At Ma Family Village…0

The village was peaceful. One villager, Ma San, was a somewhat timid middle-aged man who loved to play the suona. Whenever there was a wedding or funeral in the village, he would go help out. He would never ask for money, instead he was just joining in the festivities.0

For this, his wife often scolded him. But Ma San would always chuckle foolishly, saying that everyone was from the same village and he found it too embarrassing to ask them for money[1], so he could only put on a smile as an apology to his wife[2]0

Names in the village were given casually. Ma San’s son was called Ma Wu[3]. Outsiders might think he was Ma San’s brother, but he was in fact his son.0

Ma San had just returned from playing the suona[4]; at a local family’s event, his pockets were filled with candies and treats only available in the city.0

He gave some to his wife, a few to his son. He laughed, saying he...0