Chapter 64: Dividing the Money

After finishing the laundry, the two of them stepped out. Dong Yun looked at the large black steed in front of her, her eyes lighting up. “What a fine horse! Is it from the escort agency?”

Remembering how Dong Yun had recognized Zuo Qi’s horse so easily yesterday, Pear Blossom quickly explained, “It’s one I just bought, for convenience on the road, but it’s registered under the escort agency.”

Seeing Pear Blossom about to mount the horse, Dong Yun grabbed her hand and asked, “Are you sure about this? One thousand taels of silver is no small sum. You might find it useful later. Besides, human greed is insatiable. Even if we divide it now, they might still want more.”

Pear Blossom replied, “I don’t need the silver right now. You wouldn’t take it even if I offered it to you. More silver would just be like a few sheets of blank paper to me. You’re so beautiful, and though what happened yesterday was the first time, who knows what could happen in the future? Besides, there’s a woman teacher at home, and bandits are constantly lurking around, looking for opportunities. She can’t hide forever, right? If we take the silver, at least we can use it to remind them to stay cautious.”

Dong Yun knew her appearance could still draw attention, but hearing it directly from Pear Blossom made her ears heat up. She cleared her throat and asked, “So you plan to use this money to win people over?”

“Not exactly,” Pear Blossom shook her head. “Murong Jin said that the gambling den will never apologize, so the only way to get the money is through this method. Word of my winnings will spread soon. The villagers risked their lives for you yesterday. Though it was spontaneous, if they find out I’m hiding the money, they’ll start to distrust me. When it comes to human nature, you can’t win by focusing on loyalty in the face of profit. Why not just go with the flow and unite them to serve our purpose?”

“Also, the bandits are rampant now, and the world is getting more chaotic. I heard from the bodyguards at the escort agency that many places in the north have been hit by disasters, and the government doesn’t have enough silver for relief. If those refugees come this way, combined with the bandits, if a village isn’t united, it might as well be doomed.”

Dong Yun looked at her, as if she didn’t recognize her, “Why do I feel like you’ve become more shrewd?”

Pear Blossom naturally knew why. Besides the boost from her intelligence attribute, it was because she had stepped out into the world, experienced more, and seen further. She naturally knew that every step must be taken with careful consideration, learning to prepare for things in advance.

“Is this considered shrewd?” Pear Blossom feigned ignorance, smiling, “I was afraid you’d say that I’m giving too many suggestions.”

Dong Yun shook her head, “You’ve been taking each step carefully for me, and you have your own opinions. I wouldn’t dare say anything about you.”

“I just said it was for the whole village, not just for anyone specifically,” Pear Blossom said, a little embarrassed, trying to explain without adding any pressure to her.

Dong Yun blinked, saying “Oh,” in realization, “So it’s not just for me?”

When Pear Blossom heard this, she felt something was off. When Dong Yun spoke in this tone, it made her nervous, unsure of how to respond. She quickly ended the conversation, untied the ropes, and gracefully mounted the horse, extending her hand to Dong Yun.

Dong Yun, not hesitating, took Pear Blossom’s left hand and climbed onto the horse, sitting behind her.

The two of them were about the same height, though Dong Yun’s build was slightly more full-figured, while Pear Blossom had broad shoulders and long legs with less flesh.

With a crack of the whip, the black steed galloped forward.

Dong Yun hadn’t ridden in a long time. She didn’t grab hold properly, and as the horse started running, she leaned back, quickly squeezing her legs and hugging the girl’s firm waist, pressing against her back.

Pear Blossom, also riding with someone for the first time, was startled by the sudden softness behind her, causing her body to tense up. She quickly pulled the reins to slow the horse down.

Dong Yun, annoyed by her recklessness, pinched her waist hard.

Pear Blossom knew she was in the wrong and wanted to explain, but didn’t know what to say. Her heart fluttered, worried that if she spoke, her heartbeat might be heard. She could only bite her lip tightly and guide the horse forward.

Soon, they arrived at the village head’s house. When Zhang Sanye saw the two of them, he quickly invited them inside. Upon hearing that Pear Blossom had won a thousand taels at the casino, he almost couldn’t stand.

“Are you saying you want to share all this silver with everyone?” He couldn’t help but confirm again.

Pear Blossom nodded and said, “Yesterday, everyone worked hard together. Today, I’ve won the silver. It wouldn’t be right to keep it to myself.”

