Gu Pingyuan felt an itch in his nose while half-asleep, sneezed, and suddenly woke up. He saw a dirty, unshaven face quickly retreating from in front of him, still emitting “gege” laughter.

Gu Pingyuan rubbed his eyes and looked around. Daylight had already brightened, and pedestrians were passing by in small groups, occasionally pointing at him. His head throbbed painfully. He propped his hands against his forehead, pressing his fingers against his temples, and only after quite some time did he slowly recall the events of last night…

Gu Pingyuan had walked out of the county yamen, looked back at the still-glowing “Justice Lamp” in the pitch-dark night, and felt utterly lost, not knowing where he should go. He stood dazed in front of the yamen until the guards came to drive him away. Only then did he walk away with heavy steps. Though walking, he had no direction, unable to distinguish east from west, his heart filled with mixed emotions and unbearable bitterness.

He hated! Hated himself for being powerless to save Old Chang Si, leaving him to fall into prison and suffer endless torment.

He raged! Raged at Wang Tiangui’s cruelty and ruthlessness, who would stop at nothing for his own personal gain.

He felt ashamed! Ashamed of his momentary wavering, his indecisiveness despite having studied the books of sages as a candidate for official examinations.

He resented! Resented the injustice of heaven’s way, that he himself had returned victorious from the brink of death only to face such an outcome.

The more he thought, the more dispirited he became. His feet felt increasingly leaden, too lazy to walk further yet unwilling to stop. Walking aimlessly, after turning a street corner, his foot suddenly caught on something. With his mind clouded and confused, he couldn’t react in time and fell to the ground with a “thud.”

His fall wasn’t serious, but someone sat up from the ground immediately afterward. Though it had just gotten completely dark, this person was already sound asleep. Rubbing his eyes, he grabbed Gu Pingyuan and said hoarsely, “Why step on me… why step on me…”

Gu Pingyuan felt he was in the wrong, but was too tired to apologize or explain. He struggled a couple of times but couldn’t break free. Seeing Gu Pingyuan struggle, the person grabbed even tighter. In that moment, Gu Pingyuan suddenly felt life was meaningless. He didn’t know why, but past events flashed before his eyes like a lantern show:

His father had left and never returned, leaving him to help his mother manage their livelihood. Still a young boy, he had to take care of his younger siblings. Exhausted to the bone, he would rise before dawn to tend the fields, work short jobs for others, and carefully study by the tiny oil lamp borrowed from his employers. Fortunately, he met a good teacher, and his hard studies paid off. The day when the entire village escorted him to the village entrance, the earnest gazes of his teacher and family remained vivid in his memory to this day. After much difficulty reaching the capital, just when he seemed poised for success in the imperial examinations, he was wrongfully accused and banished beyond the frontier. He spent five years in that bitter cold place, suffering every kind of hardship. Of the twelve criminals sent together, six died in the first year; if not for his own cleverness, he too would now be nothing but a pile of white bones. Given a chance to escape back within the frontier, he inadvertently caused the death of his good friend Kou Liancai, and now even Old Chang Si’s family had been harmed by him and suffered unbearably.

Could it all be because of me? Am I an ill-fated person, so that not only do I repeatedly find sorrow in joy and bitterness in sweetness, but I also bring calamity upon my friends and family, making them unable to escape their fate?

The more Gu Pingyuan thought, the more dejected he became. His heart grew cold to the extreme. Just moments ago, he had been lamenting and cursing in his heart, but now he felt as if dead inside, unknowingly crying tears that soaked his cheeks.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry!” As he sat on the ground, dispirited, someone unexpectedly reached out a hand to wipe away his tears. Gu Pingyuan turned his head to look—it was the beggar he had accidentally stepped on earlier. This person was lying in a corner that barely sheltered from the wind in the bitter cold, dressed in tattered clothes, clearly a beggar. Seeing Gu Pingyuan crying so miserably, he no longer pursued the unintentional offense and instead came closer to offer comfort with gentle words.

Gu Pingyuan smiled bitterly. Wealthy merchants could be beasts, while penniless beggars could be kind-hearted—truly, the world’s affairs were upside down. Just as he was thinking this, he heard the faint sound of flowing water ahead. Gu Pingyuan walked a few steps forward, crossing a stone-paved street, and looking into the night, he saw a river flowing through the city, dark and unknown in depth, probably a tributary of some large river nearby.

His guess was correct. This was indeed a tributary of the Fen River, and Taiku County had gradually developed from households on both banks. The entire city relied on this South Small River for drinking and daily water use. Despite it being the depths of winter, the riverside facing the street had not frozen over due to the townspeople’s daily water collection. The gurgling sound Gu Pingyuan heard came from here.

However, this South Small River, which everyone called benevolent, now became malevolent waters to him, as thoughts of death arose in his mind! He felt that a man living between heaven and earth, suffering such humiliation, was more painful than taking a blade at the execution ground. As they say, “A scholar may be killed but not humiliated.” He might as well end it all with death. As for other matters, he could no longer concern himself with them.

As he contemplated this, the river seemed to exert a fatal attraction. Gu Pingyuan’s feet unconsciously moved toward the water’s edge. He stared at the pitch-black water surface for a long time, then, steeling himself and closing his eyes, prepared to jump in, thinking to himself: “Once I cross the Bridge of Helplessness and drink Lady Meng’s soup, I’ll forget everything and be reborn!”

Although the South Small River wasn’t deep, Gu Pingyuan’s leap would be fatal. First, the water was bone-chillingly cold; second, there was ice not far away—what chance of survival would he have if swept under the ice? At this critical moment, two shouts suddenly came from behind: “Hey, hey!” The voice was quite loud, startling Gu Pingyuan, who instinctively turned to look. He saw the beggar from earlier standing up, gesturing toward him repeatedly with hands and feet, while pointing at the ground, as if asking him to come over and look.

Gu Pingyuan frowned. At this moment, he had no interest in dealing with the beggar, but he didn’t want to enter the Yellow Springs with an unresolved question. When he walked back to the corner and looked at the ground, he was dumbfounded.

On the ground was a pile of ash!

It was probably ash left by mischievous children who had roasted sweet potatoes there, nothing extraordinary, and Gu Pingyuan couldn’t understand why the beggar had so eagerly wanted him to look. The beggar pointed at the ground and, seeing that Gu Pingyuan didn’t understand, he knelt down and carefully began sifting through the ash pile. Gu Pingyuan’s curiosity was greatly aroused, so he stepped forward, bent down, and looked intently. The beggar gradually sifted through the ashes, revealing several glowing embers. He pulled out a bundle of dry leaves and bark from his person, placed them on top, and gently blew several times, actually causing a flame to ignite. The beggar smiled happily, drawing the ashes around the leaves, cupping his hands around them, then rubbing his palms together, seemingly enjoying the warmth immensely. With wide eyes, he said to Gu Pingyuan: “You come too.”

Gu Pingyuan heard nothing; he stared fixedly at the flame rising from the dead ashes, already stunned. His mind had been completely blank, but now it was illuminated by this flame. As he watched, the flame in Gu Pingyuan’s eyes gradually surpassed the fire on the ground, burning more intensely. He took a deep breath, suddenly gave himself a slap on the face, then lay down next to the “fire pile” and immediately fell asleep. He hadn’t closed his eyes for a day and a night; with weariness welling up and the warmth from the tiny flame, he soon fell into deep sleep on the hard stone-paved road.

Now, with night passed, beside him was a large pile of firewood, stacked three across and six high, about half a person’s height. Some of the arm-thick branches had burned out, while others were still smoking.

With such a large fire pile beside him, no wonder he hadn’t caught a chill through the night. He looked at the beggar before him in confusion. In the bright daylight, he could now see clearly that this person wore a foolish smile—not just a beggar, but likely a simpleton.

Gu Pingyuan pointed at the firewood pile on the ground and tentatively asked, “Did you stack the wood and light the fire?”

The beggar shook his head and pointed at the sky: “Heavenly soldiers and generals.”

“What?”

“I have money; heavenly soldiers and generals help me make fire.”

Gu Pingyuan laughed in disbelief—truly a foolish beggar. It seemed that he must have gotten cold during the night and gotten up to build this large fire.

Seeing his disbelief, the beggar became anxious and came closer, saying mysteriously, “I have money, I really have money, don’t you believe me? Come, let me tell you, but don’t let others hear!” He beckoned to Gu Pingyuan.

Gu Pingyuan, partly because the beggar had taken care of him last night and partly because he didn’t know his background, hesitantly leaned his ear forward. The beggar put his mouth close to Gu Pingyuan’s ear, as if about to whisper something, but suddenly bellowed out a song like thunder:

“Don’t beat drums, don’t strike gongs, listen to my song of cause and effect. That Chuang King forced Emperor Chongzhen to his death, civil and military officials all caught in the net. …”

Gu Pingyuan was startled, feeling his ears ringing and then stinging as if pierced by needles. He stared at the beggar in astonishment. The beggar clapped his hands, jumping and rejoicing, while muttering the song, “…That Li Chuang never returned, two men with crutches dug up the ground. Half a vault of gold and silver was left, prisoners escaping their bonds could then meet…” Then, shuffling in his shoes, he swayed away down the street, followed by a large group of children who were joining in the fun and imitating him.

It took Gu Pingyuan quite some time to recover his senses. He saw that everyone on the street was looking at him and laughing. He also chuckled self-mockingly and looked around. He was not familiar with Taiku County, having walked through it only once when Old Chang Si went to Taiyufeng to negotiate for Liu Heita’s rescue. At that time, because he had grown anxious waiting at the Chang residence and had seen Chang Yu’er’s extreme worry, he had gone out at night to gather news. In the dim night, he couldn’t distinguish east from west. Now, looking at the clear, shallow river before him, the crossroads behind, and the large elm tree at the corner with a piece cut out and three large characters written in red paint—”Changping Lane”—he saw an elderly man with white hair and beard not far away, who appeared to be an honest person. He approached him and bowed.

“Sir, may I ask how far is Taiyufeng Money House from Changping Lane, and how do I get there?” Wang Tiangui had asked him to go to Taiyufeng early this morning. Gu Pingyuan was no longer in the death-seeking mindset of last night; instead, something had triggered a new plan in his mind, so he decided to go as agreed.

The old man had also been watching the spectacle. When he saw Gu Pingyuan approach with a question, he was momentarily startled, then hurriedly returned the bow, answering, “Not far, not far. Follow the river westward, and when you see a ‘Wan’an Bridge,’ turn right. That leads to Drum Tower Street, and Taiyufeng is on Drum Tower Street. When you get there, just ask and you’ll know.”

Gu Pingyuan thanked him and, ignoring the gazes of others, scooped up a handful of bone-chillingly cold water from the South Small River to wash his face. Feeling refreshed, he headed toward Drum Tower Street as the old man had directed.

