“When we passed through the bamboo grove earlier, I noticed they had cut some bamboo. They probably used it to make bamboo tube rice.” She had already guessed as much, especially since bamboo tube rice was one of the staple foods here.
Xiao Yunyan suddenly understood. “So that’s what the bamboo was for.” Then, curious, he asked, “How did they come up with that idea?”
Children are full of questions. Xiao Yunyan wasn’t the only one curious; even Xiao Mo’er, who was gathering firewood behind him, and the other children looked at Xie Mingzhu with puzzled expressions, waiting for her explanation.
Xie Mingzhu smiled faintly. “Because this area is mostly mountainous, transportation is inconvenient. When common folks travel long distances, with few oxen or horses available, they try to reduce unnecessary luggage to avoid exhaustion during the journey.”
“Moreover, this region mainly grows glutinous rice, so there are no other types of flatbread. Therefore, the locals steam the rice and shape it into rice balls, which are easy to carry. They simply wrap them in banana leaves, eliminating the need to bring bowls and chopsticks.”
“However, due to the frequent high temperatures and humidity here, rice balls don’t keep well for long. So, they only carry raw rice and cut bamboo poles along the way to use as cooking utensils. This way, they don’t need to bring pots, ladles, or bowls. Plus, rice cooked in bamboo tubes has a unique flavor!”
As for water? There was no need to carry any at all.
Although the mountains were shrouded in poisonous miasma, the main roads were relatively safe. Due to the sparse population, wild fruit trees grew abundantly along the roadside.
Additionally, the climate here was tropical and subtropical. Further south lay the boundless ocean, with an endless supply of seafood!
She wondered how far Guangmao County was from the sea.
Based on Xie Mingzhu’s observations of the local climate, it actually leaned more toward a tropical monsoon maritime climate.
After hearing her explanation, the group’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
“Mother, you’re so amazing!” The little girls were especially generous with their praise and eagerly took the firewood from Xie Mingzhu’s hands.
They carried it over to the fire pit.
“Mother, it’s hotter by the fire pit. We’ll take it over for you.”
Without waiting for Xie Mingzhu’s consent, the children quickly divided the firewood she was holding.
Xiao Mo’er also chimed in, “Sister-in-law, you go rest under the tree. I’ll go pick some papayas.”
Following Yang Butou’s verbal instructions, she had roughly learned how to select papayas for picking.
She definitely couldn’t climb the trees, so she just needed to identify papayas that seemed nearly ripe and shake the straight tree trunks.
Of course, timing was crucial. She had to run away quickly before the papayas fell, or they might hit her on the head.
She had heard that someone once got hit by a falling papaya and turned into a fool.
Li Jiao Xing and the other two were not far away. They had witnessed Xie Mingzhu’s earlier explanations and the children’s and sister-in-law’s affection for her, which naturally stirred a bit of envy in their hearts.
What surprised them even more was that Xie Mingzhu was supposed to be an orphan from a merchant family. In the Great Xia dynasty, merchants were considered lowly and humble. Yet, from what they could see, Xie Mingzhu seemed to know a great deal.
The explanations she had just given were things that even Su Yurou, once hailed as a talented woman of the capital, had only read about in books.
But beyond their curiosity about Xie Mingzhu, they felt even more grateful.
Before boarding the carriage today, the three of them had assumed Xie Mingzhu would look down on them like everyone else.
To her surprise, instead of looking down on them, she showed concern and invited them to move further inside the carriage.
Earlier, with Yang Butou present, the three women had refrained from speaking freely. Now that they were alone, they exchanged glances and approached her.
Su Yurou stepped forward as their representative. “Today, we must thank you, Madam Xie,” she said, performing a curtsy.
“What for? The carriage belongs to the magistrate’s office, and Yang Butou is the driver. You should thank him instead.” Though Xie Mingzhu understood their gratitude, she felt accepting it would imply she viewed them the same way others did—as though their ordeal was their fault.
Her words left the three momentarily stunned.
Then, Xie Mingzhu chuckled and called out, “Don’t just stand there! Let’s pick some papayas for the journey.”
Truthfully, Xie Mingzhu had intended to befriend them regardless of their past experiences.
After all, unmarried women would be highly sought-after in Guangmao County. Moreover, in an unfamiliar place, having a few close friends was essential.
Compared to strangers in Guangmao, these three women were known to her, loyal by nature, and remarkably resilient.
Other women might have succumbed to despair after such trauma—indeed, several in their group had already taken drastic measures.
Xie Mingzhu reasoned that befriending them would ensure allies in times of need. They might not solve major crises, but they could lend support or offer advice.
As the saying goes, “Three humble cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang.”
Now, abandoned by their families and heartbroken, her unreserved acceptance was like fuel in snowy weather—a timely kindness.
This low-cost investment promised substantial returns.
Indeed, her strategy paid off immediately.
