Avenging wrongs is a must.
As they were talking, the doctor brought the medicine, wrapped it in coarse hemp paper, and carefully instructed them on how to prepare it and when to take it.
Pei Qingwu took the medicine packet and was about to take out copper coins to pay when the doctor waved his hand to stop her.
"Young lady, please accept this for now." The doctor looked at the indistinct figure on the couch in the inner room and sighed softly, "It's pitiful to see this young man suffer such a misfortune... Young lady, you have a hard time making a living, so I'll pay for the medicine on credit for now, and we can talk about it later when you have more money."
Pei Qingwu was taken aback, then curtsied and said earnestly, "Thank you for your consideration, Doctor. I will remember this kindness."
The doctor waved his hand and left.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Pei Qingwu got up, set up an iron pot on the small clay stove, and added well water.
Once the water boils, take out the risen dough balls and skillfully pinch them into dozens of thin-skinned wontons in no time, each one delicate and translucent, like white butterflies floating on the water.
I adjusted the soup base, sprinkled on some chopped green onions and ginger, and added a few drops of sesame oil. Instantly, the aroma filled the air.
When she brought two steaming bowls of wontons into the room, Gu Heng was already awake, leaning against the headboard. When he saw her come in, his eyes still held a hint of wariness, but they were not as tense as before.
"These wontons are fresh out of the pot, eat them while they're hot." Pei Qingwu placed a bowl on the low table next to him, picked up another bowl for himself, and sat down opposite him.
The soup in the bowl is clear and bright, the wonton wrappers are as thin as paper, and you can vaguely see the bright green fennel filling, the green scallions, and the sesame oil floating on the surface. As the steam rises, the fresh and mellow aroma goes straight into your nose.
Gu Heng's Adam's apple bobbed, but he couldn't resist the temptation of his empty stomach and the food. He carefully picked up the bowl, scooped up a spoonful with a wooden spoon, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.
Thin skin, fresh filling, and rich broth; warmth slides down the throat, soothing the entire body.
He hadn't eaten such hot and comforting food in a long time, and for a moment he forgot to be on guard. He ate several in a row before he seemed to remember something, looked up at Pei Qingwu, and saw that she was eating quietly and not paying attention to him. So he lowered his head again and quickened his pace, but his movements had already restrained the wolfing down of food he had yesterday.
After finishing the wontons, Pei Qingwu cleared away the dishes and said to Gu Heng, "I still have to go to the street to sell snacks today. You stay home and rest, keep an eye on the door, and don't wander around, lest you aggravate your wound."
Gu Heng nodded silently, watching her pack the dragon beard candy and flower cakes into a food box. She then took a stack of plain-colored stationery, on which she wrote the four characters "Sushan Xiaoji" in small regular script, with a simple rose drawn next to it, and below it was the address of the alley where she lived.
Last night she thought for a long time before deciding to take the meaning of "Last night the mountain rain came like butter, and the secluded birds pecked at the small peach blossoms"①. With such a unique name, it should be able to stand out in the pavilion and record.
"What is this?" Gu Heng couldn't help but ask, his voice still a little hoarse.
“Setting up a stall is not a long-term solution, so I thought I'd do this. When I run into familiar customers, I'll hand them a note so they know where to go. Once I've made some more money, I'll turn the front yard into a shop, so I don't have to go out in the wind and rain.” Pei Qingwu smiled, folded the note, and put it into the side pocket of the food box. “You rest here, I'll be right back.”
After saying that, she picked up the food box and went out, heading towards the Dew Market where she had set up her stall the day before.
As soon as she reached the street corner, a regular customer who had bought dragon beard candy yesterday came up to her: "Young lady, do you have those snowflake-like pastries today? I saw others enjoying them yesterday, but I didn't get any myself, and I've been really craving them."
"Yes, we have not only dragon beard candy, but also freshly made flower cakes, just out of the oven," Pei Qingwu replied with a smile, opening the food box to reveal the snow-white dragon beard candy and the golden, glistening flower cakes, their aroma filling the air.
With her calls and the arrival of her regular customers, a large crowd soon gathered. People bought one piece here and one box there, their cries mingling with the clinking of coins. In less than an hour, the food boxes were mostly empty.
When she encountered regular customers or asked about her usual place of business, she would hand them a plain note: "This is my residence. If you don't mind, you can come and find it."
Everyone was intrigued by the elegant design and beautiful handwriting on the stationery, and they all accepted it, praising it highly.
"Miss Pei is clever; this method saves a lot of trouble."
"From now on, if I want to eat some snacks, I can just go to this address and save myself from making a wasted trip."
As the sun rose higher, the snacks were almost sold out. Pei Qingwu packed up his stall, and thinking about Gu Heng's injury, he went to the pharmacy to pay back some of the money he had owed the doctor for the medicine before heading back with the empty food box.
If she wants to expand and strengthen the business, how can she manage all the work by herself? Once she has made more money, she must hire a few pastry chefs to help her.