After the initial excitement, Zhang Sanye furrowed his brows, “Ah, silver is good, but taking this silver means we’ve completely offended that group of people.”

There were about seventy households in the village, and each household would get roughly ten taels of silver. For those poor families, earning ten taels could take a lifetime. For them, ten taels wasn’t a huge sum, but accepting this silver would mean they had to face off against those dangerous people.

These people were ruthless criminals who wouldn’t hesitate to kill. The villagers, ordinary folk, could live peacefully if they just tended to their farms. There was no need to take such a huge risk, living in constant fear of those thugs.

Pear Blossom was stunned. They had the silver, but now they were afraid to accept it.

Dong Yun, seeing the old man’s unwavering gaze fixed on the bundle, knew what he was thinking. She calmly said, “Even if we don’t provoke them, we’ve already been involved. After yesterday’s incident, which household in the village can truly stay out of this?”

Zhang Sanye fell silent, realizing that once a conflict had started, those thieves might target the entire village.

Dong Yun continued, “Now, the court has not banned gambling, and the casino is a legitimate business. Pear Blossom and Miss Murong won the silver fairly. This silver is rightfully hers. She feels for the villagers and is willing to give the money away. You shouldn’t overthink it, Zhang Sanye.”

Her words left Zhang Sanye speechless. After a while, he tried to gather his thoughts, “I see your point, but since the silver came from the casino, can it really be so clean?”

Pear Blossom quickly said, “Zhang Sanye, don’t worry about it. Since it’s difficult for you to make a decision, I’ll take charge of gathering the villagers and explaining things to them. As for the silver, if they don’t have the courage to take it, I’ll keep it myself.”

Zhang Sanye hurriedly replied, “That’s not what I meant. We’re all from the same village, we should stand together. But as the village head, I must consider everyone’s feelings.”

Dong Yun said, “It’s understandable that you’re concerned. In that case, please help us gather everyone and ask for their opinion. If anyone refuses, we won’t force them to take the silver.”

Pear Blossom added, “Zhang Sanye, if we want to hire bodyguards, this silver is enough to hire a hundred or so martial artists to protect the village. Those martial artists carry swords, which would be much better than leaving the villagers defenseless.”

Zhang Sanye quickly responded, “What are you saying? Do as Mrs. Dong suggested and gather everyone first.”

Ten taels of silver was a huge sum. Even if Zhang Sanye’s family had ten taels, it had taken many years to save up. His eldest son had just married off and even with two households, that was only twenty taels. Now his second grandson was at the marrying age, and a rural bride would still cost five or six taels for the dowry. He had completely lost his mind if he thought about giving away the silver.

His two sons were listening outside. If they found out he refused the money, they would turn on him.

The entire village could be gathered together, five to six hundred people. If they truly united, even if outsiders came, they wouldn’t be able to do anything.

So he hurriedly instructed his sons, “Go quickly and gather the villagers. Have two representatives from each household come. Let them know that there’s a development regarding the casino matter.”

The two sons had already overheard the conversation through the wall, and upon receiving their father’s instructions, they excitedly went out with the gong to call people.

The crowd arrived quickly, over a hundred people filled the drying platform, and some injured ones were carried over. Mrs. Xiong was holding Fubao, sitting among the women, while Dagen was squeezed in with a group of men, and Daniu stood at the back with Dabao, Erbao, and a dozen young men.

Zhang Sanye relayed the message from Pear Blossom and Dong Yun, saying: “Everyone, listen carefully. This money was won by Pear Blossom from that unscrupulous casino. Technically, it’s her own money, and she doesn’t need to worry about anyone else. But she has a kind heart and is grateful for everyone joining together yesterday to fight against the outsiders. So she is willing to share the money with everyone. However, the casino will certainly hold a grudge, and if you take this money, it’s likely that they’ll come after us. You can decide for yourselves whether to take the money or not, but if you do, remember that we might not be able to escape when they come after us in the future.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone shouted: “Yesterday, when those people came, we didn’t take the money, but we still got involved. There’s no reason to take the money now and still act like cowards.”

“Right! What’s money? I just can’t stand the outsiders bullying our people!”

“This money wasn’t stolen by Pear Blossom; the casino is open for business. Don’t they want customers to win money? This argument makes no sense.”

Although the words were convincing, the eyes of the crowd couldn’t help but linger on the two large bundles of silver on the table beside Zhang Sanye.

