Chapter 26 Double Mystery (06) Narrative, Narrative, doesn't he have a surname...?

Zhang Da finished speaking the same words to Yu Qi, but Yu Qi showed no surprise. He had seen all kinds of formidable women before, and he calmly continued organizing the prescriptions he had written during his morning rounds. "Did this Miss Guan cry when she came into the garden?"

He was too lazy to comfort people; if someone came crying and demanding an explanation, there was no need to meet them.

Zhang Da said, "Her eyes are red, she must have cried yesterday, but she's not crying now. There's nowhere to welcome her, so I had someone invite her to sit in Lord Qi's room for a while. She's quite well-mannered, unlike the Lin family members who are so difficult. When will you be finished with your work?"

Yu Qi held the two prescriptions in his hands and remained silent for a moment. "You seem to recognize her."

"These business people often have lawsuits. Even if they don't have lawsuits, they still have to deal with various miscellaneous taxes every year. Speaking of which, the Guan family has always been punctual and compliant in paying taxes, unlike those people who are always dragging their feet. This Miss Guan is also very generous. Whenever we run errands to their residence, she never lets us leave empty-handed."

"She's good at business and generous; she's truly a heroine." After finishing his medical records, Yu Qi took out the case file. "Alright then, I'll go with you to meet this heroine."

Zhang Da thought he was afraid of trouble, so he quickly smiled and led the way, "Actually, sir, you're overthinking it. She met our magistrate at the door and told him everything she needed to say. She just wanted to see you to ask about the progress of the case. Since we're on the topic, may I ask you something? Are you so unhurried because you already have something in mind?"

Yu Qi stopped in his tracks, paused for a moment, glanced at the official's uniform on his body, and shook his head with a smile, "The case has only been five days since it happened, how can there be any clues? Do you, Lord Qi or Lord Wang, have such supernatural powers?"

Zhang Da gave an awkward smile. "Then why aren't you in a hurry, sir? This morning I saw Miss Yu'er and Brother Du Zhong excitedly leaving the garden with our lord, saying they were going to question a new witness. I think Lin Mo's case is about to be solved. As the head constable, it's nothing for me to lose to the lord, but I'm afraid that you, as his uncle, will lose to a junior—"

She swallowed the rest of her words, secretly observing his expression.

He still had that leisurely and weary look on his face. "It's not like the imperial examination, where there's a set order. Yu'er and Zhong'er are young and playful, so they're bound to be a bit impatient. I have nothing to rush about, and I don't take a salary from the court." He glanced at him sideways as he spoke. "Officer Zhang is so dedicated to his duty, I'm sure he gets a good monthly salary."

"Three taels of silver a month is barely enough to make ends meet."

As they spoke, they entered Xu Bai's room. The lattice door was open, and a yamen runner stood ramrod straight at the door. Inside, a man and a woman were having tea on a side seat. The man was in his forties, probably the steward of the Guan family, and the woman was Guan Youjun.

Zhang Da was in a hurry to go in, but Yu Qi reached out and stopped him. The two stood outside the door for a moment, peeking at what was happening inside.

Although Guan Youjun was a woman, her demeanor was composed and calm. She sat in an unfamiliar room without any awkwardness or curiosity. The chair under her skirt seemed to have been transformed into a lotus platform. Her eyes did not wander around but were half-closed on the teacup. The tea smoke made it seem as if there was a babbling brook in her eyes, quiet and soothing.

Her demeanor reminded Yu Qi of an old friend. He smiled silently and watched her step into the house.

Upon seeing the newcomers, the two men put down their teacups and rose to greet them. Zhang Da stepped forward and introduced them, "This is Mr. Yu, who is currently investigating the Second Young Master's case."

Guan Youjun's face was pale and haggard, but she still managed a polite smile. "Greetings, Mr. Yu. I wonder if there has been any progress in my brother's case?"

Yu Qi bowed to her and sat down at the head of the table. “Please rest assured, young lady. As long as the Lin family’s case is solved, the murderer who killed your brother will naturally be caught. Didn’t you just run into Lord Qi at the gate? It was because there was a new lead in Lin Mo’s case that he rushed to investigate.”

"Didn't you say—" Didn't you say these were two cases with two murderers? How come he's mixing the two cases together again in his words? Zhang Da was about to interrupt, but luckily he was quick-witted. Seeing Yu Qi's expression, he changed his tune and smiled at You Jun, "Yes, Miss Guan, our master has been working tirelessly, focusing all his efforts on the case. We've also asked Mr. Yu for help. The case will definitely be solved within a month."

