Chapter Six: Ma Jianqun

As soon as Ma Jianguo stepped inside, he saw Ma Jianqun wearing a rounded cap, slightly bowing with a broad smile as he greeted a middle-aged man standing beside him. The man was dressed extravagantly, clearly a wealthy merchant, and was pointing at an old bottle in front of him, seemingly interested in purchasing it.

Seeing Ma Jianqun's behavior, Ma Jianguo snorted coldly but said nothing, instead finding a place to sit inside the shop with Ma Yuan. Ma Jianqun, busy with his business, glanced at them but remained silent, continuing to greet the middle-aged man with a smile.

Ma Yuan noticed Ma Jianguo sitting quietly without speaking, so he dared not be as casual as he was at home and quietly took a seat beside him. The Ma Family Antique Shop was filled with a subtle fragrance that Ma Yuan couldn’t quite identify, but it was refreshing and uplifting, prompting him to take several deep breaths.

Following Ma Yuan’s gaze, he stretched his neck to look around. The shop was filled mostly with bottles, jars, some paintings, fans, and other items. Ma Yuan didn’t understand these things, finding the birds in the paintings rather dull compared to the lively calls of birds in his hometown’s reed marshes.

However, the furniture and displays were polished to a bright sheen, far more attractive than the ones Ma Jianguo had made, and Ma Yuan couldn’t help but take a few more admiring glances.

They sat there for about half an hour before Ma Jianqun cheerfully saw off the middle-aged man. Judging by his demeanor, the deal was likely successful.

Once the man had left, Ma Jianqun’s face turned cold again. He didn’t even look at Ma Jianguo and Ma Yuan but took his seat at the head of the table, lifted a nearby cup of tea, and took a big sip.

“So, Third Brother, what wind blew you here today? Trouble again?” Ma Jianqun put down his cup, lit a pipe, and started smoking by himself.

Ma Jianguo clicked his tongue and, seeing Ma Jianqun’s attitude, held back the words he wanted to say. Ma Jianqun noticed Ma Jianguo’s awkward expression, glanced at Ma Yuan beside him, tapped the pipe to shake off the ash, and said impatiently, “Speak up. You’ve come all this way, so get to the point. Let me warn you, don’t expect miracles. I’m not omnipotent here in Gao City.”

Ma Jianguo hurriedly replied, “Second Brother, I came to the city this time to ask for your help in finding out how Ma Yuan can get into the Quhe Academy.”

Ma Jianqun took a puff and pointed at Ma Yuan. “What? You want Ma Yuan to study in the city?”

Ma Jianguo nodded slightly.

“Heh, the sun must be rising in the west today. Third Brother, you’ve really come around. When Old Master Tai passed down the craft, your father was shrewd and won his favor, so your line became the legitimate one. We others were branded as those who betrayed our ancestors. So what? Now you don’t want to pass the craft to your son anymore?” Ma Jianqun sneered, still bitter over past events that had left a deep grudge for many years.

Ma Jianguo’s face darkened. He had anticipated this scene before coming. The dispute over the carpentry craft had once led to violent clashes between the Ma brothers, forging a solid hatred.

“Second Brother, that’s not fair. The Old Master’s passing of the craft wasn’t something we juniors could control. We’re family; in these times, we have to support each other to avoid being wiped out.”

“Besides, I know you’ve looked down on me all these years. When Second Uncle left the countryside and made a name for himself in the city, he rose to prominence, while I stuck to that craft and never got anywhere. So I want Ma Yuan to study in the city, find a different path.”

Though the Ma family’s carpentry skills were renowned far and wide, Ma Jianguo was still fundamentally a simple farmer, timid at heart. Hearing Ma Jianqun’s reproach, he humbled himself.

Ma Yuan looked confused, staring at his father. Though young, he understood some of the underlying tensions but didn’t know how to express them.

Hearing Ma Jianguo’s words, Ma Jianqun took a long draw from his pipe, sighed deeply, and finally said, “Fine, fine. For the sake of brotherhood, they say you don’t hit a smiling face when you ask for help. Third Brother, you know I’m barely scraping by. If you want me to do something, naturally…”

Ma Jianguo was no fool. He hurriedly pulled out a cloth bundle from his pocket and stepped forward to hand it over. “Second Brother, this is some pocket money for the boy. Please take care of Ma Yuan’s matter.”

“What are you doing? Have we brothers really come to this point of estrangement?” Ma Jianqun pushed the bundle away, as if refusing, but to any stranger, it would seem he meant it seriously.

Ma Jianguo, however, shoved it firmly into his hand. “Second Brother, this is some spending money for Chengcai, and I’d appreciate it if you could take good care of Ma Yuan’s situation.”

“Well then, Third Brother, I won’t refuse. Rest assured, Ma Yuan is my nephew and a member of our Ma family. I do care about him. You two can go back for now. Wait for my message tomorrow.”

Ma Jianqun weighed the bundle in his hand, satisfied, tucked it into his chest, and agreed readily. His smile was rough and coarse, like a well-seasoned piece of meat—both unsettling and oddly amusing.

After a few more polite exchanges, mostly for show, Ma Jianguo led Ma Yuan out. Neither wanted to stay another moment in the stuffy antique shop that stifled the breath.

Outside, Ma Jianguo’s face turned chillingly cold. If not for needing help, he would never have humbled himself to beg Ma Jianqun.

Ma Yuan was unaware, but Ma Jianguo knew all too well. Years ago, when the Old Master Tai passed down the craft, Ma Jianqun’s father, Ma Yunfeng, and his own father, Ma Yuntian, had a bitter feud so intense that their families had no contact for decades.

At one point, Ma Yuntian was nearly killed by Ma Yunfeng. As a result, Ma Yuntian established a family rule for Ma Jianguo forbidding any interaction with Ma Yunfeng’s descendants.

But many things don’t go as planned.

No one expected that Ma Yunfeng, who had left home years ago, could thrive so remarkably in the city, while Ma Yuntian, who inherited the family craft, remained indifferent and unambitious.