With the situation completely one-sided, someone suddenly speaking up for the old man naturally drew everyone’s attention to the speaker.
Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao quickly positioned themselves in front of and behind Jiang Ruan to prevent anyone from bumping into her.
The crowd’s gazes were varied, but Jiang Ruan didn’t hide, simply standing in place and letting others observe her.
The old man was red-faced and thick-necked with anger when he unexpectedly heard words of comfort. He felt the speaker’s voice was gentle and soft, carrying a refreshing coolness that, though it was winter, seemed like a summer breeze that swept away all the stifling irritation in his heart, gradually calming him down. In surprise, he looked toward the speaker just like everyone else.
He saw a little girl of about ten or so standing in the crowd. Unlike her mature words that were no different from an adult’s, her stature was extremely small. Though petite, she couldn’t be ignored. This little girl was pale in both complexion and lips, likely due to her living conditions, but her features were extremely delicate—a perfect nose and cherry lips. Most beautiful were her long eyes beneath slate-colored brows, moist like mountain spring water on one’s knees, deep and shallow, striking straight into one’s heart. Her eyes were purely innocent, yet the corners turned up slightly, unconsciously carrying a hint of allure. If she grew up and was properly nurtured, she would possess truly heart-stopping beauty.
However, this little girl with naturally seductive bones exuded an indescribable coldness throughout her being. She simply stood there quietly, yet gave an inexplicable feeling that made one unable to underestimate her, even arousing an inexplicable sense of fear.
The old man also frowned. Such a little girl had two maids following her—if she were a young miss from a wealthy family, her clothing was far too simple; if she were a daughter from an ordinary family, her overall bearing and demeanor didn’t seem like something a small household could cultivate.
Jiang Ruan stood quietly. The girl nearby watched and watched, then suddenly burst into loud sobs, crying while hiccupping: “I didn’t, I didn’t steal any silver! Mother, I didn’t steal any silver!”
This outburst caused a peasant woman in a floral cloth jacket to push through the crowd, taking a few steps forward to shield the girl behind her. She looked hostilely at both the old man and Jiang Ruan, saying loudly: “What do you want to do to my Qiao’er? Two people bullying one—don’t you know shame when the big bully the small?”
Lian Qiao couldn’t hold back. Without waiting for Jiang Ruan to speak, she jumped out first, laughing: “Madam, you’ve got it wrong. Our miss only stepped forward to speak fairly—where did she bully your daughter? So many people are watching. Did our miss hit or scold her? Besides, about the big bullying the small, I can’t see how much older our miss is than your daughter. Who’s making a public scene like your daughter? Big bullying small, many bullying few—I’d say it’s unclear who’s bullying whom. Bah!”
The woman was also stunned, seemingly not expecting that the seemingly gentle and weak Lian Qiao could scold without pause. For a moment she didn’t know how to respond. When she understood and became angry with embarrassment, just as she was about to continue arguing, Jiang Ruan spoke: “Who’s bullying whom isn’t important. What’s important is the silver, isn’t it?”
The woman turned around, pulling the girl into her arms, angrily saying: “My Qiao’er wouldn’t steal anyone’s silver. This silver is what I gave her when I left home this morning.”
“So much silver, yet Madam feels comfortable entrusting it to such a small child for safekeeping. Madam’s peace of mind is admirable.” Jiang Ruan said lightly, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally emphasizing the word “small” heavily. The surrounding crowd immediately burst into laughter. The woman had just said her daughter was young, yet gave her such a large sum of silver—it was rather forced reasoning.
“I, I had her go out to buy things.” The woman was somewhat annoyed.
“What does Madam want to buy? With so much silver to buy so many things, wouldn’t Qiao’er be unable to carry it all?”
The surrounding laughter grew louder.
The woman became increasingly angry: “What business is it of yours? I naturally have things to buy. Now I’ve already said this silver is what I gave to Qiao’er. This old man says it’s his silver—does he have evidence or witnesses?”
Not one person around spoke up. Evidence or witnesses—there really weren’t any. Even though the situation seemed predictable, still no one was willing to stand up for this old man.
“You’re all in cahoots, conspiring together, working in collusion…” The old man stamped his feet in anger, spouting several phrases at once, but unfortunately these scholarly angry words had no effect on the surrounding people.
“Old sir, there’s no need to worry,” Jiang Ruan said.
The old man turned to Jiang Ruan, frowning with a stiff tone: “I don’t want to implicate the young lady. These people are covering up their crimes. I’ll fight them to the end. Young lady, I appreciate your intervention today, but now you’re also crossing a river on a clay buddha—you’d better protect yourself.” When saying “young lady,” the old man hesitated somewhat. It felt strange calling such a little girl who could be his granddaughter “young lady,” but facing this little girl, he had the feeling of facing an adult woman and truly couldn’t treat her as an ordinary child.
“You old man don’t know what’s good for you. My miss is saving you, yet you don’t know how to appreciate it,” Lian Qiao immediately said angrily upon hearing this.
“Lian Qiao,” Jiang Ruan stopped her, saying: “Old sir, are you so certain I cannot protect myself?”
“Don’t tell me you have a solution?” The old man raised his voice, drawing the surrounding crowd’s attention again.
“Old sir, first tell me how the silver was lost,” Jiang Ruan said.
“I didn’t steal his silver, I didn’t steal his silver!” The girl shrieked and cried again.
“Shut up.” Jiang Ruan coldly glanced at Qiao’er in the woman’s arms. Qiao’er, seeing her cold gaze, unconsciously felt afraid in her heart, immediately fell silent, and shrank into the woman’s embrace.
Everyone clicked their tongues in wonder. The old man, seeing this, thought for a moment and said: “Today I first came to this place. At the street entrance where they sell flatbreads, I bought an oil cake, grabbed copper coins from my purse, walked for a while and felt someone touching my things. Looking, I saw it was a little girl walking beside me. I became alert and checked my purse, discovering the silver had vanished without a trace. I grabbed her and indeed found the silver on her person. Who knew she’d turn the tables on me—truly detestable!” After speaking, he glared again at the girl whose face still bore tear stains.
“Where is the vendor who sold the oil cake?” Jiang Ruan asked.
“That’s me.” A dark-skinned middle-aged man stepped forward, scratching his head with somewhat evasive eyes: “Too many people bought cakes—I can’t remember.” This was clearly a brush-off given the cold human relations on West Street.
Seeing this, both the little girl and the woman looked at Jiang Ruan with gloating satisfaction, thinking Jiang Ruan could no longer pull any tricks.
“Since both parties insist on their own version,” Jiang Ruan said softly, “let the silver speak for itself.”