When Ying left the house, there were already a lot of neighbors and people around her house who wanted to see her. They had heard that Ying- the wolf girl came to visit her mother. And the crowd could only be astonished when they saw the barefoot girl with her bald head turned to be a gorgeous elegant young woman.
Ying recognized some of her neighbors. They were the ones who used to mock her as wolf-girl, wild child, and other things. Ying nodded politely to them and walked straight away to return to her chariot.
Then she saw the village chief's nephew. The young man that she supposed to marry a few years earlier. The young man looked at Ying with admiration eyes. But once Ying laid her eyes on him, the young man embarrassed and lowered his head.
Ying walked toward him and said, "When I was a child, I used a stick to beat you severely."
The young man stuttered nervously and said, "It…it was…it was my fault!"
"I apologize for my past deed!" Ying nodded politely, left him, and walked away.
The village chief who heard of her arrival came and welcomed her said, "Ying, I heard about your coming! I'm sorry I'm late welcoming you!"
Ying bowed a bit politely and said, "Chief, I just came to visit my mother. And who am I that you come here to welcome me?"
The village chief observed her from head to toe and said, "You look like a princess! If your father is still alive, he would be delighted to see you like this!"
Ying smiled lightly, "Thank you, Chief. Thank you for your kindness to my father!"
Just as they're talking, a young woman broke through the crowd and called out loud, "Ying…Ying…is that you who is coming?"
Ying turned her head and saw a young woman with a toddler on her back. She was around the same age as her. But with her shabby look, she looked older and unkempt. "Min!" Ying said. "Min!" She walked faster, wanted to hug the young woman.
The young woman moved back and said, "Ying, don't! I'm dirty! Look at how beautiful you are and your dress!"
Ying just didn't care. She smiled widely and hugged the young woman. "Min, what are you talking about? You are the only friend I have!"
The young woman disbelieved that her childhood, who now turned into such a fine lady, still wanted to admit their friendship. She shed her tears and said, "Ying, how I'm happy to see you like this!"
Ying wiped Min's tears and said, "Invite me to your house to eat! I want to see your husband and your children!"
Min happily took Ying's hand to her house.
"I thought that you went to another village. I didn't know that you still live in this village!" Ying said.
Min sighed and said, "I did move to another village when I got married. But my first husband often beat me. I ran away and returned home! Now I live with my second husband!"
"Ah," Ying said.
When they're walking to Min's house, Ying just realized that her childhood friend was a bit limp. "Min, what happened to your leg?"
Min sighed and said, "My first husband beat me severely. Luckily that I could run away, otherwise, I might have been dead!"
"How I wish I could chop him into pieces!" Ying angrily said and clutched her friend's hand.
Min laughed and said, "How I wish that you would become a queen. So that you could punish those crazy men who beat their wives!"
Ying laughed. "If someday I could become a queen, I want to see all people have shoes and warm clothes in wintertime, and also enough food!"
They arrived at Min's house. She lived in the house with her husband and her parents in law. When they saw Ying, they thought that she's a queen or a princess. Therefore they kneeled and made a kowtow.
"Uncle, auntie, I'm not a noble person. I'm Min's childhood friend," Ying humbly said and helped those older people to stand up.
"You girls go inside and chat! I will cook for you," Min's mother in law said.
The two young women entered the house and chit-chat happily.
Min had two children. The young one was a six-month-old baby girl. Ying looked at her friend and smiled happily.
She took off her earrings and gave it to Min said, "I don't know when I can return and revisit this village. This is our friendship token! One day if you grow old, you should pass it to your daughter!"
"It's too precious! I can't accept it!" Min said.
"Nothing is too precious for a friend like you! You are the only one who was nice to me when I was a child!" Ying said. "Please, don't refuse me!"
Min took the earring and said thank you.
"When we were children, many other children mocked you. But since the first time I saw you, I thought that you are a special girl. And I'm right. Look at you now! So beautiful and noble! I am sure that the king of Wu will bestow favor on you!"
