“My future husband might not be good-looking, just an ordinary person. But I don’t ask for much; if he treats me sincerely, that would be enough. Power and influence, what do they matter? If that person’s actions are always unpredictable, always deceiving and using you — what’s the point?” Chuxia slowly lowered her head.
The young master sighed softly, “You still can’t let go of that incident.”
Chuxia awkwardly turned her face away, “Young master, I still need to find someone.”
The young master gave her a deep look, seeming somewhat melancholy, released her hand, and turned aside, “Come out.”
As a guard emerged from beside a large tree, Chuxia was startled, realizing someone had been following her all along.
“Well, what did you find out?” The guard glanced at Chuxia and reported, “I went to the official archives and looked into the case files from that year. There were fourteen households in Lü Liu Alley, totaling eighty-eight people. Eighty-seven died that year. One person survived.”
Feeling her palm tremble, the young master knew she was nervous and smiled, “What about now? Where is that person?”
“The murder happened eighteen years ago. The sole survivor was just a child back then, now in his early twenties. He was adopted by a wealthy family and now lives near the City God Temple in the east of the city, his name is Su Fenghua.”
After hearing this, Chuxia murmured, “In his early twenties…”
“What?” The young master asked with interest, “Does the age match?”
Chuxia gave a bitter smile, “I only know the clues of Lü Liu Alley and the big locust tree. I don’t even know if he lives in Lü Liu Alley, let alone his age or appearance.”
After thinking for a moment, the young master said, “In that case, let’s go ask around and see if we can gather some clues.”
Chuxia nodded, then hesitated, “I wouldn’t dare trouble the young master… I’d rather have Qinglong accompany me.”
The young master chuckled, “What if he scares you again?”
Chuxia wasn’t unannoyed by Qinglong’s antics, but for some reason, she’d rather face Qinglong’s silly pranks than… stay by the young master’s side. The young master was really… Chuxia lowered her head, unable to find the right words. She knew the young master treated her well; sometimes when she woke from nightmares in the middle of the night, a mere soft call would bring him to her side without even putting on a coat, comforting her with a gentle voice. Yet, she feared this closeness, unsure if it stemmed from his guilt or something else, she never dared to speculate.
The next day, Qinglong accompanied Chuxia to the east of the city. Asking about Su Fenghua was quite easy. With just half a question, the woman selling buns said, “Scholar Su? He lives right there!”
Chuxia turned to look where the woman pointed, seeing a thatched hut in the corner of the street, offering little shelter from wind or rain, looking quite dilapidated.
“You… aren’t here to collect a debt, are you?” The woman eyed them suspiciously, “He’s only got this one broken house left; even if you burn it down, it’s useless. Better do a good deed and let him be.”
“That was before. When his parents were still alive, his family was quite well-off. But after they passed away, the relatives and servants swindled away all the family’s fields and houses! Poor Scholar Su, he had just returned with the title of ‘Xiucai,’ only to find he had nothing left at home.” Chuxia and Qinglong exchanged puzzled glances, then saw a young man slowly emerge from the dilapidated thatched cottage. He wore a rough hempen robe, faded and gray from many washings, though old, it was still clean. “Scholar Su, hey, these two are looking for you!” the old lady shouted, pointing at the two beside her. Scholar Su halted, sizing up Chuxia and Qinglong, then hesitated, “May I ask who you are? I am Su Fenghua, greetings.” He then bowed respectfully, but his headband fell off, covering his face. He fumbled to pick it up, his face turning red. Qinglong stared at him, dumbfounded, then burst into laughter. Chuxia, however, just smiled lightly and also bowed, “Greetings, Mr. Su.” The old lady, accustomed to his pedantic behavior, handed him two steamed buns wrapped in oil paper, saying, “Here, take these to eat.” Su hesitated for a moment before accepting them, then bowed deeply, “In ancient times, Han Xin repaid the kindness of a meal with a thousand gold coins. If one day I pass the imperial examination, I shall surely—”
The old lady, not understanding his flowery speech, waved her hand dismissively, “You’d better go set up your stall quickly. Oh, a young man like you, can’t even afford a meal!”
Scholar Su straightened up, “Madam, you are mistaken. As Mencius said, ‘Heaven, in giving great responsibilities to someone, must first test their heart and mind, tire their sinews and bones, starve their body…'”
“Hey, hey, are you Su Fenghua?” Qinglong interrupted his long speech, eyeing him up and down. Though his clothes were somewhat shabby, he was not bad-looking, a scholarly, frail-looking young man.
“Who might you be?” Su Fenghua, though interrupted, was not annoyed and adhered to the principle of not looking improperly, keeping his gaze on Qinglong instead of Chuxia.
“We are here to inquire about some things,” Chuxia said with a gentle smile. “Do you have time, sir?”
Scholar Su’s face slightly reddened; he coughed, “Miss, feel free to ask anything.”
“What’s that in your hand?” Qinglong, intrigued by the sight of a scholar, asked with interest. “What are you going to do with it?”
“Because my family is poor, I set up a stall every day to write letters for others to make ends meet,” Su Fenghua explained calmly. “Shall we talk while we walk?”
“Did you live in Green Willow Alley when you were young?” Chuxia asked cautiously.
“How do you know that?” Su Fenghua was visibly surprised.
Qinglong, impatient, interjected, “We’re asking you, is it true or not?”
Su sighed, “I lived in Green Willow Alley when I was young. I still remember the big locust tree in the alley where my mother would shake down the locust flowers to make locust flower cakes and feed them to me, bite by bite.”
Chuxia and Qinglong couldn’t help but exchange a glance. Su Fenghua didn’t notice their expressions, continuing to sigh, “Sadly… both parents perished in that great fire… Now, even my foster parents are gone, leaving me truly alone.”
Chapter 23 (Part 2)
Chuxia and Qinglong watched as Su Fenghua set up his stall outside the City God Temple, even hanging up a tattered cloth, then sat down with a book, reading with apparent enjoyment.
“Should we ask him more?”
“Uh… but he seems quite busy!”
As the sun moved from east to overhead, Chuxia and Qinglong sat in a tea house, occasionally glancing at the statue-like figure on the street.
“Why isn’t anyone asking him to write letters?” Qinglong, feeling a bit sympathetic, remarked, “How is he supposed to make any money?”
Chuxia noticed Su Fenghua finally move, taking out the steamed buns the old lady had given him in the morning, and silently nibbling on them. She frowned and exchanged a look with Qinglong, both saying in unison, “He’s so pitiful!”
Before their words settled, a man approached the stall, seemingly saying something to Su Fenghua. From afar, it looked like Su was refusing. The man got angry, flipped the stall over, and grabbed Su by his collar as if to beat him. Qinglong leaped out, Chuxia, unable to match his speed, threw some coins on the table and followed.
By the time Chuxia, panting, reached the street, Qinglong had already subdued the man, while Su was straightening his clothes, still muttering, “A gentleman uses words, not fists.”
“Hey, do you want to punch this old guy a couple of times to vent?” Qinglong turned to Su.
Su quickly stood at attention, shaking his head, “Repay evil with virtue, repay evil with virtue.”
