On the way up the mountain, they encountered Tian Dazhuang, who had gone to check the cave:
"Mother, I didn't find Si Jin in the cave."
"Da Zhuang, come with me. We're going into the mountains with Hunter Xu to look for her."
The four adults headed into the mountains, each holding a wooden stick as thick as a fist. Hunter Xu led the way with his bow and quiver on his back.
After walking for about two hours, Hunter Xu raised his hand and pointed toward the mountainside ahead:
"There's a cave over there. Hu Zi and I often rest there. Sometimes when it gets late on our way back, we spend the night in that cave."
Qin Sang knew the saying that a mountain looks close but can exhaust a horse to death. Though it was clearly visible on the mountainside not far ahead, it took the four of them over another hour to reach it.
Before they even saw the cave, they heard the sound of people talking:
"Si Jin, do you really want to stay here? Why don't you come down the mountain with me? Just talk to Aunt Tian properly. Maybe Aunt Tian won't sell you after all."
Qin Sang quickened her pace and pushed aside the branches blocking the cave entrance, startling the two people inside.
Seeing that the young man and woman in the small cave were indeed Tian Si Jin and Xu Hu, Qin Sang stood there for a long while without saying a word.
Seeing her fierce-looking Mother standing at the entrance, Tian Si Jin felt she was doomed. She shifted her steps behind Xu Hu, her face full of dread.
"Si Jin, you really are here! Do you have any idea how frantic Mother has been looking for you?"
Tian Dazhuang rushed forward and exclaimed in surprise.
Hunter Xu saw his own son, and his expression turned extremely sour:
"You... you..."
After stammering for a while, Hunter Xu didn't know what else to say.
Mrs. Tian Li leaned against a tree trunk, hands on her hips, panting heavily:
"Qin Sang, it's good that Si Jin is okay. Si Jin has always been obedient and sensible, so take it easy with the punishment. Don't go hurting the child."
Hearing the word 'punishment,' Tian Si Jin couldn't help but shudder. Her legs went weak, and she knelt down:
"Mother, it's my fault. Don't blame Brother Huzi. I was the one who begged Brother Huzi to bring me into the mountains."
Qin Sang looked at the fearful expressions on their faces and opened her mouth:
"Go home."
Tian Si Jin lay on the ground and shook her head:
"Mother, I'm not going back."
Qin Sang wasn't actually very angry. Having only transmigrated two days ago, she didn't have much affection for these sons and daughters; all she felt was a sense of responsibility. She couldn't very well lose someone's daughter on her first day. Now that she had found her, she felt at peace:
"I never thought about selling you. Don't listen to people's nonsense."
With tears still hanging on her face, Tian Si Jin looked at Qin Sang in shock.
"Eldest Girl is my granddaughter, and I won't sell her. You are my daughter, born of my own body. If I won't sell Eldest Girl, I certainly won't sell you."
After speaking calmly, Qin Sang stepped forward and helped Tian Si Jin up:
"Did you think life hiding on the mountain would be easy? Aren't you afraid of wolves or tigers eating people?"
As Qin Sang spoke, she raised her hand to brush the dust off Tian Si Jin's clothes and even picked a leaf out of her daughter's hair.
Tian Si Jin had initially flinched and shrunk back in fear, but under Qin Sang's calm and caring tone, she gradually settled down. She stared blankly at her Mother's kind eyes. The moment she saw her Mother appear at the cave entrance, she thought she would surely be beaten to death, but her Mother hadn't hit her.
Mother said she wouldn't sell her. Mother was very worried about her.
"Mother... I was scared..." Tian Si Jin threw herself into her Mother's unfamiliar embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.
How could she not be scared? It was just that she was even more afraid of being sold by her Mother.
Mrs. Tian Li walked over to comfort her:
"Good child, don't cry. Since your Mother said she won't sell you, I'll be your witness. If your Mother changes her mind after you go down the mountain, go find the Village Chief. My father-in-law is your Great-uncle; he won't just stand by."
Qin Sang could only conclude that the Original Body's credibility was truly low; otherwise, Mrs. Tian Li wouldn't have said something about letting the Village Chief decide.
