Dragon, Truly Shameless (Yuri Futa, Farming) - Chapter 1
The dragon, a mystical creature, and at the same time a revered god. They are born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and their methods of reproduction and growth have been a mystery since ancient times.
Ancient records state, “Dragons can become large or small, can ascend or become hidden. When large, they stir clouds and exhale mist; when small, they conceal their form. When they ascend, they soar between the cosmos; when hidden, they lie dormant within the waves.” Divine dragons are also said to “show their head but not their tail,” and famous figures throughout history have described dragons as elusive and possessing great magical powers, representing the natural masters of all living things. However, there are also folk legends that dragons are inherently greedy, obsessed with gold and silver jewels, and especially fond of women.
Therefore, in order to seek the protection of dragons, people would offer livestock, gold, silver jewels, and even… women, as tribute to the dragons.
The Great Han Dynasty, the fortieth year.
The central region of the Great Han Dynasty was surrounded by mountains. Here, towering peaks rose from the ground, stretching endlessly, blocking out the sky and the sun, forcefully dividing the Han territory into upper and lower parts from east to west. To the north, it bordered the cold lands of the northwest; to the south, it faced the temperate ocean. The mountains cleverly blocked the northward flow of moisture from the southern seas and the southward descent of cold winds, resulting in a uniquely favorable land for habitation in the central region.
Located among the mountains in the south-central part of the Great Han Dynasty was a particularly tall peak, its altitude surpassing the surrounding mountains. Its summit was covered in white snow year-round, and where vegetation did not grow on its slopes, the mountain’s rocks were exposed. Unlike the common yellowish-brown weathered rocks, the rocks of this mountain were dark brown, forming a stark black and white contrast with the snow. From a distance, the intertwining black and white inexplicably resembled a black dragon coiling around it. Thus, this mountain was known to the world as Black Dragon Mountain, and the town at the foot of Black Dragon Mountain was called Black Dragon Town.
Folk legends said that there was a Black Dragon Cave on Black Dragon Mountain, and within the cave lived a black dragon. Thanks to the black dragon’s protection, this land had been free from major disasters since ancient times, and the people lived relatively peaceful and prosperous lives.
Over time, people spontaneously built one Dragon King Temple after another. Whether it was spring plowing and autumn harvest, merchants traveling far, or scholars seeking knowledge, people would choose to go to the temples to make offerings to the Dragon King, praying that the Dragon King could fulfill their wishes. However, no matter how sincere and determined the people were, even if they exhausted their family wealth, the dragon never responded to them.
The best time of day is morning, the best time of year is spring. In the fifth month, it was again the busy season for spring plowing. Taohua Village, located at the foot of Black Dragon Mountain, was living its peaceful little life.
This year was a drought year with little rainfall. The paddy fields appeared slightly dry, and the temperature was also a bit higher than in previous years. From afar, scattered farmers could be seen leading water buffalo back and forth in the fields.
The man stepped on the wooden plow, whipped the old ox, and the old ox pulled the plow forward. With each step, the plow would cut through the surface of the soil. The end of the plow, deeply inserted into the ground, would turn up the fertile soil from below, hence the name “plowing.” In fact, this scene of farmers sweating like rain was a typical depiction of the lives of the vast working people.
Around noon, Madam Li packed the cooked food into bowls, preparing to take it to her working husband. Just as she was about to go out, she bumped into a solitary figure.
A little girl came down from the mountain carrying a bamboo basket. The basket was filled with pig feed, and surprisingly, two bundles of firewood were tied to the bottom. The stacked firewood and pig feed looked taller and heavier than the little girl herself. Such a large amount of things clearly exceeded the carrying capacity of her thin and weak body. The little girl was forced to bend over, slowly walking with heavy steps, leaving one footprint after another.
Looking at the little girl’s slightly pale face, Madam Li’s movement to go out abruptly stopped. She turned back to the kitchen, and when she came out, she held an dried vegetable pancake in her hand.
“Xiao Shen, you’ve been busy since early morning again, haven’t you? Come, come, eat this pancake first and rest for a while.” Hearing Madam Li’s words, the little girl stopped. She stood somewhat awkwardly in front of Madam Li. Although she was indeed so hungry that her front and back were sticking together, she didn’t take the pancake.
“No need, I’ll eat soon.”
Madam Li frowned, well aware of this girl’s stubbornness. She directly stuffed the pancake into the girl’s arms. “Don’t I know what you usually eat? Just take it. A pancake doesn’t cost much. Hide it and eat it yourself, lest that Shen Jinbao steals it again.”
“Auntie Li, this…” The little girl looked flattered. Madam Li felt very sorry for her. “Ah, don’t ‘this’ and ‘that.’ It’s almost noon, and you still have to cook, right? Hurry back. I also need to take food to my man.”
“Then thank you, Auntie.”
The little girl’s voice was soft and delicate, carrying the usual timidity of a young girl. Madam Li helped her lift the bamboo basket. She shouldn’t have offered – the basket was so heavy that she almost couldn’t lift it. She didn’t know how the little girl had carried it down the mountain alone. Watching the little girl walk hunched over towards a house nearby, Madam Li let out a long sigh.
The little girl was the eldest granddaughter of the old Shen family next door, named Shen Qingming, but everyone in the village called her Xiao Shen. Xiao Shen originally had a family that everyone in Taohua Village envied. Her father was the eldest son of the old Shen family, Shen Qingyuan, and her mother was Hua Linglong, the daughter of the Flower Apothecary in town.
