Chapter 28 Double Confusion (08) Seeking Advice on the Upbringing of a Rebellious Girl...
Jiuli ate her porridge with her eyes lowered, secretly pondering the stranger surnamed Chu. When Master Li came to the garden last time, he didn't mention this matter, so he probably didn't take it to heart. It seems that he bargained too low.
He then asked, "What price did that man surnamed Chu offer back then?"
The story goes that it was strange, "The man surnamed Chu initially offered 10,000 taels, but Master Li refused and wanted him to add another 2,000. However, the man surnamed Chu then pushed the price down to 8,000 taels, which angered Master Li so much that he turned around and left, saying that he was playing with people."
"Is this all what the constable you sent to inquire said? How could he find out so much?"
Du Zhongmie said, "If it were me, I would definitely know more than him."
Xu Bai laughed and said, "That Mr. Chu arranged to meet with Master Li at Baiyulou on Sancai Street to discuss the price. The yamen runners asked the shop assistants at Baiyulou for the details."
Even those who aren't in business know that in buying and selling, you make a price, I counter, we negotiate a few rounds, and finally we settle on a middle price so that both sides benefit. The way this man surnamed Chu is haggling suggests either he's not genuinely interested in buying, or he has other, more compelling reasons to get the deal.
He murmured, "Could it be that this Mr. Chu deliberately turned this garden into a haunted house in order to lower the price?"
Du Zhong chimed in with a laugh, “Hey, that’s not necessarily true. Don’t some rich and powerful people treat human life like dirt? Once, my master and I went to a wealthy family to treat a patient, and we saw them beat a servant to death. This kind of thing often happens in the homes of those rich people. Afterwards, they’ll give the family a few coins, and they won’t sue.”
She nodded repeatedly, finding the other person's words to be reasonable.
Xu Bai smiled and shook his head. "According to the shop assistant at Baiyulou, the man surnamed Chu was extremely generous. He carried 10,000 taels of silver with him when negotiating the price, and even put it on the table for Master Li to see. Everyone avoids haunted houses. He can afford 10,000 taels of silver, but he would kill someone just to pay a few thousand taels, and the person he killed was a prominent figure in Nanjing. Isn't that taking too much risk? Isn't it a bit too much of a loss?"
Seeing that what was said made sense, Jiuli nodded in agreement.
Regardless, this man surnamed Chu is of unknown origin and seems to have come specifically for this lychee garden, so we should go and sound him out.
Thinking of this, she sighed, drawing out her words, "I only regret that I am sick right now and my uncle will not let me go out, otherwise we should have gone to meet that Master Chu today."
Not only did Yu Qi refuse to let her go out, but Xu Bai also didn't want her to go out. Her illness was still not cured, and he didn't want her to get worse if she went out. So he reassured her, "There's no rush in a day or two. I sent someone to inquire. The man surnamed Chu lives at the Yuanju Inn on Sancai Street. He moved in at the beginning of last month and hasn't left for more than a month. I don't think he will leave Nanjing easily until he buys this garden."
Jiuli was relieved and, while chatting, unknowingly ate most of the porridge and bamboo shoots.
Around noon, Yu Qi and the other doctors returned from their rounds. Before even reaching the courtyard, they saw a man in a dark brown, round-necked robe walking along a side path shaded by lush greenery. Judging from the direction, he had come from the other side of their courtyard. Although he couldn't make out who it was, what young man in this garden could afford to wear such clothes?
Yu Qi gradually furrowed his brow, his previously easygoing gaze turning serious.
Walking beside him was a younger doctor, no more than thirty-five or thirty-six years old, named Bao Xianwei. Bao Xianwei glanced at him, his expression turning cold again. Thinking that he had offended him with something, he quickly cupped his hands and smiled, "If I have said anything wrong, please enlighten me, Doctor Yu."
Although he was several years older than Yu Qi, he was exceptionally humble and polite among the doctors. Therefore, when discussing medicine with Yu Qi, he did not dare to underestimate him because of his youth, nor was he jealous of his talent. Yu Qi also treated him differently from the others. Although he was not talkative, he was very open and honest with him.
Seeing that he had misunderstood, Yu Qi smiled and shook his head. After a while, he suddenly remembered that there was also a young lady in his household, who seemed to be about the same age as Jiu Li, and who had previously come to the garden to bring him a change of clothes.
As luck would have it, I could ask, "I remember that Dr. Bao has a daughter. I saw her come into the garden the other day to bring him tea, food, and clothes. She was so well-behaved and sensible. I wonder how she was raised?"
