Chapter 21

Inside the carriage, a small red-clay brazier hissed and sputtered.
Mu Wanqing lifted the teapot from the brazier and poured out the scalding water; the carriage filled with the scent of medicinal herbs.
She pulled back the curtain and handed it out. "I added herbs to dispel wind and chill, drink a bowl."
Mu Jinyao and Mu Rongxue accepted the brown broth, sniffed it gently, and drained their bowls in one gulp.
The steaming tea went down and their bodies slowly warmed; the shivering finally stopped. But their damp clothes clung to them uncomfortably, cold on the outside, hot within. Mu Jinyao bore the discomfort and tugged at the raincoat's collar.
"Bao'er, you're the older brother, look after your younger siblings and behave."
They were in charge of bringing the children and watching over them; they couldn't climb into the mule-cart, but could shelter beneath the oilcloth to block some of the wind and rain.
From inside came a timid, childish voice, "Okay, I'll behave."
The oldest of the four children was only about five, just at that half-understanding age.
Madam Qian stripped the children's wet clothes off, wiped their bodies dry with towels, wrapped the two little girls in cloth and set them on her lap so they took up no space.
The two boys were tucked naked into the blankets.
When the tea cooled a bit, Mu Wanqing poured a bowl for each little one.
The four Mu children were delicately formed like carved jade, very cute, and at the moment sat quietly while being tended, doing whatever they were told.
An elder had said to behave, so they obeyed.
In the unfamiliar surroundings and among strangers, the children were timid and cautious.
Seeing this, Mu Wanqing prepared a large bowl of oil-tea noodles. "Mother, you feed them some."
At the smell of food, the children's eyes lit up; they scrambled forward excitedly toward Mu Wanqing, there's something good to eat!
Mu Wanqing grabbed a bare-bottomed little rascal and shoved him back under the covers, looking at them sternly. "Sit properly. No fighting."
They sat in a row and shared, one bite here, one bite there, little mouths opened wide, waiting to be fed. "Ah."
The fragrant oil-tea noodles were devoured with satisfaction; each child's face blossomed into a smile, they hadn't had such good food in a long time.
Hearing the commotion inside, Mu Jinyao and Mu Rongxue both breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
That they were willing to take in the children and offer food meant there was still room to negotiate.
Madam Qian was fair, feeding the five children in turn; before long the bowl of oil-tea noodles was finished.
Bao'er smacked his little lips, still not full, but he didn't dare ask for more.
He stared at Mu Wanqing for a long time. Mu Wanqing's gaze swept over him coolly. "Why are you staring at me?"
Bao'er surprised everyone by blurting out, "Third Aunt, are you a demon?"
Mu Wanqing: ...???
Outside, Mu Jinyao jumped and lightly scolded, "Bao'er, what nonsense are you spouting? Apologize at once. Third sister, the child doesn't understand, don't be angry."
Mu Wanqing immediately guessed that the adults must have taught the children to say that, tsk tsk. So in the eyes of the Mu family's main branch, she was a demon?
She watched the little rascal with interest. "Have you ever seen a demon as beautiful as me?"
Seeing her friendly tone, the little boy widened his bewildered eyes, tilted his head and thought for a moment. "No. You're pretty, you're a little fairy."
If she gave him good food, she must be a little fairy.
Mu Wanqing raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised. Not bad, good eye, sweet mouth. The little one had promise.
"Yes, I'm a beautiful and kind little fairy." She produced a candy. "Here, this is a reward."
The little rascal was stunned, there was candy too?
He gobbled it down, sweet and delicious. From now on he'll call her Little Fairy Aunt! He hoped Little Fairy Aunt would give him lots and lots of candy!
The other children looked on eagerly. "Third Aunt, I want candy too."
Mu Wanqing teased them, holding the candy. "Only those who praise me as pretty will get candy."
Don't think children understand nothing, actually, they're sharper than anyone.
