The Legend of Chu Qiao

Chapter 3

Fifth Brother

Despite her severe body wounds, Chu Qiao persevered in standing up and running laps around the small firewood room. She occasionally paused to massage her skin, preventing herself from freezing to death in the dilapidated hut.

It was yín shí[1], the coldest time of the night. A window around a person's height was suddenly pushed open. Then, a small head peeked into view. Chu Qiao was stunned. She looked up and saw bright eyes carefully observing the room. When he saw Chu Qiao, a look of happiness flickered across his face. He placed his index finger to his lips, signaling her to stay quiet. Then he quickly darted into the shack.

The boy dashed over to her, opened his arms wide, and enveloped Chu Qiao in a warm hug. As he held her, he struggled to speak, saying, "Yue Er, don’t be afraid; fifth brother [2] is here."

He was slender and appeared quite young, likely around ten years old. His gray field clothes hung loosely on his small frame, making him look even more frail. Though he was still growing, he stood only slightly taller than Chu Qiao. Yet, the lines on his face and the expressions he wore revealed that he had faced many challenges in life. He embraced the child tightly and gently patted her back, consistently reassuring her, "Don’t be scared; fifth brother is here."

Without realizing it, tears started to fall from Chu Qiao’s eyes. They traced down her cheeks, soaking into his rough clothing. She couldn’t tell if it was just her body’s instinct or genuine emotion that made her feel she was no longer alone, but that gentle yet comforting hug felt incredibly special on that cold, unfamiliar night.

The bright moonlight streamed through the slightly open window, casting a gentle glow on the children’s small figures. Their only warmth came from the bond they shared, despite being confined within those cold four walls. The boy’s slight frame felt like a sturdy mountain. Even as he trembled from the cold, he kept his sister close.

“Yue Er, are you hungry?” He let go of her embrace and softly wiped away her tears with his dirt-stained fingers. With a bright smile, he asked, “Can you guess what I brought for you, Sister?”

The boy knelt on the floor and pulled out a small cloth bag from behind him, carefully opening it. The delightful aroma of the food quickly filled the air. He glanced up at Chu Qiao, who stood there looking puzzled. Raising his eyebrows, he urged, "Sit down."

Inside was a rough porcelain bowl, its blue-and-white patterns faded with time and sporting a few tiny holes at the rim. It was filled to the brim with rice and vegetables, more piled on top. Though there wasn’t much oil, the scent was still enticing. The boy handed her a pair of chopsticks and encouraged her with, "Hurry, eat."

Chu Qiao bowed her head and took a mouthful of rice. All she could taste was the saltiness of her tears. Her throat was tight, but she continued eating mechanically, sobbing occasionally.

The boy watched her intently. Every time she took a bite, he mimicked her, as if teaching her how to eat. When she swallowed, a broad grin spread across his face, narrowing his eyes into cheerful slits.

As her chopsticks moved through the bowl, they prodded something. She lifted it out to find a piece of warm braised pork.

The meat was about the size of her thumb and slightly charred at one edge, half fatty and half lean, but incredibly tempting on such a cold, dark"Silly girl."

The boy gently patted her head and, with a touch of sadness in his voice, remarked, "How old are you to say things like 'in my life'? Let's not think about the future; enjoy being young. We’ve had the chance to taste many exquisite dishes, but you're too young to remember any of it. Don’t worry—one day, your fifth brother will make sure you have good food, nice clothes, and savor delicacies from around the world—braised pork, ginseng, abalone, bird's nest, shark fin, and clams. Whatever your heart desires, you’ll have it. Until then, no one will dare to bully us. Do you believe me, Yue Er?"

Chu Qiao nodded as she kept eating her rice. It wasn't especially tasty, but it gave her a feeling of warmth. Knowing he had lied about not being hungry, she made sure to leave enough in the bowl for her ‘brother’. After a while, the boy finished the leftovers in the bowl.

"Yue Er, don’t be afraid." As he spoke, the boy draped his robe over Chu Qiao's shoulders. With a gentle tone, he emphasized, "Your fifth brother will protect you and stay by your side. There's nothing to fear."

The moonlight shone brightly through the gaps in the firewood hut, casting a brilliant white glow. Later, like frost illuminated by the moon, the children curled up together under his robe, appearing small but surprisingly warm.

From afar, flames cast flickering light as woodwind melodies floated through the air, mingling with the tempting scents of food and drink. The lively city of Zhen Huang was at its busiest during the night’s celebrations. Beneath the dazzling lights, no one thought of the young girl who had braved the chaos in the arena.

A chill wind blew, making the flag with the Xia Empire’s flame symbol flutter in the breeze.

