Chapter 013: Elder Sister (1/2)

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This old, proud, yet bashful writer calls upon his brothers for support... Lend me your strength!

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Within the present borders of Xinye County in Henan, there flows a river from north to south, known as the Li River.
But in the late Eastern Han, this river was called the Ji River— a waterway of great importance under Nanyang Commandery. During the Warring States period, the Ji River marked the boundary between Qin and Chu; in the twenty-fifth year of King Huai of Chu, the two states held the Yellow Ji Alliance here, leading to years of peace between them...

To the east of the Ji River lies a county town.
In ancient times, as the sun rises in the east, the place was called Yang.
The town stood on the sunny side of the Ji River, and so it was named Jiyang. After Qin destroyed Chu, Jiyang became part of Nanyang Commandery, under Jingzhou’s jurisdiction.

Deng Village sits just outside Jiyang.
Nestled by the Ji River, eighteen hundred years later, this place would be called Zhanglou Village, a stone’s throw from Huangji.
Deng Village is small, with sixty percent of its inhabitants bearing the surname Deng. The rest are mostly related by blood or marriage— all members of the extended clan.
In Jingzhou, Deng Village barely registered, but within Jiyang County, it was undoubtedly the preeminent clan.

The current clan chief’s son, Deng Ji, served as a general under Liu Biao, governor of Jingzhou, stationed in Xinye County and also responsible for Jiyang’s safety. Before General Zhang Xiu of the Army of Loyal Service seized Wan City, Deng Ji was Liu Biao’s first line of defense against Cao Cao. Now, Zhang Xiu had taken up the post.

On the eighth day of the twelfth month, in the first year of Jian’an, a carriage rolled into Deng Village at dawn.
Driving the carriage were two burly men, imposing and intimidating. The carriage itself was caked in dust and mud— clearly the result of a long journey. The villagers poked their heads out to see, not from suspicion, but curiosity: Where was this carriage headed? In a village this size, only four or five families even owned a carriage.
And who were these passengers?

“Hey, are they going to Old Third Deng’s house?”
“Old Third? No way, that good-for-nothing has relatives like this? Look at that horse— even in the Deng family manor, there are few to match it. In times like these, anyone who can afford a horse like that must be someone important— maybe just stopping to ask directions!”
“You’re probably right!”
A village woman muttered, “If Old Third really had such relatives, Deng Cai wouldn’t have bullied him so badly... I hear he hasn’t come home in three days, just slaving away in the office like a dog. If you ask me, they’re not here for Old Third.”

“...Isn’t Deng Cai going too far?
Deng Ji is still his brother, after all. Treating Old Third like this— is there any brotherly affection left? Why doesn’t the clan chief intervene?”
“Intervene? Haven’t you heard? Deng Cai’s cousin from his mother’s side married into the Kuai family.
And who are the Kuais? Even General Deng would step aside for them... Do you think Old Master Deng dares stand up for Old Third?”
“Married in? She’s just a third wife from a minor branch of the Kuais...”
“Even so, she’s a Kuai wife now. Deng Cai is something else these days— his mother is plotting to send him to Xiangyang for a post. Old Third can’t compare at all.”

The villagers chattered for a while.
Amidst their gossip, the carriage stopped at a small courtyard.

“Is Anan home? Anan, are you there?”
One of the burly drivers jumped down and called loudly at the gate.
After a moment, a pale woman with a messy hair bun peered out from the cottage inside.

“Father?”
She stared, stunned, then hurried to open the door, joy written all over her face. She ran out, calling, “Father, what brings you here? Uncle Wang, you’ve come too?”
In a flash, she was at the gate, swinging it open— and then she paused in surprise.

Page 2

A woman in her thirties, supported by two youths, emerged slowly from the carriage...
“Mother? Afu?”

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The newcomers were none other than the family of Cao Ji.
Cao Ji, at the sight of the woman before him, was taken aback!
Was this really his daughter?
He could not help but draw a sharp breath; in his memory, his daughter Cao Nan, though not a stunning beauty, was at least comely. But now, she looked disheveled and haggard, like a country woman— it was hard to match this image with his memories.
Cao Peng also stole glances at the woman coming out.
He remembered his sister as only slightly older than him, appearing no more than eighteen.
Yet the woman before him seemed aged, with poor complexion and ragged clothes, making her look even older.
From the memories of the late Cao Peng, Cao Nan’s circumstances had seemed decent.
But apparently, things were not going well...

