Teasing My Brother-in-law

Xing’er laughed and said, “Then from now on, I’ll call him Little Yun, and he’ll call me Long Xing’er. That way, neither of us will be at a disadvantage.”

As they chatted and laughed, many people had already stepped forward to toast the Old Madam. When it was the Ninth Lady’s turn, Long Xing’er and the others went up to offer their wine. After the toasts, Xiao Yun and the Ninth Lady sat for a while longer before leaving the banquet. There was no shortage of guests, so their departure didn’t affect the lively atmosphere in the least.

Back in the Ninth Lady’s room, Xing’er asked her about the conflict she’d had with the Seven Wolves of Hedong on her way back. The Old Madam had already told Xing’er that she wanted her to oversee the Wild Wolves Gang, led by the Seven Wolves of Hedong. So Xing’er inquired about each of the wolves.

Xiao Yun interjected, “Those Seven Wolves of Hedong aren’t so impressive. That day, Sister Yue routed them completely. I think if they came up against Sister Xing’er, the result would be the same.”

The Ninth Lady quickly said, “Yun, don’t speak carelessly. The Seven Wolves of Hedong are not ordinary people. It won’t be easy to subdue and manage them.”

Xing’er nodded, “That’s true. I think the wolves of Hedong only follow our lead on the surface because we give them twenty thousand taels of silver every year. If we stopped paying them, controlling them would be much harder.”

The Ninth Lady agreed, “Indeed. Giving the Wild Wolves Gang twenty thousand taels every year is not a long-term solution. They bear the name of wild wolves—how fierce and greedy must they be.”

Long Xing’er asked, “Ninth Sister, what do you think is the best way to control them?”

The Ninth Lady replied, “If you want to control them, Xing’er, you must rely on two things. First is strength: you must make them understand that even if they muster all their power, it’s not enough to rival the Long family. The second is money, but that’s only a temporary measure. You can offer them benefits for now, to show you have the ability to lead. You must make them believe that under your management, they can achieve greater wealth. Only when you’ve earned their respect can you truly subdue them.”

Xing’er said, “Ninth Sister, that’s easy to say, but I don’t know if I’m a match for the Wild Wolves Gang’s experts.”

The Ninth Lady replied, “I haven’t seen the Wolf Master, He Jiuqu, in action, but I’ve crossed swords with his lieutenants. Their skills are decent, but not unmanageable. The real challenge is the Wolf Master himself.”

Long Xing’er added, “Yes, I’ve heard the man’s skills are extraordinary. In the ‘Register of Masters’ compiled by legendary figures of the martial world, he ranks between twentieth and thirtieth. I suspect it won’t be easy to control him.”

The Ninth Lady nodded, “That’s right! Controlling the Wild Wolves Gang will not be an easy task for you, Xing’er. But then again, if they were easy to deal with, the Old Madam wouldn’t have sent you.”

Indeed, Long Hanxing herself was not to be underestimated. Among the Long family’s three swords—Spring Sun, Cold Moon, and Hanxing—she ranked third. In Lady Hundred Flowers’ ‘Register of Famous Flowers,’ she was eleventh, known as the Radiant Starflower. She was an outstanding woman, famed as a heroine throughout the martial world.

The Ninth Lady then asked, “Do you know which helpers you plan to take with you, Xing’er?”

Xing’er replied, “For now, the Old Madam has agreed to let Feiyu and Feihong come with me. But we’ll have to see how things develop. If it gets too difficult, I might need to ask for your help, Ninth Sister. I hope you’ll lend me a hand then.”

The Ninth Lady smiled, “If you need my help, Xing’er, I will do my best.” In fact, she understood well why the Old Madam had sent Long Hanxing to take charge of the Wild Wolves Gang—because she and Hanxing were closest of sisters, and she would never refuse to help.

After chatting for a while, Xing’er took her leave.

That night, Xiao Yun slept in the Ninth Lady’s room. Deep into the night, the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the distance from time to time. Tomorrow was New Year’s Day, and people everywhere were setting off firecrackers to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.

Xiao Yun couldn’t help but think of his mother at home, and of Xie Xiaoyan, who had always cared deeply for him.

Every year at this time, he would either go to Xie Xiaoyan’s house to eat dumplings for the New Year, or invite her to his home to make dumplings together. After they’d eaten, the two of them would join the other children in the village, setting off firecrackers and playing late into the night.

This year, however, he was sleeping in the Ninth Lady’s bed, and found himself feeling strangely lost, a faint melancholy settling over him. Then, he thought of Lingzhi, the gentle and beautiful woman who had once saved his life.

That fairy-like woman, who had never once been angry with him, had left to gather herbs in some distant place. He wondered if she was still living alone in the deep mountains, lonely and isolated.

Then there was Bai Xuehua, whom he’d met in the snowy fields—a brave and resolute woman. He wondered how she was now.

On the road to Luoyang, he’d run into her by chance. If the Ninth Lady hadn’t been with him at the time, he would have rushed over and embraced her. In fact, it was for her that he’d left home for Xianyang, which in turn had led him to meet Xiao Hong, Xiao Jing, the Ninth Lady, Chu Xiaoyu, Qu Buping, and the others. As Xiao Yun thought of all this, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The Ninth Lady, hearing him fidget restlessly, asked, “Can’t sleep? Are you feeling unwell?”

Xiao Yun replied, “I’m fine, but my mind keeps wandering. I keep thinking and thinking, and I just can’t fall asleep.”

Xiao Jing interjected, “Young Master, what are you thinking about? Is it so important that it’s keeping you awake? Can you tell me?”

Xiao Yun laughed, “Of course I can. I was just thinking that after tonight, I’ll be another year older. Tomorrow is my birthday.”

Xiao Jing laughed, “Everyone knows that. Whoever you are, another year passes and you get a year older. That’s enough to keep you awake? How strange!”

The Ninth Lady smiled, “Xiao Yun, go to sleep. You’ll need your energy for tomorrow. It’s the first day of the new year, and Luoyang will be bustling. I know how much you love excitement—tomorrow, I’ll take you to the city to see the sights. How about that?”