In the midst of her laughter, Xu Ying appeared in the doorway. “First Young Miss, Miss Shao Yao asks that you come over.”

Hua Zhi’s laughter ceased. The rippling light in her eyes settled. “I expect it means there has been some movement with that pair of twins. Little Six, come along and have a look too.”

The Sixth Imperial Prince pressed his lips together. He understood why Elder Sister Hua had laughed. He also understood that this was no easy matter. Yet — he bore the surname Gu. He had seen things that others of the Gu family could not see. As an imperial prince, he could not pretend he had seen nothing.

Those common people paid labor levies to the Great Qing dynasty every year, and yet the Great Qing dynasty could not even guarantee them the most basic protection. How could the hearts of the people ever truly submit?

He had read widely in the historical records. In history, every dynasty whose hold on popular loyalty had been unstable was unable to endure. Just as Elder Sister Hua often said in lessons — better to be a stray dog in times of peace than a person in times of chaos. He prayed for that from the bottom of his heart as well.

Shuiguang Village was by the sea, and its houses were two-story buildings of piled stone. The inn was the same — the lower floor used for the proprietors’ own purposes, the upper floor fitted out as guest rooms, amounting in all to no more than five or six rooms. Hua Zhi’s group numbered nine, and she had never been one to make herself uncomfortable, so she had simply taken the whole inn for themselves; everyone was well-lodged. The pair of siblings had been arranged in the corner room that had originally been Bao Xia’s.

Outside, dark clouds pressed low. The light inside the room felt even more dim than usual. A smell of medicine mingled with blood hit Hua Zhi full in the face as she entered, making her somewhat uncomfortable. She paused at the doorway before continuing inside.

“Awake?”

“The younger brother is awake; the elder sister has not yet come round.” Shao Yao’s expression was not pleasant. By any reckoning, the younger brother’s injuries were the more severe — especially in the place that could not be spoken of, where new wounds had been layered upon old ones until it was a mass of raw flesh and blood. Yet in the short time she had observed them, it had become clear to her: it was this younger brother who had been shielding his sister all along. This disgusted her deeply — what use was he, being this helpless? He would have been better off dead.

Bao Xia brought a low four-legged stool and placed it beside the bed to help her young miss sit. She was about to fetch another for the Sixth Imperial Prince, but he shook his head and gestured for her not to bother.

Hua Zhi took stock of the young child — no more than eleven or twelve years old, slight of build, though even so he could not conceal a very fine set of features. Remarkably, he also lacked the swarthy and sallow complexion common to the local people. Had he been born into a wealthy household, he would surely have been a handsome young gentleman. But being born into an ordinary commoner family had made such looks a misfortune.

“Cao Dahai is dead.”

A flicker passed through the child’s eyes; the wariness did not lift.

Hua Zhi paid it no mind, her tone remaining measured and calm. “Where is your home? I will send someone to fetch your family.”

The child still said nothing. A faint sheen of sweat appeared on his brow.

Hua Zhi continued: “We will not be staying here long — at the latest, we will leave the day after tomorrow. If you will not tell me, then I can only entrust you and your sister to Merchant Wu — Wu Zheng of Antai Fishing Company. You know of him?”

The name seemed to carry some weight. The child gave a slight nod.

“Very well. I will invite Wu Zheng over once he has finished with his affairs.”

“There is no one.”

Hua Zhi did not respond, and simply waited quietly for the child to continue.

“We have no family left.” The child’s speech in the official language was very difficult to understand. “If we stay here, we will die.”

As he spoke, the child struggled to prop himself up. It was only when Hua Zhi saw him shifting his position that she realized what he was trying to do, and she quickly had Xu Ying come forward to support him and lay him back down. “You may speak while lying flat.”

The exertion sent his breathing sharp and hurried, and some color came into his face. He did not know who these people were, or what their rank and station might be. But this fine-looking person had a pair of eyes that made him want to weep simply from meeting them. Even in his most desperate moments he had never cried — yet right now he wanted to.

