Chapter 8
"Qiu Chiyan already knows about my affairs. But about yours..." Gong Er stroked his non-existent long beard, pondering.
"Wait, he already knows? So I'm the only one who didn't know!" Yao Liuliu slammed her hand on the table in protest.
"That's not the point." Gong Er waved his hand. "You outlaw, stop loitering around in front of the head constable."
"I didn't do anything!"
Gong Ershuang stretched out two fingers and widened his eyes: "You may keep your mouth shut, but every word you utter will be evidence in court!"
"Stop spouting nonsense." Yao Liuliu kicked him in the shin without any mercy.
Shen Yu brought out freshly baked osmanthus sugar cakes from the kitchen, and the two stopped bickering for a moment.
The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms mingled with the steam, and their eyes all fell on the plate of pastries.
But she didn't stop walking; instead of sitting down to join them at a table, she went to the front hall.
"Hey? Where are you going? We haven't figured out what to do yet!" Yao Liuliu called out to her.
"I'll go and deliver some to Qiu Chiyan."
"Then you are not allowed to tell him about me."
"Of course. It would be best if he found out himself."
"...Shen Yu!"
Shen Yu didn't know what the two of them had come up with, but in Qiu Chiyan's presence, they didn't seem to be acting strangely, except that they went out even less.
But poor Xu Dahe, the honest boy was tricked by them and ended up doing a lot of chores.
However, he had no complaints. The inn provided food and lodging and even gave him pocket money, so he felt that working was his duty.
His only thought was Qiu Chiyan's feedback.
One day, two days...
The store remained calm throughout.
He also knew that the town's head constable was investigating a case, so he waited for their arrival every day as if he were looking forward to the stars and the moon.
He was sweeping the lobby diligently, but his eyes kept drifting towards the street corner.
Therefore, Yan Rifu always felt immense pressure whenever he came.
The victims' families were watching anxiously, but he couldn't always provide useful information.
So he would pull Qiu Chiyan into the back kitchen to talk, speaking in hushed tones across the steaming stove and fire, not wanting the people in the main hall to notice.
"Officer Qiu, it's not that we're incompetent, it's just that..." Yan Rifu sighed heavily, "Every time our men enter Yanyu Pavilion, there's always a new place they want to spend money on. They're sharp-eyed; they can tell whether a guest is rich or poor at a glance."
"Is it because we don't have enough money?"
"...We can't possibly spend so much of your money there." Yan Rifu only learned from Zhao Ze later that the money they used to enter Yanyu Pavilion was all Qiu Chiyan's private property, which made the already penniless constables even more constrained.
He then explained, "The people at Yanyu Pavilion are more cunning than needlepoints. If they see we have no money, they certainly won't give us any illusion drugs."
Qiu Chiyan sighed inwardly. He couldn't blame them. Those in this business were the hardest to fool. Although Sanhe Town was bustling, it wasn't a wealthy place. The rich people were all from outside.
Then he'll have to find someone else; it's not good to see familiar faces here again.
"Have the boatmen sent any updates?"
“Hey, I have this.” Yan Rifu pulled out a scroll of testimony, clearly indicating that he had already interrogated the people. “We followed them secretly for a few days and discovered that in addition to their daily life at the dock, they once went to see people from the Lin Family Charitable Estate in private, and they took money from them.”
"Lin Family Charitable Estate?"
"It is a clan charity estate established by a wealthy merchant in our town. It not only provides assistance to the poor in their clan, but also often provides relief to the starving. It has an excellent reputation."
Qiu Chiyan read the boatmen's testimony from beginning to end. They confessed that they had taken money from the mortuary's employees and wanted to find fault with an old itinerant doctor, preferably to drive him out of Sanhe Town, but not to make a big fuss.
That time at the inn was actually the first time they caused trouble.
However, they didn't know the reason; they were just doing the job for money. Most importantly, they only dared to take the job because they knew it wouldn't hurt anyone.
"This Lin family..."
Yan Rifu seemed to have been waiting for this, and hurriedly spoke up, but his face showed some unease: "The Lin family is very powerful. You are in the capital, so you must know the name of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Lord Lin... The Lin family has established many charitable estates, so there are some in Sanhe Town as well. However, I think this matter has nothing to do with the Lin family. It's just that their subordinates are taking advantage of the situation and have done things improperly."
Qiu Chiyan also thought so.
The employees of the mortuary were far removed from the affairs of their masters, so they could do whatever they wanted themselves.
The reason for seeking help from outsiders instead of family members is mostly to avoid detection within the family.
However, he still asked one more question: "Why do you draw this conclusion?"
“Look, if the Lin family really wanted to get rid of a mere itinerant doctor, they have connections everywhere and countless ways to do it. Why would they need to hire a few half-baked boatmen? Those few people aren’t the type to cause any real trouble. If the Lin family really wanted to eliminate them completely, I’m afraid neither you nor I would have noticed.”
After Yan Rifu finished speaking, he cautiously observed Qiu Chiyan's gaze, but saw that the other party remained calm, neither asking further questions nor expressing any opinion.
"Thank you for your help these past few days."
Qiu Chiyan was preoccupied with his own thoughts, so he spoke less.
But Yan Rifu saw more than just that—
The constable from the capital was disappointed in him!
Is his political career over?
He rubbed his hands together, wanting to say something of value.
But suddenly, another head squeezed in between him and Qiu Chiyan.
"Want some braised chicken? I've been making it all morning."
Shen Yu ignored what they were saying and eagerly presented the small porcelain bowl to them.
