Chapter 20: Splitting the Money

This time, walking together with Qin Zheng, Tang Wan finally had a somewhat intuitive understanding of how much the villagers feared Qin Zheng.

Originally, the children playing under the tree were still a bit wary of Tang Wan and Luo Ying, afraid that they might accidentally get bumped during their roughhousing.

But this time, walking with Qin Zheng, even before they two reached the children, the kids spotted Qin Zheng and immediately went silent, as if the fire had been snuffed out—they dared not make a sound or even move.

It was one thing for children to act this way—after all, Qin Zheng’s expressionless face was indeed intimidating.

But even some adults, who had been walking normally, would instantly change direction upon seeing Qin Zheng.

Clearly, they wanted to avoid running into him.

Tang Wan: ……

Qin Zheng, apparently used to scenes like this, showed no change in expression.

—

Qin Zheng didn’t go out again after returning this time.

On the second day after he came back, Dongzi arrived.

From how familiar he looked, it was obvious he came often.

“Grandma Bai, look what good stuff I brought you this time. This is the latest fine fabric just arrived from the city, take a look,” Dongzi said, taking a bag off his bicycle handle and handing it to Grandma Bai.

It was a piece of sky-blue fabric with some subtle patterns woven into it. If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t notice the patterns. Even so, at this time, this was a very well-designed fabric. Compared to the usual whites, grays, blues, and blacks, this color with the dark patterns was hard to come by.

“This piece is indeed nice, just a bit too youthful,” Grandma Bai said as she touched it, immediately recognizing the quality.

“Well, Brother Zheng told me to bring it back for you. Besides giving it to you, there’s no other use for it. Otherwise, you can just keep it. When Brother Zheng marries a granddaughter-in-law for you, it can be used to make clothes for her,” Dongzi joked.

Qin Zheng was chopping firewood in the yard and said nothing.

“This fabric is so good, it’d be a pity to just leave it,” Grandma Bai said as she compared the cloth against Tang Wan’s body.

“I think it’s just right to make a set of clothes for Comrade Tang. What do you think, Ah Zheng?” Grandma Bai asked.

“If I bought it for you, you decide,” Qin Zheng said without stopping his chopping, his movements fluid and quick.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll make a set for Comrade Tang,” Grandma Bai decided with a nod.

“Grandma, you…” Tang Wan was surprised it was about her now. “I have plenty of clothes already. Grandma, you should make yourself something. This color is pretty good too.”

“At my age, I don’t wear colors like this anymore. It’s perfect for a young girl like you. Don’t worry, Grandma won’t charge you. Qin Zheng said that wild boar money is a third yours anyway, so we’ll just deduct it from there,” Grandma Bai said without waiting for Tang Wan’s response and took the fabric inside.

Tang Wan was suddenly surprised by this news and looked at Qin Zheng in shock.

“That wild boar was partly thanks to you, and you even got hurt because of it. You deserve a third just like us,” Qin Zheng said quietly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

“How can that be? You all basically saved me,” Tang Wan refused repeatedly.

She didn’t think she deserved it. The wild boar had nothing to do with her.

She looked at Dongzi — he and Qin Zheng were the ones who killed the boar. If he didn’t agree, Qin Zheng couldn’t say much.

—

“Brother Zheng told me about this that day. I have no objections. It’s just that I just got the money and came to deliver it,” Dongzi said, pulling money out of his pocket.

“Don’t worry, we’re serious. The first boar wouldn’t have been so easy to kill if you hadn’t knocked it into the tree. Plus, you were pretty badly frightened, so it’s right you get half the money. The second boar, you get nothing from that,” Dongzi said as he placed the money on Tang Wan’s lap.

The rest he gave to Qin Zheng.

Tang Wan’s refusals were useless.

“This is what you deserve. It’s not much, just take it and buy something good to help you recover,” Qin Zheng said as he looked at Tang Wan.

He still remembered when Tang Wan first came wearing that qipao, her waist so slim it looked like a hand could break it.

After saying that, Qin Zheng and Dongzi went to the back mountain with their things, obviously to handle some business.

Tang Wan helplessly put away the money on her lap.

At worst, she’d return it to them when leaving.

Qin Zheng and Dongzi left, and Grandma Bai came out with a measuring tape.

Seeing the two men go to the back mountain didn’t surprise her, and she invited Tang Wan inside: “Come, let me measure your size.”

Tang Wan truly didn’t know what to say. She had never accepted such kindness before.

Even in her more comfortable later life, she had never experienced anything like this. Now, in a time short of clothing and food, to have someone like Grandma Bai bring fine fabric to make clothes for an outsider—it was unbelievable.

Grandma Bai’s attitude was gentle but firm, making refusal impossible. She took Tang Wan’s measurements.

“Thank you, Grandma,” Tang Wan said. She couldn’t refuse and could only accept. She pondered how she could repay Grandma Bai in the future.

Qin Zheng and Dongzi returned quickly from the mountain this time.

Seeing Tang Wan’s surprised expression, Qin Zheng’s eyes seemed to show a hint of a smile.

He raised the wild rabbit in his hand: “Lunch treat — we don’t always hunt wild boars every time we go up the mountain.”

Tang Wan realized she had misunderstood. It was obvious wild boars weren’t that easy to hunt.

“Comrade Tang just hasn’t seen it before. Hunting wild boars happens only two or three times a year, it’s not every trip, and there aren’t that many boars,” Dongzi said with a laugh.

“I was mistaken,” Tang Wan felt a little embarrassed. She had really thought they had gone hunting wild boars again, especially since they had just been dividing the boar money—she jumped to conclusions.

“There isn’t that much up the mountain anyway. Beyond the mountain border is another team’s territory. It’s not good to go there,” Qin Zheng explained.

If villagers saw them going deep into the mountains without anything to show, it might be okay. But crossing the border and getting caught in the other team’s territory was serious. Everyone protected the resources in their own mountains carefully.

“I understand now,” Tang Wan realized for the first time that the mountain was divided into different sections.

“Where was Comrade Tang from before? Why did you come down here? Do you have many brothers and sisters at home?” Dongzi asked Tang Wan.

Qin Zheng interrupted: “Dongzi, come help me deal with the rabbit.”

“You need me for just one rabbit?” Dongzi said, following Qin Zheng toward the backyard.

Tang Wan knew Qin Zheng was trying to help her out. Whether she wanted to answer or not, this was a private matter.

She hadn’t expected that, despite his seemingly casual nature, Qin Zheng was so thoughtful.

It was very impressive.