The Guan family steward immediately chimed in, "Then what about our Second Master's body? When can we bring it home?"

When he spoke hastily, his tone became somewhat fierce. Youjun immediately gave him a stern look and said, "Uncle Wen, do not be rude."

“It’s alright,” Yu Qi said. “If you want to pick him up, feel free to do so. The Lin family hasn’t come yet because they’re afraid the body might still be carrying the scent of illness. But your brother’s illness has long since healed, and the body has been examined. He can be put into a coffin and buried at any time.”

Youjun smiled and gave a curtsy, but the formality was not complete. She said, "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Yu. My mother has fallen ill these past two days because of my younger brother. Her only concern during her illness is to ensure that my brother is properly buried."

“Miss Guan, there’s no need for such formalities.” Yu Qi, acting as host for the time being, waved for her to sit down and smiled. “Doesn’t your mother care about catching the murderer?”

She sat down, a slight smile on her face. "When a mother is in this situation, her first concern is still for her children. The old lady believes in these sayings, and she is afraid that her younger brother's soul will not be at peace, so she can put everything else aside."

"Your mother only has you and your brother as her children?"

"Although the family business is large, the difficulty lies in the small number of people."

"No relatives?"

Her smile was tinged with bitterness. "Although I have many relatives in the clan, they are not truly of the same bloodline. Now that my younger brother is gone, it's just my mother and me left. We are truly an orphan and a widow." As she spoke, she noticed tears welling up in her eyes, so she took a handkerchief from her sleeve and gently wiped them away. "Please forgive my rudeness, sir."

Yu Qi smiled and shook his head, remaining silent for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a yamen runner walking into the courtyard, stopping at the gate, presumably because it was time for the shift change.

The newly appointed yamen runner glanced into the room, saw no adults, then turned around and sat down on the pillar opposite the wall, where he could see half of the King of Wu leaning against the pillar, seemingly dozing off.

Yu Qi withdrew his gaze from the corner of his eye and looked at the table to the left. "Please have some tea, young lady."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dacai remembered that he had invited Yu Qi to entertain the aggrieved party, but after sitting for a long time, he hadn't even been served a bowl of tea. He hurriedly went outside and quietly instructed the dozing yamen runner to go and fetch a bowl of tea.

Yu Qi called out to Zhang Da from outside the door, "Officer Zhang, there's no need."

Zhang Da retreated into the house, thinking that this was not a government office, and the kitchen only had coarse tea. Those who were particular about tea brought their own from home. Although there was good tea in this house, it was Xu Bai's residence after all, and he was not here, so he did not dare to rummage around.

So she smiled apologetically, "Indeed, the kitchen only has some coarse tea that's hard to swallow, and I doubt you would drink it, sir."

Yu Qi smiled at You Jun, "That's not what I meant. Miss Guan also eats coarse tea, doesn't she? My Yu family is no richer than the Guan family. What can't we eat? We're just too lazy to bother."

Just then, Youjun was holding a teacup. Upon hearing his words, her composed eyes suddenly flashed, and she quickly put down the teacup and smiled, "Sir, you are joking. We business people are not so particular."

Her gaze, however, was no longer poised and confident. She glanced at him once, then her gaze swept straight to Zhang Da, as if she were speaking to him.

Yu Qi smiled and lowered his head, then stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and said he was leaving.

As she approached Youjun's chair, she quickly stood up and called out to him, "Mr. Yu, I heard that my brother has a woman in this garden. May I see her?"

"Oh?" Yu Qi turned to look at Zhang Da, then at her. "As far as I know, your younger brother is quite the ladies' man, and he has been intimate with more than one woman in this garden. I wonder who Miss Guan is referring to?"

"I heard her name is Rouge, and she is a courtesan."

Yu Qi smiled and nodded, "This is a family matter of your Guan family. Even people from the proper government offices have no right to interfere. Miss, you can see her if you want. Officer Zhang, go and invite her."

After speaking, he came out on his own and glanced at the dozing yamen runner under the eaves.

When the constable saw him looking, he stood up and asked, "Mr. Yu, is there anything you need?"

He shook his head and walked out of the courtyard.

Youjun watched him from inside the room, ignoring the butler and Zhang Da's negotiation. She unconsciously walked between the two partition doors, and even after they disappeared, she continued to look. The smile on her face gradually faded, and a strange light flashed in her eyes, which disappeared in an instant.

