No Choice

The four brothers, Jia Lu, Jia Shou, Jiafu, and Jia Xi, lived together in a small courtyard house with blue bricks at the West Corner Gate. Jiafu and Jia Xi shared one room, while Jia Lu and Jia Shou shared another. The servants' quarters had no doors, so the four of them grew up seeing each other constantly, leaving no room for privacy among them. 

Jiafu endured two severe beatings, which would have been fatal for an average person three or four times over. However, he managed to survive thanks to his strong constitution. But when he returned to his room and removed the tattered clothes stuck to his skin, the injuries underneath were horrific. His back, waist, buttocks, and legs were all covered in wounds with no intact skin remaining. The doctors of the Wind Shadow Riders worked tirelessly through the night to treat his injuries, repeatedly advising him to lie still for half a month.

Jiafu obediently followed the doctors' advice and arranged for Jia Lu and Jia Shou to switch shifts to take care of him for half a month. Jia Lu and Jia Shou, glad to have some free time, readily agreed with great enthusiasm. Although Jiafu could manage on his own without needing much care, the two young men, unaccustomed to idleness, set up a card table in front of Jiafu's bed to play cards and pass the time more quickly. 

When Jia Xi returned, he hadn't even had a sip of water before Jia Lu dragged him to the card table, claiming they were just one player short.

Jiafu wasn't much of a card player. He preferred lying idly rather than engaging in such pastimes. Jia Lu and Jia Shou thought they would easily win today, but to their dismay, the beginner's luck favored Jiafu. He won three rounds swiftly, leaving Jia Lu and Jia Shou in a terrible state.

Jia Xi was usually skilled at this game, but he was distracted by thoughts of Qi Qingzheng's affairs and was somewhat absent-minded.

—Did the young master meet the prime minister? What did the prime minister think? There should be some indication, by now right? Or would the prime minister be furious? Would he blame me? Forget it, then I won't care. But how do I bring this up with Brother Jiafu? He has the best relationship with the second young master. Knowing that something happened to him, he would never stand by idly. But with all these injuries! A careless move could cost him his life... No, before I bring this up, I need to make him understand that he can't intervene recklessly anymore. He's destined to be a servant to the young master for life, and that's all he ever will be.

The more Jia Xi thought about it, the more agitated he became. He threw down his cards and said, "Brother Jiafu, you've had plenty of water. Let me help you out to relieve yourself. Come on, let's go, holding it in is not good for you."

Jiafu, in the midst of an excellent card hand, refused to leave the table. He lay on the low couch, stretching his neck to watch the cards. "I'm not going! When did I say I needed to go? I'm not a teapot that spouts water as soon as you touch me. Focus on the game and stop worrying unnecessarily."

Jia Xi insisted, reaching out to pull Jiafu: "Come on, you can't just lie there all the time. Moving around will help your recovery."

Jia Shou quickly brushed off Jia Xi's hand: "Hey, what are you doing? Can't you see Brother Jiafu's wounds are still bleeding? If you have something to say, just say it here. Why avoid us two? Is it because your cards are bad, and you want to cheat?"

Exposed, Jia Xi was both embarrassed and angry: "Wounds bleeding? He brought that on himself! He keeps preaching to us about knowing our place and not overstepping our bounds, but he doesn't get it! What did the two little guys from the second young master's courtyard have to do with him? Meddling and offering advice—if the lady didn't beat him, who else would she beat?"

Jia Xi's sudden outburst left Jia Shou and Jia Lu looking at each other in shock.

Jiafu put down his cards and turned to Jia Xi: "Don't beat around the bush. What do you want to say?"

Jia Xi avoided his gaze: "Nothing, just a reminder that your duty is to protect the prime minister, not to meddle in household affairs. If the masters ask you, just answer. If they don't, don't get involved and end up injured, leaving us to take care of you."

Jiafu was slightly annoyed: "Are you blaming me?"

"How dare I!"

"Jia Xi, you're not the kind to lose your temper easily. Just say it outright, what do you want to say?"

