Eighty-three.

Do not worry, I know what I am doing. I will not talk nonsense. Wang Feng waved a hand carelessly. “You really did not see clearly?”

“I truly did not. Brother Feng, please spare me and stop asking.” Wang Bo was on the verge of tears from Wang Feng’s relentless questions, clutching at his sleeve with all the pitifulness he could muster.

“All right, all right. If you did not see clearly, then forget it.” Wang Feng flicked his sleeve and shook him off.

“Oh yes, Xiao Bo, have you told the village head about that method of yours?” Wang Feng set aside his teasing manner and asked very seriously.

“Right, how could I have forgotten about that?” Hearing Wang Feng say this, Wang Bo suddenly slapped his own forehead, a trace of regret appearing on his face.

“If you say it works, then hurry and go. Let the village head rally everyone in the village and strive for a good harvest this year.” Wang Feng urged him at once. Grain was the lifeblood of the people; after a year of backbreaking labor, what else could the farmers hope for but a fine harvest?

“My dear Brother Feng, what time is it now? It is already autumn, and not much time remains before the harvest. It is too late to do anything now. Let us talk about it again next spring. You are not the only one who can be anxious, Brother Feng.” Wang Bo looked at him with an expression that clearly said, “You are a fool.” He even blinked from time to time.

“Ha, that is true. I was indeed a little too anxious.” Seeing Wang Bo’s look, Wang Feng’s old face turned red. Being looked down upon by Wang Bo so often made him feel rather embarrassed.

Seeing Wang Feng flustered, Wang Bo felt extremely pleased. He had not expected the always steady Brother Feng to have such a lovable side. He wanted to laugh, but he did not dare to do so in Wang Feng’s face. It nearly suffocated him, and his face turned bright red.

Noticing Wang Bo’s strange expression, Wang Feng’s face grew even redder. “All right, if you want to laugh, then laugh. Why force yourself so hard?” As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Bo burst out laughing.

“Is it really that funny?” Wang Feng looked at Wang Bo, who was doubled over with laughter, and a teasing gleam flashed in his eyes. Yet Wang Bo was lost in his mirth and failed to notice it.

“Y-yes, of course.” Wang Bo laughed until he was breathless, his words stumbling out in fragments.

“I’ll show you what ‘of course’ means, you brat.” Wang Feng suddenly lunged forward and clamped a hand around Wang Bo’s neck, shaking him back and forth.

“Brother Feng, I know I was wrong, let go of me.” Wang Bo’s face was red as he begged pitiably for mercy.

Seeing his pitiful expression, Wang Feng’s heart softened, and he released him. The moment Wang Feng let go, Wang Bo darted away and kept laughing as he ran. Realizing he had been tricked, Wang Feng hurried after him. “Stop right there, you little rascal! If you have the guts, don’t run.”

“If I do not run, am I supposed to stand here and let you bully me?” Ignoring him, Wang Bo kept running and laughing all the while. He ran out of Wang Feng’s house, then out of the small village. The setting sun cast their two shadows long across the earth.

“Ha ha, got you at last!” After running for a while, Wang Bo finally lost to exhaustion and was caught by Wang Feng.

“Ha ha, I am not running anymore.” Wang Bo bent over, hands on his knees, panting hard. “This is obviously bullying. I am even wearing sandbags.” He sounded most unwilling.

“Did I tell you to wear them?” Wang Feng said with a crooked grin, shameless as ever, his face full of mischief.

“You…” Wang Bo had nothing to say against such a scoundrel.

Still, thank you, Brother Feng. I feel much better now.

“What are you thanking me for? I am your elder brother. Rest if you are done, and let us go back to the village.” Wang Bo nodded, and Wang Feng put an arm around his shoulder. The two of them walked slowly toward the village. Along the way, they talked about many things, and Wang Bo came to understand many things as well.

The next day, Wang Bo went to the village head’s house in high spirits. Seeing Wang Feng’s manner, the village head kept nodding. “Good, very good. The child can be taught.”

After class, Wang Bo told the village head about his plan. At first, the village head was also shocked by Wang Bo’s words, but the further he listened, the broader his smile became. If what Wang Bo said was true and could really increase the harvest, then what harm was there in spreading some manure? After all, this concerned the very lifeline of the entire village.

“All right. I will give your suggestions serious consideration. It is about time now, so go home first. Do not let your parents worry.” When Wang Bo finished, the village head waved a hand, signaling for him to leave.

“Then this student takes his leave.” Wang Bo rose and departed, leaving the village head alone in the house to ponder. He mulled over the possibility of Wang Bo’s ideas. He could understand bringing water into the village for irrigation, but fertilizing crops with manure and turning the soil left him baffled. Did these things really have anything to do with crop growth? “Forget it. Thinking about it is useless. Xiao Bo was right when he said that practice is the only standard for testing truth. I am getting old.” The village head shook his head and rubbed his slightly throbbing temples. “Still, to have a student like Xiao Bo in my lifetime, I have no regrets.”

