Constable Wang strode over as well. Looking at the fish in the basket, he broke into a smile. “Excellent! Excellent! Lady Cheng, you’ve done us another great service!”
He immediately ordered his men, “Quick! Find a few more baskets. Use Madam Cheng’s method and catch more fish!”
“Constable, we only have two baskets.”
They were the ones the fat boss’s men had left behind when they delivered the supplies that day.
“And we don’t have any meat to use as bait.”
“I can weave baskets,” one of the men in the group offered, pointing toward a clump of wild bamboo nearby. “We just need to cut some bamboo or vines. Follow along and I’ll teach you.”
Cheng Yao added, “We don’t necessarily need meat for bait. We can dig up earthworms.”
The heavy rain from two days earlier had left the soil soft and damp, so digging them up wouldn’t be difficult.
With the problem solved, everyone grew eager and enthusiastic.
Some of the women who had been waiting for a bath even gave up their places in line and went to help catch fish.
Cheng Yao stopped them. “The weather is getting colder by the day. Keeping clean is important too, or you’ll easily fall ill.”
The women exchanged awkward glances.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to bathe. They simply had no more “scented balm” or “perfume.”
Cheng Yao had poured out a full bowl, but that small amount was hardly enough for twenty or thirty women.
At first, they had been careful, dipping only their fingertips into it. But the unprecedented feeling of freshness and the faint fragrance were so addictive that they gradually began using more without realizing it.
Besides, their hair and bodies really were dirty. A little simply wasn’t enough to wash them clean.
Thus, before long, both earthenware bowls were empty.
After much hesitation, several of the bolder women came over to Cheng Yao, nudging one another as they approached.
“Madam Cheng,” said Madam Lan, her dark face flushed with embarrassment as she rubbed her hands together. “That scented balm of yours is truly wonderful, but everyone has used up what they had. Do you happen to have any more? We don’t need much—just a little to rub into our hair…”
The women behind her nodded repeatedly, their eyes full of anticipation.
Looking at their flushed faces and awkward expressions, Cheng Yao smiled and replied warmly, “There’s still some left. If everyone needs it, take it and use it.”
She took two more earthenware jars from the cart, walked to the “bathhouse,” and poured out two large bowls.
“Use it sparingly. It should be enough.”
The women were overjoyed. After thanking her profusely, they continued waiting in line.
The commotion also caught Constable Wang’s eye, along with that of several other constables.
Though they were men and not as particular about such things as the women, they had gone more than a month without bathing. Their bodies were unbearably itchy, their hair greasy and matted, and even they themselves found their odor offensive.
Seeing how refreshed the women looked after using the “scented balm,” their faces glowing with the rosy flush of a bath, several young constables couldn’t resist. They went over to Constable Wang and whispered among themselves.
Constable Wang himself felt thoroughly uncomfortable. Clearing his throat, he walked over to Cheng Yao with an unusual hint of embarrassment and courtesy on his face.
“Madam Cheng, would it be possible for you to spare some of that cleansing balm for us rough men as well? As for the price… I’ll certainly pay you back later.”
The constables behind him gazed at her expectantly.
Cheng Yao had anticipated this. She generously took out a bar of soap. “Constable Wang and the rest of you have worked hard. It’s just a small thing, so there’s no need to talk about money. Take this soap and use it.”
The constables immediately let out a cheer. They accepted the soap and happily ran upstream, imitating the women as they scrubbed themselves clean.
Cheng Yao also gave a few more bars to the other members of the group, earning their profuse gratitude.
For a time, foam and fragrance drifted across the surface of the river.
However, Cheng Yao’s generosity depended very much on whom she was dealing with.
When Feng Xianxian came sashaying over, hoping to ask for some as well, Cheng Yao simply looked up at the sky and ignored her completely.
Feng Xianxian’s face turned livid. She stamped her foot and muttered a few curses under her breath, calling Cheng Yao a “stingy little wretch” and a “lowborn merchant’s daughter.” She hadn’t wanted to wait in line in the first place, and when she saw Cheng Yao handing out soap, she had come over to ask for some.
Who would have thought Cheng Yao would be so ruthless toward her? Furious yet helpless, she had no choice but to queue outside the “temporary bathhouse.”
When her turn finally came, however, the two earthenware bowls were empty.
“You did this on purpose!”
Feng Xianxian flew into a rage. “Cheng Yao and I are family! How dare you target me and exclude me? You’re all being outrageous!”
She shouted and wept, but no one paid her any attention.
The constables were using the soap, but whether intentionally or not, Zhang Dapeng was kept waiting for a long time.
