Chapter 44 Mother-of-Pearl Incense (07) Some misunderstandings can just ruin something...
Emerging from the alley, they found themselves on a riverside street. The three turned left, intending to meet Zhang Da at the Biqing Bridge. Jiu Li hurried a few steps to Yu Qi's side, where she saw his eyes scanning the distance, fixed on both banks of the river. The sun shone on the flowing water, casting dappled shadows on the walls of the houses on the opposite bank—truly a beautiful scene of "ten thousand trees chirping like cicadas, a rainbow across the river."
However, she had no interest in the vibrant flowers and dappled sunlight at the moment; her mind was only on Guan Youjun. Yu Qi glanced over and saw that she looked listless, completely unlike her cheerful demeanor when she left in the morning. He quickly guessed what was going on, but didn't bother to argue.
Sometimes, misunderstandings can hinder the development of certain thoughts, which may not necessarily be a bad thing.
Jiuli glanced sideways and saw him smiling inexplicably, a smile that seemed to hide bitterness. She snorted and threw the bamboo stick into the river. "What are you thinking about?"
Yu Qi smiled but didn't speak, which made her even more unhappy. "Are you not saying anything because you're thinking about Miss Guan?"
What do I want her for?
She couldn't explain it clearly, thinking it would be best if she hadn't thought of it, but she couldn't help but mention Youjun in every few sentences. "Tell me, how come Miss Guan even has dealings with people from brothels?"
"What's so special about that? Guan Youjun has been in the business world for many years, so she inevitably has to befriend a few women who are skilled in the entertainment industry to help her in social situations and make those people happy. This makes it easier to negotiate business deals. Those women don't help for nothing. They can get on the good side of some wealthy gentlemen and get paid in return. It's a win-win situation for all parties."
So, does that mean Guan Youjun, a woman, had to endure the dissolute behavior of those gentlemen at banquets? It shows that for a woman to do big business, she not only needs a clever mind, but also the composure to remain outwardly calm.
The more she admired him, the more uneasy she felt, fearing that Yu Qi might also gradually develop feelings for Guan Youjun. But he never admitted it, nor did he deny it. Even when he did deny it, it was always with excuses like "not worthy of her," which didn't mean he didn't like her.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She could only stare at half of his face, afraid of missing any clues.
As Jiuli slowly approached the Biqing Bridge, he suddenly heard someone call out "Mr. Yu". Jiuli looked around and finally saw a black-awning boat rowing down from under the bridge. Zhang Da was standing at the bow of the boat. It was him who had just been called.
Thinking she was seeing things, she quickly approached the riverbank and peered at the boat. It looked like an ordinary small boat used for ferrying people across the river. She bent down to look inside the shed and saw that there were only long benches on both sides. There wasn't even a low table. It could probably only fit seven or eight people, and there was no place to put tea, fruit, wine, or food. It was completely different from the pleasure boats and pleasure boats of other people.
Just as she was feeling disappointed, Yu Qi sternly tugged at her, "Be careful not to fall!"
She yelled at him, and although she was unhappy, she didn't dare to talk back and obediently stood a little further away from the river.
As they were talking, Zhang Da ordered the boatman to moor the boat at the foot of the stone steps. Standing at the bow, he waved to them with a smile, "Mr. Yu, come on board!"
Du Zhong first stepped off the stone steps and jumped onto the boat. Then Yu Qi stepped onto the bow of the boat, reached out to Jiu Li, afraid that she might lose her balance and fall into the river. He then wrapped his other arm firmly around her waist.
After Jiuli steadied herself, she bent down and peered into the cabin. "Brother Zhang, is this the cruise ship you chartered?"
"Ah." Zhang Da noticed the slight disdain on her face and laughed, "Don't be disgusted. It may be small, but it has all the essential parts. Look, it has a place to sit and can also provide shade from the sun and rain!"
"It's not going to rain today," Jiuli muttered under her breath, plopping down at the bow of the boat and refusing to go into the cramped cabin.
Yu Qi reluctantly bent down and went inside, sitting opposite Du Zhong at the bow of the cabin. He smiled and asked, "How much did it cost for Constable Zhang to charter this ship for a day?"
In front of the boatman, Zhang Da was too embarrassed to boast. He bent down and crawled into the cabin, laughing, "What does money matter? Since we've taken on this role as host, we should prioritize the guests' happiness. As long as the three of you are happy, whatever the expense is worthwhile."
