Part 2: The Trouble with the Canal's Secret Treasure - Chapter 35: Uninvited Guests
In the spring of the second year of the Republic of China, Tongmenghui official Song was shot and killed by an unidentified assassin at Shanghai Railway Station. That same summer, fierce battles broke out in Jiangsu and Anhui between Yuan Shikai's government in the north and the Tongmenghui forces led by Sun Yat-sen and Huang Ting-kuo in the south. This battle is known as the First Anti-Yuan War.
For a time, the Jianghuai region was engulfed in conflict, with the southern section of the Grand Canal being the epicenter. Residents living near the Grand Canal were displaced, leaving nine out of ten homes empty. Both armies strictly blockaded the Grand Canal route, stagnating trade between the north and the south and causing a decline in commerce. Naturally, the most affected were the grain transport companies, whose livelihoods depended on the grain transport.
After escaping the coercion of the Independent Regiment of the Qing Dynasty, Yin Chuan, Du Yunzhang, and Ou Yelinlang fled the war, crisscrossing the countryside. After much detour, they finally returned to the Cao Gang branch on the east bank of the canal. Perhaps due to a cold he caught while with the Independent Regiment, coupled with the fatigue from the journey, Yin Chuan fell ill upon returning to the boat. Not only did he have a persistent high fever, but he also felt somewhat hazy at times.
He prescribed several medicines for him, but they had little effect. There was no other choice but to have him recuperate at the branch. This lasted from spring to summer, until the full-scale outbreak of the Civil War, when he finally showed some improvement.
During this period, thanks to Linlang's meticulous care, serving soup and medicine, and taking care of his daily life, Yin Chuan felt a little guilty. Moreover, as time went on, he couldn't help but miss his mother and widow Tao back home in Wuhe County, wondering how they were doing now.
Linlang was smart enough to see through Yin Chuan's worries at a glance and comforted him kindly, "Don't worry, County Magistrate Zu and Mr. Cha are taking care of them back home in Wuhe. They'll be fine. Maybe they'll write to you in a few days to let you know they're safe."
Yin Chuan smiled and nodded, then sighed, "Alas, I heard that the canal was closed recently and communication is not smooth. I wanted to write a letter home to tell my family about our situation, but it seems that it will be difficult to do so. I guess Wuhe can't send letters either."
"We could ask Brother Bao if we can use the Cao Gang's information network on the canal to communicate with the headquarters in Wuhe County. If we're lucky, we can also use this channel to communicate with our families."
"That's a good idea... Hey, where's Lao Du? I haven't seen him today." Yin Chuan asked.
Linlang chuckled, "I was just saying that. An important guest just came to visit and asked him to receive them privately."
"Oh, could he have some important guest that he wants to receive alone?"
"A very pretty woman, who seemed to be very familiar with him in her words and deeds. I guess she might be his old lover."
Yin Chuan perked up immediately. "Du Yunzhang, we've been friends for so many years, yet he's kept this romantic past a secret from me! No, I have to join in the fun!" Despite his frail state, Yin Chuan insisted on going to Du Yunzhang. Lin Lang, also a gossipy person, didn't stop him, and together they rushed to Du Yunzhang's guest room.
When the door was pushed open, Yin Chuan thought that there was a man and a woman in the room who were reminiscing about their old love in an ambiguous way, but he did not expect to see a horrifying scene in front of him - he saw two people in the middle of the room, each holding a pistol, pointing at each other's forehead, with gloomy faces and silent, as if they would take the other's life immediately if they were slightly unhappy.
The woman was tall, almost the same height as Du Yunzhang. She wore a neat wide-necked satin gown with a tight belt around her waist that showed off her slender waist. She had a light pink silk scarf wrapped around her neck and her hair was tied in a bun with a hairpin, which made her look very heroic.
"Ah? You..." Linlang exclaimed, breaking the depressing atmosphere that seemed to have lasted for a long time.
"Hmph, Luo Mei, no matter how many times you point a gun at me, I will not surrender." Du Yunzhang said coldly.
"Really? Du Yunzhang! After so many years, you still haven't changed your bad habit of speaking in official language? What? Do you want to see which is faster, your gun or mine?" The woman named Luo Mei retorted.
"Old Du, let's talk..."
Yin Chuan was about to step forward to persuade them not to fight, but Du Yunzhang shouted, "Don't come over here! This is between me and her. Today I want to see if she dares to fire the gun!"
Luo Mei didn't answer, but instead let out a barely perceptible smile. Then, she whistled crisply. Just when Du Yunzhang and Linlang didn't understand what she meant by whistling, the sharp-eyed Yin Chuan discovered the secret.
"Lao Du! Be careful!"
But Yin Chuan's warning was too late. Suddenly, something fell from the beams of the house and landed on Du Yunzhang's face. Du Yunzhang was thrown off balance by the sudden attack. He screamed and scrambled to grab the pistol, dropping it to the ground. Luo Mei laughed heartily at the sight, picked up Du Yunzhang's mirrored box, and whistled again. The object on Du Yunzhang's face immediately jumped away.
Only then did Yin Chuan see clearly that the one who attacked Du Yunzhang from the roof was actually a monkey less than two feet tall. It was now sitting on Luo Mei's shoulder.
"Haha, Du Yunzhang, now you can't show off your power anymore, right?" Luo Mei laughed and pointed two guns at the embarrassed Du Yunzhang.
Du Yunzhang was furious and annoyed. He glared at Luo Mei and said angrily, "I didn't expect you to pull such a shameless trick. Using a monkey to launch a sneak attack, how can I accept this?"
"Just tell me, are you going with me or not?"
"I can't bring myself to do such a dirty thing. You can find whoever you want! I won't do it even if you shoot me!"
Yin Chuan listened with considerable curiosity, "Old Du, what on earth did they come to you for? Is it as 'dirty' as you say?"
"Tomb robbing! Isn't that dirty? She is a tomb robber!" Du Yunzhang said fiercely.
Tomb robber? Yin Chuan and Lin Lang were a little surprised. They turned around and looked Luo Mei up and down. No matter her pretty face and figure or her neat clothes, she didn't look like a tomb robber at all.
"Du, don't be so harsh. What tomb robber? I just have a treasure-hunting hobby. Ask around in the martial arts world. When has I, 'Earth Flying Swallow', ever let anyone's bones be uncovered? When has I ever taken ill-gotten gains? When has I ever ruined anyone's feng shui? Besides, the treasure this time is definitely not ordinary. If it weren't for our old friendship, would I have come all this way to ask for your help?"
Her words made Yin Chuan even more interested. "Ms. Luo, the treasure you mentioned is definitely not an ordinary one... Can you tell me about it?"
Luo Mei glanced at Yin Chuan, "Who are you?"
"He is my best brother, Yin Chuan, a famous hero on the canal. Next to him is his confidante Ou Yelinlang." Du Yunzhang introduced.
"Yin Chuan..." Luo Mei murmured with her eyelids drooping, "I seem to have heard of such a person."
"Brother Yin is a great detective, and he's solved many strange cases around the canal," Linlang added proudly. "You can ask around in the underworld around the canal. Everyone knows the name 'Canal Detective.'"
"Oh... I remember now." Luo Mei suddenly realized and said with a smile, "Indeed, I've heard of 'Canal Snoop' Yin Chuan. He's a thief. According to Du Yunzhang, we should be considered half colleagues. Hahahaha!"
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