Chapter 24

Grandma Zhao accompanied Jiang Li around the village to recruit help, successfully securing ten people. As they passed Zhao Dachun’s house, Jiang Li took the initiative to invite Zhao Jiahe. Regardless of his experience, a young man like him would be essential for moving earth and felling trees. Grandma Zhao readily agreed on behalf of her grandson, and seeing his grandmother’s consent, Zhao Jiahe nodded as well.

In total, eleven people were hired: four from Grandma Zhao’s household, two from Village Chief Qiu’s, two cousins from the Xue family, two more from a branch of the Qiu family, plus Zhao Jiahe. With the team assembled, Jiang Li wanted to start work the next day. However, Grandma Zhao tapped her hand and insisted they check the almanac to ensure it was an auspicious day for construction. Jiang Li was not one for such superstitions, but out of respect for the old woman’s kindness, she humored her. The date chosen was the twenty-eighth of the sixth lunar month—an auspicious day for building. It was three days away; Jiang Li exhaled in relief, as she could wait that long.

Once the date was set, Jiang Li made the rounds to inform everyone. After a busy morning, everything was settled. Upon returning, she found Xue Man and A-Ning pacing outside the perimeter of their foundation, looking miserable.

"Man, take your sister and come over to help start the fire for lunch," she called out. The siblings trotted over at her summons. Seeing the unease in their eyes, Jiang Li could guess what they were thinking.

She spoke softly, "Man, A-Ning, I have no intention of remarrying. I plan to raise you both myself. When I grow old, you two will take care of me, right?"

The siblings were stunned. In their eyes, Jiang Li was young and capable; they had assumed she would eventually remarry. They had not expected her to say she wouldn’t.

"We will, Mother. Ever since you brought us out to live on our own, I told A-Ning that you are our true mother. When you are old, we will certainly provide for you," Xue Man declared, while A-Ning nodded vigorously.

Jiang Li smiled faintly. "It’s a deal, then. Don’t go calling me a wicked stepmother and kicking me out when I’m old."

"I won't! I swear it, Mother!" Xue Man began to raise his hand, but Jiang Li stopped him. "No need to swear. I believe you."

She said this simply to put their hearts at ease. She didn't expect any return on raising these two children; she saw it as a mutual reliance. As a woman, she wouldn’t have been able to secure her household registration without the connection to Xue Chengju, and without these children, the land for the foundation wouldn’t have been granted so easily. Moreover, as a young widow, having children by her side shielded her from malicious gossip. She provided them with food, and in return, they shielded her from trouble.

For the children, however, that food was their entire world. They were happy but insecure. Now, hearing Jiang Li’s words, they felt reassured, and the sorrow in their eyes faded. Jiang Li found it amusing—children’s emotions were as fleeting as they were intense. It was for the best.

She led them into the house to gather the fallen thatch, setting aside the usable pieces, and retrieved their cooking utensils. Because of the thatch, she didn’t dare light a fire inside, so she moved the operation outdoors. Since the whole village knew their house had collapsed and neighbors were prone to watching the spectacle, she kept it simple. She had Xue Man boil some sweet potatoes while she and A-Ning cleaned the wild vegetables they had gathered from the mountain the day before.

After cleaning the greens, she blanched them in boiling water, chopped them up, and mixed them with the peeled and mashed sweet potatoes. She cracked two eggs into the mixture, added a pinch of salt, and stirred it well. Because the portions were small, the eggs were barely noticeable.

When Grandma Zhao finished her own cooking, she sent Zhao Qingzhu to invite them over. By the time Qingzhu arrived, Jiang Li’s first batch of sweet potato and vegetable cakes was ready. Qingzhu watched Jiang Li cooking out in the open, feeling a genuine sense of admiration. Her mother had been lecturing her all morning, telling her to learn from Jiang Li’s calm and composed demeanor when facing such a crisis. Most people would have been weeping, but Jiang Li hadn't shed a single tear; she had simply gone to ask for help and immediately set her sights on building a new home. And now, she was cheerfully making lunch with the children.

"My mother told me to bring you over for lunch, but you’ve already started," Qingzhu said.

Jiang Li smiled. "Auntie helped me so much this morning; I couldn't possibly impose on her for a meal as well."

"You’re being too formal. My mother said she hasn't even thanked you for saving me yet."

"I was the one who took you up the mountain; it was my duty to watch out for you. Since you're here, sit down and have one."

