Chapter 3

So she is the author of Lu Case Records, Wutong Jushi!

No wonder those cases were written so vividly, as if witnessing them in person.

Wei Cuicheng was pondering this, while Lu Shanrou seemed not to notice his subtle movements, her gaze fixed on the salvaged manuscripts. She carefully separated the damp pages to dry them individually, preventing the ink from smudging other papers.

Lu Shanrou was distressed as she sorted the manuscripts. She didn’t even bother to wipe her moist hair and kept muttering, “It’s over, it’s all over. Half a year of hard work was wasted. Who knew there would be a storm today? I only planned to take a quick nap on the recliner, but I fell deeply asleep. Suddenly, the wind blew up and carried away all the manuscripts piled on the desk by the window. It was only when the thunder roared that I realized—it’s all over, completely ruined.”

Lu Shanrou sighed in frustration, staring at the pile of partially wet and partially dry papers, feeling like Tang Sanzang and his three disciples in “Journey to the West,” who finally obtained the true scriptures from the West, only to have them soaked on their way back. It was the same disheartening moment—a failure after coming so close to success.

This time, Wei Cuicheng finally abandoned his “not my problem” attitude, saying, “It should be possible to salvage some of it.” Otherwise, I won’t get to read the fourth volume of Lu Case Records.

Wei Cuicheng rushed out again, gathering the scattered manuscripts from the rain-covered corridor and beneath the parasol trees. These places provided some shelter from the rain, so the pages weren’t too wet. He hoped it might still be possible to save the situation.

The study was already filled with drying pages, and Wei Cuicheng helped to spread them out, piece by piece, on the tables and chairs in the main room. However, most of the text had already smudged beyond recognition—even Lu Shanrou, the manuscript’s “parent,” couldn’t recognize it anymore.

While they were busy rescuing the manuscripts, the sound of horse hooves accompanied by thunder and lightning entered the courtyard. It was Tao Zhu, returning in the rain after searching for her family. A woman dressed as a young lady sat behind Tao Zhu, clutching tightly to Tao Zhu’s waist. Both were drenched from head to toe.

They shared a single horse and rode to the west wing corridor. Tao Zhu dismounted first and helped the young lady down. Tao Zhu pulled out a key to unlock the door, saying, “You go in first. There are clothes inside—you can change into whatever you like. I’ll take the horse to the stables and feed it.”

After a while, Tao Zhu returned to the west wing room. The young lady who returned with her had already changed into dry clothes. Her damp hair was wrapped in a cloth, revealing a plain face with slightly pale lips. “Thank you. May I know your name, hero?”

From behind the screen, Tao Zhu took off her waterlogged clothes. “You can call me Hero Tao. What’s your name?”

“My name is—” The young lady hesitated for a moment before answering, “My name is Liu Xiu. Hero Tao, where is your ‘Chen Mama’? I urgently need it.”

By this time, Tao Zhu had finished changing her clothes and stepped out from behind the screen, looking puzzled. “What ‘Aunt Chen’? We only have ‘Aunt Wen’ here.”

Liu Xiu looked at Tao Zhu’s straight bangs, her short shoulder-length hair, and her completely flat chest. She immediately understood, saying, “Hero Tao, you’re still young and don’t have those things. Do you have an older female relative? If you ask her, she will understand. I’m really in a hurry.”

Being repeatedly addressed as “Hero,” Tao Zhu was quite pleased and decided to help to the end, saying, “Yes, my landlord is kind-hearted. I’ll borrow it from her.”

The east and west wing rooms were connected to the main house by covered corridors that shielded against the wind and rain. Tao Zhu walked through the corridor to the main house and saw Wei Cuicheng and Lu Shanrou, a man and a woman, alone in a room with wet manuscripts on the tables and chairs. She paused slightly, “You two… this is…”

Wei Cuicheng thought to himself: Oh no, this is hard to explain.

Lu Shanrou, however, responded openly, “The wind blew away my manuscripts, and Commander Wei came to help. Truly, a close neighbor is better than a distant relative—congratulations on finding your family. The woman who rode back with you must be the relative you were looking for, right?”

