There was no answer to that question—not yet, anyway.
It was only April. There were still more than three months to go before the rice would ripen.
Now that spring plowing was over, they finally had a bit of breathing room.
Lester Liew carried the money box from the water mill back home and counted out one hundred and seventy copper coins.
"Add in those eggs and the vegetables people brought over, and it's roughly two hundred coins in profit," he reported to Clara.
Oh right, there were also the four fluffy chicks Granny Wang had gifted them, now living in the coop. Compared to March, the numbers had grown quite a bit.
Of course, not everyone was so honest. Some sly folks used the water mill and left without paying—a few more than once.
"Have you found out who it is?" Clara asked.
That sort of thing was child's play to Lester. Honest folks might despise him, but the local rascals all admired his street smarts. After asking around for half a day, he'd already learned who the freeloaders were.
"I know who it is, but there's no hard proof yet. I'll have Ben keep watch at the mill—once we catch them red-handed, we'll settle old and new scores together!"
Lester's pride was wounded—he was usually the one taking advantage of others. Since when did people get to take advantage of him?
He swore to himself that once he caught the bastard, he'd beat the money out of him, with interest for emotional damages.
Clara actually approved this time. "I'll allow you to throw your weight around a little."
Lester's face stiffened. She made it sound like he couldn't handle it on his own.
Still, if there was "weight" to borrow, why not? That family had several brothers—he probably couldn't handle them solo anyway.
While the couple was still tallying up accounts, a soft clucking floated in from outside the courtyard.
Lester's eyebrows twitched with delight. His eyes gleamed.
"Darling, I'll return the money box to the mill and grab some fresh greens from the market. If there's laundry, just leave it in the basin—I'll take care of it all later."
He rattled off his errands as he scurried out with the money box.
At the gate, he furtively waved toward the bushes. A figure darted out and followed him—two grown men slipping off toward the river like a pair of thieves.
They crossed to the grove on the far side, where Lester grinned and smacked the other man's chest. "You still using chicken calls as a signal? Took me a moment to figure it out!"
The other man snickered, teasing, "Come on, Bro Lester, it's harder than ever to get you out these days. Gotta use secret codes now? Your wife's got you on a tight leash!"
Lester didn't want to talk about that—too damaging to his masculine image. He jumped straight to the point. "What's the good news?"
"You knew it was good news?" the man—Sonny—was surprised.
Lester smiled smugly but said nothing. Just guessed, really.
Sonny was from Riverbend Village. He and Lester had met in the county town, both notorious in their own villages for being loafers who never brought home a copper coin despite all their scheming.
Naturally, the two hit it off. They called each other "brother" and became fast friends.
Compared to Lester, Sonny was at least a little more responsible. He helped out at home during busy seasons and only wandered when he had free time—on the hunt for success!
This time, he'd heard that Mr. Ding in Goldstone Town was hiring temporary laborers. He rushed over to recruit Lester, hoping the two of them could make a name for themselves.
As soon as Lester heard the words "working for a landowner," he was fired up. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow at the crack of dawn," said Sonny. "Wait at the entrance to my village—we'll go together."
Not entirely trusting Lester's speed, he warned repeatedly, "You've gotta wake up early this time. Mr. Ding only needs ten people. If we're late, we won't get in."
From Liew Clan Village to Goldstone Town took at least an hour and a half on foot. Riverbend Village was closer—just a half hour.
Lester did the math. He'd have to leave at around three in the morning to get there in time.
The thought of waking up so early and walking through the night made him hesitate.
But then he imagined getting noticed by Mr. Ding… maybe even earning his favor… the riches! The power! The freedom from Clara!
The more he thought about it, the more thrilled he became.
Back home, Lester chopped vegetables while sneaking glances at Clara weeding the garden. He mentally rehearsed several excuses before settling on a half-truth.
"Darling, I might need to leave for a few days."
Clara didn't even look up. "No need. Stay home, tend the irrigation and garden. Just keep things running here. I've thought it through—you can take your time repaying what you owe me. No rush."
Lester's stomach dropped. What did that mean?
He asked, "Do you know why I'm leaving for a few days?"
"Off to Mr. Ding's place for temporary work, right?" Clara turned to him with a bright smile. "Don't worry. You won't need to get up early—I'll go in your place."
She acted like she didn't even see the shock on his face and kept chatting casually:
"With a face like yours, it's best not to show up in public too much. It's a dangerous world out there. Men need to know how to protect themselves too."
She'd never spoken so gently to him before, but Lester's hair stood on end.
How did she know about Mr. Ding?
How did she know he was meeting Sonny early tomorrow?
He stammered, "How… how do you know?"
Clara beamed. "Because I was standing right behind you."
Lester recoiled. "Are you a ghost?!"
Clara calmly washed her hands at the basin, her tone even: "With your strength, you probably wouldn't even make the cut. It's better if I go. After all, we're family. Whoever works—me or you—it's all the same."
Lester thought to himself: If it's all the same, then why can't it be me?!
He tried to stay calm, forcing a smile. "They're only hiring men. No women allowed."
"Oh really?" Clara turned and looked him squarely in the eye. "No women in Liew Clan Village? No women in Goldstone Town? No women in the whole county? What about the provincial capital or the capital city?"
Lester snapped, "I've never been to the capital—how would I know?!"
"Exactly," Clara shrugged. "So maybe there are, maybe there aren't."
She even looked gracious, like she was generously allowing him to keep arguing.
But Lester knew—push this any further and she'd get physical.
"Clara, how is it that you can be so unreasonable?" he cried, gnashing his teeth.
She had to snatch everything from him! Ugh!
With a sudden thud, Clara slammed her palm onto his shoulder. The force was immense, like a mountain crushing down. Lester heard an awful pop from his knee and instantly turned pale. "Mercy, darling!"
He scrambled to save face: "Just remember to get up early tomorrow. Don't be late!"
Clara retracted her hand and gave a cold smile. "I'm doing this for your own good."
Lester: Oh, well thank you very much.
(End of Chapter)
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