With only the three of them living there - none of them slovenly, the front yard wasn’t dirty, just a few persimmon tree leaves on the ground. The backyard didn’t need his attention either, because Shen Xuanqing would sweep it when he had time.
Unable to sweep, Lu Gu held the child in one arm and used a feather duster with the other to wipe down tables and chairs. With daily dusting and his light touch, there was hardly any dust to begin with.
Just as he set down the duster, Guaizi, still hungry after half a bun, stood by the stone table whining pitifully.
The other half of Lu Gu’s bun was still on the table. Guaizi had been eyeing it for a while, wanting to eat it but not daring to.
Last time, he and Huang’er had stolen meat and were beaten hard by Shen Xuanqing. This time in town, fearing dog thieves might poison them, they’d been trained not to accept food from outsiders. Clever as ever, Guaizi learned quickly. Now, unless it was food placed in their bowl or thrown to them by family, he wouldn’t touch anything offered by others.
"Coming, coming," Lu Gu said with a laugh. Not hungry himself, he gave Guaizi the remaining half-bun and fetched another from the kitchen.
The sun was up now, and with nothing else to do at home, Lu Gu strapped the child to his back with a carrier, locked the gate, and headed to the shop with Guaizi trotting obediently beside him.
The eastern neighbors, the Liu family, had three generations living together - seven or eight people in a house similar in size to theirs, making it feel cramped.
"Auntie, off to buy vegetables?" Lu Gu asked with a smile when he saw Granny Liu with her basket.
He wasn’t as timid and withdrawn as before, hawking goods on the streets had bolstered his confidence, and he could now exchange a word or two with strangers.
"That’s right. You headed to the shop?" Granny Liu had a habit of gossiping and couldn’t keep secrets, her husband had scolded her many times for it, but she wasn’t a bad person and could chat with anyone.
She added, "Do you still have rabbits? Save two for me. My elder sister-in-law’s birthday is coming up, and I’d like to bring some meat."
"We do. I’ll set them aside for you," Lu Gu agreed cheerfully.
"Good, good. I’ll come by later. You go on ahead, I’d best hurry." Granny Liu rushed off, busy with shopping and babysitting duties.
The alley’s entrance was to the east. As Lu Gu walked that way, he passed the western neighbors, who ran a teahouse with a storyteller. Shen Xuanqing had mentioned taking him there someday when they had time.
"Sister Wang," he greeted a few families along the way. Since they’d be living here long-term, it was best to get familiar.
Houses in Zhenzhu Alley were expensive, only those with some savings could afford them, and most families ran businesses.
Initially uneasy about the neighbors, Lu Gu had grown more at ease over the past few days. At least on the surface, most were amiable, and with Shen Xuanqing around, he felt reassured.
He didn’t dwell on it much, partly because Shen Xuanqing was taller and sturdier than most men, a butcher who could slaughter pigs and sheep, making him less likely to be bullied as newcomers. Secondly, both of them were polite, decent-looking, and neatly dressed, giving a good first impression.
Common folks were too busy making ends meet to pick fights or cause trouble.
Guaizi ran ahead a few steps but stopped to wait. As Lu Gu reached the alley’s end, the bustling street came into view - vendors shouting about steamed buns and baked flatbreads, noodle and dumpling stalls, shops opening for the day, all kinds of smells mingling in the air. Peddlers with shoulder poles selling vegetables and fruit walked past him.
The morning was already this lively, so different from the village.
Spotting a woman and a fulang selling eggs from baskets, Lu Gu was reminded of his days with Shen Xuanqing in Fenggu Town, a faint smile touching his lips.
Some passersby, afraid of dogs, gave Guaizi a wide berth. But Guaizi, knowing they were outside, stayed close to Lu Gu’s legs without strayin. Shen Xuanqing had trained him well. Sometimes, Lu Gu even felt Guaizi was protecting him. With the dog by his side, he felt less nervous walking the crowded, unfamiliar streets with a child on his back.
At the street’s end, he noticed the stationery shop had opened. He glanced inside, every time he passed, he thought about buying paper, brushes, and books for Lingjun here someday. It was so conveniently close.
Xixing Street was just as lively. Before reaching the butcher shop, he could already see several people at the door.
Shen Xuanqing untied two slaughtered rabbits from the wooden rack. The two women buying rabbit meat picked through them, each choosing the one they thought was bigger, though the rabbits were all similar in size, pre-selected at home to avoid drastic differences. The ones too big or small were kept for themselves.
An old woman wanted a live rabbit. Just as Lu Gu arrived, Shen Xuanqing went to the back to fetch one, leaving Lu Gu to mind the front.
"Plump rabbits, chickens, and ducks! Come take a look!"
When passersby glanced over, Lu Gu called out a few lines to advertise their wares and draw customers.
Business was decent today. After the morning rush, they’d sold six rabbits and two old ducks.
One duck buyer asked for it to be slaughtered and plucked. Since it wasn’t busy, Shen Xuanqing agreed, swiftly handling the task. His knife skills were unmatched when it came to preparing live animals.
Seeing Lu Gu sit down to drink water, Shen Xuanqing said, "We haven’t had meat in a couple of days. Since there’s hot water in the pot, I’ll kill a chicken for lunch stew. Easier to eat here than carry soup back."
"Alright," Lu Gu nodded.
With the street quieter now, he sat to rest. Glancing up idly, he caught sight of a vaguely familiar figure - a woman carrying three bolts of cloth. After a moment, he realized she looked like Li Wanyun.
Holding the child, he hurried to the door for a better look. The woman was accompanied by a boy of about eleven or twelve. The more he looked, the more certain he became. Afraid she’d walk away, he tentatively called out, "Wanyun?"
The neatly dressed woman turned, her initial confusion and tension melting into relief and joy upon seeing Lu Gu.
"Guzi, what are you doing here?" Li Wanyun walked back quickly, then hesitated at the sight of Lingjun. "This is…?"
"My child, Ling ger." Seeing her no longer thin and wretched but slightly plumper, dressed in unpatched clothes, with two hairpins in her neatly kept hair, Lu Gu felt genuinely happy for her.
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