Chapter 22

"Qingzhu, I won't walk you all the way home. I need to hurry to town."

"If you go now, it’ll be nearly dark by the time you reach town. How will you get back?"

Jiang Li replied, "It's fine. I’ll make good time; I aim to get there in a little over two hours."

"I'll take the wild vegetables to Xiaoman and the others for you."

"Alright, thank you."

With her belongings in tow, Jiang Li quickened her pace toward the town.

Zhao Qingzhu, carrying the four bundles of wild vegetables, first dropped two off with Xiaoman and A'ning, mentioning that Jiang Li had gone to town, before heading home.

Her family had been worried about her, so they were surprised when she pushed the door open and walked in.

Seeing the bruise on her forehead and the marks on her clothes, Granny Zhao assumed she had fallen. She hurriedly pulled her over, checking her over. "Qingqing, where are you hurt? Did you take a tumble?"

Recalling the sheer terror of that moment, tears welled up in Zhao Qingzhu’s eyes.

"Mother, I was almost eaten by a snake!"

"What?"

"What about Mistress Jiang? Is she alright?"

Zhao Qingzhu wiped her tears and shook her head. "She's fine. She caught that snake."

The Zhao family let out a collective sigh of relief, patting their chests.

"That's good. Did she come back too?"

"No, she said she still had things to find. She walked me to the foot of the mountain and left."

There were too many people in the house; if the children spread the word that Jiang Li had caught and sold a snake, everyone would surely ask how much she made, which would be bad for her.

"But I did manage to harvest two big bundles of wild vegetables. They are so tender!"

As she pulled the sack from her basket, Sister-in-law Zhao’s eyes lit up.

"Goodness, it’s like the mountain and the valley are two different worlds. These look just like cultivated greens."

The sisters-in-law were delighted with the greens. They wouldn't have to worry about foraging for a while, and they decided that if Jiang Li went back into the mountains, they would ask to join her.

Granny Zhao pulled Zhao Qingzhu into the room and used a boiled egg to roll over the bruise on her forehead. She asked her daughter in a low voice, "What about that snake? How did she handle it?"

Seeing that no one was at the door, Zhao Qingzhu whispered, "She took it to town."

"I was scared to death. That beast came straight for me. If she hadn't knocked me out of the way, I would have been a goner."

"I told you not to go."

"This Jiang woman is truly formidable."

Zhao Qingzhu nodded. "I’ve never seen a woman so bold."

By the time Jiang Li reached town, the sun was setting. Many shops were closing, and pedestrians were hurrying home. She wasn't familiar with the town and had no idea where the wealthy households were located. She thought the quickest way would be to check the butcher’s stall; he should remember her, and asking for directions wouldn't hurt.

Regrettably, the butcher’s shop was shuttered, and she didn't even see the butcher’s wife. When she tried to stop someone to ask for directions, they caught sight of the snake in her hand and gave her a wide berth.

She wandered forward, feeling a bit troubled.

"Hey, young woman, wait a moment."

Jiang Li turned at the sound to see an old man carrying a pipe, likely in his fifties or sixties.

"Are you calling me?"

"Yes, you!"

"Are you selling that little flower dragon?"

Jiang Li studied him. He tapped his pipe and held up one finger. Just as she was about to frown, the old man shouted, "Ten taels!"

Jiang Li nearly knelt down to thank him. Ten taels! Her wild boar had only sold for a little over a string of cash—if exchanged for silver, that was barely over one tael! Was this some wealthy gentleman? To offer ten taels just like that for such a thing.

Seeing Jiang Li’s silence, the old man raised his own offer: "Fifteen taels! I can't go any higher."

Jiang Li was just about to agree when a familiar voice rang out: "Miss, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you."

She turned to see Sun the butcher jogging toward her.

The old man’s expression changed. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Twenty taels!"

Jiang Li didn't hesitate. "Deal."

The old man tossed a money pouch to her. "There should be an extra tael or two in there; keep it all." He grabbed the flower snake from her and hurried away.

Jiang Li looked at him, then at the approaching Butcher Sun, her spirits soaring.

"Brother Butcher, what a coincidence."

Sun Minfu looked at the basket on her back and the bow slung over her shoulder, smiling. "Did you hunt something good again? I thought you were bringing another wild boar."

"I caught a little flower dragon."

"And it was bought?"

Butcher Sun replied, "It wasn't cheap, was it? From the looks of him, that was the steward from the Li manor."

Jiang Li raised an eyebrow. Butcher Sun whispered, "The master of the Li manor was once a high official in the capital; he retired and came back here in his old age."

"So, they’re eating the snake?"

Butcher Sun, seeing that Jiang Li was a lady, didn't elaborate, simply nodding.

Seeing that it was getting late and she had to return home, Jiang Li didn't linger and said her goodbyes. Before they parted, Sun urged her to hunt two wild boars for him, promising a better price than last time. Jiang Li agreed as she walked away.

