Bai brought the contract copies back to Yao’s house. He laid three sheets on the table: the full-name copy, the version with Meili’s line covered, and the family’s copy of the original entry.
Yao checked each page against the archive record. She read the date, the seal, and the line that added descendants. Then she handed the sheets back to Bai.
“Make one more for the family box,” she said. “Write where each came from.”
Bai marked the date and source on every sheet. “That way no one can pass the amendment off as the first agreement.”
Jian wanted to show the full-name copy to the elders. “It proves which households were affected. If the council sees only totals, they can say we don’t know who paid.”
Sato reached for the redacted page. “If they see every name, the hall can pressure each family one by one.”
“They could also ask people to confirm the entries.”
“Then ask for the names privately,” Sato said. “Don’t post them where patrol crews can see.”