"Nothing. Just a reminder that the prime minister ordered you to stay out of household affairs from now on. That's my responsibility now. Just do your job properly."

"Ha, I've only been lying down for a day, Jia Xi, and you're already speaking differently." Jiafu was also somewhat angry: "I don't need you to remind me how to do my job. And what did I do wrong? Those two kids… they're not even fourteen yet. The lady was furious, and with just one word, their lives would be over, do you understand?"

"Stop pretending to be a saint. Deep down, we're all just servants. Whether we die or are sold, what's the difference?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Being sold is one life, running away is half a life, being beaten to death is no life." Qi Jiafu struggled to get up, and Jia Lu hurried to support him, while Jia Xi remained indifferent. Jiafu coldly pushed Jia Xi: "Fine, I'll go out with you. What's wrong with you today? What's going on? Let's talk outside." 

"Hmm." Jia Xi also wore a cold expression, and the two walked out silently, leaving Jia Lu and Jia Shou looking at each other.

When they wanted to talk privately, they would always go to a small flower garden outside the courtyard. This garden wasn't large and didn't contain any rare species, just miscellaneous flowers and weeds picked up by Jia Xi, who carefully cultivated them until they bloomed in a riot of colors year-round.

Before they reached the spot, Jia Xi started speaking: "Brother Jiafu, don't be angry. I want to prepare you for something."

"What preparation?"

"I today…"

Just as Jia Xi was about to continue, there was a commotion, and the courtyard gate opened. He De walked in with a stranger and twenty-odd servants.

The servants held a pair of shackles.

They were from the Imperial Servants Office! Jiafu turned to look at Jia Xi, questioning.

Jia Xi was also startled. He quickly approached and blocked He De: "Father! What's going on?"

He De replied sternly: "By the lady's order, we're handing Jia Shou over to this officer."

"Jia Shou?" Jia Xi chased after He De, anxious: "Father, wait a minute... Father, why? What did Jia Shou do?"

"This is none of your business, step aside." He De, afraid his son would interfere, pushed Jia Xi hard, making him stumble. Seeing his son's panic, He De softened: "Jia Xi, don't overthink. A master from the Chu family admired Jia Shou's musical talent and specially requested him from the lady. I'm just handling the transfer."

Jia Xi's eyes reddened, and he rushed forward again: "Father, no... Did the lady sell Jia Shou? That can't be! We grew up together, and you watched Jia Shou grow up, Father. I beg you... I'll go beg the lady for mercy, I'll go plead with the prime minister!"

He De was truly desperate, his dark face flushed red, lips trembling. He raised his hand and slapped Jia Xi hard: "Insolent brat, stop talking nonsense!"

Jia Xi wanted to continue, but Jiafu pulled him back.

Jia Xi turned, eyes bloodshot and teary, trembling: "Brother Jiafu... what do we do?"

"With the Imperial Servants Office here, don't say anything rash."

"What about Jia Shou?" Jia Xi watched as the group approached, growing increasingly agitated: "Brother Jiafu, go ask the prime minister! He likes you the most; if he can get you off the hook, he can do the same for Jia Shou. I'll go talk to the lady!"

Jia Xi tried to run off, but Jiafu held him tightly: "It's useless."

Jia Xi struggled: "How is it useless? You won't know unless you try. Brother Jiafu, yesterday Jia Shou was willing to die with you; can't you say something for him today?"

"Are you mad? Calm down." Jiafu tightened his grip, explaining carefully: "The trouble I caused was within our family, and the prime minister, as the head of the family, could resolve it with a word. But Jia Shou is someone the Chu family wants, and the lady approved it. With the Imperial Servants Office here, it means... Jia Shou is no longer part of the Jia family. Yes, the prime minister could keep him if he wanted, but he won't offend the Chu family for a servant. Understand? If you make a scene now, it will only make the Imperial Servants Office see Jia family servants as disobedient. At worst, Jia Shou will be severely punished; at best, he'll lose his life. Do you understand?" 

