Chapter 12: The Treasure in the Shadows
The night breeze drifted softly through the half-open window of the Bai family's small courtyard home. The moonlight spilled across the clay floor, casting silver patterns on the worn wooden table where Bai Sung and his wife, Chu Sun, sat quietly. The faint scent of wild herbs lingered in the air, mixed with the fragrance of freshly washed clothes that hung behind the door.
Bai Sung rubbed his temples and sighed.
When Chu Sun heard her husband's words, "she fit him lightly on the head."
"You still haven't learned your lesson," Chu Sun scolded softly, eyes narrowing but her voice gentle. "Even after all the things your mother has done, you still think of her first. This plant belongs to your daughter. We'll do whatever she wants to do with it."
Bai Sung's lips parted, but no words came. He looked at his wife, feeling both embarrassed and moved. "I-I wasn't going to take it," he muttered. "I was just suggesting we think carefully before—"
Bai Xuan, their second daughter, interrupted him with a pout. "Dad, we can't tell Grandma about this." Her small hands tightened around the edge of the table. "Mum said we'll do as Bai Xia says."
The room fell silent. All eyes turned toward Bai Xia. Her dark eyes glimmered faintly in the lamplight — calm, thoughtful, with a maturity beyond her years.
"Mum, Dad, Sister Xuan…" she began, her tone soft but steady, "let's sell it and keep the money for future use. At least now, we won't have to starve or wear old clothes anymore."
Her words were simple, yet filled with quiet determination.
Bai Sung's throat tightened. Chu Sun felt tears well in her eyes. She gently reached over, took the ginseng from Bai Xia's hands, and hid it carefully inside a linen pouch.
"Tomorrow," she said with a firm nod, "we'll go sell it."
Bai Sung smiled faintly. "Then I'll take a leave from work tomorrow and go with you both."
"I want to come too!" Bai Xuan exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling like stars.
Chu Sun chuckled softly, shaking her head. "And who will take care of Bai Yang and Bai Xin if you go?"
Bai Xuan pouted again, her shoulders slumping. "Then I'll wait here…"
That night, as the oil lamp flickered low, Bai Xia and Bai Xuan returned to their small room. The faint croak of frogs echoed from the nearby pond, and the air smelled of wet earth and dreams.
Bai Xuan sat on her bed and looked toward her older sister. "Sister," she said suddenly, "what do you think our life would be like if we broke away from the family?"
Bai Xia paused, then smiled faintly. "It would definitely be better."
"Better how?" Bai Xuan whispered, her voice tinged with hope.
"Freedom," Bai Xia said simply. "No more being ordered around, no more watching Mother get scolded or Father being humiliated. We could live in a small house of our own, even if it's poor, as long as we laugh every day."
Bai Xuan looked down at her hands. "I'd like that," she murmured. "I'd like to see you smile like that every day, Sister."
Bai Xia reached over, brushing her sister's hair gently. "Then one day, we'll make it happen."
The lamp flickered once, and the room fell quiet, the sisters drifting to sleep with faint smiles on their faces — a fragile hope warming the cold night.
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The next morning, the first light of dawn crept over the horizon. Roosters crowed in the distance, and the sound of sweeping filled the yard. Chu Sun had already risen before anyone else, her hands moving quickly as she finished the chores.
She put on a simple white blouse and a long black skirt that reached below her knees. Her hair was neatly tied up, and she dabbed a little water on her face, making her look fresher and younger than usual.
When she went to her daughter's room, she found Bai Xia already awake — and for a moment, Chu Sun stopped in her tracks.
Her daughter stood by the window in a loose, knee-high black gown that gently swayed with her movements. Though the dress was simple, it brought out her delicate beauty — her pale skin, her calm expression, her quiet grace.
A small smile curved on Chu Sun's lips. "You've grown so beautiful, Xia'er," she whispered softly, almost to herself.
Bai Xia turned, her cheeks slightly pink. "Mum, you look pretty too."
Chu Sun laughed lightly. "You're just saying that." She helped set aside a clean shirt and trousers for Bai Sung. "We'll have to be quick — we need to get to town before the Bai family wakes up."
When Bai Sung emerged, dressed in his freshly washed shirt, he looked years younger, though the nervousness in his eyes betrayed his worry. Chu Sun tied the pouch containing the ginseng inside a plastic bag, double-wrapped for safety.
They stepped out quietly into the morning mist.
Normally, it would take them two hours to reach town on foot, but Bai Sung, determined to spare his wife and daughter the long walk, paid a motorbike driver with the few bills he had left. The engine roared to life, and the cool morning wind whipped against their faces as the small family of three rode down the dirt path.
For once, Chu Sun didn't care about the dust or the wind; Bai Xia's long hair fluttered freely behind her, her eyes shining with silent purpose.
The closer they got to town, the more the scenery changed — from rice fields and old wooden houses to cement buildings, electric poles, and shops with faded banners.
Bai Xia gazed around, her heart tightening with nostalgia. This was where it all began, she thought. In my past life, I built my business empire right here. This time… I'll do it even better.
At last, the motorbike came to a stop in front of the largest building in the area — a tall, modern-looking pharmacy with bright glass doors and polished floors. It stood out proudly among the small shops and narrow streets.
There were only a few cars parked out front — five at most — gleaming under the morning sun. Around them, motorbikes and bicycles crowded the curb, each belonging to someone who could never afford a car.
As Bai Sung paid the driver, Chu Sun tightened her grip on the bag, and Bai Xia lifted her chin slightly, her gaze sharp and resolute.
Today, they were not just a poor family from the countryside. Today, they were holding the future in their hands.
And that future rested inside a simple plastic bag — the treasure in the shadows.