Ning’er chuckled, covering her mouth, as she imagined her uncles’ helplessness. She then turned to her sister for help.
Madam Fang didn't press her daughter further. In the following days, Fu Xinci didn't go out. It was unusual for her to pick up her embroidery hoop without Madam Fang’s urging.
Ning’er no longer clamored for his sister to take him out to play. Instead, he either played with bamboo horses in the courtyard or nestled by his sister's side, listening to her tell enchanting stories that their grandfather and father never told.
“Sister, sister, can you tell Ning’er the story of the Monkey King battling Poseidon again today?”
Fu Xinci: If Ning’er hadn’t brought it up, she would have forgotten about it. However, that story was just something she’d made up to amuse Ning’er, and she couldn’t recall the plot anymore.
Seeing her little brother's expectant gaze, Fu Xinci felt a flush of embarrassment.
Alas, some troubles are self-inflicted.
“Sister?”
The little one raised his chubby hand and waved it in front of his sister’s eyes.
“Ning’er, how about I tell you the story of Sun Wukong’s three encounters with the White Bone Demon today?”
“Sister.” The little one held up a small palm, indicating: You've already told it five times.
“The Three Borrowings of the Banana Leaf Fan.”
The little one’s palm pressed down a thumb, signifying he had heard it four times.
Fu Xinci was a bit at a loss.
“Sister, Ning’er wants to hear interesting stories.”
“Alright.” Fu Xinci racked her brain and finally remembered one.
“It’s said that a man from the Ming Dynasty, a Tatar, and a Japanese man were walking in the desert.”
“Didn’t they fight? Did the Ming man kill those two villains?”
“There was no food or water in the desert. They were on the verge of death from thirst and hunger, so they didn’t have the strength to fight for the moment.”
“Oh.”
“They walked and walked, and just when they were in despair, believing they were surely going to die, they suddenly spotted a magic lamp ahead. The three men immediately crawled over and picked it up.”
“The Ming man, seeing that it resembled a domestic artifact, rubbed the magic lamp with all his might. Following that, a genie emerged from the lamp.”
“The genie glanced at the three men and said to the Ming man: I am the genie. I have been trapped here for a thousand years. You have freed me, so I shall grant you three wishes.”
“The Tatar, hearing the genie say he could grant three wishes, immediately pushed the Ming man aside and said: I want gold, I want lots and lots of gold, and send me home.”
“Seeing the Tatar vanish before his eyes, the Japanese man, relying on his short stature, also squeezed past the Ming man and said to the genie: I also want a lot of gold, and I want even more gold, and send me home.”
“Sister, how could they let the Tatar and the Japanese take advantage? I don’t agree.”
“Ning’er, you must listen to the rest.”
“Oh.”
“The Ming man, seeing he was the only one left, humbly said to the genie: Please give me a bottle of Erguotou. The genie complied. The Ming man took the Erguotou, and with a few gulps, finished it. He let out a sigh and said to the genie again: Give me another bottle of Erguotou. After he finished this bottle too, he then said to the genie: Bring those two men back.”
Ning’er:…
Han Xue:…
Chun Yu:…
They all covered their mouths and laughed.
Fu Xinci pretended not to see, and continued: “The Tatar and the Japanese, who had been brought back, were furious. However, they were also thirsty and hungry, and were no match for the Ming man who had drunk two bottles of Erguotou.”
“Sister, what is Erguotou?”
“Erguotou is baijiu (white liquor).”
“Oh, Sister, please continue.”
“They had no choice but to continue walking under the scorching sun. They walked and walked, and suddenly they saw another magic lamp ahead.”
“This time, the Tatar, relying on his height, lunged at the magic lamp. Without a word, he rubbed it with his sleeve. As before, the magic lamp lit up, and a younger genie emerged, saying: I am the junior brother. I am not as powerful as my senior brother. I can only grant you two wishes.”
“The Tatar had learned his lesson this time. He nudged the Ming man and said: You make a wish first. The Japanese man also echoed from the side: You go first.”
“The Ming man glanced at them, smiled, and still politely said to the genie: Please give me a bottle of Erguotou. With a few more gulps, the Ming man finished the bottle of Erguotou, and then, still humbly, said to the genie: You may leave.”
Ning’er:…
Han Xue: “Mmm, *puff*.”
Chun Yu: “Hahaha.”
“Sister, is there more?”
“The Tatar and the Japanese were so enraged they were spitting fire, but they had no recourse now. After all, the Ming man had drunk three bottles of Erguotou, and they dared not provoke him. What if he beat them to death in a drunken frenzy?”
“Yes, beat them to death!”
“The Ming man paid no attention to the Tatar and the Japanese and continued to walk on the scorching hot sand. The Tatar and the Japanese wished they could kill the Ming man, but they were no match for him now, so they had to endure it.”
“Finally, another magic lamp appeared within their sight. The Japanese man, with all his might, dashed to the front. After rubbing the magic lamp with his clothes, he loudly made his wish: Give me a knife, I want to kill the Ming man. The Tatar also followed suit, shouting: Give me a great saber, I want to kill the Ming man too.”
“The Ming man: Send me home!”
“Miss, is it over?”
“It’s over.”
“Mmm, I can’t take it anymore, hahaha.” Han Xue couldn’t hold back any longer and was laughing so hard she was sprawled on the bluestone floor, unable to get up.
Chun Yu was much the same, clutching her stomach and groaning, “Oh dear.”
Only Ning’er looked at one, then at the other, before covering his small mouth and starting to laugh.
Fu Xinci watched them and murmured softly, “I didn’t do anything, why are you all crying?”
“Pfft~”
“…”
After a long while, Han Xue wiped away tears of laughter and exclaimed, “Miss, please don’t tell such jokes again in the future. We servants are laughing ourselves to tears.”
“Yes, it’s too funny.”
“What did Sister Xin Ci say to make you all laugh like that?”
“Miss Ke’er, our Miss just told… haha.”
Throughout the rest of the afternoon, peals of laughter echoed from the Meng family’s courtyard, wave after wave.
Ning’er, not content to be idle, went to tell his grandfather. Meng Grandpa was surprised that his grandson had a talent for storytelling. While finding it amusing, he also felt that his granddaughter’s mind was truly extraordinary.
When Qi He returned that evening, he informed his family, “The thousand-household office interrogated them for several days before discovering that the two kidnappers caught a few days ago were informants for the Japanese pirates.”
Mentioning the Japanese pirates, Grandpa Meng couldn’t help but frown. “A small, insignificant place, yet they never know restraint. They deserve to be killed.”
“Indeed. As long as they dare to come, we will unite and send them back with no return.”