On the Road to Town

"The first thing I am going to do when we get to town is buy an enormous haw stick," announced Granny Hong happily. Huajun giggled, shifting her bundle to the other shoulder. "You hid it well, but you've always had a sweet tooth, Granny Hong!"

Suzhen couldn't help but smile, shaking her head as she walked between them, arm in arm. It had felt strange at first, especially because Granny Hong was much shorter than her, and Huajun was taller than her, but as they walked down the road in the clear morning sun their lopsided gait felt more and more natural. "So you wanted to go to town just to buy a haw stick?"

Huajun and Granny Hong shrieked with laughter. "Of course not. There's a new caravan that arrived yesterday, I heard, and there will definitely be many new trinkets and goods to look at! Also, they say there's a very good fortune teller passing through. If his rates aren't too expensive, it would be nice to get a consultation! Maybe he could charge us a cheaper price if there are three of us." Granny Hong said hopefully. She nudged Suzhen confidentially. "We'll see whether there are any strong, rosy babies for you and Physician Xu in the near future!"

Huajun hummed happily. "My mother thinks it's foolish, she's always scolding me for spending money on trinkets. If Granny Hong and you weren't coming as well she'd never let me go by myself."

"And Yuanzheng, though he's a good son in many aspects, isn't fun at all," Granny Hong complained. "He thinks fortune tellers are all scams, and he says haw sticks are too hard for my teeth anyway. Somehow everything becomes a waste of money. Sometimes I want to give him a good slap and just tell him to stop being so ridiculously sensible. One may be poor, but one doesn't have to be boring." She sniffed.

"Well, I promise I will not say any of that, and let you buy all the haw sticks you want." Suzhen said gaily. "I am honoured that the two of you asked me to join you, and though Qingqing always tells me I don't know how to have fun, I am willing to learn how."

Huajun craned her neck forward to catch Granny Hong's eye. "Talking about Miss Qing!" she said significantly.

Granny Hong leaned forward as well to return an equally meaningful look. She pulled Suzhen's arm a little closer. "Now Suzhen, you mustn't think we're being nosy, Huajun and I just wanted to tell you how sympathetic we feel towards you, for all you've gone through." she said feelingly.

Bewildered, Suzhen looked at Granny Hong and then at Huajun, who sighed deeply and nodded her head as well. Granny Hong patted her hand and Huajun squeezed her arm, both looking earnestly at her with the same encouraging expression on their faces.

"Some of us may have laughed at you for not knowing so many things," Huajun said repentantly, obviously feeling guilty, "but we didn't know about all that. If I had, I'd never have laughed, never. It wasn't your fault, Madame Xu."

"It wasn't your fault," echoed Granny Hong.

Suzhen blinked. "Then whose fault was it?" she asked confusedly.

"Why, that high ranking official who can't be named, of course! The one who harassed you since you were a child, so that your parents had to live in that secluded place in the mountains, in order to protect you from him. You must have been so beautiful even as a child. I can just see you." Granny Hong sighed. "Ah, the wickedness of men!"

"We know all about it," Huajun said reassuringly. "Miss Qing told us all."

"Miss Qing!" Suzhen said blankly. A glimmer of understanding appeared in her eyes.

"Of course," Granny Hong said decisively. "You are so genteel and modest, you would never have told us all this. If Miss Qing hadn't told us, we should never have known your sad past and the shadow that bad man threw over it. Thank goodness he's dead now."

"Dead, is he?" Suzhen murmured. She hid a smile. So this was what Qingqing had been up to, weaving melodramatic stories of her past to a spellbound audience. She probably imagined she was doing Suzhen another favour, and had plenty of fun along the way. She just hoped Xuxian didn't hear about it, she didn't want to have to play along with Qingqing's fantastic tales.

"Thank the gods, because from the sounds of it he may have very well been--" Huajun paused dramatically. Granny Hong clapped her hand over her mouth. "You don't say!" she gasped.

Huajun nodded slowly with deadset confidence. "Miss Qing's expression said it as clearly as it could be, Granny Hong. It was--him."

"So it was--! My goodness. What a revelation." Granny Hong fanned herself, deliciously scandalized. "My poor child, what an ordeal for you it must have been, I can't imagine. Your poor parents." she fluttered.

Suzhen rolled her eyes when they were not looking. She would have to find Qingqing now and make her confess what kind of thrilling saga she'd made up for her.

"I must tell Madame Zheng," Granny Hong said decisively. "If only she knew, she wouldn't always be so sour towards you, Suzhen."

"Please don't," Suzhen said quickly. "I don't mind her."

Huajun raised her eyebrows. "Don't you see that she doesn't like you, Madame Xu?" she said frankly. "I know I'm not the brightest, but even I can tell that she's always out to put you down. Maybe she's really just jealous of your beauty. She used to be the village beauty, you know. Everyone thought she would marry above her station. Song Gongzi's father paid her some attention once. Of course, he was much older than her, but she would have lived very comfortably as his concubine, especially if she gave him a son. Well, that's all in the past now."

Suzhen listened thoughtfully without saying anything. Granny Hong shrugged. "Well, it can't be denied that her temper's been getting worse and worse," she added dryly. "Often she's so sullen she won't say anything. Or if she does, it's full of snide remarks. She tries my patience."

They were walking on the road, a flat dust track beaten wide and smooth by many feet before them. It ran through a small forest, with a steep slope leading down to a valley below on one side, and on the other side a rocky face.

Huajun shuddered and clung tighter to Suzhen's arm. "Ugh, I don't like the height, it's making me dizzy," she complained. "Can I switch places with you, Madame Xu?"

Suzhen was about to reply when she sensed something, suddenly. She let go of Huajun's arm and stopped short as several figures materialized from the brush in front of them, blocking their path.

She felt Granny Hong's hand creep nervously onto her arm and stay there.

"I declare, what bad luck we have today. It looks like three country bumpkins going to town. As if they'd know what to do there other than stand and gawk like idiots." a voice drawled lazily.