These past days, Madam Wang’s heart had already been shattered beyond repair. She had been sharp since birth, with high-handed methods. In her early years, before she married into the Huo family, the Huo family had for generations simply been the stewards who watched over an estate for the imperial household.

Yet from the time she married in, it took no more than a decade or so — relying on scheming cunning, currying favor by offering up serving girls — for her to lick and flatter both above and below until things ran smooth as oil, until the imperial family’s property came to bear the Huo name. That was how Huo Family Manor later came to be.

Even when Master Huo’s head had hung from the city gate, she had not been this afraid.

But now… Madam Wang stared fixedly at Qiqian’er’s face, and at those eyes that flashed with a cold light.

These eyes — she felt she had seen them before. The tenant farmers who froze to death in the straw shacks in winter, the convicts sent to labor themselves to death at the manor’s salt wells, the young maids sold off, the servants beaten to death… those people, before they died, had looked at her with just such eyes. But back then Madam Wang had not been afraid. Her favorite saying had been: we’re not afraid of the living, so why fear the dead?

Back then she had her retinue and her pomp. Now, she had nothing left at all…

Clicking her tongue in disdain, Qiqian’er looked Madam Wang up and down before continuing, “Dear Madam, you tricked and swindled your way into selling me off, and now you can rest easy? Oh my! What a fearless one you are — aren’t you afraid I’ll shout it out right now? Cheating an official gentleman’s own mother, no less — have you forgotten? Your husband’s head is still hanging at the city gate! His blood hasn’t even finished draining, and you, his leftover remnant, dared come scurrying to a military officer’s doorstep to cheat him too… what nerve you have!”

In years past, Qiqian’er had often dreamed of finding Madam Wang again and again to ask her: did you have no heart at all? You were a mother, a grandmother too! You so easily pushed someone else’s child into the fire pit, knowing full well she wouldn’t survive it — her whole life ruined because of one word from you, her very life perhaps taken because of it! How could you sleep at night?

But later, once she had grown old and seen more of the world, she understood: people like that slept just fine. They feared nothing at all. They ate well and lived well their whole lives. Retribution? Who had ever actually seen retribution come?

But it was only later, once Qiqian’er had grown old, that she came to understand something else — that compared to Madam Wang’s black-hearted cruelty, it was her own spineless, boneless temperament that had truly deserved the most hatred.

And so she no longer hated Madam Wang. She didn’t hate Master Huo, didn’t hate the old matriarch, didn’t hate Choutou either… she didn’t even hate Madam Qiao. She only hated herself.

Now, as she spoke, there was no real anger left in her heart.

Madam Wang was thoroughly frightened. Imagining the consequences, her expression changed completely; she was so afraid her mouth trembled, and for a moment all that could be heard was the chattering of her teeth.

Qiqian’er’s face was full of smiles as she reached out and, feigning reluctance to let go, took hold of Madam Wang’s arm.

In the pushing and pulling, Qiqian’er caught sight of the smooth white mutton-fat jade bracelet on Madam Wang’s arm.

Ah yes. That was it. That very object.

Back when Madam Wang used to deal with people, she’d loved wearing a sable-trimmed jacket embroidered with clustered peony blossoms, loved sitting somewhere sheltered from wind and rain sipping ginseng tea, fingering her silk handkerchief — and when she sat longest, she would stretch out her pale wrist and turn this very bracelet round and round with her fingers.

In her old nightmares, Qiqian’er had never dared look up at the Madam’s face — she couldn’t see the face, but she could always see that bracelet on the pale white wrist…

“Oh! Madam, this bracelet is so pretty!”

Qiqian’er laughed and reached out to stroke the bracelet.

Madam Wang wanted to pull her arm back, but seeing those eyes of Qiqian’er’s, she didn’t dare.

And so Qiqian’er began working the bracelet off her wrist, little by little.

The bracelet Madam Wang had put on as a young girl now sat on a wrist grown thin, but the bone structure was already set. She didn’t dare cry out in pain — her face was full of silent pleading, cold sweat trembling on her brow…

Qiqian’er spent quite a bit of effort, but in the end managed to slide the bracelet onto her own thin, stick-like little arm.