Yesterday, they had acted on impulse in the heat of the moment. Now that they had regained their composure, if not for this silver as an incentive, some might have had second thoughts.

As expected, everyone was eager to take the silver, and even the Xiang family, who had been lingering near the drying platform, poked their heads over.

Zhang Lao Wu, seeing them, threw a stone in their direction, cursing, “Get lost! If it weren’t for your black-hearted family, could those people have been led to Fubao’s house? Could Guang Jin have been trapped?”

The crowd turned around, and seeing that the Xiang family dared to come, everyone was enraged, throwing stones at Xiang Laoer and Xiang Laosan, shouting angrily: “The injuries on my body were caused by your good son. How shameless! You still have the face to show up!”

Xiang Laosan hurriedly begged for mercy: “This is a misunderstanding! It was Xiang Laoer’s family who instigated it, and has nothing to do with our third branch. I was with you yesterday, fighting against those thieves!”

Qin Xiaobao sneered, “Don’t lie with your eyes wide open. You ran faster than anyone else, faster than when your legs were in better condition!”

Xiang Laosan’s face turned red, and he quickly explained, “I wasn’t able to help because my legs gave out, afraid I’d slow you all down… I say, Sanye, I’m also part of the Daliushu village. That silver, we should get a share—”

Before he could finish, stones were thrown at him, and both brothers howled in pain, scrambling to run back home.

Mrs. Xiong said, “Sanye, this family of troublemakers needs to be dealt with. If we let them be, who knows what trouble they’ll cause next time.”

Others quickly agreed.

Zhang Sanye nodded. “We’ll probably finish discussing the silver by dark. I have an urgent matter to attend to in the next few days. Let’s all meet again the day after tomorrow to discuss how to handle this family.”

The issue of the silver was obviously the most important, and everyone agreed.

Seeing no opposition, Zhang Sanye said, “Since everyone wants this silver, each household should send someone here to register. The large families, who haven’t split, will receive fifteen taels, and the smaller families will get ten taels each.”

“But let me make one thing clear first: once we take this silver, we’re all tied together. Anyone who dares to attack the Zeng family is attacking all of us. We cannot allow outsiders to bully us in our own home.”

Everyone pounded their chests in agreement.

Dong Yun stood up and said, “This silver was provided by Pear Blossom. Pear Blossom saved me, so it’s out of gratitude for everyone’s help yesterday. But it’s not to buy favor with the villagers, just for protecting me. Our whole village, young and old, should be protected by everyone.”

Promegranate, hearing this, felt relieved and said loudly, “Exactly! If I, Promegranate, run into trouble one day, I hope everyone will lend a hand.”

Others quickly agreed, “Of course, of course! When one side is in trouble, all will help. Close neighbors are more reliable than distant relatives. We should all help each other in this village.”

Pear Blossom said, “Don’t be fooled by how easy it seems to earn this silver. I can only say that the casino is full of danger and deceit. Just look at what happened to Guang Jin. I only got this thousand taels thanks to Miss Murong’s help. Don’t think about making money from this shady business. Even if you win, you might not survive to spend it.”

Hearing this, everyone recalled the menacing group of thugs from yesterday and shuddered.

“But don’t worry, even if there are many bandits, they won’t dare to gather hundreds to come into the village. After all, the government is here. Some bandit groups only have a hundred or so people, while our village has five or six hundred people, and two or three hundred young and strong men. If we stand together, no one will dare to come into the village and provoke us.”

With these words, everyone regained their confidence.

The Liu family, a large household, hadn’t split yet and didn’t care much about the fifteen taels of silver. Besides, Liu Youtie had not taken it yesterday because of the humiliation from Dong Yun, but also because this family didn’t want to take sides, fearing they might provoke those bandits and bring disaster.

Pear Blossom didn’t care whether they participated or not, as long as they didn’t cause any trouble.

As for the Xiang family, even if they wanted to divide the money, they wouldn’t be able to.

In the end, 130 taels were left, and it was decided to keep it in the village to help fund the school construction and other public expenses. In the future, the teachers could also be paid from this, and even medical expenses for injuries, like the ones from this conflict, could be covered.

Once the silver was almost distributed, Zhang Sanye counted it again and said, “Hey, Zhang Chunjing didn’t take his share. Is he worried about offending those people?”

The villagers looked around. A few of the younger men said, “He was here just now, shouting with everyone. But when he saw the second and third sons of the Xiang family being driven off, he walked away with his head down.”

