Chapter 13: Must Return to Bu Village

After leaving the thatched hut of the third branch of the Fang family, Fang called out toward Wen Liyue’s room:

“Yue’er, Yue’er, come here and make me a pot of tea.”

Wen Liyue emerged with a sullen face, following Fang into the kitchen as she spoke:

“Mother, when will we be able to move back to town? The bedboards here are cold and hard, and there are lice.”

She had had enough! Was this kind of dwelling fit for anyone to live in?

Moreover, she always felt she didn’t belong here; she was meant to live in town, enjoying a life of luxury, not as a village girl.

“What move back?” Fang, usually gentle, sternly replied, “Didn’t you see? When we left, the cloth shop had already hired new help.”

“But… besides the Liu family’s cloth shop, Father and Mother can find work at other shops!”

“Do you think finding a job is that easy? Look around this entire village and the idlers on the town’s streets—who can get a job?”

“Besides, even if they find one, the wages would be half of what they were before. And even if food and lodging are provided, it’s only for your father. Not every place is like the Liu family’s shop that needs someone to mind the store and just happens to have a spare courtyard for us to live in.”

Listening to Fang, Wen Liyue finally realized how good the jobs her father and mother had lost really were! Their whole family could no longer return to town and were stuck as villagers!

Seeing the hurt on her daughter’s face, Fang’s heart ached, and she quietly regretted her harsh tone earlier:

“Alright, don’t be upset. Your father and I will prepare a decent dowry for you, and in two years, we’ll marry you off back to town.”

Only then did Wen Liyue smile, stamping her foot shyly, “Marry off… I’m still young!”

“Yes, yes, our Yue’er is still young!” Fang teased with a smile and began kneading dough. “For now, you mustn’t offend Ye Ya. Otherwise, you won’t be able to return to town.”

Wen Liyue pouted, “I don’t care about those malicious people.”

“Later, you and your sisters will go up the mountain together, and lunch will be eaten there. I’ve prepared chive pancakes for them, and sauerkraut pancakes for you and Mei Ya. I secretly added some meat to your and Mei Ya’s pancakes, so don’t swap them with the third branch’s.”

“I won’t swap.”

...

Soon, Fang laid out four pancakes, wrapping them in lotus leaves.

The four Wen and Ye sisters each carried a basket on their backs, standing at the kitchen door.

Fang distributed the pancakes:

“Here’s your lunch. Lan Ya, Ye Ya, pick plenty of shepherd’s purse so we can make enough dumplings for tomorrow’s breakfast.”

“Mei Ya, Yue’er, no matter how much pigweed you cut, after lunch you must not slack off; you have to go straight to the back mountain to gather firewood. Otherwise, we won’t have any wood to burn tonight.”

Wen Mei scowled; such hard labor used to be done by the third branch—when would it be her turn?

And why were those two little misfortunes only digging wild vegetables while she had to cut pigweed and collect firewood?

She felt deeply unfair but remembered how Wen Ye could suddenly swing a knife and scare people into silence, so she kept quiet.

Wen Ye set the pancakes down, picked up a handy small hoe, tossed it lightly, and then threw it into her basket.

The four sisters left together, and only after they had gone far did Wen Er, limping, help Old Wen out of the house.

“Hurry, follow them!” Old Wen said excitedly.

There was medicine in the Wen Ye sisters’ pancakes.

Twenty minutes after they ate, they would faint. Wen Mei and Wen Liyue planned to leave before they passed out to collect firewood.

The couple would watch from nearby just in case.

When the Wen Ye sisters collapsed, they would be tied up and handed over to the village foreman at the entrance.

Fang and Wen Er were about to follow when Wen Yuer suddenly appeared from around the corner:

“Uncle Duoliang, there’s a letter for you.”

“For me?” Wen Er was stunned.

Fang and Old Wen exchanged glances and came closer to look.

Wen Er opened the letter, which read: If you want to return to the cloth shop, come to town immediately so we can talk.

“The cloth shop?” Wen Er and the others were instantly excited.

Fang hurriedly asked, “Yuer, who gave you this letter?”

“It was a skinny young man in his early twenties, as thin as a straw,” Wen Yuer thought for a moment and said, “I was picking willow branches at the village entrance when he saw me and asked if I was from the village. Then he asked me to deliver this letter to you.”

“Skinny as a straw… that’s Dafu!” Wen Er said anxiously, “It must be the shopkeeper sending him to pass the message. He wants me to come back to work at the cloth shop! I can return! Let’s go to town right now!”

“Wait…” Fang paused, looking at Wen Yuer, “Thank you, Yuer. You can go back now.”

“Okay.” Wen Yuer replied and, turning away, stuck out her tongue.

Yesterday afternoon, Ye Ya had suddenly come over gleefully, giving her this letter and telling her to wait here today and hand it to Wen Er once the sisters left.

She also said it was given by a skinny young man as thin as a straw.

Wen Yuer didn’t know what Wen Ye was up to but was happy to help.

After Wen Yuer left, Fang lowered her voice:

“They’ve already gone up the mountain. If we can’t sell today, we’ll have to refund the money! And the foremen are not easy to deal with.”

“What do we do? I definitely want to return to the cloth shop.” Wen Er’s heart was burning with excitement, nearly flying to town.

Fang was equally anxious.

At the cloth shop, Wen Er earned eight hundred wen per month, and the back of the shop had a small courtyard for their family to live in.

Even if she couldn’t return to work as a cook for the Liu family, living in the courtyard and doing laundry work to earn a couple hundred wen was no problem.

Compared to selling people, this job was of utmost importance.

Old Wen said, “Let’s split up! Er, you go to town to find the shopkeeper. Your wife, you keep an eye on the girls on the mountain.”

Fang hurriedly said, “No. The Liu family already hates us since we left the cloth shop. I’m afraid the manager won’t handle things well, and this chance to return will slip away.”

Li Shi Quan struggled internally but decided the cloth shop was more important:

“It’s better if I go with the manager to see the shopkeeper. As for those two girls…”

Old Wen said, “Send the foremen straight to the mountain to find them.”

She feared that if they were late, the foremen would demand refunds and cause trouble.

If she could, Old Wen would watch over them herself, but her old back still ached terribly, making walking difficult.

Fang said, “Besides, the foremen don’t know where they pick the shepherd’s purse. Forget it, the town job is the priority. Anyway, they’ll faint after lunch and sleep for two hours! We’ll come back before they wake and hand them over then.”

Old Wen nodded, “The foremen are waiting at the village entrance. When you leave, tell them and let them return to the shop first.”

Wen Er’s heart was already in the cloth shop: “The foremen are tough. If they find out we can’t deliver the goods now, they might get violent. Our cloth shop job is the priority; we don’t have time to argue with them. Besides, there’s plenty of time. Maybe the town business will be done before lunch!”

Old Wen smiled and nodded, “Makes sense. Er is smart.”

Filled with excitement, Fang and Wen Er borrowed a donkey cart, avoiding the main road, and headed to town.

Today was truly a great day!

Not only could they sell those two troublesome girls, but they could also return to work at the cloth shop.