Why did you suddenly bring up housework? Bao Xianwei was surprised for a moment, then remembered his quick-witted niece, and waved his hand with a smile, “That’s just an act outside. She’s the same at home, always bickering and arguing with her sisters. How can she be considered well-behaved and sensible? I’ve been coming to Liyuan for a long time and it’s really rare to have some peace and quiet.”
"Has your daughter ever been engaged?"
Bao Xianwei shook his head, "It's settled. We'll be leaving for our new home in the summer."
"This year? Isn't that a bit early?"
"This is considered late. She's sixteen this year, while her cousins got married around fourteen or fifteen."
Yu Qi remained silent. He had originally wanted to ask for advice on how to regulate interactions between young men and women, but he was afraid that people would misunderstand Jiu Li as a girl who didn't follow the rules. So he changed his words and said with a smile, "Don't girls this age like to listen to their elders? You say one thing, and she has a thousand reasons to refute you."
"This isn't just a problem for your family, sir. I have two daughters, the younger one is twelve, and she talks back to her mother just as much. Girls are like that, you can't hit them hard, and you can't scold them harshly either. It's one thing if they don't know how to read and write, but it's especially true for those who have read a few books but haven't experienced any hardship. They think they've learned all sorts of principles from books, and you, the experienced people, are seen as pedantic and outdated! So, her mother and I have been talking less these past two years. And you know what? When we talk less and interfere less, they're actually more obedient."
It turns out that all families that raise daughters have this problem. Young people are more or less rebellious. Perhaps Bao Xianwei's method is good. Ask less questions and interfere less. No one will compete with her, and she won't have to go against you.
"I heard that your nephew was raised by the old lady?"
Yu Qi nodded, and Bao Xianwei laughed again, "That makes it even more difficult. Grandparents dote on their grandchildren without restraint! Not to mention that as an uncle, it's even harder to keep a close eye on them, for fear of letting down their parents in heaven. In my opinion, Doctor Yu should marry a wife to help you manage things. Having a capable young woman in the household will help you avoid being taken advantage of when you're considering marriage."
Yu Qi was speechless and could only express his gratitude.
Since the topic of marriage proposals came up, it was inevitable that inquiries would be made about the Qi family. "Do you know anything about the Qi family, the county magistrate in the garden?"
“Qi Xubai?” Bao Xianwei chuckled and sighed, lowering his voice. “Speaking of their family, they were a true scholarly family. His great-grandfather was the top scholar in the imperial examination, and his grandfather studied from a young age, ranking among the top three scholars in his generation. Before he was forty, he entered the Grand Secretariat and served as an important minister in two dynasties. Unfortunately, during the ‘Rebellion of the Liang Dynasty,’ Old Master Qi used the analogy of burning beanstalks to persuade the new emperor to forgive his brothers who intended to rebel and usurp the throne. As a result, the new emperor stripped him of his power but left him with his name, advised him to retire, and sent the Qi family back to their hometown in Nanjing.”
The so-called "Huangliang Incident" refers to the chaos in the imperial family during the struggle for the throne. At that time, the current emperor was still the crown prince, and his younger brother, Prince Feng, altered the late emperor's edict, intending to usurp the position of crown prince. The edict was placed on the beam in the late emperor's study, so the common people jokingly called it the "Huangliang Incident," also implying that Prince Feng's ambition to ascend the throne was nothing but a pipe dream.
Later, when Prince Feng was defeated and died, the current emperor ascended the throne. Prince Feng and dozens of his relatives were all executed, and his former supporters were also implicated. Old Master Qi, who had pleaded for Prince Feng at the time, naturally also faced retribution later.
"Not long after the family moved back to Nanjing, Old Master Qi passed away, and less than two years later, Old Master Qi also died in depression. Qi Xubai also had an elder brother. Although both brothers were graduates of the imperial examinations, they were never given important positions by the court because of their grandfather's involvement. The eldest brother of the Qi family is currently only holding a nominal position as an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Rites in Southern Zhili, while Qi Xubai, although he has real power, is only a minor county magistrate."
