Thanks to Second Lady Liu’s wide network of contacts, many villagers in Zhang Family Village who were on good terms with Zhang Shuisheng’s family had already heard bits and pieces about Embroider Maiden’s ordeal. To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, Zhang Shuisheng spoke plainly. “Sigh, as the saying goes, what’s done is done—like spilled water that’s impossible to recover. My little sister-in-law has truly been separated from the family, and she’s had a terribly hard time these past six months. She only managed to scrape together a bit of silver thanks to some kind benefactor, enough to buy this plot of land and settle down. But then my eldest sister-in-law’s family suddenly changed their tune and refused to let her go no matter what. There’s just no helping it… After discussing it with her second sister, we decided to temporarily put the house in our family’s name for Third Sister here. We’ll sort out the rest later, slowly.”
After all, it was his father-in-law’s family, so Zhang Shuisheng didn’t speak too harshly. Still, he made it clear to the folks from Zhang Family Village that the house and land had been bought with Embroider Maiden’s own money—it was just temporarily under his name, and it would be returned to her eventually.
The villagers from Zhang Family Village reacted in various ways upon hearing Zhang Shuisheng’s explanation. They were all good, honest folk born and raised in Qinglu County, so they knew a thing or two about the customs in Little Locust Village. Zhang Family Village had an ancestral rule against marrying within the same clan or village, so most of their men took wives from outside. Few had ever married into Little Locust Village. Back when Zhang Shuisheng wanted to wed Second Lady Liu, plenty of villagers had tried to talk him out of it. Fortunately, Second Lady Liu proved herself through her actions after marriage, showing everyone her true character.
No one said anything aloud, but everyone knew that the feud between Liu Family Eldest Sister and Liu Family Third Sister was far from over!
Once Zhang Shuisheng had achieved his goal, he didn’t dwell on the matter. He organized the group to sort and stack the house-building materials in their optimal spots, exchanged a few polite words, and then sent everyone on their way.
In the days that followed, this once-quiet hillside turned into a hive of activity. Eight sturdy men shouted rhythmic chants as they rammed the foundation into the earth on the slope. They worked at it for a full three days, not only digging out the base but also setting aside space for a cellar. They even leveled the entire plot of open ground, ensuring the house would have a solid footing.
In the afternoon, Embroider Maiden arrived carrying a water jug, while Wu Wei shouldered a bamboo basket full of food and made her way to the site.
“Second Brother-in-law, time to eat,” Embroider Maiden said softly.
No need for Zhang Shuisheng to call out—the men, worn out from a morning’s labor, had already gathered around, chatting and laughing.
Wu Wei had borrowed the Zhang family’s stove to prepare lunch for the past three days, buying all the ingredients out of her own pocket and cooking every dish herself. Day one featured plain steamed rice paired with stir-fried preserved pork with garlic chives, slippery cabbage, and stewed potatoes with eggplant. Day two brought hand-pulled noodles topped generously with meat sauce, just a touch of coarse grain for chewiness—and plenty of that rich sauce to go around. On the third day, it was egg fried rice loaded with countless eggs and bits of preserved pork, served alongside pickled vegetables that Second Lady Liu had made herself. It was mouthwateringly delicious!
By now, these men had taken a real shine to Wu Wei. What man wouldn’t like a girl who was so sensible and generous?
Wu Wei’s straightforward personality helped too—she was refreshingly unpretentious and quickly bonded with the group. Under her lead, Embroider Maiden even traded a few jokes with them now and then. Though they were rough-and-tumble farmhands, the men knew how to behave properly around the two women.
“Big brothers, lunch is served!” Wu Wei set the bamboo basket on a wooden post. One of the men sniffed the air. “Smells amazing. Steamed white-flour buns today?”
Wu Wei laughed. “Er Niu, you’ve got a nose like a bloodhound. You got it—white-flour steamed buns.”
She first pulled a clay pot from the basket and placed it on the post, then set a jar nearby. The rest of the basket was filled with flawless white steamed buns. Lifting the lid of the pot revealed red-braised pork swimming in thick, glossy sauce, piled high—at least five pounds of it.
“Whoa, Miss Wu, you’re too generous. This is real fine eating again today.”
Embroider Maiden added, “Auntie Zhang steamed the buns. Weiwei made the red-braised pork herself, and she stewed it with sixteen boiled eggs for nearly an hour. Oh, and there’s pickled vegetables too.”
Another man snatched two buns and took a bite. “Your wife’s pickled veggies are top-notch, sis, but with red-braised pork on offer, who needs ’em?”
Laughter erupted as everyone grabbed buns and dug in.
Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei handed out bowls and chopsticks. Embroider Maiden poured water from the jug—perfectly temperate—for the men, while Wu Wei sat cross-legged beside Zhang Shuisheng and chatted with the group.
Everyone praised Wu Wei’s cooking, and one man chimed in, “This morning when I left the house, my mom asked why I’d put on weight. Said I wasn’t out working but fattening up instead.”
“Hahaha!”
Er Niu said, “Miss Wu, Brother Shuisheng and the rest of us have been neighbors for years—we go way back, playing in the mud as kids. You really don’t need to go all out like this. Fine rice and white flour every meal? We’re starting to feel bad.”
“Yeah, building a house ain’t heavy labor. A quick bite’s all we need.”
