Chapter Ninety-Nine: Targeting the Horses

On the day they moved into the new house, quite a few people came to the Ding family—mostly neighbors, relatives, and friends. Xiao Ding had nothing to do and was standing off to the side, lost in thought, when suddenly he heard someone calling him.

Following the voice, Xiao Ding saw that the person calling him was a middle-aged woman seated to the left of his grandmother, Mrs. Zhou. She wore a finely made cotton garment and bore some resemblance to Mrs. Zhou.

Xiao Ding did not recognize this woman, but since she was sitting beside Mrs. Zhou, she must be a relative.

“Ding the Fool, what are you staring at? Come over here quickly, I have something to ask you!” The woman raised her voice again when she saw Xiao Ding standing there dazed.

Xiao Ding hurried over. “Are you calling me? May I know who you are, and what you want to ask?”

He didn’t know how to address her, guessing she was a relative but unsure of her exact relation.

“Don’t you even know how to call your aunt? Are you really so stupid that you don’t recognize your second aunt?” The woman spoke again, her voice sharp and loud enough to draw the attention of the others nearby.

Second aunt? So this woman was Aunt Tian Erhua!

Xiao Ding had heard from Zhao Laixi that in the Tian family, he had two aunts.

The eldest aunt, Tian Dahua, had married Wang Xuejiu, the town school’s scholar. Wang was known as a “White-Robed Scholar.”

What did “White-Robed Scholar” mean?

It referred to a scholar who had failed the imperial examinations, a candidate who never made it through the rigorous selection process. In one of the Four Great Classical Novels, Water Margin, there is a character named Wang Lun who was also a “White-Robed Scholar,” essentially a failed examinee. Before the Ming and Qing dynasties, the title of “Xiucai” (a scholar) was granted without formal examination. However, during Ming and Qing, one had to pass multiple levels of exams to earn this title.

The term “Xiucai” originated during the Northern and Southern Dynasties but came to denote a scholar during the Ming and Qing eras. In the Song dynasty where Xiao Ding found himself, scholars were typically called “Xuejiu.”

Wang Xuejiu had passed the initial “Tongzi Ju” exam in his youth but had never succeeded beyond that, becoming a “White-Robed Scholar.” Later, he gave up on pursuing official rank and taught at the town school. Because Wang’s father and Tian Caishen were old acquaintances, the families became in-laws.

Thanks to this connection, Tian Sibao saved the customary fees when studying under Wang Xuejiu. Unfortunately, Tian Sibao’s academic performance was even worse; he failed several exams, never even passing the “Tongzi Ju.” As he grew older, he began to hang out with the town’s ruffians.

Aunt Tian Erhua had been introduced through acquaintances and married the town’s carpenter, known as Zhao Laixi’s second uncle-in-law. Because he had carpentry skills, their family was relatively well-off. Among their impoverished relatives, Tian Erhua was always haughty, considering herself superior.

“Enough, second sister. He’s a fool. If he were smart, he wouldn’t have dared to hit his second and third uncles!” A woman seated to the right of Mrs. Zhou spoke up. She was about the same age as Tian Erhua but dressed in coarse cloth.

Xiao Ding glanced at the two women on Mrs. Zhou’s right. The one closest to Mrs. Zhou was slightly older, round-faced, and somewhat plump, dressed similarly in coarse cloth like the other woman.

At the far end of the table sat several children, all girls, gathered around a smaller table.

As the saying goes, “Boys and girls at seven do not share seats.” In ancient times, once children reached seven, boys and girls were no longer allowed to sit together or eat at the same table.

Seating arrangements were important in those days. Whether at home or outside, the seat of honor was reserved for elders, while others sat according to their seniority, with the youngest at the lowest seat.

Even in rural areas, such customs prevailed. At home, the rules could be relaxed somewhat, but in public, etiquette was strict; failure to observe it would bring ridicule.

Thus, Mrs. Zhou occupied the seat of honor at the table, flanked by Tian Erhua and the two other women, while the children sat at the lower end.

Judging by the seating, Xiao Ding guessed the two women were of the same generation as Tian Erhua. Their appearances bore no resemblance to Mrs. Zhou or Tian Caishen, so neither was the eldest aunt, Tian Dahua.

“Ah, this child really is foolish. You don’t even recognize us?” The round-faced, plump woman spoke again, pointing at Mrs. Zhou. “This is your grandmother, I am your second aunt, that lady is your third aunt, and over there is your second aunt…”

Before Xiao Ding could respond, the second aunt continued, pointing to the children and introducing them one by one: “These are your cousins. This is my and your second uncle’s youngest daughter, Tian Xiaoyue; those two are your third uncle’s daughters, Tian Xiaochun and Tian Xiaodong. That pretty girl is your second aunt’s daughter, named Li Xiuer…”

The Tian family had little education, and their children’s names were given casually. Those born in spring were named Xiaochun, in winter Xiaodong, and those born at night were not named Xiaoye (which sounded unpleasant) but Xiaoyue instead.

Truthfully, Xiao Ding knew little about the Tian family. Having traveled through time, he barely recognized his elders, let alone his contemporaries.

Fortunately, Zhao Laixi had previously briefed him about the Tian family. He knew the second aunt Luo and the third aunt Wu by name but had never met them.

“I didn’t expect this fool to get even more foolish, not even recognizing his own family…” Tian Erhua sneered disdainfully.

Xiao Ding smiled awkwardly but said nothing. If they considered him a fool, so be it; it wouldn’t cost him anything.

Seeing his foolish grin, even the children looked at him with disgust, refusing to spare him a glance.

When Xiao Ding remained silent, Tian Erhua glared at him again and then asked, “Ding the Fool, I heard there’s a herd of horses on the mountain behind your house. They’re your family’s, right? Your brother-in-law apprenticed in my household for so long without paying a single cent in tuition. Later, just give me twenty horses as payment…”

Twenty horses? In this era, ordinary horses were worth between five and ten taels of silver, depending on their quality. Good horses could fetch hundreds or even thousands of taels.

Even if all twenty were ordinary horses, their value would be at least a hundred taels of silver. Tian Erhua had quite the nerve to demand so many outright.

Mrs. Zhou perked up upon hearing that Xiao Ding’s family had horses. “You have horses? How many do you have? Later, give me twenty as well. Your father hasn’t shown any filial respect to your grandparents over the years; these horses can serve as his offering.”

Mrs. Zhou was unaware that Xiao Ding’s family owned horses. She had only heard that Xiao Ding had killed wolves and bears, sold the pelts, and used the money to buy land and build a house. She didn’t know how much land they had or what kind of house they were building. Seeing their brick house now, she felt envious and had been pondering how to find an excuse to live there. Hearing about the horses, she seized the opportunity to demand some.

Just as Xiao Ding was about to speak, another voice chimed in from the side. It was his second aunt Luo: “Xiao Ding, your second uncle has been hurting ever since you hit him last time, especially on gloomy and rainy days. You haven’t gone to apologize or make amends. Also, your two cousins were so bruised they couldn’t move for days. I think since your family has many horses, you should give us twenty as compensation for your second uncle and cousins…”

“Not just your second uncle, but your third uncle too. I didn’t expect you to hit so hard; your third uncle was bedridden for over half a month. If you ask me, giving twenty horses to compensate him would be fair…” The third aunt Wu was not to be outdone.

Now Xiao Ding understood everything clearly: this entire family had set their sights on his horses.