Chapter 33

The village head leaned on his cane and hurried over, coughing incessantly. “Am I too late?” Where’s Madam Xiao?”

Xiao Wanling stepped out from behind the Tea Supervisor. “Thank you for coming all this way. I’m fine.”

The village head slowly moved to a nearby stone and sat down. “What kind of scene is this again?”

The tea supervisor approached him and said, “I just happen to have something I wanted to discuss.”
Soon, the Mulberry Supervisor and the Farm Supervisor were also summoned.

The women, still shaken from the earlier incident, now weak in the knees and trembling, had moved to a distance and began whispering.

“Just now, the person Madam Ji sent was taken away?” There’s someone who can actually control her?”

“The Prince of Jin is personally fighting at the front. In Jin City, Madam Ji is the highest authority!”

Someone covered her mouth and laughed softly. “How powerful is Madam Ji?” What if the Prince of Jin lost the war?” The moment those words fell, all the smiles vanished from the women’s faces.

Old Lady Liu rushed over, eager to witness the commotion. “I heard someone pointed a sword at Madam Xiao—how come she’s still standing there unharmed?”

Xiao Wanling glanced toward the direction of the village head and the others. What exactly was going on in the city? There was no news at all.

If Madam Ji was abusing her power while the Prince of Jin was away, who could stop her?

She couldn’t help but worry—had the news of the high-yield sweet potatoes even reached the Prince of Jin?

The tea supervisor raised that exact concern. “Madam Xiao cannot be allowed to leave. If we want her to stay, we must secure credit for her sweet potato discovery as soon as possible.”

The village head shifted his legs and said, “I’ll write to my son right away and ask him to try and speak with the Prince of Jin in person!”

The farm supervisor nodded in agreement. “We absolutely cannot let Madam Xiao leave. If she goes, the hearts of the women will scatter as well.”

“I’ll write multiple letters and deliver them to the courier station to be sent together.”
Food and coarse salt were scarce and rationed. Only by making multiple trips could he barely supply both villages.

A woman called out in astonishment, “We get to write letters to our men?!” She was so excited she could hardly speak.

All three supervisors were literate. Following the women’s dictation, they wrote down brief messages. At the end of each letter, they included a note about Madam Xiao discovering high-yield sweet potatoes.

When it was Xiao Wanling’s turn, the village head smiled and laid down the brush. “Madam Xiao, you write yours yourself.”

She picked up the brush, concerned that Shen Qing might not understand, and quickly scribbled a few lines before putting it aside.

Cheng Qiao’er blinked rapidly in surprise. “Madam Xiao, you know how to read and write?”

The village head let out a hearty laugh. “She used to read prescriptions as a child—of course she knows how to read and write!”

Suddenly remembering his chronic cough, he said, “Madam Xiao, do you have any remedy for this illness?”

Xiao Wanling recalled the formula for chuanbei loquat syrup. “It may work, but I don’t remember the entire recipe.”

The village head’s confidence in retaining Xiao Wanling grew. “Good, good! If you need help, just ask!”

The bamboo shoots and wild vegetables on the surrounding mountain ridges had all been picked clean. Winter was approaching. Without staple foods or meat, survival would be extremely difficult. Xiao Wanling planned to venture into the mountains to set traps for game. Cassava and chestnuts were nearly ripe. If she could catch fish or find lotus roots, it would greatly help.

The Mulberry Supervisor led the village men to go fishing. Xiao Wanling and her usual patrol group of women prepared to head out. Others, seeing that she always returned with food, wanted to tag along.

Old Lady Liu said to Gu Yaofang and Han Hui, “You two should go as well.” Your eldest sister-in-law always brings back food and never thinks to share with you two.”

Ever since the men left, Cheng Qiao’er had been living the best. Several times, they’d smelled meat on her, and her eldest boy often had greasy lips. He hadn’t lost weight—in fact, he looked taller and healthier.

Gu Yaofang and Han Hui exchanged a glance. “Let’s go too.”

After the two daughters-in-law left, Old Lady Liu said to the bedridden Xue Zhengyang,
“I’m going to find you something to eat!” Then she left.

Xue Zhengyang’s lips were chapped from thirst, and the room reeked of spoiled laundry hanging nearby. He looked up at the ceiling, eyes blank, when suddenly someone called “Father!” from the doorway.

Turning his head slowly, he saw Xue Cui. She sat down beside the bed, poured him some tea, and held it to his lips. “The sisters-in-law don’t care about you anymore. Just watch how I’ll teach them a lesson!”

He gulped the tea down, the scratchiness in his throat gradually easing. Finally, he felt alive again.

Old Lady Liu stormed in and shouted at Xue Cui. “Where have you been these past few days? There’s no rice to cook at home, and you still come back dragging some bundle? You don’t even have any unmarried brothers. Did you bring someone home to wait on your father?”

Xue Cui rolled her eyes and slammed a large bowl on the table. “Where’s Madam Xiao? I’m going to expose her true identity—hmph! She’s not even a Xue; her surname is Li!”

Xue Zhengyang and Old Lady Liu looked at her like they didn’t know her. “What nonsense are you spouting?”

Xue Cui stomped her foot. “Bring Madam Xiao here!” I found someone who looks exactly like her!”

She ran outside and dragged a disheveled woman inside, lifting the woman’s hair.
“Look closely—doesn’t she look like her?”

The woman shrank back, fear in her eyes, lips tightly sealed.

Old Lady Liu rolled her eyes. “Other than having one nose and two eyes, there’s no resemblance!”

Xue Zhengyang’s voice was weak. “Xue Cui, you need evidence when you speak. The village head already investigated. Even Shen Qing trusts her. Are you going to go against everyone now?”