After Bao Xianwei finished speaking, he didn't hear Yu Qi's reply. He glanced at him and saw that Yu Qi seemed to be lost in thought, so he smiled and said, "As for character and talent, the Qi brothers are beyond reproach. During the Nanjing epidemic, the government initially ignored it. It was only through the connections of Master Qi and his grandfather's old friends in the capital that the news reached the emperor, and only then did the court take it seriously. Although Qi Xubai is just a minor county magistrate, he has always fought for the people's interests and has offended Magistrate Wang quite a bit. If Doctor Yu doesn't want any overwhelming power, the Qi family is a good family. Although their official careers have been hindered, with the savings accumulated over generations, they can still live a life of luxury."
Seeing that Yu Qi was still lost in thought, he called out to him repeatedly, "Doctor Yu, Doctor Yu?!"
Yu Qi snapped out of his reverie, smiled, and nodded, "Thank you for your words, Doctor Bao."
The conversation had returned to the courtyard, and the doctors went back to their rooms. Yu Qili finished saving today's prescriptions, sat down to rest for a while, and unconsciously tapped his fingers slowly on the table. Recalling what Bao Xianwei had said earlier, he realized that the Qi family was indeed such a family. He had only heard that they were a scholarly family with a deep foundation, but it turned out that they had been loyal ministers of two dynasties.
However, since the Qi family had offended the emperor and their careers were now blocked, their worries were over. Moreover, everyone praised Qi Xubai's character and talent. Thinking of this name, he felt annoyed. He was probably a good person, but he just couldn't bring himself to like him.
This contradiction was like his desire for Xu Bai and Jiu Li to have a relationship, yet also his wish that such a relationship had nothing to do with romantic feelings. He suddenly realized that what he really wanted was to be able to stand comfortably in the uncertain situation of their relationship.
Isn't this a kind of "petty-mindedness"?
Just as he was feeling ashamed, Du Zhong brought lunch and placed it on the table, calling him from under the gauze curtain. He turned around and saw that there were only two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table, so he asked, "Where is Yu'er? She doesn't even have an appetite for lunch? She didn't eat breakfast either. Even if she doesn't have an appetite, she should eat something."
"Just now, Qi Xubai brought over a bowl of porridge and a bowl of fresh bamboo shoots, saying that his mother sent them to Yu'er. It was made so cleverly that Yu'er ate most of it and can't eat anymore now."
It's his residence again. Judging from the situation, once the matter of the lychee garden is settled, someone from the Qi family will definitely come to visit.
Since he himself could not make up his mind about this matter, after weighing the options several times, he wrote a letter after dinner, explaining Xu Bai's family background and character, and asked Du Zhong to send it home to Feng Qiao, and find someone to take it back to the old lady in the countryside of Suzhou, so that the old lady could make the final decision.
Du Zhong had been away from the garden for half a day and stayed at home for a while. Jiu Li called for him but couldn't find him, so she went into the north room to ask. Yu Qi only said that he had sent him home to deliver some things. Jiu Li saw him sitting behind his desk, busy with his own things, without asking her why she hadn't eaten lunch or saying anything else. Feeling disappointed, she had no choice but to go back to her room to lie down.
Du Zhong returned around dinnertime. As he walked down the corridor, Jiu Li pulled him into the room. "What did you go home to deliver?" she asked.
Although Du Zhong didn't see what was written in the letter, he could guess that it was about the Qi family.
Jiuli was confused at first, "What could the Qi family possibly have to tell the old lady? They don't even know her."
"That's why I wrote the letter, so that the old lady would know about the Qi family's social standing and background, and what kind of person Qi Xubai is. As long as the old lady is willing, this matter can be settled."
She gradually realized what he meant by his playful expression, and her heart suddenly pounded. She couldn't tell if she was surprised, delighted, or mostly angry. Her face fell involuntarily. "Why didn't you ask me if I was willing?"
"So, are you willing?"
She fell silent; when it came to this matter, she could never answer. A sense of anxiety welled up within her, and her heart ached slightly from the sun's heat radiating from behind.
Du Zhong glanced at her gloomy expression and sat down next to her with a smile. "I don't think you'd be unwilling, would you? You've already eaten at her mother's house twice and returned the favor. Aren't you ashamed?"
She felt a lump in her throat and pushed him away, saying, "Go back to your room! I just saw Aunt Wu bring over the food. Be careful not to ruin your life's work!"
His lifelong pursuit was, of course, eating, so he stood up and asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"
"Go tell your uncle that I have no appetite!"
To everyone's surprise, Yu Qi didn't try to persuade him; he just ate it himself.