Jiuli initially wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but then he thought again that although he was a constable, he wasn't the kind of person who abused his power to deceive the people for personal gain. He only earned a few taels of silver a month and had a family to support. If he were to rent a decent boat, he probably wouldn't be able to make ends meet for the rest of the month. Therefore, despite having a lot of complaints, he held back and didn't say anything more.
The boat sailed upstream, and the river gradually widened. In less than half an hour, it reached the small stone arch bridge where the body had been retrieved. On the bridge wall were the three characters "Guan Yue Bridge". A short distance further ahead was Lan Song Lou, where they had eaten the night before.
This area was lined with taverns and brothels, attracting crowds of tourists to both banks, and suddenly many more pleasure boats appeared on the river. Jiu Li sat at the bow of the boat, and someone whistled and laughed at her. At first, she didn't understand what it meant, until Yu Qi pulled her into the cabin, and she realized that they were just frivolous people with ill intentions.
Yu Qi originally wanted to give her a few words of advice, but seeing that her face was covered in sweat from the sun, he couldn't bear it and changed his mind, saying, "Wipe the sweat off your face."
She searched for a long time but couldn't find a handkerchief, so he could only sigh and hand her his own, saying, "Now you know, there are people with bad intentions everywhere, and they're always thinking of running away."
She muttered with a stern face, "Does having more bad people mean good people shouldn't go out?"
Yu Qi could only watch her laugh. After a while, feeling helpless, he walked to the bow of the boat and chatted with the old boatman. "Uncle, is it very difficult to go upstream?"
The old boatman laughed and said, "It's alright. The river is flat. If it hadn't rained heavily a few nights ago, going against the current wouldn't have taken much effort. I'm an old man who makes a living by doing hard labor, so it's no big deal."
Yu Qi nodded, noticing the oar emerging from the water, its surface adorned with some lush green water plants. Remembering the filth under Tang Chengguan's fingernails yesterday, which contained a hint of a bright green color, he asked, "What kind of water plants are those?"
"Oh, that's just common goldfish algae, it's found in most rivers."
“Goldfish algae—” he pondered, “I wonder if there are any brightly colored aquatic plants in this river?”
The old man shook his head. "I've never seen them. I've occasionally seen some small white flowers floating on the river, but I don't know what they're called. However, there aren't any in this section of the river."
Yu Qi frowned slightly, and looking around, he saw that there were few pedestrians and shops on both sides of the river, and the trees and bushes growing along the river were becoming more and more numerous.
Ahead, there were several crooked trees covering the river, with a few stone steps leading up to a thatched hut with a flag hanging from its eaves. It turned out to be a small tavern.
It was past noon, so he ordered the boatman to moor the boat beside the stone steps, and told everyone to go ashore, go into the tavern, order some wine and food, and sit down at a table by the river. Looking out, he saw two tributaries merging downstream in front of the tavern, and both banks of the tributaries looked rather deserted.
When the shopkeeper brought out the wine and dishes, Yu Qi took the opportunity to ask, "May I ask, innkeeper, what are those two places upstream from those two rivers?"
The shopkeeper put down his bowl and plate and enthusiastically pointed, "Aside from a few scattered houses along the riverbank, the closest village to the left is Daliu Village, and to the right is Xiaorong Village, where there is a banyan tree that is hundreds of years old. There's nothing else to do or have fun."
Yu Qi thanked the shopkeeper, who was about to leave when Jiu Li called him back and instructed him, "Shopkeeper, please order another pot of wine and two side dishes, and please take them to the old man on the boat."
Yu Qi glanced at her and silently agreed.
As Zhang Da poured wine for everyone, he laughed and said, "Miss Yu'er is truly a kind-hearted person."
After three cups were poured, Yu Qi refused to let him pour any more, saying that Jiu Li didn't drink. Jiu Li insisted, picked up his cup, took a small sip, and was so disgusted by the spiciness that she stuck out her tongue, exclaiming, "How can this wine be so strong!"
Du Zhong glanced at her and said in a low voice, "The shops in the countryside are all selling strong liquor, and they're not meant for girls like you. Just make do with the tea."
He placed the teapot beside her, and she glared at him, moved the teapot aside, and picked up her chopsticks to eat. Although the six or seven dishes didn't look particularly appealing, they tasted quite good, like eating in her hometown in the countryside, with a sense of rustic tranquility and freshness.
Zhang Da smiled at her, then turned to ask Yu Qi a serious question: "I think your river trip today was just a pretense, sir. Is it because you still have doubts about Tang Chengguan's case?"