·········⋆༺𓆩❀𓆪༻⋆·········

When she awoke the following day, the boy was gone. On the floor, he had left a message in neat handwriting: Fifth brother will return tonight. There are buns hidden under the firewood.

Chu Qiao cleared away some dried twigs and unexpectedly uncovered two slightly yellowish buns wrapped in oil paper. She held them close, maintaining a calm demeanor, though a warm sensation blossomed within her as night descended.

As promised, the boy returned at night.

Like the previous day, he came back with a bowl of rice and vegetables. She began eating, but suddenly a loud growl came from the boy's stomach. Chu Qiao looked up and saw him awkwardly rubbing his belly. Trying to seem casual, he said, "I just had dinner; I'm not hungry."

Once again, she ate half the bowl and pretended to be full, so he would finish the rest. They reclined in the same spot as the day before, sharing his robe and cuddling to keep warm, eventually falling asleep.

·········⋆༺𓆩❀𓆪༻⋆·········

Three days went by without anyone questioning her condition. The boy kept visiting her every night, bringing food and staying with her before quietly leaving early the next day. On the third day, the door of the hut suddenly swung open.

Zhu Shun[3] looked down at Zhu Qiao, who had remained alive after three days in the firewood hut, furrowing his brows tighter and tighter. At last, he ordered his men to release her.

When she exited the hut, Chu Qiao paused at the door. Pressing her lips together, she took one last look at the rundown shack and turned with resolve.

As she walked forward, a large group of kids could be seen hiding behind the trees, quietly watching her. When she reached the yard and the men left, the group of kids rushed toward her, pulling her into their arms.

"Little sixth, you are back!"

"Sixth sister, I thought you were never coming back."

"Sister Yue, wu wu[4]"

The children suddenly burst into chatter all at once. Some wailed loudly, which startled Chu Qiao a bit. She stood frozen, surrounded by the children, enduring their snot and tears.

"Alright, stop crying."

A male voice was heard, turning the heads of all the children, causing them to cry out, "Fifth brother!"

The boy rushed in from outside, clutching a cloth bag. He quickly spilled its contents onto the floor—an entire bag of melon seeds. The sight prompted cheers from the children, who let go of Chu Qiao and rushed over to the seeds.

"Don't fight for them. There's enough for everyone," the boy said in a mature tone. He added, "Yue Er has just survived a near-death experience and is badly injured. Let her rest; we all need to help her with her tasks for the next few days."

The children agreed with nods. A girl with two ponytails and a delicate face looked up and smiled, saying, "Don’t worry, fifth brother. We’ll help our sixth sister."

The boy then asked, "Xiao Qi, has your injury healed? What are you doing out of bed?"

"It’s all healed now, fifth brother," the child replied with a smile, rolling up his sleeves to reveal dark purple scars from a whip, some still raw. Xiao Qi beamed, "The medicine you gave me worked wonders. It didn’t hurt at all once I applied it. Xiao Ba was kicked by a horse while feeding them, and I need to help her."

Just then, a young girl rushed over, holding the boy's hand. "Lin Xi[5], I was looking for you," she said.

He turned to Chu Qiao, saying, "Yue Er, it’s quite windy outside. You should come inside as well."

Inside the small, rundown house, a large bed-stove was covered with neatly folded blankets. Lin Xi chirped, "Sister Zhi Xiang, were you looking for me?"

Zhi Xiang, appearing to be around thirteen, crouched and opened the bed-stove from below, revealing a dark space, and pulled out a small box. "In five days, it will be the anniversary of our parents’ and relatives’ deaths. The incense and joss paper you asked us to prepare are here."

Lin Xi nodded carefully, "Make sure the manager doesn’t find out about this."

"Don’t worry. No one will come to us. Just be cautious when caring for the Fourth Young Master. I heard from Si Tao in the laundry that the Third Young Master[6] has already killed two of his study companions. Even though the Fourth Young Master isn’t like him, his unpredictable nature is a concern. With the Master away, Young Master Huai ignores many affairs in the household, and things are getting out of hand. The Old Master has already had more than twenty young female slaves killed. Those sold to the Du family, along with us, have perished. I’m worried that we might meet the same fate."

In the midst of their discussion, a sharp scream pierced the air from outside, followed by a shrill voice bellowing, "Well done, you miserable slaves. How dare you steal? Don't you wish to live?"

Lin Xi furrowed her brow and moved toward the door, but Zhi Xiang pulled him back, urging in a hushed tone, "You need to escape through the back door, quickly! Stay out of sight. Fourth Young Master will kill you."