Jia Xi understood, feeling as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He took a few steps back, staring at Jiafu, his lips trembling but unable to speak.

Qi Jiafu hugged Jia Xi, patted him on the back, and whispered, "I'll figure something out, but not here. Let's go, we need to get Jia Shou through this first."

He released Jia Xi and walked inside.

Jia Xi, still dazed, wiped away his tears and followed him.

Inside the small room, chaos reigned. The people from the Imperial Servants Office were holding contracts, having apparently delivered their orders. Jia Shou was retreating step by step, until he reached a corner and sat on the ground, like a trapped animal.

He screamed, he trembled, he begged for mercy... but the world remained unmoved. He De bowed, smiling apologetically at the people from the Imperial Servants Office. The person from the Office was very magnanimous, as if accustomed to such scenes. Slowly and steadily, the house servants holding shackles approached, advancing like an unyielding wall.

"This child, really, don't worry, don't be scared. The lady is sending you to a good place... Ah Shou, didn't you always complain about being busy with this and that, having no time to play the zither? Now you will. When you get to the Chu family, you can play the zither every day, and the old master will surely favor you..."

"No—" Jia Shou roared, veins bulging on his forehead, snot running down to his mouth. His eyes turned red as he grabbed a medicine bowl and smashed it on the ground, then seized a shard and was about to cut his right thumb—

"Ah Shou!" Qi Jiafu pushed through the crowd and rushed over.

Jia Shou saw a savior in him: "Brother Jiafu... save me!"

Qi Jiafu gestured behind him for everyone to stop. He squatted down, looking into Jia Shou's eyes, stroking his hair, and whispered, "Don't do anything foolish, Ah Shou. If you disable your hand now, the Qi family can't keep you; they'll only kill you, understand? Go with them for now, be obedient..." Taking advantage of Jia Shou's hesitation, he swiftly grabbed his wrist and twisted it slightly. Jia Shou winced in pain and let go, the shard falling to the ground.

Jia Shou wanted to scream something, but Qi Jiafu quickly covered his mouth. Jia Shou, pinned in the corner, unable to resist, bit down hard on Qi Jiafu's thumb. Qi Jiafu didn't let go; instead, he leaned in closer, almost cheek to cheek, whispering in his ear, "The Qi family isn't worth dying for, and neither is the Chu family. It's six hundred miles from Changxiang City to Chu Yuan. There will be chances on the way... I swear, as long as I'm alive, I'll come to save you... Then we'll both be free."

Jia Shou loosened his teeth, turning his head with a mix of terror and a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Tears, sweat, and snot smeared his left cheek, where a turtle missing its tail was barely visible.

He was seventeen. Although a household slave, he had lived a carefree life, well-fed and clothed. The brand on his arm was from infancy; he had no memory of its pain. He had never been punished or even severely scolded. Playing the six-string zither brought him joy and pride, which also led to his current misfortune. This was his first life-changing experience, and he was at a loss, instinctively looking to his brother Jiafu—as he did every time he made a mistake at work.

"Really?"

"Really."

Jia Shou calmed down, biting his lip, eyes full of pure, animal-like trust.

Qi Jiafu couldn't bear that look of trust. He lowered his head, not crying, but his nose uncontrollably blocked up. He sniffed hard, reached out, and said, "Give it to me, I'll do it."

The shackles and hammer were handed over, cold and heavy.

Jia Shou didn't dare look, covering his face, tears seeping through his fingers and flowing down his arms.

He had come to play cards, barefoot, with shoes half on. His ankles were thin, his legs trembling.

Qi Jiafu moved a few steps, pulled a pair of thick socks and a towel from a chest by the bed, and slowly put the socks on Jia Shou's feet. He tore the towel into strips and wrapped them around Jia Shou's ankles.

No one in the room spoke, a deathly silence. Jia Lu moved closer to Jia Xi.

