So, Liu left the house under the pretext of fetching water.
She stood on the balcony getting some fresh air. After a while, Liu saw her parents-in-law walking side by side into the backyard, seemingly carrying clothes, probably going to take a bath. Upon seeing this, her left eyelid suddenly started twitching wildly.
A twitching left eye means good fortune, while a twitching right eye means bad luck.
so....
Is the room in the in-laws' room empty at this moment?
That?
A glint of light flashed in her eyes, and she walked to her in-laws' room as if possessed, giving it a gentle push.
The door opened.
Liu looked around; there was no one there.
She tiptoed inside.
Unfortunately, she searched the house thoroughly, inside and out, but couldn't find the silver notes.
Liu was filled with disappointment. She put the messed-up things back to their original state and was about to leave when her eyes fell on the shoes on the ground.
It belongs to my father-in-law, He Shanhu.
You can smell the stench from far away.
Liu pinched her nose, stretched out her right hand, and rummaged around in the air.
He actually pulled out eight silver notes.
Her face couldn't hide her joy.
After putting the silver notes in her pocket, she closed the room door, went downstairs, and left the inn.
They didn't even take their luggage.
Liu rented a carriage on the street and left just before the city gates closed.
Fifteen minutes later, He Shanhu, having finished his bath, stepped onto the stairs. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, and his face was flushed. Behind him followed Madam Lu, who was muttering something to herself.
"I told you I didn't want to wash, but you insisted I scrub your back. Look, my clothes are all soaked. I'll have to change later. It's so cold today. I can wash after we buy a new house!"
Lu's clothes and cuffs were all wet.
Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she looked somewhat displeased.
"Alright, alright, enough talk. You're already soaked, just change your clothes."
He Shanhu, annoyed by Lu's excessive talking, quickened his pace.
Before long, they arrived at the door of the house.
He takes a shower not because he feels dirty.
Rather, it was to ward off bad luck.
After tonight, the He family will only prosper!
"Father, Mother, have you seen Liu Shi?"
He Wanjiang, who was inside the house, noticed that Liu hadn't returned after being gone for so long, so he decided to go out and look for her.
I happened to run into my parents coming upstairs.
"I didn't see her. What, where did she go so late at night? A concubine, so restless. Wanjiang, after we move to the new house, I'll find a matchmaker to find you a second wife. Marry a virgin, she has to be obedient!"
Lu was just venting her anger when Liu happened to walk right into her trap.
"We'll talk about it later. I'll go ask Chu Wei and see if he saw it."
He Wanjiang also had this idea.
He did not refuse.
It's just not a good time to talk about it now.
It's too early to say.
He Chuwei's room was at the end of the corridor.
When He Wanjiang walked over, the lights inside were already off. "Chuwei, Chuwei, are you asleep? Have you seen your Aunt Liu?" Now that he had the intention of taking a second wife, He Wanjiang had to change how he addressed Liu. He no longer allowed his son to call Liu "mother".
"Father? What's wrong? I was just about to go to sleep." He Chuwei, wearing his undergarments, opened the door and asked.
"Your Aunt Liu has disappeared somewhere. Did you see her? What is she doing running around like this in the middle of the night? If she doesn't come back soon, I'm going to lock the door and go to sleep." He Wanjiang was getting sleepy, and his words revealed his impatience.
An inn is not home, so you must lock the door when you go to sleep; otherwise, if a thief breaks in, you could be in danger.
He dared not leave the door open for Liu, but he really didn't want to be woken up by Liu as soon as he fell asleep, so he had to find Liu first before he could sleep peacefully.
"No, I didn't see her, Father. Wait for me to put on a coat, and I'll go downstairs with you to look for her. What if Madam Liu went to the outhouse?"
Having finally been intimate with her, He Chuwei no longer even called her "aunt."
“Okay, I’ll go down first.” He Wanjiang didn’t refuse.
He went down the stairs and first went to the outhouse to look for it, but found no one there. He then went to the inn's private bathhouse, but it was still empty.
"Waiter, have you seen the woman who came to the inn with me?"
He Wanjiang could only walk to the front of the inn and ask the waiter.
"Is she a woman wearing a blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress)?"
“Yes, yes, it’s her.” He Wanjiang nodded quickly.
"Oh, she just went out a while ago." There aren't many people staying at the inn today.
So the waiter remembered it very clearly.
"They went out? How long ago was that?" He Wanjiang asked, somewhat angrily.
How dare Liu, a mere concubine, leave without informing him? Could it be that she's hiding something from him?
"It will take at least 15 minutes, maybe even longer," the waiter replied, tilting his head and thinking for a moment.
"So long? She's been out for ages? That wretched woman!" He Wanjiang roared in fury. The streets were deserted late at night; Liu Shi must have gone to meet her lover after being gone for so long.
However, he didn't say it aloud.
So as not to make the waiter laugh at us.
"Father, where is Liu Shi?" He Chuwei asked as he came downstairs.
He put on his coat, but his hair wasn't tied up; it was loose and fell over his shoulders.
"Come on, let's go out and have a look with Dad."
He Wanjiang didn't answer his son's question, and pulled He Chuwei out of the inn.
The two spent half an hour circling the streets twice, even exploring the alleys, but still couldn't find Liu Shi's figure.
Even the few passersby on the street have disappeared.
Dark clouds drifted slowly in from afar, obscuring the stars and moon.
The street suddenly went dark, but fortunately, a few wealthy families had hung red lanterns at their doors, the faint candlelight inside illuminating the dim road.
Although it wasn't bright, it was enough to see the road clearly, so I wouldn't have to walk in the dark and fall flat on my face.
The father and son had no choice but to return home first.
"Esteemed guests, the inn is about to close. Please come in quickly, otherwise you will have to knock on the door after I close it. I am a heavy sleeper and not easy to wake up, which may make you wait for a long time."
The inn is not open 24 hours a day.
Every night at the end of the 7 PM hour, the waiter in charge of guarding the gate would close the front and back doors and then sleep on the table.
If someone checks in at the hotel in the middle of the night, just knock on the door.
Just like a modern hotel reception desk.
Of course, almost no one would come to stay at the inn in the middle of the night, because the city gates would close at 7:00 PM.
It was already early 9 PM when He Wanjiang and his companion returned.
The waiter's tone was a bit unpleasant.
After all, he has to get up early tomorrow. If he goes to bed late, he won't have the energy to work the next day, and the shopkeeper will scold him again.
"Don't sleep too soundly. My wife hasn't returned yet. Listen carefully to the door." Although He Wanjiang was angry, his love for Liu Shi was genuine.
"Yes, sir. Please go upstairs and rest." The waiter lowered his head, rolled his eyes, and replied.
The two then stepped onto the stairs.
"Oh no! Wan Jiang, Chu Wei! The silver notes are gone!!"
Before they even got back to their room, they saw Mrs. Lu rush out of the house, grabbing the two of them and crying and making a scene.
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