Ying smiled lightly, "I could only hope that he won't mistreat me! To be honest, I'm scared!"
"Don't be silly! You will be the king's woman! There's nothing to worry about! Remember that day, after you saw the queen on the dock, and you told me that you wished that someday you could be a king's woman!"
Ying laughed. Min's husband and her parents in law joined, and they had lunch together and chit-chat until almost sunset.
"I have to go home now!" Ying said. "I'm delighted that I could be among you all here!" She politely bowed to them and bode farewell.
Min sent her to the village gate, where the chariot was waiting for Ying.
When they arrived near the chariot, Ying took off her outer robe and draped it on Min's shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Min said and refused it. "It's not suitable for a poor woman like me wearing these expensive clothes!"
"It's to keep you warmer in wintertime! And if you don't like it, you can cut it and make clothes for your child!" Ying said.
Min's eyes were teary.
Ying still took off her shoes and said, "This shoe is warm for winter! You need it!"
"Ying, not only you are beautiful, but you are also very kind!"
Ying shook her head, "I'm not a kind person. I'm only nice and kind to people who were nice and kind to me before! Please don't call me a kind person! You could only call me a good person when I could treat those who treat me wrong nicely!"
Min nodded and said, "I hope that the king will bestow you a queen!"
"You know, I prefer to be a minister like Minister Fan Li, who works to make the people prosper. I want to see everyone could have decent shoes and enough food. I don't want to see anyone hungry!"
"Silly girl!" Min hugged her and said, "Ying, I wish all the best for you!"
Ying nodded and said, "All the best for you too! Go home now! Let me take a good look at this place for the last time!"
Min walked slowly and left Ying alone. She turned her head several times to see Ying's face. They were friends since they were children. Nobody but her wanted to be Ying's 'friend when they were children. Who would have thought that the barefooted wolf girl now turned into such a lovely lady? Min was happy for her. Yet she felt worried about her. She had a feeling that this would be their last goodbye.
Ying gazed at Min and her little village for the last time. Besides Min and her late father, there was nothing good about the village. She sighed. She could not blame the people in the village who looked down and mocked her. She was just an orphan abandoned in the wood. Even her biological parents didn't want her. What could she expect from others?
Only after Min left that Ying decided to get into the chariot. She lifted up her skirt and hopped into the chariot with her barefoot.
She was surprised when she realized that Fan Li was already inside the chariot. She didn't know how long Fan Li had been waiting for her.
Fan Li saw how the girl bare-footed hopped on the chariot. Even her feet were beautiful with a jade bracelet on her left ankle.
"Minister Fan," Ying said in a low voice. She lowered her head as she was nervous.
Fan Li who had been observing her when she's talking to Min outside the chariot, stared at Ying. He knitted his eyebrows. Without her expensive robe, accessories, and barefooted, she looked every prettier.
"Why do you lowered your head?" Fan Li asked. "Raise your head and look at me straight to my eyes!"
Ying was afraid that Fan Li would scold her. She left the house with expensive earrings and hairpin, beautiful robe and shoes. Now she returned home with no earrings, hairpin, robe, nor shoes. Yet, she knew she had to responsible to what she did.
She raised her head and looked at Fan Li straight to his eyes.
"I didn't know that you're my admirer! You want to be a minister like me, right?" Fan Li asked.
Ying nodded. "What's wrong with that?" Ying asked.
"Nothing wrong!" Fan Li said. "You want to make the people prosper! That's a good aspiration! Girl, you indeed have a beautiful heart, as beautiful as your face!"
Ying blushed. For the first time in her life that she felt bothered and happy when someone praised her.
Fan Li used his knuckle to knock her forehead lightly, "Now I have to find an excuse to ask for jewelry for you to the queen! Look at you! You don't even wear any shoes now! Naughty girl, you have to learn to be more mature!"
Ying nodded and smiled happily as she knew that Fan Li was not angry at her. She replied, "I will behave, Minister Fan!"