Explore Chapter 1 of "牛天赐传" with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Had it not been for Old Hu the peanut vendor, our hero might long ago have lost his fate; even if heaven never seals off all exits and the great virtue is life, he probably would not have turned out exactly as we are about to describe. Circumstances can determine one's fate - this is undeniable, especially in these peaceful times. His encounter with Old Hu was a stroke of luck; and upon careful consideration, it could not be called a bad one.
No, he did not encounter Old Hu; rather, Old Hu discovered him. At this critical juncture, had Old Hu felt a twinge of reluctance - for instance, if he disliked meddling in others' affairs - our hero's fate would have been precarious indeed. The facts were these: at that moment, he could not have called out to Old Hu or anyone else, for he was barely a few hours old. Even if he could speak and greet someone politely, it would not necessarily have been to his advantage; one must not try too hard in life.
Every evening, Old Hu would stop by the Niu family gate to rest. This had become a habit. He knew perfectly well that the elderly Nius would never patronize him - their teeth were long past the glory days of chewing candies and beans. Yet the Niu family gateway was charming, clean and equipped with two stone blocks, one just right for sitting and the other for placing his peanut basket, as if specially prepared for him. He would always smoke a pipe here, rest his legs, and count his coppers. Sometimes he might even meet a friend seeking shelter from wind or snow and have a good chat. He felt quite fond of this gateway.
The day our hero was born coincided with the season of freshly harvested peanuts, when not even the deep night required cotton-padded clothing. Yet the days had grown noticeably shorter; autumn in the north has this flaw - it wants to leave as soon as it arrives, as if just going through the motions. It was probably around eight o'clock, already quite dark, when Old Hu made his usual stop for ten minutes of rest - a practice not necessarily invented by movie theaters. Setting down his basket, he took out his short bamboo pipe; striking a match, he discovered something that had never been there before. He nearly stepped on it! Right in front of the stone block, a small, dark oblong package, like the luggage of a citizen of Lilliput on a journey - if Lilliputian citizens ever traveled. Sacrificing another match, he saw clearly - a little creature who would one day eat peanuts.
Old Hu unbuttoned his jacket and tucked the small bundle inside. Given the right opportunity, anyone has maternal instincts; a man's chest does have those nominal breasts after all. Forgetting to smoke, his mind was in turmoil. No one - except those who kill for a living - can remain calm when faced with a life that cannot decide its own existence. Old Hu had no children, because he had never married. His brother had sons, but one's own children are always better. How could he have a son without a wife? That was indeed a problem. Patting the small bundle gently, a sudden light dawned in his mind; the problem was nearly solved: one could have a son without a wife, and it was as simple as picking up a piece of string. He didn't need to open the bundle to know it was a baby boy - eight out of ten illegitimate babies have little sparrows.
But then he reconsidered and found himself in a dilemma: a baby could not be raised in a peanut basket; though eating peanuts would be convenient, a tiny infant had no teeth. He sighed, feeling that his hope of becoming a father was very slim. To desire fatherhood yet be unable to achieve it - that was a large part of life's disappointment, like drawing water with a bamboo basket.
What if the elderly Nius were willing to adopt him? At this thought, Old Hu rejoiced for the small bundle. The Nius were a well-to-do old couple with no children but considerable money; everyone on this street knew that, and many were uneasy about that pile of cash.
He knocked on the gate, just as Old Niu was coming out of the courtyard. Old Hu presented the treasure. Old Niu was a small, elderly man in his fifties, lacking dignity and showing signs of being henpecked - which was indeed the case. The old man took the little hero, his hands trembling with joy: "Picked up here? Really? Right here?"
Old Hu squatted down, struck a match, and pointed out the spot. The old man looked and felt it was possible that a baby could appear out of nowhere in front of the stone block: "As long as it wasn't picked up elsewhere; if Heaven sends it to our doorstep, it would be a sin not to accept it, a sin! But wait, let me fetch the mistress." The old man knew - from years of experience and insight - that Heaven itself was no match for the mistress. Yet he couldn't bear to put down the heavenly gift: "How about this - why don't you come in too?" So everyone, including the peanut basket, went inside together.
Old Mrs. Niu was a small, dignified old lady in her fifties, who, apart from habitually bullying her husband (repetition is the mother of learning in all matters), would not even kill a fly - though flies had better show tact, for if one flew by during the lady's lesson time, its fate might not be safe; the old lady could be quite formidable when angry.
The old man handed the treasure to his wife. The mistress, being wise, knew that she had to open the bundle to see what was inside. Uncovering the top, a red, wrinkled little face appeared, looking as if it was already rather impatient with life. The old lady's observation was astonishing: "Oh! It's a little baby!" The more she looked, the more it resembled a baby, but she offered no criticism (a true critic knows when to be cautious). Only when she discovered the small male trademark did she decide: "My precious little darling!" This century was still dominated by men, even though she had little regard for Old Niu.