After a while, Zhang Da came forward and said, "Miss Guan, please sit down for a while. I'll go and invite Miss Rouge right away."

She snapped out of her reverie, nodded, and smiled, "Officer Zhang, wasn't that Mr. Yu just now supposed to be a doctor? How come he's helping your government investigate cases now?"

"Oh, you don't know him? He's even more skilled than our coroner who's been in office for over a decade. He has such keen eyes that he can tell what kind of murder weapon the killer used just by looking at him."

"A doctor knows all this? You're really observant and perceptive." She turned and walked towards the chair. "Then what was the murder weapon that killed my brother?"

“Yes,” Zhang Da was about to tell the truth, but then he remembered Yu Qi’s look and changed his words with a smile, “It’s the same as the one that killed Lin Mo, it’s a blade.”

"There are many types of blades. What kind of blade is it?"

Zhang Da chuckled apologetically, "If I knew all this, wouldn't I be a god? I'll say it again, rest assured, the yamen will definitely give the Guan and Lin families an explanation. Please wait a moment, Miss, I'll go and call Miss Rouge right away."

After inviting Rouge, Zhang Da let them talk inside while he went to Yu Qi's room. When he arrived, he found the door tightly closed and no one answered his knocks. He had no choice but to go back to entertain the guests in silence.

Strange, he looked up and saw that it was almost noon. The rounds had long since ended, and Yu Qi had clearly returned before him. He wasn't the type to wander around aimlessly, so why couldn't he be found now?

The sun hung high in the sky, and even in springtime, staring at it for too long could make one feel dizzy. Jiu Li stood beside the carriage, gazing at the sky, lost in thought. Pedestrians flowed slowly behind the carriage, and she just stood there blankly, lost in thought. The wind swayed the hem of her skirt and the sash of her clothes, making her look like a deity brought out from the marketplace.

Only when her eyes felt burning and sore did she lower her head to rub them. Just as she raised her arm, Xu Bai reached out and grabbed her forearm. "Don't rub them, just close your eyes for a while and they'll feel better."

So close, so close that one unconsciously lowers their voice, revealing an even greater tenderness, "What are you daydreaming about?"

Jiuli closed her eyes for a moment, feeling tears welling up, then looked up and squeezed her eyes shut. "I was thinking about that Miss Guan. She was so beautiful!"

Xu Bai chuckled, "Don't you think you're beautiful enough?"

“Me? Of course I’m beautiful—” She was smug for a moment, then felt a little shameless. How could she boast like that? She quickly grinned at him, showing her teeth. “If you think I’m overestimating myself, just pretend you didn’t hear that.”

Feeling increasingly embarrassed, she shook her hand repeatedly, wishing she could fan away her words, "Forget it, forget it, I never said that!"

A tear shone on her cheek, flashing brightly before being shattered by the sun, scattering in the sunlight before and behind her. A woman's tears are pearls; for the first time, Xu Bai felt this metaphor was extremely accurate. A sudden thought popped into his mind: he hoped she would pour out a basket of "pearls" to overwhelm him.

“That’s called heroes respecting heroes.” He stepped back slightly and smiled at her.

That smile vaguely resembled Yu Qi, the Yu Qi of her dreams. She felt her face burning from the sun and involuntarily lowered her head slightly. "Her beauty is subtle and understated, that's what makes it charming. Unlike me, I'm too young, it seems like I'm showing off everywhere."

"That's funny. Every woman in the world wants to be young, but you complain about being young?"

She was deeply impressed by Guan Youjun, perhaps because for a moment she felt that she was as reserved as Yu Qi. Are all older people like this? At this moment, she felt that she was too flamboyant, that her beauty was not restrained, and that it made her seem shallow.

She smiled and shook her head, unsure how to answer. She thought back to her childhood, when she took small steps, always worried that Yu Qi's legs were too long and he would walk too fast, leaving her behind in the blink of an eye. So she longed to grow up quickly, for things would be better when she was older.

Now he's finally grown up, but Yu Qi is growing up too, and I'm afraid he'll never catch up with him.

A moment later, Du Zhong ran out of the alley and said to the two of them, "Sister Zhou's house is at the very end of this alley. Judging from the noise, she's making lunch at home."

Jiuli suppressed her melancholy and said seriously, "Then don't disturb her. What about that neighbor she mentioned?"

“It’s right next to her house, and there are people home right now.”