As she worked it on, she sighed, “Ah! In the dead of night, with man-eating beasts lurking everywhere, and you so easily drove us out… I saved your whole family’s lives with one plate of offering fruit, and how did you repay me? Dear Madam, you sold me, then sold my mother’s daughter too? Did you ever think — if I hadn’t gone to warn you, your whole family would have starved to death! The elders always say, one should be merciful, one should have a conscience, isn’t that right? Otherwise there’s retribution, don’t you agree?”

Madam Wang’s eyes swam in a daze; she felt as though she were dreaming, wanted to faint — but Qiqian’er’s voice beside her ear rang out clear and crisp, and not a single word escaped her.

“…That auntie in the back courtyard used to advise me, saying once you’re married it’ll be better, that doing so much work is tiring, but that the Madam meant well too, wanting us to learn a trade. She also said — the Madam has such a merciful heart, that’s why she didn’t starve me to death, that she raised me still, and that we should be grateful. Heh! Well, thank you very much. You didn’t starve me to death, and I saved your entire family — so we’re even now, wouldn’t you say?”

Qiqian’er stared fixedly at Madam Wang. Madam Wang took a long moment to react before nodding blankly and saying, “…Even.”

Hearing this, Qiqian’er brightened, patting her arm affectionately. “Good that we’re even — you said it yourself, mind you, I’m not like you, daring to commit such sins! Now then — your family gave me a handful of food, and I saved your whole family, so that squares us too, doesn’t it?”

“It does!”

“Good that it does! The Madam truly understands propriety after all, always so merciful in ordinary times — the sort who builds temples and burns incense, who kowtows at the sight of any idol, a truly good and kind person. And since you’re so kind and understand propriety, let’s also settle the account of you selling me — after all, ten strings of cash isn’t nothing, and fifty catties of grain — doesn’t your whole family owe me more than just one life?”

Living under another’s roof, Madam Wang could only say, unwillingly, “…Yes, yes, I suppose…”

Qiqian’er’s expression turned delighted as she fiddled with the jade bracelet. “Tsk! Oh my, listen to you, you know everything so clearly after all~ I really can’t figure it out though — that graveyard plot on the back hill, haven’t you been sending people into it all year round, year after year? Truly someone unafraid of retribution! Madam, aren’t you afraid that tomorrow when you die and go to hell, King Yama will judge your case and burn you, char you, chop you up, strangle you — grind your bones to ash and scatter them!”

Madam Wang kept backing away, but Qiqian’er, gripping her arm, followed step for step, staring straight into her eyes, speaking right into her ear: “And in your next life — may you be judged into the animal realm, born as some pig that grows fat eating dung and filth, then gets slaughtered the moment the festival season comes around, you old sow?”

Madam Wang’s face turned an ashen grey-blue, and she struggled desperately to break free.

But Qiqian’er held onto her, and pulled a small cloth bundle out from her sleeve, one by one sliding the rings from inside it onto her own dry, callus-covered fingers.

“Qi- Qiqian’er! How dare you?” Madam Wang was unwilling to part with her wealth.

Qiqian’er only smiled at her like some ghostly apparition and said, “Oh! I dare indeed! What can you possibly do to me, Madam? Oh dear, do slow down — this ground is hard packed, wouldn’t want you to fall and hurt yourself, and if you’re so heartless your very intestines spill out, I certainly won’t help you gather them back up — they’d stink something awful!”

Madam Wang, for all her scheming abilities, was once again frightened right down into the dust.

“You — aren’t you afraid to die!?”

In the end, this was simply someone bullying another by force of circumstance.

Qiqian’er’s hatred of herself only deepened. Spreading open her hand, now wearing seven or eight rings, she said with a laugh, “I’m not afraid! But you are, aren’t you! Oh, what a loud voice you’ll need — you’ll deafen your own ears! Madam, if you want to die, then go ahead and die — shout it loud! But pity poor Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master, and all those darlings of your heart…

Anyway, I’m just some cheap-boned girl sold by my own mother — whether I live or die makes no difference. But go ahead, try it. Shout. Those rough soldiers over there aren’t the type to reason with you. You’ve provoked their old lady — heh! Turn around and it’s blade after blade, and this whole family’s heads might just go rolling across the ground like autumn melons, hiss~ blood spraying three feet high! Either way, no one escapes. Look — why don’t we go together, then? At least in front of King Yama, I’d still be a witness…”

Madam Wang’s body went limp and she began to collapse toward the ground. Qiqian’er caught her and said with a laugh, “Don’t you dare pretend. I’ve only taken so little from you — that firewood pile by the cart shaft, I saw it all too… who do you take me for, a fool?”

