Chapter Forty-Five: Malice

Chapter 45: Malicious Intent

Xiao Xun?

Wasn't Xiao Xun dead? Li Cuihua had personally witnessed Sun Shi and Xiao Dashi setting up a cenotaph for him. It wasn't placed in the ancestral graveyard but in a separate plot chosen on the back hill of Xiao Family Village. Several months had passed—could the letter have been written before his death? So why was it only showing up now?

Li Cuihua's hands shook as she held the letter. How could a dead man write letters? It was truly frightening. She didn't dare ask more, and deep down, she had a sneaking suspicion. The courier, eager to deliver the next letter, confirmed that Li Cuihua would pass along the letter, then got on his horse and rode off.

Li Cuihua took her grandson back into the house and had her daughter-in-law look after him for a while.

Her daughter-in-law pulled the child over and asked curiously, "Mother, who were you talking to just now?"

Li Cuihua said vaguely, "No one."

She took the letter back to her room, opened it, and examined it carefully. Inside was a sheet of letter paper and a five-tael silver note. Li Cuihua tucked away the silver note and then looked at the letter. But she couldn't read—she couldn't even tell which end was up. After staring at it for a long time without understanding, she decided to wait until her son returned in the evening to have him read it.

She suspected that if Xiao Xun had sent a letter, perhaps he wasn't dead? Back then, they'd put up a cenotaph without seeing Xiao Xun's body, but that was common for those who died in battle. Looking at the letter, Li Cuihua didn't know who to ask about this.

If Xiao Xun really wasn't dead, wouldn't asking give it away?

Li Cuihua figured she'd wait till her family got back. After the autumn harvest, her two sons had gone into town to find work.

She'd had plenty of sons—three, in fact. Back then, she'd been so proud and even dreamed of having her sons study and take the imperial exams. The eldest and second sons weren't bright; they studied for less than a year before quitting. The youngest son showed promise—he attended the village private school for three years, but he didn't do well, so he didn't continue.

But he could read—reading a letter was nothing for him. Because he was literate, he earned more than others working in the county town and was quicker too. Li Cuihua had always bragged about that.

She would wait for her son to return and see what was in the letter before figuring out what to do about it.

At this point, Li Cuihua wasn't thinking about delivering the letter. The Xiao family had moved away a while back, and she had no idea where they had gone—how was she supposed to deliver it? Yu Xinghua knew, but she had also moved away recently. These two families treated her like some thief, and yet they expected her to do their dirty work.

They had gone to the county town living the good life—who'd given her a thought?

If the letter contained bad news, Li Cuihua would find out and let them know. If it was something else, she would wait until they returned to the village and she felt like it before mentioning it.

As for snooping being wrong, Li Cuihua didn't care. The letter was in her hands—if they didn't want this happening, they shouldn't have moved away. Who could they blame but themselves?

That evening, when Li Cuihua's two sons returned from outside, she pulled her younger son into the room and took out the letter. "Quick, take a look—what does it say?"

Her son squinted at the letter under the lamp for a long time, getting goosebumps the more he read. After a while, he looked up from the letter. "Mother, isn't Xiao Xun dead? How's he sending letters?"

Li Cuihua hurriedly asked, "What does the letter say?"

Her son swallowed, glancing at Li Cuihua and then back at the letter. "Mother, is this all?"

Li Cuihua said, "What else would there be? Just tell me what it says."

"Xiao Xun says he's safe. The letter was written over a month ago. This isn't Xiao Xun coming back as some angry ghost, is it? But why's he coming after us? Mother, quickly get rid of this letter!"

Li Cuihua snatched the letter back, almost tearing the corner off. She smoothed out the paper and hissed, "Are you stupid or just pretending? Xiao Xun must not be dead! None of that ghost nonsense trying to spook people."

Over a month ago? His funeral had been three months ago.

After saying this, Li Cuihua clenched her jaw. Xiao Xun wasn't dead—the Xiao family had hit the jackpot. Moving away, their daughter-in-law pregnant, and now their son safe—heaven was truly favoring the Xiao family.

Li Cuihua's son was also stunned. Mother and son exchanged a glance—what should they do with the letter?

Li Cuihua hadn't decided yet. If Sun Xiuying and Xiao Dashi had been grieving themselves to death over Xiao Xun's supposed demise, only to find out he was alive, she might have laughed a little.

Their adopted son had mourned so deeply, and yet the son wasn't even dead.