The next day, he still didn't eat breakfast, only took half a bowl of medicine, and listlessly stayed on the couch watching the rain. He also saw the doctors leaving the hospital to make their rounds through the window. Yu Qi didn't like walking close to people, so he lagged behind, holding a dark yellow silk umbrella, the color of fallen leaves, which half-covered his face, revealing only his sharp chin. He didn't look in his direction.
She leaned against the windowsill, sniffling angrily.
At noon, Du Zhong still came to call her for lunch. She was clearly starving and couldn't stand it, but she stayed on the couch and insisted that she had no appetite.
Du Zhong finally realized that she seemed to be sulking with someone. He walked back to the north room, still confused, muttering to himself, "Strange, I didn't offend her—"
Yu Qi, sitting at the round table, called out to him, "What are you saying? Hurry up and eat."
He sat down and said, "Yu'er says she has no appetite again. I think she's just sulking with someone."
Yu Qi raised one eyebrow. "Did you tell the old lady about writing the letter?"
"I did say that." After speaking, he rolled his eyes and smiled. "Oh, is it because you're shy? I've heard that when a girl is being asked to marry, she gets so shy that she stays at home, but I've never heard of her not even eating."
Yu Qi was so annoyed by his laughter that his head was throbbing. He glared at him, and Yu Qi quickly stopped laughing and obediently picked up his bowl to eat his rice.
Yu Qi picked up his bowl, picking at the food as he looked out through the door. Jiu Li, taking advantage of the rain and the lack of people around, didn't close the door, allowing her to peek into the room. Next to the door was the couch, and a piece of her brown skirt was left untied on it. She was probably sitting on the couch against the wall, perhaps peeking into the room.
He deliberately raised his voice and asked Du Zhong, "When you entered the Guan Zhan room that night, did you notice what was happening in the courtyard?"
Why are we suddenly talking about the case? Du Zhong was taken aback and tried hard to recall, "When we went in, the courtyard was pitch black, with only a little light coming from Guan Zhan's room. Even if you wanted to see, you couldn't." He held his bowl, pondering the purpose of this question, and suddenly felt a chill of fear, "Master, do you suspect that the murderer was hiding in the courtyard when we went in?"
Yu Qi nodded, his voice unusually loud, "You were entangled with Rouge in the bamboo grove for a while, and no one came out of that courtyard. Guan Zhan had clearly just died when you went in, so how did the murderer leave right under your noses?"
Sure enough, Jiuli overheard them talking about Guan Zhan's case in that room and hurriedly ran over from the east room. As soon as she entered, she said, "Could the murderer have escaped by scaling walls and sneaking out from behind the house? Didn't you say he only used one slash to kill Guan Zhan? He must be a highly skilled martial artist, like those in chivalrous stories?"
Yu Qi raised the corners of his mouth slightly and resumed his normal voice, "That's a story. There's no such superb and mysterious martial arts in the world. Besides, he doesn't need to fly over rooftops and walls at all. He can just hide in the dark corner of the courtyard and sneak out of the courtyard when you enter the house."
Jiuli pondered his words and sat down, picking up a bowl and chopsticks as well. She looked at Du Zhong and said, "How could I not have thought of that? Yes, the courtyard was so dark back then, and there were several large banana trees, perfect for hiding. The murderer killed someone and was about to leave, but he heard the three of us arguing in the small bamboo grove outside, so he didn't dare to come out. If we had gone in a moment earlier, Guan Zhan might not be dead!"
She turned her head and saw the calm smile on Yu Qi's face. While picking up some food, she pouted and said, "Uncle, did you think of this a long time ago? No wonder Officer Zhang was so anxious, but you weren't worried at all." After saying that, she disregarded her usual manners and shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth.
Du Zhong, standing to the side, discreetly served her food and soup, and asked, "Do you already know who killed Guan Zhan?"
Yu Qi knew they hadn't made much progress on Lin Mo's case, and Jiu Li was always impatient and competitive, so he couldn't bear to discourage them further. He frowned and shook his head, "I'm not a god."
After drinking half a bowl of hot soup, Jiuli finally felt better and resumed his usual habit of chewing slowly.
Yu Qi watched her eat and suddenly said softly, "Don't hold a grudge against others by not eating in the future; you'll only make yourself hungry."
Who doesn't understand this? She wouldn't act so childishly if she were arguing with someone else. It's precisely because it's him that she's certain he wouldn't want her to go hungry.
Although his method of "coaxing" her today wasn't very tender or gentle, it was still good that he thought of it and used her involuntary curiosity to lure her to the dinner table.