Yu Qi glanced at him. "Don't you have your doubts too?"
"Tsk, I can't really explain it, but I've been a constable for many years, so I just have a feeling about it."
"What feels off to you?"
He took a sip of wine, staring at the rough wine glass, and said, "Although the body was soaked in the river, making it impossible to determine the exact time of drowning, I think he certainly didn't die yesterday at noon. There were many tourists in that area at noon, so how could a grown man fall into the river and no one see him? I speculate that he fell in drunk in the morning when there were few people around, but who would drink so much so early in the morning?"
The difficulty lies here: in the sweltering summer heat, and with the body submerged in water, many features are not readily apparent, making it indeed difficult to pinpoint the exact time of death. Even Yu Qi could only calculate that the death occurred between the previous day and the morning of the following day.
He looked at Zhang Da's suspicious face, and after a while smiled, "Didn't you say that if you had the Tang family take the body away today, the matter would be over? Why are you worried now?"
He chuckled awkwardly, "Hey, that's true, but I thought about it all night last night and it still doesn't feel quite right. That's just how we constables are, we're always suspicious."
Yu Qi smiled and picked up the wine pot to refill his cup. "Yesterday I agreed to go to the yamen to examine the body, not for any other reason than for your conscientiousness, Constable Zhang."
Zhang Da, incredulous and with a flattered expression, picked up the cup and offered it to his hand.
He filled the cup, put down the pot, and said, "In today's officialdom, high-ranking officials vie for power, while low-ranking officials vie for petty gains. Their minds and hearts are only focused on their own self-interest. Who is like Constable Zhang, willing to go to the trouble of caring for an ordinary commoner?"
Zhang Da felt embarrassed and waved his hands while laughing, "I also try to scheme! It's not that I can't outsmart them. It's just that—hey, I'm a rough man and haven't read many books, otherwise I would be an official too! I don't have the ability, so I can only do these small things. Besides, if I don't do it, who will? It's my job anyway."
Jiuli chimed in, "Yes, Uncle is right. Brother Zhang may be a little slow-witted as a constable, but he's quite responsible. We all saw that when he was at Liyuan."
Du Zhong nodded in agreement, and with the three praising him, Zhang Da blushed and repeatedly denied being that kind of person. Even the shopkeeper laughed when he heard this, sighing, "I don't know what's wrong with this world nowadays. Those who do evil can justify themselves in every way, while those who do good are too embarrassed to admit it."
Jiuli laughed upon hearing this, but a sudden sadness welled up inside her. Indeed, ever since she had interacted with many people at Liyuan, she had discovered that good people were often ridiculed, and honest people were often labeled as fools. No wonder Yu Qi had become so cold and hard-hearted over the years; it was probably due to the corrupting influence of the world.
She rested her arms on the table and looked at Yu Qi. His face was flushed, a rare sight, from drinking two glasses of strong liquor, and a bead of sweat glistened on his chin, giving him a rare vitality. She felt her heart slowly being overwhelmed by a warm feeling, and involuntarily raised her hand to wipe the sweat from his face.
Unexpectedly, he turned his head away, letting her hand pass, and quickly glanced at Zhang Da. Seeing that he was only focused on drinking and hadn't seen her, he felt a little relieved, but his expression remained stern as he looked at her, "We'll be going forward soon, and there won't be any more food for sale up there. If you don't eat more now, we won't take care of you if you get hungry later."
"Oh." Jiuli was secretly angry, but had no choice but to pick up the bowl and eat some more food.
He put down his chopsticks, stood up, and walked to the wooden railing by the river, feeling ashamed of his momentary panic. One shouldn't be a thief, not even have the thought of one, and therefore shouldn't constantly feel guilty. But the sun beat down relentlessly; one could avoid seeing it, but not escape the blazing light of the sun and moon.
He blinked hard a few times, looked around for a moment, wiped his sweat casually with a handkerchief, and called Zhang Da over. “You’re right. Tang Chengguan didn’t fall into the river in the populated area ahead. We came up along the Guanyue Bridge, and only here did we see these fallen trees on both banks. Think about the wounds on Tang Chengguan’s body.”
Zhang Da squinted and examined the fallen trees beside the thatched hut closely. Sure enough, the branches that had fallen into the water were covered with dense clusters of short thorns, which made him realize something. Then, thinking that this was a coincidence that there was a tavern nearby, he glanced back at the shopkeeper and whispered, "Sir, are you saying that Tang Chengguan fell into the river here?"