Just then, a delicious aroma of meat wafted over. Pei Qingwu looked over instinctively and saw that it was coming from a meat bun stall. The man in charge was wiping his sweat with a handkerchief as he lifted the steamer, revealing the buns inside. Each one was round and plump, making Pei Qingwu's mouth water.
Since transmigrating to this era, she hasn't eaten meat in a long time in order to save money. This morning's wontons were also vegetarian with fennel filling. As soon as she smelled that aroma, tears involuntarily streamed down her face.
After finding out that each cost seven coins, Pei Qingwu readily bought three.
Spending twenty-one coins won't stop me from saving money; what's important is not to waste my appetite.
Ignoring the heat, Pei Qingwu immediately grabbed one to eat. The meat was lean, finely chopped, and mixed with pepper. It was juicy and full of meaty aroma.
tasty!
After finishing eating, Pei Qingwu remembered that she wasn't the only one in the courtyard now; there was also Gu Heng, a boy who was only a little over 18. She quickly bought three more and carefully put them in a food box to take back with her.
As soon as Pei Qingwu pushed open the courtyard gate, he sensed something was wrong.
"You're back?" Gu Heng's voice came from afar. Then, he came out of the inner room. His injuries had not fully healed, and his face was still pale, but he looked more lively than when he was found yesterday.
"Has...something happened?" Pei Qingwu asked.
Gu Heng nodded: "Mm."
Then he stepped aside. The door to the room was open, and Pei Qingwu could see a person lying on the ground, bound hand and foot, with something stuffed in his mouth. It was the yellow-faced man who had caused trouble yesterday.
Why is he here again?
"I was lying inside with my eyes closed when I suddenly heard a noise. I don't know how this person sneaked in, acting suspiciously, and was going to smash up your yard." Gu Heng said with disgust, "Fortunately, I discovered it in time, so no damage was caused."
"No!" Pei Qingwu exclaimed in alarm.
The cooking utensils and ingredients in this yard are her livelihood; if they are destroyed, she will fight those people to the death.
She rushed over to check, and sure enough, just as Gu Heng had said, several jars of rose jam had been smashed on the ground, their bright red color seeping into the glutinous rice flour, mixed with dust, creating a complete mess.
“This…” Pei Qingwu gasped, feeling that the anger in his heart could no longer be suppressed.
Fortunately, Gu Heng discovered it in time. Apart from the few jars of sauce and powder that were destroyed, the important household items such as the iron pot steamer on the stove and the bamboo basket for holding snacks were all intact.
Even so, seeing the rose jam she had painstakingly made and the glutinous rice flour she had prepared for desserts ruined like this was enough to break her heart.
Suppressing her surging anger, she turned to Gu Heng and said, "Thanks to you, if it weren't for your quick thinking, I would have been in great trouble today."
After saying that, she remembered the meat bun in her hand, and quickly took it out and handed it to Gu Heng: "Hurry up and eat something to fill your stomach. Look how pale you are. These meat buns are fresh out of the oven!"
Gu Heng took the steamed bun, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, and whispered, "Did you bring this especially for me?"
Pei Qingwu felt a little guilty under his gaze, but tried her best to remain calm, avoiding his eyes, and vaguely replied, "Yes, eat it while it's hot."
After calming Gu Heng down, Pei Qingwu's expression instantly darkened.
She walked up to the bound, sallow-faced man and looked down at him. Gu Heng, holding a steamed bun in one hand, used the other hand to tacitly tear the rag out of his mouth.
As soon as the man could speak, he burst into tears and begged for mercy: "Young lady, spare my life! Young lady, spare my life! I... I was blinded by greed and took someone's money to do their bidding... Please, young lady, have mercy and don't send me to the authorities! I'll never do it again!"
"Spare me?" Pei Qingwu said sternly, "Yesterday you slandered me with false accusations, and today you dare to break in and destroy my belongings! Tell me, which hand did this?"
The man trembled all over and instinctively tried to pull his right hand back, but he was tied up and couldn't move. He could only cry out, "It's...it's my right hand...please spare me, young lady!"
Pei Qingwu said no more, turned around and walked to the stove, took a thick-backed kitchen knife from the knife rack that he usually used to cut vegetables and mince filling, and then walked back to the man.
Upon seeing this, Gu Heng frowned slightly, but did not speak to stop him. He simply tensed up and stared warily at the man.
Upon seeing the gleaming cleaver, the man was terrified, his manhood spilling out as he wailed, "No! Don't chop! Young lady, spare my life! Spare my life!"
Pei Qingwu's eyes were cold and unmoved, he only gestured for Gu Heng to hold down the man's right arm.
"Speak! Who ordered you? Reveal the mastermind! Otherwise, you can forget about getting this hand back!"
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Fear instantly overwhelmed all his concerns, and the man shouted hoarsely, "It was Sun Cheng! And his old mother, Liu! They gave me five hundred coins to smash up your yard and ruin your business! It was them! They were the ones who ordered it!" His face was covered in tears and snot, and he stammered, "Please, young lady, spare me! I'll never dare to do it again!"