Drum Tower Street was clustered with businesses, the most bustling and prosperous place in Taiku County. By the time Gu Pingyuan arrived, the sun had just risen. Restaurants, money houses, fabric shops, and general stores were all opening their doors and removing their boards to start business. There were also many breakfast stalls: lamb offal soup, peach blossom noodles, oat baskets, soft-headed brain, knife-cut noodles—one stall next to another. When the pot lids were lifted, steam rose, and the aroma went straight to the nose. Especially with the knife-cut noodles topped with ginger and half a bowl of what Shanxi people called “taboo” aged vinegar, just the smell would make one’s appetite soar. Those eating were sweating and exclaiming with delight.

While recovering at the Chang residence, Gu Pingyuan had tried almost all these snacks, made by Sister Li. Although he had been living in constant fear of pursuit by official troops, that was much better than today’s heart-piercing pain. Gu Pingyuan had an excellent memory. Arriving on Drum Tower Street, he quickly recalled the location of Taiyufeng and, without needing to ask anyone, went directly to the money house.

When he reached Taiyufeng, Gu Pingyuan’s heart immediately shook. Coming here at night before, he hadn’t seen clearly, but now he could discern everything distinctly. The street-facing side was five rooms wide, with stone steps below. Climbing the steps, there were thick jujube-pear wood doors, with carved bricks and colorful paintings under the eaves. Above hung a gold-colored horizontal shop sign—Taiyufeng—and beside it hung a bright copper plaque with the inscribed characters “Headquarters.” When the sunlight flashed upon it, the brilliance dazzled the eye.

What grandeur! Worthy of being Taiku’s premier money house. Just for this facade alone, few others could be found throughout Shanxi.

Gu Pingyuan had always thought Wang Tiangui was merely a greedy merchant who coveted others’ property, and after Wang had outmaneuvered him with the “White Dove Money Order,” he had come to despise him even more. After meeting him last night, Gu Pingyuan realized Wang was deeply calculating. Now, seeing the grand business he had established, Gu Pingyuan knew he had been careless. Wang Tiangui definitely had exceptional qualities; otherwise, with Shanxi money shops being the best in the country and Taiku accounting for a third of them, Wang Tiangui couldn’t have stood firm in the business world solely through his connections with officials. This man must have a business acumen that others couldn’t match.

Gu Pingyuan steadied his heart and slowly climbed the steps. At the door, two clerks were greeting customers. Seeing Gu Pingyuan approach, one clerk hurriedly asked, “You look unfamiliar. May I ask if this is your first visit to our establishment? Are you here to deposit silver, exchange silver notes, or exchange silver for coins? Just let me know, and I’ll direct you to the appropriate counter.”

Gu Pingyuan initially wanted to say directly that he had come to see Wang Tiangui, but just as the words reached his lips, a thought struck him. Instead of answering, he turned back and walked to a nearby bun stall. The stall owner, seeing a customer arrive, smiled broadly. Just as he was about to greet him, Gu Pingyuan extended his hand, “Uncle, I’m really sorry, but could you lend me a copper coin?”

“A copper coin?”

“Yes.”

“Young man, I’m very busy here. If you want to buy buns, just say so, but I don’t have time to waste on jokes.” The stall owner shook his head and turned to serve another customer. “Hou’s buns, craftsmanship from the capital, authentic Bannerman food. The best ones are these twisted buns with rose-cut filling, five wen each. How many would you like?”

After negotiating the price, the customer bought five buns. The stall owner wrapped them in gold-red paper, tied them with a double knot string, and the customer happily took them and left. The stall owner was about to put twenty-some large coins into his apron pocket when he saw that Gu Pingyuan’s hand was still extended. Only then did he realize that this young stranger was seriously asking him for money.

“So young, and already learning to beg for money!”

The stall owner originally didn’t want to pay attention, but coincidentally, as he was putting a handful of copper coins into his pocket, one slipped through his fingers and rolled to Gu Pingyuan’s feet, spinning and stopping.

“Fine, fine, this one wen is for you!” Before Gu Pingyuan could speak, the stall owner, greatly impatient, waved his hands repeatedly, hoping Gu Pingyuan would leave. His bun business was very good, and he probably didn’t care about this one wen.

Gu Pingyuan bowed respectfully, unhurriedly picked up the copper coin from the ground, and calmly said to the stall owner, “This copper coin is borrowed. My name is Gu Pingyuan, and I will repay it with interest another day.” After saying this, he turned and left.

The stall owner was stunned for a while, wanting to curse “lunatic,” but looking at Gu Pingyuan’s refined manner, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Finally, scratching the back of his head, he shouted after Gu Pingyuan, “When you come to pay the interest, don’t forget to bring a big box to carry it!” After saying this, he found it amusing and laughed out loud. He told this joke to others for an entire day, then gradually forgot about it.

Gu Pingyuan entered the grand doors of Taiyufeng again. By now, there were quite a few people doing business at the money house. Three account managers were attending to customers at the main counter, with two counter rooms on each side handling larger business, though limited to transactions under ten thousand taels of silver. For amounts exceeding this, the chief manager would usually have to step in.

Gu Pingyuan walked to the counter and said, “Open an account!”

The account manager acknowledged and took out a blank account book, picked up his brush, and asked, “How much to deposit?”

With a clear, pleasant “ding” sound, the manager couldn’t help but look up. He saw the young man before him toss a copper coin onto the counter, his eyes like stars as he gazed at him.

“I asked how much you’re depositing? So I can write it in the account book. Then you can go to the large scale over there to hand over your silver. If you want to deposit a round number, tell the clerk to get the silver clippers.” The manager said impatiently.

“Isn’t it already on the counter? See for yourself.” Gu Pingyuan raised his chin.

“One copper coin? You’re depositing just one copper coin?” The manager laughed in anger. “Have you ever been to a money house before? Coming to open an account with just one big coin—are you still half asleep?” He deliberately raised his voice to let the clerks and customers on both sides hear, and everyone burst into laughter, all eyes on Gu Pingyuan.

Gu Pingyuan showed no sign of embarrassment. After they finished laughing, he calmly and composed said, “Deposit for half a year, with interest according to the counter’s rate, no special terms!”

The manager was stunned, then suddenly laughed so hard he clutched his stomach: “Haha, ridiculous! With just one copper coin, what terms are you talking about? Do you think you’re a big customer depositing a hundred thousand taels of silver?”

Gu Pingyuan stared at him without speaking. After the manager had laughed enough, he said, “One copper coin is still business. Open the account.”

“Hmph, we don’t do this kind of business.” The manager looked down on him, extending his skinny finger to flick the copper coin off the counter. It fell to the ground with another clear sound.

“Take it back to buy candy for some kid. If it’s not enough, I can even spare you another wen.”

As soon as the account manager finished speaking, Gu Pingyuan suddenly reached his hand across the black lacquered counter and gave him a slap on the face. The force wasn’t great, but it immediately left five red marks.

Although Gu Pingyuan had attracted everyone’s attention, no one expected that this refined-looking person would suddenly strike. Everyone in the hall saw it clearly, and immediately there was an uproar. The account manager sprang to his feet.

“You hit me? How dare you! Help! There’s a thief here, a bandit robbing the money house! Report to the officials, quick, report to the officials!”

In fact, it was just a slap, not a big deal. In other businesses, such incidents were not uncommon throughout the year. As the saying goes, “A dragon has nine types, humans have a hundred.” There are easy-going customers, and there are hot-tempered ones. If a dispute arose, generally the business would actively pacify the situation in the spirit of “harmony brings wealth.” But at Taiyufeng, it was different. Everyone knew this establishment had a strong reputation, and the chief manager was on familiar terms with the county magistrate. Who would dare cause trouble here! The account managers at Taiyufeng were respected by everyone when they went out. After many years, everyone in the money house had developed an arrogant air. They didn’t expect that on the first day of business, they would suffer such humiliation. This manager was so angry that his spirits were leaping in rage, and with just one slap, he was intent on slandering the other as a robber. If arrested and taken to the county yamen on this charge, the person would be flayed alive if not killed.

Upon hearing these words, Gu Pingyuan nodded to himself. Watching several fierce-looking clerks rolling up their sleeves and approaching him, he remained calm and steady. Gu Pingyuan’s disruption actually had deep meaning. First, he wanted to see Taiyufeng’s background, and second, just as officials would have gongs sounded to clear the way when riding in a sedan chair, he wanted to leave a deep impression at the moment he entered Taiyufeng.

“Wait!” Just as Gu Pingyuan was about to speak, someone behind him spoke first. Everyone at the money house suddenly stopped. Those who had been sitting stood up, though their facial expressions varied—some were submissive, while others clearly showed disdain, though trying to conceal it.

“Fourth Concubine, good morning!”

“Fourth Concubine! Please step aside, we’re catching a thief. We don’t want you to get hurt.”

After the crowd’s chatter, the Fourth Concubine spoke: “Stop your nonsense. He’s a perfectly proper scholar, and you’re baselessly calling him a thief. Be careful of the consequences of your words. Right, Young Master Gu!”

Gu Pingyuan’s heart had already trembled upon hearing this voice, and hearing her call his name, he slowly turned his head, feeling his neck creak.

This person was of course Ruyi. Today, she wasn’t dressed as unrestrained as last night. She wore a well-tailored blue winter jacket, with a fashionable hairstyle showing her temples, lightly penciled eyebrows, and spring in her eyes, smiling as she looked at Gu Pingyuan.

Seeing her, Gu Pingyuan immediately recalled the scene from last night, and his face instantly felt hot. He knew that the situation was a trap, that Ruyi had deliberately seduced him, but who could blame him for his weak resolve? This was what Gu Pingyuan found hardest to forgive in himself. He also knew that Ruyi was acting on Wang Tiangui’s instructions, so he didn’t hate her much. Examining his own feelings, he actually harbored a sense of guilt, as if Ruyi, like himself, had been harmed by Wang Tiangui, and because he couldn’t control himself, Ruyi had also suffered some humiliation.

Ruyi hadn’t guessed any of Gu Pingyuan’s unusual thoughts. According to her thinking, this man must surely hate her completely. Though he might not strike her, it wouldn’t be surprising if he bitterly cursed her, pointing at her nose and calling her a “whore”—this was something she expected. However, having been raised in a brothel, from the moment she entered this profession, the words “face” and “dignity” had long been crumpled and tossed to the clouds. Instead, she felt a trace of curiosity, wanting to see how this scholarly-looking Gu Pingyuan would vent his anger at a woman.

Unexpectedly, Gu Pingyuan’s actions were far beyond her expectations. He regulated his breathing, turned around, and, imitating the way people at the money house addressed her, first called out “Fourth Concubine!” Then, pointing at the counter, he said, “I’ve come to meet Chief Manager Wang. I originally wanted to do some business at the counter, but was turned away.”

