Chapter 34

Xiao Wanling’s heart gave a jolt, but she quickly calmed down. Shen Qing’s intentions were what truly mattered—other people were irrelevant.

Cheng Qiao’er glanced at Xue Cui, then at Xiao Wanling, turned her back on Xue Cui, and continued pulling lotus roots from the mud. “This one’s even bigger! Should last us a few days!”

Everyone returned to their cheerful selves, furiously digging and tossing mud and lotus roots.

Madam Shi walked around the pond, picking up lotus roots. She laughed so hard that she was tearing up.

Xue Cui kept yelling to herself, “Madam Xiao! You fraud! Just wait, you’re going to jail!” Her voice was drowned in the laughter around her, and she screamed in frustration, “Ahh—don’t pretend you can’t hear me! I brought a witness! Let’s see how you wriggle your way out this time!”

Gu Yaofang and Han Hui both thought Xue Cui had gone too far. Everyone was working, but she alone was screaming and making a scene. As the saying goes, “The eldest sister-in-law is like a mother.”

Cheng Qiao’er turned around and said, “If you don’t work, don’t expect to eat!”

“That’s right!” Han Hui rolled her eyes and splashed a basin of muddy water at Xue Cui.

Xue Cui screamed, jumped back a couple steps, and fell on her bottom, her skirt now filthy.
“You’re crazy! I’m telling Father and Mother!”

Han Hui stood with hands on hips and snorted, “Go ahead! It’s us supporting our parents now. Why don’t you contribute some grain or silver instead?”

Gu Yaofang nodded vigorously, feeling quite satisfied.

Xue Cui held out a trembling hand. “So this is what family is, huh? Ha!” She felt betrayed, as if her own family had sided with outsiders to bully her. Crying, she ran off.

The Mulberry Supervisor, back aching and waist sore from digging mud, didn’t want to stop.
“If Xue Cui won’t work, don’t feed her!”

Everyone’s opinion mattered—those who shirked had to be punished harshly.

Aunt Wu leaned toward the Mulberry Supervisor and whispered, “What if Xue Cui goes out and spreads rumors?”

The Mulberry Supervisor spat into his palm and grabbed his shovel. “So what? Women fleeing from famine were still taken as wives. Once they’re registered in the household, even the authorities recognize their identity. Madam Xiao’s status is official.”

He figured Xue Cui was just not right in the head. All her sisters-in-law had come from outside too—clearly she was just being dense.

Digging lotus roots was exhausting. By noon, everyone happily headed back.

The village head leaned on his cane and smiled with satisfaction when he saw everyone returning in an orderly line with food in hand.

Seeing his wife carrying a basket of bamboo shoots, he tried to help.

The village head’s wife dodged him, “No thanks! Just help us start the fire! These shoots need to be boiled!”

The big kitchen was bustling. Old Lady Liu peeked in through the doorway, watching Xiao Wanling chop ingredients.

Chicken skin in the pot was frying until golden and crispy. Cheng Qiao’er rolled up her sleeves and turned to ask, “How much longer do we fry this?”

Xiao Wanling looked back. “Fry it until it’s crispy. The more oil, the better!”

Before long, the kitchen doorway was packed with people. Today, the tea supervisor had led a hunt, and they hadn’t tasted meat in ages. Just the smell made everyone swallow hungrily.

The Mulberry Supervisor sat by the kitchen door with his legs spread, casting a glance at Xue Cui.
“You haven’t worked for three days now. You don’t get any food.”

Everyone turned to look at Xue Cui. Someone asked curiously, “Where did you even go?” You were gone for days.”

Xue Cui had fainted and been saved by a handsome man and later ran into a woman in the street who looked like Madam Xiao. Remembering her “mission,” she ran back home, dragged the woman she bought, and dashed toward the kitchen.

Nearly everyone from both villages was there. Word had spread that there would be meat for lunch, and the kitchen was packed.

The schoolteacher, seeing that the children couldn’t focus from the smell, dismissed class early.
“Eat first, study later!”

