Who Are You?
Zhao Chuchu decided not to tease Xie Heng anymore.
She sent Xie Jun out, saying, “Junjun, why don’t you go to the Chen family to look for their son to play with you?”
Xie Jun nodded and obediently went out.
Zhao Chuchu started discussing serious matters with Xie Heng. “I don’t have much silver on hand. I can’t buy the medicine from the pharmacy to treat Junjun. I plan to go to the mountains in two days to get them.”
“There are many dangerous animals in the mountains. It’s not safe for a girl like you to go there alone. If you can’t get it in Yuanjiang, get someone to buy it in Guangqing Province. Once I regain my sight, you won’t have to worry about money anymore.” Xie Heng refused to let Zhao Chuchu go into the mountains.
“Do you know how expensive the herb costs? One mace of the herb can cost a few hundred pieces of silver. We need at least seven to eight maces. That will cost a few thousand pieces of silver.”
Zhao Chuchu paused before continuing, “I have seen your family’s accounts. There is only one piece of silver and a few hundred cents. Even if you could earn money from writing books, how long do you think you can write before we get so much money?”
Xie Heng was silent.
“Da Lang, I don’t want to say too much. I am now asking you a very pragmatic question. If I really buy these expensive herbs to treat Junjun’s illness, don’t you think it will alert the villagers? Do you think you can protect yourself then?”
When Xie Heng heard them, he suddenly looked wary.
He gave Zhao Chuchu a piercing look as though he wanted to see through her. “What do you mean by that?”
Zhao Chuchu stretched out her hand to cover his eyes. “I don’t like you to look at me this way. Otherwise, I won’t be able to control myself and will gouge your eyes out. Da Lang, trust is mutual.”
Xie Heng removed her hand from his eyes and said icily, “Who are you?”
Zhao Chuchu did not know what to say. “Although I don’t know what you’ve been through in the past, I am someone who will do what she says. I’ve already said all that I want to say. If you insist that I go and buy the medicine from the pharmacy and cause alarm to everyone, don’t blame me if there is trouble later.”
Zhao Chuchu then muttered again, “Besides, if not for the divorce letter and my identification letter, do you think I’ll stay here and make things difficult for myself?”
If it were in the modern days when she could go around as she pleased with her identification card, she would have left this place long ago.
Xie Heng looked intently at Zhao Chuchu.
Rolling her eyes at Xie Heng, Zhao Chuchu said, “You looked quite frightening like this, but you can’t scare me. Xie Heng, if you don’t trust me, just give me the divorce letter and help me get an identification letter. I’ll leave immediately. I won’t see you again in this lifetime.”
Xie Heng then lowered his eye. “Sorry, I…”
“Chuchu!” Someone shouted from outside and interrupted Xie Heng.
Zhao Chuchu regained her posure and walked out of the house.
It was Niu Tongsheng.
“I heard from my wife that you want to renovate the house and build a wall.”
“Yes. Chief Niu, can you help me find someone to do it? I do not know anything about such things. Can you help me check also how much they will cost?”
“Okay. My son can help you with the repairs and the tiling. As for the wall, it depends on how high you want to build it. Do you need to fix the door as well? I can then work out the cost.”
“I need a wall that is five feet tall.”
A wall of 160 meters was good enough. Zhao Chuchu figured that they could place thorns on the wall so the villagers would not be able to climb over it.
Niu Tongsheng did some calculations and said, “If you include the bricks, the door, and the labor, it should cost about 20 pieces of silver. But if you build an earthen wall instead, you can save some money.”
“I want a brick wall.”
An earthen wall would be too unstable.
Soon after, Zhao Chuchu began to put on an act. “Chief Niu, I don’t have enough silver to pay for these. Can you help me find someone to build it first? I’ll pay for the bricks up front, but can I pay for the labor later?”
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