It was clear the village head held very high hopes for Wang Bo. Yet Wang Bo himself did not care in the least how much he might accomplish in the future; he only wanted to live his own quiet little life. At that moment he was humming a tune as he walked home.

Days passed one by one, and the heat of late summer came fierce as a tiger. Before long, it had draped the plants in a layer of gold. Autumn was a season of joy, and the men and women of the village all wore relieved, happy expressions. Since the weather had been favorable this year, the harvest seemed promising. For common folk who lived on grain, there was nothing more joyful than that.

“The farmer hoes at noon, sweat dripping into the soil beneath the grain. Who knows that each grain in our bowls is the hard-won toil of labor?” Reciting the Tang poem that all later generations knew by heart, Wang Bo straightened up and wiped the sweat from his brow. Only now could he truly understand the poem’s meaning. “Indeed, every drop of sweat falls like mud, and every grain is the bitterness of the farmer’s labor.” Looking at his parents and the villagers harvesting rice, Wang Bo could not help but sigh.

“What is it, Xiao Bo? Are you feeling unwell?” Seeing Wang Bo stand motionless while murmuring to himself, Li Shi was seized by maternal concern and hurried over to his side. “If you cannot manage, then go home and rest. Your father and I are enough here.”

“Mother, I am fine. I was only thinking about something.” Ignoring her protests, Wang Bo bent down and began to cut the wheat. Li Shi saw that she could not persuade him, so she had no choice but to continue working, though she kept glancing at him from time to time. Wang Bo knew what his mother was thinking, but he could only shake his head helplessly.

“Xiao Hu, are you still not finished here?” Just as Wang Bo was diligently cutting the wheat, a voice came from not far away. Hearing someone call him, Wang Hu also stopped.

“Brother Cai, do you need something?” The man before him was Wang Cai. He was not tall and had a slightly plump build, a figure rather uncommon in the village. His eyes were a little small, but they held a trace of hard-to-detect shrewdness, which did not escape Wang Bo’s watchful gaze. Wang Bo looked at him coldly, wondering what he wanted.

“Oh, ha ha, nothing. I was just seeing whether you were done here.” Wang Cai gave a simple, honest smile. Yet in Wang Bo’s eyes, that smile carried a different feel. He could not quite say what it was, but he felt that Wang Cai was not as honest as he appeared. Thinking of Wang Cai’s fierce wife, Wang Bo seemed to have guessed something.

“Oh, there is still a while to go. If you need anything, Brother Cai, just tell me.” Wang Hu was straightforward and honest, and did not think further.

“It is just that my family’s field is busy only with your sister-in-law and me, and we are a bit overwhelmed. So your sister-in-law asked me to see whether you were done. If you are, she wants you to come help us. I told her not to trouble you, but you know your sister-in-law’s temper.” Wang Cai said somewhat awkwardly, as though he had been forced there by his wife.

“Heh, it is fine, Brother Cai. Once I am done here, I will come help you.” Wang Hu nodded and agreed.

“Then I will trouble you. You keep at it; I will be going now.” Receiving the answer he wanted, Wang Cai turned and left. All the while, Wang Bo watched him coldly. So, the fox’s tail is showing at last. One playing the good cop, one the bad cop. A fine double act. He sneered inwardly.

After Wang Cai had gone far, Wang Bo came to Wang Hu’s side. “Father, rest for a moment. I have something to tell you.”

Hearing Wang Bo call to him, Wang Hu stopped working and looked at him with some puzzlement. “What is it, Xiao Bo? Is something wrong? Is your body acting up again? If so, then go rest for a while. Your mother and I are enough here.”

Before Wang Bo could answer, Li Shi also stopped working. “That’s right, Xiao Bo. Listen to your father and go home to rest.” Li Shi wiped her hands, came to his side, removed the scarf from her head, and wiped the sweat from Wang Bo’s forehead.

“My body is fine, Father, Mother.” Wang Bo explained to the two of them, full of helplessness. “I have studied with Brother Feng and Master Tong for a long time now, and my health has improved a great deal. Have I not told you this many times already? I am truly fine.” Wang Bo was quite vexed. No matter how many times he said his health had improved, his parents simply would not believe him. If anything happened, they would immediately assume his condition had worsened. He had explained it over and over, but his parents paid it no mind and only believed he was still unwell.

Still, that was understandable. As the saying went, once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years. Wang Hu and his wife were exactly in that state of mind. Ever since Wang Bo came down from the mountain, they had seen him rise early every day and practice some mysterious kind of boxing routine. At first, seeing him make those strange movements daily, Wang Hu and his wife worried and asked him about it. Wang Bo had made a point of explaining that it was a set of boxing techniques Master Tong had taught him specifically for strengthening the body. Though the two had not said much, their doubts remained. Yet Wang Bo himself could feel that the Five Elements Fist Tong Yuan had taught him truly worked wonders. Over these days he had clearly noticed the changes in his own body. In the past, he had been plagued by illness for years; after practicing the boxing, he truly had not fallen sick again. This had made Wang Hu and his wife very happy for a long time. But even though his health had improved considerably, their worry had not lessened. They still fretted over Wang Bo’s body from time to time.