Xue Cui tried to push through the crowd with the woman, shouting, “Make way!”

The women of Dayan Village glanced back at her and deliberately ignored her. Xue Cui yelled toward the kitchen, “Madam Xiao! Get out here!”

The Mulberry Supervisor stood up. “Wait on the side. We’ll deal with this after lunch.”

Xue Cui thought he was on her side and smirked smugly.

Before long, a basin of deep-fried lotus root balls and a pot of chicken soup were ready. Everyone lined up for food.

Old Lady Liu held two bowls and signaled to Xue Cui. Xue Cui had just stepped into the line when someone pushed her out. The Mulberry Supervisor blocked her with a stick on his shoulder.
“Back of the line. Workers eat first.”

Old Lady Liu finally got her share, a bowl of meat soup and another of lotus root balls, and rushed home.

Xue Cui thought she’d be given a portion but stared in disappointment at Old Lady Liu’s back. She ran home to fetch a bowl, instructing the woman not to leave.

The woman wore Xue Cui’s old clothes, which hung loosely on her frail, hunched body. Her face was passable, and she gazed longingly at the food, swallowing saliva nonstop.

By the time Xue Cui returned, the food was gone, with only half a bowl of soup left. She painfully gave the woman a sip, still savoring the minced meat and sweet flavor lingering in her mouth. Wiping her lips, she said, “Supervisor, let’s start the interrogation!”

After the meal, the schoolteacher took the children back to class. The Xue family’s three daughters-in-law, Madam Shi, Aunt Wu, Sister-in-law Lu, and others remained. Jiang Ting frowned; everyone had been starving, and now Xue Cui was back causing drama.

The Mulberry Supervisor sat down, sipped his tea, and said, “Xue Cui, go ahead.”

Xue Cui pushed the woman forward and pointed at her. “Look at her! Doesn’t she look like Madam Xiao?” There was some resemblance, but to claim a connection? Not so much.

Xiao Wanling looked at the woman, who kept her head down. She seemed familiar, but Xiao Wanling couldn’t place her.

The woman also peeked at Xiao Wanling and thought, “What a beautiful woman—clearly someone from a family who’s never gone hungry. Not like me.”

She did have a fourth younger sister around that age. Their parents had said the sister was kidnapped. There was a resemblance, but she didn’t dare claim it.

Xue Cui shoved her and asked, “What’s your name?” What’s your sister’s name?”

The woman thought for a moment. “I’m Li Die’er. My younger sister’s name is Wan’er.”

Xue Cui beamed with excitement. “Wan’er! Madam Xiao, what do you have to say now?!”

The Mulberry Supervisor, recalling Xiao Wanling’s registered name in the household letters, asked,
“Li Die’er, do you have any other proof?”

Li Die’er clutched her clothes, avoided eye contact, and shook her head. “My sister was kidnapped by bad men. I thought the woman Madam Xue mentioned might be her—but she doesn’t look like her.”

Xue Cui froze, then lunged at her. “You’re lying! Why are you suddenly backing out? Say you’re sisters already!”

Li Die’er shrank back in fear. “I don’t know! You said you’d help find my sister!”

The Mulberry Supervisor stood up and blocked Xue Cui. “Anything else to say?”

Xue Cui clutched her chest in anger. “No matter what I say, you don’t believe me. But you believe her? You’re all siding with outsiders!”

The Mulberry Supervisor shouted, “Enough, Xue Cui!”

Xue Cui screamed, Tell me the truth!” She grabbed Li Die’er, “I have your indenture! Speak nonsense and I’ll sell you!”

At the threat, Li Die’er collapsed to the ground, terrified. Her parents had sold her, and she’d been resold multiple times. None of her masters treated her like a human being.

She clung to Xue Cui’s sleeve. “Please don’t sell me! I can work, just feed me!”

Xue Cui gritted her teeth. “I spent eight cents on you! Plus food and travel expenses. How are you going to pay me back?”