Su Yurou and the others, deeply moved, realized that while everyone else shunned them and their families wished they’d died to “preserve honor,” the wife of Marquis Zhenyuan—someone who wouldn’t have invited them to poetry gatherings before—treated them with undiminished dignity.
In their despair, they finally felt warmth beneath the scorching sun.
Exchanging determined looks, they spoke almost in unison: “We’ll help.”
Though the betrayal by their loved ones still haunted them, they now believed not all people were heartless.
With their assistance, they gathered four or five ripe golden papayas, several large mangoes, and a bunch of plantains.
Since the previous day, they had spotted scattered tall coconut trees on the mountains.
Xie Mingzhu had longed to pick coconuts but dared not climb such heights, nor did she have a proper knife to open them. She could only gaze longingly.
Su Yurou, perceptive, noticed Xie Mingzhu seemed unusually familiar with Lingnan.
Yet from her observations, even though Xie Mingzhu had spoken with Yang Butou at the courier station days prior, they rarely interacted otherwise.
Moreover, on the narrow, rain-soaked, pothole-ridden roads, Yang Butou remained focused on driving, leaving little opportunity for conversation.
So it was clear that Xie Mingzhu’s understanding of Lingnan did not come from Yang Butou.
Moreover, having fallen from being a noble lady with an Imperial Mandate to her current state, she didn’t complain about fate like her family members. Instead, she remained remarkably positive and composed.
She cared for and protected her sister-in-law Xiao Mo’er as if she were her own sister. Even the daughters of concubines and mistresses were treated with the same maternal affection as her own children, without any distinction.
Yet, like the others, Xie Mingzhu no longer had decent clothes to wear. The soles of her shoes were worn through, leaving most of her toes exposed. Despite this, her smile remained radiant.
Su Yurou couldn’t comprehend how she could accept her fate so calmly.
Seizing a moment during a bathroom break, she asked Li Jiaoxing and Lu Wanwan, “What do you think of Sister Xie?”
They didn’t understand why she asked, but their immediate reaction was that Xie Mingzhu was truly a good person.
Li Jiaoxing blurted out involuntarily, “If only she were my sister-in-law.” She envied Xiao Mo’er deeply.
Lu Wanwan nodded in agreement, “Yes, if only she were our family.” Though they had only truly interacted with Xie Mingzhu that day.
Now, Xiao Mo’er was neither disfigured nor defiled, and the children were all healthy.
Among the exiled families, many had children—usually entire families caring for a few. But Xie Mingzhu, a single woman, managed a whole brood alone.
Not only had all her children survived, but they were completely unharmed.
This proved she was a capable woman who could thrive without relying on a man.
Amid their admiration, Su Yurou spoke up, “Among those five children, only the third and fifth girls are her own. Yet I see she treats the others with genuine sincerity, showing she values loyalty and affection. Unlike others, she doesn’t look down on us now.”
Thinking of their current plight, she sighed. “She doesn’t scorn us like others do. I’m grateful and will remember her kindness for life.”
At this point, she recalled the hardships endured to survive and her family’s heartlessness, tears welling up again.
“Last night, I truly didn’t want to live anymore. But I couldn’t accept it—I’d endured the worst, and now things are slowly improving, giving me hope.” According to her family, she should have taken her own life to preserve the Su family’s honor.
After the truth came out last night, those closest to her—the relatives she’d fed with her own body and life—cursed her with the vilest words.
For the first time, she realized her mother, once praised as a model in the capital, could spew such crude insults so ruthlessly.
And her younger sister, who always hid behind her seeking protection and once vowed to repay her, led the charge—fearing her reputation would be tarnished.
In the end, they only cared about reaching Guangmao County, leveraging their official status to marry into wealthy families.
Dream on? They were all exiles now, convicted criminals, and the men they were to marry were merely impoverished farmers from remote villages who couldn’t afford wives.
Among the three of them, Su Yurou was the cleverest, Lu Wanwan the most beautiful, but Li Jiao Xing was actually the strongest.
Even last night, after being driven out by her family upon discovering her pregnancy, she had never once considered death.
Now, hearing Su Yurou’s sighs and lamentations, she instead comforted her, “Why are you crying? No matter how you look at it, I don’t think it’s our fault.” As she spoke, she suddenly noticed Xie Mingzhu approaching and quickly held back her tears, “Sister Xie.”
For a moment, she grew uneasy, fearing that Xie Mingzhu might misunderstand her meaning and think she was someone who willingly degraded herself.
Xie Mingzhu had come looking for them because the three had been gone for a long time after relieving themselves, and it was almost time to eat.
She happened to overhear their conversation near the banana grove.
Seeing the anxiety on Li Jiao Xing’s face, she guessed part of the story and picked up the thread of their discussion, “You are not at fault. The fault lies with the times, with those hypocritical and beastly Escorts, and with your ungrateful families.” To be precise, they were all a bunch of people who repaid kindness with betrayal.
In truth, Xie Mingzhu felt this was for the better—seeing the ugly true faces of so-called relatives early on would spare them from suffering and toiling for them in the future.