Clara enjoyed a short, restful nap. By the time she awoke, the sun was already slanting westward, painting the sky with glorious hues of dusk.

  The kitchen smelled of freshly cooked rice. Ben was carefully carrying a bowl of loofah and egg soup into the room.

  Chad and Deb flanked him like two little guards. They hadn’t helped carry the soup, but from the earnest looks on their faces, it was clear they’d been putting in just as much effort.

  The moment Clara opened her eyes, Deb abandoned all pretense and clambered over, leaning against her mother’s knee. “Mama, are you thirsty?”

  “Mmm, a bit,” Clara replied.

  “I’ll get you water!”

  The little sweetheart darted up and tiptoed to the long narrow table behind them. With utmost care, she lifted the long-spouted ceramic water jug and placed it on the dining table. Then, she fetched Clara’s bamboo cup, filled it to the brim, and brought it over with both hands.

  Long ago, when they built the watermill, Clara had salvaged some leftover bamboo and carved six water cups from it.

  Each cup had a marking. Clara’s cup had a stylized engraving of the character CR. The children's were numbered one through four by seniority. Easy to tell apart.

  As Clara drank, waiting for dinner to start, Carpenter Liew arrived.

  Before stepping in, he made a detour behind the house to sneak a peek at Old Yeller, who was grazing calmly. Then he entered with a look of curious amazement.

  “Came into some money, did you?” he teased.

  Thanks to their waterwheel project, he and Clara were on familiar terms. Without ceremony, he grabbed a wooden stool and sat down at the table.

  The rich aroma of braised meat hit him full in the face. Lifting the food cover for a peek, his eyes nearly popped.

  “What on earth have you been up to?” he asked, clearly rattled.

  Clara grinned as she replaced the cover. “Just a bit of hard-earned silver,” she replied nonchalantly.

  She figured it would be known soon enough that she’d been spending. And in a countryside village like this, it wasn’t like the county town—there was no need to fear overshadowing anyone.

  In fact, a bit of showiness was useful, lest others mistake her family for easy targets.

  So Clara briefly explained how she’d taken a bounty and helped the county authorities wipe out the bandits.

  Carpenter Liew had actually come to tell her that the batch of waterwheels was ready, and she should accompany him the day after next to install them for the customers.

  But upon hearing something as explosive as “took King Howler’s head,” he was so stunned he nearly forgot the business at hand.

  By the time he finished relaying the actual message, Clara had already shown him out the door. He wandered in a daze until he found himself standing near the village well, not quite sure how he got there.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  So it was no surprise that, right after Clara’s household had finished their lavish and fragrant meal, someone came pounding on their gate.

  Adam was washing dishes with Deb. Chad and Ben ran over to open the door.

  As it creaked open, the blaze of torchlight dazzled them. Startled, they both stumbled backward.

  The village chief, the clan head, some folks from the Liew ancestral home, and a slew of other villagers had arrived.

  Clara raised an eyebrow. What was all this?

  It wasn’t proper to invite such a crowd inside, so she stepped out to the gate and asked, “Everyone, what brings you here?”

  Old Walter Liew spoke first. “Third daughter-in-law, Carpenter Liew said the officials have already taken care of the horse bandits. Is that true?”

  Clara nodded. “It’s true. The county officers should be informing the villages tomorrow.”

  “When did it happen?” asked the village head.

  “This morning. News has already spread throughout the county town.”

  The dark cloud that had hung over the villagers’ heads had lifted so suddenly that it felt unreal.

  “Thank heavens, this is wonderful!” The clan head’s eyes turned red with emotion.

  An old man from the crowd immediately knelt facing the direction of the county town, kowtowing deeply. “Thank you, good magistrate! Thank you, wise official!”

  Torches were lifted and waved as people ran downhill to spread the word. The village erupted in joy.

  After the larger crowd dispersed, the village chief, the clan head, and the Liew elders stayed behind.

  The men exchanged glances, and once again it was Old Walter who stepped forward. “Carpenter Liew said you took up the reward notice. Is that true?”

  “It is,” Clara replied promptly.

  Old Walter paused for two seconds before his eyes widened. “You chopped off King Howler’s head?!”

  Clara calmly added, “To be precise, I took King Howler’s head and those of his top three henchmen.”

  She pointed behind the house. “The horse I rode back is a reward from the county magistrate.”

  “You met the magistrate?” the village head and clan head exclaimed in unison.

  Clara nodded. “He was very appreciative of my efforts.”

  The two old men now looked at Clara with entirely different eyes.

  To them, she was no longer just a commoner with some martial skills—but a bandit-slaying heroine honored by the county magistrate himself!

  Clara let out a huge yawn. “Pardon me—I’ve been up for over a day and night, I’m a bit tired.”

  The village chief and clan head quickly urged her to rest and tactfully took their leave.

  Only Old Walter and his three sons remained, looking unsure of what to say.

  After a long, awkward silence, Brandon finally spoke. “The millstone’s ready. Don’t worry. Just rest well and lock up. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

  “Wait,” Clara called them back.

  She ducked inside and brought out the other unopened oil-paper bundle, handing it to Logan.

  The boy caught a whiff, and his eyes lit up. “Thank you, Sister-in-law!”

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “Just picked it up for you while I was there. Made fresh by the county town chef.”

  Clara mentioned the horse still didn’t have a proper place to sleep. Old Walter waved grandly and promised they’d build a shelter for Old Yeller come morning.

  She watched them descend the hill, then went around back to remove the saddle and store it inside. She fetched a bucket of water for Old Yeller, closed the house doors, washed the day’s clothes, and everyone did a quick rinse before going to bed.

  Clara slept deeply, for a long time. Her dreams were vivid and strange—ruined towers of the apocalypse tangled with splendid gardens of the ancient world. King Howler’s severed head and the magistrate’s face flickered back and forth.

  Only when the sky lightened did she regain full consciousness.

  Feeling the need for a second nap, she dozed off again and woke refreshed to the sound of Brandon and Caleb working outside the back door.

  In Liew Clan Village, bamboo was the go-to material for building. It was sturdy, easy to cut and drill, and perfect for quick construction.

  The new horse shelter was built beside the back gate, against one wall of the courtyard, making it even easier to assemble.

  Adam and Ben, already back from their morning exercise, were helping their uncles tie the structure together with strong hemp rope.

  Chad and Deb sat at their little study table inside, sleepily reciting the early reading tasks Ben had assigned. Their eyes were barely open, and they looked adorably groggy.

  Though Lester had gone off to the academy and no longer cooked, Clara didn’t have to lift a finger.

  When she emerged from her room freshly dressed, the older boys had already warmed millet porridge on the stove for breakfast.

  After raising four lively children, Clara felt deeply content.

  (End of Chapter)

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