Just as Yu Qi opened his mouth, Jiu Li interrupted from behind, "That's not true. Brother Zhang, you need to use your brain more. If you don't think things through, you'll become dumber and dumber."
Zhang Da turned around and said, "Hey, my brain is just like this from birth. No matter how hard I try, I'm not smart. You say that's not true? Then tell me why."
Jiuli looked up and asked, "Tell me, how long did it take us to walk up from the Moon-Viewing Bridge?"
As Zhang Da was calculating, the boatman on the boat laughed and said, "It took more than an hour."
Yu Qi laughed and said, "The body has been soaking in the water for at least two hours."
Zhang Da frowned. "You mean it's still ahead? No wonder you asked the shopkeeper where the two rivers up there lead. Did you notice something was wrong when you examined the body yesterday? Hey, then why did you say it was drowned?"
Jiuli said, "Don't you understand? He drowned, but it doesn't say he wasn't murdered."
He pondered for a moment, then laughed, "So, my intuition was actually accurate after all?"
"Absolutely right." Du Zhong walked over with a grin. "Brother Zhang, can you guess who the murderer is?"
"Go away! You brat, if I could sense this, I wouldn't be a constable, I'd be a fortune teller!"
Amidst laughter and conversation, Yu Qi had already settled the bill at the counter. The four of them emerged from the thatched hut, descended the stone steps, and boarded the boat again. The old man thanked them for the food and drink and rowed with even greater vigor. In a short while, they approached the two waterways, and Yu Qi chose the right one. Sure enough, the number of houses along the way decreased as they went. After about two hours, they gradually saw fields and thatched cottages on the right. After traveling a little further, they came to a cluster of over a hundred houses, which they assumed was the Little Banyan Village the innkeeper had mentioned.
The group waded ashore and followed the country path to the village. They met a shepherd boy and, after confirming that it was Xiaorong Village, they followed the path. Not far ahead, they saw a large, lush banyan tree. Under the tree, there were three tables, and a woman was sitting idly fanning herself under the awning.
Du Zhong, following Yu Qi's instructions, approached, but before he could even speak, the woman asked with a smile, "Would you gentlemen like to rest and have some tea?"
Du Zhong turned to Yu Qi and exclaimed with a smile, "Master, you really are a tea seller!"
The three approached slowly. The woman had set up a tea stove behind the tree, and soon brewed a pot of tea and set out a plate of melon seeds. Yu Qi turned to look at the tree, whose trunk was so large that it would take four people to encircle it, and whose branches and leaves blocked out the sky. He murmured, "This tree is probably four or five hundred years old."
The woman smiled and chimed in, "Sir, you have a good eye. Our village is named after this tree. Every spring and summer, some traveling merchants come here to see it."
Du Zhong laughed and said, "No wonder my sister-in-law sets up a few tables here to sell tea."
"It's just a small business I do in my spare time. I don't sell any good tea, and I don't make much money."
Just then, a man dressed in a chestnut-colored short jacket and with his head wrapped up came walking along the road ahead with his head down. On the country road, it was impossible not to look at him. The woman straightened up and stared at him closely. Sure enough, she saw the man dart around to the back of a tree, scoop up water from her bucket and drink it. After finishing, he wiped his mouth and then grabbed some melon seeds from her basket.
She rushed over, grabbed a gourd ladle, and started hitting him, yelling, "You damned Shi Qi! I was only half-asleep and you slipped away to take my things! Put them back, put them back! Or my man will beat you to death!"
"Hit me?" The man sneered fiercely. "Call him here, I'll be waiting right here! Let me tell you, I just killed someone yesterday, and I'm still a bit bloodthirsty. Call him here, and I'll make sure he comes standing up and goes home asleep!"
Upon hearing this, the four people at the table changed their expressions and looked more closely at the man named Shi Qi. This man was about the same age as Yu Qi, and although he had a somewhat fierce look on his face, he seemed weak.
The woman was only slightly bothered by what she heard; her temper remained fierce. She threw the ladle back into the bucket with a crash, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Get out of here right now! Otherwise, I'll call my father too, and you can try and kill him!"
Taking advantage of their momentary lapse in attention, Shi Qi grabbed a handful of melon seeds and ran off towards the village.
The woman had no choice but to return, cursing and swearing. She smiled as she stood before the table and said, "Please excuse me, gentlemen. That's the most unruly rogue in our village. If I don't scold him, he won't know when to stop. Who knows, he might even take my basket."
