Wei Zheng met the growers at the bitterleaf boundary just after sunrise. He carried his report board but left his soldiers at the road. Ning came with the landholder list, and two council witnesses brought a rolled map tied with plain cord. Eda waited beside the shared ditch, her hands folded around the old contract copy.
The original map showed a line between Eda’s plot and the neighboring field. A darker mark crossed that line, adding the southern row to the guild’s claim. Guild surveyor Nao held the official copy against the board.
“This is the version filed with the district,” he said. “The darker line is part of the boundary.”
Qinghe placed a lens over the mark. “The ink differs from the older strokes. I can say it was added later than those lines. I cannot date it or identify the hand.”
Nao looked at her. “You’re not trained as a surveyor.”
“No. I’m reporting what the paper shows under the lens. You can dispute that observation or bring someone who can date the ink.”
Wei recorded both statements. “Is there a physical marker?”
Eda pointed to the ditch. “An irrigation stone used to sit at the bend. Its notch was on the map. The stone is gone from the surface.”
