Call Me Daddy

The human brain easily filled in vague past memories with new perceptions. Now, everyone recognized Su Aobai as a man with strength and stamina beyond the ordinary.

No one expected Second Su to have this skill. Now that his leg injury had healed, with such strength, he didn’t have to worry about starving even if he only got three acres of poor land after the family division.

Just this wild boar alone was worth at least 10 or 8 taels of silver.

Human emotions are complex. When someone they all pitied suddenly began living a life better than theirs, an uncontrollable pang of envy emerged.

“Could I trouble a few of you aunts for some help?”

Su Aobai didn’t seem to notice the envious atmosphere. He smiled cheerfully and turned to the village chief’s wife and several other women for help.

“Everyone has helped me so much before. I’ve always wanted to find a chance to thank you. Now that I’ve caught this big fellow, I plan to split it in half and hold a pig-killing feast to invite everyone to my home for a meal. As a man, I’m not good at making fancy dishes, and my Er Niang isn’t strong enough to cook for so many people. I’ll need your help with the cooking.”

Su Aobai said sincerely.

This wild boar, weighing 100 or 200 pounds, was to be divided. Half of it would be used for a feast to thank those who had helped him and his father before. The other half would be sold to restaurants or wealthy households in the town or county.

Processing a wild boar was troublesome. They had to remove the fur, cut it into pieces, and get rid of the smell before cooking it into dishes. By the time the feast was ready, it would be evening. This gave him time to make a round trip between the village and the county without delaying his hospitality.

Hearing his plan, everyone present was delighted.

Those who had felt jealous of Su Aobai now felt a bit guilty. Second Brother Su was such an honest person. They had only helped a little, but he remembered it and was willing to thank them with precious wild boar meat.

Half of this wild boar, considering its size, was at least 70 or 80 pounds. In those days, even when a son got married, they only bought about 10 pounds of pork from the butcher to make a show.

So much pork, along with radishes, potatoes, and pickled cabbage, would make for a wonderful meal.

“Why are you being so polite with us?”

Led by the village chief’s wife, the women were more than willing to help. Second Brother Su was so considerate. By asking them to help with the cooking, he would surely give each of them a small piece of pork as thanks when the feast was over.

Even if they didn’t get any, they could still benefit while cooking by feeding their own children more.

Of course, Wang Ma, the village chief’s wife, cared more about her reputation. Though the pork was provided by Second Su, she would be in charge of organizing the feast. If everyone enjoyed the meal, she would get some credit too.

The pig-killing feast was scheduled for the evening. Everyone excitedly went to inform their families that they would be having a special meal at Second Su’s household tonight.

However, they were mindful of Su Aobai’s situation. They knew that when he split from the family, he didn’t get much grain, and the vegetables in his yard were just sprouting. So, they offered to each contribute some grain, and they told him to pick whatever vegetables he needed from their gardens, as they were homegrown and not worth much.

***

Finally, Su Aobai split the wild boar in half, keeping the innards and other parts. He left these in the yard for the women to handle.

He then borrowed a cart from the village chief, loaded half of the wild boar onto it, and prepared to head to the town or county to sell the meat for silver.

By the time Er Niang arrived with a group of her new friends after hearing the news, Su Aobai was already pushing the cart far down the road.

The village children were both curious and frightened as they stared at the gruesome half of the wild boar’s head in the yard.

They had heard that Second Uncle Su had smashed its head with his fists.

Some mischievous boys who had previously listened to their parents’ gossip and bullied Su Erniang, thinking she was bad luck, were now hugging their own heads in fear.

Their heads were certainly not as tough as a wild boar’s. Imagining Second Uncle Su’s iron fists smashing their heads, the little boys’ legs shook in fear.

QAQ, we’ll never dare bully Su Erniang again.

***

Su Aobai calculated the time, moving along at a steady pace. Around midday, he pushed the cart into a dense forest that was a necessary part of the route from Shili Village to the county.

It should be about time.

Within the span of half an incense stick, Su Aobai’s sharp ears picked up the sounds of fighting in the distance. The wind carried a pungent smell of blood.

Up ahead, two groups were fighting!

One group was dressed as ordinary people, wearing coarse cloth clothes. A dozen strong men wielded sharp blades, protecting a young man dressed similarly behind them.

The other group, all masked and dressed in dark clothing, had a clear numerical advantage.

In the moments Su Aobai was approaching, a few more of the men in coarse cloth had fallen. The remaining fighters displayed a fierce determination, defending against the black-clad attackers with a near-suicidal resolve.

“Take the Young Master and go!” one of them shouted before charging forward, single-handedly holding off several of the black-clad men. Others did the same, struggling to contain multiple enemies.