The smile on Ruyi’s face slowly disappeared. She truly couldn’t figure this man out. Last night, she had seduced him, yet not only was he unmoved, but he even discarded a box of diamonds as if they were worn-out shoes. At the time, she didn’t think much of it, but later, the more she pondered, the more she felt that such a man was not only something she had never seen or heard of before, but even in dreams, she couldn’t imagine there could be a man in the world who neither loved money nor craved beauty. Ruyi, raised in a brothel, had seen many men, but Gu Pingyuan was truly an unheard-of anomaly to her! A night had passed, and she had actually developed a desire, feeling that she had seen too little of this man last night in her haste, wanting to see him again quickly to savor this man’s thoughts.

When they actually met, seeing that he was neither embarrassed nor angry with her, could it be that, despite his young age, he truly had such profound depth? With many people around, she couldn’t think it through at the moment. Ruyi gently shook her head and said, “I don’t understand business matters, but when a money house opens its doors to do business, how can it turn away customers?”

“Fourth Concubine!” The account manager who had been slapped was surnamed Qu. When the chief manager of the front counter wasn’t present, he was in charge. Having worked at the headquarters for over ten years, usually when he walked outside, he was a figure who held his head high with eyes looking up at the sky. Now, being slapped in the face in front of everyone, he couldn’t bear to lose face. Seeing that Ruyi knew this person, he feared she would minimize the incident, and then he wouldn’t be able to save the situation, so he rushed to be the plaintiff.

“How unlucky is this, just as we open our doors for business, someone comes looking for trouble. Wanting to open an account with just one wen, and hitting people when denied. Coming to our Taiyufeng to cause trouble, isn’t this like digging soil on the Supreme God’s head? If we don’t teach this youngster a lesson, how can we do business in the future!”

“Account Manager Qu!” Ruyi’s face darkened, “Does this business belong to the master or to you? You say it can’t be done, so it can’t be done?”

Account Manager Qu was greatly startled by these words. What? Judging by her tone, the Fourth Concubine was actually supporting this person. He quickly raised his eyelids to examine Gu Pingyuan closely, and his heart immediately sank. Ruyi’s background was something everyone knew well. This young man was handsome and talented—could he be a male companion this woman had met at the Huayue Pavilion? Could it be that his trouble-making at the door was related to the Fourth Concubine? Was he here to extort money or people? If that were the case, it would become a domestic matter for Chief Manager Wang, and if an outsider like himself carelessly got involved, later when the couple made up after their quarrel, he would be like Zhu Bajie looking in a mirror—rejected inside and out!

Thinking of this, Account Manager Qu drew in a cold breath. He had a stable position at the money house, walking outside with dignity and glamour, not to mention receiving his monthly salary of silver, eating and drinking well. It wasn’t worth wading into such muddy waters.

Having followed Wang Tiangui for many years, he had long mastered the art of adapting to circumstances. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, he gradually backed down, forcing a dry laugh: “Hehe, yes, Fourth Concubine is right. I spoke without thinking; please don’t take offense.” After saying this, he turned back and glared at the clerks, “What are you all gathering around for? Get back to work!”

“Account Manager Qu!” This time it was Gu Pingyuan who spoke. “Make it clear, will you open an account for this one wen or not?”

“Of course, of course!” It was just an account, after all. Account Manager Qu, though good at raising flags with the wind, was also an old hand at sailing against it. Having decided not to lose on small matters, he put on a smile, nodding repeatedly, and reached out to pick up the copper coin from the ground. “I’ll personally open an account for you. May I ask your name, sir, and how should we address you?”

“Wait!” Account Manager Qu had backed down, but Gu Pingyuan was relentless, quickly extending his foot to firmly step on the copper coin.

“As they say, ‘Words not spoken are unclear, reasons not debated are not evident.’ A money house deals in silver and money, with every bit demanding clarity. How can business be conducted in such a muddle? Just now you insisted you wouldn’t do this business, but now you say you will. May I ask, why?”

“This…” Account Manager Qu was rendered speechless. He thought to himself, you ungrateful fellow, I’m showing leniency because I see the Fourth Concubine favoring you. Otherwise, you would have been beaten to a pulp by now and sent to the officials. Yet you still ask me why? He looked at Ruyi as if seeking help.

Ruyi, however, watched with interest from the side. Though she didn’t understand the money house’s business, Account Manager Qu’s reason for not doing this business was obvious. One copper coin wasn’t even enough for the cost of the account book. No matter which money house it was, they probably wouldn’t open such an account. But why was Gu Pingyuan so insistent on depositing a single copper coin at the money house?

Not only Ruyi had this question, but everyone present was puzzled. Gu Pingyuan, seeing that everyone was looking at him, knew that his goal of seizing the initiative had been achieved, so he said in a clear voice: “If this gentleman can’t answer, then let me answer for you. You’re unwilling to do this business because you think it’s too small and won’t make money, right?”

This was exactly what Account Manager Qu thought, and when asked, he unconsciously nodded slightly. Gu Pingyuan’s lips curled up in what passed for a smile, then he asked, “How many people are there in Taiku County?”

“One hundred and twenty-eight thousand plus!” Account Manager Qu was quite familiar with the clerks at the yamen’s household department and answered immediately.

“And how many people are there in the entire Shanxi province?”

“Well, around ten million or so.”

“Then how many people are there in the entire country?”

“…Why are you asking this?” Account Manager Qu couldn’t answer and became somewhat annoyed.

“Let me tell you, it’s two hundred and seventy million!” Since Gu Pingyuan dared to ask, he knew the answer, because he had helped the camp official handle military affairs at the Fengtian Camp. Most of the provinces in the country were now at war, conscripting laborers and soldiers, so naturally, they had to count the population.

Account Manager Qu wasn’t stupid either. His eyes turned, and he immediately understood what Gu Pingyuan wanted to say. He gave a very disdainful smile: “Oh, I thought you were making some profound point. You’re merely suggesting that if these two hundred and seventy million people each deposited one wen in a money house, it would amount to 270,000 taels of silver, a remarkable business, right? Let me tell you, 270,000 taels of silver might be an enormous business for other money houses, but our Taiyufeng truly doesn’t regard it as much!”

Those were boastful words! But the chief account manager of Taiyufeng spoke with confidence, and no one thought he was incorrect. Because it had long been rumored that Wang Tiangui of Taiku County possessed wealth amounting to millions, being one of the several major wealthy individuals in Shanxi. When he said that a few hundred thousand taels weren’t much in his eyes, there was truly no way to refute it!

Everyone thought Gu Pingyuan would surely have no retort this time, but unexpectedly, Gu Pingyuan shook his head firmly, moved his foot, picked up the copper coin, and placed it on the counter, saying, “With things said to this point, if you still don’t understand, then I needn’t play the lute to a cow. Whether to do this one-wen business or not is up to you.” After saying this, he brushed the dust off his hands and strode toward the inner hall.

“Stop! What do you mean? Today, if you don’t explain clearly, don’t think about leaving through this door.” First slapped and then ridiculed, Account Manager Qu’s face turned pale with anger. He had long thrown the thought of not offending Ruyi to the clouds.

Gu Pingyuan smiled slightly, “Who said I want to leave? Aren’t I going inside?”

Everyone burst into laughter. Account Manager Qu’s face changed colors, blinking his eyes, and after a long time, he squeezed out a sentence: “What are you going to the inner hall for? That’s not a place a poor boy like you can enter!”

“He is not a poor boy!” Ruyi walked over, looked at Gu Pingyuan, and said, “He is the merchant who led a camel caravan through Black Water Marsh, fought the Mongolian prince’s mansion, and reclaimed the payment—he is Gu Pingyuan!”

“Ah!” The entire hall was shaken. “A man’s name, a tree’s shadow.” Gu Pingyuan himself didn’t know that his deeds in Mongolia had already become well-known throughout Shanxi, where “every household is a merchant.” Many exaggerated parts were even believed to be true by the common people. Some said he was twelve feet tall, and while others were completely submerged in Black Water Marsh, he was only waist-deep. Some said he was as strong as an ox, single-handedly defeating a squad of Mongolian soldiers. Others said Gu Pingyuan must be an old manager who had been in business his entire life; otherwise, he couldn’t have been so resourceful, turning defeat into victory… In short, there were all kinds of stories. Now, hearing that the daring merchant from another province was this scholarly-looking young man before them, everyone was incredulous but even more curious, all crowding forward to see for themselves.

Account Manager Qu and the other clerks were also stunned. Ordinary clerks didn’t understand why Gu Pingyuan, who had made his fortune in Mongolia, would come to Taiyufeng to cause trouble for no reason. Account Manager Qu, however, was one of the few people at the money house who knew the background of this matter. He knew this was someone Chief Manager Wang valued, so he quickly accompanied Ruyi, personally lifting the curtain to let Gu Pingyuan into the inner hall.

“The master said to make your name known outside when you arrived, to let everyone know. I’ve done that now, aren’t you going to thank me?” Ruyi, hearing the commotion outside, turned with a charming smile.

Gu Pingyuan avoided her gaze and said calmly, “I understand Chief Manager Wang’s intention!”

The Taiyufeng money house had three courtyards, front to back. The last courtyard was nominally the money house’s storehouse but was actually Wang Tiangui’s private residence. He had a large mansion outside the north city gate but rarely returned there. He had married several concubines over time. The newly favored one lived here in this outer residence to serve him, while the previous one was naturally sent to the old mansion to “enjoy fortune.”

Ruyi usually lived in the back courtyard of Taiyufeng. Arriving in the middle of the courtyard, they saw Wai Mao guarding the door, while from inside came the sound of Wang Tiangui laughing with his personal maid.

“The old fellow, being improper again!” Ruyi cursed softly, leading Gu Pingyuan over. Suddenly, she widened her eyes and scolded Wai Mao: “Are you blind? Hurry and lift the curtain to let Young Master Gu in!”

Her sudden outburst startled even Gu Pingyuan. He had personally witnessed Wai Mao’s formidable power last night—one punch could knock down even Liu Heita—and had heard he was a martial arts graduate. How could he endure such abuse from a woman raised in a brothel? Unexpectedly, Wai Mao truly endured it, not even furrowing his brow, deaf to the scolding but following the order to the letter. He bent down to lift the thick cotton curtain, bowing to invite Ruyi and Gu Pingyuan in. As Gu Pingyuan passed by Wai Mao, he instinctively glanced at him and saw that his eyes were as calm as an ancient well. Gu Pingyuan thought about how last night, when Wai Mao threw him into the water tank, he probably wore this same wooden, expressionless face, and he couldn’t help but shiver. Account Manager Qu, not summoned, didn’t dare enter presumptuously and waited outside.

