Clara was racking her brain over how to carry all her purchases home when she ran into someone from Riverbend Village. The man was driving an ox cart and had also come into town to shop.
Clara handed him ten copper coins, and he agreed to give her a lift to Liew Clan Village.
Having a cart made everything easier. Both their things fit nicely in the back, and there was still space for Clara to ride comfortably all the way home.
She had been gone for a month—not too long, not too short—and yet the people in the quiet mountain village didn't seem to have changed at all. As she passed through, villagers greeted her warmly.
The rice fields had grown tall and lush. The green stalks swayed in the mountain breeze, rolling like waves across the fields. It was a breathtaking sight.
Clara's eyes drifted to the hillside across the river, where their small courtyard nestled among the trees. Her heart leapt toward it before her body even arrived.
Down at the watermill below the slope, Adam and his siblings were seated on stone stools, sticks in hand, practicing calligraphy in trays filled with sand. They also kept watch for sneaky villagers trying to use the watermill for free.
During Clara's month away, Lester Liew had already caught a few freeloaders. With a few of his younger brothers in tow, he'd taught them a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.
Now, even the sneakiest folks in the village had wised up—but they still had to stay on guard.
Lester "Money-Must-Be-Paid" Liew: Even a single copper coin is still money!
The area around the watermill was overgrown with waist-high reeds, so the four siblings didn't see Clara arriving.
But Lester—who happened to be using the outhouse behind the house on the hill—spotted the ox cart rolling toward their home from his high vantage point.
He squinted. Holy smokes—it was Clara! She was back!
And she was riding an ox cart loaded with goods. That must mean she'd been shopping!
Clara had expensive tastes, so there'd definitely be meat tonight!
Excited beyond belief, Lester nearly tripped exiting the outhouse. He caught himself on the doorframe just in time.
Dusting himself off, he swept back his bangs and plastered on what he believed was a dazzlingly charming smile, then came bounding down the hill waving and shouting:
"Darling! My dear wife!"
His voice echoed along the riverside, making Clara's brow twitch with embarrassment.
The ox cart driver gave her a knowing smile. "Mrs. Liew, you and your husband are quite the loving pair, huh? Just look how happy he is to see you."
Clara forced a polite, awkward smile in return.
Lester's shout had caught the kids' attention. The four siblings sprang to their feet and, seeing the ox cart and the figure atop it, came running excitedly.
Chad and Deb: "Mama!"
Adam and Ben: "Auntie!"
Clara greeted each one warmly and waved them back to make room as she hopped down from the cart. Together, the five of them escorted the cart all the way to their front door.
Lester greeted her with a grin so wide it nearly split his face. Clara gave him a look of pure disdain, which he cheerfully ignored as he helped unload the cart.
He was unusually proper today—even remembered to thank the driver and invited him inside for some water.
But the man had to return to Riverbend Village, so Clara didn't insist.
Once the driver left, she took two of the kids by the hand, smiling as she answered their eager questions and led them inside.
"All the goods unloaded?" she asked.
Lester replied, "Grain's all stored in the pantry. I've hung the meat—let's stir-fry some for lunch, and I'll render the rest into lard. It'll keep longer that way."
With the weather heating up, meat and veggies didn't last long.
Clara hadn't bought too much. "Let's cook half a kg of pork ribs tonight. Fresh ribs make the best soup."
Lester nodded.
While Clara had been gone, the five of them had only bothered with breakfast and dinner—lunch was usually just something thrown together. But now that she was back, Lester set aside some meat to cook a proper dish.
He got to work lighting the stove and started the rice. It was only around 11:30 a.m., so he washed the vegetables and sliced the meat ahead of time.
If not for fear of annoying Clara, he wouldn't have waited this long to start cooking.
Once everything was prepped, he darted into the main room and stroked the linen fabric lovingly. "You bought all this cloth for summer clothes?"
Clara had just returned from putting away her weapons. She nodded, carrying a bundle stuffed with books. "After lunch, take the cloth and some meat to the old house. Ask your eldest and second sisters-in-law to make everyone a set."
"That'll still leave a good bit of cloth left, won't it?"
Lester wasn't a tailor, but even he could tell that one bolt of fabric was way more than enough for two adults and four kids.
Clara gave him a scoff. "If you knew how to make clothes yourself, we wouldn't need to pay others."
Lester chuckled sheepishly. "Come on now, darling, don't joke like that. What man sews clothes with a needle? Imagine if word got out!"
Still, he hesitated. He didn't want to part with both cloth and meat. "Maybe skip the meat? They're our sisters-in-law. Surely they wouldn't expect gifts?"
Clara dropped the heavy cloth bundle with a thump, then noticed the four children hovering eagerly around the two parcels of pastries.
She unwrapped them.
"Ooh, pastries? These aren't sold in town, are they?" Lester asked, squinting at the delicate treats.
Each type had eight pieces. Clara picked out six of each, setting aside the remaining four to be shared among Ryder, Rosie, and the elder couple. She instructed Lester to bring them along with the cloth and meat to the old house.
"These are a gift from Master Ding," she explained.
Lester gave a casual "oh" and took over distributing the pastries. He popped a piece of mung bean cake into his mouth—the grainy texture and mild sweetness made it incredibly refreshing.
Then he spotted the four pastries Clara had separated and reached for them.
"Ryder and Rosie have had everything under the sun. My big brothers spoil their kids rotten. But ours have never tasted anything this fancy. Let's keep them."
Before he could finish, Clara swiftly snatched the four cakes back and placed them with the cloth.
"I heard from Adam you took your brothers to beat someone up?"
He was quick to mobilize people when it suited him but stingy when it came to sharing. Not afraid of burning bridges, apparently.
Adam flinched. "Auntie! Why'd you tell?"
Lester knocked his eldest son lightly on the head. "You've got a big mouth."
Adam was just enjoying his pastry—he nearly bit his tongue.
Clara lifted a hand and gave Lester a crisp slap to the back of the head. "I just got home, and you're already begging me to smack you?"
Lester saw stars. He clenched his teeth, determined not to lose face in front of the kids. "Darling, I was just thinking of us... our family."
"I know exactly what you were thinking," Clara shot him a glare. "Try having some perspective."
Lester chewed his pastry miserably. Perspective? Could he eat that?
His mouth was sweet, but his heart felt bitter. Watching the cloth, meat, and pastries walk out the door, he couldn't tell if the ache in his chest was from a headache or heartache. Either way—it hurt.
"Darling, why'd you buy so much paper?" he asked after a brief moment of peace, the pastries now gone.
That same strange feeling he'd had during the Dragon Boat Festival crept over him again, and a bad premonition began to form.
(End of Chapter)
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