Chapter 129 — Silver Ear Cuffs
Xie Siquan didn’t take Xie Jing home. Instead, he went halfway to a silversmith’s shop.
At first, Xie Jing thought they were there to buy something for practical use. When his uncle instructed the silversmith to bring out a tray of various gemstones and earrings for him to choose from, he finally realized: “This is for me?”
Xie Siquan smiled: “Yes. Ever since you arrived in Sichuan, I’ve been thinking about this. There’s no time like the present, so today it is.”
Xie Jing said “Oh” and leaned down to fidget with the gemstone pendants on the tray. After a while, he suddenly asked: “Uncle, Second Master said you only wear this after getting married.”
Xie Siquan replied: “Nonsense. You can wear it now.”
Xie Jing paused for a moment. “At the end of the year, Lord Bai Jiu will come to Sichuan.”
Xie Siquan thought for a moment and felt a twinge of jealousy: “Bai Mingyu is coming too?”
Xie Jing: “Yes. I’ll bring him… will it be okay for them to come see you?”
Xie Siquan thought it wasn’t okay, but seeing his nephew’s hopeful face, he tightened his expression, hid his displeasure, and nodded: “Alright. Since they are coming, I will host them and let them enjoy their stay in Sichuan.”
Xie Jing relaxed, his face lighting up. He fiddled with the tray of silver for a while but didn’t pick any of the flashy pieces. He looked up: “Uncle, these are too bright. I want a simple silver hoop that isn’t too noticeable.”
Xie Siquan immediately asked the silversmith to prepare a new set.
The silversmith had his tools ready, but Xie Siquan didn’t let him touch anything. He took a silver needle, heated it over the fire, and prepared to do it himself.
Xie Jing tilted his head slightly: “Uncle, wait a moment.”
Xie Siquan pinched his earlobe—it felt soft—and playfully teased: “Afraid already? I haven’t even pierced it yet.”
Xie Jing said: “Can you not pierce the earlobe?”
Xie Siquan asked, surprised: “Why?”
Xie Jing’s left ear was trapped in his uncle’s hand, so he could barely speak: “That part is the most sensitive. Pierce the cartilage instead.”
Xie Siquan indulged him, and after feeling around the ear, asked: “Here?”
Xie Jing nodded decisively: “Yes.”
Xie Siquan pierced the silver needle. Xie Jing only flinched briefly, and the silver ear cuff was quickly in place.
The hoop Xie Jing chose was simple, wrapping halfway around the ear cartilage. Once fastened, it gleamed faintly in the sunlight, like the edge of a drawn blade—sharp but fitting him well.
In the bronze mirror, the uncle and nephew were lined up one in front of the other. Xie Jing sat upright in front while Xie Siquan leaned slightly forward behind him, inspecting. After a long look, Xie Siquan’s face lit with satisfaction: “Not bad. Finally, it looks proper.”
Thinking his nephew liked simple silver, Xie Siquan had the silversmith make a dozen more single silver ear cuffs and sent them home, taking Xie Jing back with satisfaction.
It was Xie Jing’s first time wearing one. His ear suddenly felt heavier, though the cartilage wasn’t painful. He noticed a slight cooling sensation, probably from a medicinal ointment with mint. He reached to touch it, but Xie Siquan stopped him: “Don’t touch it now. It will be fine in a couple of days.”
Xie Jing lowered his hand and gently pinched his earlobe. A small scar under his left ear was still visible—a mark left from chickenpox years ago. Lord Bai Jiu often said it was his identifying mark.
He wondered if Lord Bai Jiu would recognize him with this new mark on his ear.
Back at the mansion, Xie Jing was picked up by the Bai family guards. They only whispered that someone from their merchant house wanted to see him. Xie Jing immediately followed them off the carriage.
Xie Siquan instructed immediately: “Hu Da, take two men and go with him. If anything happens, you can assist.”
Hu Da agreed and ran to catch up.
Xie Siquan watched his nephew’s back and felt a twinge of unease.
At dinner that night, Xie Jing hadn’t returned. Xie Siquan couldn’t linger at his small courtyard indefinitely, so he wandered around before heading back.
Xu Jun was waiting in the dining hall. The table had Xie Siquan’s favorite—the delicate ya fish.
But Xie Siquan was in low spirits and barely touched the food. He didn’t even bother with the fish bones, casually eating a few bites.
Xu Jun asked: “What’s wrong? Weren’t you quite happy earlier when you returned?”
Xie Siquan, feeling jealous from afar, replied with sourness: “Jing’er went off with the Bai family people.”
Xu Jun placed some food on his plate and said: “You mean the Bai family merchant house? They sent a new steward to Sichuan. He came early this morning to request an audience. It’s normal for Jing’er to go see him.”
Xie Siquan replied: “Normal? He’s the young master of the Xie family. Why is he going to handle Bai family affairs?”
Xu Jun smiled: “It’s simple: capable hands take more work.”
Xie Siquan gritted his teeth: “Still, I feel like Lord Bai Jiu raised him. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
Xu Jun spoke honestly: “Whether or not you raised him, the Bai family in the north is strict. Jing’er is well-behaved.”
Xie Siquan slammed down his chopsticks, frustrated.
Over the next few days, as Xie Jing predicted, Upper City Xie family members came to pay visits.