As soon as he stepped into the room, Gu Pingyuan already smelled a strong scent of opium smoke, intoxicating. A large brazier burned in the room, high-quality Shanxi coke emitting a bright white light. The window cracks were tightly sealed with two-finger-wide cowhide paper—truly a room of perpetual spring.

Wang Tiangui reclined on the kang bed, his lower legs wrapped in a woolen blanket, leisurely lying with his opium tray. Beside him, a lively and pretty maid served tea and handed him the opium pipe, attentively taking care of him. However, when she saw Ruyi enter, her face showed some trepidation, and her previously animated laughter gradually subsided.

“Ahem.” Wang Tiangui coughed lightly. His eyes didn’t look at Gu Pingyuan who had just entered, but instead, he called out, “Old Wai, you come in too!”

Only then did Gu Pingyuan know that Wai Mao was called “Old Wai” by people in the money house. Of course, only Wang Tiangui and a few qualified account managers could call him this way. Ordinary clerks probably wouldn’t dare to call him so, but would respectfully address him as “Master Wai.”

Wai Mao entered as told, silently standing by the corner of the room. Strangely, as he entered, it was as if a gust of cold wind blew into the warm room. Gu Pingyuan felt his breath catch, and even the flames of the charcoal fire seemed to lower. Gu Pingyuan’s change in expression was all noticed by Wang Tiangui, who smiled with satisfaction. He had called Wai Mao in precisely to pressure Gu Pingyuan, and having Ruyi present was also for this purpose. He wanted to constantly remind Gu Pingyuan of what had happened the night before.

“After you left last night, Chang Si held the urine pot for half the night,” Wang Tiangui’s leisurely tone pierced directly into Gu Pingyuan’s heart. “If you hadn’t come today, he would have been unlucky and would have had to wear ‘water trousers.'”

The “unlucky” mentioned naturally meant that holding the urine pot now was still light punishment. Gu Pingyuan had spent five years beyond the frontier and had often heard of such things in the black jail. Though it was his first time hearing of “water trousers,” it should be similar to “water bags,” a type of cruel punishment. This wasn’t one of the five official punishments of the government but a privately administered torture! A leather bag would be filled with water, the person put inside, the mouth of the bag tightly tied and hung up, with only the head left outside. A person soaked like this for three days would basically be crippled, yet not a single wound could be detected.

“Chief Manager Wang, didn’t you promise…” Gu Pingyuan’s eyebrows rose in anger.

Wang Tiangui interrupted, “Yes, since you’ve come today, Chang Si can be more comfortable tonight. He might even get a good night’s sleep.”

“Have you thought carefully about what I said last night?” Wang Tiangui continued to Gu Pingyuan, while casually beckoning to Ruyi. Ruyi, already by the couch, smiled sweetly and extended her hand behind Wang Tiangui, helping him sit up slightly, then naturally sat down on the opium couch herself.

“I’ve thought about it. Chief Manager Wang has taken notice of me, a fugitive who has secretly returned within the borders, and wants me to earn piles of silver for you.”

“You’ve spoken straightforwardly! That’s exactly it. To put it plainly, you’re now like a lost dog, but fortunately, you’re fierce and good at biting—even the prince’s mansion was defeated by your bite. That’s rare! So I, the master, appreciate you, giving you a path to survival, letting you be a watchdog for my Taiyufeng. As long as you can use the skills you demonstrated in Mongolia, with my Wang Tiangui’s great umbrella shielding you, no wind or rain can touch you. What do you think?”

These words struck Gu Pingyuan’s heart like a whip, feeling worse than being soaked in ice water last night. Since his youth, he had tied up his hair to study, always encouraging himself to be a disciple of Confucius and Mencius. Even at the moment when he decided to abandon literary pursuits for commerce, he had great aspirations in his heart. Who would have thought that today he would be openly insulted by a profit-seeking villain who wanted to make him a lackey, and even ask him “what do you think”! As they say, “In a man’s life, dignity is most important.” Being humiliated like this was truly shameful.

Gu Pingyuan’s face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling for a long time without being able to speak. Even Wang Tiangui felt that perhaps he had pushed too hard, secretly worrying that if the string was stretched too tight, it might snap and ruin everything. Just as he was about to say a few words to ease the situation, Gu Pingyuan resolutely raised his head, his complexion already recovered, and staring into Wang Tiangui’s eyes, said, “I’ve thought it through. I’m willing to be Chief Manager Wang’s watchdog.”

“Oh? Hahaha…” Wang Tiangui laughed joyfully. Ruyi sighed inwardly, slightly lowering her head. Wai Mao remained expressionless, but his tightly clenched fists loosened. Having clenched too tightly, it took some time for the color to return to his palms.

Wang Tiangui laughed so hard that he coughed loudly twice, bringing up a mouthful of phlegm. The personal maid quickly went to fetch the spittoon, but Gu Pingyuan beat her to it, taking the spittoon in his hands and respectfully presenting it to Wang Tiangui.

The room fell completely silent. No one had expected Gu Pingyuan to make such a move. Even Wai Mao suddenly looked up. Ruyi’s mouth opened slightly, looking at Gu Pingyuan in amazement. Wang Tiangui was also stunned for several seconds, his eyes moving back and forth across Gu Pingyuan’s face, showing suspicious doubt. Gu Pingyuan, however, remained very calm, as natural as if he had dropped a pair of chopsticks in a restaurant and bent down to pick them up.

Wang Tiangui finally withdrew his gaze, spat phlegm into the spittoon, and suddenly asked, “Tell me, what is business?”

In an instant, several thoughts passed through Gu Pingyuan’s mind as he considered how to respond to this question. But in the end, he decided to speak frankly.

“In my view, doing business is like being a person. Ultimately, life is just a business transaction. Temporary wins and losses don’t matter. As long as when the final accounts are tallied, the overall result is profit, then the business is well done!”

Wang Tiangui was silent for a while, contemplating Gu Pingyuan’s words. Despite having been in business his entire life, with people from all “360 trades” of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants coming and going, when it came to business, everyone talked about “business is business.” What they usually spoke of was nothing more than how to earn a few more coins, but no one had ever described business with such profundity. Wang Tiangui savored Gu Pingyuan’s “business philosophy” while also evaluating Gu Pingyuan as a person, suddenly feeling a sense of uncertainty. Last night, he had been 90% confident that he could control Gu Pingyuan. Today, when Gu Pingyuan personally said he was willing to be his lackey, Wang Tiangui had become completely assured, just like the Tathagata Buddha subduing the Monkey King, with a tight band in prison, just waiting to send him to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. Unexpectedly, Gu Pingyuan’s next action and words made Wang Tiangui feel he couldn’t see through this person anymore.

Just then, a clerk at the door reported, “Chief Manager, there’s a woman who wants to see you.”

Ruyi responded on Wang Tiangui’s behalf: “Who is it? The Chief Manager is in a meeting right now.”

“She says she’s from the Chang family, bringing the house deed.”

Gu Pingyuan immediately knew it was Chang Yu’er. His heart instantly tightened. Wang Tiangui observed him impassively and asked a question.

“Gu Pingyuan, if I’m not mistaken, the idea of using the White Dove Money Order to swindle me out of tens of thousands of taels of silver for the Chang family was yours, wasn’t it?”

Gu Pingyuan didn’t answer but slightly nodded his head.

“Let her in,” Wang Tiangui instructed to the outside.

Chang Yu’er, carrying her family’s house and land deeds, heard the message delivered by the clerk and woodenly moved her feet toward the inner hall of the money house. She hadn’t slept all night, her heart frying like oil. The three most important people in her heart had all suffered great changes in an instant. Her father had been imprisoned and tortured, her brother had been beaten severely and was vomiting blood, and Gu Pingyuan, to whom she had deeply given her heart, after being separated for just half a day, when seen again was pulled up from a half-naked woman. She couldn’t help but recall what Chen Laizi had said with a grin when she first arrived at the county yamen gate.

“You might as well not see Chang Si, you can’t see him anyway. He’s held in the jail for serious criminals, and without the county magistrate’s note, no one is allowed to visit. But if you want to see Gu, I can think of a way for you. He was just brought in not long ago and hasn’t entered the main prison yet. Or maybe he won’t need to go in at all, perhaps he’ll just be beheaded.”

What had she said then? Even seeing one would be good, especially Gu Pingyuan, perhaps for the last time. At that time, her mind was truly in chaos, even thinking that if Gu Pingyuan died, she wouldn’t want to live either. But who would have thought that when she walked into that courtyard, what she saw and heard was him engaging in such shameless activities. Though Wang Tiangui was her family’s enemy, his words were correct. Gu Pingyuan must have been afraid to die at the critical moment and made her father the scapegoat. Little did she expect that the man she had saved at an enormous cost would turn out to be someone she couldn’t entrust her life to. Yet in this life, besides Gu Pingyuan, she could not marry anyone else, so what could she…

Chang Yu’er had been thinking from yesterday to today, her heart swaying like a banner in the wind. To make matters worse, Liu Heita, with such a strong physique, developed a high fever overnight from anger and injury, lying in bed and cursing Wang Tiangui in his delirium. Chang Yu’er was worried about her father but couldn’t neglect her elder brother. Fortunately, Sister Li helped take care of him. Although the thought of Wang Tiangui made her heart tremble, she had to summon her courage, find the house and land deeds, and exchange them for a glimmer of hope for her father’s life.

Seeing Gu Pingyuan also in the room, she was startled, then lowered her eyelids and handed over the items she had brought to Wang Tiangui. Wang Tiangui casually flipped through them, saw that the Chang family’s old house deed, land deed, and salt field license were all present, and nodded with satisfaction. Suddenly, he mentioned, “That salt field of Chang Si’s still has debts, and these debts remain with the Chang family, understand?”

At this moment, Chang Yu’er only wanted her father to be safe, so she agreed to any harsh condition with a single word, and pressed her hand mark on the document. She saw that Wang Tiangui made no mention at all of releasing Old Chang Si, and couldn’t help but ask, “When can my father return home?”

Gu Pingyuan saw that she still harbored illusions and inwardly smiled bitterly. Old Chang Si was a trump card in Wang Tiangui’s hand, how could he easily give him up? So before Wang Tiangui could speak, Gu Pingyuan quickly said, “Miss Chang, let me explain this matter to you slowly.”

Chang Yu’er acted as if she hadn’t heard, not even looking at Gu Pingyuan at all, but instead repeated her question to Wang Tiangui.

Wang Tiangui frowned, pretending to be in difficulty: “Well, hehe, the country has its laws, it’s not something I, Wang Tiangui, can decide.”

“But you said…”

“I said if you want to save Chang Si’s life, you need to use the house and land deeds to make arrangements. What I can help you with is just this matter. As for the result, looking up it depends on heaven’s will, looking down it depends on human fortune. I dare not make promises. As for releasing him, I don’t have that much power. How about it? If you want to proceed, leave these things here. If not, take them back.” After saying this, he tossed the documents onto the ground, lay back on the opium couch with a stern face, and Ruyi quickly prepared a large yellow opium bubble and gently passed it to him. Wang Tiangui took the pipe and inhaled several times, and as he swallowed clouds and spit mist, even his face became indistinct.

