Chapter Three: Lan and Her Classmate Haiying

That night, Second Master Blackheart led the cow away. In the end, he still managed to squeeze a small advantage, making Shale sell to him for fifty yuan less. As he left, he reminded Shale not to tell anyone the real price—just say he bought it for two thousand six hundred. Shale couldn’t be bothered to ask why and simply agreed.

The next morning, he didn’t go out to the fields. There were still chickens, ducks, and grain at home that hadn’t been sold yet. While brushing his teeth, the yellow dog started barking.

“Brother Le!”

He looked up. Outside the gate stood a fresh-faced beauty. He hurried over to open the door.

“Lan, what brings you here?”

He was bare-chested, toothbrush still in his mouth, so his words came out muffled. Seeing his muscular upper body, the young woman blushed. This Lan was also surnamed Sha and was a distant cousin—how distant, he wasn’t sure, perhaps ten generations apart.

After brushing his teeth, Lan sat at the small table under the melon trellis in the courtyard.

“Magpies were calling early this morning—turns out we really have a distinguished guest,” Shale joked. Not only were they cousins, but also classmates since first grade. Sha Lan was a year younger than him and had just graduated from middle school.

“A distinguished guest, you say? Nonsense.” Lan lowered her head with a shy smile, cheeks flushing again.

“Lan, you’re getting prettier by the day.” He set out some porridge and a small plate of pickles. “Have a bowl of porridge, beauty.”

“I’m not hungry…”

“Don’t be so polite—it’s nothing special.” Shale placed the porridge before her, then helped himself and slurped away. Lan, unable to decline, sipped hers delicately, like a city girl.

Suddenly, Little Gold slithered onto the table.

“A snake…” Lan turned pale with fright, her body trembling, unable to move. Shale burst out laughing as the little snake flicked its red tongue slowly at her.

Girls feared snakes and mice more than anything.

“Don’t be afraid, I raised it—it won’t bite.”

“But…it’s looking at me…and flicking its tongue…”

“Little Gold, stop scaring her. Come here.” At his words, the snake slid onto his hand, climbed up his bare arm, coiled around his neck, and lifted its head, brushing against his face.

“It’s…that obedient?”

“Of course.” Shale continued eating. “Isn’t Little Gold beautiful?”

“Yes, it is.” Seeing the snake slither over Shale without biting, Lan grew bolder. “What kind of snake is it? It has a crest on its head, like a crown.”

“I don’t know—maybe…a crown snake?”

“I’ve never heard of a crown snake. Just five-step vipers, bamboo pit vipers, king cobras… Where did you get a crown snake?”

“Maybe others haven’t seen one. I call it a crown snake—even if it’s not in the books, I’ll call it that.”

“You’re always making things up.” Lan gave him a playful scowl. “You could turn the dead into the living, and grass into flowers with your tales.”

“I’m not that clever,” Shale replied modestly.

“Oh, you are. Back in school, you were late a hundred times out of a hundred, always full of excuses. Even the teachers were outwitted by you—always making trouble and blaming others, leaving them speechless.”

“Ha! Was I really that bad? I never thought so.” Shale started to believe he’d really been a troublemaker. “Was I really so naughty? Anyway, that’s all in the past. Now I’m very well-behaved—I don’t do bad things anymore.”

“Who would believe that?”

Lan recalled a joke that had spread through several villages, and her face reddened again. Luckily it was Silver Fragrance who had witnessed it, not her, or she would have died of embarrassment.

“By the way, you got into the county’s top high school, right? Shouldn’t you treat me to a meal?”

“Treat you? With what money?” Lan’s face clouded and she lowered her head. “I… came today to borrow money from you.”

“Borrow money? You want to borrow my money to treat me?” Shale laughed.

“I don’t have money to treat you… My father says there’s no money to send both me and my brother to school, only one of us.” Lan’s voice trembled, tears streaming down her face. “My brother got into the top high school, too.”

“Your brother? After three years in the same grade, if he didn’t get in, he might as well knock himself out with a cotton ball.” Her brother, Sha Futian, was a year older than Shale. “Uncle Shengui is so stubborn. You’re the real scholar, but your brother… well, after high school, he’ll end up just like us, wasting money.”

“But I’m just a girl… I really want to study…”

“You mean… you want to borrow money for school?”

At the mention of money, Shale became wary.

“I’ve tried everything and there’s no other way…” Lan looked up, eyes shining with tears, but her gaze was piercingly resolute. “I just need to borrow five hundred yuan for tuition.”

“What about meals?”

“I’ll bring my own rice.”

“And vegetables?”

“I’ll take pickles—won’t eat the school’s food.”

“Are you trying to starve yourself? By the time you get into college, you’ll be nothing but bones.”

