When the village head heard about the trouble at the Du household, he couldn’t simply ignore it. His own young grandson was studying under Du Xun, the only Tongsheng in the village, and couldn’t afford any disruptions to his lessons.
“What’s all this?” he sighed, his head already throbbing at the sight of Bai Qianqian. “Madam Bai, not you again! What are you doing here causing a scene?”
“The Dus had the nerve to steal from me. These cotton coats are proof. I’m not making this up,” Bai Qianqian retorted.
She had already found the coats and brought them into the open before the village head arrived, saving him the trouble of searching.
Madam Zhou, her face swollen and furious, immediately turned to him. “Village Head, look at me! Madam Bai rushed in here and started attacking us. She smashed our dining table! You have to see justice done!”
Xiu’er, the mute girl, looked on with growing anxiety. She glanced at the village head, her lips parting as if to speak, but no sound came out.
“I’m the one who gave the mute girl the fabric and cotton for these clothes,” Bai Qianqian countered. “I even paid her half the wages upfront. And now Madam Zhou claims they’re a gift from her? Please. She can’t even afford to feed herself—how could she possibly pay for the materials and the work?”
Bai Qianqian realized that Madam Zhou was going to lie through her teeth. If she let the woman keep babbling, they’d be here until dark.
“If you don’t believe me, Village Head, ask the women in the village. I brought the cotton and fabric to several of them when I was looking for help. They’ll remember.” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “A few of them even tried to persuade the mute girl to take the job from me.”
The village head, who had initially assumed Bai Qianqian was just troublemaking and planned to side with the Dus, hesitated. Her confidence and the promise of witnesses made him pause.
“Is this true?” he asked the mute girl.
The mute girl nodded vigorously, then gestured frantically to show that she hadn’t given the coats away—Madam Zhou had snatched them from her.
Among the crowd gathered outside, several of the women who had originally encouraged the mute girl stepped forward as the village head called them.
They knew about the cotton coats, but they hadn’t seen Madam Zhou steal them. They assumed Bai Qianqian was simply trying to cheat the mute girl out of her wages.
“We’ll get justice for her!” the women declared, stepping forward to demand a fair settlement for the mute girl.
“Village Head, did you call us over because of the mute girl and the cotton coats?” one woman asked. “Is Madam Bai trying to cheat her out of her wages again? We were all there when she promised a hundred and fifty copper coins for two coats. Now she’s trying to back out?”
“That’s right!” another chimed in. “Auntie, we warned you not to let that black-hearted woman trick you. Now look—you sewed the clothes for free, and she hasn’t given you a single coin!”
A hint of schadenfreude laced their words. They’d been envious when Auntie Liu’s husband earned money from Bai Qianqian, thinking she’d finally changed her ways. But seeing the mute girl’s plight now brought them a sense of vindication.
Bai Qianqian’s lip twitched. Fine, she thought, at least their words prove the coats are mine. I’ll forgive their nonsense for now.
The women continued, relishing their role as the mute girl’s champions. But the Du family’s faces darkened with every word.
“Enough! I didn’t call you for this,” the village head snapped. “Go home, all of you. There’s no need for you to say another word.”
Ever the diplomat, he had noticed Du Xun’s face turning a livid shade of blue. He knew a scholar’s pride was a fragile thing, so he quickly dismissed the crowd.
Once the crowd had dispersed, the village head attempted to smooth things over.
“It’s all a misunderstanding,” he said. “Your Xiu’er can’t speak, so it’s only natural Madam Zhou got confused. Since the clothes have been returned, let’s just drop the matter. Madam Bai, take your coats and go home!”
Bai Qianqian rolled her eyes.
Fine, she thought, I’ve already gotten my satisfaction.
She hadn’t expected the village head to take her side anyway. As long as the Du family didn’t demand payment for the medicine, she was content.
Seeing her leave, the village head breathed a sigh of relief. He exchanged a few pleasantries with Du Xun before departing himself.
Later, Bai Qianqian found the mute girl alone and pressed the copper coins into her hand. “You embroidered these for me, and I won’t cheat you out of your wages. Take it.”
The mute girl looked away, too ashamed to accept the money. But Bai Qianqian insisted. Knowing the girl had nothing to buy winter supplies, she kept pushing the coins into her palm until she finally relented.
“Hide it well,” Bai Qianqian warned. “Don’t let your stepmother snatch it from you. And if you have any extra firewood, bring it to me. I’ll buy it from you.” With that, she turned and walked away, clutching the two cotton coats.
The village head had helped suppress the news of Madam Zhou trying to steal the clothes, so few people knew. Madam Zhou, still nursing her swollen face, might have retaliated if Du Xun hadn’t scolded her into submission. She didn’t dare cross Bai Qianqian again.
Bai Qianqian and Zhao Anyao made two more trips up the mountain, this time to dig for wild yams and gather other forest goods. She had arranged to buy her winter firewood from Auntie Liu, a woman she’d worked with before. Though Auntie Liu gave her a look that said, What a spendthrift woman, the deal was struck.
After all, chopping wood was no hardship for a farming family, and it cost them nothing extra. For Auntie Liu’s family, Bai Qianqian’s willingness to pay was a welcome opportunity.
With their winter fuel secured, Bai Qianqian focused on digging yams with Zhao Anyao.
On this trip, they encountered the mute girl gathering firewood. Bai Qianqian was surprised to see how strong the girl was despite her frail frame; the bundle of wood on her back looked incredibly heavy.
After a quick greeting, Bai Qianqian continued her search for wild goods. Now that they no longer had to chop wood themselves, she and Zhao Anyao approached the mountain with a new sense of excitement. Their luck held, and they stumbled upon a patch of wild kiwis.
The vines climbed high, and Bai Qianqian had to put in considerable effort to fill a basket. The fruit was small, but with so few fresh fruits and vegetables available now, any wild find was a welcome treat.
“Why did you pick so many? These are too sour to eat,” Auntie Liu said, having waited for Bai Qianqian to return before her husband brought the firewood over.
The sight of the basket full of wild kiwis made her mouth water.
“They’re just for a snack,” Bai Qianqian replied. “Wait a moment, I’ll go get the money for the wood.” Not wanting to keep them waiting, she quickly went inside and set down her back-basket.
After Auntie Liu announced the total weight of the wood, Bai Qianqian paid her according to their agreed price.
Auntie Liu counted the coins in front of her, confirming that the amount was exactly right. A smile broke across her face, and her attitude warmed considerably.
This was a rare treat for Bai Qianqian. To this day, the rest of the villagers still gave her dirty looks; only the mute girl and Auntie Liu treated her with any real civility.
When she had been going into town to sell pastries, she hadn’t given it much thought, but staying in the village these past few days had made her feel how isolated she truly was.
“Auntie Liu,” Bai Qianqian called out as the woman turned to leave. “Will your family be buying pastries to take to relatives for the New Year?”
“Where could we afford that?” Auntie Liu asked, puzzled by the sudden question.
“The pastries in town are far too expensive. When we visit relatives, the best we can offer is a cut of pork, or maybe some eggs and grains. As long as the gesture is made, that’s enough.”