Despite having crossed the desert and accomplished things that other girls wouldn’t dare to imagine, when it came to her father’s life and death, Chang Yu’er was truly uncertain, fearing both falling into Wang Tiangui’s trap and losing the only lifeline. She stood alone in the center of the room, with such a pitiful appearance that Wang Tiangui unconsciously narrowed his eyes.

Ruyi knew Wang Tiangui’s temperament best. One look at his eyes told her he had designs on Chang Yu’er, and she slightly furrowed her brow. The expressions of these two people all fell into Gu Pingyuan’s eyes. He suddenly walked over in two steps, bent down to pick up the deeds from the ground, and then said to Chang Yu’er: “Just think about it. What kind of status does Chief Manager Wang have? That he would help your Chang family is already like your ancestral graves emitting green smoke. Don’t be ungrateful—how are you qualified to negotiate terms with Chief Manager Wang?” After saying this, he pointed outside and coldly uttered one word.

“Get out!”

Chang Yu’er stared at Gu Pingyuan with wide eyes, as if she had never seen him before. Gu Pingyuan didn’t look at her, his face as calm as usual. Chang Yu’er bit her lower lip so hard it left a blood mark, her eyes revealing a disappointment that chilled to the bone. And so they remained, one looking at the other, the other holding his head high indifferently. Though not long, it seemed like an eternity. Finally, Chang Yu’er turned and hurriedly left the room. The moment she turned, tears fell from her eyes, but among those in the room, only Wai Mao, leaning against the corner, saw it clearly.

During this short time, Wang Tiangui had also made up his mind. Gu Pingyuan’s extraordinary “endurance” and “transformation” made him feel somewhat uneasy. He had originally planned to have Gu Pingyuan work at the Taiyufeng money house today, but now felt it was somewhat inappropriate.

“Call Account Manager Qu!”

“I’m here. Chief Manager, you called for me?” Account Manager Qu lifted the curtain and entered, bowing to Wang Tiangui.

Wang Tiangui said, “Old Qu, take Gu Pingyuan to ‘Wanyuan Pawnshop.’ Say it’s my order to make him a Fourth Counter Manager there.”

After saying this, he turned to Gu Pingyuan and coldly said, “If other clerks don’t perform well, at most they pack their bedrolls and go home. If you don’t have the ability to do this job, then prepare to have your head chopped off. I’m not a patient person, so don’t harm yourself.”

Gu Pingyuan heard this without a word, merely bowing slightly and following Account Manager Qu out.

“You can go too. I’ll stay here today; I don’t need you to attend to me.” Wang Tiangui then sent Wai Mao away as well, wanting to quietly think about Gu Pingyuan.

Ruyi, seeing Wang Tiangui lost in thought, nudged his body and asked, “A perfectly good person, and you’ve turned him into a dog. What else are you unsatisfied with?”

“You don’t understand. There’s still a flame in his eyes, unlike Old Wai.”

“What flame? He even brought you the spittoon. I’d say he doesn’t have even half a bit of fire left.”

Wang Tiangui shook his head. “When an open flame burns strongly, it’s actually easier to handle—just pour a basin of water on it to extinguish it. What’s feared is fire hidden in dead ashes, which might ignite at any time. That’s called a hidden fire, and by the time it’s noticed, it’s already become a prairie fire.” Having said this, he laughed despite himself. “You’re a woman; you shouldn’t understand these things. Come here…” He reached out to grab Ruyi’s arm.

Ruyi glanced at the personal maid, nimbly dodged, and replied, “I don’t understand, so tell me, what was this Gu fellow doing just now?” She then recounted in detail how Gu Pingyuan had “caused trouble” at the front counter.

Wang Tiangui turned his eyelids, slowly saying, “He knows I want to use him, so he wanted to seize the initiative. But…” As for the intention behind depositing just one wen, Wang Tiangui thought the same as Account Manager Qu. He heard that later Gu Pingyuan dismissed this idea, and not understanding what was in Gu Pingyuan’s mind, he was unwilling to continue.

“Regardless, this Gu Pingyuan has a fatal weakness—he values loyalty and righteousness too much. As long as I keep Chang Si in my palm, he can never escape.”

“Then… what if one day he changes and no longer cares about Old Chang’s life or death? What other means do you have to restrain him?”

“Hehe!” Wang Tiangui laughed, pointing at Ruyi: “If that happens, even if you drive him away, he won’t leave. By that time, this dog will be tamed!”

Account Manager Qu was ordered to take Gu Pingyuan to Wanyuan Pawnshop. Having been slapped hard by Gu Pingyuan in public, he was originally full of anger, but considering that Chief Manager Wang valued this person, he had suppressed his rage. Now seeing that Gu Pingyuan was not, as he had imagined, being immediately employed in an important position at the money house, but instead was being sent to a pawnshop, his demeanor changed instantly.

He walked with a dark face, not saying a word, following Drum Tower Street to its end, past Wenchang Pavilion, and stopping in front of a pawnshop not far ahead. Pointing to the sign, he said, “This Wanyuan Pawnshop is also one of Chief Manager Wang’s businesses. Although it can’t compare with Taiyufeng, in business, there are no small matters. If you make even the slightest mistake…” He smiled sinisterly and lowered his voice: “Don’t think that slap from earlier is over. I’ll be watching you on behalf of Chief Manager Wang!”

Gu Pingyuan glanced at him and said seriously, “Account Manager Qu, from now on, we both work for Chief Manager Wang. If you want to cause me trouble, go ahead, openly or secretly as you wish. But if you harm Chief Manager Wang’s business, you’ll have to bear the consequences yourself.”

Account Manager Qu was stunned by these neither humble nor overbearing words. Blinking his eyes, he then gave a cold laugh: “Gu Pingyuan, they say you’re bold and meticulous, but it seems your tongue is not bad either. Fine, let’s ride a donkey and read a book—we’ll see how things go!”

With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked grandly into the pawnshop. Only then did Gu Pingyuan raise his head to examine this Wanyuan Pawnshop closely. He saw that it had double-leaf doors, with a passageway left on each side. Looking in, there was a huge stone screen placed in front of the high counter, blocking the view of passers-by from the door.

Gu Pingyuan just glanced once and nodded inwardly—it seemed this Wanyuan Pawnshop was run very properly. Gu Pingyuan had been poor since childhood, and his family, living hand-to-mouth, had to pawn things whenever they faced difficulties. As the eldest in the family, his mother couldn’t conveniently go out to pawn items, so nine out of ten times, he was the one who went to the pawnshop. Later, beyond the frontier, the convicts had nothing, pawning padded clothes in winter and cotton clothes in summer, which was commonplace. So he was not unfamiliar with the general rules of pawnshops. Like the pawnshop before him, which had set up passageways on the left and right, seemingly redundant, actually had a clever way of attracting customers. Because as the saying goes, “Poverty leads to pawning,” going to a pawnshop was not a face-saving thing for anyone. The reason for leaving two passageways was nominally that one was for customers, and the other was for people going to the pawnshop for other business. But this was to save face for patrons—anyone coming to pawn something would not use the customer passageway for entering or leaving. This way, if they happened to meet an acquaintance, those with less face could make excuses for themselves, avoiding too much embarrassment. Theoretically, taboo businesses like pawnshops and coffin shops should all have such arrangements, but some merchants either found it troublesome or begrudged the expense, so nowadays, few followed these rules.

“Where is Zhu Chaofeng?” Account Manager Qu entered the pawnshop, looked around without seeing the person he was looking for, and spoke from the center of the room.

“Oh, it’s Account Manager Qu.” A green-faced man wearing a long gown with a short beard on his lips looked over from the counter and immediately came forward to greet him: “Earlier, Financier Liao from the south of the city sent someone, saying he had two heirlooms he wanted to pawn for ‘mutual convenience.’ One of the items wasn’t easy to move, so the Chief Manager went to take a look at the goods first, and should be back soon.” He paused, then smiled apologetically, “You’re usually very busy; what brings you to favor us with your presence today?”

“Hmm, let me ask, who were you referring to as ‘Chief Manager’ just now?” Account Manager Qu’s face darkened after hearing this.

“Umm? You mean…” The green-faced man heard the unfriendly tone and hesitated, not knowing how to respond.

“Even though the signs and names are different, there’s only one financial owner and Chief Manager, and that’s Chief Manager Wang! How can Zhu Chaofeng be called ‘Chief Manager’? Isn’t this small usurping the great!” Account Manager Qu scolded.

This was truly unreasonable! In business, it’s understood that each door is a separate establishment, and although they may share the same origin, with different doorways, it’s customary to call the helmsman a “Chief Manager.” No one had ever picked on this before, but today Account Manager Qu was determined to find fault in an egg. There were quite a few clerks in the pawnshop, and some knew about the grudges and entanglements between Zhu Chaofeng and Chief Manager Wang. They thought Account Manager Qu had been ordered to find fault, and immediately raised their heads, watching tensely.

The green-faced man, surnamed Ding, was the pawnshop’s second manager, commonly known as the “Second Counter.” He was very clear about the inside story of his shop and thought the same as the clerks, assuming that Account Manager Qu was backed by Wang Tiangui and had come specifically to make trouble. Sweat immediately appeared on his forehead. With the chief manager absent, he dared not directly oppose, and could only repeatedly agree: “Yes, yes, you’re right in your guidance.”

Unexpectedly, after venting his anger, Account Manager Qu’s tone suddenly softened. He beckoned Gu Pingyuan, who was standing in the street, to come in, saying, “I didn’t come for anything else. Chief Manager Wang has instructed that this person will serve as a Fourth Counter Manager at the pawnshop from now on.”

Fourth Counter! The eyes of the pawnshop people immediately shifted from Account Manager Qu to Gu Pingyuan, scanning him up and down. Gu Pingyuan stood squarely in the center, calmly accepting the various questioning, sharp, or even hostile gazes. He cupped his hands in a circular bow, and with a smile on his face, said, “My name is Gu Pingyuan. I’m honored by Chief Manager Wang’s appreciation to work here. From now on, I’ll be working with all of you. If my etiquette is lacking or I don’t follow the rules properly, I hope for your tolerance.”

There was a moment of silence. Second Manager Ding opened his mouth, then swallowed his words. Seeing Account Manager Qu turning to leave, and considering that he couldn’t make decisions himself, he mustered the courage to say, “Account Manager Qu, why not… wait for the Chief Manager to return and tell him personally?”

