Chapter 6: Give It Back

Tong Chuxue watched Xu Jinniang’s eager expression and, unable to bear dampening her spirits, could only offer vague, perfunctory responses. It seemed she would need to find a way to dissuade Xu Jinniang from her current path. Fortunately, there was still some time; if she subtly and gradually influenced her mother’s thinking, there would eventually be an opportunity to change her mind.

The next morning, Tong Chuxue woke up feeling stiff and sore all over; sleeping on straw was truly not a life for a human being. Since they had just moved in yesterday, there wasn't a single grain of rice in the house. Tong Chuxue found a dusty old basket in the shed behind the house and prepared to go up the mountain to forage for wild vegetables. Not wanting to leave Xu Jinniang home alone, she simply asked her to come along.

To the north of Qingshan Village lay endless rolling hills. With the abundant rainfall this season, there should be plenty of wild greens growing. They set out early, and the path was quiet. Tong Chuxue spoke of the future with optimism, "Mother, let's forage for some greens in the mountains today to get by for now. I’ve been thinking—although we don't have enough money to buy an acre of fertile land, I remember a plot near the hillside that is rocky and irregular. If we buy that land and plant something, it should be enough to sustain us."

Tong Chuxue’s vision sounded wonderful, but Xu Jinniang just laughed. "You only know that there is a plot of wasteland there, but you don't realize that the land is full of stones and the soil is so barren that nothing can grow. After paying taxes every year, there’s almost nothing left. If we buy that land, we’ll work hard all year only to find ourselves without enough to eat."

In truth, the quality of the soil didn't matter to Tong Chuxue at all; as long as there was dirt, it was enough. However, she knew that even if she told Xu Jinniang now, her mother wouldn't dare to believe her.

The two continued their trek into the mountains. Just as Tong Chuxue had predicted, there were plenty of wild vegetables. They were in luck today and managed to dig up a good amount of shepherd's purse. If they ventured deeper, they might even find mushrooms; if they were lucky enough to find some termite mushrooms, they might even make a small profit.

Suddenly, someone called out to Xu Jinniang. "Jinniang! How can you still be in the mood to dig for greens here?"

Xu Jinniang was bewildered. "We have nothing to eat at home, so Chuxue and I came to find some greens. Mrs. Dazhu, has something happened?"

"You don't know..." Mrs. Wu looked anxious, almost tripping over her own feet as she rushed over. She looked at Tong Chuxue, hastily cut herself off, pulled Xu Jinniang aside, and lowered her voice, clearly not wanting Tong Chuxue to hear.

The two acted quite mysteriously. Tong Chuxue couldn't tell what Mrs. Wu had said, but she saw Xu Jinniang’s face turn pale. Her mother dropped her shovel and hurried off with Mrs. Wu. Wondering what could be so urgent, Tong Chuxue was left confused. At that moment, a crisp voice rang out: "Big Sister, you dropped your shovel."

Tong Chuxue looked down to see a tiny, adorable boy standing before her, holding the shovel Xu Jinniang had discarded. The child’s eyes were as bright as black grapes, his face clean and fair, and he was dressed neatly—not at all like a typical village child. She couldn't resist patting his head and said with a smile, "Thank you."

The little boy looked slightly annoyed. "You shouldn't pat my head. My brother says if you pat it too much, I won't grow tall."

"Is that so? And who is your brother?" Tong Chuxue asked with a smile.

The little boy tilted his head up. "Big Sister, you’ve met him."

"I have?" Tong Chuxue genuinely couldn't recall. She had just arrived in this world and hadn't even recognized all the people yet; her memories held no record of this boy.

"You met him yesterday!" The boy sounded a bit impatient.

Meeting him yesterday, and someone old enough to be his brother—that could only mean one person. "Luo Hui'an."

The little boy gave her a look that said, "You finally remembered."

"But how did you end up in the mountains all by yourself? Does your brother know?" A child this small shouldn't be wandering alone, and Tong Chuxue grew increasingly concerned. "You didn't sneak out, did you?"

The boy pursed his lips and fell silent. That wouldn't do; if a child wandered the mountains alone, he could be in danger. Tong Chuxue took his hand. "Come on, I'll take you home."

The boy tried to resist, but his strength was no match for hers, and his small hand remained firmly in her grip. The sun was high, and the villagers were all awake. As Tong Chuxue walked along the path, she felt the gazes of others fixed upon her. At first, she thought it was just village gossip regarding yesterday's events.

Just as they were about to reach the Luo house, Tong Chuxue heard someone call her name. It was a girl she didn't recognize, but the girl clearly knew her. "Big Sister, something has happened at the Tong family home! You should go and take a look!"

What did the Tong family's business have to do with her? Given how they had treated her, it was already a sign of great restraint that she hadn't kicked them while they were down.

Seeing Tong Chuxue’s calm expression, the girl grew even more anxious. "Auntie Xu is arguing with the Tong family! If you don't go, I'm afraid Auntie is going to be bullied!"

Tong Chuxue hadn't expected that Xu Jinniang had been called to the Tong house and had gotten into a conflict. They had only split from the family yesterday; without the constraints of the household, the Tong family would surely treat her mother poorly.

She glanced at the boy. "That’s your house up ahead. You can go back by yourself, can't you? Big Sister has urgent business."

The boy understood the urgency and promised, "I can!"

Tong Chuxue hurried toward the Tong house. No sooner had she left than the boy tried to follow, but the girl stopped him. "Where are you going instead of heading home? If your big brother finds out, he'll punish you again."

The boy wasn't afraid. "I want to see what's happening at the Tong house."

The girl shook her head. "No, your brother was just looking for you."

"Big Sister," the boy said, trying to wheedle her, "just tell my brother I went to the Tong house. He won't be mad at me." With that, he took off like a gust of wind, and the girl, unable to catch him, stamped her feet in frustration.

At the Tong house, Tong Chuxue arrived at the entrance and heard Xu Jinniang’s crying from inside. The entire Tong family was gathered in the small courtyard. Xu Jinniang was tearful, and upon seeing Tong Chuxue, she hurriedly wiped her eyes and grabbed her daughter’s hand. "Chuxue, why are you here? Didn't you say you were going to the mountains to find greens? If you’re done, go back and wash them..."

Tong Chuxue gripped her mother’s hand firmly. "Mother, did the Tong family bully you?"

Xu Jinniang’s face turned pale; she wouldn't even offer an explanation and made to push Tong Chuxue out the door. "How could they? No one is bullying me. You're overthinking it. Go home."

Tong Chuxue could not believe her. "Mother, does this have anything to do with me?"

The Tong family seemed to be waiting for exactly that question. Zou Hongping stood in the middle of the crowd like a triumphant rooster, staring at Tong Chuxue. "Xue girl, you’ve come at just the right time. Help us persuade your mother to return what she took."