Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Land of Victory Is Yours

Gu Xiaoyao paid no attention to their sarcastic remarks, keeping her gaze fixed on the village chief, waiting for him to give a clear and definite answer.

“If you truly win, then the land belonging to Great Valley Village can be yours. But, Chengjin’s wife, this is no child’s play,” said Old Chu, the village chief, clearly believing there was no way Gu Xiaoyao could win, which was why he agreed so readily.

Words alone are not proof; only a written agreement stands as evidence. Gu Xiaoyao thought the same. Now they all promised so easily, but who could say if, after her victory, they would not simply turn their backs and forget everything?

“Chief, you are indeed forthright. With your word, I am reassured. But when we return to the village, I must ask you to write it down for me,” she replied.

The villagers, seeing she demanded a written agreement, felt displeasure rise in their hearts and eyes. They thought Gu Xiaoyao was being overly confident.

“The contest is tomorrow, yet you’re still digging here? Wouldn’t it be better to go home and rest early?” someone muttered.

“That’s right. If we lose tomorrow, the land will belong to Great Valley Village, and all our work here will have been for their benefit,” another complained.

Many villagers shared these sentiments, hoisting their hoes onto their shoulders and trudging back to the village with dejected expressions.

Old Chu, the chief, watched them go, not knowing what else he could say to encourage them.

Only Dahua’s family lingered, gathering around Gu Xiaoyao to ask about the contest the next day.

“Sister-in-law, are you really confident you’ll win tomorrow? The men from Great Valley Village are all tall and strong, and they’re not the kind to show mercy to women.”

Last New Year, Dahua had witnessed a contest between Great Valley Village and another group—every one of those men was muscular, and they fought fiercely, showing no mercy.

“Of course I’m confident. If I weren’t, why would I say such things in front of everyone?” Gu Xiaoyao replied calmly. “Don’t worry, nothing will happen. Will you all go back now, or stay a while longer?”

Dahua’s father and the others had lost their enthusiasm for digging; they decided it was better to catch some field mice to take home for a good meal.

“We’ll stay a bit longer—the field mouse holes aren’t all flooded yet. Let’s finish before we go,” he suggested.

Everyone agreed. Gu Xiaoyao sent her younger brother to help them with the field mice, while she herself continued working the land.

By the time all the mouse holes were flooded, Gu Xiaoyao had dug three rows of earth—enough to plant several rows of vegetables.

Liu and the others watched as more and more villagers left, until only Gu Xiaoyao and Dahua’s family remained in the field. Panic crept in.

“You wicked woman, let us down at once! Are you going to keep us here all night?” Chu Qingsong wailed, the thought of spending the night outside nearly bringing him to tears.

Bound to a tree and unable to move, Liu kept shrieking, “You’ll be the death of us! Untie us right now. If anything happens to us here, you’ll be a murderer, and you’ll be hauled before the magistrate!”

At the mention of the magistrate, most people would have gone weak at the knees, but Gu Xiaoyao merely cast them a sidelong glance.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you go before we return. There’s no need to waste your breath shouting—I’m not finished here yet!”

The wild grass in the wasteland was thick and tall. As she walked deeper in, faint sounds could be heard.

The rabbit she hunted yesterday had already been skinned, cleaned, and was hanging in the kitchen, being smoked.

“Big sister, what are you doing? We’ve finished flooding all the mouse holes…” called out Xiaoshu, hurrying after her as he saw her heading into the tall weeds.

“I saw a rabbit in there. Wait here for me, I’ll be right out,” Gu Xiaoyao instructed. With that, she slipped into the grass as tall as a person, parting it soundlessly, her footsteps light as a shadow.