"I…"

"Just go, quickly!"

It was hard to believe that such a dilapidated hut had a back door. When Lin Xi opened it, Zhi Xiang grasped his arm firmly and said with utmost seriousness, "No matter what, don’t come back." Then he hurriedly slipped out.

The sounds of agony mingled with the crack of a whip. A very large woman was swinging her arms and furiously exclaimed, "Aren't these the daughters of the infamous Jing family? Who would've thought they'd fall this low? Your sisters are selling themselves on Shi Hua Lane, and here you are, reduced to theft. What a disgraceful family!"

"Lady Song, we know we've made a mistake. We promise we won't do it again," Zhi Xiang pleaded as she positioned herself between the woman and the children, absorbing lash after lash to her face, blood streaming from her wounds. She kneeled and tugged at the edge of the woman's skirt, begging for mercy. "We won't do it again."

"Oh, now you've realized your error? Funny how memories come back after a good whipping," Lady Song sneered.

The whip relentlessly hit the children’s bodies, and Xiao Qi, with her hair in two pigtails, was overwhelmed by the pain. After multiple lashes, her eyes rolled back as she collapsed. The other children started crying, but the woman appeared to enjoy the suffering, striking even more forcefully each time. With a fierce shout, she raised her whip once more.

Suddenly, a swoosh was heard, but no cries followed. Lady Song looked down to find a little girl in front of her, clad in ragged clothes. Though slender, her gaze was unyielding and fierce. Gripping the other end of the whip tightly with her dirty hands, she declared in a chilling tone, "That’s enough."

Lady Song, furious, shouted, "What are you trying to do, girl?"

"Yue Er, Yue Er, let go of her!" Zhi Xiang crawled over, pulling at Chu Qiao's clothes. "Hurry, beg Lady Song for forgiveness!"

Chu Qiao remained steadfast, glaring at the woman. In a cold voice, she replied, "Try striking them again."

Lady Song raised an eyebrow and yelled, "I won’t strike them; I’ll strike you instead!" With that, she swung her whip with full force. Chu Qiao laughed scornfully, seized the woman’s belt, and tripped her, sending her crashing to the ground.

The children erupted in cheers as Chu Qiao approached Lady Song, bending down with a smirk and asking, "Not going to run to complain?"

Lady Song quickly regained her feet and shouted, "Just wait!" before bolting out of the yard.

Concern etched on her face, Zhi Xiang rushed ahead, tears welling in her eyes. "Yue Er, you’ve really stirred up trouble. What now?"

"Take care of them," Chu Qiao instructed and sprinted after the woman.

She had committed the route to memory from when she was first brought to the hut. After navigating two corners, she spotted the woman hurrying across the stone bridge, panting heavily due to her considerable size after only a short distance.

Chu Qiao crouched in the bushes, carefully scanning her surroundings to ensure the coast was clear. She picked up a stone, squinted, and aimed it at the woman before throwing it with all her strength.

The stone struck Lady Song's ankle with a resounding thud. Startled, she lost her balance and tumbled off the bridge.

It was already midwinter, and the lake's surface was thickly coated in ice. Her fall didn’t shatter it, leaving her sprawled on top, moaning in pain.

Chu Qiao emerged from her hiding spot and approached the bridge, looking down at the woman on the ground. She called out, "Hey, do you need help?"

The woman's tone instantly transformed; she replied in a friendly voice, "Good girl. Can you please get help for me? It hurts so much."

Chu Qiao chuckled, and with a bright smile, she bent down and picked up a heavy rock, lifting it above her head with all her strength.

Seeing this, the woman's expression turned pale. She stammered, "You... what are you doing?"

To prevent the woman from crying out for help, Chu Qiao released the rock, which crashed through the ice, creating an instant crack. With a startled cry, the woman was plunged into the freezing water, sinking to the bottom of the lake while bubbles rose to the surface.

Chu Qiao stood on the bridge, composed and steady, without a trace of remorse.

This was a harsh world where one had to eliminate their threats to survive.

[1] 寅时 (yín shí) | 3 am to 5 am
[2] In ancient China, the counting and ordering of siblings was a strictly organized system based on birth order, gender, and social status, heavily influenced by the Confucian hierarchy. Siblings were often identified by numerical birth order rather than personal names, particularly in noble or wealthy families.
[3] Zhu Shun is Butler Zhu from the Zhuge household. For easier reading, you may refer to the list of characters.
[4] Chinese onomatopoeia for crying
[5] Lin Xi is the fifth brother. For easier reading, you may refer to the list of characters.
[6] Third Young Master is Zhuge Huai

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