"Mmm! It smells delicious!" Yan Rifu's attention was immediately drawn to it. Since he started coming to Chang Le Inn, he had benefited a lot from it and gotten a lot of free food.
I initially thought it was just a small inn and wouldn't have given it much of a second glance while patrolling the streets. Little did I know that it was a hidden gem with such excellent skills.
"I added perilla leaves, patchouli leaves, and lemongrass to cut through the greasiness, enhance the aroma, and give it a herbal scent." Shen Yu shook the plate, her face revealing a hint of pride.
Yan Rifu ate happily, his tension was relieved, and most importantly, since the officials in the capital were in a good mood, it was no big deal for him to eat a few pieces of meat.
After they had eaten enough, Qiu Chiyan gave Yan Rifu a final instruction to invite Feng Shun to the inn again.
There was no point in letting Feng Shun stay outside; the trail had gone cold with the boatmen, so in order not to alert him, they had no choice but to start with Feng Shun.
Qiu Chiyan watched Yan Rifu's departing figure and sighed.
"Don't sigh, it'll blow away your good fortune." Shen Yu quickly picked up a piece of glistening chicken and brought it directly to his lips, trying to stop him from sighing.
"...I...uh...I sighed?" Qiu Chiyan himself didn't realize that the salty and savory satisfaction in his mouth instantly filled the blank space in his mind again.
"Anyway, troubles will always be resolved eventually, let's eat chicken first!"
Qiu Chiyan chuckled softly and said nothing more.
He wasn't bothered by Feng Shun and Xu Dahe.
In many places, people are under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs, but even if they know it, some people still don't think it's a big deal.
Hallucinogenic drugs offer two advantages: no immediate physical harm and the ability to provide fleeting pleasure. His colleagues reported that some who had been disciplined or warned were still secretly searching for the drugs.
Furthermore, those who profit from this in various places have given the hallucinogenic drug different names, making the search much more difficult unless concrete evidence is obtained.
Qiu Chiyan's gaze returned to the porcelain bowl in front of him. Not wanting to let himself linger in this mood for too long, he took the initiative to speak: "Yesterday I saw the shopkeeper sweeping a set of sword techniques in the backyard with a broom. I've never seen such a style before."
"Ah... I haven't moved in too long, I need to stretch my muscles, otherwise my father will definitely laugh at me if I run into him one day." Shen Yu tilted her head, seemingly a little frustrated. "I feel like I've regressed. You really can't be lazy when it comes to martial arts."
"Judging from your movements, your sword moves with the wind, but the trajectory is blurry. Is your starting move too slow?"
No, not at all.
Shen Yu refuted Qiu Chiyan's comments without hesitation, displaying great confidence.
Qiu Chiyan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of amusement appearing on his face: "Is that sword technique itself a combination of illusion and reality?"
“My father said that the sword comes first and the mind moves with the wind. He didn’t like to stick to the rules or memorize moves. When he taught me, he would directly demonstrate moves and spar with me. He never taught me any rigid styles.”
"Is this the sword technique created by your father?" Qiu Chiyan was somewhat surprised.
There are countless martial arts styles in this world, but those who can integrate the strengths of many schools and create their own unique style are extremely rare. Even rarer is the carefree spirit that Shen Yu spoke of. Without an extremely high level of skill and courage, it is impossible to possess such a spirit.
If he weren't still injured, he really wanted to exchange a few blows with Shen Yu.
Shen Yu smiled and said, "People are alive, and so is swords. If people are rigid, both people and swords become lifeless objects. I don't want to practice swordsmanship like that."
The confidence in her eyes was like ripples on water illuminated by lamplight, gentle yet unwavering. Qiu Chiyan looked at her, his heart stirred slightly, and even his breathing became lighter.
“If you want to practice swordsmanship… you can call Zhao Ze.” Qiu Chiyan cleared his throat slightly and suddenly said.
"He also wields a sword?" Shen Yu's eyes lit up, unable to hide her anticipation.
"Zhao Ze is considered to be of a pretty good skill level."
"Thank you for your hard work! Liu Liu usually doesn't want to train with me, she just wants to lie down..."
Qiu Chiyan didn't quite catch what Shen Yu said next.
Because she had jumped up and down by his arm when she was excited, he was now tensing up, tightening his arms, and making his muscles and bones even more rigid.
As for why he did it, he didn't know; he just subconsciously used force.
When Zhao Ze came again, he still didn't know why Shen Yu was even more attentive.
The shopkeeper's smile was even brighter than usual, and he kept serving tea, snacks, and sweet cakes, which melted one's heart with sweetness.
However, he thoroughly enjoyed the food prepared by Manager Shen and was unwilling to refuse it, eating without any precautions.
After finishing his business with Qiu Chiyan, the instigator subtly told him the good news.
"So, you're using me to do a favor?"
Zhao Ze naturally wouldn't refuse, but he still glared fiercely at Qiu Chiyan while rolling up his sleeves.
"Save your energy, don't underestimate the enemy. This time I'm betting on our boss to win."
Qiu Chiyan had already taken out five copper coins and placed them on the millstone, while Yao Liuliu also put four coins in for herself and Xu Dahe. The three of them silently started a game.
Zhao Ze looked down and saw that Shen Yu had placed nine on her side.
In other words, nobody thinks he has a good chance?
He laughed in exasperation. He had originally intended to let the game slide, but now all he wanted was to win money.
With a wave of his hand, he staked one coin of his own money.
"Come!"
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