“Mai Ya, what’s going on here?” The Village Head looked at the crowd gathered around the house, recalling what Lin Hu had just told him, and couldn’t help but think less of Mai Zi.
Before Mai Zi could answer, the villagers had already started chattering and spreading the story on their own.
“Village Head, it’s just my wife making a fuss. We don’t want these wild vegetables anymore. Everyone, go back home!” Lin Hu, playing the good-natured man, tried to disperse the crowd.
Mai Zi found Lin Hu’s act amusing. She decided to wait and see what scheme they were plotting.
Mai Zi looked at the crowd and spoke to Lin Hu word by word, “Uncle Lin, I really didn’t take anything.”
Village Head Chen frowned, growing tired of the argument. Why was Mai Ya being as stubborn as a mule? “Mai Ya, let your Aunt Lin into the house so she stops making a scene here.”
Hearing Village Head Chen’s words, Mai Zi said nothing. Lin Shi, like a triumphant rooster, lifted her chin and walked inside. As she passed Mai Zi, she spat a dry glob of phlegm at her feet.
Mai Zi stepped back and covered it with the sole of her straw sandal. Sigh…
Lin Shi entered the house and looked around the bare, empty room, somewhat disbelieving. She remembered visiting earlier in the year when there were still a few things here. How could it be completely empty now?
Her expression darkened, and she hurriedly rushed into the small room. Spotting the cloth bag containing food, her dull eyes lit up.
“This wretched girl of mine—raising her has only raised a thief! Aren’t these our Shu-beans? Oh dear, they’ve all been eaten by this wild girl!”
Lin Shi held up the bag of beans Mai Zi had stored in the small room, her wailing voice drifting out from inside.
The villagers’ curiosity was reignited. How could the Lin family raise a daughter who turned against her own?
After all, Lin Xiaocao had given food to Mai Zi before, so they had silently assumed the food belonged to the Lin family.
Only then did Mai Zi realize their plan. They wanted both the wild vegetables and the food, likely thinking she was an orphan with no one to rely on. Mai Zi found it laughable.
Lin Xiaocao had been worried her family would pull some underhanded trick, but she never expected them to resort to such a despicable method. Anxious, she was about to rush out and explain when Mai Zi quickly stopped her.
“You say that’s yours. What proof do you have?”
Seeing Mai Zi ask this, Lin Shi already had a plan in mind. “Our family’s bags all have a rope tied with two knots. This bag has one too. See for yourselves, everyone!”
Xiaocao grabbed the bag and saw that the rope indeed had two knots. Panic set in—her mother must have secretly tied them after entering the room. Anger surged through her, her lips trembling with rage:
“This is Mai Zi’s food, Mother! You can’t just take Mai Zi’s food because our family has no grain left!”
Lin Xiaocao glared at Lin Hu and Lin Shi, filled with resentment. If they would even steal from Mai Ya, what wouldn’t they do?
No wonder they had thrown her into the refugee crowd in her dream. They knew exactly what would happen to her!
Her mind was in chaos, scenes of her death in the dream replaying over and over… Lin Xiaocao picked up a stone and hurled it with all her might, hitting Lin Hu squarely on the foot.
Xiaocao’s action instantly ignited Lin Hu’s cruel and ruthless nature, shocking even Lin Shi.
Lin Hu glared fiercely at the little dark-skinned monkey who was crying and making a fuss, wishing he could drown her in the river right then and there. If it weren't for the high bride price offered by the Xu family in the neighboring village, he would have long sold her to human traffickers to get wives for Zhu'er and Shuan Zi!
"Aunt Lin, these are all Shu-beans I just picked from the field. The beans are pitifully small, and you're bullying me, an orphan with no parents!… Shame on you!"
Mai Zi turned and lunged at Aunt Lin, delivering a vicious blow, twisting the flesh on Aunt Lin's body twice, causing her face to contort in pain! She screamed in agony!
The villagers looked at the Shu-beans in the bag—they were indeed tiny. Only someone as starved and desperate as Mai Ya would pull up such seedlings. For hardworking farmers like them, who would dare waste such sprouts?
Amid the commotion, the villagers remembered Mai Zi's parents and felt deeply sorry for them!
To be bullied like this, with even the children's life-saving food being swindled—Lin Xiaocao's parents were truly despicable. Just look at these two little girls, sigh!
Seeing the situation, the Village Head could do nothing. After all, the Shu-beans inside were pitifully small. In these times, who would pull up unripe Shu-bean sprouts from the field?
Seeing this, the Village Head simply stroked his beard and said, "It's all a misunderstanding. We're all villagers here. The Lin family should return the grain to Mai Zi! Everyone, disperse now!"
The Village Head gave both families a warning, then walked back to the village amicably, washing his hands of the matter.
Night fell, and the conflict quietly passed. Lin Xiaocao stayed at Mai Zi's house, weaving a dry grass mat by moonlight, her nimble hands flying up and down.
"Mai Ya, where did you hide the wild vegetables? You're so clever, knowing to hide all these things."
Mai Zi retrieved Lin Xiaocao's wild vegetables and herbs from behind the house and chuckled, "The Buddha says it cannot be told!"