Three others guarded the young man from three sides, retreating in another direction, which happened to be the same path Su Aobai had taken. Naturally, they encountered each other, and the group noticed the “unlucky fellow” who had unwittingly become involved.

“Run! These men are bandits from the mountains. Go warn the nearby villagers to arm themselves and gather together to fight them off,” shouted Tang Shengzong, noting Su Aobai’s appearance as a local farmer. He urged him to abandon the cart and warn the villagers, believing that a local would be more credible than an outsider like himself.

However, the black-clad men weren’t mere bandits as Tang Shengzong claimed. They were assassins sent to kill him. But saying otherwise wouldn’t rally the villagers to resist.

Tang Shengzong was furious. His whereabouts had been leaked, and this sudden assassination attempt, despite being surrounded by trusted aides, indicated a traitor among them. Would he die here? Tang Shengzong was unwilling to accept that fate.

“Bandits?” Su Aobai seemed paralyzed by fear. He noticed the black-clad men who had broken away from Tang Shengzong’s group were closing in.

As Tang Shengzong and his guards passed him, he remained frozen.

Tang Shengzong’s lips tightened in a grim line. This unlucky fellow was probably doomed. If I survive, I’ll inquire about this person’s identity and generously reward his family for the unintended sacrifice.

Tang Shengzong wasn’t a saint. Unlike his imperial siblings who viewed lives as disposable, he felt that if this farmer could delay the pursuers for a second or two, his death wouldn’t be in vain.

***

“Bandits! There are bandits here! Damn you all! Killing people—are you planning to raid our village next? Beasts! You disrupt peaceful lives, covet our food and silver, and lust after our women. Damn it! Over my dead body will you set foot in our village!”

After standing dazed for a while, Su Aobai finally snapped back to reality.

Bandits were notorious in ancestral tales, known for their brutality. Wherever bandits roamed, nearby villages suffered. Beautiful women especially faced grave danger.

Upon hearing that these men were bandits, Su Aobai’s expression changed dramatically. He had a precious daughter to protect. For her sake, he couldn’t let these bandits pass him.

The assassins charging towards Tang Shengzong were stunned by Su Aobai’s furious outburst. Who was stealing his grain and silver? Who was eyeing the village women? Is this man an idiot?

Even Tang Shengzong and his group, fleeing behind Su Aobai, almost tripped over themselves at his words. They stumbled, barely avoiding a fall.

“I won’t let you succeed!” Su Aobai roared. He then lifted the half of the wild boar from his cart and charged at the black-clad men.

The black-clad men: ???

Tang Shengzong: ???

Initially, the black-clad men didn’t take him seriously. Their eyes were cold, smirking beneath their masks. They thought they could easily kill this rough farmer with one blow. However, when the leader swung his blade, it got stuck in the thick hide and tough bones of the wild boar. He couldn’t pull it out.

Seeing that, Su Aobai lifted his leg and kicked the leader in the chest. With a crunch, the leader’s ribs caved in. Blood sprayed from his mouth, soaking his mask, and he fell backward, dead with wide-open eyes.

Everyone was stunned by this unexpected turn of events. It was completely different from what they had anticipated.

The remaining black-clad men quickly regained their composure, their eyes now filled with murderous intent, planning to quickly eliminate Su Aobai.

One by one, the assassins fell. Su Aobai, still carrying the wild boar, remained energetic and fierce.

Seeing that, Tang Shengzong stopped and watched the burly man with a deep, evaluating gaze.

Tang Shengzong and his guards could tell that Su Aobai had no martial arts training. He was fighting the assassins purely with brute strength and instinct.

Su Aobai used the wild boar as a shield, swinging it with both hands, making it look like a fearsome weapon. Despite his clumsy stance, he managed to fend off the assassins, kicking and punching them into submission.

“What incredible strength,” one of the guards couldn’t help but remark. Could this be the legendary natural-born strength? It’s surprising to find such a person in this remote area, though he seemed a bit slow-witted.

At this point, the black-clad men realized how troublesome Su Aobai was. Seeing their companions being incapacitated or killed with broken arms and legs whenever they were hit by him, they halted their attack in fear.

“Retreat!”

Having lost more than a dozen men to this rural brute, they no longer had the numerical advantage.

The leader gave Tang Shengzong a deep look from a distance. Such a perfect opportunity had slipped away, and soon his master would likely face swift retaliation.

The black-clad men quickly retreated, leaving behind a scene of corpses and the half-wild boar Su Aobai was carrying, which was now embedded with several large knives, attesting to the fierce battle that had taken place.

Tang Shengzong observed Su Aobai, who seemed worried about having let some of the “bandits” escape. Su Aobai was now planning to report the incident to the County Magistrate to organize a campaign against the bandits.

It seemed that Tang Shengzong had found a treasure.