Chapter 15: Encountering Liu Bo Again

Wang Ge had a large appetite. Even after eating two wheat cakes, she was only about seventy percent full. There was no hot water here, and the well water was icy cold, so she sipped it in tiny mouthfuls, warming it a bit before swallowing—having stomach troubles while away from home would be a real nuisance.

After feeding the pigs, fetching water, and chopping firewood for an hour, Wang Ge slung her basket on her back and headed out to the relay station. The scenery around her was beautiful: mountains layered in the distance, lush grasses and water plants close by.

She was cautious, always keeping away from the water’s edge while pulling wild grass, and when she grew tired, she would rest beneath a tree, weaving as she sat.

As the afternoon wore on, it reached the hour when travelers flocked to the relay station for lodging. She set her basket by the roadside and started hawking her wares: “Come and see! Good things brought from the capital: the Zodiac Guessing Box!”

“The only one in Kuaiji Commandery—don’t miss your chance! The Zodiac Guessing Box, novel and fun, perfect as a gift for both elders and children!”

“No matter how far you travel north or south, apart from Luoyang, you won’t find another like it! Hurry and buy, there’s a discount for purchasing the whole set!”

A team of ox carts stopped nearby, and a servant in short work clothes came over to inquire, “What kind of box are you selling? Is it really a good thing from the capital?”

“The Zodiac Guessing Box, Uncle, take a look.” Wang Ge pretended not to hear the skepticism in his tone and showed him a sample—a palm-sized, square box woven from rushes. There was a thumbnail-sized knob in the center of the lid, separate from the box itself, and a tassel made of cowhide grass hung from the bottom.

She gently lifted the lid by the knob and pulled out a woven “sheep”—sturdy, with two horns on its head, and a thin grass braid running through its back, connecting the lid above and the tassel below.

She then carefully replaced the lid, closing it so snugly that no seam showed.

The servant found the item charming and amusing. “Do you have one with the snake zodiac?”

“I do.” She took out several boxes from her basket, opening each one. Whether tiger, rat, or pig, each animal was woven with a touch of playful cartoonishness from her previous life.

Other travelers gathered around. The servant, seeing how candid this young woman was, asked, “But aren’t you selling a guessing box? If you show us all, what’s left to guess?”

Wang Ge looked up and smiled, replying, “The fun of guessing is for the buyer. If I have to make Uncle guess before he buys, is that selling or trickery?”

The travelers laughed. A peddler asked, “How much for a guessing box?”

“Half a sheng of grain. If you buy the whole set, it’s five sheng or twenty-five coins.”

“These are just grass weavings—so expensive?”

“The materials are cheap, but the labor isn’t.” She found the snake zodiac and handed it to the servant.

The peddler, seeing there was no profit in reselling such trinkets, quietly left.

But as some left, others gathered.

The servant said, “Wait a moment,” and went to the ox carts to report to his master, vividly retelling Wang Ge’s sales pitch.

When the servant returned, Wang Ge had already made her first sales: one tiger box and one pig box.

The measuring vessel for grain, also woven from rushes, had a vertical divider in the middle—half was five he, or half a sheng—practical and convenient.

After she put away the grain, the servant said, “My master wants two sets of the zodiac.”

“Certainly!” Wang Ge had prepared for such big customers—the bottom layers of her basket were all full sets, separated by sturdy bags sewn for holding money. She carefully took out two sets and checked every piece.

The servant began counting out coins. Before coming to the county, Wang Ge had learned about prices from her grandfather. The currency in use was the Five Zhu coin (with the characters “Five Zhu” inscribed), and fifty coins could buy a dou of rice—so one sheng of rice cost five coins. Her grandparents had worked hard all their lives but only had five hundred coins, saved up by her grandfather to buy an ox and stashed away, never to be touched.

The servant counted out fifty coins. Wang Ge, excited, cradled them in her hands, took a deep breath, and put them in her cloth pouch.

When the servant had retied the string of coins, Wang Ge handed him a grass box, her voice slightly choked, saying, “Thank you, Uncle, for your help. This is for you. It’s the first money I’ve ever earned—I’ll always remember your kindness.”

The servant was taken aback, nodded at her, and accepted the box.