Some were merchants, others officials. A city commander personally came, providing the self-organized merchants with a box of guns and a box of bullets. He also brought a commission letter: since Xie Siquan was the head of this mission, it read, “Hereby appointing Xie Siquan as President of the Sichuan Merchants’ Association.”
With this, the Sichuan Merchants’ Association was formally recognized, and Xie Siquan firmly held the position of president.
The Upper City Xie family’s status rose considerably. Xie Siquan felt this new title was no longer empty—he understood the advantages of a merchants’ association.
The government treated the Xie family politely. The Yunmeng Mountain bandit situation had become serious. The officials had planned to mobilize Sichuan merchants to fund their own suppression. Now that volunteers had appeared, they fully approved. With the commission letter in hand, anything requested was granted.
After organizing personnel, a date was set for the operation. Almost every merchant house provided men, forming a force of nearly 300.
On the day of departure, Xie Siquan, due to protocol, could not go himself, so he had Xu Jun take Xie Jing.
He adjusted his nephew’s collar at the door and reminded him: “Be careful. Second Master will look after you; then I can rest easy.”
Xie Jing agreed.
Xie Siquan waved as Xie Jing mounted his horse and followed Xu Jun. Seven or eight Bai family guards flanked him. Their postures low, all skilled with firearms on horseback.
They rode through the night. By the time they reached Yunmeng Mountain, dawn was breaking. Xu Jun instructed them to find hidden spots in the woods and camp.
Xie Jing climbed a large tree to scout. Yunmeng Mountain was tall, shrouded in clouds. Only birdsong remained.
Xu Jun waited below. After a while, Xie Jing climbed down. Xu Jun asked: “Did you see anything?”
Xie Jing shook his head: “No. The trees are dense. I can’t see clearly even from above. The canyon path seems to be to the east.”
Xu Jun nodded: “Good. This is the safest spot. There’s a river for water. With so many people traveling overnight, we need to rest, not attack immediately.”
The men accompanying them were mostly salt workers hired by merchants. Some merchants had family members kidnapped and were anxious, hiring capable men. Others brought younger family members along. They were resting on the ground. The salt workers were used to carrying heavy loads daily and could sit and eat. The young masters of the merchant houses barely touched water, likely from fear or fatigue.
Xie Jing scanned the scene, frowning slightly. He was not satisfied.
He had oversimplified things earlier, thinking 300 men would easily handle a hundred or so bandits, but he hadn’t accounted for other situations.
For instance, the salt workers’ timidity and the young masters’ weakness. Some young masters were surrounded by five or six guards, clearly only performing a token role. If real bandits appeared, these men would flee to protect their young masters.
Wang Su fetched spring water and handed the waterskin to Xie Jing.
Xie Jing slowly chewed his dry biscuit, sipped water, and quietly inquired about the terrain.
Though Wang Su had never been to Yunmeng Mountain, he was familiar with mountains from prior exercises with Xie Jing. He explained a few things quietly. Suddenly, a commotion came from ahead.
Xu Jun’s scolding followed: “Stop! You haven’t encountered the enemy yet, and your own men are fighting?!”
In the woods, two groups stood apart, clearly with previous grudges.
A young man in a long robe and glasses trembled with anger, helped by two assistants. Mud stained his clothes. He shouted at the opposing group: “Xu Jun, ask them! Did the Shen family treat us like family?!”
Across from him were about ten burly men in black jackets, one with a shaved head showing stubble. They laughed: “Why wouldn’t we treat you like family? We only took one stall, a few flatbreads! The men left in a hurry. Food was distributed evenly as agreed. Why is your Zhang family hogging it?”
The young man blushed with anger, scolding them politely, but they ignored him.
Xu Jun intervened, returned the food to Zhang’s family. The young man thanked him and found another place to sit. The black-jacketed men also didn’t cause trouble, though their attitude toward Xu Jun was casual. They raised a hand politely, laughed, and moved elsewhere, likely to hunt rabbits.
Soon they returned, starting a fire.
Xu Jun ordered water to extinguish it: “I told you, no open fires here. Didn’t you hear me?”
The men grumbled, tossing peeled wild rabbits: “You hire us to risk our lives and won’t even feed us. How are we supposed to work?!”
These men were hired by a merchant unwilling to send his own people to such danger. But once the men were paid, they came and now refused to obey.
Xu Jun frowned, having anticipated this. “I know you’ve taken half the money, but since you’re here, you can’t leave. Complaining is useless. If you really refuse, thirty lashes first, then return to Sichuan…”
Xie Jing interrupted: “Second Master, they know too much. We can’t let them go.”
Xu Jun looked at him and waited.
Xie Jing said: “If they leak information, it will endanger everyone. Bandits have guns. Bullets don’t care who you are. One shot and it’s over.”
His words changed the expressions of those around him.
The men, originally intending to escape, now realized the danger. They tried to run, but a voice shouted: “Wang Su, Hu Da, take them down!”
Over ten guards, who had surrounded the area, immediately pinned them to the muddy ground. One hand gripped their necks; the other tied them up.
The ringleader struggled, glaring at Xie Jing: “You pampered brat! Who said I wouldn’t fight the bandits? If you’re brave, come… duel… ugh!!”
Xie Jing stood with his hands behind his back, expression cold. After counting, he ordered: “Tie them up, gag them, hang them from the trees, thirty lashes each.”
Author’s Note:
First experience of bandit suppression—
Xu Jun, Second Master: Raising sons to guard against old age, it truly pays off.