Wu Wei smiled. “I’m mainly in charge of the cooking. But really, it’s Embroider Maiden… She said she’s never met such kind-hearted folks. As a weak woman, she doesn’t have much to offer in return, so she’s making it up with the food. If you’re grateful to anyone, thank her.”
Embroider Maiden’s cheeks flushed pink. She gave a small curtsy. “Building a house is a major life event. Once it’s done, I’ll be one of you Zhang Family Village folk too. I don’t have much to give back… but my needlework is decent. In the future, if anyone needs mending, new clothes, quilt covers, or the like, just bring it to me.”
Zhang Shuisheng chimed in from the side, “Third Sister’s skills are one of a kind. If it’s too far to come yourself, drop it off at my place—I’ll bring it over for you.”
…
With those words exchanged, Embroider Maiden glanced at Wu Wei, her cheeks still rosy. Wu Wei had come up with exactly what to say that morning, so how could Embroider Maiden not understand her intentions? To have someone who truly cared about her best interests—what incredible luck!
Wu Wei responded with a reassuring smile. The Embroider Maiden of today was worlds better than the girl she’d first met. Wu Wei still remembered how that earlier version could barely speak up loudly. If you raised your voice even a little while talking to her, she’d avert her eyes, the picture of a woman crushed by feudal oppression.
Looking back on the journey so far, Embroider Maiden had stepped up to protect her more than once in times of danger. Now, she could stand before strangers and voice her thoughts openly.
Wu Wei felt a swell of pride, like a parent watching “her daughter come of age,” but even more, she was happy and proud for Embroider Maiden herself. Embroider Maiden wasn’t dimwitted—quite the opposite; she was sharp as a tack. Her initial timid demeanor had been entirely the fault of the Liu family.
Wu Wei had guided the process, of course, but without any forceful measures. She’d simply laid the facts before Embroider Maiden. Shedding that shell of timidity had come from Embroider Maiden’s own inner strength.
…
After lunch, Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei cleared the bowls and chopsticks. Without anyone saying a word, the men wiped their mouths and got straight back to work.
Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei left the water jug behind, reminding Zhang Shuisheng to bring it home later, then took their leave.
…
Meanwhile, in Little Locust Village.
The sun dipped toward the horizon, sending wisps of cooking smoke rising from every household. Farm families trickled back from the fields, hoe in hand.
Today, though, Li Tieniu and Liu Cuicui walked in heavy silence, their steps unusually hurried—as if some catastrophe had struck their home.
The Liu family didn’t have many members, but they boasted three solid tiled rooms, a spacious courtyard, and a small rear yard for the cattle shed and pigsty. A brood of old hens scratched around the front yard.
Old Madam Liu sat on a wooden post in the courtyard. She’d toiled all day on household chores—sweeping, laundry, fetching water, feeding the cattle, pigs, and chickens. With supper finally steaming in the pot, she allowed herself a moment’s rest. Watching her “grandson” Liu Dahu dash about the yard, a smile creased her weathered, deeply lined face.
Li Tieniu and Liu Cuicui stormed into the courtyard. Li Tieniu glanced at Liu Cuicui, then scooped up their son to go wash his feet.
Old Madam Liu ignored her son-in-law’s odd behavior as if she hadn’t noticed. She just grinned and said to Liu Cuicui, “You’re back. Go wash up—dinner’s almost ready.”
Liu Cuicui stared at her mother, words catching in her throat several times. Finally, she sidled up close and lowered her voice. “Mom, when you went to the market a few days ago to buy a writing brush for Liu Dahu, did you hear any news?”
Old Madam Liu’s rough hands unconsciously wiped themselves on her apron. She looked away. “I just went to the market for the brush and picked up some sugarcane candy for Liu Dahu, then came straight home. What news could I have heard?”
Clang! Liu Cuicui dropped the hoe from her hand. Her face, darkened by the sun, showed no other change, but her thick lips trembled as she let out a low growl. “Mom, we all know already! It’s spreading through all the fields now. Third Sister somehow struck it rich. She bought fields in Zhang Family Village, and just a few days ago, several ox carts rumbled off to the market to haul back materials for building houses. How long are you going to keep hiding it from us?”
Old Madam Liu fell silent upon hearing this. She hemmed and hawed for a long moment like a child caught doing something wrong, unable to muster any real explanation. In the end, she simply turned and shuffled off to the kitchen to check on the pot.
The late Old Man Liu and Madam Liu had been known throughout Little Locust Village as paragons of honesty. They endured a lifetime of bullying and pressure from others without ever putting up a fight.
By contrast, their three daughters were anything but ordinary. The eldest, Liu Cuicui, was bold and brash. Illiterate though she was, she had taken matters into her own hands and found herself a son-in-law willing to move into the family home. The second sister was silver-tongued and hardworking. Even after marriage, she never forgot her roots, often bringing her husband back home during holidays to lend the family some face.
As for the Liu family’s Third Sister…
She might have drawn the short straw in life, but she possessed a peerless talent for needlework. Who didn’t know that the Liu family’s modest estate had all been earned by Third Miss Liu’s deft hands?
Rumor had it that this Third Lady was truly something else. In the dead of winter, the Liu family had ruthlessly driven her out of the home. Yet in that drafty old shack, not only had she survived—she had even befriended a “great figure.” Why, Even The Jade-Faced Divine Strategist, a character straight out of the operas, was said to have visited Liu Sanniang’s home several times! Of course, these were just rumors; no one claimed to have seen it with their own eyes.
