Chapter 8

Xue Cui saw her mother placing the blame on Xiao Wanling and couldn’t be bothered to explain anymore. She leaned into Mrs. Liu’s arms, continuously crying out in pain.

Mrs. Liu sent away her eldest daughter-in-law. “That Shen Qing has a cold personality. You need to be a bit more attentive and gentle—even if you have to pretend, just pretend for now. Once you’ve entered his household, it’ll be fine! As for that Xiao Wanling, she has no family to rely on. Once we drive her out, those valuable recipes for cakes and tea will all be yours. That’s far easier than picking those useless tea leaves.”

Xiao Wanling was sewing clothes by lamplight. Shen Qing had gone out at night again to dig the road. Using his old clothes as a guide, she made him a new garment—it took up so much fabric, the hem nearly reached her knees.

The hemp cloth had been soaked in alum and sun-dried several times, so it no longer felt scratchy.

Shen Qing returned from roadwork and saw a set of new clothes placed on the table. He picked them up and found they fit just right, then took them to the bamboo hut for a bath.

He felt that his wife truly intended to live a proper life with him. He wanted to earn more money, so she wouldn’t have to work so hard.

Shen Qing quickly headed toward the mountains and didn’t return all night.

Xiao Wanling woke up and habitually glanced at the floor—the bamboo bed was empty. She assumed Shen Qing had already gotten up.

She put on her shoes and felt her way toward the door, only to suddenly see a pair of blue eyes in the darkness. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she ran outside quickly, calling out, “Shen Qing!”

No one answered. The outside was pitch dark, and sweat broke out across her forehead.

She banged a stick against the door to make some noise and stared at the doorway, waiting for the beast to come out. A minute passed, but nothing happened.

She suspected she might have been dreaming or seeing things. Gathering her courage, she moved toward the window and saw a shadow on the ground. She immediately stepped back two steps—right into a solid chest.

Shen Qing’s voice sounded behind her. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a wolf!” Xiao Wanling turned around and hugged Shen Qing tightly, pressing her face to his chest. Hearing his strong heartbeat finally calmed her.

With a soft, fragrant person suddenly in his arms, Shen Qing’s ears turned red. He tugged at Xiao Wanling’s hand, but she only held on tighter. Feeling her tremble, Shen Qing felt a surge of fear and scooped her into his arms, carrying her back inside.

Xiao Wanling was startled and quickly clung to Shen Qing’s neck. It dawned on her a moment later that he was holding her like a child. She tried to get down, but Shen Qing wouldn’t let her.

He stood at the doorway and took a closer look. “Hui Lang!”

The shadow on the ground stood up and wagged its tail.

Shen Qing patted Xiao Wanling’s back. “Don’t be afraid. Hui Lang is the wolf I raised.” He set Xiao Wanling on a stool and crouched in front of her.

Hui Lang obediently walked out, sat on its hind legs, tilted its head, and wagged its tail across the ground—looking very dog-like.

Xiao Wanling actually saw confusion in the wolf’s eyes. Her voice still trembled. “You raised it? It doesn’t bite people?”

Shen Qing shook his head. “If I tell it not to bite, it won’t. Today, Hui Lang will watch the house.”

To reassure her, Shen Qing began telling her how, around the age of ten, he had been starving when he found the injured Hui Lang and wanted to eat it. But the wolf led him to rabbits and bird eggs. He ate the meat, and Hui Lang ate the innards. Maybe Hui Lang came looking for him because it was hungry now.

Xiao Wanling thought of the buried pile of mussel meat, and sure enough, saw a hole dug in the ground. She insisted, from now on, no letting Hui Lang into the house while they slept.

Shen Qing agreed and gave the wolf a few instructions. That was the end of that.

The two had just stepped out the door when someone approached the Shen household stealthily, holding a package in his hand, heading toward the drying foodstuffs.

Suddenly, a fishy gust of wind blew by. A wolf bared its teeth and growled, scaring the man into turning and running for his life. Hui Lang chased him a few steps, then returned to crouch inside the firewood pile.

*****

Today, there were even more unfamiliar faces. A strange man muttered to himself, and the moment he saw food, he rushed forward to grab it.

