CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38: IF HE REALLY TURNS DARK, SHE’LL OFFER HERSELF UP

Four quarters past noon, Song Tingfan had gone to study, and Lin Qiao went to the field to take a look around. The vegetable seedlings were growing well, lush and green. It must be thanks to Song Tingfan’s diligence.

Seeing a few weeds along the edge of the field, she bent down to pull them out and tossed them aside. At this moment, there was a commotion in the village. She wasn’t sure what it was about.

She turned her head to take a glance, but was blocked by her own wall and couldn’t see anything. So, she didn’t pay much attention to it.

After a while, someone suddenly called her from the front door, "Madam Tingfan, are you there? If you are, hurry to the village chief’s house, they’re distributing silver coins."

Lin Qiao had originally thought the village chief was just saying it, not expecting they would really distribute silver. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly responded, "Got it."

In the village, each household sent a representative, mostly the men who could speak for the family. Of those entering the village chief’s house, only Lin Qiao and Widow Li were women.

At the entrance, there were quite a few women observing, eager to see how much silver their family would receive.

It was said that Widow Li was capable, having raised three children on her own. Out of a desire to learn, Lin Qiao discreetly observed her for a moment.

The first impression was how thin she looked, really thin, with prominent cheekbones and sunken eyes.

Clearly in her thirties, but her hair had already turned quite gray.

She looked more like someone in their forties.

Instinctively, she touched her own hair. She has only one child to care for, it shouldn’t be that severe, right?

Village chief Zhou Ping glanced at the restless men, who kept stealing glances at Widow Song.

He cleared his throat sternly and raised his voice slightly, "Listen up, if anyone’s household receives less, don’t complain about the distribution being unfair."

Instantly, everyone’s attention was on him.

He continued, "This time, the government allocated ten taels more for poverty relief compared to last year. After discussing with a few elders in the village, we decided to split it as we did last year, with each household getting half a tael, and the extra ten taels going to Song’s second family, Li’s family, Wu’s third family, Zhao’s old family..."

He recited the names of eight families, paused, and then said, "Song’s second family and Li’s family will get two taels each, and the others one tael. Any objections?"

Song’s second family and Li’s family were Widow Song and Widow Li’s households.

Everyone in the village was aware of their situations. The men who were there to collect silver coins on behalf of their families had no objections.

Even if they had objections, they wouldn’t voice them. Who would compete with two widows over silver?

While they had no objections, the women outside watching were a bit envious. Who wouldn’t want two taels of silver for free?

Two taels of silver could buy half a pig to slaughter.

A woman in a dark blue cloth garment, holding a child, couldn’t help but speak up discontentedly, "Village chief, that’s not fair."

"I have no issue with Widow Li’s family getting two taels for her three children, but Widow Song has only one child, Tingfan."

"Giving them one tael should be enough, and the remaining tael should be given to my family. My four children haven’t had any schooling."

The speaker was Sun Niu, the wife from Liu’s second family, known for her money-grubbing ways.

Why target only Widow Song? Because Song’s second family was easy to bully, just an orphan and a widow, not much to worry about offending.

As soon as she finished speaking, a few other women chimed in, each wanting a share of the silver.

"Yes, village chief, it’s not fair. We need a distribution that satisfies everyone."

"Exactly."

"Right, Song’s second family only has Tingfan as a child, and one child doesn’t require much silver."

Li Guifen, who had been pleased that her daughter would receive silver, immediately lost her good mood when hearing them. She spat disgruntledly, and in a loud voice, retorted, "Village chief and the elders discussed it. How is it unfair? Don’t each of your families own fields and land?"

"Are you shameless? Just tell me if you’re shameless?"

Regarding her original self’s mother’s fighting prowess, Lin Qiao could only be silently impressed.

When those women realized it, they insulted her back: "Shameless is you! Why don’t you give the silver to your daughter? You just want to take money from your daughter! You think I don’t know what kind of person you are, Li Guifen?"

"You were the kind of person who wouldn’t give a bite of glutinous rice cake to anyone when you were young!"

"I spit on you! I’m not like you, sniffing around for money like maggots, disgusting!"

"And why should I give you my glutinous rice cake? How big a face do you have, huh? I just ask you how big a face you’ve got!"

There weren’t many in the village who could win against Li Guifen’s tongue, exasperating the woman who had spoken earlier, making her face flush.

This group of women was incessantly noisy, quarreling from one end to the other. Just as Zhou Ping was about to speak, a gentle voice suddenly cut into the quarrel, "Stop arguing."

It immediately quieted down considerably, with everyone turning their gaze to the young woman in the courtyard.

Widow Song.

Lin Qiao lowered her brows and eyes and said understandingly, "I’ll just take the half tael that each household is getting. As for the two taels, Grandpa Zhou can distribute them to others."

She paused for a moment, looked up and smiled warmly at everyone, then continued, "I can earn a few cents a day with embroidery, that’s enough for me and my little brother."

She emphasized "a few cents" slightly, but it didn’t seem deliberate.

She didn’t want the two taels of silver?

How could that be possible?

She wanted the silver and the good reputation too.

With just a few cents a day for two people without fields or land, life would be tough. Everyone had a bit of sympathy for Widow Song, and some even felt that Song’s second family deserved the two taels.

Zhou Ping sighed inwardly and gave her a look of "good child," quickly affirming, "This matter has been carefully considered. Everyone understands what Song’s second family’s situation is like, I don’t need to say it out loud."

"Li’s family may have three children, but the eldest can already help earn money, and their home has fields and land."

"Song’s second family has nothing; the only thing they have is recently reclaimed land, and Tingfan is only twelve years old, still studying. All household expenses fall on Madam Tingfan."

"What silver can a woman earn? At most, it’s ten cents for late-night embroidery!"

"You may not be satisfied with this distribution, but is anyone as poor as Song’s second family? We’re all from the same village, we shouldn’t let money blind our conscience."

"Today she has difficulties and you help her, tomorrow when you’re in trouble, she won’t ignore it either. Do you all understand this principle of putting yourself in others’ shoes?"

He then looked at Sun Liu and continued, "Why haven’t any of your four children been to school? Shouldn’t you ask yourself that?"

"Instead of bickering over a few silver coins, why not learn from Madam Tingfan and invest in your children, gain some knowledge!"

Being an elder, Sun Liu didn’t dare make a sound, her face turning red with shame. Her husband, Sun Hou, felt even more embarrassed, giving her a vicious glare.

Darn woman, making a fool out of us.

Afterwards, no one dared to speak anymore.

...

The two and a half taels of silver resolved Lin Qiao’s urgent needs, enough to pay off Song Tingfan’s tuition.

The remaining one tael could buy him two sets of clothes and store some rice and grain.

Thinking of this, she felt much more at ease and walked to the village entrance to buy two pounds of coarse flour, planning to go home and make dumplings.

Promises made to the antagonist must be kept.

She didn’t believe that after she had done this much, the antagonist could still become evil.

If he truly turned evil, she would offer herself to be ravished!