Street Stories: A True Account of a Group of Blind Men in the Underworld

After resting at home for two days, Qiao Yang, carrying a heavy half-bag of mountain goods, entered his master Liu Shang's residence as soon as the sun rose above the eastern treetops.

He walked briskly, thinking to himself that he would have a good chat with his master about what he had seen and heard these past few days.

No sooner had they stepped across the threshold than two familiar voices came over – it was An Tai and Li You.

Qiao Yang was slightly taken aback. What were they doing here so early in the morning?

Inside the room, Liu Shang was sitting in a grand chair, his brows furrowed in a knot that seemed impossible to untie.

Hearing footsteps outside the door, the worry on his face instantly vanished, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed joy:

"Qiao Yang! You've come at just the right time! We're all at our wits' end with a thorny issue and don't know what to do!"

Qiao Yang put down the mountain goods, groped his way to a seat, and asked softly:

"Master, what exactly is troubling you? Tell us, and we can all come up with a solution together."

Liu Shang waved his hand and gestured with his chin toward the side:

"You should let your junior brother tell you about this."

Li You, whose name was called, froze.

He usually goes from street to street telling fortunes and performing storytelling with drum accompaniment. He's very quick-witted and has seen all kinds of situations.

But at this moment, it was as if someone had grabbed his throat. His lips moved for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single complete word. He could only squeeze out a few short, soft sounds from his throat.

An Tai, sitting to the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing at his pathetic state. He then took over the conversation, saying directly:

"Qiao Yang was arranged to marry someone by Li You's family."

Qiao Yang was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter:

"This is incredibly joyous news! Junior brother is getting older and should be settling down and starting a family by now! Why are you all looking so gloomy about such a wonderful event?"

"What's there to be happy about!" An Tai sighed, his tone full of helplessness. "This kid doesn't agree to this marriage at all!"

Qiao Yang was startled: "Why don't you agree? It's a perfectly good marriage, is there something wrong with it?"

An Tai gestured towards Li You with his chin and lowered his voice, saying:

"He already has someone he likes."

"Oh?"

Qiao Yang's tone suddenly became more interested, with a hint of reproach, "You've been keeping this a secret for a long time! You never let a word out, not even your master and I, let alone your parents!"

If I had told my family my feelings earlier, my parents wouldn't have had to worry about me for nothing.

Li You's voice was muffled, as if squeezed from her chest, carrying an undisguised sense of grievance: "I...I told them a long time ago. But they...absolutely refused to agree."

Qiao Yang raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly teasing:

"What? Could she be the daughter of an enemy? Or the daughter of a Kuomintang agent?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Shang and An Tai could no longer hold back and burst into laughter, finally easing the tense atmosphere in the room.

Liu Shang smiled and shook his head, revealing the answer:

"It's none other than your junior sister—Hong Fei."

"I thought it was something incredibly important! This is just icing on the cake!"

Qiao Yang patted the armrest of the chair and said, "I've met Hong Fei. She's smart, sensible, sweet-talking, and kind-hearted. Even though you can't see anything clearly, you have a sharp eye for choosing a partner!"

After laughing, he composed himself and said seriously, "Since you two are in love, why don't you just talk to your family and see what's going on? What's there to worry about?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Li You choked up. Two lines of tears silently slid down his pale cheeks, his voice trembling with sobs, like a child who had suffered a great injustice.

"I've already told them... but my parents just won't budge! They say that I'm already blind, and if I marry a girl who is also blind, how will we live together in the future?"

But my heart... has already been tied to her. I don't want anyone else but her!

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yang's heart softened, and he immediately suppressed his smile, his voice becoming serious:

"Have you confessed your feelings to Hong Fei yet? Did she agree? Don't let your efforts be all one-sided and end up wasting your time and the girl's time."

Li You abruptly raised her head, her tone carrying an undeniable stubbornness:

"Impossible! We're of one mind, she... she must have feelings for me too!"

As soon as he finished speaking, memories of the past surged up instantly, vividly appearing in Li You's mind.

During the days when they studied under the same master, Hong Fei was the warmest light in his darkest years.

Back then, the two always had endless things to talk about. When he caught a cold and was bedridden, Hong Fei would be so anxious that he would lose his appetite and stay by his bedside to feed him medicine and water, never leaving his side.

On the day of graduation, she accompanied him all the way, walking him slowly along the long dirt road until he reached his doorstep. That journey was the most peaceful one he had ever taken in his life.

Although he couldn't see her face, he could hear her laughter and feel the warmth from her palm.

He raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of his eyes, his voice tinged with shyness and tenderness, as if he were holding a fragile treasure:

"I...I even bought her a handkerchief specially, it's Suzhou embroidered, the shopkeeper said the stitches are especially beautiful. I saved up for a long time..."

An Tai, listening nearby, couldn't help but tease:

"You're so stingy! A token of love should at least be a gold ring or a jade bracelet, what's a handkerchief? Is that even presentable?"

Li You's cheeks flushed red, and she awkwardly whispered her explanation:

"That handkerchief was bought with money I saved up for a long time. It was too expensive... I really couldn't afford it."

His voice trailed off, as if he had done something wrong.

After hearing this confession, a deep, calculating glint flashed in Qiao Yang's eyes.

He slowly raised his eyes, his tone steady, his words carrying an unyielding decisiveness:

"This matter isn't without hope. Since you and your junior sister are mutually in love, let's go find Hong Fei first and ask him directly—"

Does she still have feelings for you? As long as her feelings haven't changed, we'll confront your parents directly!

The new Marriage Law has long been in effect, guaranteeing freedom of marriage and strictly prohibiting arranged marriages. No one can forcibly separate you two.

The words were firm and resonant, and when they reached Li You's ears, they were like a sudden spark of light in the dark night, finally bringing a glimmer of hope to his dejected face.

Liu Shang pondered for a moment, but still couldn't help frowning:

"That makes sense, but... who will go and find out Hong Fei's intentions? We can't let Li You go himself, can we? What if..."

Before the words were finished, An Tai and Qiao Yang exchanged a glance, and spoke in unison, their tones surprisingly similar:

"Naturally, he'll have to go himself."

Qiao Yang stood up, stepped forward, and spoke softly:

"Whether feelings are deep or genuine can only be determined by asking in person. What's the point of having someone else do it for you?"

Li You's throat tightened, and his voice trembled uncontrollably:

"I...I'm afraid she's already changed her mind, and if I ask her directly, she'll lose even the last bit of hope."

Liu Shang also sighed:

"Yes, what if Hong Fei really does follow his family's arrangements and finds someone else? Wouldn't Li You be..."

Qiao Yang merely smiled faintly and looked towards the door:

"Being afraid is useless. Some answers you have to find yourself sooner or later."