As A Jiu entered the room, Cai Lihua mysteriously opened her handkerchief. Inside lay washed gold nuggets and碎银子 (suì yín zi - broken silver). "How was it? Most of it came out. If you eat something, I bet the rest will follow later."
"Mother, please don't do such things next time. If it doesn't come out, your health might be at risk." A Jiu felt heartbroken just thinking about it.
"How could that happen?" Cai Lihua's sallow face was full of smiles. "Mother knows what she's doing. If it were a large gold ingot, Mother wouldn't be foolish enough to swallow it."
"You couldn't swallow it anyway," A Jiu muttered.
"That's true." Cai Lihua fiddled with the largest piece of gold. "Fortunately, Mother ate this one first. If it had been left until last and couldn't be passed, it would have been a shame."
"Bang, bang, bang."
The six-door gate of the front hall was slammed with a loud noise. Tongzi jumped up in fright. The Liu family had fallen on hard times, and there was no one in charge at home. He didn't know whether to open the door or not. "Jiu'er, someone is knocking at the door." He dared not make a decision on his own to open the door; what if they were refugees?
A Jiu's eyes also showed a rare worry. "Perhaps it's best not to open the door."
"Yes, Jiu'er is right. With so many refugees outside at this time, opening the door and letting them in might lead to robbery and slaughter," Tuoba Yan added.
That night, A Jiu slept restlessly, sharing a room with Cai Lihua. Meng Shaode took on the responsibility of protecting the household, sleeping by the wall in the courtyard with Tuoba Yan. The wooden door was knocked on countless times throughout the night. Fearing someone might force their way in, Meng Shaode moved tables and chairs to barricade the door.
A Jiu had already explained the situation to Cai Lihua. "So, selling water isn't a good business anymore. Daughter, how about we sell fruits and vegetables? Once we've saved enough money, Mother will open a small restaurant and guarantee to raise you to be plump and healthy." Cai Lihua's mind was solely focused on this.
"Mother, it's so chaotic outside. I don't know if the government troops can restore order tomorrow. We are fortunate enough not to starve to death," A Jiu said, taking a pomegranate from her懷裡 (huái lǐ - bosom) and giving it to her mother.
Cai Lihua was no longer as astonished. She sat up, opened the pomegranate in the dark, and picked out the seeds one by one, piling them in her palm and bringing them to A Jiu's mouth. A Jiu hesitated for a moment but then opened her mouth to accept them. Her mother was happiest when she ate and drank more; if she didn't eat, her mother would be unhappy.
As dawn broke, the door was again knocked upon with a bang. The upheaval meant that the mother and daughter could no longer sleep. When A Jiu got up, the sky had just turned a fish-belly white, and the sound of horse hooves on the street shattered the morning glow.
"Search house by house."
"Any unidentified individuals are to be brought back to the yamen for interrogation. Those who resist will be killed without mercy." A Jiu instantly felt a chill run down her neck.
"Tongzi Ge, Father, Xiao Yan, someone is knocking at the door." A Jiu called out each of them one by one before daring to go to the front hall to see what was happening.
"Where are the Liu family members? I am here on the orders of Magistrate Wang to deliver official documents." The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
Hearing this from outside, A Jiu looked back and exchanged glances with Meng Shaode and Tuoba Yan. "They are not refugees."
Meng Shaode nodded. "They are from the government."
"It seems the refugees have been mostly driven away," Tongzi said, cupping his ear to listen. The usual commotion from last evening was gone. "Jiu'er, we must accept this document, as it is from Magistrate Wang," Tongzi suggested.
A Jiu knew nothing about official matters. Since Tongzi knew, it was time to open the door. They first removed a door panel. Seeing the person sitting on the tall horse outside, A Jiu recognized Yun Hao. This time, she had no more worries. She removed several door panels. "Brother Yun Hao, has my grandmother returned?"
Yun Hao's expression was stern as he dismounted and walked closer. He then said in a low voice, "I am on duty."
"Oh." A Jiu finally realized and quickly bowed. "Officer, what is the urgent matter?"
Yun Hao cleared his throat, took out an envelope with a firearm imprint from his懷裡 (huái lǐ - bosom), and handed it over. "Magistrate Wang orders Miss Meng Jiu'er to rush to the prefecture yamen. Currently, a refugee with the plague is being held. It is feared they escaped from the Yi Zhuang (義莊 - ancestral hall or mortuary) in Nanzhou County. There will be a generous reward if they are cured."
A Jiu's body trembled. She didn't dare to accept the document. Meng Shaode quickly pulled his daughter into his embrace. "Plague? Officer, are you joking? My daughter doesn't understand medicine. If you want to find someone, you should find a professional! Besides, that plague is contagious. My daughter is so young, it's not good for her to risk her life."