Chapter 9 — Between Two Worlds: A Bride Exchanged for a Dumpling

After many nights of thinking, Thua An decided to completely change the story about the origin of wealth that he used to explain to the villagers. The story "the secret vault of wealth in the warehouse floor" was simple and easy to believe at first, but increasingly revealed logical loopholes that a skeptic like Ma Dac Uy could exploit. He needed another explanation, more difficult to verify, but still reasonable enough not to make anyone more skeptical.

He discussed with Tieu Mien and Tieu Ha, and the three together created a new story: that once going deep into the deserted mountains behind Bai Tro village to find a water source, Thua An happened to meet an elderly hermit living in seclusion in a secret cave, skilled in medicine and possessing in his hands many strange treasures accumulated over many generations. That hermit, impressed by Thua An's heart in helping the villagers, accepted him as a lay disciple, occasionally giving him some precious medicine and valuable objects in exchange for food to feed himself amid the harsh hermitage, and at the same time strictly advised not to reveal his whereabouts to anyone.

The story of such a "hidden miracle" was not unfamiliar in the folk legends that the people of Bai Tro village had passed down from generation to generation, so when Thua An cleverly revealed this story through a few trusted people in the labor team, it was quickly received with much more trust and admiration than the old story. Everyone thought that a person as fortunate as Thua An, who treated the villagers so kindly, must have had a special fate to be noticed by a strange person.

To make the story more convincing, Thua An deliberately arranged periodic trips to "go to the mountains to visit his master" every half month, each time being absent for a few days, essentially spending time in hiding in a small hut he built near the rocky mountain area, not far from the warehouse, to facilitate controlling the gate without anyone noticing the coincidence between his "going to the mountains" and the nights when strange lights appeared in the warehouse. Every time he returned, he brought with him a few items cleverly disguised as "gifts from the master" — sometimes rare medicinal herbs, other times a few delicate utensils that he cleverly explained were "the hermit's heirlooms."

Ga Tu, still silently following Ma Dac Uy's orders, quickly grasped this new story and immediately reported it to his master. After hearing this, Ma Dac Uy was still skeptical, but he had to admit that this was a story that was difficult to refute directly - how could one prove that a hermit did not exist, when the story itself was built so that no one could verify it?

"He's smarter than I thought," Ma Dac Uy muttered, both angry and admitting the cunning in the way Thua An handled the situation. "But hermit or not, I will find a way to make him pay for his arrogance."

While skillfully dealing with Ma Dac Uy's scrutiny, Thua An also continuously expanded relationships that could become a shield to protect him later. He heard that the current district official - who governs a large area including Bai Tro village and many neighboring villages - was organizing a food and medicine donation drive to provide relief to the areas most affected by the Great Hunger Year. This is a good opportunity for him to build his reputation beyond Bai Tro village, and at the same time build relationships with higher-level authorities who can protect him from the oppression of a petty village chief.

He decided to contribute a significant portion of food and medicine, in the name of "a grateful citizen to the court for not abandoning the people in the midst of famine", sending it directly to the district government through a convoy of goods he organized, with Tieu Ha accompanying him to ensure everything went smoothly. The district official, who was suffering from a lack of relief resources, could not help but be surprised and grateful for this unexpected generosity. He personally invited Tieu Ha into the palace to express his thanks and at the same time inquire about "Ky Ky" - the person who had made great contributions without needing to be loudly honored.

Tieu Ha, with her inherent cleverness, skillfully told the story of Thua An with the image of a kind, humble person who always put the interests of the villagers first, making a deep impression in the heart of the district official. Before leaving the government, she was also advised by the district mandarin that if Bai Tro village had any difficulties in the future that needed the government's intervention, she should boldly report it and he would consider it properly.

When Tieu Ha returned and told the whole incident, Thua An couldn't help but be happy. This was exactly the kind of shield he needed — a good relationship with higher authorities, enough to counteract any future attempts to suppress Ma Dacwei. He understood that the power of a village chief, no matter how great it was within the village, could not compare with the authority of a district official, and now, he had gained a little sympathy from that higher power.

Not stopping there, Thua An also thought of a way to further strengthen the story of the hermit: he asked Pham Dinh Nam, through exchanged letters, to help him buy some old Taoist-style clothes, some decorative magical items such as dusters and gourd vases, and then kept them carefully in a small hut built near the rocky mountain area. Whenever necessary, he could try on those clothes, leaving traces such as incense ashes, footprints, and a few simple household items in the tent, enough so that if someone was curious and followed the traces of his "trip to visit his master", they would only find evidence to support the story, but not discover the truth about the gate in the warehouse.

He also did not forget to skillfully handle the issue of Ga Tu. Realizing that he might be an insider, Thua An did not rush to fire him, fearing that he would expose Ma Dac Uy sooner than necessary, but instead, he deliberately leaked some false information in front of him - such as fake timetables for "mountain trips", or intentional complaints about the "master" being increasingly strict, demanding more gifts in exchange for favors. That information, when it reached Ma Dac Uy's ears through Ga Tu's report, further reinforced the image of Thua An struggling to serve a difficult master, completely unrelated to the questions about banned goods or sorcery that he was still secretly suspicious of.

That evening, when the whole family gathered together, Tieu Mien looked at her husband with eyes full of admiration. "He calculated everything very carefully," she said. "I didn't expect that in just a few months, you could build such a strong position amidst the siege of onlookers."

Thua An smiled slightly, but in his heart he still could not feel completely secure. He knew well that the story of the hermit, no matter how clever, was only a temporary cover, and that the relationship with the district official, although useful, could not guarantee absolute safety against a greedy and stubborn man like Ma Dac Uy. The battle of wits between the two, though not yet breaking out into open conflict, had quietly begun, and he knew he needed to always be alert, ready for the other's next moves.

Late that night, after Tieu Mien and Tieu Ha had fallen asleep, Thua An went out to the warehouse alone, stood in front of the wooden cabinet door, feeling the familiar warmth spreading under his palms. The gate was now much more stable than in the early days, opening regularly every night, lasting long enough for him to trade several items at a time. He thought to himself, it is thanks to the increasingly strong bond between him and Tieu Mien that the gate can be so strong while there are many turbulences lurking outside. He told himself, no matter how much Ma Dac Uy probed, as long as he and Tieu Mien kept their trust in each other, this gate - and the whole business built from it - would not be easily shaken.

He closed the closet door and stood still for a moment in the quiet darkness of the warehouse, listening to the sound of the late night wind blowing through the cracks in the wall. Far away, somewhere in the village, a dog barked and then fell silent. Thua An took a deep breath, clearly feeling the burden of responsibility on his shoulders - not only responsibility to Tieu Mien and Tieu Ha, but also to dozens of families in Bai Tro village who rely on him every day. He knew the road ahead will still be difficult, but at least, right now, he no longer had to walk alone in the dark like the first night he accidentally touched that wooden door.