The kids immediately began flattering her, each more sugary than the last, praising her from every angle.
One said, "Third Aunt is the prettiest girl I've ever seen, prettier than a fairy."
Another said, "Third Aunt is so beautiful I was stunned. From now on, I'll be very dutiful to Third Aunt."
Another chimed in, "The most beautiful girl in the world is my Third Aunt, everyone's jealous of me."
Who knew there were so many ways to flatter, each line different, even if the logic didn't hold up; it was the sweetness that mattered.
Outside, Mu Jinyao and her sister twitched at the corners of their mouths, faces burning hot. If these little brats dared to flatter, then Mu Wanqing dared to listen.
Fine, shameless, all of you.
What's wrong with the kids? They just want candy.
The more Mu Rongxue listened, the more familiar it sounded. "If I'm not mistaken, this is how they usually flatter the old madam."
Mu Jinyao nodded silently.
Finally, Mu Wanqing handed out two candies to each child. The little ones were overjoyed, waving their arms and calling her “Third Aunt” in the sweetest voices.
Mu Wanqing looked down at the little girl in her arms. The child had sat obediently the whole time; after sipping the tea, the pale face had regained a little color.
“Xiao Ya, why aren’t you eating your candy?”
Xiao Ya clutched the sweet, swallowed, and though she clearly wanted it, she held back. “I want to take it home to eat with grandpa and grandma and my parents.”
Mu Wanqing patted her little head, unable to hide her fondness. “Good child, so obedient.”
A thought struck her and she suddenly had an idea. “We’ve got time, let me tell you all a story.”
There’s no child who doesn’t love a story; they all responded eagerly.
Mu Wanqing told a reworked version of Snow White: the princess became a little fairy, the wicked queen became an old witch. They matched wits and courage; the old witch failed repeatedly, grew humiliated and furious, fed the fairy a poisoned fruit, and even tried to sell her into slavery.
Outside, Mu Jinyao and the others listened entranced, but as they listened they began to sense something off.
The children were indignant, berating the old witch. How could she be so wicked!
Xiao Ya suddenly piped up, “Auntie, you’re the little fairy, so who is the old witch?”
Bao'er timidly raised a hand. “Kinda like Grandmother.”
Back in the prison, Grandmother had wanted to sell the Third Aunt!
Don’t ask how he knew, he overheard his parents’ conversation.
Mu Jinyao & Mu Rongxue: ...now we finally see what’s wrong. Good grief, they’re hinting at us!
Still, Bao'er really was a filial child!
Mu Wanqing chuckled and pulled out a few candies, handing them to the little one. Kids speak honestly. “A reward for being smart.”
Fine, mess with me, and I’ll brainwash your descendants and poach your matches. Perfect!
Mu Jinyao could only sigh. “Third sister, teaching children like this isn’t right, is it?”
“What did I teach?” Mu Wanqing countered with a smile. “I just told a little story and handed out some sweets.”
She always thought she was in the right, and she remembered slights, Mu Jinyao was left with no retort. The idea of them being one big happy family was clearly a fantasy.
Mu Wanqing had snacks, knew how to tell stories, understood so many things and instinctively read children’s minds; it didn’t take long for the kids to gaze at her with admiration.
Half an hour later the rain and wind eased, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Officer Zeng climbed out of the carriage to find chaos: the prisoners looked as if they’d been fished out of a river, soaked through, faces drained of color, eyes vacant, bodies staggering.
He furrowed his brow; at this rate they’d fall ill.
If they got sick, the journey would be delayed and the escorts would be punished.
“Get them cleaned up and keep moving. Find the nearest inn and stay there.”
It had just poured; the road was a quagmire. The convicts helped each other along, trudging painfully.
Every step left them gasping; some collapsed and couldn’t get up, others fainted and lay motionless, pitiful sights.
Seeing this, Officer Zeng decided to make do: he freed up his own carriage, hauled the unconscious into it, a dozen or so piled in one coach, stacked together with no regard for comfort.