He could not cry. He said so to himself inwardly. If he died, then that cowardly elder sister of his would not survive either. Without him, she would not last.

The child quietly took several deep breaths, making a great effort to speak in the official language he had only ever heard before and was now using for the first time. “I — I beg you, take us away from this place. Sell us into servitude if you must — it does not matter, only let us leave.”

His voice trembled. Hearing it, something ached quietly inside Hua Zhi. To what depth of desperation must one have sunk, to prefer being sold into bondage rather than remain in one’s homeland? They had truly reached a place where they could no longer go on.

“Rest and tend to your wounds for now.” Hua Zhi did not give him an immediate answer. She rose and said: “Wait until your sister wakes, and the two of you can talk it over properly.”

Looking at the child whose eyes brimmed with anxious fear, Hua Zhi’s voice softened somewhat more. “I give you my word — whether you stay or go, I will help you.”

The child clutched the quilt, still wanting to say more, but for fear of vexing the noble person he held it back. There will be a chance, he told himself, in his heart.

Back in her own room, Hua Zhi summoned Xu Ying. “Go and fetch Chen Er.”

“Yes.”

Chen Er had been running about with barely a moment to spare, but the instant he heard that the First Young Miss was asking for him, he dropped everything and hurried over.

Hua Zhi smiled when she saw him. “Happiness puts a spring in one’s step — it looks as though Steward Chen is due for a promotion. Congratulations.”

“Thanks to the First Young Miss’s grace.” Chen Er bowed with sincerity.

Hua Zhi accepted the bow without ceremony, and gestured for the steward to sit before asking him about the pair of twins.

Chen Er started. “They are still alive?”

“Does Steward Chen know them?”

“A shameful business.” Chen Er shook his head. “This is also something of a disgrace in our Shuiguang Village. Cao Dahai had originally set his sights on the mother of those two siblings. The husband of the family was a coward — he stood there and watched without so much as blinking as his wife was dragged away. The woman hanged herself the very next day. When the siblings went to collect her body, Cao Dahai caught sight of them, and they never made it home after that. It has been nearly a year now — I had thought they were long since…”

There was truly no shortage of vile things in this world. Hua Zhi smoothed her sleeve calmly, her expression composed. “And the husband?”

“He took to drink day and night, and died half a year ago. The fishermen only ever found his boat.”

Shao Yao let out a contemptuous sound from the side — her expression barely falling short of saying outright: he deserved it.

Bao Xia managed to coax and steer her away. Hua Zhi withdrew her gaze and continued asking: “Does his family have anyone else?”

“There are people, yes.” Chen Er hesitated, then thought better of concealing the truth. “This lowly one dare not deceive the First Young Miss. The women rescued from Yushun Fishing Company today… all of them have died.”

Hua Zhi rose and went to the window. The crowd on the other side had already dispersed; people were moving about below once more. Perhaps it was an illusion, but even through their umbrellas she felt their steps were lighter — as though the women who had died had no connection to them, and no connection to the customs of this place.

She could not even bring herself to reproach them for holding a woman’s life so cheaply. That was simply how things were here — a woman’s life was probably the thing worth least of all. And yet, no matter what she tried, she could not smooth the anger down inside her.

“Since that is the case, I will take the children with me.”

Chen Er bent deeply at the waist. “The First Young Miss will surely be rewarded for her goodness.”

Hua Zhi curved her lips slightly. Good people were usually the ones who did not live long — and she had never aspired to be one. She had only ever wanted to be the sort of person who minded their own business and left others to theirs. It was simply that she could not bring herself to stand by and watch someone die, knowing they would perish if she left them behind.

(Author’s note: Has Kongkong ever abandoned a character? I just remembered a novel I read long ago called “Foraging,” by the author Zaodou — she seems to have been quiet for a long while too. All her books are good; they have a very pure and beautiful feeling. If any of you are interested, you might take a look. I’m quite fond of her “When the Wind Rises” — note: this is a danmei work.)