they were all girls.

The County Yamen was surrounded tightly, leaving the Yamen Runners no choice but to seek instructions from Assistant Magistrate Bai.

Assistant Magistrate Bai had a massive headache and cursed, “You can’t even handle such a small matter. I see that Zhao Mengcheng is nothing but a troublemaker, actually inciting the townspeople to make a scene.”

“Someone, go drive them away. If they won’t leave, beat them.”

The Yamen Runner was troubled. “Sir, there are dozens of people at the gate. How can we lay hands on them? If things escalate, how will we settle it?”

Besides, they were all folks from the town. He even knew some of them. Losing a child was truly tragic; how could he beat them away?

Assistant Magistrate Bai sneered. “Then let them stay. Let’s see how long they can last.”

“Troublemakers, the lot of them!”

Assistant Magistrate Bai cursed, but in his heart, he didn’t take these people seriously. He had already learned from the Wan Family that Monkey Face and Zhao Mengcheng had a private grudge. At most, it would be a life for a life.

Those people outside were just following rumors. They would disperse after making a fuss for a few days.

What Assistant Magistrate Bai didn’t know was that the Wan Family hadn’t told the whole truth. He only knew half the story. His refusal to intervene now directly caused the situation to spiral out of control.

Outside the County Yamen, the families who had lost daughters refused to leave.

At the very front was the family of Cao the butcher, Zhang Dahu’s neighbor.

Mrs. Cao was overwhelmed by grief and shock. Leaning on her son for support, she gasped, “He must know. He must know where my girl is. Give me back my daughter.”

Cao the butcher felt for his wife and comforted her, “Don’t worry. I will definitely find our daughter.”

“Dad, I’ve used some connections. Lord Huang isn’t in the county, so no one is presiding over cases for now. Let’s go straight to the dungeon to question him.” Cao Da was an escort and had quite a few connections.

Cao the butcher nodded. “Eldest and Second, come with me. Third and Fourth, stay here with your mother.”

He quickly led his sons to the dungeon. After bribing the jailer, they headed down.

“That’s him,” the jailer pointed. “Keep it down. Don’t kill him.”

Cao Da cupped his hands in thanks. “Thank you, brother. I’ll be careful.”

But upon seeing the man, Cao Da couldn’t restrain himself and threw a punch, jolting Monkey Face awake from his nightmares.

“Where did you take my sister? Speak!”

Monkey Face struggled to escape, but how could he get away from three grown men? He was like a lamb led to the slaughter. “What sister? I don’t know you. I don’t know anything.”

“Still not talking!” Cao Da hated kidnappers to the bone and delivered a brutal kick to a vital spot.

While Monkey Face was being tormented but still stubbornly denying knowing the Cao family, the theater was busy with intense rehearsals.

The next day, the new play opened with the sound of gongs and drums.

The impact of the flood was still fresh, and there were only a few scattered people in the theater. Zhao Mengcheng arrived early with his children and took a good seat.

The three Zhao children were all seeing a play for the first time, and they looked around curiously.

“So this is a theater. It’s not that special,” Zhao Chun said, though his eyes never stopped moving.

Zhao Mao, however, noticed something was off. “Dad, why did you suddenly bring us to see a play?”

The house wasn’t finished, they were planning to build a new one, and they needed to get the tofu business running again. Yet Zhao Mengcheng had specifically set everything aside to bring them to town for a play.

“You’ll understand after you watch it.”

Zhao Mengcheng ordered a cup of tea and several plates of snacks. Just as Zhao Xin bit into her third small pastry, a loud “Clang!” signaled the start of the show.

Plop! The pastry fell from Zhao Xin’s mouth.

Zhao Chun and Zhao Mao also widened their eyes. “What they’re performing on stage is what happened to our family!”

On the stage, a villain laughed with exaggerated malice. “I am a relative of the imperial family! Now that I’ve taken a fancy to your young son, hurry up and deliver the child to serve me!”

“Let it be known that the people of this town are like pigs and dogs I keep in a pen. I can have as many as I want!”

The hero held the child tightly, refusing to let go. “I am a law-abiding citizen and will never sell my son for status! If you keep forcing me, I will take this to a just official!”

“You dare!” On stage, the villain chased and beat the hero, snatching the child and holding him high.

“Today I’ll show you that you only live if I let you live, and if I want you dead, you must die!”

He violently threw the child into the water.

Zhao Mao let out a cry of fright and lunged into Zhao Mengcheng’s arms.

Zhao Mengcheng stroked the boy’s back. “It’s just a play. It’s not real.”

Zhao Chun and Zhao Xin had only heard about that day’s events from others. Now, they watched without even blinking.

The play moved to the hero jumping into the river to save his son. Father and son struggled in agony while the villain laughed arrogantly on the bank. Then, a White Dragon descended from the heavens, rescuing them both from the water.

The script Zhao Mengcheng wrote was simple: a relative of the imperial family used his power to bully others and tried to forcibly buy a commoner’s child. When the commoner refused, he threw the child into the water.

The themes of bullying commoners, the White Dragon saving the child, a “Lord Clear Sky¹” official, and the eventual downfall of the powerful were all things the common people loved.