Sun Cheng? Liu Shi?
These two names were like a cold needle, piercing Pei Qingwu's memory.
These two shameless bastards!
Looking more closely at the man on the ground, tears streaming down his face, it was no wonder he seemed familiar yesterday. Wasn't he a lazy, distant relative from Liu's maternal side? It seemed that his family also had a small stall selling some cheap snacks, but few people usually patronized it.
I see!
The defendants, driven by jealousy and envy of her business after being flogged at the magistrate's office, resorted to such despicable means.
Pei Qingwu snorted coldly, his eyes growing even colder. Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand and brought down the knife.
"Ah—!!!" A shrill scream suddenly rang out, then stopped abruptly—the man had fainted from the pain.
On the ground, two fingers rolled off, blood gushing out instantly, soaking the scattered glutinous rice flour and dust.
Pei Qingwu remained expressionless, as if she had only cut two radishes. She used the tip of her knife to pick up the two bleeding severed fingers, walked to the water vat in the courtyard, scooped water to rinse off the bloodstains hastily, and then casually tore off two large, fresh lotus leaves from the drying bamboo pole to carefully wrap the two severed fingers and tie them tightly.
"Tell him to get lost, and then wait for me to come back." She said this to Gu Heng, who was looking at her with complicated emotions inside the house. Then, carrying the lotus leaf package containing the severed finger, she strode out of the courtyard without looking back and headed quickly towards the Sun family's house.
Filled with anger, Pei Qingwu moved with lightning speed and soon arrived at the Sun family's residence.
The Sun family's gate was ajar, and she kicked it open.
A loud "bang!" startled everyone in the courtyard.
Liu was sitting on the porch, cracking melon seeds and directing her youngest daughter to hang things out to dry. Startled by the noise, she turned and saw Pei Qingwu. Her triangular eyes immediately narrowed, and she blurted out a sarcastic remark: "You little jinx! How dare you kick down my door? Such a tantrum, you..."
Before she could finish speaking, Pei Qingwu slammed a lotus leaf package, reeking of blood, onto the ground in front of her.
The lotus leaf bundle rolled twice, then loosened, revealing two pale, bloody fingers that landed prominently in front of Liu's embroidered shoe tips.
The old woman's harshness instantly transformed into extreme fear. The color drained away completely, and she collapsed backward as if her bones had been removed. She forgot to even cry out and just scrambled backward on all fours until her back slammed heavily against a pillar.
Her eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets, staring intently at the two severed fingers on the ground. Her lips trembled like leaves in the wind, as if she were about to faint at any moment.
The young Sun family girl was terrified, screaming repeatedly and hiding far away.
Pei Qingwu stood in the courtyard, her figure slender yet exuding a chilling aura. She coldly stared at Liu Shi, who was trembling like a lump of mud. Her voice was not loud, but extremely clear, each word like an ice pick piercing Liu Shi's ears: "Liu Shi, do you recognize this object?"
Liu trembled violently, her gaze fixed on the two severed fingers, a chill running from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.
Of course she recognized him; he was Liu Gou'er, a good-for-nothing distant relative from her maternal family. The mole on the tip of his right index and middle fingers was easily recognizable.
“I…I recognize him…” Liu’s voice trembled uncontrollably, choked with sobs, “It was…it was Gou’er…you…you have such a cruel heart! How dare you…”
"I'm ruthless?" Pei Qingwu's lips curled into a cold smile as he took a step closer, causing Liu to shrink back in terror, wishing she could embed herself into a pillar.
“If it weren’t for someone in my little courtyard being vigilant, the cooking utensils and ingredients I painstakingly acquired—the very foundation of my livelihood—would probably be reduced to a pile of rubble by now! Destroying people’s livelihoods and cutting off their means of survival, isn’t that ruthless? Liu Gou’er has already confessed everything: he took money to solve problems for others…” She paused, her gaze fixed on Liu’s face, contorted with fear: “First, he spread rumors in the street, then he sent people to destroy my home, pressing me step by step. Did he really think I was a legless crab, to be torn apart at will?”
Liu was terrified by the murderous intent in her eyes and the glaring severed finger on the ground. She was shocked and angry, and extremely guilty. Her whole body trembled like a leaf, and she could only cling to the corridor pillar, unable to utter a complete rebuttal.
“Remember this today, when your second son returns, please also tell him…” Pei Qingwu’s voice suddenly rose: “If there is a next time, whether he comes in person or sends some Tom, Dick, or Harry to smash one of my things, I will break one of your limbs! If you don’t believe me, you can try!”
The last word fell like an ice bead hitting the ground, carrying a chilling echo.
Pei Qingwu's icy gaze swept over the pale-faced Liu Shi and the trembling Sun Xiaomei, and without giving them another glance, he turned and left.
He left behind a deathly silence and a heavy, lingering stench of blood and fear in the air.
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