Tao Zhu waved her hand, “Not at all, not at all. On the way, I saw a group of people harassing a respectable woman. I couldn’t stand by and helped her out. I pulled her onto the horse and rode away together. Then it started pouring rain, so I decided to bring her home. I’ll take her back once the rain stops—oh, by the way, she said she urgently needs something called ‘Aunt Chen.’ I’ve never heard of it. Madam Lu, do you have it?”

At these words, Wei Cuicheng turned aside, awkwardly rubbing his hands. This clueless kid! Doesn’t know anything!

When a woman reaches maturity, she experiences her monthly cycle. “Aunt Chen” refers to cloth used to absorb menstrual flow and prevent staining of clothes, an essential item for adult women. Lu Shanrou glanced at Tao Zhu’s flat chest, resembling that of a “Princess Pingyang,” and couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “I have it. Wait a moment.”

Lu Shanrou went to the bedroom to fetch a package of clean cloth towels and dried cotton wadding, rolled them into a small bundle, then took a few slices of ginger candied in brown sugar, placed them in a teapot, brewed a pot of hot water, and handed it all to Tao Zhu. “Here you go, my great hero Tao. You’re just a child, and you’re already out there doing heroic deeds.”

Tao Zhu accepted the small bundle but refused the hot tea with candied ginger, saying, “Madam Lu, drink it yourself. I have tea leaves over there, plus two watermelons and half a basket of melons—more than enough to host guests.”

Lu Shanrou insisted on giving it, “This is for that woman to drink. Getting drenched in cold rain like this is very harmful to the body.”

Tao Zhu, somewhat bewildered, accepted it. A glance revealed that the room was filled with manuscripts, which almost turned into a wash of ink paintings. “Interesting. Madam Lu, you’re quite the talented lady.”

After Tao Zhu left, the atmosphere became awkward. Indeed, meddling in others’ affairs often leads to trouble. Wei Cuicheng deliberately walked to the corridor, using the rainwater to wash the ink stains from his hands, breaking the tension with, “Aunt Wen isn’t here, huh? Her scallion lamb meat pancakes are incredible. When will I get to eat them again?”

Lu Shanrou replied, “Aunt Wen is a native of the capital. She has properties in the southern part of the city and makes a living delivering babies and selling medicine. She’s a herbalist who occasionally helps me when she’s free, but she doesn’t live here. By the way, there’s something I’d like Commander Wei to help keep a secret.”

Wei Cuicheng feigned ignorance, “What is it?”

“Wutong Jushi.” Lu Shanrou pointed at the mirror in the partitioned study room. “I saw through the mirror that you looked at the seal on the desk. If the townspeople discover that Wutong Jushi is a woman, I’ll be in trouble.”

Chapbooks and novels were widely circulated among the townsfolk but were often looked down upon. Most writers of such books were unwilling to sign their real names, opting instead for pseudonyms. If it became known that Wutong Jushi was a fifth-rank titled lady, it would undoubtedly be scandalous.

“I won’t reveal it, but—” Wei Cuicheng pointed at the western wing. “Tao Zhu, that wild lass, has no filter. Don’t let her find out.”

If you stop writing, I’ll lose a lot of enjoyment—my fun is already limited.

Lu Shanrou said, “I’ll find words to mislead her.”

“Can I—” Wei Cuicheng pointed at the drafts, “take a sneak peek at the stories you’re working on? I know the three volumes of Lu Case Records by heart! I want to see the new stories.”

“Of course.” Lu Shanrou looked at the draft stained with ink blotches and smiled wryly, “If you can figure out what’s written amid this cloud of ink, do tell me. I’ll thank you.”

Lu Shanrou placed charcoal into the iron, ironing the damp draft. The room’s temperature rose, making both of them feel a little warm.

On the beam above, a spider crawled out to mend the web torn by the wind, setting a trap. A bug flew into it and got stuck in the web.

Lu Shanrou glanced sideways at Wei Cuicheng engrossed in reading, before steeling her resolve. She moved her index finger closer to the scorching iron, “Ah!”