Qingzhu tried to refuse, but Jiang Li pulled her by the sleeve and made her sit. She handed her a clean pair of chopsticks and a cake. Qingzhu looked at the yellow-green patty; it smelled rich and inviting. Though she had eaten sweet potato cakes before, there was something different about this one. She hesitated, knowing how hard-won their food was, fearing she might be taking it from their mouths.

"I..."

Seeing her hesitation, Jiang Li laughed. "I made plenty. There’s enough for everyone. Go ahead."

A-Ning brought over a ladle of water for Qingzhu to wash her hands, and then she took the cake. It was fried to a golden crisp, chewy on the inside, and fragrant with the scent of wild greens.

"Ah Li, what did you put in this? It’s so delicious!"

Before Jiang Li could answer, Xue Man, his mouth already full, blurted out, "Nothing, it's just that my mother makes everything taste good."

Qingzhu chuckled at the little boy. "Yes, yes, your mother is a great cook."

Qingzhu returned home only after she had eaten her fill. When Grandma Zhao saw her daughter hadn't brought the others back but had instead eaten her fill there, she playfully swatted her. "You have no sense of propriety!"

Qingzhu argued back, "Mother, that sweet potato and vegetable cake was delicious. Why can’t you make it taste like that?" Grandma Zhao was speechless.

After lunch, Jiang Li and the children began clearing away the fallen thatch. They kept the usable parts, stacking them neatly. Once finished, Xue Man looked up at the empty rafters and asked, "Mother, how will we sleep tonight?"

"Just like this. We’ll cover our bedding with extra straw and make do for a few days."

By the end of the day, the whole village knew of their situation. The three of them survived the first night safely, but word of their sleeping under the open sky spread. On the second night, deep in the darkness, someone began throwing stones into their yard. At first, Jiang Li just shouted a warning, not bothering to get up. But the attackers became more emboldened. When a stone struck Xue Man’s head, Jiang Li didn't say another word. She scrambled up and charged out.

Seeing her rush at them, four or five figures scattered. It was an adult, a teenager, and a few younger children. Ignoring the smaller ones, Jiang Li sprinted after the adult, tackled her to the ground, and delivered several fierce blows to her face. By the moonlight, she recognized Liu Chunhua, but she pretended not to. She kicked her legs with all her might—avoiding lethal blows to the organs, but ensuring she would be in agony for days.

When Xue Daniu saw his mother pinned down, he lunged at Jiang Li, but she showed no mercy and struck him repeatedly as well. Both mother and son were left sprawled on the ground, unable to move. Jiang Li didn't say a word; she simply turned around and went back to sleep.

The younger children ran home, crying that their mother and brother had been beaten by a "fox spirit." The commotion woke the households of the third and fourth brothers, and the old grandmother was the first to rise.

"What is all this ruckus in the middle of the night?"

"Grandma, Mother and Brother were beaten to death by a fox spirit!"

The old woman was dazed, but hearing "fox spirit" triggered her memory—she had heard Liu Chunhua calling Jiang Li that every day.

"Where are they?"

She roused the men of the house. Zhao, the daughter-in-law, pulled at Xue Chengwen, hoping to ignore it, but he was a decent man and said, "We must go look. If someone is truly dead, it will be bad for everyone." Zhao followed him out.

Seeing her sons rise, the old woman barked at her young grandsons, "Well? Lead the way!"

The Xue family hurried out with torches. Liu Chunhua and Xue Daniu were still lying on the ground, too pained to rise. Seeing Xue Daniu’s bruised and swollen face, the old woman sat on the ground and pulled him into her arms.

"Daniu! Who did this to you? Which heaven-forsaken person beat you?"

Xue Daniu wept in her arms. "It was that fox spirit! She was possessed by a demon and beat both me and Mother! Grandma, you must seek justice for us!"

The grandmother already hated Jiang Li, and after the incident with Xue Daniu’s poisoning, she had been itching for an excuse to strike. Now, she was determined to settle the score.

"You two, go bring the Jiang woman here!" she ordered Xue Chengxiang and Xue Chengwen.

Chengxiang moved immediately, but when he realized Chengwen was still standing there, he called out, "Fourth Brother, what are you doing?"

Chengwen frowned at the sight of Daniu and Liu Chunhua. "Daniu, what were you doing out in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Xue Daniu’s eyes darted away, but the grandmother snapped at her son, "Is it a crime to take a walk? Who says they can’t be out at night?"

Knowing the old woman’s stubbornness, Chengwen didn't argue. He asked, "Is the 'fox spirit' you speak of the Jiang woman?"

"Who else would it be?"

"And did anyone see her beat you?"