“I’m not afraid.” Though tears still sparkled in her eyes, her resolve was unyielding, stabbing him like a needle.

“You’re not afraid… But when will you pay me back? That’s my marriage fund…”

“I’ll pay you back after I finish college and find a job.”

“That’ll be the day pigs fly. I’ll be old—what wife could I marry then?”

Lan looked at him with despair, forcing a smile. “Then… I’ll go.”

“Don’t leave yet. Let’s talk this over a bit more.”

At that moment, Gang Mengzi’s voice sounded outside. Shale looked up—there was another pretty girl with him.

“Shalan.”

The girl outside called out.

“Haiying, what brings you here?” Lan quickly wiped her tears and stood to greet her.

“Haiying, what wind blew you to my humble hut?” Shale laughed, going out to welcome her. “Come in, please.”

“You rascal, I’m here for Shalan. Otherwise, I wouldn’t ever want to see you again.”

Haiying’s surname was Tao, from Upper Tao Village—one of the prettiest village girls around. Gang Mengzi’s eyes lit up like a wolf’s the moment he saw her. She and Shale had been deskmates in elementary school, and she’d suffered plenty of his teasing.

“I’ve never done you wrong, Haiying.”

“In school, you bullied me so much I still get chills thinking about it.”

“Ha, you’ve got a good memory. After all these years, you still remember—do you often think back to those days? When you think of me, isn’t it a little sweet?”

Tao Haiying’s cheeks flushed scarlet.

“You scoundrel, talking nonsense again.”

“I didn’t say anything. We’re classmates—just reminiscing. I’ll fetch some water.”

He quickly cleared the tableware and went inside, Gang Mengzi following.

“Brother Le, your cow…?”

“Sold.”

“Sold? When?”

“Why so nosy? What’s it to you?”

“Aren’t you going to buy me a drink? You made a fortune—you should treat me in town!”

“Do I owe you?” Shale poured two glasses of tea. “Not a chance!”

“Stingy.”

Outside, the two girls chatted happily. Lan and Haiying were close friends, sharing everything, though Haiying’s grades were worse and she hadn’t gotten into the top high school.

“Shalan, did you manage to borrow the tuition?”

“Not yet.” At the mention of tuition, Lan’s face darkened. “Looks like I’m not destined to study.”

“You’re too talented not to. If you keep at it, it’s as sure as nails—you’ll be a college student one day,” Haiying said.

“But fate’s not on my side—I have no money for school.”

“My brother just came back from Guangzhou. I told him about you, and he’s willing to lend you the money.”

Lan’s eyes lit up.

“But he has a condition.”

“What condition?” Gang Mengzi was quick to catch on. Haiying blushed, a bit embarrassed.

“Yes, what condition?” Shale asked coolly. “Your brother, Tao Gaolong, is probably up to no good.”

“How can you insult people like that?” Haiying retorted angrily.

“As if your brother is such a saint. I know exactly what he’s after—just say it, what’s his condition?”

“My brother… wants Shalan to be his girlfriend.”

“Nonsense!” Gang Mengzi exploded. “He’s a pile of dung dreaming of swan meat!”

“Haiying, don’t say anymore. I won’t go to school, and I won’t do such a thing.” Lan broke down in tears, stood up, and made to leave. “I’m going home.”

“Haiying, I can’t believe you’d suggest that. You call yourself Lan’s friend?” Shale was genuinely angry now. Haiying looked at him, feeling a chill.

“I…I was just saying… I didn’t really mean for her to be my brother’s girlfriend.”

“Just saying? Then why don’t you be Gang Mengzi’s girlfriend? I’ll lend you money too.”

“Great idea, Haiying. We’re classmates, a perfect match!” Gang Mengzi grinned broadly, his wide, thick lips making him look like a pig. Though only seventeen, he was already obsessed with girls.

“You…you’re all bullies.” Haiying tried to storm out, but Shale blocked her.

“All right, enough. We’re all classmates—no need for this. Lan, don’t be upset. I’ll lend you the money, but you have to write an IOU.”

“Brother Le, you’ll really lend me the money?”

“I can’t just watch a flower wilt in the dung, can I?”

“You have to pay me back—this is my marriage fund.”

“I’ll definitely pay you back.”

“But…” Shale grinned mischievously. “I have a condition too.”

“You do?” Haiying asked. “What is it?”

“Nothing hard. Today you have to help me sell chickens and ducks in town. If we can’t sell them all, no loan. If we do, dinner’s on me.”

“I’m in!” Gang Mengzi shouted.

“Haiying, are you coming?”

“For Shalan’s tuition, I’ll give it a shot.” Haiying hugged Lan, apologized, and the two girls smiled again.