Before she could even finish speaking, Madam Wang, drawing on strength from who knows where, shook Qiqian’er off and staggered unsteadily toward the cart.

Stumbling along, Madam Wang muttered under her breath, “Ghost! Vicious ghost… ghost…!”

Eldest Young Master Huo Yunrui, utterly dumbfounded, was dragged back by Madam Wang’s hoarse shrieking; no one knew quite what was said between them, but soon they were all climbing into the cart, hoisting baskets onto their backs… fleeing as fast as they could.

From start to finish, not one member of that family dared look back at Qiqian’er.

Qiqian’er muttered quietly to herself, “You’re the vicious ghost.”

As the group grew smaller and smaller in the distance, Qiqian’er didn’t move, simply stood watching from where she was… She knew perfectly well, in her heart, that this parting meant they would never see each other again in this lifetime.

That family, raised soft and pampered on warmth and comfort — whether they’d even make it back to their hometown was doubtful. She’d seen refugees hauling fine possessions while fleeing before, but never anyone hauling a stack of firewood while fleeing for their lives.

In this world there were always people who thought themselves the cleverest of all — but no head covering could hide those two deep cart-wheel ruts on the ground.

Well, so be it then. She wouldn’t warn them. Let their lives and deaths be as fate decreed. It could even count as accumulating some merit on her son An’er’s behalf.

Scholar Cheng, astonished, watched his newly-made friend, Brother Huo. They had just been discussing a few good books from years past — so why was this man now dashing off like he was fleeing for his life, without so much as a word of goodbye?

He had even meant to persuade Brother Huo to join the military camp with him — after all, with the new dynasty just established, even a middling sort could make something of himself now.

Ah, well! He’d misjudged the man! The fellow had gotten his money and run off fast — couldn’t even be called back with shouting.

Only once that family had vanished from the road did he finally turn back to look at the young woman and Old Madam Chen Wu, still surrounded by a crowd of women three layers deep.

As he approached, he saw the young woman bending down to lift a basket as large as herself onto her back — and as she moved, he noticed the pale, gleaming bangle circling her wrist, and seven or eight glittering rings jangling on her fingers.

Scholar Cheng found it dazzling, and before he could stop himself, blurted out, “What… what is that?”

Qiqian’er had always thought well of Scholar Cheng. Back when the old matriarch had wanted to sell her off, this honest, stubborn man had stood his ground and lectured the old matriarch, saying he had never in his life heard of a decent family selling off the wife of their own household — and besides, he was the matchmaker, and had written the marriage contract himself, so there was no way this could be sold under any circumstances… Later the old matriarch had sent word through others, and even Choutou had sent a message back saying, let it be, then.

Qiqian’er answered him sweetly, “In reply to you, sir — this is a dowry quilt. Don’t mind the coarse look of the quilt cover — inside are two ten-catty quilts of fine, seeded cotton batting, and it’s all new cotton, too.”

Scholar Cheng, of course, hadn’t meant to ask about that at all, but by now his wits had returned to him, and he could only force an awkward smile and say it was fine, before turning and walking off with a flick of his sleeve.

He didn’t even stop to retrieve his ink box from the millstone.

A magpie happened to land on the locust tree branch outside the ancestral hall in front of the manor, and Qiqian’er looked up at it, delighted.

An old, familiar sight.

This was her son An’er’s “locust tree grandfather.” An’er had been born frail, and it was the old matriarch who had said that adopting a tree as a spiritual godfather could protect the child.

Sure enough, after they did, An’er’s coughing had lessened.

In years past, whenever a festival came around, she would often bring An’er here to offer sacrifices to his tree grandfather.

“Tomorrow my An’er will come again — I’ll hang up something big and red for you, and offer you the biggest pig’s head I can find!”

Having made this vow, Qiqian’er hoisted the basket onto her back and followed Old Madam Chen Wu into the manor. The whole way, Old Madam Chen Wu’s eyes never left her hands.