The three walked into the alley. It was just a witness; they could have simply asked a constable. Xu Bai thought that Jiu Li had been locked up in the Li Garden for a few days and was feeling a bit stifled, so he suggested coming out of the garden last night to interview the witness, but he just wanted to use this as an excuse to let her out for a stroll.

Seeing the questioning look on her face, he couldn't help but become a little serious. "Do you think Aunt Zhou is lying?"

She was silent for a moment, then frowned and shook her head. "I'm just like the blind men and the elephant. Last night, I lay in bed thinking about what she said, and I felt like something was off."

Du Zhongyin asked, "What's wrong?"

"I wish I had known!"

The alley was narrow. At the very end, outside the Meng family's house, there were several broken bricks in the courtyard wall. Peeking through the gaps, a plain-looking girl of about fourteen or fifteen was washing clothes in the yard. Jiu Li went up and knocked on the door. After a while, the girl opened the door and looked at three strange men and women with a puzzled expression.

Xu Baidao said he was from the yamen (government office). The young woman hesitated for a moment before inviting him into the courtyard. She brought out two long benches from the main room for him to sit on. "Could it be that our family is embroiled in some kind of lawsuit? Why would we need the yamen officials?"

Hearing her speak with such maturity and confidence, Du Zhong felt a surge of goodwill towards her. He quickly waved his hand with a smile, "No, no, don't be afraid. I just came to ask a few questions. What's your name, young lady?"

"Meng Ran." Meng Ran then went to pour several bowls of water. "What do you want to ask?"

Du Zhong then asked her about the night she went outside the Liyuan Garden to get the key from Aunt Zhou. She recounted the story in detail, and it didn't differ much from what Aunt Zhou had told her.

Because of the muddy water spilled at her feet, Jiuli looked down into the wooden basin and saw several ordinary men's and women's clothes being washed. She wondered how they could be dressed so dirty.

Unable to sit on the sewage, she got up and walked to a dry spot to the side, strolling around and looking around. Although the house looked dilapidated, there were three or four rooms, but it seemed that few people lived there. Two of the rooms were empty, the windows were broken and not repaired, and there were many miscellaneous items piled up inside.

Suddenly, a few coughs were heard coming from the window of the main house. Jiuli glanced at the window, turned back, and asked, "Who else is in your family?"

Meng Ran glanced at the window and said, "There's also an old man who's paralyzed in bed."

Du Zhong couldn't help but feel pity. "So this family is supported by you, a young woman? How do you make a living?"

She smiled wryly, "I only take on some washing and mending jobs on weekdays."

Jiuli nodded as she looked at the wooden basin. "Are your clothes washed for someone else too? The fabric looks ordinary to me. Do ordinary families also pay someone to wash their clothes?"

She looked over and suddenly smiled, "This isn't it, these are my own clothes, I haven't done any work for several days."

Jiuli heard children laughing next door and asked, "Are you and Aunt Zhou next door very close? How could you leave your key with her?"

“I usually work at home, so when they’re too busy, I help them look after their kids. We get to know each other naturally as we visit often. There’s nothing to worry about. Do you think I have anything important at home? Besides, my father is always home; he just can’t get up.”

Just then, Aunt Zhou entered the courtyard carrying a bowl of freshly cooked food. When she saw the three of them there, her expression momentarily flustered.

Xu Bai, however, remained calm and stood up, saying to Aunt Zhou, "As I said before, whether what you say is true or false, it must be verified before it counts. We have asked you about what you said last night. If you can recall anything else, you can go to the garden and tell me immediately. We will not disturb you any longer."

Aunt Zhou, holding a bowl, turned to the side and lowered her face to let the three of them out.

As they walked outside, Jiuli turned her head to glance back into the courtyard. Du Zhong noticed that she seemed to be studying something, so he quickly pulled her aside. "Let's go! I think we can clear Zhou Sao of suspicion. Besides, Zhou Sao seems like an honest and law-abiding person, an ordinary woman. Even if she were pushed to the limit, I don't think she would dare to kill someone. Do you think everyone is as audacious as you?"

Jiuli turned around and glared at him. "I'm looking for your eyeballs, but I think your eyes are fixed on that Miss Meng Ran!"

"Nonsense! I barely even looked at her. Besides, she's plain-looking, what's so attractive about her?"

The two were arguing and bickering, while Xu Bai listened with a smile. The three of them then walked out of the alley.

It was past noon, and since the three of them hadn't eaten yet, Jiuli, who rarely came out to town, was reluctant to go back. So Xubai led the two of them to a well-known restaurant nearby for a meal. They ate authentic Nanjing cuisine, including a dish of braised duck that was exceptionally well-prepared—salty, fragrant, and tender. Jiuli ate quite a bit and kept praising it when they returned to the garden.