Li Die’er let go, sat on the ground, and wept in despair.

The three daughters-in-law exchanged glances. Cheng Qiao’er pulled Li Die’er up.
“Whose money? That was what we pooled together to buy medicine for Father! Get home now!”

Xue Cui tried to grab her again, but Han Hui and Gu Yaofang blocked her.

Old Lady Liu heard they’d wasted over ten wen and still hadn’t managed to defeat Madam Xiao. She beat her chest in frustration and kicked Li Die’er out. “Find your own food before you come back!”

Xiao Wanling passed by the Xue household with Sister-in-law Lu and saw Li Die’er lingering outside.

Sister-in-law Lu waved, “Come home with me.”

Any woman who could work wouldn’t be driven out of the village.

Xiao Wanling was curious. Clearly, Li Die’er recognized her. Why had she changed her story? She looked like she had a hard life. People instinctively seize survival chances.

Li Die’er sensed the beautiful woman was watching her and nervously looked down. Feeling no hostility, she whispered, “I have nowhere to go. I can’t have children.” Her last master had found out and was planning to sell her again.

Sister-in-law Lu was speechless. A woman who couldn’t have children would be called a useless hen. She’d seen too many tormented by husbands and in-laws for this.

Xiao Wanling snapped, “So what? You can’t give birth—so what! You’ve got hands and feet. You can feed yourself.”

Li Die’er bit her lip. Xiao Wanling was the first to ever say that to her. Tears streamed down her face.
“But it’s a hard world… I just want to find a family who’ll let me work and live in peace.”

Xiao Wanling handed her a handkerchief and patted her on the shoulder. “You’ll find it.”

She thought of Madam Zhang. The Zhang household had servants, plus a restaurant and a fabric shop. If nothing else, she could help her find work.

She noticed Li Die’er hadn’t eaten her fill earlier, so Xiao Wanling opened her courtyard gate and invited her and Sister-in-law Lu in. She dug up some potatoes and cooked a pot.

The three women sat in the courtyard, eating potatoes and drinking tea. Noon passed quickly, and then they carried their baskets down the mountain to dig up the rest of the lotus roots.

The Mulberry Supervisor saw Li Die’er working hard and said nothing. Most of the villagers were women now. Seeing her in such hardship reminded them of their own first days—no one made it harder for her.

That evening, they had fish soup and some boiled lotus root. Li Die’er cried while eating, overwhelmed by the feeling of being full.

Kind-hearted women gave her old clothes, telling her to alter them and make do for now.

Li Die’er cradled the garments and cried again. In the past, if someone gave her clothes, it was only so she could wash them.

Cheng Qiao’er had never seen someone cry this much. “They’re just some old clothes, not worth a copper!”

She stopped herself, remembering her own bitter past—it was like being steeped in bitter herbs. She waved her hand, saying she was off to fetch her son.

Sister-in-law Lu nudged Li Die’er to follow her home.

Xiao Wanling had been delayed dealing with the supervisor earlier. Sister-in-law Lu always went home with her, so the three of them were the last to leave.

Just after exiting the village, it began to rain. The banana leaves that could block rain had long since been picked clean.

Xiao Wanling shouted, “Run!”

The three of them sprinted through the downpour. When they reached Shen’s courtyard, the rain was so heavy they could barely see.

Xiao Wanling grabbed an umbrella from under the eaves. Sister-in-law Lu and Li Die’er followed to help boil water, planning to leave once the rain eased.

Once the bathwater was hot, and the rain still hadn’t stopped, Xiao Wanling told them to stay the night. She found two old outfits and told them to bathe and rest here.

Sister-in-law Lu held the clothes and walked toward the bathhouse with the umbrella.

Suddenly, Li Die’er turned back and looked intently at Xiao Wanling. She grabbed her hand, lifted her sleeve, and saw a red birthmark on her wrist.

Softly, she asked, “You’re Wan’er, aren’t you?” I almost didn’t recognize you.”