The old Shen family’s circumstances were originally quite good. Shen Qingyuan was talented in his studies and, as expected, passed the imperial examinations to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations). The following year, he married Hua Linglong and they had Xiao Shen. With a daughter who studied well and the support of the Hua family, the villagers all said that the old Shen family was likely to rise in the world. However, contrary to their wishes, fate’s favor seemed to be just a fleeting moment in a long life.
In fact, Shen Qingyuan had shown ambition unlike that of a country bumpkin since childhood. He was exceptionally calm and knew how to sacrifice small gains for larger benefits. During his studies, he frequently befriended local dignitaries. Clearly, he was unwilling to stay in Taohua Village, and even Black Dragon Town couldn’t hold him. His goal was the capital. The Hua family in town was just a stepping stone for him. After going to the capital for the imperial examinations, Shen Qingyuan disappeared without a trace. Everyone said that Shen Qingyuan had become an live-in son-in-law of a wealthy family in the capital, abandoning his wife and daughter, and even his elderly parents. From then on, the old Shen family’s dream of wealth completely shattered.
Shen Qingyuan’s actions not only brought shame to Taohua Village but also betrayed the trust of the Hua family. The Flower Apothecary had a good financial foundation, and Hua Linglong naturally couldn’t spend the rest of her life in a small village. The following year, she found an opportunity to remarry, and Xiao Shen became an orphan.
Logically speaking, raising a girl shouldn’t be too much trouble, but the old Shen family suffered one blow after another afterward. After the eldest son left, the second and third uncles of the Shen family also married and had children, but they only had daughters. Since most of the family’s early savings had been used to support the eldest son’s studies, the old Shen family was now like an empty shell, lacking labor and raising a group of girls. Their lives were predictably difficult. The resentment of the second and third uncles towards their elder brother grew daily in their hardship. With the elder brother gone, their resentment was projected onto Xiao Shen.
All the rough and tiring work was done by Xiao Shen. She had to get up before dawn to go up the mountain to cut pig feed and firewood, and she wouldn’t return home to cook until near noon. In the afternoon, she had to cook pig feed and feed the chickens, clean the house, and in the evening, she had to carry manure and boil water. For doing so much work, she reportedly only got two meals a day, without any vegetables. Severe malnutrition caused Xiao Shen to be extremely thin and frail. Although she had reached marriageable age, she looked no older than a ten-year-old girl, and it was likely that she hadn’t even started menstruating.
It wasn’t until that dusty, thin little figure disappeared around the corner that Madam Li sighed and walked towards the fields.
On the other side, Xiao Shen walked straight towards the old Shen family’s house. She had just opened the simple wooden fence gate and hadn’t even entered the courtyard when she was stopped outside.
A small boy stood in front of her with his hands on his hips, blocking her way. The boy looked young, but his height was already comparable to hers. He had a fat head and a round face, and was plump and sturdy. Especially now, standing with his legs apart and hands on his hips, his little belly bulged out in a circle. It was worth noting that the boy was at the age of growing his hair out. He had a small tuft of hair that was braided into a thin pigtail hanging behind his head, which, combined with his round and large head, looked like a rat’s tail growing out of a white butt, extremely bizarre.
Seeing her, the boy frowned, opened his mouth to reveal a row of uneven yellow teeth, and roared, “Ugly freak, why are you only back now? If you don’t come back to cook, I’m going to starve to death!”
Being called an “ugly freak” probably didn’t feel good, especially since the person was so rude. Shen Qingming half-closed her eyes, and her sparse, dry yellow bangs fell, covering her eyebrows, making it impossible to see her expression. After a long while, her dry lips moved, squeezing out soft and weak words, “I’ll cook now, move aside and let elder sister enter the house.”
“Hmph, it’s good that you know what’s what. Hurry up and cook. You’re so slow, even the pigs will starve to death!” The boy continued to scold relentlessly, while Shen Qingming remained half-bent over, her eyes lowered obediently. If one didn’t know they were siblings, they might think they were unrelated, as the younger brother showed no mercy in reprimanding his older sister.
Just as Shen Qingming was about to enter the house, the grumbling boy seemed to smell something. His flat nose twitched, and his dirty hand suddenly reached directly into her arms.
Although the boy was still young, Shen Qingming was already a grown girl. How could she let the boy put his hand into her chest? However, the boy was sturdy and fat, and she was no match for him even when her hands were free, let alone now with a heavy bamboo basket on her back. Carelessly, she was pushed by the boy, and the heavy bamboo basket felt like Mount Tai, its center of gravity shifting backward, causing her to fall backward as well. She only had time to let out an exclamation before she fell to the ground with a thud, the firewood scattering all over the place, and all the pig feed falling out.
Shen Qingming didn’t care about her scraped elbow. She tried hard to push the boy away, but the boy groped in her arms. His eyes lit up when he felt something, and when he pulled his hand out, his dirty hand held a pancake – the dried vegetable pancake Madam Li had just given her.
The boy looked like he had won some kind of trophy. His loud laughter even had some of the meanness of an adult. “Hahaha, you really hid something! You were secretly eating alone, weren’t you? I’m going to tell my mother on you!” As he spoke, he directly stuffed the pancake into his mouth, not even minding the dirt on it.
Letting out a long breath of stale air, Shen Qingming got up, silently smoothed out her messy clothes, and then cleaned up the mess on the ground. The boy’s name was Shen Jinbao. He was five years old, the late-in-life son of the second uncle, and the only male heir of the old Shen family at present. Every time she faced this disrespectful boy, she was completely helpless and utterly bullied.
Seeing that it was getting late, and the adults busy with farm work would be back for dinner soon, Shen Qingming took out a few pieces of firewood and went into the kitchen.