Xue Cui dragged the woman into the courtyard, wiped the dirt off her face, and pulled her back inside. “Look again!”

The woman trembled as she tried to hide. Her face bore several red marks. She had large, almond-shaped eyes and willow brows. Although she was very thin, it wasn’t hard to tell she had a pretty face. She was older than Madam Xiao and had a timid expression.

Old Lady Liu’s eyes widened. She turned to Xue Zhengyang. “There is some resemblance! Old man, take a look!”

Xue Zhengyang glanced briefly, then turned away. “Lots of people look alike. Didn’t you say your cousin and aunt’s daughter looked similar too?”

Xue Cui stomped her foot. “Then bring Madam Xiao to confront her!”

She pulled out a chair and sat down. “Mom, I’m hungry. Cook me some noodles and add an egg!”

Old Lady Liu slapped the table. “Where’s the stuff you took with you?”

Xue Cui pointed at the woman guiltily. “With her, we won’t have to worry about Madam Xiao disobeying us. She’ll have to give us money!”

****

Xiao Wanling was followed by more than a dozen women, forming a line as they made their way through the mountains. Looking at the pitch-black trees and the bare ground, Madam Shi asked, “This is the place that was burned down by spies?”

Sister-in-law Lu nodded with a heavy heart. “Yes.”

Xiao Wanling turned her head and said, “Once we get over this mountain, look for purslane, wild amaranth, dandelions…”

The women who had previously foraged for wild vegetables all perked up. For Gu Yaofang and Han Hui, it was their first time, and they whispered to Cheng Qiao’er, “Sister-in-law! Can you teach us later?”

Cheng Qiao’er patted her chest. “Sure!” She was the most familiar with Madam Xiao and knew the most about wild herbs and vegetables. The two sisters-in-law smiled at each other.

“There’s a bamboo grove over there!” Cheng Qiao’er shouted as she gripped the basket strap and ran toward it. Gu Yaofang and Han Hui summoned all their strength to chase after her.

The others also took off running, leaving Xiao Wanling trailing at the back. She squatted by a patch of undergrowth, using a sickle to clear the leaves, and spotted coral-colored pine mushrooms. Further ahead, she found several poisonous ones.

She put her basket down, glanced up at the pine tree overhead, and crouched to carefully identify the mushrooms.

Madam Shi suddenly realized Xiao Wanling had disappeared and hurried back to look for her. Spotting round leaves near a stream, she tried to take a shortcut but stepped onto what she thought was solid ground—only to feel herself sinking into mud. Startled, she screamed, “Help!”

Hearing the cry, Xiao Wanling rushed over and saw Madam Shi stuck in a depression between two hills.

Madam Shi had already lost her shoes. She struggled to pull one foot out, but as she took another step, she sank even deeper. Spotting Xiao Wanling, her face lit up as if she’d seen her savior. “I can’t get out!”

Xiao Wanling noticed lotus leaves and realized there might be lotus roots below!

She found a stick and stretched it out. “Grab on!”

Madam Shi gripped the stick with both hands, and with Xiao Wanling’s help, she finally made it to the slope. Her shoes were gone, her feet caked in gray mud, and her skirt and pants were splattered.

Only then did she realize the mud had a thin layer of clear water on top, camouflaged by large leaves, which was why she had stepped in.

Xiao Wanling knelt beside the pit, using the stick to poke at the mud. She estimated the silt was 20 to 30 centimeters thick. Rolling up her sleeves, she pulled aside the lotus leaves and reached down. Madam Shi looked on in alarm. “Madam Xiao! That’s really deep!”

“It’s fine,” Xiao Wanling said calmly. Her hand touched the tip of a lotus root. She followed it down and used the stick to pry it loose. Reaching back in, she grabbed part of the root buried in the mud and, with great effort, pulled out a thick, white, arm-sized lotus root. She laughed in delight.

Madam Shi asked curiously, “Can you eat that?”

Xiao Wanling rinsed it in the stream and wiped it on the grass, revealing the clean, white lotus root. She nodded. “We didn’t bring tools. We need hoes and shovels. You stay here—I’ll go get people.”

Madam Shi stood up. “Let me go instead!” She was covered in mud and uncomfortable. There was a river along the way where she could clean up.

By the time Cheng Qiao’er and the others had filled half their baskets with bamboo shoots, they noticed two people were missing. She panicked. “Madam Xiao and Madam Shi are gone!”

A wave of worry swept over the group as they rushed back, only to see Xiao Wanling kneeling by the water, reaching into the muddy pond.

A woman from Dayan Village screamed, “Madam Shi fell in!”

Xiao Wanling looked up. “She went back to call for help. There’s food under the mud!”

At this, the women sighed in relief, then cheered and hugged each other. Not only had they found bamboo shoots today, but also more food. They wouldn’t need to worry about going hungry for the next few days.

On the grassy bank beside the lotus pond lay plump, white lotus roots. The women knelt at the water’s edge, reaching down to feel for more. Cheng Qiao’er laughed the loudest. “The one I dug up is the biggest!”

Madam Shi soon returned with a group of people carrying farm tools and baskets. When they saw the fat lotus roots, they gasped in excitement and rushed over. The men jumped into the mud with shovels and began digging, tossing soil aside. The women used basins to scoop water away.

Xue Cui emerged, frowning at the scene. Everyone seemed to have lost their minds—digging in muddy water for food? Had they truly gone mad with hunger? She jumped forward and shouted, “Madam Xiao! You imposter! Come with me to see the magistrate!”

The surroundings went deathly quiet. Everyone froze mid-action and turned to look at Xue Cui.

Cultural Notes:

chuānbèi pípa gāo: A traditional Chinese herbal syrup made from fritillary bulbs and loquat used to treat cough and respiratory ailments.