Still, Madam Zhang recognized her at a glance.
“Anan, how did you...”
“Mother, it really is you!” Cao Nan was overjoyed, rushing to embrace her, her radiant smile momentarily restoring her youthful glow. “Mother, what brings you here? I heard Afu was ill and thought of visiting you soon.”
For a moment, she looked every bit the eighteen-year-old girl she once was.
“Your father and I... came to see you,”
Madam Zhang hesitated, omitting the real reason they had come.
But Cao Nan was shrewd and immediately sensed her parents were in trouble. She quickly stepped aside, saying, “Father, Mother, Uncle Wang, come in and sit... Tiger-head, you’ve grown so tall! Afu... why don’t you greet me?”
“Uh... Sister!”
Cao Peng scratched his head, awkwardly addressing her. Though she was already married, calling a girl of eighteen “sister” still felt odd to him...
In fact, he had not even gotten used to calling Cao Ji and Madam Zhang “Father” and “Mother” at first.
Wang Meng drove the carriage into the yard.
Cao Nan, both excited and curious, glanced at the carriage.
In the Eastern Han, a carriage was a symbol of status, not something just anyone could own or ride.
Cao Nan’s husband, Deng Ji, was a county official, yet he walked to town daily, not even owning an ox cart.
She wondered: where had her parents found the money for such a fine carriage?

Cao Nan’s home was not large, about the same size as the house her parents had in Zhongyang Town.
There wasn’t much room for so many people, so Wang Meng and his son stayed outside, fetching water from the well to wash the carriage.

“Father, Mother, why have you come?”
Cao Ji and his wife exchanged looks. After a pause, Cao Ji spoke, “Anan, we’ve come to seek refuge with you and your husband.”
Her husband’s courtesy name was Shusun, as he was the third son in the family.
In ancient times, the titles Bo, Zhong, Shu, and Ji were used to denote birth order, a convenient tradition of the era.
Cao Nan was stunned. “Father, Mother... has something happened at home?”

Page 3

“It’s a long story.”
With nothing to hide, Cao Ji and his wife recounted the events in detail.
“Your brother said we could no longer stay in Zhongyang Town, so we thought we’d come to Jiyang to find you. Your Uncle Wang followed us because he was implicated on your mother’s behalf. Of course, if it’s too much trouble, we’ll find another way.”
Of course, Cao Ji did not mention the murder Cao Peng had committed in Zhongyang Town.
Cao Peng sat quietly beside Madam Zhang, observing his sister. From her expression, he could tell she was truly troubled.
Cao Nan pondered for a moment and spoke softly, “Father, had you come earlier, it would not have been difficult.
But now, Jiyang County has just changed magistrates, and as for Shusun... Father, Mother, I won’t hide this: Shusun and his eldest brother Deng Cai have never gotten along. The previous magistrate valued Shusun, which made Deng Cai jealous. Although they’re family, Deng Cai’s mother was from the main house, and his cousin married into the Kuai family, whose influence now runs rampant. The new magistrate is a Kuai, so naturally he sides with Deng Cai. Deng Cai is now Shusun’s superior and has been making his life miserable, not allowing him a single day’s rest for three days.
Why don’t you stay here for now? When Shusun returns tonight, I’ll discuss with him... Though he’s not as influential as before, I’m sure he can still help.”
“If that’s the case...”
Madam Zhang looked at her daughter’s haggard face, her heart aching.
“Husband, shall we wait and see?”
Cao Ji nodded. “Let’s wait.”
“Mother, rest now. The journey has been tiring, and you must be hungry. I’ll prepare something to eat...”
Cao Nan, a filial daughter, settled them in and left with a basket.
She knew full well that neither her father nor Uncle Wang were light eaters. Though there was some grain at home, it would not suffice for all these people...

“Mother, Sister doesn’t seem to be doing well either.”
Cao Ji and his wife exchanged glances and nodded.
They could sense that Cao Nan’s life was not easy.
“If that’s the case, let’s not make things harder for Shusun.
He’s having a hard time at the office as it is. If he loses his job because of us, that would make me feel even worse.”
“Uncle Wang, do you have any ideas?”
Wang Meng came in at that moment, scratching his head at the question.
“To be honest, my son and I can manage... If it comes to it, I’ll take Tiger-head to find my old comrades. But for you... if it doesn’t work here, we could go to Xiangyang. But we have no friends or family there; it won’t be easy to get by.”
For a while, everyone was at a loss.
After a moment’s silence, Wang Mai suddenly asked, “Afu, do you have any ideas?”
Right— Cao Peng had been quiet all this time!
All eyes turned to Cao Peng.
He managed a bitter smile: he’d never even left Zhongyang Town; how could he know what to do?
He thought for a moment and cleared his throat, about to speak, when suddenly a woman burst in, shouting, “Bad news! Shusun’s wife was beaten at the village entrance!”
“What?”
Cao Ji and Wang Meng leapt to their feet.
“Who dares bully my Anan?”
With that, the two burly men charged out the door like enraged tigers...

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