Otherwise, if Lin Qiuran had miscarried, and Xiao Xun returned to find the child gone and his parents on the verge of death, she could have enjoyed the spectacle. But now the Xiao family had moved to the county town and even brought Yu Xinghua along to prosper.

They were neighbors—why hadn't they thought of her family?

Li Cuihua had once seen from a distance that the Xiao family's stall business was doing well, with the Li family's stall right beside it. She hadn't approached them that time, but she had heard that the Xiao family had bought a house in the county town—they hadn't just rented one. Even Yu Xinghua was living well, said to be saving for her son's marriage.

And now Xiao Xun wasn't dead either—the family would reunite, return to a wealthy home, and welcome a new child. A double blessing. If Xiao Xun made some achievements, how could all these good things happen to the Xiao family?

Li Cuihua couldn't help but look at herself. She had many sons, and her sons had many children—all mouths to feed. After all these years, she had never lived in the county town. Occasionally, she went to the county town to shop, but she didn't take an ox cart every time.

She used to mock Sun Shi for marrying poorly—a useless man who couldn't even father children. But look how things had turned out. Li Cuihua couldn't swallow her resentment.

Why was the Xiao family's fate so good? This letter couldn't be delivered. Who knew when Xiao Xun would return? Delivering the letter now would only make the Xiao family happy.

Li Cuihua's son hadn't had time to think too much, only muttering, "This is great. Right after the autumn harvest, after we've paid the land tax, Xiao Xun returns. The Xiao family gets free money."

During the harvest, kind-hearted villagers had felt sorry for the two elderly Xiao members and the pregnant woman struggling alone, so they helped the Li family harvest the Xiao family's grain. Three acres of land—how lucky they were.

The Li family had more land, but also more mouths to feed. The children were all at an age where they ate adult portions. The autumn harvest had exhausted them, and the thirty percent land tax was a heavy burden, like a great mountain.

The Xiao family should have paid three hundred jin of grain, equivalent to two taels of silver. The Xiao family had gotten this money for free. And since they were doing business, they should also be paying taxes. These days, the Xiao family's stall must have earned quite a bit—how should the unpaid taxes be accounted for?

Even though this tax money wouldn't benefit them directly, others gaining advantage felt like a loss to them. They had paid their taxes honestly, though they had mixed in some old and moldy grain.

Li Cuihua's son was also surnamed Xiao—Xiao Wei. His mind was still in turmoil. He felt it was unfair. If the person had truly died, exempting five years of taxes for dying for the country was one thing, but he wasn't dead.

Why should they get away with it?

Li Cuihua was completely stunned. She looked at the letter in her hand, hesitating. If she delivered the letter, the Xiao family would rejoice. But if she didn't, the Xiao family would eventually find out Xiao Xun was alive, and they would still be exempt from taxes.

Either way, the Xiao family benefited!

How should the stall's earnings be taxed? How much grain had been harvested? How much land tax should have been paid? How much money had they made in total? How should this be calculated?

If they only had to make up the money, Li Cuihua felt it would be too easy for them.

Li Cuihua hadn't been to the county town in a long time and didn't know the Xiao family had opened a shop. She said, "We can't throw this letter away. I'll go to the county town tomorrow to see."

Originally, Li Cuihua had considered hiding the letter, but keeping it secret would only benefit the Xiao family more.

She absolutely couldn't let this go. Besides, during Xiao Xun's funeral, every household had contributed gifts. Though each family only gave a few coins, it was still money. Now, with him alive and well, their money wasn't money? That money should be returned!

Li Cuihua's mind was filled with thoughts of money. She suspected the Xiao family might have known all along that Xiao Xun was alive but hid it to avoid taxes. Such people should be arrested!

Li Cuihua didn't sleep all night, tossing and turning as she thought about this.

She didn't let her son tell the rest of the family. With so many people at home, if word got out, the Xiao family would surely find out and rejoice—they might even proactively pay the taxes.

Early the next morning, Li Cuihua took an ox cart to the county town. Her two sons had left early for work. She first went to South Street, but the Xiao family's stall was gone—only Yu Xinghua and her son were selling sauce pancakes there.

Li Cuihua initially thought the Xiao family's business had failed, but before she could rejoice, she found out they had opened a shop.

Li Cuihua hurried to Xiao Family Eatery and was shocked by the scene there.

The street was wider than South Street, and quite crowded. To the left was a two-story teahouse called Yuxiang Teahouse, and to the right was a jewelry shop called Golden Ruyi. Xu Yuanhang had put thought into selecting the shop location—one was a well-positioned two-story commercial building, the other was affordable and also in a good location. In short, both were well chosen.