Second Master Mu trudged ahead, leading the mule with effort; his wooden clogs creaked, but leather boots would have been ruined in the mud.
Mu Zicheng and his brothers leaned on the carriage and were exhausted as they walked.
The Mu family’s main branch were just as bedraggled, dragging those who couldn’t walk onto a flat cart and tying a rope to the front to pull it along.
Mu Wanqing sat quietly in the carriage, watching; her resolve only grew firmer.
After who knew how long, they still hadn’t found an inn, but they spied a village with people living in it and everyone cheered.
Officer Zeng, seeing the prisoners couldn’t hold on much longer, decided to ask the village head for lodging.
When the village head saw the official papers and the silver, he agreed without hesitation, arranged several houses for them, and even made his own house available.
Half a tael of silver for one night, who would pass up a deal like that?
Mu Wanqing’s family was put up at the village head’s, a blue-brick tiled courtyard with a dozen or so rooms.
One by one the little tots were carried out of the mule carts, crying and refusing to return to their parents. “Fairy Aunt, I won’t go back, I want to stay with you.”
“I won’t go either, Fairy Aunt, I like you so much, I want to be your child.”
The Mu family’s main branch stared, speechless. What on earth was happening?
Mu Jinyao and her sister held the children as everyone looked on in suspicion, what could they say?
The eldest young master Mu was baffled. After just one ride in a mule cart they’d rebelled, had someone slipped them a drug?
Bao'er’s eyes were full of tears, like a forsaken puppy. “It’s Fairy Aunt, she’s the prettiest.”
“She has lots of treats.”
“She tells stories.”
The adults couldn’t make sense of the children’s words and all looked to Mu Jinyao. She briefly explained: they’d been given candies and tea-oil flatcakes and made to drink a warming medicinal broth.
As for the story Mu Wanqing had told, she seemed amnesiac, not mentioning a single word of it.
Mu Rongxue didn’t bring it up either; she hurried off to change out of her soaking clothes.
Old Madam Mu had gotten a little rain and felt dizzy and unwell, half-awake as she listened to it all.
Hearing the children praise Mu Wanqing, she could no longer hold back. She opened her eyes and bellowed, “She’s a bad person. From now on you must never speak to her.”
The little ones wailed and sobbed.
Someone, in a babyish cry, shouted, “Old witch, you’re the old witch who bullies the little fairy.”
Other children began chanting, “Old witch, old witch.”
Old Madam Mu: ...she must not be fully awake! Let her calm down!
The Mu family: !!!
Mu Wanqing and her mother slipped into the kitchen and boiled a huge pot of hot water so Second Master Mu and his two sons could take a hot bath right away.
Officer Zeng bustled about, settled everyone in, fetched a packet of medicinal herbs into the kitchen and said, "Third Miss Mu, could you please make a large pot of soup to dispel the chill?"
"All right." Mu Wanqing made a big pot of the chill-dispelling soup; the officers each had a large bowl and felt completely soothed.
Anything left over she asked her father and brothers, freshly bathed, to deliver to their clan members.
There wasn't much, so they gave it to the clan members who had pleaded on their behalf last time.
The shivering clan members had neither the means to take a hot bath nor a single warm bowl of soup; they had to endure it on their own.
When they saw that bowl of chill-dispelling soup and learned it had come from Mu Wanqing, they were surprised, delighted, and deeply moved.
This was charity when it was most needed.
That favor was duly noted.
As for the Mu family's main branch? Sorry, there wasn't enough left; you'll have to manage on your own.
Second Master Mu returned happily with his sons. Mu Wanqing handed over a blueprint. "Father," she said, "will you make me a few wooden molds? I need to use them."
Second Master Mu glanced at it, a neat row of square compartments, not very difficult. He asked casually, "What's this for?"
Mu Wanqing smiled and said, "To make money."
The money-making plan was officially underway.