Zhao Mengcheng continued to watch while holding his children. He carefully observed the rest of the audience. Seeing them share the anger, sorrow, and joy of the characters on stage, he knew he had succeeded.

“Good! I don’t care if he’s a relative of the Emperor, no one is above the law!” someone stood up and shouted.

Amidst thunderous applause, the theater owner beamed with joy.

The audience clapped one after another, finding the play both novel and deeply satisfying.

As Zhao Mengcheng left with his children, he heard people discussing it. “Have you heard? There really is a White Dragon appearing on that mountain outside our town.”

“For real? Are there actually dragons in this world?”

“Of course it’s true. Many people saw it with their own eyes. Do you think this play is based on the truth?”

“A coincidence, surely? If this play is true, then wouldn’t that mean…”

They looked at each other, all thinking of the Wan Family.

“Dad, is that bad man dead?” Zhao Mao suddenly looked up and asked.

Zhao Mengcheng helped the children onto the cart and said with a smile, “Not yet, but his time is coming very soon.”

“Zhao Mengcheng!” a stranger’s voice called out.

Zhao Mengcheng looked up and knew the person he was waiting for had arrived. He instructed, “Wait in the cart for a moment. Dad will be right back.”

The three little ones sat obediently in the cart, watching wide-eyed as Zhao Mengcheng walked over.

“That’s me.” Zhao Mengcheng looked at the newcomer.

Cao Da looked at him with a complicated expression, his gaze sweeping over the three children on the donkey cart. “Did you write that play?”

“I did,” Zhao Mengcheng nodded.

Cao Da hurriedly asked, “The play says they gather good-looking boys and girls from the common folk to please the powerful. Is that true?”

Zhao Mengcheng looked at him and asked, “Do you want it to be true, or false?”

Cao Da’s eyes were ringed with dark circles, showing he hadn’t rested for a long time. The strong man now looked quite haggard.

He licked his parched lips. “My sister, Wu Mei, is missing.”

“My family lives in Houyuan Alley. All the neighbors are familiar faces. Wu Mei used to play in the alley every day, and nothing ever happened before.”

“But that day, my mother only went back inside to grab some needlework. When she came back out, Wu Mei was gone. My mother has been consumed by guilt and regret, fainting from crying so many times.”

“We reported it to the authorities and mobilized all our friends and relatives to search for a long time, but there was no trace of her. We even went all the way to Fengzhou Prefecture², but it was as if Wu Mei had vanished into thin air.”

“Mother is at her breaking point. If we don’t find Wu Mei soon, I’m afraid Mother will…”

“Wu Mei has been timid since she was a child and very delicate. She must be crying right now.”

Cao Da stared at Zhao Mengcheng. “If you know where she is, please tell me anything. The Cao Family will be eternally grateful and will repay your kindness in any way possible.”

“I don’t know where she is,” Zhao Mengcheng said, shaking his head.

Disappointment filled Cao Da’s eyes.

Last night, they had bribed the jailer to enter the dungeon. Despite the three of them, father and sons, interrogating and even beating him, Monkey Face refused to confess. He insisted he only kidnapped Zhao Mengcheng’s son because of a personal grudge.

Cao Da and his father had almost believed him, but they couldn’t bear to let go of their last shred of hope.

He had come today because a friend who saw the play thought the similarities were too coincidental and made a point to tell him.

That was why Cao Da had rushed over, hoping to get the truth from Zhao Mengcheng.

Unfortunately, he was disappointed once again.

Cao Da forced a wry smile. “Sorry to have bothered you.”

“Wait.”

Zhao Mengcheng stopped him. “I truly don’t know where your sister is, but I do know that the Wan Family wants to curry favor with the nobles in Fengzhou Prefecture. They’ve been selecting beautiful young children from Shanghe Town to send to them.”

He hadn’t expected that even though he hadn’t died and Zhao Chun and his siblings wouldn’t be sold, he would still end up entangled with the Wan Family.

Cao Da’s expression shifted. His sister was indeed fair and lovely.

He looked at the three children of the Zhao Family; each one was more striking than the last.

“Those animals!” Cao Da gritted his teeth in fury at the thought of what his sister might be going through.

When Zhao Mengcheng wrote the play, one of his goals was to find the families of these kidnapped girls.

The book had mentioned that the children the Wan Family kept were obtained through illicit means. Some were exceptionally good-looking children who had been kidnapped or snatched outright. This was one of the crimes that eventually led to the Wan Family’s downfall.

Stirring up trouble through the theater alone wouldn’t be enough. The Wan Family could easily use a manager as a scapegoat.

But if the families of all the kidnapped children stood up together, the Wan Family would face public outrage.

At that point, sacrificing a single manager wouldn’t be enough to settle the matter.

“I really don’t know where your sister is, but I have a way to find her. However, I can’t do it alone. I need your help,” Zhao Mengcheng said.

Cao Da didn’t hesitate. “As long as I can find Wu Mei, I’ll do anything. I’ll go through fire and water if I have to.”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled. “Lean in.”

Translator’s Notes