Du Chunzhi had not stepped outside for two days, staying cooped up at home sewing stuffed tiger charms. The deadline for repaying her debts was drawing near, yet she remained entirely unhurried.
It was not until the fourth day that Du Chunzhi finally opened her front door. She carried a woven bamboo basket covered with a small, floral-patterned cloth. Though her clothes were old, they were clean and tidy.
No sooner had she stepped out than she ran into Widow Zhao, who was cracking sunflower seeds and said in a mocking tone, "Oh, look, the grand lady of the manor has finally emerged."
Du Chunzhi stepped up to her. "Indeed. I’ve come out to take a look at Songjia Village’s very own sarcastic champion."
Widow Zhao spat a seed hull onto the ground, her eyes fixed on Du Chunzhi’s bamboo basket. "What good things are you hiding under that cloth? Don't think about hogging all the treats for yourself; we should split whatever you've got in half."
Widow Zhao was convinced that since Du Chunzhi could afford to build such a fine brick wall, she must be well-off and surely eating the best of everything every day.
Being a glutton, the woman had frequently come over to knock on the door these past few days, hoping to see what Du Chunzhi was eating, but the latter had ignored her, always pretending no one was home. Widow Zhao had been forced to loiter nearby, and this time, she had finally caught her.
Du Chunzhi reached under the cloth, pulled out a gray brick, and leaned in close to Widow Zhao. "I have something to tell you, but it’s just for you. Don't you dare go spreading it around."
Widow Zhao’s eyes brightened instantly. "Yes, yes, of course! I’ll keep it buried deep; I won't let a single word slip!"
"I've become terribly irritable lately," Du Chunzhi said mysteriously, lowering her voice even further. "I keep wanting to smash bricks over people's heads. I've tried to suppress it these last few days, but it’s no use. How about you let me hit you once?"
Widow Zhao jumped back a full pace, her face turning deathly pale.
Irritable? It must be a malevolent spirit possessing her!
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Du Chunzhi used to be so dull you couldn't get a word out of her if you tried. But a few days ago, she suddenly exploded, hitting her son, kicking Song Yao, and even having Mother Song thrown into the local magistrate’s jail—it was all so ominous!
And who knows? Maybe she really was possessed by some malevolent spirit. What kind of decent person carries a brick around with them anyway?
The more Widow Zhao thought, the more terrified she became. She turned and ran, spreading rumors as she went.
"It’s a disaster! Something terrible has happened in our village! Du Chunzhi is possessed by a malevolent spirit and wants to smash our heads in! She couldn't even control it after locking herself away for two days! I saw it with my own eyes—her eyes turned green and she opened a mouth as big as a blood-basin..."
Seeing the gossip-monger scurry away, Du Chunzhi put the brick back into the basket.
She knew Widow Zhao had been lurking outside her courtyard, so she had deliberately scared her. Ever since she had moved to the edge of the village, there hadn't been a single peaceful night.
Although she had repaired the wall, she could still hear movement outside the yard every night. Xiaohuang would bark loudly, waking up Zhao Laoliu next door every single time.
Du Chunzhi knew that those sneaking around were nothing more than the local pests of the village. Living alone as a woman was indeed too dangerous.
Since Widow Zhao was there, using her big mouth to spread some rumors was the best way to scare those people off. If they remained shameless, then she wouldn't need to be polite, either.
She carried her basket toward the ferry landing. Zhao Laoliu’s boat was already docked there; he had already made one trip that morning, and this was his second.
The boat could hold ten people at most and was nearly full. Seeing her approach, Zhao Laoliu gestured to a spot by his feet. "Sit there. There's no room inside."
Du Chunzhi agreed and sat down. Zhao Laoliu began to row. A gentle breeze rippled across the water, and Laoliu’s arms swayed before her eyes.
He was strong, and quite the man.
"Are you headed to the county town?" Zhao Laoliu asked.
"Yes. I still owe money for the wall construction, so I have to find a way to pay it back."
Laoliu glanced at her basket. "Tuck that further inside. Don't let it fall into the river."
Du Chunzhi acknowledged him and pulled the basket closer. The other villagers were chatting animatedly, occasionally cracking jokes that brought bursts of laughter to the whole boat.
Soon, they arrived at Qingyun County. Laoliu docked the boat and called out to Du Chunzhi, "Yu Qing’s brick kiln is in Bangzi Alley. If you manage to make enough money, just go straight there."
Du Chunzhi was speechless.
*Is that even a thing? Is he pushing me to pay him back, or does he actually believe I can make the money?*
Du Chunzhi carried her basket to the kite shop in the county town.
In her previous life, she should have been making cloth dolls at the Wang residence right about now, with no opportunity to go out. But since she had only been sold there a few days ago, she remembered clearly that the young Misses Wang had traveled to Qingyun County specifically to buy kites that were stunning enough to impress the whole county.
She had scouted the area while she was in town filing her complaint against Mammy Tian, so she knew exactly where the kite shop was. She also knew that after the two Misses Wang bought their items, they would run to the teahouse across the street to rest, where they would get into an argument over whose kite was prettier, ultimately tearing both kites to shreds.
Du Chunzhi went straight to the teahouse. There were plenty of people resting there; some farmers were sitting on small stools right at the entrance, drinking tea diluted with water from large bowls for a single copper coin.
She found a seat facing the door to ensure she wouldn't miss them. She sat down, ordered a bowl of tea for three copper coins, and sipped it slowly.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before a carriage pulled up across the street. Several people stepped out, all of whom Du Chunzhi recognized.
The young girl in the yellow dress was Wang Yurong, and the one in the blue dress was Wang Yuyan—the twin daughters of the wealthy Wang Laocai from Yangliu County.
The two misses had just turned twelve, and because Wang Laocai had them late in life and they were twins, they were spoiled rotten and felt the need to fight over everything they saw.
Du Chunzhi watched them. Before long, Wang Yurong and Wang Yuyan had picked out kites they were satisfied with and headed toward the teahouse. The maids and nannies trailing them followed close behind, terrified that the girls might trip or bump into something.
Du Chunzhi lifted the cloth from her basket and set one of the tiger charms on the table.
Wang Yurong was the first to enter. Just as she was about to ask for a private room, her eyes fell upon the little tiger. The little thing looked silly and adorable, with wide eyes and a body that shimmered with radiant colors—it was precious enough to die for!
Her eyes lit up as she rushed over and grabbed it, shouting, "Is this yours? Is it for sale?"
At that moment, Wang Yuyan saw it too and immediately produced a piece of silver. "I'll buy it."
"I saw it first!"
"You only asked if it was for sale, but I’m the one who actually pulled out the silver."
"Don't you dare fight me for it."
"Since when do we *not* fight over things?"
Their shouting caused everyone in the teahouse to look their way. Du Chunzhi, unfazed, smiled and said, "There is no need for the two of you to argue. Why don't we go somewhere quieter to discuss this?"
"Proprietor! Bring us to a private room!"
Once the group reached the private room, the Wang family’s nanny said, "It is your great fortune that our young misses have taken a liking to your item. We'll give you fifty coppers. How about that?"
For a single tiger charm, the materials alone cost nearly a tael of silver. They were truly bold to offer such a price.
Du Chunzhi smiled. "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have come up here with you. The materials and craftsmanship of this tiger charm are quite extraordinary; the body is made of various silks and embedded with pearls and shells. Looking at your clothes and finery, I had assumed you had some taste, but I didn't realize your understanding was so shallow."
She stood up, ready to leave. "Good things shouldn't be ruined. You’d better go look for some tiger charms sewn from rough cloth instead."