After leaving the Qian Family, Su Yu went to a shop and bought three pounds of marbled pork, a jar of green rice wine, and a package of exquisite osmanthus cakes.
「Noon. Qingxi Village.」
KNOCK KNOCK.
His aunt opened the door. Upon seeing Su Yu, her red, swollen eyes welled up with tears again. "Yu… hurry, come in."
He stepped inside. The room was filled with the thick, pungent smell of herbal medicine mixed with a musty odor that stung the nostrils.
"How's Big Brother?" Su Yu asked in a low voice as he set his things down.
His aunt wiped away a tear, her voice choked with emotion. "Your brother… he's asleep. I used the silver you left last time to hire a doctor and get some medicine. He's been taking it every day, and his condition has improved a little. He's not in as much pain."
"But recently, he heard that Su Can is short on money for his training, so he's stopped his own treatment. He wants to give all our money to your third uncle's family."
"When I disagreed, he became hysterical… He was never like this before…"
Wiping her tears, his aunt looked at Su Yu with hesitation in her eyes. "I'm just a woman. I don't understand the bigger picture. All I know is that seeing him in pain feels like a knife twisting in my heart! Yu… please, try to talk to him…"
Su Yu sighed internally. 'Big Brother is pinning all his hopes on our third brother, Su Can.'
"Aunt, please go and prepare a few dishes. I'll have a drink with Big Brother."
"Alright, Yu. I'll go right now." His aunt quickly got up and carried the items to the kitchen.
A short while later, his aunt finished cooking and went to wake up his brother.
"Hong'Er, Yu is here to see you. Get up and have a meal with him."
Su Hong woke up, and his face lit up with joy when he saw Su Yu. "Second Brother, come, come! Talk with me for a while."
His aunt brought over a small wooden table, setting down a plate of pork and cabbage stew, a large bowl of brown rice, and pouring wine for the two men.
Su Yu helped Su Hong sit up and lean against the headboard. The two of them began to eat and talk.
"Come on, Big Brother. Let's have a drink."
Su Hong stared at the wine, looking dazed for a moment before nodding. "It's been a long time since we drank together. Let's drink our fill today!"
The two coarse porcelain bowls clinked together with a crisp sound.
HISS!
The liquor seared a fiery path down their throats and into their stomachs. Both men coughed in unison, then burst out laughing.
"Second Brother, let me tell you, a few days ago, our third brother succeeded at gate-knocking for the third time! Haha, his innate talent is truly amazing! In a few more months, he might just break through to the Martial Artist realm!"
Su Yu offered his sincere praise. "Third Brother's talent is in the upper echelons. He definitely has a chance of becoming a Martial Artist!"
"Exactly! Haha, if he breaks through, our Su Family will finally be able to hold our heads high! And that Cao Bin won't dare to touch us so easily again!"
At the mention of Cao Bin, a bone-deep hatred flashed in Su Hong's eyes.
"Big Brother, what's the latest with the Water Snake Gang?"
"Chaos! It's total chaos!"
Su Hong waved his arm excitedly, as if seeing the dawn of his revenge. "The Black Fin Association, the Flying Locust Gang, the Cyan Salt Association… the remaining factions have finally teamed up! They're locked in a brutal war with the Water Snake Gang. That bastard Cao Bin is too busy defending his territory to spare any thought for us!"
Su Yu poured Su Hong another cup of wine and listened to him continue.
"This gives Third Brother the perfect window of opportunity to break through! Haha, the heavens are on our side!" Su Hong threw back a mouthful of wine. It trickled down his stubbled chin, soaking the front of his shirt as he burst into a wild laugh.
"Hahahaha! COUGH COUGH…"
Su Yu frowned. 'Big Brother Su Hong's state isn't right. He used to be hearty and open, but he was always steady and composed. He's never been this frenzied before.'
"Big Brother," Su Yu said, placing a hand on his arm. "Third Brother's training is important, but your leg needs to be treated too. Don't give away all the money. You need to live."
"Live?"
Su Hong let out a wretched laugh and slapped his own numb thigh. "I'm a cripple now. It doesn't matter whether I live or die! Besides, Cao Bin will kill me sooner or later anyway! As long as Third Brother succeeds, what does my life matter?"
"Second Brother, if you have any money, you need to help support him too. There are constant gang brawls at Qingxi Market lately, and too many people have died. Third Uncle's fish stall isn't making any money. And Grandfather… he's borrowing from everyone he can just so Third Brother can train…"
Seeing his brother's attitude, Su Yu knew it was pointless to say more.
He simply continued to eat and drink with him.
Soon, the wine was gone, and Su Hong, completely drunk, fell asleep on the bed, humming softly to himself.
Su Yu got up to leave. Before he left, he took out one tael of silver and pressed it into his aunt's hand. "Aunt, don't let Big Brother see this…"
His aunt nodded emphatically and saw Su Yu to the door. Just as he was about to leave, she seemed to remember something and whispered with a terrified look, "Right, Yu, get home early tonight. People have been disappearing from the village at night lately. They say they're being dragged away by unclean things!"
Su Yu's heart sank. 'I'd heard the senior disciples from the Inner Courtyard mention that the aberrations on the Black Water River were appearing more and more frequently.'
'Have things really gotten so bad that they're attacking the village directly?'
'This damned world, what the hell is happening to it!'
Leaving Su Hong's house, the sky was already growing dark. Su Yu didn't dare to linger and headed straight back to his own home.
He hadn't even reached the door when the little girl darted out like a rabbit. When she saw Su Yu, her eyes lit up with astonishing brightness.
"Big Brother, you're back!"
"Mhm. Everything okay at home?" Su Yu ruffled Yaya's hair. 'The little girl's complexion is much better now. With no shortage of food these past days, she's no longer just skin and bones. She's finally starting to look healthy.'
"Everything's fine, Big Brother. Your third uncle stopped by once, but when he heard you were the one letting me stay here, he didn't come back."
Su Yu nodded. He glanced around the house; it was clean and tidy, which was a pleasant sight.
"Big Brother, please sit. I'll get some water for you to wash your feet."
Su Yu was about to refuse, but seeing the hopeful look in Yaya's eyes, he stopped himself.
A moment later, the basin of water was ready. Su Yu took off his shoes and placed his feet in the warm water.
Yaya's small hands carefully scrubbed his feet, and Su Yu felt a wave of relaxation wash over him.
'Ah, it really is much more comfortable to have someone wait on you.'
He thought with a sigh, watching her focused expression. 'This girl, Yaya, is really a good kid.'
'As he recalled, after Uncle Liu's son joined the army, Yaya was the one who took care of all the chores at home. She's always been hardworking and kind-hearted.'
"Yaya, have you had any news from your brother since he joined the army?"
Yaya shook her head. "Father only mentioned it once. Years ago, he followed the Black Stone Army to another city, and we never heard from him again. He's probably long dead by now."
Su Yu nodded and didn't press the matter, continuing to chat idly with Yaya.
The night was as black as ink, and a profound silence fell over everything.
Su Yu had Yaya sleep in the inner room, while he took the other bed in the main room.
Just as he was about to lie down, Su Yu faintly heard a strange sound coming from outside the main gate.
"Hhhh… hhhh…"
It sounded like a worn-out bellows, or the wheezing gasp of someone with thick phlegm caught in their throat.
The hairs on his entire body stood on end. A memory flooded his mind, and he scrambled out of bed in a single, swift motion.
'An aberration!'
Just then, a shrill, frantic barking erupted from deeper within the village. The sound was piercing, filled with utter terror, and then it was cut short by a choked whimper.