The two tacitly kept quiet about the letter, as if nothing had happened.
She used to be like this all the time, getting angry with him over trivial things she could no longer remember. Whether he coaxed her gently or scolded her harshly, her goal was simply to make sure he couldn't ignore her.
Hearing that Yu Qi still didn't know who the real culprit was in Guan Zhan's murder, Jiu Li was relieved. With warm clothes and plenty of food, her runny nose stopped the next morning, and she no longer needed to take medicine. Now that she had recovered, she couldn't delay any longer, fearing she would fall behind Yu Qi. She immediately washed and changed her clothes, took Du Zhong to find Xu Bai, and was eager to go out and find that stranger surnamed Chu.
When they got there, Xu Bai, worried about her, calmly asked her repeatedly if she was alright.
Seeing him sitting comfortably in the chair with a book in his hand, Jiuli urged him instead, "Hey, why are you dawdling like this? Don't I know whether I'm better or not? If you don't trust me, don't you trust the medicine my uncle prescribed? My uncle has already let me go out, and you're just dawdling here. Whose business is this anyway?"
Xu Bai had no choice but to put down the book and get up, instructing people to prepare a carriage and harness horses. The three of them searched for the Yuanju Inn on Sancai Street.
The Yuanju Inn was lavishly decorated, with the innhouse in the back courtyard and four storefronts combined outside, furnished with twenty square tables, serving as the main dining area. Because it was raining and not yet mealtime, there weren't many guests, so it wasn't too noisy. As Jiuli entered, she faintly heard a familiar voice. Tilting her head, she peered into a cramped private room on the left and saw Master Li's plump figure sitting inside, talking animatedly with a man in his thirties.
The waiter rushed to greet him, asking if he wanted to eat or stay at the hotel. Jiu Li didn't answer, but subtly nudged Xu Bai with his elbow and gestured towards the private room with his chin.
Xu Bai looked inside and saw Master Li. He pointed to another private room next door and said to the waiter, "Let's eat in that room."
The three followed the waiter inside, ordered a few dishes at random, and then closed the door to listen to the conversation next door.
As expected, the man they were looking for, Master Chu, was indeed the one talking to Master Li. He spoke with a slight Sichuan accent and chuckled leisurely, "Enough, enough, Master Li. In your Jiangnan dialect, you're a bit 'clueless.' Do you think I, an outsider, am out of touch with the news? I've heard that there have been two murders at your lychee orchard, and neither of them died of illness; they were murdered! In this situation, you still dare to ask me for an exorbitant price?"
Earlier, Master Li acted as if no one knew about the matter and made his demands with great confidence. Now that he heard everyone knew, his face gradually turned dejected, yet he was still somewhat unwilling. "I thought you weren't serious about buying it, but I didn't expect you to have found out so much. Since you are sincerely interested in my garden, then fine, it's ten thousand taels, as you've offered!"
"Look at you, you're being 'unclear-headed' again. I gave eight thousand taels back then, not ten thousand." Master Chu laughed, leaning back in his chair and lifting his robe to cross his legs.
Master Li's eyes widened immediately. He had thought that the eight thousand was just a prank, but who knew that they would actually negotiate at this price now.
Master Chu smiled again, “Besides, eight thousand taels was only the price for the ghost story. Now that there’s a murder case, we can’t keep it at eight thousand. How about this, I won’t cheat you, a fixed price of seven thousand.”
Seeing that Master Li remained silent, he said leisurely, "Doing business is entirely voluntary. I will not force anyone. I suggest that Master Li go back and think it over. If you have made up your mind, I will be waiting for you at the inn."
A moment later, a chair creaked, indicating that Master Li had left his seat. Then, it sounded like another person had entered, speaking with a mixed accent from both the north and south, including a bit of Nanjing dialect. "Fourth Master Chu, the price is too low. Will Master Li refuse to agree? We told him before we came that we must get this garden."
"Don't worry, if you say this garden is haunted, that's just a baseless rumor. Some people believe it, some don't. But the situation is different now. Someone really died in there. Who would dare to covet this garden? Even if that guy surnamed Li wanted to raise the price, he wouldn't be able to. Just be patient and wait. He'll definitely come back to me in less than half a month."
"That's true. When you, Fourth Master Chu, negotiate deals, you always have a big budget. Anyway, we can afford to wait, no rush, no rush."
Immediately, they heard the two laughing and talking as they left the private room. Jiu Li and the other two also hurriedly came out from the other side and stopped the Master Chu.
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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