Chapter 10

The vast wheat fields of Qingmiao Village have turned completely golden. The group of gossiping women who usually gather at the village entrance are nowhere to be seen; it is the height of the busy farming season, and everyone is occupied in their own fields with no time for idle chatter. This is, in a way, a blessing, as it spares them from unnecessary behind-the-back disputes.

Jiang Yun is relieved. He dislikes listening to the women’s petty talk and always keeps his head down, hurrying past them whenever he passes by. If he didn't walk quickly, they would surely look him up and down and point fingers.

Working alone in the wheat fields, his ears are much quieter. By noon, the sun beats down relentlessly, its blinding glare making one feel dizzy.

In the adjacent field, the man working stops to take the tea and food brought by his wife, eating heartily. Despite their exhaustion, the whole family wears smiles. The food of a farming family is nothing fancy—just two or three rough flour buns, some pickled greens, and a bowl of coarse tea, gulped down simply to satisfy hunger.

Jiang Yun watches them eat, his own stomach letting out a growl. There is no one to bring him food; Jiang Mo has been fussing about attending school in town, and Liu Guihua and his father are just lounging at home.

As the sun climbs higher, Jiang Yun picks up his sickle to return to the Jiang residence. In the countryside, tools like sickles are coveted; if left casually in the field, they might be gone by the time one returns.

Walking along the ridge, he encounters someone head-on. Gu Chengwu is tall and imposing, casting only a faint glance at him. The two have little interaction. Jiang Yun knows that Gu is not the heinous person others describe, but the man is too fierce, and Jiang Yun, habitually timid, dares not meet his gaze.

Lowering his head and stepping aside, he whispers, "Y-you go first."

The man’s eyes shift downward, taking in Jiang Yun’s cowardly appearance. Being out in public, he says nothing and simply walks past. Gu Chengwu looks toward the vast field of golden wheat; most of it has been harvested by Jiang Yun alone. With so much labor weighing on such a small *ge’er*, he frowns.

Compared to the busy harvest in Qingmiao Village, Liu Guihua and Jiang Shunde appear idle, lounging on chairs to escape the heat. Seeing Jiang Yun return, they show no pleasant expressions. Liu Guihua, in particular, mutters something derogatory under her breath.

"Master, our Mo’er says he’s the favorite of the magistrate’s eldest daughter. She takes him everywhere she goes. Tsk, tsk, just think, what an honor that is! Our Mo’er is truly promising."

Liu Guihua smiles, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, desperate to tell the whole village about Jiang Mo’s connection to the magistrate’s daughter. But with everyone in the fields, working until their feet barely touch the ground, there is no one to listen to her boasting.

Jiang Shunde is also calculating. Although Jiang Mo is not his biological son, the boy still calls him father; once Jiang Mo is married off, he expects a dowry of at least a hundred taels. With Jiang Mo as his cash cow, what use does he have for Jiang Yun? Even if he tried to sell him, no one would pay ten taels. Still, Jiang Shunde thinks, he is a chaste *ge’er* after all—if all else fails, he will just sell him off cheaply.

The couple dreams of a beautiful future relying on their son, unaware of the reality Jiang Mo faces in town.

The academy he attends is called Qingshan Academy, one of the top institutions in Yunshui County, where only the wealthy or noble can study. By his origins, Jiang Mo shouldn't have been able to step foot inside. It was all thanks to his mother, Liu Guihua, who had a past acquaintance with the academy’s headmaster. Though she is long past her prime, she used that connection to shamelessly force him in.

The academy is filled with idle rich young masters and noble ladies who look down on a *ge’er* from a mountain village. Seeing him, they treated him like a stray cat or dog to be toyed with.

He Si Si is surrounded by a group of young ladies and *ge’ers*, adorned with expensive hairpins and silk worth a fortune. She lounges lazily against a table, bored, listening to the flattery around her, which she finds quite satisfying. Beside her is Zhou Mei, a *ge’er* serving under her father, who is on good terms with her. In a good mood, He Si Si casually pulls a pin from her hair to reward someone.

"Your father has been diligent in serving mine, so take this. It was bought in the capital." She tosses the pin onto the table as if items worth a hundred taels were nothing but water.

Zhou Mei is the best at flattery among them. Seeing the beautiful, expensive hairpin, he quickly snatches it, drawing envious looks from the others.

"School is so boring. There’s no fun at all; we might as well go out and find some amusement."

Hearing this, Zhou Mei’s eyes roll, and he quickly thinks of a way to entertain the young lady. He signals the others and points toward Jiang Mo, who is buried in composing poetry.

