Bai Li read the relevant documents and asked why the families had not used the boundary markers recorded in the old survey. Yan Cijin noticed that one of the documents had been copied from a much newer map, and that the stream's course had changed after a flood three years earlier.
"The map is probably out of date," she said. "They may both be relying on records that no longer match the ground. Send someone to survey the area again. Until the new boundary is agreed upon, neither family should cut timber there. If either side hires more fighters, their claim will not be treated as a reason to give them special consideration."
Bai Li added, "Tell them we are not going to decide the dispute based on which family can shout louder. They can bring their documents to the magistrate, and we will provide an impartial witness for the survey."