Zhang Chunjing was Zhang Chunsheng’s cousin. He had lost his parents when he was young, and the two families had split long ago. His household consisted of just him, and since there was no one to supervise him, he had no money to marry.

Pear Blossom guessed that he must have thought that because of the incident with Xiang Dalang, and now that the Xiang family wasn’t getting any money, he felt too ashamed to take his share, so he left.

After thinking for a moment, she turned to Zhang Sanye and said, “He’s still a part of the village. Yesterday, I saw him rush to help, and I even noticed blood on his arm. Go ask him. If he’s worried about offending those thieves and doesn’t want to take the money, that’s fine. But if it’s because of the incident with Xiang Dalang, as long as he promises to change those bad habits, he can still take the money.”

Half of the people present thought they should give him a chance, while the other half stayed silent. Zhang Chunsheng quickly said, “I’ll go find him right away.”

Before long, they brought Zhang Chunjing back.

Zhang Sanye handed over the silver and said, “Chunjing, this is Pear Blossom’s money. She and Mrs. Dong don’t hold grudges and had someone bring you back. We’re all from the same village, drinking from the same river. Let bygones be bygones. If you promise not to act foolishly in the future, take the silver and live a good life from now on.”

Zhang Chunjing burst into tears, took the silver, and knelt on the ground, kowtowing three times to everyone before shrinking to the back.

Zhang Sanye waved his hand and said, “Alright, everyone has their share. You can all go home now. After I’m done with some business the day after tomorrow, send someone from each family to my house to discuss how to handle the Xiang family situation.”

The villagers then happily took their silver and went back.

Dong Yun and Pear Blossom’s family were going in the same direction, so they walked together. Daniu and Erniu, seeing the big horse, were very eager to ride it.

Pear Blossom said, “You two go together, and I’ll hold onto you.”

Fubao had recovered by now. Seeing the big black horse, she wanted to ride as well. Pear Blossom had to hold her first, taking her for a short ride before letting Daniu and Erniu take their turns. She slowly led them along so they could enjoy the experience, and later let Xinghua have a turn.

Mrs. Xiong and Dong Yun followed behind, watching the children excitedly run around the horses, all smiles.

Mrs. Xiong asked, “Is Guangjin’s injury getting better?”

Dong Yun had just checked on him that morning. The wound on his leg had only been a superficial cut, not reaching the bone, and after applying medicine, it was nearly healed. However, his body was covered in bruises from being beaten, so he still needed to rest for a while.

She answered truthfully, and Mrs. Xiong sighed, saying, “This is an unexpected disaster. It’s all the Xiang family’s fault. If it weren’t for them, those people wouldn’t have come after you. When they have their meeting, I’ll go too, and make sure the village head drives them out of our Daliushu village.”

Dong Yun naturally agreed, “Such a tumor, who wouldn’t want to get rid of it? Let’s see what they say when the time comes.”

Soon, they arrived at the fork in the road leading to the Zeng family’s house. Dong Yun, seeing Fubao wanted to go back, said, “It’s getting late, why don’t you just come to my house for dinner? It’ll take a while to get home anyway.”

Dong Yun was about to refuse, but Pear Blossom, carrying Fubao, arrived and, following Mrs. Xiong’s suggestion, said, “Sister Dong, come on. Today we’ve settled a big matter, let’s eat together.”

Fubao also looked at her longingly, wanting to eat with Pear Blossom.

Seeing Dong Yun hesitate, Mrs. Xiong, without waiting for her answer, pulled her along toward her house.

The group of children, seeing this, laughed and followed behind, leading the horses.

Once inside the yard, Daniu and Erniu took the horses to the barn to stay with the calves, and began to feed them beans. Mrs. Xiong and Xinghua went straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Dagen, now having less say in the household, followed into the kitchen to help his wife chop firewood and start the fire.

Pear Blossom played with Dong Yun and her daughter in the yard. Pear Blossom said, “Mrs. Xia stays indoors every day, not afraid of getting bored. I’ll go find her and bring her out so we can chat together.”

Dong Yun didn’t have much to say and let her go.

Before long, Pear Blossom brought out the ethereal Xia Xunyan, and seeing them approach, Dong Yun awkwardly looked away.

But Xia Xunyan, as usual, called out to her calmly, “Mrs. Dong.”

Dong Yun nodded slightly, acknowledging her.