He Si Si glances over and says, "Does he really think that writing a few lines of poetry makes him a phoenix? A mountain pheasant is a mountain pheasant for life."

They are far away, and He Si Si’s voice is soft, so Jiang Mo hears nothing. The group disdains playing with him, often ignoring him entirely.

Zhou Mei suggests, "Sister Si Si, he’s studying so hard. Let’s call him over to play with us."

At the mention of "play," the group seems to grow interested. A path opens in the crowd. He Si Si smiles, clutching her handkerchief, and calls out in a delicate voice, "Hey you, come here."

Jiang Mo’s spine stiffens. He knows who is calling, even though they usually never bother with him.

He Si Si grows impatient. "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me calling you?"

Jiang Mo, afraid to offend them, rushes over, bracing himself under their gazes. "Miss He, you called for me?"

He Si Si and Zhou Mei exchange a look, and then she says with a gentle expression, "Look at you, studying so diligently and never playing with the sisters in the academy. My father instructed me to foster unity among classmates. We are going shopping after school today; why don't you join us?"

Her voice is sweet, and she smiles as if she truly cares about others. Jiang Mo’s eyes light up, afraid to miss this chance to fit in. "I’ll do whatever you say, Sister He. My father also taught me to live in harmony with my classmates. I didn't expect the Magistrate to think the same way."

Overjoyed, Jiang Mo is lost in the excitement of being included, fantasizing about becoming friends with these wealthy ladies and eventually meeting young masters from prominent families. He Si Si’s smile stiffens; how could a lowly peasant from the boondocks dare to compare himself to her father?

Yunshui County is a fairly large hub in Ningping Prefecture, a center for trade and relatively prosperous. He Si Si enters a jewelry shop with her entourage. The shopkeeper, seeing this "ancestor," immediately drops his work to welcome them.

"Miss He, you’ve come at just the right time! We’ve just received some pearl-studded pins from the capital. It’s said that dignitaries in the capital love wearing these; they would suit your beautiful face perfectly." The shopkeeper is a shrewd man, well-versed in flattery.

He Si Si loves being fawned over. She glances sideways and says, "In that case, let me see them."

The pin is a fine piece, priced at twenty taels. He Si Si’s maid casually tosses over a banknote worth far more. Jiang Mo, following behind, stares at the pin and the money, his eyes turning red with envy. These things should belong to him; if only he hadn't been born to the wrong mother...

Zhou Mei, noticing Jiang Mo’s expression, nudges He Si Si and whispers, "Sister He, look at him."

Feeling several pairs of eyes on him, Jiang Mo immediately changes his expression, becoming humble and praising He Si Si. "Such a fine item naturally suits Sister He best."

He Si Si rolls her eyes internally; what kind of status does he have to compare himself to her? She smiles and holds up the hairpin, circling the group. "It is a fine thing, but I have buckets of such items. You’ve all worked hard following me, so I shall reward you... but who should I give it to?"

Everyone likes the pin but knows He Si Si is playing a game, so they stand silently.

Zhou Mei, working in tandem with He Si Si, smiles and says, "Sister He, look, this pin would suit Jiang Mo well. If he wore it, he’d surely look just like a *ge’er* from a wealthy family."

Jiang Mo tries to keep a straight face, but his mind is already clouded by the phrase "a *ge’er* from a wealthy family." He grinds his teeth inwardly. Why? He is talented and attractive, yet born in the wrong place. He even wonders if he was swapped at birth and belongs to a prominent family. He looks at the pin as if it were already his, extending his hand with feigned modesty. "To be recognized by Sister He is my good fortune. Thank you, Sister He."

He is so busy buttering her up that he doesn't notice their expressions. He Si Si slowly hands the pin toward him but suddenly lets go. The pin hits the floor with a clatter.

He Si Si looks surprised. "Oh, my apologies, my hand slipped. Since it’s a gift for you, why don't you pick it up yourself?"

Jiang Mo’s smile freezes as he looks at the pin on the floor. His ears ring with the whispers and laughter of the crowd, and he finally realizes what is happening. The expensive pin lying at his feet feels like a slap, stripping him of all dignity.

He Si Si’s smile fades. "I’m rewarding you; do you dare refuse?"

Zhou Mei then steps on the hairpin and says, "I told you to pick it up. Can’t you understand human speech?"

A roaring sound fills Jiang Mo’s ears, and he feels all the humiliation stacking up. But the person before him is the magistrate’s daughter; he doesn't dare even let out a whimper, let alone resist. Clenching his nails into his palms, he kneels to pick up the hairpin and forces a smile. "Thank you, Miss He."

