Chapter 4
Claire stopped, curious about what was in the basket.
She smiled and said, “Would you mind helping me with my luggage p>
Pearce suddenly remembered that Claire still had a bag to carry.
“Of course,” he replied, cheerful and quick to help.
He thought maybe the bag was heavy, so he braced himself before lifting it. To his surprise, it felt almost weightless.
“Is this really all you have p>
Claire smiled again. “Just a few changes of clothes. I couldn’t take anything that belonged to the James family p>
Pearce understood right away. The James family probably didn’t let her bring anything with her. He felt a pang of sympathy.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you home p>
He offered her his straw hat. “Here, wear this. You don’t even have an umbrella p>
The James family, kicking her out in the middle of the night, really were something else.
Claire shook her head. “I’m already soaked. A little more rain won’t hurt p>
Pearce didn’t push her. He figured a girl from the city might not want to wear a hat he’d already used anyway.
With the flashlight, Claire could finally see what was inside the basket. Besides a reishi mushroom, there was a thick fo-ti root at the bottom, even wider than her arm. Some vines were still tangled around it, showing how roughly it had been pulled out. Claire felt a twinge of pain just looking at it.
“You have fo-ti root in these mountains?” she asked. This one had to be at least twenty years old-a rare treasure in traditional medicine.
“We do. I went up the mountain late tonight to clear a drainage ditch. I was worried about a landslide after all the rain, and I just happened to spot it p>
He paused and smiled at her. “I’m Pearce, by the way. Just call me Pearce p>
He nodded up ahead. “We’re almost there p>
They walked for about ten minutes before stopping in front of the
biggest house in the village. Even little worn with
though it looked a little worn with
it a
aga’t there was no hiding the old grandeur beneath the darkness.
Claire hadn’t expected to find a place like this in James Village. The quiet richness
of it surprised her.
“Pandora!” Pearce called, knocking on the big gate with its brass ring.
A dog barked on the other side.
“Coming,” someone called, voice raspy with a cough.
After a couple of minutes, the gate opened with a creak. An elderly woman stood there, her white hair
pulled back, lantern in her hand
She wore simple cotton and linen plain coat draped over her
shoulders, and she looked Claire up and down with a frown.
“Pearce, who’s this? Do you know what time it is p>
“I’m Claire. The one who was switched with Cindy,” Claire introduced herself, her
voice steady.
Pandora squinted at her, sizing her up. Claire didn’t flinch or look away.
After a long moment, Pandora stepped aside. “Come in p>
Claire stepped inside. Her clothes were soaked through, and Pandora handed her a clean towel. “Dry your hair p>
“Thank you, Grandma,” Claire said, her smile warm as she took the towel.
Pandora’s face was serious. “The James family just sent you back in the middle of the night p>
“The real daughter came home. I was the one who took her place, so it’s only right for me to come back to where I belong.” Claire kept her tone calm, just stating what was true.
But to Pandora, it sounded like the James family had cast Claire out the moment their real daughter returned.
Unbelievable. She might not have been close to Cindy, but she’d never been cruel to any child.
“Pandora, let’s get Claire a hot bath first. I’ll go heat some water,” Pearce said, already heading off He was worked Claire would catch a cold after being out in the rain so long.