Pear Blossom noticed their way of interacting and couldn’t help but wonder. After all, they had been through hardships together in the cave for two days, and neither of them came from ordinary families. They should have many things to talk about. Yet the atmosphere between them now felt strangely quiet.

But both of these women were mysterious and didn’t want to reveal their identities, so Pear Blossom could only pretend not to notice and play with Fubao.

Fubao, who had slept well last night and was feeling better, was now excited after riding the big black horse. She was running around the yard, and Pear Blossom, worried she might fall, followed closely behind.

Xia Xunyan looked at the woman next to her, noticing her eyes were fixed on the two in the yard. She finally spoke, “In the wilderness, there are still people with such a pure heart. To meet them is truly a blessing.”

Dong Yun didn’t want to remain silent and replied, “She is naturally a good person.”

Not only that, but she’s also interesting, reliable, and adorably clueless about it. She knows she’s a bit of a clumsy bird, so she works hard to improve herself. Both the Zuo Qi family and the Murong family members have slowly gathered around her. What’s more, even someone like Xia Xunyan, who prides herself on her lofty ideals, sincerely thinks highly of her. Is she really that clumsy, or is it just an act? What is this mysterious energy that makes so many people want to be close to her?

Xia Xunyan looked at her with admiration, feeling a bit bittersweet. But time had passed, and she no longer had the right to hold onto past grievances. She could only hide her feelings and say, “She really does care about you sincerely.”

Dong Yun let out a light sneer, “She treats anyone who is good to her with sincerity. Does she think she isn’t sincere to you?”

Xia Xunyan replied softly, “I don’t mean that. She saved me from those people, and these recent days of travel have mostly been because of the chain of consequences caused by dealing with my issues. I… I truly think she’s good.”

“That’s good enough,” Dong Yun said, her voice filled with emotion. “I can’t bear to betray someone who treats me like that. After all, once you’ve been betrayed, you realize how painful and pitiful it is.”

These words pierced Xia Xunyan’s heart like a knife, and she couldn’t help but burst into tears, trembling as she sat on the stone bench.

Dong Yun, seeing her like this, recalled the past, her eyes reddening. She looked away.

It wasn’t until Fubao came running over, panting, and threw herself into Dong Yun’s arms, calling out, “Mom,” that Dong Yun finally regained her composure. She sniffed lightly and smiled, “You’re exhausted, huh? Look at all that sweat on your forehead.”

Pear Blossom had already entered the house and brought out a sweat towel, pulling Fubao over to wipe her face. “Here, wipe it off, or you’ll catch a cold tomorrow.”

Fubao rolled around in Pear Blossom’s arms, letting her wipe the sweat off. Afterward, she clung to Pear Blossom’s neck and whined, “I’m so tired~”

Dong Yun couldn’t help but lightly swat her bottom, “You’re the fastest runner in the whole yard. No one can catch you, and you still say you’re tired.”

Fubao giggled, snuggling up to Pear Blossom, acting cute.

Pear Blossom hugged her but looked in Dong Yun’s direction, noticing the glistening reflection in her eyes. Though she was smiling, the tip of her nose was red.

Her heart ached, and as the evening darkened, with Teacher Xia sitting elsewhere, she couldn’t resist reaching out and gently holding onto the fingertips of Dong Yun’s left hand.

Dong Yun felt her silent comfort, and her nose grew even more sore. She felt that only the embrace of the young girl in front of her could be her safe haven. Her warmth, thoughtfulness, and occasional shyness were like soft feathers in that haven. If only the world were just the two of them, she would throw herself into her arms and cry her heart out, ordering her to carry her, hug her, and make her laugh. This silly girl would certainly do it.

But right now, not only was Xia Xunyan nearby, but the sound of dishes being served from the kitchen also reached them. She forced herself to hold back her tears, slowly withdrew her hand, and put on her usual gentle smile.

“I’m so hungry today. I want two bowls of rice,” she said.

Pear Blossom smiled. “I’m hungry too. I want three bowls.”

Fubao turned to look at her mother, then at Pear Blossom. She opened her small hand and counted her fingers, saying, “Then I want four bowls.”

Everyone burst into laughter, and Pear Blossom leaned out to look at Xia Xunyan beside Dong Yun, asking, “Teacher Xia, how many bowls do you want?”

Xia Xunyan smiled as well, stretching her arms slightly, “I’ve had the most relaxing day and didn’t do much. I’ll just have one bowl.”