Clutching his itchy, tingling right hand, he watched his fellow constables wash themselves gleefully with the fragrant soap while he could only stare. The itching all over his body felt like a hundred claws scratching at his flesh. He wanted to go over, but he couldn’t bring himself to swallow his pride. His aggrieved, resentful expression gave Cheng Yao a secret thrill.
She deliberately raised her voice and said to Constable Wang, “Constable, this is all the cleansing balm we have. If someone shameless tries to snatch it, you’ll have to uphold justice.”
Her gaze meaningfully swept over Zhang Dapeng.
Constable Wang naturally understood. He snorted and shot Zhang Dapeng a warning glare.
Zhang Dapeng nearly ground his teeth to dust, but all he could do was squat down in the distance and scrub himself haphazardly with the icy river water. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
…
Half the people were washing themselves, while the other half were weaving baskets and digging up earthworms.
Those who finished washing would voluntarily come over to take over the work, allowing those who had not yet bathed to go wash.
Before long, all sorts of crooked, unevenly sized baskets had been woven. The people put the earthworms they had dug up inside and lowered the baskets into the river.
They pulled them up once every half-incense stick.
“Fish! There are really fish! This method works!”
“Wow, Yunpeng’s basket is full!”
“Brothers, you have to be generous with the bait!”
The surprise and satisfaction of their harvest sent everyone’s enthusiasm soaring. They took turns lowering the baskets into the river.
In the end, every household managed to catch more or less some fish. The riverbank was filled with long-lost laughter and cheerful voices.
These fish became everyone’s lifeline.
Most families could bring themselves to eat only one or two fish. They carefully removed the innards from the rest, skewered them on branches, and roasted them beside the fires, hoping to turn them into dried fish to eat along the way.
Everyone was immersed in the joy of catching fish and filling their bellies. Though the road ahead remained uncertain, with Cheng Yao around, there seemed to be endless possibilities—and something to look forward to.
By the river, Cheng Yao picked a generous amount of fresh mint and perilla.
Then she took out the iron pot she had bought at the market in town, along with several rock-hard coarse-flour buns.
She found a sheltered spot, skillfully arranged stones into a stove, and started a fire.
She poured oil into the pot and fried several cleaned fish. Then she added perilla, water, and ginger. Once the broth came to a boil over high heat, she skimmed off the foam and let it simmer over low heat.
Before long, a pot of milky-white fish soup began to bubble and roll. The rich, savory aroma of fish mingled with the distinctive fragrance of perilla and drifted away on the evening breeze, making everyone swallow involuntarily.
Cheng Yao poured the soup into an earthenware jar, then washed the pot and heated more oil. Once it was hot, she added minced garlic and slices of ginger and stir-fried them until fragrant. She then placed a large fish, drained of excess water, into the pot and fried it until both sides were golden brown. After adding a little water, she covered it with minced garlic, perilla, and mint and let it braise.
She also split open the hard buns and pressed them against the scorching sides of the pot to toast.
Before long, the buns had turned crisp and golden on the outside. Inside, they had absorbed the hot juices from the fish and become soft.
Compared with the fish most people had merely roasted or boiled in water, these two dishes were fragrant, flavorful, and beautifully prepared—practically a feast.
Old Madam Zhan and Second Madam Zhan, who had been unconscious from hunger and weakness, were jolted awake by the mouthwatering aroma.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were both so badly injured that they had managed to hold on only because of the ginger soup Cheng Yao had prepared with a little spirit spring water. Little by little, their injuries were healing.
Second Master Zhan and Third Master Zhan took turns carrying the two women on their backs with the help of their sons. The journey had exhausted them, but they never once abandoned the pair.
Who knew whether the two women were simply lucky—or whether they had saved the entire Zhan family in a past life?
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law struggled to sit up. Following the aroma, they saw the fragrant braised fish in the large bowl beside Cheng Yao, along with the charred, crispy steamed buns. Their mouths nearly watered.
Second Madam Zhan licked her cracked lips. Even though her throat was hoarse, she habitually shouted at Cheng Yao in a commanding tone, “Lady Cheng! Bring that fish soup and those steamed buns over here! Can’t you see your grandmother is starving? You have absolutely no sense!”
Cheng Yao did not even lift her eyes. She simply stirred the fish soup with a wooden spoon and said coolly, “Second Aunt, I caught the fish, bought the pot and seasonings, and gathered the firewood. If you want to eat, bring something to trade.”
“You!” Second Madam Zhan had never expected Cheng Yao to openly talk back to her. Her fingers trembled with anger. “We’re your elders! Showing us filial respect is your duty!”
After shouting those words with all her remaining strength, Second Madam Zhan slumped against the rock, panting.