But Li Cuihua didn't know any of this—she only saw the crowds. From a distance, she saw Xiao Dashi constantly carrying things inside.

Xiao Dashi was nothing like before. In the past, he was quiet and just an honest farmer. Today, he looked completely different—well-dressed, directing where deliveries should go, like some official.

By noon, with customers coming and going, Li Cuihua also saw several strangers.

Wan Niang and her mother and child had arrived early, so Li Cuihua didn’t see them, but she did notice the restaurant’s server Lu Fan and a newly hired shopkeeper, surnamed Shi, who earned a monthly wage of one tael of silver. He handled bookkeeping and occasionally helped with serving dishes—truly, a case of the capable doing more work.

Both had been vetted by Zhao Guangcai, who had informed Lin Qiuran of their backgrounds and personal histories, so they could be trusted.

Hiring these two had cost Lin Qiuran half a tael of silver, and that wasn’t even their wages—it was specifically for Zhao Guangcai.

Although it cost money, it was better than putting up a notice and hiring someone unknown. There was no telling what kind of person might show up, so Lin Qiuran preferred to have Zhao Guangcai handle the hiring.

Lin Qiuran planned to see how business went; if they were too busy, she would hire another person. Compared to the earnings, the monthly wages were a small expense. Hiring when necessary would make things easier at home. After all, Lin Qiuran not only cooked but also had to make spices once the current stock ran out, brew rice wine, and prepare various seasonings and spice packs—all of which took time.

With Shopkeeper Shi and Lu Fan around, the work in the front of the shop became much easier. Sun Shi could help in the kitchen, which also made things easier for Lin Qiuran.

Sun Shi could now make red-braised pork, but Lin Qiuran still had to prepare the spice packs and handle the seasoning. Sun Shi had tried making it once, following the steps, but the result wasn’t as tasty as when Lin Qiuran made it. Sun Shi couldn’t figure out why, but Lin Qiuran understood.

Lin Qiuran had a knack for cooking, while Sun Shi lacked that intuition, often lifting the lid to look, and with other minor missteps, the flavor naturally suffered.

They would take it slowly. Lin Qiuran even encouraged Sun Shi, saying her cooking was already quite good.

Sun Shi was also pleased. She wanted to learn more dishes, not just for the eatery but also so that when Lin Qiuran was in her lying-in period after childbirth, she could eat well.

Both could chop vegetables but weren’t yet skilled at stir-frying. Their control of heat and timing for seasoning wasn’t precise, resulting in significantly different flavors.

So, Sun Shi and Wan Niang handled prep work while Lin Qiuran took charge of the cooking. When idle, Sun Shi would help in the front. Sun Shi was the type who couldn’t stay idle. With this arrangement, there were six people working in the eatery. Adding one more cook would be ideal.

Today was the fourth day of business. The eatery no longer offered complimentary rice wine, but there were still plenty of customers.

Xiao Family Eatery rounded down payments and occasionally gave regular customers small gifts. Combined with the good food and reasonable prices—after all, those who dined at restaurants compared them to other eateries, not street vendors.

Sitting down to eat, not having to wash dishes. Someone served food and rice. You could leave right after finishing. If anyone still thought it was expensive, then other restaurants might as well close up.

Lin Qiuran priced the menu slightly lower than other restaurants but not by too much, to avoid causing trouble.

Customers left happily after meals, paying their bills and planning to return in a few days.

That noon, Li Cuihua hid behind a tree, counting how many customers the eatery had. Resenting the Xiao family’s success, she even counted groups entering together as a single table.

After counting all noon, Li Cuihua was shivering from the cold outside. She counted nineteen tables of customers at noon. Not having entered the eatery, she didn’t know the prices, nor had she ever eaten at a restaurant, so she had no idea how much a meal there cost.

Biting her lip, Li Cuihua estimated fifty copper coins per table, totaling nearly one tael of silver for nineteen tables.

And that was just at noon—they were surely open for dinner too.

That meant two taels of silver a day. Even accounting for costs, rent, and wages, the Xiao family must be keeping half. One tael of silver a day—one tael!

Li Cuihua’s family was large. Her eldest son had joined the army, and the others worked hard, skimping and saving all year, managing to save only over ten taels of silver—which was considered quite good. No one in Xiao Village could match her family.

But now she learned that the Xiao family could earn one tael of silver a day!

Though Li Cuihua didn’t want to believe the Xiao family earned so much, this was a restaurant after all. Perhaps each table spent more than fifty coins—maybe several taels a day, dozens of taels a month.