Qiqian’er pressed her lips together and smiled, then generously held out her hand, looked over the rings on her fingers, and finally picked the plainest silver ring of the lot, sliding it onto the old matriarch’s finger, saying, “Here, you just keep this one to play with.”

As for the rest? Don’t even think about it!

The old matriarch’s eyes rolled about; she glanced behind her, then pulled Qiqian’er along a few quick steps and said in a low voice, “Girl, you really don’t understand how things work. These days, with chaos and war everywhere, that courtyard we’re staying in isn’t just one household — there’s more than one family living there. These things of yours, just let me hold onto them for you for now. Once you and Choutou are properly settled, I’ll give them back to you…”

After more than a decade tormenting each other, who didn’t know the other’s true temperament by now?

For now? Just you wait!

Qiqian’er replied with a smile, “Just listen to you — you think I can’t manage these little trinkets myself? I’m no fool. This is the dowry my own family gave me — how could I dare not take good care of it? Don’t you worry, no need to trouble yourself over it. Once we get back, I’ll find some thread and sew myself a little pouch, and wear it right over my heart! Even if I die, it won’t get lost!”

A ripple of laughter went through the crowd around them; the old matriarch was furious inside but could only swallow it.

Neither of them knew the other’s true temperament yet — who could say who was really like what.

In the end, having a new family member join was still a good thing — she could hardly kick her out the moment they met, could she?

Old Madam Chen Wu, seething inside, twisted her old face into a forced smile, and waved her hand irritably to shoo away the crowd of onlookers.

“What are you all staring at! What’s so interesting to look at?”

Another ripple of laughter came from the crowd, and people finally began to disperse.

Then some quick-witted person led over the old matriarch’s five sheep.

Qiqian’er, quick as anything, gave a little hop to steady the basket on her back, then walked over smiling and took hold of the sheep, asking, “Are these ours?”

The old matriarch looked at the sheep, then looked at this thin-haired girl with a puzzled expression — what did she mean, “ours”? Why wasn’t this girl acting like a stranger at all? Shouldn’t she be devastated, parting from her own family like this? Why wasn’t she crying? Something was off here!

Utterly baffled, Old Madam Chen Wu could only stiffly nod and say, “Ah! Yes, my sheep!”

Qiqian’er laughed brightly, grabbing the sheep’s lead rope with both hands. “Yours, yours! All yours! What’s yours is yours, and what’s mine is mine! I’m just helping you out — surely you don’t think I’d slaughter and eat them behind your back?”

The sheep, not having had its fill of grazing, was reluctant to move — but Qiqian’er gave it a firm tug, and the sturdiest one dropped straight to its knees with a thud.

Qiqian’er wound the rope once around her wrist and, with surprising ease, hauled the sheep back up. And so, with two in one hand and three in the other, she dragged the sheep toward the manor without much apparent effort at all.

Since the age of three she had done chores in the back courtyard of Huo Family Manor; by ten she was already being worked like a grown man; by fifteen, Qiqian’er, well-fed as she now was, had the strength of a grown man in her body.

Old Madam Chen Wu watched that lively retreating figure with something close to astonishment, thinking to herself — just what in the world had they brought into the family?

Before she could puzzle it out further, a woman hopped over beside her and whispered slyly into her ear, “Old Madam, did you see the look in her eyes just now? That’s the real thing, that is!”

The woman gave a thumbs-up.

Old Madam Chen Wu had no idea how to respond to that.

Qiqian’er, delighted inside, looked around at the old, familiar scenery as she walked. Oh, this was the Wang Hanlin family’s place. Huh? Had this house always looked like this? Heh! That second daughter-in-law from the Xiang general’s household still owed her thirty strings of cash that was never repaid…

In something of a daze, she grew quieter and quieter as she walked.

Then Qiqian’er stopped in her tracks, turned back, and called out to Old Madam Chen Wu: “Hurry up now… uh, that is, I don’t know the way!”

The watching women burst out laughing again, and poor Old Madam Chen Wu’s head throbbed with pain as she thought to herself, “Ancestors of the Chen family, this really isn’t my doing! Unless your graves are still soaking underwater somewhere — did our family end up with a simpleton?”