The members of the Su family’s old household hobbled back into the courtyard. As soon as they pushed open the gate, they could no longer hold themselves up. The eldest uncle sat slumped on the threshold, clutching his numb arm, grimacing in pain; the second uncle crouched on the ground, holding his aching calf, his forehead covered in cold sweat; the second uncle’s wife lay against the hall table, her shoulders throbbing so much she couldn’t even lift her head. The grandmother, propped up on a bench by the grandfather, continued to curse Su Wanxing in fits, though her voice had lost some of its arrogance and gained a hint of resentment and frustration.
“It’s all your fault that you’re useless!” the grandmother snapped, turning to vent her anger on her two sons. “Why didn’t you pin that little wretch down at the ancestral hall gate? Now look—no money, and you’ve been beaten and hurt all over. How embarrassing!”
The eldest uncle gasped in pain and retorted, “Mother, that’s easy for you to say! That little girl must have learned some forbidden trick—just one touch and my arm went numb. I couldn’t even raise it. How could I fight back? And Su Li Zheng arrived so fast— even if we wanted to act, there was no chance!”
The second uncle trembled as he spoke in agreement, “Exactly! That kick she gave me—it hurt so much I nearly felt my bones crack. I collapsed to the ground. How could I advance? That little wretch isn’t the pushover we used to control anymore!”
Mentioning Su Li Zheng made the grandfather frown deeply, letting out a heavy sigh: “Stop quarreling! What good is talking about it now? The real problem is Su Wanxing—she actually managed to find ginseng and make a fortune! If only we’d known she could identify herbs, we’d never have sent her and the little ones to the ancestral hall, and certainly wouldn’t have severed ties with her!”
These words hit everyone like a cold splash of water, silencing the hall instantly. The grandmother thumped her thigh, stomping in regret. “Yes! How could I have forgotten? Her parents made a living from collecting herbs! That little wretch surely inherited their skill—she can recognize ginseng, a precious treasure! She’s a golden-egg-laying hen! How could we have let her go?”
The eldest uncle’s eyes gleamed with greed, rubbing his hands together. “If we had kept her at home, forcing her to go up the mountain every day to gather herbs and find ginseng, we wouldn’t have had to toil so miserably in the fields. We’d have become rich ages ago!”
The second uncle’s wife, wincing in pain, added, “And then there’s Su Wanfeng and the little one. Even though they’re useless now, a few years of raising them, Su Wanfeng can work, Su Wanyue can earn money—they’re ready-made benefits! We were fools to push away such a money tree!”
As everyone wallowed in regret and schemed about how to regain control over Su Wanxing, light, quick footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Then a delicate female voice rang out: “Father, Mother, I’m home!”
Everyone looked up to see a young girl walking in, wearing a pink coarse cloth dress. Her hair was styled into twin buns, adorned with a small silk flower. Her eyebrows curved gently, her skin fair, and she had a fair amount of charm. This girl was the youngest daughter of the Su family, the only daughter, Su Baozhu, a year older than Su Wanxing. She had been staying at her cousin’s house in the county for over half a month and had just returned today.
Upon entering, Su Baozhu immediately noticed the miserable state of her family and frowned, her tone tinged with disdain. “Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother, what happened to you? You all look like you’ve been beaten! How embarrassing!” She brushed off dust from her skirt as if it had touched something dirty.
Li Cuihua’s worried expression eased considerably. She waved her daughter over. “Baozhu, you’re finally back! Come here and let me see if you were mistreated at your cousin’s house. Was the food and lodging alright?”
Su Baozhu sat beside her mother, casting a disdainful glance at her moaning eldest and second brothers. “What happened to you? Did the villagers bully you?”
The grandmother sighed, recounting in detail the separation, the severing of ties, their visit to the ancestral hall to demand money from Su Wanxing, how they were beaten, and finally, how Su Wanxing had sold ginseng for a fortune and purchased a house and land. Her voice ended in exasperation, “It’s all because we were blind before—we didn’t see that wretched child had this skill. If only we had known, we would never have let her leave!”
After hearing this, Su Baozhu’s eyes flicked. She showed no sympathy, only a trace of disdain and malice. Known for favoring wealth over poverty, she considered herself beautiful enough to marry a rich man and escape the poor rural life. Having seen the wealth in the county at her cousin’s house, she was even more determined to marry well. She had always looked down on Su Wanxing, whose appearance she deemed flawed. Now that Su Wanxing had earned a fortune, her jealousy boiled over.
“Mother, don’t be too regretful,” Su Baozhu cooed, her tone filled with calculation. “It’s just Su Wanxing. Even if she can find ginseng, so what? Her face is ruined. She’ll never marry well, and won’t amount to anything. We have ways to control her.”
Liu Huai Di’s eyes brightened. “Baozhu, what’s your plan? Tell us!”
Lowering her voice, Su Baozhu leaned in. “She can sell for money, right? Then we just sell her! My cousin in the county knows many people. There’s a Zhang Yuanwai, a bit old, but very wealthy and fond of young girls. Even though Su Wanxing’s face is ruined, her figure is good and she can bear children. If we sell her to Zhang Yuanwai as a concubine, I’ll have my cousin negotiate, and we’ll get a good sum of money!”
Everyone’s eyes lit up at this. The grandmother asked eagerly, “Could this work? Would Zhang Yuanwai really take her? Her face is ruined.”
“Why not?” Su Baozhu sneered. “Zhang Yuanwai is almost fifty, has taken several concubines without a son, and now wants a young girl for luck. As long as she can bear children, who cares about her face? We can tell him it was an accident, it won’t affect her fertility, and even offer a lower price. He’d definitely agree.”
She paused, then added, her tone increasingly venomous: “As for Su Wanfeng and the little one, that’s even easier. After selling Su Wanxing, we can claim the two got lost playing, and quietly sell them to a remote place. No one will notice! That way, not only do we get the money for Su Wanxing, but no one can steal from us in the future. Perfect!”
Her words sent chills through everyone, yet the lure of money clouded their minds. Su Changhe rubbed his hands in excitement. “Good idea! Let’s do it! Baozhu, this is your task—contact your cousin and see if Zhang Yuanwai would take her.”
“Don’t worry, big brother. I’ve got this,” Su Baozhu promised, patting her chest. “My cousin adores me. Once I ask, she’ll definitely help. But…” Her expression turned sinister. “We have to do this secretly, without the village knowing. Especially Su Li Zheng (Su Xi), he helped Su Wanxing before. If he finds out, he’ll ruin our plan.”
“We understand!” the grandmother hurriedly nodded. “We’ll be careful, no one will know.”
At that moment, Wang Ershen from next door happened to pass by the Su family’s old house, carrying a basket of freshly washed vegetables. She intended to greet the Su family, but overheard a few of the malicious words inside, and her heart sank.