Song Mianmian laughed. Clearly word had spread that she was both wealthy and an easy mark. It did not matter. November had barely begun and the cold season lay ahead. Stocking up on firewood was no loss and might even turn a profit.
“I do not mind,” she said. “I feel the cold terribly and would indeed lay in a good supply. I am heading into town to shop just now. I will attend to it when I return.”
She made to walk past them. The women genuinely wanted to sell their wood but more than anything they were looking to trip her up. They had assumed she would turn them down having already agreed to buy from the five educated youth. Her ready agreement threw them completely off balance. Only after she had gone several paces did they hurry to catch up.
“You promised the five from the compound! Are you going to turn them down to take ours instead?”
“Yes! Or are you just stringing us along? That is not right. You cannot treat us so unfairly.”
Song Mianmian feigned a moment of puzzlement then sighed deeply. “I told you I dread the cold. I will buy from all of you. Ten bundles per household the same for everyone. Does that set your minds at rest?”
The women fell silent. What if other villagers also came to sell? As if reading their thoughts onlookers swarmed forward. “We have firewood too! Buy ours as well!”
“Yes! You said you would treat everyone alike! Do not leave us out!”
Some called out while privately sneering. Let us see how you get out of this one young lady. They expected her to refuse perhaps even to panic. Instead she blinked in apparent thought then nodded firmly.
“Very well. Ten bundles each. My house cannot hold so much at once however. So apart from the five I spoke of earlier everyone else may deliver five bundles by tomorrow. The remaining five a month after that. Will that do?”
They stared. Why on earth would anyone need over a thousand bundles? Surely she was making it up. Or perhaps she simply had no idea how much that amounted to. Let her try to back out later they thought. They would deal with her then. So they agreed and let her go.
Song Mianmian had no wish to walk nor did she casually ask villagers about transport. She went instead to find Xiao Weihua at the compound. He was team leader after all and it made sense to consult him. The group sat to a thin breakfast of millet porridge and pickled vegetables. With no village work these next few days they had planned to go up the mountain to cut wood first for Song Mianmian then for themselves. At her arrival most smiled and gathered round.
She explained her errand to town then added quietly. “I overheard some elders on the train yesterday evening. They say prolonged rain and snow are due starting tomorrow night. I want to buy grain and supplies while I can and telephone home to say I am well.”
Rain and snow tomorrow? Several glanced up at the cloudless sky in doubt. Xiao Weihua nodded thoughtfully. “The sky looks clear yes but the wind has felt wrong. Colder than it should be. Better to take precautions than be caught unprepared. Everyone gather what you need without delay.”
The group nodded and began planning. Five young women would go to town to buy provisions. The rest would head for the hills to cut wood and forage herbs. He Yun Xiao Weihua’s cousin and the de facto leader among the women finished the shopping list and came over.
“There are two carts we can take. Sun Xiwang who met us yesterday drives the donkey cart. Fu Qingniu has the ox cart. We do not know which is free so we thought we would call at Fu Qingniu’s first his place is nearer.”
Another Fu? “I noticed the team leader yesterday was also Fu,” Song Mianmian said. “Is it a large family in the village?”
Before He Yun could answer Xie Shijiao pushed in. “Let me tell you! It is not the biggest clan that is Sun and Huang. The house you bought was owned by the Huangs. But the Fus are the most distinguished. One of them Fu Jinghuai is a famous scientist. His wife is a leading doctor in the city. Their children are all high achievers too.”
Song Mianmian had paid Xie Shijiao little mind but her heart leaped. So this was indeed Fu Jinghuai’s home village. She found Xie Shijiao suddenly much more agreeable. “Is it truly? Such an out of the way place to produce someone so eminent. Surely he has taken his family to the city to share his good fortune?”
Xie Shijiao delighted to be acknowledged continued eagerly. “He wanted to! But his parents would not leave. He had one brother and one sister. She married and moved to the capital long ago. His parents passed away two years apart leaving only his father’s elder and younger brothers’ families here. Fu Qingniu is his uncle. Fu Jinghuai and his wife have always been generous sending money and supplies regularly.”
Song Mianmian longed to ask directly about Fu Chen but held her tongue. Instead she asked about Yunlu Mountain. Learning that deep valleys harboured tigers and bears and few dared venture far she felt quietly pleased. She hoped Fu Qingniu’s cart might be free a chance to learn more about the family. He had already left however taking passengers to town. Sun Xiwang’s donkey cart was available and the six women set off.
Once there Song Mianmian meant to go alone but Xie Shijiao insisted on tagging along. Song Mianmian decided it was time to put a stop to it.