“Backlash.” The word struck like a massive boulder thrown into water.
A wave of sharp gasps rippled through the surroundings.
Some instinctively took a half-step back, some gripped their sleeves tight, and others lowered their gazes, not daring to meet the Divine Lady’s eyes.
Who wouldn’t be afraid?
Injury or disability at best, death at worst.
This was no game; this was gambling with their lives!
A young man opened his mouth, but no sound came out, and he could only close it in silence.
His family had tightened their belts to provide for his education so he could take the imperial examinations and bring honor to them. If he were to die before making a name for himself, how could he face his parents, his wife, and his children?
A middle-aged man looked down at his callused hands, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He wasn't afraid of death, but he had an elderly mother to care for, as well as a wife and young children to support.
If he were disabled or dead, what would happen to his family?
The area around the ritual altar seemed frozen in ice; no one answered.
However...
Within that silence, something was churning.
Some people’s fingers were trembling—not from fear, but from a sense of indignation.
The Divine Lady was standing up for them.
Now that the Divine Lady was wagering Her ten thousand years of cultivation, did they not even have the courage to step forward and say a word?
A burly man who looked like a hunter turned red in the face. His lips quivered for a long time, but in the end, he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
He had no parents or children; he was all alone. He wouldn't have any regrets if he died.
But he knew nothing about weaving. He was afraid that if he couldn't comprehend the spinning machine, he would ruin the Divine Lady’s great cause.
An old schoolteacher’s brow was furrowed into a deep knot.
He studied the books of the sages. He could recite the Four Books and Five Classics backward, but this spinning machine... he hadn't even seen how to thread a shuttle.
The silence continued to spread.
Shen Jue wanted to step forward, but Shen Yu held him back.
He lowered his voice and said, “Brother, the Divine Lady acts with purpose. You know nothing about weaving and spinning. Even if you step forward to volunteer, the Divine Lady will not choose you.”
Hearing this, Shen Jue could only stop in his tracks.
Nearby, Pei Du thought for a moment and also dismissed the idea, quietly withdrawing the foot he had started to move forward.
It was best to listen to reason. He was a newcomer and didn't know much about this Divine Lady, so it was better not to step forward rashly and risk offending the deity.
Atop the high platform, the Divine Lady lowered Her eyes slightly and suddenly gave a light sigh. “If no one is willing, I shall not force it.”
“Divine Lady, I am willing to share Your burden!”
Several female voices rang out from the back of the crowd.
Taken individually, these voices weren't particularly loud, but when they spoke at the same time, it was as resonant as a clap of thunder.
Everyone turned around.
They saw a group of women and young girls.
The woman leading them wore coarse cloth clothes, with a comb missing a tooth tucked into her waist.
Her hands were covered in a thick layer of calluses, and the cracks under her nails were stained with an indigo blue that could never be washed away—marks left from starching and washing clothes.
Behind her stood over a dozen more women.
There were white-haired grandmothers, young wives cradling infants, and a young girl as thin as a bamboo stalk whose eyes shone with startling brightness...
“I don't know much else,” the woman in the lead said. Her voice wasn't high, but every word was exceptionally clear. “But when it comes to weaving and spinning, I’ve known how to do that since I was a child.”
She took a step forward and knelt below the ritual altar, gathering her courage to look up at the deity on the high platform.
“Divine Lady, since You trust us so much, even if I am disabled or dead, I will never let You down!”
After saying this, she bowed her head until her forehead touched the dirt and did not raise it again, showing her resolve.
“Isn't that Sister-in-law Zhang?”
Someone recognized the woman, their eyes filled with shock.
“You know her?” someone nearby asked.
“Before we fled the famine, she and I were from the same village. She was born with skillful hands. The cloth she wove was famous for miles around, so everyone called her Qiaoniang.”
“Not long ago, our village was struck by the calamities of war. Sister Zhang’s son and daughter-in-law both died. She’s a pitiful soul.”
“I remember she still has a little grandson. If something happens to her, what will become of the boy?”
In the crowd, the hunter stepped forward. “Sister Zhang, I don't know how to say fancy words, but I promise you this: if anything happens to you, I’ll raise your grandson. As long as I, Zhao Da, am alive, I’ll never let him go hungry!”
Zhang Qiaoniang turned around and kowtowed to the hunter.
“Thank you... thank you...”
The hunter was so startled that he quickly dodged away. “Sister Zhang, how can you kowtow to me? I can't accept that!”
Likely moved by Zhang Qiaoniang’s example, the dozen or so women behind her all knelt down together.
“Please, Divine Lady, entrust this heavy responsibility to us!”
“If we can comprehend the mysteries of this spinning machine, whether it be backlash or heavenly punishment, I am willing to bear it alone!”
“Divine Lady, Aheng is just a young girl and doesn't know the weight of her words. Please don't listen to her—this is a matter for all of us, and we can't let her bear it alone!”
“Exactly! Count me in!”
“Count me in too!”
Voice after voice rose up, like small streams merging into a river, or like sparks joining to start a prairie fire.
The men who had been hesitating just moments ago looked at the women who were risking their lives. Every one of them turned beet red, lowering their heads and wishing they could find a hole to crawl into.
After the shame passed, a deep sense of respect for these women rose from the bottom of their hearts.
Pei Du’s face was like a color palette, shifting between green and white.
This was because, among the group of women kneeling and petitioning the Divine Lady, he saw a very familiar face.
The young girl kneeling next to Zhang Qiaoniang—who else could it be but his niece, Pei Wanning?
Noticing that Pei Du seemed a bit off, Shen Yu asked softly, “Zirang, are you feeling unwell?”
Pei Du shook his head at him. “I’m fine.”
At this point, the matter was already decided. He couldn't very well go and drag Pei Wanning away now and risk enraging the Divine Lady.
Yun Shu looked at the women below the ritual altar.
She was also surprised in her heart.
Her original plan had been to use the Dream-Entering Bell to create a dream for Su Aheng, prompting her to step forward and take on this task. This would build momentum for her and set an example for other women to step out of the inner courtyards.
But the result was completely different from what she had imagined.
Besides Su Aheng, more than a dozen other women had resolutely stepped forward while knowing nothing.
Her own preconceptions had caused her to underestimate these women, thinking it would be difficult for them to break free from the ideological shackles of the era.
She had forgotten that they had survived in this chaotic world. If their hearts were not strong enough, how could they have lived until now?
They were far more resilient than she had thought.
Though the plan had changed, it was for the better.
“Very well.”
The Divine Lady’s voice reached everyone’s ears. “The loyalty and courage of women have never been inferior to that of men. Since you dare to stand up for me today, you are all heroines of great courage.”
She smiled.
That smile was as if a snow lotus, frozen for a thousand years, had suddenly bloomed. It was beautiful beyond words.
Everyone was stunned.
From the moment the Divine Lady descended, Her features had been cold and Her expression distant, like an exquisite jade sculpture that could be viewed from afar but never approached.
No one had expected that She would actually smile.
“We will go through fire and water for the Divine Lady without hesitation!” the women shouted in unison.
“My heart is greatly pleased. Therefore, I shall bestow a treasure upon you.”
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