Account Manager Qu glared. He had vented his anger just to establish authority in front of Gu Pingyuan and regain some face, and now Second Manager Ding had walked right into the tiger’s mouth. Account Manager Qu moved closer to him, narrowing his eyes and saying harshly, “Do you know how many matters at Taiyufeng are waiting for me to return and handle? For a mere Fourth Counter, I’ve personally brought him here, which is already giving you enough face, yet you dare to make me wait? Wait for how long? Do you expect me to stay here for the Lantern Festival?”

Hearing these aggressive questions, Second Manager Ding didn’t dare to refute a single word. Despite being a second manager, second in command at this pawnshop, when facing the chief account manager from Taiyufeng, he could only bow his head and comply. He lowered his head, agreeing submissively, and when he looked up again, Account Manager Qu had already walked away with long strides.

Second Manager Ding turned around to see that this sudden newcomer still had a face of tranquility, which made him even angrier. Before he could decide how to speak, Gu Pingyuan had already walked over, cupped his hands in greeting: “Second Manager.”

Second Manager Ding merely nodded as a return greeting. He was a cautious person, knowing that with his position, caught between Chief Manager Wang and Chief Manager Zhu, he could easily become a scapegoat if he wasn’t careful. So he only wanted to deal perfunctorily with this Gu Pingyuan who had been inexplicably recommended as a “Fourth Counter,” leaving everything for the Chief Manager to decide when he returned. However, Gu Pingyuan wouldn’t let him get away with this, continuing: “May I ask, Second Manager, as I’m to serve as the Fourth Counter, what duties will I have at the counter?”

“Well…” Second Manager Ding frowned, deciding to use delaying tactics. “Currently, the Chief Manager is out and hasn’t returned. I’ll take the liberty of giving you a day off. Come back tomorrow, and naturally, the Chief Manager will arrange your work.”

“I’m afraid that’s not appropriate.” Gu Pingyuan unexpectedly didn’t accept this favor. “If I take time off on my first day of work, how would the clerks respect me, and how would I face everyone in the future? I hope Second Manager will assign me some work, even if it’s sweeping the floor or dusting—it’s better than idling about.”

Every word he said was reasonable, and Second Manager Ding was cornered. Steeling himself, he thought, you’re asking for trouble, and so led Gu Pingyuan to the counter: “Since that’s the case, let me first explain the counter rules to you. There are many rules in a pawnshop; I’ll tell you the general ones.”

Second Manager Ding stood in front of the counter, which was taller than a person, and began explaining from left to right:

“The small compartment on the far left is Chief Manager Zhu’s position. Usually, the Chief Manager is not here, but when there are patrons pawning valuable items like antiques or paintings, the Chief Manager will come out to receive them. Only the Chief Manager has a seat at the front counter; everyone else, whether in summer from dawn to dusk or in winter from evening to dawn, must stand to greet customers from beginning to end. There’s a saying, ‘Without the skill to stand on one leg like a golden rooster, don’t come here to work,’ referring to pawnshops.”

Saying this, he stole a glance sideways, saw that Gu Pingyuan’s expression remained unchanged, and thought to himself: “Don’t think it sounds simple. You look so refined, but if you really have to stand for seven or eight hours, you’ll be exhausted to the bone. If you can get up the next day, I’ll consider you tough!”

After this thought, he pointed to the side: “Next to it is my position. I’m the Second Counter, responsible for receiving high-end furs, gold and silver jewelry, large furniture, and property. Next is the Third Counter, which receives daily clothing, utensils, and ordinary miscellaneous goods. Generally speaking, if all three counters won’t accept an item brought to the pawnshop, then it can’t be pawned.”

“Then what about my Fourth Counter?” Gu Pingyuan couldn’t help but ask, having heard that it ended with the Third Counter. Some of the clerks nearby had already begun to snicker.

Second Manager Ding also smiled mockingly, “Pawnshops rely on discerning eyes. May I ask what treasures has Mr. Gu appraised before?”

“Well…” Gu Pingyuan knew he was asking about the appraisal of antiques and paintings, but in his lifetime, let alone “Qin bricks, Han tiles, Tang tri-colored pottery,” he hadn’t even seen many authentic works by recent masters. Although he could make up stories based on what he had read in books to get through the situation, the truth would eventually be known, especially if he were exposed on the spot, which would be even more humiliating. After thinking it over, he decided to tell the truth.

“Ginseng.”

“What? What did you say?” Second Manager Ding didn’t hear clearly.

“I’m particularly good at distinguishing the quality of ginseng. I’ve received special training in this area.”

“Hehe.” Second Manager Ding laughed out loud, and with his laugh, the pawnshop immediately filled with contemptuous laughter. “Who would ever come to pawn ginseng? I’ve been in the pawnshop business for so long and have never heard of such a thing. You must have come to the wrong door, mistaking a pawnshop for an herbal medicine shop.”

The laughter grew louder. Gu Pingyuan felt waves of heat on his face and was about to say something when Second Manager Ding waved his hand, pointing to a corner next to the Third Counter. “Then please stand here for now, and see if anyone comes to pawn ginseng today.”

“Chief Manager, I’ve returned.” Back at Taiyufeng, Account Manager Qu respectfully reported from outside the room. “Come in.”

Wang Tiangui, sitting at the table looking through account books, glanced at him and asked lightly, “No unexpected incidents?”

“That Gu fellow was quite obedient, but Zhu Sheng wasn’t at the shop. I don’t know what his reaction will be when he returns.”

“Hmph, I don’t care what his reaction is! I’m the financial boss, arranging a Fourth Counter to go in, I doubt he’ll dare say anything!”

“That old Zhu is very stubborn. Will he accommodate such a Fourth Counter with an unknown background?” Account Manager Qu tried to probe indirectly, as he was also full of doubts about Wang Tiangui’s arrangement.

Wang Tiangui raised his triangular eyes to look at him, pointing at his nose with an opium pick and scolding, “Old Qu, you’re far from skillful at playing mind games. If you want to ask why I sent Gu Pingyuan to Wanyuan Pawnshop, just ask directly. Why put on cat and dog acts!”

“Yes.” Account Manager Qu was startled that his thoughts had been seen through before they had barely formed, and quickly lowered his head to admit his mistake. “Indeed, nothing escapes the Chief Manager’s legal eye. It’s just that yesterday you said that Gu Pingyuan would be used to uphold the face of our Taiyufeng, but today you’ve sent him to Wanyuan Pawnshop. Isn’t that giving old Zhu a free benefit?”

“Hmph, what do you understand? Gu Pingyuan’s thoughts are too deep; I need to carefully assess him. A knife, no matter how sharp its edge, even if it’s unparalleled in the world, if it has edges on the handle too, then it must be discarded as unusable.”

“I understand. Chief Manager has placed him in the troublesome place of Wanyuan Pawnshop to see if he can work wholeheartedly for the Chief Manager. But in the pawnshop business, one sits to eat meals, and no matter how capable he is, he probably won’t have a chance to show it.”

“It’s precisely because it’s hard to show one’s abilities in a pawnshop that I sent him there. If he can still make the business flourish under such conditions, it will prove that he’s useful. I guess with his intelligence, it won’t take many days for him to understand the grudges between me and Zhu Sheng. At that time, we’ll see what he does. If he doesn’t know what’s good for him, I’ll use the ‘fugitive’ as a fuse and can still blow Zhu Sheng to pieces.” Wang Tiangui spoke these words with extreme ferocity.

Account Manager Qu had heard that in the frontier camps, military officers privately allowed fugitives to lodge with wealthy families. As soon as they entered, pursuing soldiers would arrive, framing them with the crime of “conspirators in private escape.” The family would be ruined, and the silver would naturally end up in the officer’s pocket. This tactic was called “flying a kite.” Unexpectedly, Gu Pingyuan, a fugitive who had secretly entered within the frontier, in Wang Tiangui’s hands, had become a rare commodity, transformed into a tremendously powerful landmine. It had first blown up the Chang family, and now was to be used against Zhu Sheng, who had long been at odds with Wang Tiangui. Who would be next? Thinking of this, Account Manager Qu couldn’t help but shudder.

As he trembled with fear, Wang Tiangui seemed to sense it and sighed, softening his tone: “Wanyuan Pawnshop is also my own business. Unless absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t do this.”

“Now go do two things.” Wang Tiangui saw that Account Manager Qu was stunned and sternly instructed. Account Manager Qu came to attention and listened carefully to the orders.

“First, go to the county yamen. This time it was all handled by Magistrate Chen, so go and thank him well on my behalf. Say that the cold is severe lately, making it inconvenient to go out, but I’ll specially arrange a banquet another day. Give him a round number, and as for how his advisors and various departments divide it, that’s his business. This matter must be handled today, without delay.”

“I understand. Master always says there are two kinds of money you can’t owe: one is money for visiting flower houses, and the other is bribes for officials.”

Wang Tiangui was very pleased that Account Manager Qu always remembered what he had said: “Correct. Officials and prostitutes seem unrelated, but they are actually the same kind of people—they all sit in halls collecting money. It’s just that one is in a brothel, and the other is in a government hall, but both help you get things done and make you happy. If you’re slow to pay, the next time won’t be so pleasant.”

Account Manager Qu nodded and made a note. He knew that according to Wang Tiangui’s established rules, bribes to officials couldn’t use Taiyufeng’s notes, nor could they send conspicuous silver. They had to get notes from a small, unknown money house called “Yulong” on the front street to be safe.

“The second matter, after you return from the county yamen, go to the Chang family’s compound. I want to move in as soon as possible. That residence is not like here; it has many rooms and is spacious. Household members, maidservants, furniture, and furnishings all need to be added. You arrange all of this, and the expenses will be on the public account.”

This was a plum job among plum jobs. Account Manager Qu was secretly delighted, but he also had doubts. “Chief Manager, do we need to notify the county yamen about this? After all, Chang Si is detained in prison…”

“Old Qu, you’re regressing!” Wang Tiangui scolded him without mercy. “Haven’t you seen through what I’m doing when others haven’t? Chang Si is not imprisoned for aiding a fugitive’s private escape, so his residence has no connection whatsoever with the officials.”

“But then, why was Chang Si arrested?” With these words, Account Manager Qu was truly confused.

“For nothing at all. There was no reason to arrest him, and it wasn’t recorded in official books. To put it plainly, he thinks he was imprisoned because he sheltered Gu Pingyuan, this fugitive, but in fact, the authorities don’t even know there’s a person named Gu Pingyuan!” Account Manager Qu opened his mouth wide, staring at Wang Tiangui in disbelief. Yes, Chief Manager Wang could indeed bribe the county magistrate to arrest someone on trumped-up charges and put them in jail, but…

“What if the Chang family learns the truth and goes to the prison to demand his release?”

“Would they dare?” Wang Tiangui closed the account book with a “snap,” his face showing a sinister smile.

