Wu Dayong licked the tip of his pen, insisting on writing in his notebook while offering words of comfort.
"Don't worry. Guihua has been hunting with Uncle Hongshan since she was little. She's got real strength in her hands. She's not afraid of anyone trying to bully her."
Mentioning his late old brother made Uncle Zhong's heart heavy, and he let out a cold snort.
"Guihua's a fool. Her mother-in-law has bullied her for years, and she never said a single word to us about it. But from what I can see, her head's a bit clearer these days."
Wu Dayong was about to speak again when the sound of a bicycle bell rang from outside.
"Is anyone there? Come get your telegram quick! It's for Li Hongyuan's family in your village! An urgent dispatch from the military district—might be something big!"
One of the squad leaders was closest to the door. He went out, took the telegram, and read it aloud without thinking.
"Guihua returns, bringing three thousand in allowance."
Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
"How much? Three thousand! Not three hundred—three thousand?"
"That much money? Li Hongyuan sent that home?"
"Did he just make up for years of back pay all at once?"
Uncle Zhong's face darkened. He wanted everyone to keep it a secret, but that was clearly impossible now.
Just then, Old Mrs. Zhao from next door came running up, shouting.
"Village chief, you'd better come quick! Guihua left without taking Xiaojun's grandma along—she's gagged, hands and feet tied, left in the house! She nearly suffocated!"
Wu Guihua led her daughter through the snowy pits, breath puffing out in white clouds, and when she returned to the village, her courtyard was packed with people inside and out again. Old Mrs. Li's wailing could be heard from a distance.
"There's no justice anymore! A mother-in-law tortured by her own daughter-in-law, and nobody does a thing about it! I might as well be dead than live through this misery!"
Wu Guihua curled her lip. She'd still gagged her too lightly—next time she'd add another rag!
The Zhao family's daughter-in-law from next door caught sight of her and hollered at the top of her lungs.
"Sister Guihua's back!"
She rushed over and started questioning her.
"Sister, I heard you brought back three thousand yuan. Is that true or not? With that much money, what are you planning to do with it? My Tiedan's about to get married…"
"Aiyo, Hongmei, don't be shameless! What does your son's wedding have to do with Guihua? Now my Daniu, by proper reckoning, is Guihua's nephew! Guihua can't just ignore him!"
Another old woman shoved the Zhao daughter-in-law aside and grabbed Wu Guihua's hand in a death grip.
"Guihua, I'm not asking for much. Just buy your eldest nephew a pair of thermos bottles, and if you could add a pair of Double Happiness washbasins, even better…"
"And me, me too! Guihua, lend me two hundred to marry a wife, won't you? You can't just watch your uncle stay a bachelor for the rest of his life, can you?"
"Guihua!"
"Guihua!"
Wu Guihua was surrounded by the villagers in the middle of the yard—they treated her like Tang Monk's flesh, every one of them wanting a bite.
Wu Guihua sneered. Li Hongyuan and Wang Yun never failed to disappoint her.
The moment she'd left the military district, they'd sent word home, afraid she'd hide the money and keep it all for herself!
She casually pulled a stick from beside the courtyard gate and swung it hard.
"Ow! Ow!"
The "flies" in front of her toppled in a wave, and Wu Guihua's ears were instantly clear again.
She tapped the stick against the Zhao daughter-in-law's forehead. "Remember this: when your son gets married, he'll call me 'Mother,' work for me, and when he has kids, they'll call me 'Grandma'!"
The Zhao daughter-in-law's eyes went wide.
"Why should he?!"
"Yeah, why?!" Wu Guihua whacked her on the backside with the stick. "Because the money for his wedding came from me!"
"Borrowed—I said borrowed!" The Zhao daughter-in-law clutched her rear, shouting with all the righteousness she could muster.
Wu Guihua gave her another whack.
"Not lending! Whether I've got three thousand or thirty thousand, I'm not lending a single cent! Anyone who dares yap at me—let's see if their bones are sturdy enough first!"
With a crack, Wu Guihua snapped the stick in half and hurled it at the Zhao daughter-in-law, who shrieked and clung to the old bachelor standing beside her!
The courtyard fell dead silent. Finally, Uncle Zhong knocked out his pipe, then pulled Wu Guihua inside the house.
Old Mrs. Li practically lunged at her daughter-in-law, swinging her fists.
"You heartless little wretch! Who gave you the nerve?! You swindled three thousand out of Hongyuan—you want him to sell everything he owns! Hand over the money right now, and if you're even one cent short, I'll fight you to the death!"
Wu Guihua said nothing. She grabbed the old woman and slammed her into the corner of the table.
Old Mrs. Li howled, clutching her chest, and finally rolled off into the corner of the room.
One of the squad leaders was a distant relative of Old Mrs. Li and opened his mouth to speak.
But Wu Guihua had already untied her tattered bundle and tossed out a black wooden box.
The lid flew off, revealing a lining of bright red velvet that dazzled the eyes—but the medicinal herb protected by that lining was the real point.
"Is that… an old ginseng root?" Uncle Zhong was the first to exclaim.
Wu Dayong crowded in too. "That's right, I'm pretty sure. I saw one once when I was a kid. This ginseng's thicker than a thumb—must be at least fifty years old, right?"
Wu Guihua tapped the box with her toe. "An eighty-year-old root, bought for fifteen hundred! From now on, one bowl of ginseng soup a day to build the old lady's strength up. That way no one can twist their mouth and say I'm unfilial."
The squad leader shrank his neck and didn't dare say another word.
Everyone else drew in sharp breaths, their jealousy so intense they could hardly stand it.
In this day and age, a formal job in the city paid only seventy or eighty yuan a month. Fifteen hundred was two years' wages—and she had just thrown it away like that!
Uncle Zhong and Wu Changyong also wore strange expressions, wanting to say it wasn't worth it, but unable to fault Wu Guihua for being filial to her mother-in-law.
Wu Guihua paid them no mind. She pulled out another five hundred yuan and handed it to Uncle Zhong.
"Uncle, use this money to hire someone to replace the main house's roof with tiles, and add three rooms to each of the east and west wings.
"Also, I want to expand the back courtyard by three fen of land and build a tall stone wall around it. When Hongyuan isn't home, a weak woman like me needs to protect herself, right?"
Uncle Zhong instinctively glanced at the crowd of curious yet frightened "shrinking chickens" outside, and revealed a… benevolent smile.
Wu Guihua patted her daughter's arm, beaming with pride.
"My Lanzi got into the city's Normal University. In a few days, I'll be taking her to school, so don't call on me for village work."
The squad leader finally found his chance and started shouting.
"That won't do! Spring plowing is a big deal. If you don't work the fields, and others don't either, who's going to grow the grain?"
"Who grows the grain, I don't care! I'm not planting anyway!"
Wu Guihua slapped the ginseng box.
"I've got money in hand. Worst case, I'll just buy grain to eat. With luck, I'll go to the city and buy myself a job. If that doesn't work, there's still Li Hongyuan's allowance—he can support his sister-in-law and nephews and nieces, so why can't he support his own wife and kids?"
Everyone's eyes turned red with envy once again.
If Li Hongyuan had taken out three thousand, maybe he had six thousand or nine thousand in hand. If they were Wu Guihua, they wouldn't want to scratch a living from the dirt either!
"No, no way!" Old Mrs. Li shouted in opposition. To her, money was more important than life itself!
"Hongyuan's money can't go to you. I'll make him divorce you!"