The hammer lifted, fell, thud after thud. Qi Jiafu's shoulder muscles tensed, the recently healed wound tearing open, blood seeping through the thick white cloth like a furnace flame.

Jia Xi, in a daze, felt an illusion; he thought Qi Jiafu looked like a blacksmith, focused on forging a blade.

"Take him away," Qi Jiafu finally said. The room's occupants seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Jia Shou was taken away.

The room was a mess—overturned card table, broken medicine bowl, charcoal drawing of a turtle... Qi Jiafu remained kneeling, staring at his hammer-holding right hand.

Jia Xi walked up behind him, silently placing a hand on his shoulder. "You were right. Selling him is better than letting him die. Don't overthink it. Rest, I'll find out where they're taking Ah Shou and smooth things over."

"You shouldn't go, De Bo will handle it." Qi Jiafu squeezed Jia Xi's hand on his shoulder. "Don't hold back, if you want to cry, cry."

He staggered out, hearing Jia Xi and Jia Lu break into sobs behind him.

To laugh and cry freely is life's greatest joy. Laughing, he no longer hoped for, crying seemed impossible. Many years ago, as a child, when he chose to hold a knife, he lost the right to cry. A fire always burned within him, fierce and angry, consuming everything, drying up all tears and joy.

The sun was setting, the sky a hazy white. Jia Xi's garden still flourished, vibrant and full of life—a miracle amidst the withering Qi family estate. Jia Xi always proudly claimed it was because he tended to the flowers with care.

Only Qi Jiafu knew there were no miracles.

A person stood by the garden, anxious and concerned, rushing over to speak. It was Ah Zheng, but for the first time, Qi Jiafu felt an immense distance between them, like they stood on opposite cliffs, separated by an unfathomable chasm.

That chasm was so deep, countless bones had not filled it over millennia.

Ah Zheng kept talking about what he had heard, the meeting between the Chu family and Qi Xiang. Ah Zheng was a brother who trusted him completely, but it didn't matter. He had just sent away another brother who trusted him completely.

What's wrong with them? Why do they trust me... someone like me?

Qi Jiafu knelt down, digging bare-handed in the garden.

"Brother Jiafu!" Qi Zithergzheng was startled by his expression. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Second Young Master. Didn't you just say... you wanted to have a match with He Peiyu?" Qi Jiafu held a three-leaf plant in his hand, its emerald glow like a living jade buried in the soil.

"Yes... what's wrong?"

"I can't help you much, but maybe the eldest lady can assist you..." Qi Jiafu examined the plant in his hand, plucked a leaf, and put it in his mouth. Then he picked another leaf and handed it to Qi Qingzheng. "Ah Zheng, this is for you, a gift from one brother to another. This is all I can do for you."

As Qi Jiafu turned to leave, Qi Qingzheng grabbed his arm. "What is this? What do you mean, Brother Jiafu? I'm not asking for your help! Can't I do something to help you with Jia Shou's situation? Hey! Brother Jiafu? Are you blaming me? Blaming me for not standing up for Jia Shou? It's not that, it's not that! When I saw Jia Shou coming out... I wanted to discuss it with you, to figure something out together... Brother Jiafu!"

Qi Jiafu hesitated, then reached out and patted Qi Qingzheng's head. Without answering any of his questions, he walked toward Jia Xi's room, holding the last leaf of the wild plant.

Ah Zheng, you didn't do anything wrong. You had no other choice because you had already made your choice.

I am the same.

It's strange. In the past, Qi Jiafu always spoke openly and thoroughly to Qi Qingzheng, but Qi Qingzheng often felt he understood nothing. This time, Qi Jiafu said nothing, yet Qi Qingzheng felt he understood everything completely.

Inside the room, the faint sound of Jia Xi's heart-wrenching cries could be heard, cries that seemed to express all the pain and sorrow of a lifetime. Qi Qingzheng listened silently, feeling an unexpected sense of envy.

He thought again of the girl who cried in his dreams. Lately, whenever he felt sad, he would think of her.

Who is she? Where is she?