By the time she finished, the sun had already sunk below the mountains.
The two buckets of water left in the courtyard had been warmed by the sun all day and were still pleasantly lukewarm, making them perfect for bathing.
Liu Muli quickly washed her hair and took a shower.
Huang Shi still hadn’t returned. Liu Muli wrung out her hair with a cloth until it stopped dripping, casually tied it up with a wooden hairpin, and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
There were only two of them eating, so she didn’t need to make much.
She cooked some rice and steamed two eggs into a smooth egg custard.
Just then, Huang Shi returned carrying a hoe. She also had a handful of baby bok choy and another bundle of wild greens.
Seeing that Liu Muli had already prepared dinner, Huang Shi smiled. “Then we’ll save these vegetables for tomorrow.”
Liu Muli nodded. “Mother, there’s warm water in the bathhouse. You can go take a bath.”
Huang Shi agreed and went back to her room to get some clothes before heading to the bathhouse.
They only began eating dinner after Huang Shi finished bathing.
They had barely taken a few bites when the clattering sound of cart wheels came from the courtyard gate.
Huang Shi’s face lit up. “It must be Ergou!”
Her voice was filled with excitement as she hurried over to open the gate.
As soon as she opened it, she indeed saw Ergou, who had just been about to knock.
The smile on Huang Shi’s face deepened. “Come in quickly! We’re just eating. Have dinner with us!”
Ergou was about to say that it wasn’t necessary, but Huang Shi didn’t give him a chance to refuse. She took his hand and pulled him into the courtyard, leaving the gate open.
Seeing this, Liu Muli immediately went to the kitchen and brought out another set of bowls and chopsticks. She scooped all the remaining rice from the pot into the bowl. There was still more than half a bowl, so it wasn’t a small portion.
Worried that the egg custard wouldn’t be enough, Huang Shi hurriedly stir-fried the small handful of baby bok choy that she had planned to save for tomorrow. She added some cured meat as well and cooked them together.
Ergou was an exceptionally honest and kindhearted boy. Even though he had spent the entire day driving Wei Linye to the prefectural city and then back again, he hadn’t complained even once.
Seeing Huang Shi and Liu Muli busy themselves in the kitchen, he felt too embarrassed to sit around doing nothing. He squatted by the stove and helped tend the fire.
At the same time, he told them everything that had happened that day.
Even while eating, Ergou excitedly shared everything he had encountered, leaving out nothing. He even told them about all the interesting and novel things he had seen on the streets.
Huang Shi was both delighted and relieved as she listened. Fortunately, Linye had safely gotten onto the carriage and begun his journey.
Liu Muli, however, felt somewhat complicated about it.
In her previous life, Wei Linye had indeed sought the prefect’s help. The prefect had already heard about his talent and, after interacting with him several times, had come to regard Wei Linye as an ambitious young man with a promising future.
No matter how upright and honest an official the prefect was, he still understood the exchange of interests in officialdom very well. He was accustomed to judging present interactions from a long-term perspective—considering whether they might benefit him in the future and whether the other party could become a source of protection for him.
Who in officialdom could guarantee that they would remain safely and smoothly in office for their entire life?
Perhaps one day they might be framed by someone, resulting in their entire family being exiled or even executed. Such things were hardly uncommon.
If there was someone above them willing to protect them, then even if they lost their official position, at least their lives could be spared.
Therefore, when the prefect learned that Wei Linye was going to the capital to take the imperial examination, he was more than willing to help make all the necessary arrangements for him.
Wei Linye also accepted the favor and went along with the arrangement.
What Liu Muli hadn’t expected was that he would actually speak well of Ergou in front of the prefect, even securing Ergou a monthly opportunity to sell eggs, chickens, and ducks to the prefect.
This opportunity was extremely significant. It was essentially the prefect doing Wei Linye a favor, while also creating another personal debt of gratitude.
The village chief’s family would therefore owe Wei Linye a major favor. Such a debt of gratitude would be difficult to sever, and from then on, they would certainly take extra care of the Wei family.
But Liu Muli believed that even though the village chief himself hadn’t asked for this favor, he would be more than happy to owe such a significant debt.
The village chief was also a minor official in the village. No official would refuse an opportunity to maintain ties with a prefect.
Building a good relationship with the prefect was equivalent to having a powerful backer.
Even an ordinary commoner who obtained such an opportunity would consider it a matter of bringing honor to their ancestors. They might even be so delighted that they would stay up all night burning incense and making offerings to their ancestors.
If word of this spread, those who wanted to cause trouble would learn that the village chief’s family had ties to the prefect. Even if it was only a small business arrangement, they would still be wary and wouldn’t dare act recklessly.
Likewise, the fact that Wei Linye had a good relationship with the prefect would spread through the village via the village chief’s family. The villagers would naturally be even less willing to cause trouble for the Wei family.
As Liu Muli pieced everything together, she couldn’t help sneering inwardly.
That bastard Wei Linye hadn’t even become an official yet, but he had already thoroughly figured out all the maneuvering, power plays, and intricate dealings of officialdom.
He was practically a natural at it.
But perhaps this was a good thing.
At least while she remained part of the Wei family, she and the villagers would probably be able to live together peacefully.
After dinner, the sky had already grown completely dark.
Ergou rubbed his stomach and thanked them somewhat sheepishly before driving his ox cart home.
When he arrived home, he excitedly recounted everything that had happened that day to everyone in his family.
When the village chief learned that his son would be selling eggs, chickens, and ducks to the prefect, the muscles on his face trembled with excitement. He genuinely took to heart the enormous favor Wei Linye had done for their family.
Ergou’s mother said, “From now on, we have to take good care of Xiu’an and that girl Muli. We can’t let anyone bully them.”
The village chief stroked his beard and happily snorted. “Of course. We’re not the kind of people who forget kindness and repay favors with ingratitude!”
…..
After Ergou left, Liu Muli washed the dishes as well. She then chatted with Huang Shi for a while. Naturally, most of their conversation revolved around Wei Linye. Later, they each returned to their own rooms.
Without Wei Linye around, the Wei household seemed to have become much more peaceful.
Back in her room, Liu Muli lay on the bed without the slightest trace of sleepiness.
Her mind was filled with plans for how she could find Hua Ying next.
A debt of gratitude was difficult to repay. She had to repay the favor Hua Ying had shown her.
She remembered the resolute expression on Hua Ying’s face in her dream as she plunged the dagger into her own chest, and another wave of aching pain surged through her heart.
Hua Ying hadn’t originally been called that. Her real name was Da Ya, a name that was practically given to girls in every village.
But Liu Muli remembered Hua Ying telling her before that her family lived in a very remote and impoverished little village in Yong’an County.
Although Yong’an County was the county closest to the prefectural city, a county was enormous. It was impossible for every village to have good conditions. There would always be some that were more remote and impoverished.
Precisely because they were so poor, it wasn’t uncommon for families in those villages to sell their daughters.
Hua Ying had been only thirteen when she was sold to a broker, just two years away from reaching marriageable age. Unfortunately, her older brother needed money to marry a wife, but the family didn’t have enough. Her parents had no choice but to sell her to a human trafficker in exchange for some money.
Judging by the timing, it had happened in March of this year.
Hua Ying had also told her that a month after she was sold to the broker, she was sold again to a wealthy merchant’s household in Yong’an County, where she worked as a rough servant girl.
She had worked there for nearly five months.
But unfortunately, something unexpected happened later.