Chapter 2

Chapter 2

[1]

1. The village leader's voice carried a hint of irritation: "I told you, Ian isn't home. Please leave."

2. Mom had already finished her meal. As I tidied up the straw bedding, I realized the chalk was missing.

3. So, I asked Ian, "Ian, could you bring me some more chalk pieces next time you're back from school?"

4. Ian looked at me and nodded with a playful grin.

5. I climbed up to the loft with the empty basket. The upper area is where we kept the farming tools. After placing the basket properly, I carefully covered the wooden planks one by one.

6. When I went to the living room to check on the village leader and Dad, they were already greeting the reporters warmly with firm handshakes.

7. Dad caught sight of me from the corner of his eye and waved me over.

8. "This is my daughter. She'll show you to your rooms."

[2]

Very soon, I arrived at the newly built village council building, the only concrete structure in the village, meant to receive guests.

The building had only two rooms: the village leader's office and a storage room.

I told the reporter, "Wait here. Someone will bring you a blanket and some food tonight. The village leader's house is just ahead, a few minutes' walk from here."

The reporter handed me a piece of candy and gently asked, "My name is Wilson. What's your name, kid?"

His smile strangely reminded me of my mother hidden in the cellar.

"My name is Rita," I replied, and then, as if possessed, I added, "My mom used to call me Sara."

His smile froze, and he asked, "Why haven't I seen your mother today?"

I stiffened. My father had warned me long ago never to reveal my mother's existence to anyone, or he would cripple me and force me to marry the old widower from the next village.

The thought of that old man's lecherous eyes and yellow teeth made me shiver.

The only people who knew about my mother's existence were me, him, the village leader, and the village leader's simple-minded grandson.

I quickly waved my hand and said, "My mom died shortly after giving birth to me."

He stared thoughtfully at me for a while, and I felt his gaze was odd, almost as if he could see through me.

Feeling uneasy, I waved my hand, told him I had to go, and ran home without looking back.

When I got home, the village leader and my dad were discussing how to keep Ian from revealing anything.

"How about we wait until Ian is asleep and then take a few photos?" my dad suggested.

"No way," the village leader replied, distressed. "What if he wakes up and someone finds out the truth about Ian? It's not possible."

The village leader was getting anxious. "Then what do you suggest? The businessman will be here in a couple of days. If we don't find a way to handle this reporter, we'll be discovered, and we won't get a dime."

My dad grew furious. "It's all your fault. You agreed to it for that million dollars. With the silkworm woman, you could make millions over your lifetime."

The village leader spat on the ground. "How many years do I have left? I need to save more money for Ian to get a wife. Who will look after my grandson when I'm gone?"

After saying that, the village leader didn't forget to mock my dad. "If you had a son, he might be even more capable than mine..."

My dad slammed the table in anger, but the next second, the village leader splashed a cup of tea on him. "How dare you bang the table at me? Don't forget who always covers for you. Think it over. I need a solution by tomorrow."

The village leader paused. "If it really doesn't work, we'll get rid of him and claim he fell to his death coming down the mountain..."

After saying that, he picked up his cane and slowly walked out.

Once the village leader was completely out of sight, my dad shouted at me.

"You worthless girl, get over here!"