Xiao Wanling quickly pulled her hand back. “What are you doing?”

The lean uncle who almost had his sugar water snatched turned to glare at the man.

Only when the man stepped back did Xiao Wanling hand the clay pot to the uncle. But the man reached again to grab it. Xiao Wanling and the lean uncle both shouted at once, “Go away!”

The man, startled, retracted his hand and stood off to the side, staring.

Shen Qing frowned and stepped up beside Xiao Wanling, keeping a close eye on the man.

Three men with fierce expressions approached from afar. The burly one in front reached out to lift the lid of the pot, but Shen Qing stopped him.

Seeing it was a young man resisting, the burly man tried to secretly use more strength with his other hand.

But the heavy iron pot didn’t budge. The man was baffled—had he run into a martial expert?

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his shoulder, squeezing until the flesh ached, and he pulled back.

Shen Qing asked coldly, “What are you doing?”

The man stepped back and shook off the hand. Then he shouted, “That bean curd you sell—is that yours? After I ate it, I had vomiting and diarrhea! Are you trying to poison people?!”

Aunt Wu stepped beside Xiao Wanling and shielded her face with her hand. “He’s from the neighboring village. He sells tea.”

Everyone understood that this was a competitor picking a fight over stolen business.

He had no skill and yet refused to let others sell. And this was Qishan Village, not his Yan Village.

Xiao Wanling softly thanked her and said, “Let’s set aside whether or not it’s poisonous. Is this stall your jurisdiction?”

The man was stumped and roared, trying to save face. “Your stuff made me sick. You need to pay for my medicine! Or I’ll smash your stall.”

Xiao Wanling turned to the others and asked, “The tea stall paid a year’s worth of taxes. If someone comes to make trouble, who’s responsible?”

“The village head!”

Cheng Qiao’er had run to the village to fetch the head as soon as those men arrived. Now, the village head came huffing and puffing on his cane, still being hurried from behind.

He wiped sweat off his brow and shouted, “Who dares cause trouble!”

The burly man cowered instantly and turned to flee, only to be blocked by Shen Qing.

The village head saw who it was and snapped, “Oh, it’s you again. What are you doing in our village?”

The man tried to play innocent. “I had vomiting and diarrhea from her sugar water! She should pay for my medicine!”

The village head leaned on his cane. “Sounds like you’re too idle. Someone catch him and take him back to Yan Village for questioning!”

The man waved his hands frantically. “No, no! I was wrong! Her tea is selling in our village so how can I do business?”

The village head asked, “Did Madam Xiao force your people to come buy her tea?”

“No!” someone in the crowd piped up. “Chen Gui’s tea tastes moldy and weird. Madam Xiao’s tea is cheaper and tastier.”

“You heard that?” the village head said.

Chen Gui had only wanted to scare them, not cause a real scene. He bowed deeply. “I’m sorry!”

He signaled the two men with him, intending to leave.

“Hold it!” Xiao Wanling brought out a stool and helped the village head sit. She looked at Chen Gui and said, “Today, we need a clear explanation!”

Shen Qing swung his stick. Chen Gui instinctively leaned back and raised his arms. “Brother, let’s talk this out!”

The village head panted and let Madam Xiao handle it.

Xiao Wanling stood beside him. “The tea I sell is picked from Qishan, the grains are traded from the village or bought from official granaries in the city. Today you falsely accused me—what was your purpose?”

“Purpose?” Chen Gui’s mind raced. He only meant to flip the stall, but now she was bringing in official granaries then that would get him in real trouble.

This Madam Xiao was sharp-tongued!

The village head chuckled and nodded. “Well said.”

Chen Gui forced a laugh. “I had no purpose.” Regret filled his heart.

The village head said, “Madam Xiao, leave this to me and Shen Qing. Don’t let it ruin your business.”

People were still waiting to buy food before work. Xiao Wanling nodded. “Alright.” Any future trouble, she’d know where to point the finger.

She and Shen Qing got back to work. Chen Gui and his men slipped away unnoticed.

The village head shouted, “Chen Gui, I’ll be speaking with your village chief about this!” Then, after resting a bit, he told Shen Qing, “Your conscription tax is taken care of.”