Wei Cuicheng heard the exclamation and saw Lu Shanrou frozen in place, looking pained and blowing on the blister on her finger. Ignoring propriety, he grabbed her arm and led her to the corridor. “For burns, you need to rinse with cold water for a while; blowing won’t help. Will this delay your writing?”

The cool rainwater alleviated the pain from the burn. Lu Shanrou thought: I won’t catch the man if I can’t bear the pain. He’s finally taken the bait. Steady now, slowly reel him in—this is just the first step of revenge.

Fate is nothing but a carefully planned calculation.

The rain continued to pour as the spider devoured the insect and resumed spinning its web, preparing for the next prey.

Night fell, and Wei Cuicheng’s stomach growled in hunger. He finally set aside the draft and said, “Aunt Wen isn’t here, and your burned hand can’t touch water to cook. I’m going out to eat anyway, so I’ll bring dinner back for you as well. What do you want to eat?”

Lu Shanrou replied, “I don’t eat offal or fish—anything else is fine.”

Wei Cuicheng donned a straw hat, draped on a raincoat, and stepped out wearing wooden clogs suited for the muddy ground.

Meanwhile, in the western wing, Liu Xiu, whose face had regained its color, finished the last cup of ginger tea with brown sugar. Anxiously, she looked at the night sky and said, “Why hasn’t the rain stopped? The curfew begins at one geng and three points (note: 8:12 PM), and the city gates will close. If that happens, I won’t be able to leave.”

Except for Chinese New Year’s Eve and the Lantern Festival, when the whole nation celebrates, strict curfews are enforced in the capital during the night. The curfew starts at one geng and three points (8:12 PM) and ends at five geng and three points (5:12 AM). During this time, anyone wandering the streets without reason would be apprehended by the city patrol, beaten fifty times, and then dealt with.

While eating watermelon, Tao Zhu said, “Why don’t you stay here for the night and leave the city tomorrow?”

Liu Xiu replied, “I’ll only bring trouble to you. I should leave sooner.”

“Who are those people chasing after you? Just tell me!” Tao Zhu patted their chest. “I, Tao the Hero, stand for justice and fear no one. Speak up, and I’ll take care of everything for you.”

Liu Xiu frowned and shook her head. She had made up her mind. Casually, she took out a gold hairpin and placed it on the desk. “Thank you for helping me. This is a small token of appreciation; please accept it. I still need a raincoat to go out, find a carriage stable, and hire a cart to leave the city.”

Tao Zhu, upon seeing the gold hairpin, felt somewhat displeased. Despite several attempts to persuade her to stay, Liu Xiu remained resolute about leaving. Frustrated, Tao Zhu said, “There’s nothing I can’t resolve. Don’t underestimate the young and the poor—you’re looking down on me too much!”

Liu Xiu kept her head down, “I must leave tonight.”

Tao Zhu had no choice but to retrieve an umbrella from the wardrobe. “I don’t have a raincoat, only an umbrella.”

“Thank you,” Liu Xiu said, taking the umbrella. Just as she touched the handle, Tao Zhu withdrew it. “The road is too muddy and difficult to walk. I’ll ride the horse and take you to the carriage stable. You can sit behind me and hold the umbrella.”

Liu Xiu and Tao Zhu rode together on the same horse. Just as they exited the stables, the gate opened, and a group of riders wearing raincoats charged in. They used horse-tripping ropes to hook the horse’s legs, causing the steed to kneel. Both of them fell off the horse together.

The raincoat-clad man grabbed Liu Xiu by her hair, dragging her away and tying her up. “You wretched woman! You killed Young Master Li and still want to escape!”

“Outrageous! How dare you hit me!” Tao Zhu, limping from the fall, tried to resist but was overwhelmed by the attackers. A flurry of blows knocked him unconscious.

“Hero Tao!” Liu Xiu cried out, “I didn’t kill anyone, and this has nothing to do with anyone else. If you must arrest someone, take me alone!”

The raincoat-clad man ignored her. “If this man hadn’t ridden a horse to save you, you would’ve been caught long ago. You’re all accomplices! Search the place! Take everyone inside!”