Wang Bo could do nothing about that. Was he supposed to make his parents stop worrying? That was plainly impossible.

Once again assuring his parents that he was in excellent health, Wang Bo wiped the sweat from his brow and continued speaking to Wang Hu. “Father, what kind of person do you think that Wang Cai—” He had originally meant to call him by name, but Wang Hu shot him a glare, and he quickly changed his address. “I mean, what kind of person is Uncle Cai?”

Wang Hu looked at Wang Bo, his expression somewhat complicated. “Why are you suddenly asking about your Uncle Cai?”

“Nothing. I was just asking.” Since he had not yet confirmed what Wang Hu thought, Wang Bo did not dare say too much, afraid of angering his father.

“How should I put it?” Wang Hu also wiped the sweat from his face, thought for a moment, and then said to Wang Bo, “Your Uncle Cai is an honest man, and he is pretty decent.”

“You think Uncle Cai is pretty decent?” Wang Bo asked timidly. He certainly did not think Wang Cai was a good person.

“Of course. What is wrong, Xiao Bo? Do you think your Uncle Cai is somehow improper?” Wang Hu was a little puzzled and did not know why Wang Bo had taken such a dislike to Wang Cai.

Wang Bo hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether he should tell his father. After all, even he could not be completely sure; it was all just his own conjecture. If he were wrong, that would be one thing, but he feared angering his father most of all.

“What is it, Xiao Bo? If there is nothing else, then I am going back to work. Once I am finished, I still have to help your Uncle Cai.” Seeing Wang Bo remain silent, Wang Hu grew somewhat anxious and urged him on.

“I think Uncle Cai is not as honest as he appears.” Seeing his father’s displeasure, Wang Bo hurriedly said it. If worst came to worst, then so be it. Even if his father did not believe him, what could he really do to him? “I think Uncle Cai is not as simple as he seems. I feel he is very calculating—”

He wanted to continue, but Wang Hu shot him a glare, and he no longer dared speak.

“Children should not talk nonsense,” Wang Hu said, somewhat angered, glaring at Wang Bo.

“But, Father—” Wang Bo tried to continue, but Wang Hu cut him off at once. “What do you mean, ‘but’? Why are you still talking?” Wang Hu was truly angered now, his face clearly darkening with irritation.

“What is wrong with Xiao Bo saying a few words? You know better than anyone what kind of people his family are. What he said was not wrong.” Seeing that father and son were both getting worked up, Li Shi hurriedly stepped in front of Wang Bo and glared at Wang Hu, defending her son.

“Father, I was wrong.” Seeing that Wang Hu was truly angry, Wang Bo also quickly apologized.

“Forget it. It is nothing.” Wang Hu waved a hand. “I know all that you said. After all, Wang Cai and I have known each other since childhood. What kind of person he is, I know better than anyone. Do you really think your mother and I are fools?”

“If that is so, then Father, why do you still—” Wang Bo found it strange and asked in bewilderment.

“I grew up with your Uncle Cai. How could I not know what kind of person he is? Though he has a bit of cleverness, his nature is not bad. Besides, it is only helping his family with a bit of work. In village or outside village, we will all still have to see each other face to face. What is such a big deal?” When he finished, Wang Hu’s expression was somewhat desolate. He treated Wang Cai as a brother and dealt with him sincerely, yet Wang Cai was always scheming and guarding against him. How could Wang Hu not be disappointed? But this upright man had never spoken a single word of complaint, and had always remained true to himself.

Seeing the disappointed, hurt look on Wang Hu’s face, Wang Bo did not know what else to say. He gave his mother a look, then turned back to continue working. Wang Hu stood dazed for a while. Coming to himself, he saw that Wang Bo and his mother had already gone on cutting the rice, and after glancing at the sky he realized it was getting late. He bent down and resumed his labor.

The work was nearly finished. Vast stretches of golden grain had been laid low, then bundled in sheaves and stacked together. Cutting the last stalks before him, Wang Bo straightened, wiped the sweat from his face, and let out a satisfied smile. “At last it is done. This really is not work for human beings.” Rubbing his aching waist and looking at the stacks of grain behind him, Wang Bo felt deeply gratified. “Finally, it is over. If it went on any longer, my back would snap.”

“All right, most of our own work is done. I am going to help your Uncle Cai now.” Seeing that their own labor was mostly complete, Wang Hu came over and said to Wang Bo, “Father, do you want me to help you? After all, another person means it can be done faster.” Wang Bo was very concerned for his father and wanted to go help him. He himself was already this exhausted; surely his father would not be any less tired.

“Forget it. You have worked so long already, and you are tired too. I can go by myself.” Knowing his son was worried about him, Wang Hu still did not want Wang Bo to get involved.