The garden was filled with overlapping shadows and lush greenery, and small patches of sunlight dotted the paths, like a glass mirror shattered on the ground. Jiuli chattered away, talking to Bai Duzhong and Jiuli. "Actually, our old lady's cooking is really delicious. She also recognizes many wild vegetables. Sometimes she picks some to bring back, and there are many of them that I don't even know the names of. But they have their sweet and bitter flavors."

As they walked to the edge of the pond, there was an artificial hill made of Taihu stones. Coincidentally, Yu Qi was walking behind the artificial hill. Looking up, he saw a row of willow branches swaying outside the artificial hill, and heard her voice, which sounded like a sparrow hopping and skipping in the shade of the willows. Even without seeing her, just hearing her voice, he felt that even her voice seemed to have changed. Compared to the high-pitched sound of a few years ago, it was softer and less harsh.

However, judging from their conversation, it sounded like the three of them had lunch at a restaurant, and he felt a slight pang of heartache.

Xu Bai said, "People who live in the countryside naturally know a lot about the wild. People in the mansion are just used to eating big fish and meat, and they only find wild vegetables delicious when they eat them occasionally. People who eat those things every day don't find them delicious."

Du Zhong said, “Our area suffered a disaster in the past. During the famine years, there were no wild vegetables to eat, and many people starved to death. Our old master also passed away during that time, and my uncle also developed an illness during that period, which has not improved even as he grew older.”

The old man was naturally referring to Yu Qi's elder brother, who was also Jiu Li's father. Xu Bai thought Jiu Li would be touched by something painful, but glancing at her, she still had a relaxed expression. He was puzzled and followed Du Zhong's words, asking, "I wonder what it is—"

Before she could finish speaking, Jiu Li's eyelids twitched suddenly. She stopped, pulled off a willow branch, and turned to Du Zhong, saying, "We're eating out. I wonder if Uncle waited for us at lunchtime? If he waits too long and we don't come back, we'll get a scolding later."

Du Zhong seemed to understand as well, glancing at Xu Bai before laughing, "No, Master knows we're going out to investigate cases."

Xu Bai glanced at both sides and continued, following their line of thought: "I think you all seem afraid of Mr. Yu. He always has a stern face, just like he does at Liyuan Garden."

Just as I finished asking, I heard a short, light cough. Yu Qi walked out from behind the artificial hill next to me, with a deliberate smile on his face, but he looked even colder than when he had a stern face.

The old saying goes that walls have ears, but who knew that mountains also have ears! Jiuli hurriedly threw away the willow branch, turned his face and stuck out his tongue; Du Zhong was secretly glad that he hadn't said anything bad about him earlier, otherwise if he had dragged him back, he would have made him recite the "Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold" backwards, and he could easily find a fault to punish him.

Zhi Xubai remained calm and stepped forward, bowing respectfully, "Mr. Yu."

Yu Qi nodded slightly, walked past, and stood under the willow tree where Jiu Li was standing. "I've told you so many times, the food in restaurants outside is not clean, you should eat less of it."

Jiuli turned around and muttered under her breath, "We can't even eat this twice a year."

"What did you say?"

She looked up and chuckled, "That restaurant is very clean. It's not some small eatery on the street. It has two floors, and the tables and chairs are all made of ash wood."

"Oh? It's a fancy restaurant, isn't it? A meal like that must have cost quite a bit. Who's going to pay the bill?"

“Narration”.

Yu Qi asked with a half-smile, "Don't they have surnames?"

Jiuli lightly rolled her eyelids, her voice drawn out lazily, "Qi—Xu—Bai—"

"Did I ever tell you not to eat and take things from others for free?"

She got angry and glared at him, "Du Zhong and I forgot to bring Qian Mo with us. I even helped him with the case, so it wasn't like I was getting something for nothing. By your explanation, do you think I'm some kind of greedy, opportunistic person? Is that how you see me?"

Yu Qi hadn't expected to be the one to provoke trouble. He felt a lump in his throat and could only turn to look at Xu Bai. "I didn't mean that. I was just afraid that outsiders would think that the Yu family's daughter could be bought off with just one meal. They'd think she'd learn a lot of tricks and then pay them back with money later."

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading. The update on the 7th will be at 11:30 PM, and updates will resume at 10:30 PM thereafter.