Chapter 19: Owing a Hand

Yu Youcai had only rested for a moment when he saw the woman in front of him swaying back and forth; it seemed she was about to faint.

He stepped forward, helped her to the side, and took over her work.

"This isn't the way," said the man who had previously pressured Yu Youcai into doing more work. "There are two women in our group."

As soon as he spoke, everyone in the group turned to look at him.

"The officials said that whichever group works more, eats more. With two women in the group, aren't we going to be worked to death? Someone go tell the officials to swap these two into other groups and bring two men in to replace them."

Yu Youcai lunged forward, grabbing the man by his clothes, ready to beat him.

"Hey, don't cause trouble, don't cause trouble!" the others in the group hurriedly interceded. "The soldiers are watching right there. If you have the strength to fight, you'd better use it to work more."

"Just let me finish," the man being grabbed said, pinning Yu Youcai's hand down. "Look, if we swap everyone in our group for men, we'll definitely work faster, and we'll get more grain when it's distributed. Then you can give your share to your daughter so she doesn't become a burden and leave us all hungry."

"Bullshit!" Yu Youcai gave him a hard shove. "If you're not satisfied, go swap yourself into another group."

The man patted his chest, spat at Yu Youcai, and asked the others, "Is there anyone else who wants to swap? Come with me to find the officials."

The other four ignored him.

"Fine, then just wait to starve to death." He turned and walked briskly toward the soldiers not far away, still clutching a hoe.

"Hey, put that hoe down!"

Someone in the group shouted at him, but he acted as if he hadn't heard.

Just as he was about to reach the soldiers, one of them suddenly drew a sharp blade and barked a harsh command. "Stop! Drop the hoe!"

Terrified, the man stopped instantly, and the hoe fell to the ground.

"What are you trying to do!" the soldier demanded.

The man knelt down, trembling and stammering, "I'm not doing anything, nothing at all." All his previous bravado had vanished; he didn't dare mention his demands.

"Go back! Take your hoe!"

He slunk back dejectedly.

Meng Changqing circled the working commoners, getting a sense of the situation.

She asked the unguarding soldiers to go mill the rice and cook porridge. "Add more rice and less water this time; make it a bit drier. I'll trouble you, brothers."

"You are too kind, Young Mistress Meng. We will get to it immediately."

Just then, the two guards from the Meng family carried the water back.

Bafang said in surprise, "Young Mistress, I really believed you. You really can calculate, can't you? We've never been to this place, so how did you know there was a river ahead, and that it hadn't frozen over yet?"

Meng Changqing gave him several looks. "I told you to put your hat on. See? Your brain has frozen solid."

Xi Bei laughed loudly, walked over, and tucked Bafang's head under her arm. "Let me warm your brain. Your Young Mistress hasn't been here, but we have."

"Master, let go of me. I was just trying to flatter you."

Laicai passed by carrying an iron pot and stopped to say seriously to Bafang, "That wasn't clever. The Young Mistress will think you're actually stupid."

"You bastard, Laicai, you're picking on me too!" With his head tucked under her arm, Bafang tried to deliver a back kick, but Xi Bei hauled him along to catch up with Meng Changqing.

"Master, Bafang, come help me pull the cart."

Meng Changqing joined the disassembled horse carts together to create a makeshift windbreak so her mother and Niang could go rest.

She herself took out paper and pen and began to write. She wrote with such intensity that her right hand turned bright red from the cold, yet she did not stop.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the pit-digging area. Along with the shouts of the soldiers, the sound of someone arguing could be heard.

Meng Changqing dropped her pen and ran over immediately, switching to a fast walk once she was a few paces from the scene.

"What happened?"

Zuo Datou reported, "There was a fight; they've already been subdued."

"Where are the fighters? Why were they fighting?"

The soldiers blocking the way parted slightly, allowing Meng Changqing to see two commoners being held by the guards.

Zuo Datou stepped forward and shouted, "To answer the County Magistrate! Why were you fighting!"

The taller one immediately said, "His mouth is filthy."

The shorter one defended himself, "I didn't fight; he hit me."

Meng Changqing asked the shorter man, "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything." The man's voice grew lower and lower; he was clearly guilty.

Meng Changqing asked the taller man, "What did he say that made you want to hit him?"

"He cursed me and my daughter."

"What did he curse you for?"

The tall man did not answer.

Meng Changqing ordered the soldiers to bring all the members of their group over.

She asked the others why the two had fought, learning that the shorter man had indeed insulted the taller one, accusing him of being immoral for taking his adopted daughter as a wife. Furthermore, he hadn't just insulted the father and daughter, but had also insulted another woman in the group.

"Who here has a strong hand?" Meng Changqing asked the surrounding soldiers.

Yang Zheng stepped forward. "I do."

"I'll trouble you, Captain Yang, to strike a blow for me."

"Just give the order."

Meng Changqing nodded and pointed at the shorter man. "Give him a slap."

Yang Zheng strode forward. Without giving the man time to react, he swung with full force. The slap sent the man tumbling to the ground, rolling several times.

The other commoners, hearing the commotion, had long been watching.

Their eyes swept over the man lying on the ground unable to get up, then stole glances at the official. She wasn't very tall, but she had a formidable temper.

Just as the other members of Group Seven thought the matter was settled and were praising the official's decisive methods, they heard her point at Yu Youcai and say, "Chop off his left hand."

Meng Changqing spoke coldly, "You think you can get away with fighting and causing trouble under my rule?"

"Then let me do it." Zuo Datou drew his knife and was about to step toward Yu Youcai when a piercing scream rang out: "No!"

The girl who had been kneeling nearby scrambled to her feet and rushed to stand in front of her father.

The girl kowtowed repeatedly to Meng Changqing. "I beg the Magistrate for mercy! My father fought for my sake. If a hand must be cut, cut mine!"

Meng Changqing asked, "You don't want your hand either?"

"No, no!" Yu Youcai hurriedly pushed his daughter away. "It has nothing to do with my daughter!"

"Magistrate," a commoner standing in the distance pleaded for them, "please, don't cut his hand."

Meng Changqing recognized him; it was Sha Zhu.

"Come here and speak."

Sha Zhu put down his farming tool, walked quickly to Meng Changqing, knelt, and said, "If you chop his hand now, won't you be losing a worker?"

"You have a point, but have you considered that I would rather be short-handed than employ someone who causes trouble?" Meng Changqing said. "Unless you personally guarantee that he will never fight or cause trouble again."

Sha Zhu felt a surge of panic, but he still said, "I will guarantee him."

"Fine. If he fights again, I'll chop off your hand along with his."

Sha Zhu's head went numb.

"Since you have guaranteed him, swap him with the one who got slapped." Meng Changqing pointed at the tall man and turned to ask the guarding soldier, "What is his name? What is his number?"

"Yu Youcai, 009."

"Record it. He owes me a hand."