Account Manager Qu turned his eyeballs and said “Oh,” his face showing an expression of admiration: “So you’re drawing the bow without releasing the arrow. But the arrow is always aimed at Chang Si. If the Chang family is sensible, fine; if not, Chang Si will only die faster!”

“Right, this is called releasing and withholding at will!”

Chang Yu’er walked unsteadily, not knowing how she got back home. Families on both sides were happily pasting lanterns and painting lantern pictures, preparing for the upcoming Lantern Festival. Chang Yu’er walked through the bustling streets, but her heart felt as if it had fallen into a bottomless ice pit, both dark and cold. She could never have dreamed that Gu Pingyuan would, overnight, not only become someone who valued life over loyalty and was greedy for wealth and lust, but would also willingly sell himself to a despicable person like Wang Tiangui. Thinking of how he had just stood on Wang Tiangui’s side, harshly rebuking her, Chang Yu’er felt as if a knife was twisting in her heart. How could that clever and brave Brother Gu who had saved her and her father’s lives, that Brother Gu who had stepped onto Black Water Marsh without hesitation, that Brother Gu who fearlessly upheld his beliefs against authority, change so drastically overnight? Could it be that he was originally such a hypocrite, and all his previous righteous words and actions were pretense?

“No, impossible!” Chang Yu’er blurted out, her voice so loud it startled even herself, attracting the attention of passers-by who all turned to look. Seeing everyone watching her, Chang Yu’er blushed and quickened her pace toward home.

“Stop!” Following this lazy call came Chen Laizi and a group of his followers. Last night they had set up tea parties and double tables at Huayue Pavilion, then each found a favorite girl to enter the bridal chamber, engaging in passionate lovemaking all night. They had slept until the sun was high, and were now preparing to go to a restaurant to drink, when unexpectedly, upon coming out, they encountered Chang Yu’er.

“Isn’t this Sister Yu’er? Rushing early in the morning to meet your lover?” Chen Laizi approached with a lecherous face.

“Stand aside, I want to go home!” Chang Yu’er’s face was as cold as water.

“Home? Hehe, you mean the Chang family compound?” Chen Laizi saw her look of disdain and remembered her concern for Gu Pingyuan yesterday, which aroused a sense of jealousy in his heart. Looking at the pedestrians filling the street, he suddenly spoke loudly: “People on the street are saying that Chang Si and someone surnamed Gu made a fortune together, but I hear that Chang Si was just gilding his own reputation. Actually, he had nothing to do with the business, and he even took money borrowed from others to spend on eating, drinking, visiting prostitutes, and gambling, accumulating a mountain of debt, even selling the Chang family compound.”

“You’re talking nonsense! You’re spewing vicious lies!” Chang Yu’er hadn’t expected him to act like this, publicly slandering her father. She turned pale with anger, her lips trembling.

“I heard it last night while drinking at the flower house, from the top-ranked girls at Huayue Pavilion.” Chen Laizi lied with a straight face. “Chang Si may be old, but he kept two girls at the pavilion, with monthly expenses of several hundred taels of silver. No wonder the Chang family business has been having problems lately—he’s been putting all his energy into whores’ beds.”

Chang Yu’er listened to these filthy words and saw people on the street pointing and talking. It was unbearable. She quickly took several steps to the side, intending to break through the crowd.

“Don’t leave.” Chen Laizi signaled with his eyes, and several ruffians surrounded Chang Yu’er in the center. If Chang Yu’er insisted on leaving, she would inevitably have to touch them. With strict propriety between men and women, particularly regarding physical contact, Chang Yu’er had no choice but to stop. Seeing that she dared not force her way through, Chen Laizi became even more unrestrained, pressing closer and asking, “Sister, why not tell us why your father was imprisoned? And why has your Chang family compound been transferred to someone else?”

“I…” Chang Yu’er was a clever girl. Her family’s affairs were still in a state where she hoped for a reversal, so she naturally wouldn’t heat-headedly reveal the matter of her father’s involvement with a fugitive on the street. But precisely because of this, she was left speechless by Chen Laizi’s questions.

People on the street knew Chen Laizi’s character and initially thought he was just harassing a woman, not taking his words seriously. But seeing Chang Yu’er’s face turn red and being unable to say a word after opening her mouth, they started to believe seven or eight tenths of what he said, and gradually there were loud discussions on both sides.

“Who would have thought that honest Chang Si would be so lustful, ending up in prison and losing his home.”

“Failing to maintain his virtue in old age. What a pity! What a pity!”

Chang Yu’er listened, feeling like her lungs would explode with anger. Looking at Chen Laizi’s sly grinning face blocking her way, she gritted her teeth and raised her delicate jade hand to strike.

“How strange, I’ve heard there are many Shanxi merchants, but why are there so many ruffians too?” At this moment, a voice that was neither loud nor soft, but clear to the ear, suddenly came from outside the crowd.

Everyone was startled. Turning their heads to look, they saw a young gentleman a few steps away from the crowd, his hands holding a purple clay hand warmer, a cold smile at the corners of his mouth. He stood sideways to the crowd, actually looking at the sky instead of the people, which made him appear even more distinguished.

“The gentleman speaks truly. A group of hooligans bullying someone in the street, and no one dares to intervene. If you ask me, the whole street is full of ruffians.” A somewhat childish voice spoke up, and only then did everyone realize that this gentleman had brought a page boy. As they say, servants learn from their masters, and with this master and servant, it was completely true. The little page, despite his young age, had a look of disdain for everyone, imitating his master’s manner seven or eight tenths, and moreover, being small with a sharp tongue, he had in one sentence cursed everyone on the street.

“Who are you calling hooligans? Who are you calling ruffians?” Thugs live by licking blood from knife edges, focusing most on gaining face. Chen Laizi had received reward money from Wang Tiangui yesterday and was planning to go to the gambling den today. He hadn’t expected to be cursed by a stranger as soon as he stepped out, which put him in a bad mood. Immediately showing a fierce expression, he walked over. The people around, knowing he would start hitting at the slightest provocation and draw blood with a knife, didn’t dare to stop or advise him, and with a “whoosh,” they scattered to both sides.

Chen Laizi strutted over, casually pointing with his hand: “Where did you crawl out from, you bastard, daring to curse me?”

The gentleman finally turned his body, coldly looking at Chen Laizi once. Chen Laizi was immediately stunned—in his life, he had never seen such a handsome man. Not just him, even Chang Yu’er, in her anger and grief, was startled when she looked. This gentleman was like a figure who had stepped out of a painting, elegantly handsome as if he didn’t eat the same food as mortals. If Gu Pingyuan was a refined, imposing scholar, then this gentleman was a graceful jade tree from the pure forest amid a turbid world.

While Chen Laizi and everyone else were stunned, the gentleman spoke again, this time to the page boy.

“Hurry up and deal with him; looking at him makes me sick.”

“Yes.” The page boy responded, walking forward two steps to stand in front of Chen Laizi, looking at him with a half-smile.

“What are you doing? Whose waistband wasn’t tied properly to let you out? Get out of the way.” Chen Laizi raised his hand, about to give him a slap. The page boy, however, was neither hurried nor slow, leisurely glancing down, and said, “If you dare to strike, I would really admire you.”

Chen Laizi was startled, and his eyes followed the boy’s gaze downward. His eyeballs nearly popped out. He saw that the page boy had drawn a gleaming sharp dagger at some point, now placed beneath his crotch.

“You, you…” Chen Laizi was so frightened that his heart and gallbladder were about to split, wanting to kneel and beg for mercy. But seeing that his followers were all present, if he showed cowardice in front of so many people, how could he continue to operate on the streets?

Just as he hesitated, he suddenly felt a chill at the root of his thigh. Chen Laizi thought he had been castrated and let out a scream of agony, hurriedly looking down. He didn’t know what kind of razor-sharp treasure the page boy was using, but with just a light cut, he had opened a large hole in Chen Laizi’s cotton pants from inside to outside, yet without harming his skin. The boy had done this looking sideways at the sky without even a glance, apparently finding the location purely by touch.

At this moment, the whole street erupted in commotion. People were calling out and laughing; young women and young wives had long since closed their eyes and turned their heads in embarrassment, while a group of children clapped their hands in delight. Chen Laizi’s face turned pale, both frightened and ashamed, covering his crotch with both hands and scurrying into Huayue Pavilion, leaving behind only a series of curses and threats.

The gentleman seemed not to have heard anything and called his page boy to turn and leave. Chang Yu’er, though in a state of mental confusion, had not forgotten the proper etiquette she had been taught since childhood. She quickly called out.

“Sir.”

The gentleman looked at her, and Chang Yu’er realized that he had jet-black pupils, clear and reflective. “What beautiful eyes,” Chang Yu’er thought.

“Sir, though we are strangers, you reached out to help me. This humble girl, Chang Yu’er, thanks you.” Chang Yu’er made a deep bow.

“It’s nothing. If I can help, I help. Sometimes I can’t help, and there’s nothing to be done.” The gentleman smiled slightly.

Chang Yu’er was startled to hear this, thinking that this person spoke strangely, as if keeping people at a thousand-mile distance. But since he had saved her, she couldn’t not ask his name.

The gentleman didn’t conceal it: “My name is Su Zixuan. I’m staying at the Eight Immortals Inn at the South Gate. If these ruffians cause you trouble over what just happened, tell them to come find me there.”

Chang Yu’er had nothing to say to this, so she bowed deeply again. By the time she rose, Su the gentleman had already left with his page boy.

Having experienced this shock, Chang Yu’er was actually more clear-headed than when she had just left Taiyufeng. Remembering Liu Heita who was seriously ill at home, her heart sank again. She quickened her pace toward home, but just as she reached the gate of the Chang family compound, she ran into Sister Li, who was hurriedly coming out.

“Sister Li, what’s wrong?” Chang Yu’er saw her face full of anxiety, and her heart immediately tightened.

“Heita, Heita is missing!” Sister Li was almost crying.

“How can he be missing? Wasn’t he feverish and sleeping?” Chang Yu’er felt dizzy and nearly collapsed to the ground. In her urgency, she grabbed Sister Li’s hand. With her father in prison, her brother was the mainstay of the family—he couldn’t have any more problems.

“He was lying in bed, but earlier people from Taiyufeng money house came, saying that this compound now belongs to the Wang family and told us to move out quickly. I dealt with them for a while and finally managed to send them away. When I turned back, Heita, he… he had disappeared.” Sister Li stamped her foot.

“The house is so big, have you looked everywhere? Could he have gone to another room?”

“The rear courtyard suites are sealed, aren’t they? I’ve searched each room in the front, including the kitchen.”

Before Sister Li could finish, Chang Yu’er had hurriedly entered the gate. Starting from the entrance hall, she searched through several bedrooms, her father’s study used for accounting, the kitchen, the stable, and even her own maiden chamber, but there was no sign of Liu Heita. Chang Yu’er’s legs went weak, and she sat on her bed, her heart pounding in panic. She raised her eyes to look at Sister Li and asked, bewildered, “Where could my big brother have gone?”