The road to redemption was long and difficult.
After comforting Tian Si Jin, the group prepared to head down the mountain.
Tian Si Jin hadn't brought anything when she went up the mountain, but Xu Hu had brought a bundle containing two Wild Vegetable Cakes and a change of clothes. It was originally intended for Tian Si Jin to use on the mountain, but now Xu Hu carried it himself.
No one spoke much on the way down. By the time they reached the village, it was already dark.
The villagers were gathered at the edge of the village waiting for news. Seeing Tian Si Jin, someone asked:
"Si Jin, why did you run up the mountain for no reason? Did you go with the Xu boy?"
Mrs. Tian Li said loudly:
"Not at all! Si Jin went up the mountain to call for her two older brothers, but she got lost. She happened to run into Hu Zi while he was hunting, so they stayed together."
Qin Sang instantly understood why her Cousin-in-law was lying. One reason was to keep family scandals private—they were all relatives, after all. If it were said that Si Jin hid because she was afraid of being sold by Qin Sang, the villagers would be gossiping for quite a while.
The other reason was Si Jin's reputation. In ancient times, eleven was already a big girl, and many girls were betrothed and married off at twelve or thirteen once they started their periods.
Although there wasn't a strict rule against men and women meeting privately in the countryside, the fact that the two had spent an entire afternoon in a cave together could lead malicious people to wag their tongues, turning nothing into something.
This was a point that Qin Sang, as a modern person, could easily overlook.
Better to avoid trouble than to seek it. Qin Sang gave her Cousin-in-law a grateful look. Her Cousin-in-law waved her hand:
"It's not early anymore. My family is waiting for me to go back and make dinner, so I won't stay."
Qin Sang hurriedly called out:
"Everyone worked so hard helping me find Si Jin today. Cousin-in-law, wait a moment. I happened to go to town today and bought some pastries. I'll go get them so everyone can have a taste."
As she spoke, she told Si Jin to hold onto Mrs. Tian Li so she wouldn't leave, while she rushed into the courtyard. When she came back out, she was holding a large package of pastries and another of Sesame Balls. She handed a package to Tian Dazhuang:
"Go, let all the uncles and Aunts have a taste."
Saying this, she grabbed a handful of Sesame Balls from the oil-paper wrap and stuffed them into Mrs. Tian Li's hands:
"Sister-in-law, don't look down on this. It's not much, just enough for a taste."
After some back-and-forth pushing and pulling, Mrs. Tian Li finally accepted them.
No family in Tianjia Village was wealthy. Although the Village Chief's family was slightly better off, they had a large household with many children and grandchildren. Every mouth needed grain, and they were all growing boys. Even with two meals a day, they could barely manage on porridge; snacks and pastries were things they didn't even dare dream of.
The other villagers were the same. While they said it was too polite and they couldn't possibly take them, they stuffed the pastries and Sesame Balls they received into their robes, intending to take them back for their children to taste.
Once the two large bags of snacks were distributed, Qin Sang thanked everyone a few more times before they dispersed.
Si Jin, standing to the side, watched the Sesame Balls and pastries in the villagers' hands and swallowed hard. It wasn't until Qin Sang stuffed two Sesame Balls into her palm that she snapped out of it:
"Mother?"
"You weren't here when I handed out the Sesame Balls this afternoon. Your brothers and sisters-in-law have already eaten theirs. These are yours; there aren't any more."
After Qin Sang finished speaking, she pulled Eldest Girl over, took her granddaughter's hand, and entered the courtyard.
Tian Si Jin was on the verge of tears again as she gripped the Sesame Balls in her hand tightly.
In the main room, several bowls of dry rice were set on the table, with a large basin of egg and green vegetable soup in the middle. There was plenty of soup but few egg wisps, with some vegetable leaves floating in it; it had already gone cold.
After the family members had all sat down, only Third Brother's Wife remained standing by her room door, not coming over.
Qin Sang didn't pick up her chopsticks. Since she didn't move, the others naturally didn't dare to either.
Qin Sang turned to look at Third Brother's Wife and spoke:
"On the way back, Si Jin told me what you said to her this afternoon."