Zhang Da waved his hand with a smile, "It doesn't matter, we often see these kinds of thugs."
The woman spat on the ground, "Pah, he's not even as good as a local thug. At least a local thug has a way to make a living. What does he have? He complains about the sun in the fields when he goes to work, and he complains about the ladder being too hard to climb when he goes to build a house. Even though he has two small plots of land, he just leaves them to waste. He can't even afford to eat, and he's even willing to have an affair with someone else."
"To have an affair with someone?" Jiu Li didn't quite understand, so she asked without hesitation, "I've heard of selling one's wife, but what about having an affair with one's wife?"
"She's just being sent to someone in a shady way, getting a few bucks in return. She's officially someone's wife, but she's also constantly involved with him in private. Isn't that just being a mistress?"
Du Zhong had never heard of such a thing before, and hurriedly asked, "Would they really agree to that? Is there anyone in the world who would willingly be a cuckold?"
The woman couldn't help but laugh. "They're poor too. I heard he's a pickpocket, and he's always hungry. How could he afford to buy out his wife? They just have to turn a blind eye. Besides, even though my wife is at home, she's still her own person. Who can control her every moment when she wants to go out with someone else?"
Jiuli suddenly remembered what Shi Qi had said earlier—that he had killed someone just yesterday. What a coincidence, the man his wife had given away to was a thief! So he asked, "What's the name of that thief you're talking about?"
The woman shook her head. "Who cares about him? Anyway, I heard he lives in the city, but living in the city doesn't necessarily mean he's rich. But I see his wife comes back often. Sigh, I guess that thief is never home."
Jiuli and Yuqi exchanged a glance, then asked, "Is the wife you're talking about around thirty years old, very thin, and very fierce when she scolds people?"
"What's with the fierceness? All bark and no bite. If she were truly fierce, would Shi Qi have given her away to someone else? But the figure and age you described do match. What, do you know her, young lady?" She sized up Jiu Li, shaking her head and clicking her tongue. "Doesn't seem like it. With your appearance, how could you possibly know his wife?"
Just then, an elderly man carrying a hoe came along the road ahead. The woman waved to him, "Uncle, Uncle, come here!" When the man came up, she went over and poured him a bowl of tea. "Uncle, let me ask you something. Didn't Shi Qi give his wife to someone else a couple of years ago? What's that person's surname?"
The old man chuckled, "I remember him. His surname is Tang, and he lives on Liuli Street in the city. I heard he's a poor man too. Why are you asking about him?"
The woman said, "It's nothing. I just saw Shi Qi and remembered to ask him about it."
The old man handed back the teacup and left. The woman carried the teacup back to the table. "Young lady, is this the same person you know?"
Jiuli looked at Yu Qi and nodded secretly.
Zhang Da immediately stood up and asked the woman, "Where does the Shi family live in the village?"
The woman was startled when she saw his expression suddenly become solemn. She stammered and pointed to a dilapidated mud-brick house in the distance, "That's...that's the house."
Zhang Da smiled at everyone, "I never expected that today's trip would bring out the murderer. You all sit here and wait, I'll go get Shi Qi."
Upon hearing this, Du Zhong excitedly stood up, "Brother Zhang, are you sure you can manage on your own? I'll go with you, at least I'll have an extra helper, maybe I can help you block the door or something."
Yu Qi didn't say anything, thinking that Zhang Da should be quite skilled, and besides, he had just seen that Shi Qi was just an ordinary country bumpkin who wouldn't put Du Zhong in any real danger. Since he liked to join in the fun, he tacitly allowed him to go along.
Jiuli watched the two of them walk into the manor, then turned around and, seeing that Yu Qi's face was expressionless, put her arms on the table, tilted her head, and said, "Uncle, do you think that Shi Qi is not the murderer?"
Yu Qi glanced at her. "What murderer would openly flaunt their crime?"
Although Jiuli also felt that it wasn't true, after thinking about it, she said, "Perhaps he did it on purpose. The more he shouts about it everywhere, the less people will take it seriously. This is called trying to cover up the truth."
Yu Qi looked at her serious expression and couldn't help but laugh. "The kind of person you're talking about does exist, but it can't be Shi Qi, someone who's afraid of the sun even when working in the fields. He wouldn't be able to think like that. But it's good to capture him, maybe we can get some clues out of him."
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you for reading.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