Old Hu recounted the discovery of the treasure, then added: "I thought of taking him away myself, as I have no son, but since Heaven has sent him to your home, how could I defy Heaven's will!" He felt a heroic air of carrying out Heaven's will.
At this moment, the third man, fearing to fall behind, began to cry. At a decisive moment for one's fate, crying was necessary.
Old Hu saw that the little bundle had found a place to be fed; starting life like this was not bad at all. He picked up his peanut basket, but the old lady stopped him: "How many times have we wanted to adopt a child, but never found the right one; today Heaven has bestowed one, saving us much trouble. But you must not speak of this outside! Hmph." Suddenly inspired, she took out the bundle again and re-examined it, this time starting from the bottom. Sure enough, she found a small piece of paper tied around the tiny ankle. "There!" The old lady was very pleased.
The old man, though lacking the merit of discovery, had the ability to read. He took the slip of paper, preparing to read it aloud. The old man's reading was like photography: he first had to adjust the focus, moving his head back and forth several times. Having adjusted the focus, he said, "Huh?" Then he refocused: "Huh, why are there words that have been smudged out?"
The old lady did not trust her husband's eyesight. In the style of threading a needle, she pursed her lips, frowned, and looked. Indeed, there were words that had been smudged out.
"Check the back!" The old lady did not necessarily know there were words on the back; it was a habit - even when buying persimmons, she would turn them over to see the bottom.
Old Hu had a flash of inspiration and grasped some meaning: "If it's a boy or a girl, there must be a Ma family name; who would abandon their own baby without leaving some clue? So they wrote a few words; then, thinking again, it wasn't respectable, so they smudged them out - just like pasting a notice on a wall, if it looks ugly, you whitewash it; same thing. Probably, well, there was something hard to tell!" To show his cleverness, Old Hu spoke fluently; but suddenly realizing his words might be disadvantageous to the little bundle, he quickly added: "But it's nothing much - it happens often." Still feeling he hadn't fully turned the corner, he was about to think further when the old lady cut in:
But the old lady tucked the baby back in anyway, adding: "Although Heaven granted him, he doesn't come like a snowflake falling from the sky; he has parents! That's why I told you to keep it quiet. Have you heard 'The Retribution of Heaven's Thunder'? That's one reason. And we don't want people to look down on him later - that's the second. Don't go spreading it around. Give him ten dollars!" The last words were a command to Old Niu.
Old Hu felt rather embarrassed. He grabbed a handful of peanuts and placed them on the table: "In Shandong, they call peanuts 'longevity fruit' - wishing you good luck and long life!"
After the old man left, the old lady gazed at the living treasure in her arms. The more she looked, the more she loved it. In her eyes, there was no ugly baby, though newborns were always so unseemly. A little fleshy bump on the mouth - that would be a high nose bridge. Look at that head of black hair - in fact, there might not be many strands, and they were definitely not black. The eyes, needless to say, from ancient times to the present, had always been large. The old lady's imagination, guided by maternal love, painted a rosy picture when looking at a baby.
Patting, coaxing, tilting her head to look, Old Mrs. Niu was so happy that tears fell. To have a son at over fifty! And sent by Heaven to her doorstep. Even if a maid or servant had left him here, why of all places 'here' if not heaven's will? This point was settled. Then she began to plan: what material for the swaddle, what color for the little blanket, how many pieces of diaper. How to celebrate the third day, and how to hold the Full Moon Celebration. She even vaguely thought about how to get him a wife, and how he would wear mourning and lead the funeral when she died...
But how to inform relatives and friends? A baby blown down from the sky as if by a gust of wind - that sounded unlikely. Under no circumstances could they say he was found-not even if their lives depended on it. Fortunately, Sihu wasn't home - another act of heaven's will, that boy's tongue was faster than lightning. Old Mama Liu, coincidentally, was also out, and her tongue was no slower. Since both 'lightnings' were out, it was easier to handle. Say he was adopted from a distant relative - living very far away. No, if they lived so far, how could the baby be delivered right after birth? Make it closer: the mother died shortly after birth, so they had to send the baby immediately - that would work. Poor little darling!
What to name him? 'Heaven sent', 'Tianlai' - neither good. 'Tianlai' sounds like a pawnshop name; 'Heaven's will' - isn't there a sauce shop called 'Laotianyi'? Tian - anyway, it must have 'Tian', as in 'Tiangong cifu' (Blessings from Heaven) - too many characters. Hmm, why not call him 'Tianci'? For his childhood name, 'Fu Guan'! The old lady had always revered the Three Goddesses of Jinxian Nunnery and paid little attention to Confucius; now she paid even less attention to him.