He Si Si has had her fun and seems in a good mood. She picks up the stepped-on hairpin with her handkerchief and slowly pins it into Jiang Mo’s hair. "You’re a sensible one, even more obedient than my dog, A-Fu, though you don't know how to wag your tail."

With that, He Si Si and her group leave, leaving Jiang Mo behind.

The pin, a woman’s accessory, sits crookedly in Jiang Mo’s hair, looking completely absurd. The shop assistants watch the scene, whispering, pointing, and occasionally laughing. The shopkeeper, while flattering He Si Si, disdains such people at heart. He clicks his tongue and yells at the assistants, "Can’t you see the floor is dirty? Get to cleaning!"

Jiang Mo breathes heavily, his ears burning, tears welling in his eyes. He wishes he could just die. But thinking of He Si Si, he grinds his teeth again. One day, he will climb higher, and he will trample all these people underfoot. He will make them kneel before him to serve him, to avenge this humiliation.

Jiang Yun, back in Qingmiao Village, knows nothing of what happened in town. He has spent the day harvesting wheat and finishes preparing dinner for Liu Guihua and Jiang Shunde very late.

Wheat awns are stuck in his collar, prickling his skin. When he takes off his clothes, he finds his shoulders covered in red spots, sticky and painful. He endures the discomfort and fetches water to bathe. Country folk are used to hard labor, and such minor injuries don't warrant medicine—a jar of ointment costs dozens of copper coins, and Liu Guihua would never spend that on him, nor would Jiang Yun dare to spend it on himself.

He uses a broken wooden tub that leaks slightly. He heats water and bathes in the shed, washing away the fatigue of the day. His mother died early, but she taught him to be clean, so Jiang Yun always cleans himself after working to maintain his dignity.

In a box before him lies the jewelry Yu Ge’er gave him, along with the exquisite hair ribbon. Sitting on a pile of firewood in the shed, he gazes at the ribbon in the moonlight, holding it as if it were a treasure, afraid to damage it.

Just as he is about to put the ribbon back in the box, the door is pushed open. Jiang Mo storms in, snatches the ribbon from his hand, and holds it high. "Where did you get this!"

Jiang Yun is startled. He tries to reach for his things, but Jiang Mo shoves him hard.

"It... it was given to me by someone," Jiang Yun whispers, his stuttering worsening with his anxiety.

Jiang Mo grips the ribbon tightly, looking at Jiang Yun through gritted teeth. "You’re lying! This is clearly my thing. You stole it!"

He has always been the one praised by others, and Jiang Yun is someone meant to be stepped on. Seeing Jiang Yun with something better than what he has, Jiang Mo is consumed by the urge to snatch it.

Tears welling in his eyes, Jiang Yun is usually terrified of Jiang Mo, never daring to even look him in the eye. But now, finding some unknown source of courage, he grabs the ribbon back from Jiang Mo’s hand. Jiang Mo loses his footing, falls backward, and scrapes his hand on the ground.

Having never suffered such an injury in his life, and combined with the humiliation he suffered earlier from He Si Si, he looks at Jiang Yun with venomous eyes. He lunges, grabs Jiang Yun’s hair, and smashes his head against the door. "You deserve this? Look at your ugly face—you’re not even fit to carry my shoes!"

Jiang Yun’s forehead splits open, blood streaming into his eyes. He feels dizzy, tears falling, but he still clutches the ribbon. "Y-you’re lying! It is mine."

He sobs, trying to defend himself, but this only earns him a more vicious look from Jiang Mo. Jiang Yun holds the ribbon in one hand and shields his head with the other.

"Yours? Can you afford this? Did some wild man give this to you?" Jiang Mo, not satisfied with just hitting him, begins to slander him.

This is a matter of a *ge’er*’s chastity; if an unmarried *ge’er* were found to be meeting men in secret, he would be beaten to death by his family. Jiang Yun never expected that, despite being a *ge’er* himself, Jiang Mo would use such a thing to frame him.

"I saved Yu Ge’er, and he gave it to me! It’s not... it’s not what you say," he stammers, terrified that Jiang Mo will spread rumors.

Jiang Mo glares at him. This little bastard actually dares to talk back. He snatches the ribbon from Jiang Yun’s hand and warns him, "Don't you dare say a word about today, or I’ll tell Father!"

Jiang Yun shrinks back. He is terrified of Jiang Shunde’s beatings and, no matter how much he is wronged, he dares not defend himself further.