Li Cuihua felt her teeth ache, whether from the cold or what. She wanted to report to the authorities immediately, accusing the Xiao family of knowing Xiao Xun was alive and evading taxes—a serious crime!

The Xiao family would surely be arrested. But Li Cuihua didn’t know where the government office was. As an ordinary villager who had never been beyond the county town, she was afraid to go alone.

Li Cuihua decided to wait for her son. Once Xiao Wei finished work, they would report to the authorities!

As days were short in autumn, it was already dark by the time Xiao Wei finished work. Li Cuihua told him about the Xiao family opening a shop. "They must have made a lot of money these days!"

Li Cuihua’s eyes turned fierce. Having spent the day in town, she knew the eatery was busy in the evening too.

It was already the nineteenth of the month. The Xiao family had been selling food for three months—who knew how much money they had put away?

Xiao Wei frowned, his face—so similar to his mother’s—showing surprise and greed. But after a moment’s thought, he said, "Mom, the government office is probably closed by now. Let’s go tomorrow."

Li Cuihua agreed, "Fine, we’ll go first thing tomorrow. Tax money should be for the people, not all go to the Xiao family."

Xiao Wei nodded, "We should report them. Have them arrested and forced to give back the money."

But then he reconsidered. Reporting might not be effective. He said hesitantly, "Mom, the letter only arrived yesterday. Would reporting now even matter?"

Xiao Wei thought it wouldn’t do any good.

The news of Xiao Xun’s death had come from the village chief, and the tax reduction was official, with documents with official seals. He remembered during the harvest, when tax collectors came, the village chief showed them the documents. He’d even heard the chief say that Xiao Xun had died for the country and was exempt from taxes for five years.

If they reported it, they’d have to submit the letter as proof Xiao Xun was alive. But Xiao Wei saw the letter mentioned sending money—money his mother had kept. Li Cuihua always favored him, so that money would likely end up with him.

Reporting now would get them nothing.

Besides, the letter arrived yesterday. If Xiao Xun could send a letter, the mistake wasn’t his—it was the government’s error.

The Xiao family wasn’t at fault. Even if they reported it, the most the authorities would do is make the Xiao family pay back taxes—maybe not even that.

The Xiao family would be happy about Xiao Xun’s return, while Li Cuihua and her son would have gone to the trouble of reporting them for nothing.

If the magistrate sensed something amiss, they might even get beaten.

Xiao Wei, also afraid of officials, grabbed Li Cuihua’s arm. "Mom, we can’t go tomorrow."

Li Cuihua got anxious, "Why not? Should we let the Xiao family keep making money without paying taxes? Why should they?"

Xiao Wei clicked his tongue, "I’m not saying we shouldn’t report them, but not now. Mom, think about it. Before, they just had a stall. Street vendors aren’t really businesses—they only pay a stall fee. Who knows how much they earned? Now they’ve opened a shop, which definitely requires tax payments."

Small businesses often go unnoticed, but shops were watched.

Xiao Wei continued, "You said they’ve only been open a few days. Reporting now is useless—they’d only owe a little. Maybe nothing at all. The letter just arrived; the Xiao family might not even know. We’d gain nothing. Instead, let’s wait. Tomorrow, we’ll go to town and tell the Xiao family that Xiao Xun is alive."

Li Cuihua didn’t understand, "What? Not report them, but tell them…?"

As they walked back to the village, the autumn night was desolate. Leaves littered the road, dried by the sun and wind, crunching underfoot—creepy in the dark.

Under the night sky, Xiao Wei’s expression looked frightening. He coughed, "Mom, I don’t mean really tell them—they wouldn’t believe us anyway. To get the Xiao family jailed, they’d have to know Xiao Xun is alive and still evade taxes. Reporting now is pointless. We can spread word that Xiao Xun is alive. The Xiao family won’t believe it and won’t pay taxes. The more they earn, the bigger the penalty. We’d be rewarded for reporting them. We’ll say we delivered the letter, and the Xiao family intentionally lost it."

Who could prove who lost the letter? All that would be known is that the Xiao family deliberately evaded taxes—they might even be punished.

Li Cuihua finally understood but worried, "What if Xiao Xun returns someday?"

Xiao Wei said, "Even better. We wouldn’t need to report them. Even if others ignore it, we can still go to the authorities."

Li Cuihua felt uneasy, "But what if they find out it was us?"

Xiao Wei reassured her, "Don’t worry. They’re the tax evaders, not us. We’ll spread the word in the village too. It’ll be fine."