Twenty taels! She would have to hunt twenty wild boars to make that much. A thought sprouted in her mind about specializing in snaring snake dens, but she quickly dismissed it—it felt far more dangerous than hunting boar. If she ran into a venomous one and got bitten, she’d die without an antidote. Her life was more important. She would treat today’s haul as winning a jackpot and stick to the steady work.

Jiang Li spent the entire journey back calculating how much grain she could buy with the money. She felt as if she were walking on air. She longed for someone to share her joy with, but in this strange new world, she was all alone. Zhao Qingzhu was a friend, but she wouldn't dare mention this to her so rashly.

Walking through the moonlight, she felt no fear at all—the silver in her pocket gave her courage.

When she arrived home, Xue Man and A'ning were already asleep. Hearing the knock, Xue Man asked cautiously from inside, "Who is it?"

"Xiaoman, open up, it's me."

"Brother, it's Mother!" A'ning’s voice sounded excitedly. The door opened, and Jiang Li asked, "You two were asleep?"

"Hehe, not yet."

"Mother, are you hungry? I'll light the fire and make dinner."

"A little. I have some of the flatbread I made yesterday left. Just light the fire and toast it for me. A'ning, come out and scoop some water so I can wash my hands. Bring out some wood ash, too."

"Coming!"

Jiang Li meticulously scrubbed her hands with the wood ash until the scent was gone. Xue Man lit the fire and toasted the bread. She was genuinely hungry and started eating before the bread was even crisp. Xue Man brought over an earthen pot to boil water for her.

"What did you have for dinner?"

A'ning replied, "Sweet potatoes boiled with wild vegetables."

Jiang Li smiled at the menu. "How did you cook it?"

"We cut the sweet potatoes into chunks, boiled them in water, and added the greens when they were almost done."

"That’s actually very healthy. Was it good?"

The siblings both shook their heads.

Jiang Li said, "Tomorrow, we’ll go back to town to buy grain. We need to eat well and recover from our malnutrition."

"Mother, did you manage to sell something for money in town?" Xue Man looked at her with anticipation. Jiang Li laughed happily. "Yes, I won the jackpot today."

"What’s a jackpot?"

"It’s like a pie falling from the sky."

Jiang Li’s joy was infectious; even though the children didn't know exactly how much money it was, they were happy too.

After eating and resting, Jiang Li thought of Zhao Qingzhu, but feared it was too late to visit. She decided to go the next morning. She used a ceramic basin to heat water for a bath, tidied up, and went to bed. With the silver in hand, Jiang Li slept soundly. Perhaps the children were having sweet dreams too, as they giggled in their sleep.

Jiang Li was startled awake by their laughter. It wasn't dawn yet. Just as she was about to doze off again, there was a loud *bang*, and the whole bed shook, followed by the sound of thatch raining down from the ceiling.

The commotion was so great that Xue Man and A'ning were jolted awake.

"Mother, what was that sound?"

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment, muttering, "It sounds like the house next door collapsed."

She pulled the two children off the bed and ran outside. Before they could even exit, Xue Man broke free from her hand. "Mother! Mother! The chicks, I have to get the chicks!"

Jiang Li had no choice but to grab him. "Take your sister out first, I'll get the cage."

She moved quickly; the cage was nearby, covered by some fallen thatch. She snatched it up and ran out.

The roof continued to collapse for a while. Soon, all the thatch was gone, leaving only three walls standing. The area that Village Chief Qiu had mentioned had completely caved in.

The three of them sat blankly on the stones in front of the house, staring at the ruined shack. All of Jiang Li’s work repairing the roof had been in vain. When the Village Chief had warned her, she had hoped it would hold out longer if it didn't rain. She hadn't realized the mud walls were so weathered and aged.

Xue Man and A'ning had gone to sleep happy, thinking they would be carrying grain back from town the next day. Now, before dawn, their home had collapsed. Where would the three of them live?

The more they thought about it, the sadder they became. They were on the verge of tears. A'ning’s eyes were red as she clutched her brother’s sleeve, feeling that the heavens were truly bullying them.

Jiang Li looked at the broken shack. How much would it cost to rebuild? Surely what she earned yesterday would be enough. Sighing, she looked at the two little ones. As their eyes met, tears rolled down Xue Man’s cheeks.

"Why are you crying?"

"Mother, we don't have a house to live in anymore."

As he spoke, his tears flowed more freely.

Jiang Li patted him, comforting him. "Don't cry. If the house collapses, we’ll just build a new one."

"Building a new house costs money."

"Yes. I’ll go to Granny Zhao’s house later to ask about building a new one and see how much it costs. I think what I have should be enough."

"Think about it, what kind of house would you like?"

Even though Jiang Li said this, the children were still skeptical. How much money could she possibly have? They didn't dare to even imagine it.

They sat there until dawn. Jiang Li waited until she figured Zhao Qingzhu would be up before heading over.

"You two watch the house; our grain and meat are still inside. I’m going to Granny Zhao’s."