Chapter 39: Spring Breezes Bring Life Anew

After Old Smoke-Cannon and Iron-Clump finished tying up He Chun, they began moving the corpses from the residence.

Seeing the tragic remains of her parents, sister, grandfather, and the various aunts and sisters-in-law from the escort agency, He Chun was overcome with grief and collapsed to her knees, weeping bitterly.

"Where... where are you taking my parents?"

Iron-Clump, finding her annoying, raised his hand and slapped her across the face. "You little slut, if you dare open your mouth again, I’ll finish you!"

Terrified, He Chun curled into a ball and pleaded, "Please, just let me go. You can go find my Uncle Hu Biao; he can give you money. Just let me go!"

Old Smoke-Cannon cursed, "Girl, stop dreaming! You’re all finished! They’ve all been snatched up by the Russians, don't you get it? If you dare mention the Changfeng Escort Agency again, I’ll have this lad slaughter you! Do you hear me?"

He Chun dared not say another word, watching with tear-filled eyes as they loaded the bodies from the house onto a donkey-drawn cart. Once finished, Old Smoke-Cannon jumped onto the cart and cracked the whip to set off.

"Uncle, where are we heading first?" Iron-Clump asked.

Old Smoke-Cannon jerked his chin toward He Chun on the cart and said, "First, we’re selling this girl!"

"In the middle of the night? Where are we going to find a buyer?"

"That’s none of your concern. Just follow along and stop yapping!" Old Smoke-Cannon packed a pipe and, without turning his head, asked He Chun, "Girl, did you ever go to school?"

He Chun, confused, shook her head blankly. "No, but my grandfather taught me how to read."

"Oh? Can you write and recite poetry?"

"A little."

"Recite one for me, let me hear it."

He Chun’s mind was blank, but after a long moment, she recited the simplest poem she knew:

"The grass on the plain flourishes and fades with the seasons. The wildfire cannot destroy it; when the spring breeze blows, it grows again."

Old Smoke-Cannon laughed heartily upon hearing it. Iron-Clump, sitting to the side, frowned and asked, "Uncle, I didn't know you understood poetry?"

"You damn blockhead!" Old Smoke-Cannon scolded. "Only if she can recite poetry and write can she fetch a good price!"

He Chun huddled on the cart, terrified at the prospect of being sold. She wanted to escape, but the ropes binding her were tight. Both Old Smoke-Cannon and Iron-Clump were coarse men who did not grasp the meaning of the poem; even He Chun herself had only recited it subconsciously.

Yet, she did not realize that the lines about the wildfire being unable to destroy the grass, which grows again with the spring breeze, were an exact reflection of her family’s fate.

The He family, perhaps, was not yet finished.

***

The donkey cart wound through the streets and eventually stopped at a street corner. Old Smoke-Cannon jumped off, grabbed a handful of snow from the roadside, and smeared it roughly over He Chun’s face to wipe away the blood on her forehead.

"Clump, keep an eye on the goods here. I’ll be right back!"

Iron-Clump hesitated. "Why not take the cart?"

"You simple-minded fool, who would buy this girl with a cart full of He family corpses sitting right there? Just stay put!"

With that, Old Smoke-Cannon dragged He Chun off the cart, loosened her bonds, and clamped his calloused hands onto her neck like iron pincers. "Girl, if you want to stay alive, do exactly as I say and don't cause any trouble!"

He Chun nodded numbly. Old Smoke-Cannon gripped her neck and led her down the alley. Arriving before a small courtyard, he pounded on the door. The night was still, and no one answered. After he had knocked for quite some time, footsteps finally echoed from within.

*Creeak*—the gate opened slightly, revealing a hideous face in the crack.

Old Smoke-Cannon was startled. "Hook, what happened to your face?"

Hook’s face was nearly ruined; his left cheek was covered in a dense mass of scars. As these wounds had healed, they had pulled the flesh into a tight, twisted knot. With no teeth left, his entire face looked like a shriveled, steamed flower roll.

Hook examined Old Smoke-Cannon with extreme impatience and said coldly, "Our proprietor isn't running an inn anymore. Get lost!" Because he lacked teeth, his voice was slurred.

Ever since Jiang Xiaodao had wreaked havoc on the place, Old Mrs. Feng had lived in constant fear of "Old Owl" seeking revenge, so she dared not receive strangers. Before long, she had simply shuttered the inn.

Old Smoke-Cannon, unaware of the reason, said, "I’m not looking for a room. I’m here to do business with your proprietor."

Upon hearing this, Hook immediately frowned. "We don't do business with the dead!" He moved to close the door. Even though he was naturally vicious, the nature of Old Smoke-Cannon’s trade disgusted him.

Seeing this, Old Smoke-Cannon stuck his foot in the door and pushed He Chun forward with his right hand.

"Hey, Hook, it’s not a dead person! I’ve got a girl here, and I want to see if your proprietor wants to buy her."

Hook looked down at He Chun and was somewhat surprised. He was about to turn and call the proprietor when a door in the back room creaked open, and Old Mrs. Feng poked her head out, holding a lamp and looking suspicious.

"Hook, who... who is it?"

Hearing the commotion, Old Smoke-Cannon spoke up softly, "Proprietor Feng, it’s me, Old Smoke-Cannon!"

Hearing this, Old Mrs. Feng felt slightly relieved. She walked to the door and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"I’ve got a girl here. Take a look and see what you think."

Old Mrs. Feng had started her career as a matchmaker. One look at He Chun, and she knew the girl had been violated.

"Oh! Old Smoke-Cannon, have you started dealing in human cargo too?"

Old Smoke-Cannon waved his hands, smiling ingratiatingly. "Proprietor Feng, you’re mocking me! How could I dare steal business from you? I just happened to pick this girl up on the way, and I figured I’d bring her straight to you!"

Old Mrs. Feng glanced at He Chun and, seeing the scab on her forehead, said with disdain, "Tsk, tsk, she’s damaged goods. Even if I bought her, she could only beg for food; she can't do anything else! How much do you want?"

"This much!" Old Smoke-Cannon chuckled, making a gesture with his hand.

Old Mrs. Feng’s eyes widened, and she cursed, "How much? Old Smoke-Cannon, do you take me for a fool? Trying to swindle me with this kind of merchandise?"

"Proprietor Feng, you only see the surface, not what’s inside! Whether she’s pretty or not, let’s set that aside—this girl can read and write!"

"Really?" Old Mrs. Feng didn't believe him.

Old Smoke-Cannon had He Chun recite a few more poems. After she finished, Old Mrs. Feng found it even more strange. How could a family with enough money to educate their daughter be selling her?

"Girl, what’s your name? Whose family are you from?"

He Chun hurriedly recited the story Old Smoke-Cannon had taught her: "My nickname is Chun’er. My parents are dead, and I’m from Liu’er Fortress."

Proprietor Feng thought to herself that if a girl who could read and write were sold to a high-class brothel, she could be worth quite a bit. Driven by greed, she began to haggle with Old Smoke-Cannon. After much bickering, the deal was finally struck.

"Hook, take this girl back and put her in the east wing for now!"