Cheng Qiao’er quietly warned Xiao Wanling to watch out for Mrs. Liu, since Xue Cui had been badmouthing her again and Mrs. Liu always believed it.

Shen Qing overheard and, when there were no customers, blocked Xue Cui in the village.

Her shoulder still hurt, so she wasn’t picking tea today. She was handing a rice cake to a child, saying, “Go home and say Madam Xiao’s rice cakes taste bad, and her tea gives you diarrhea.”

The child, unable to resist, nodded while swallowing saliva and reached for the cake.

Suddenly, Shen Qing appeared and kicked the cake aside. “Don’t eat that! She poisoned it!”

The cake hit the ground, got covered in dust, and was trampled. The child wailed loudly. His family rushed over and heard the word “poison.” Then they saw Shen Qing scolding Xue Cui. It was obvious she was up to her old tricks.

Cradling the child, they shouted at her, “Xue Cui, you’re too vicious!”

Xue Cui hugged her head and sobbed uncontrollably. With no one to back her up, she washed her face and dove under the blanket, howling.

Mrs. Liu came back with a basket on her arm and heard her daughter sobbing hoarsely. She bolted faster than a rabbit!

Xue Cui’s eyes were swollen like walnuts. “Mother! Hic Shen Qing… he hit me!”

Mrs. Liu slammed the bed frame. “That cursed Shen Qing—and Madam Xiao too! Just wait!”

Hearing footsteps, she wailed, “Husband! Your poor daughter was beaten to death!”

Xu Zhengyang had gone to the fields, feeling his back had improved. Their land was in the mountains, so he hadn’t heard about any of this.

When the second son and his wife returned for lunch, he asked them immediately.

Third son Xu De’an said, “Shen Qing and Madam Xiao aren’t ones to mess with.”

Mrs. Liu flared up, but Xu Zhengyang shot her a glare and said, “Keep talking.”

The couple recounted how Chen Gui stirred up trouble at the tea stall and ran away embarrassed. The tea steward had even warned that anyone spreading rumors would pay the price.

Xu Zhengyang looked at his third son. “Why is the tea steward helping Madam Xiao? He has no ties to Shen Qing.”

Xu De’an replied, “Because Madam Xiao sells tea from our village.”

That day, not only was there sugar water, but also new tea. The cool tea with slippery grass jelly and soft honey beans was truly delicious.

The second son’s family poured the purchased tea into a large bowl for Xu Zhengyang and Mrs. Liu to taste.

After a sip, Xu Zhengyang passed it to Mrs. Liu, who took a drink and then handed it to the eager Xue Cui.

Just then, a neighbor stormed in with a child. “That rice cake I bought for my grandson was stolen by Xue Cui and she put poison in it! Thankfully, Shen Qing caught her. What grudge do we have that she’d harm a child?”

Everyone turned to stare at Xue Cui in shock.

Her crying echoed through the entire village for a quarter of an hour before it stopped.

***

Xiao Wanling and Shen Qing went into town to purchase goods, bringing rice cakes along. The market was already over, so they headed to the restaurant to try their luck. A servant came out the back, saw there was no wild meat on the cart, and looked disappointed.

Shen Qing said, “Please get your manager. My wife made some pastries.”

The servant agreed and went inside, closing the door.

After a while, a manager dressed in fine embroidered robes came out, curiously examining Xiao Wanling. Her fair, delicate looks didn’t match a village woman. He lifted the cloth covering the bamboo basket.

Xiao Wanling hurriedly said, “Please try them. There are sweet ones, and savory too!”

The manager took a bite of the rice cake and nodded lightly. Then he picked up the radish cake—soft, chewy, the radish refreshing and flavorful. Both types pleased him; he couldn’t choose a favorite.

Xiao Wanling said, “Two cent per piece. Buy ten, get one free.”

The manager didn’t speak. He seemed to be thinking.

Xiao Wanling’s heart raced. If she couldn’t sell them, she’d have to hawk them at the city gates.

Seeing his wife nervous, Shen Qing couldn’t bear it. He said to the manager, “I want to see your boss.”

Xiao Wanling was confused, but then saw a woman in a red dress, with jet-black hair and a graceful face, smiling as she walked over. “Young Master Shen, you want to see me?”