The ox cart caravan slowly moved into the relay station. Wang Ge clutched her pouch, feeling the shape of the coins, overjoyed. Looking up, she spotted Liu Xiaolang, a fellow villager, standing quietly a few yards away, watching her.

He wore a white tunic and a green wrap skirt, carrying a large bamboo basket on his back, looking just as cool and serene as he had two months ago—one glance was enough to dispel the summer heat.

“Brother Liu?” Wang Ge bowed.

“Why are you here so many days early?” Liu Bo nodded, coming over to examine one of the grass boxes.

“There aren’t many ox carts from our village to the county, so I came early.”

“I’ll buy this one.”

“Brother Liu, you’ve helped me before—how can I take your money? You mustn’t make fun of me!”

“If you don’t accept it, I can’t take the box.” Liu Bo took off his basket, opened a clean cloth pouch, and pulled out two fine wheat oil cakes. “I didn’t bring any grain—will these do instead?”

Fine wheat? Wang Ge swallowed hard and shook her head vigorously, “I really can’t accept it! If you won’t take the guessing box, I’ll find out where you live when I get home and bring a whole basket to your doorstep.”

Seeing her embarrassment as she swallowed, Liu Bo smiled faintly and said, “Actually, I knew the food at the relay station wasn’t good, so I wanted an excuse to give you these cakes. Take them—we’re from the same village; we should look out for each other.”

“No, no, the food’s fine—just like what I eat at home.”

“After you pass the apprentice exam, help me weave something as repayment for today’s favor.” Liu Bo put the cakes in her basket.

“Yes.” Wang Ge knew that refusing any further would only annoy him, so she quickly packed the cakes in her food bag, tidied her things, and caught up with Liu Bo. “Brother Liu, are you an examiner for this year’s craftsman apprentice competition too?”

“I’m not qualified. The artisan rankings start with apprentice, then journeyman, craftsman, senior craftsman, master craftsman, and chief craftsman. Only those at the craftsman level or above can be examiners for the apprentice test.”

“Is the apprentice test still focused on practicality?”

“According to past practice, yes. All materials and tools for the apprentice test are the same; candidates can only choose a few to use, ensuring fairness. No matter how many compete, there are only a hundred apprentice positions.”

“Can those who failed last year try again this year?”

“Anyone who’s been registered within the last three years can compete.”

Wang Ge quickly calculated: just in the carpentry division—those with outstanding skills—there must be several hundred candidates!

They reached the relay station gate, where Wang Ge had to show her credentials again. After the check, the two of them walked away from the lodging area. Liu Bo continued, “There’s no public audience for the apprentice test—it’s all up to the examiners’ personal preferences. So when you take the test, you must make your work stand out, beyond just being practical, so that the examiners have no choice but to select you.”

Wang Ge understood: personal taste can’t be judged right or wrong—it’s the easiest way to cheat! If she wanted to win for certain, she’d have to be unique, making it impossible for the examiners to overlook her.

Looking at the ever-calm, composed Liu Xiaolang, Wang Ge could not help but sigh: there truly are noble souls in this world!

It’s common for the virtuous to help the weak. In their bones, they expect no reward, and are weary of the complexities of worldly relationships, so when Wang Ge learned which house he was staying in, she quickly took her leave.

At dusk, thunder and lightning filled the sky.

Huan Zhen and the other two hurried back to the relay house just before the rain began, all brimming with energy—going to the crime scene and reconstructing the events had made all the difference!

Wang Tian shouted, “Let me go first! I think… this is definitely a case of injustice!”

Huan Zhen said, “All right, Tian, your summary is done. Shizhi, it’s your turn.”

Wang Tian, full of righteous indignation, jumped off the bed and rushed to the door.

Boom!

A thunderclap roared overhead, and immediately after, a tremendous crash sounded from the courtyard—the earth and stones collapsing.

Wang Tian stared in shock, then shouted in excitement, “Didn’t I say it was a wrongful case? Even the thunder agrees!”

Huan Zhen and the others came to see. The shared courtyard wall with the east neighbor had been struck by lightning and already collapsed. Wang Ge, scared half to death, stood by the surviving pigsty, looking at the three of them across the scorched wall.

“Well? Well? Is there really injustice here?”

Huan Zhen gave Wang Tian a light kick. “Shut up already—we were nearly struck ourselves!”