Liu Heita himself didn’t know where he was. Since being beaten by Wai Mao’s quick fists and heavy kicks, vomiting several mouthfuls of blood, and returning home with a belly full of rage, he had pulled out a jar of old wine from under the corridor, smashed the mud seal, and gulped down half the jar in one go. Chang Yu’er and Sister Li tried to stop him with all their might but couldn’t, so they had to let him be. Internal injuries are known to be aggravated by alcohol, especially with his heart fire already blazing. The two combining was like what physicians call “dry firewood meeting fierce flames,” and the wine was like deadly oil. By midnight, the condition had worsened. Before dawn, his forehead was already as hot as a burning coal.

Chang Yu’er had to go to Taiyufeng to hand over the deeds, and Sister Li, worried about Liu Heita’s condition, didn’t dare to go far, so she had to ask a neighbor to fetch a doctor. When the doctor came and examined him, the illness was severe but not complicated. He prepared several doses of ready-made pills and powder, and advised on dietary restrictions. Liu Heita, in a daze, took two doses of medicine to reduce heat, detoxify, and remove blood stasis. Lying in bed, he was just sweating, and after a short while, his consciousness recovered considerably.

He also knew he was sick and felt irritable with a dry mouth and tongue. Wanting to get up to find some water to drink, he struggled to his feet and walked out of the bedroom. Suddenly, he heard people shouting at the main gate. Moving closer and listening carefully, he understood—it was Wang Tiangui’s people coming to make them vacate the house. This meant his sister, who was nowhere to be seen, must have already delivered the house and land deeds to Taiyufeng. A wave of desolation suddenly surged in Liu Heita’s heart. His father had raised him to this age, and now family ruin and personal tragedy were before his eyes, yet he was helpless—unable to rescue his father or protect the family property. It turned out he was so useless.

“Liu Heita, you’ve grown so big for nothing, eating food all these years for nothing; you’re a rice bucket and a coward!” Liu Heita cursed himself harshly in his heart. Being far away, he couldn’t hear clearly and thought the Taiyufeng people were coming to take possession of the house immediately. He couldn’t bear to see the faces of those villains, and without a word, he walked out through the back door.

Once outside, Liu Heita felt as if his feet were stepping on cotton. After walking quickly for a few steps, his heart began to pound, and despite the cold, sweat poured from his forehead, and he saw stars. He didn’t know how far he had walked, but vaguely felt he had seen the city gate. The north wind blowing from the gate tower was even more biting. Liu Heita gasped, leaning against the city wall. Gritting his teeth, he exerted himself to stand up straight, but this made things worse—his vision went black, and he immediately collapsed to the ground.

When he awoke, he found that it was already dark. He was wrapped in some tattered cloth pieces, with a pile of firewood in front of him, on which was a wooden frame supporting an earthen pot, steam rising from whatever was cooking inside. Looking to the sides, he saw a dozen or so people sitting or lying around, many of whom he recognized—all beggars from Taiku County. Liu Heita was outgoing and didn’t despise the poor or favor the rich. As long as they were friends who kept their word, he liked to associate with them, and among the beggars, he had quite a few friends with whom he shared dog meat.

“Zhang Ergou? One-Eyed He?” As he called these names, several people gathered around. One-Eyed He, blind in one eye, grinned and asked, “Young Master Liu, how did you almost become a corpse on the road? If not for us beggars finding you, you might have been sent to the crematorium today.”

“Blind Brother, speak more pleasantly. It’s not even the fifteenth yet, don’t bring bad luck. Young Master Liu has always taken care of us, and him getting sick and us finding him is fate. What’s this, are you trying to make a show of your merits?” The speaker was Zhang Ergou, whose appearance matched his name, indeed looking dog-headed and dog-brained. One-Eyed He, having been lectured, didn’t get angry but just smiled without speaking.

Liu Heita listened while secretly testing his strength, moving his arms and legs, and found that apart from some bodily fatigue, his illness had actually improved.

“Where is this place, and who cured my illness?”

One-Eyed He grinned: “Have you ever seen a beggar die of illness? Die of poverty, die of hunger, but not of illness. We beggars look down on doctors; the poor have poor methods, and the more acute the illness, the faster it’s cured. Even the city doctors don’t have our skills.”

“Really? So effective?” Liu Heita stood up and moved his muscles and joints, not quite believing it.

“Brother Liu, this is the Earth God Temple three miles outside the city. You can rest easy. After a while, have a bowl of the wild chicken soup simmering on the fire, and you’ll be as good as new by tomorrow morning,” Zhang Ergou said.

“If that’s the case, I thank you all. I still haven’t properly rewarded everyone for helping me catch the messenger dog last time, and now you’ve saved me again. Great kindness needs no thanks. When the time comes, I’ll get two jars of good wine and treat everyone to drink to their heart’s content.” Liu Heita cupped his hands toward all sides.

To his surprise, the group of beggars who had been chatting and laughing fell silent upon hearing these words. Everyone’s face darkened, and all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire burning the wood pile, without a sound from anyone.

The atmosphere was so strange that even a rugged man like Liu Heita immediately sensed it. He looked at everyone in confusion and suddenly realized that several familiar faces were missing from the crowd, faces that were usually inseparable from One-Eyed He, Zhang Ergou, and the others.

“Where have Old Man Fang, the Kong brothers, and Little Donkey gone?”

No one answered him; someone was quietly wiping away tears.

“What about Little Cai and Little Baicai?” They were twin siblings, six or seven years old. The brother always wore his hair in a topknot and was clever and quick-witted, known as a little genius. He always pestered Liu Heita to teach him martial arts, saying he wanted to grow up to perform martial feats for a living to support his widowed mother. Liu Heita, having lost his father at an early age, couldn’t bear to hear this and had readily agreed. As for the sister, she was even more sensible, and at her young age had already learned good needlework. Besides begging, she would sew and mend, hoping to open an embroidery shop in the future, also to support her widowed mother. Liu Heita was familiar with these people, knowing that with these siblings around, it would never be a dull scene. Now looking around, he couldn’t see them.

Another silence fell over the group, with the air seeming suffocating and even the flames lowering by three inches.

“Say something!” Liu Heita stared from one to another, seeing that everyone avoided his gaze. His fiery temper couldn’t stand it anymore. He grabbed One-Eyed He’s collar with one hand, pulled him up, and shook him repeatedly. One-Eyed He kept his mouth shut without saying a word, only slowly letting muddy tears flow from his one eye.

Seeing Liu Heita so anxious that blue veins stood out on his forehead, Zhang Ergou thought for a moment, stood up, and stopped him, saying, “Brother Liu, don’t be anxious. Let me tell you slowly…”

Before he could finish, from outside the temple in the pitch-black night came a heart-rending cry: “My children, my children, don’t go, don’t go so fast, wait for your mother…”

This voice, coupled with the north wind, sounded like the wild howl of a demon from hell, making one’s ears bleed just hearing it. Liu Heita, with his great courage, couldn’t help but shudder at the sudden sound. He saw Zhang Ergou’s face change drastically as he hurriedly walked toward the temple door.

Following the voice was a woman in tattered clothes, with disheveled hair and bare feet. She stared with lifeless eyes, looking from one person to another, not seeing Zhang Ergou in front of her. Her hands hung down, and her feet moved inch by inch, covered in frostbite with open sores where the blood had frozen. She walked to the fire pile but seemed afraid of the light, turning her head away. With one glance, she spotted Liu Heita.

“You, was it you who took them away…” She stared at Liu Heita, muttering, and walked toward him. Liu Heita felt a chill from her stare and unconsciously stepped back, bumping into something—he realized he had backed into the offering table.

“Dakang, Dakang, I beg you, just leave me this pair of children, and now you’ve taken them away again, how can I go on living!” The woman suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Liu Heita’s collar, and fell to her knees, weeping and begging.

Liu Heita’s mind went “boom.” He finally recognized her—wasn’t this the mother of Little Cai and Little Baicai? The “Dakang” she mentioned was Cheng Kang, who died last year carrying loads under Stone Mountain, which was why the family had fallen into begging. But she was only in her thirties; how could it be that after not seeing her for just over two months, her hair had turned white, making her look like an old woman?

“Sister Cheng, I’m not Dakang, I’m Liu Heita. Look at me carefully.” Liu Heita said with a trembling voice.

“Yes, he is Liu Heita, not Dakang.” Zhang Ergou also came over to persuade. “Sister Cheng, where have you been these past few days? Everyone has been worried about you. In this north wind and snow, it’s a wonder you’ve survived. Come warm yourself by the fire.”

“Not Dakang, not…” Sister Cheng released her hold in a daze, then suddenly turned and ran toward the temple exit. “I need to find them; they’re the only pair of children I have left. Give them back to me, give them back…”

“Sister Cheng!” Zhang Ergou wanted to chase after her, but One-Eyed He stopped him. “Let it be. She won’t survive. Let the family be reunited. Better than living alone in misery and suffering.”

“Alas!” Zhang Ergou stood stunned for a while, closed his eyes, and let two tears fall, shaking his head sadly.

Liu Heita heard the meaning in his words and asked in shock: “One-Eyed He, what do you mean? Could it be that Little Cai and Little Baicai…”

One-Eyed He lowered his eyelids and nodded. Liu Heita unconsciously swung his arm violently, nearly knocking over the offering table. He shouted, “I don’t believe it!” Those two lively and lovely children seemed to be right before his eyes—how could they be dead?

“It’s true!” Zhang Ergou spoke in a muffled voice.

The incident happened not long after Gu Pingyuan and Liu Heita had left Taiyuan with the caravan. Someone had dug more than ten deep caves diagonally into the dried-up tributary channel of the South Small River, imitating the style of cave dwellings from the neighboring province. When asked, they claimed it was for raising pigs. The work was completed in a few days, then abandoned unused, just left there without even a caretaker.

“Brother Liu, coincidentally, at this time, the yamen runners in the county suddenly said they needed to clear the streets to prevent theft, driving us beggars with nowhere to go. When the north wind started, we couldn’t live under the open sky anymore. Someone thought of those dozen or so caves by the river channel and tried moving in. Not only did no one come to manage or drive us away, but it was also truly a good place to shelter from the wind and cold. So after a few days, through word of mouth, nine out of ten beggars in Taiku County had moved in.”

The tragedy occurred when the river water was about to freeze but hadn’t yet. Late that night, the beggars were curled up in the caves sleeping soundly when suddenly they heard a sound like galloping horses roaring from afar. Zhang Ergou, sleeping near the cave entrance and being alert, opened his eyes and ran out to look, only to be immediately terrified. He saw a white wave rushing toward them from the darkness upstream, reaching them in an instant. He came to his senses and shouted loudly, but after just two shouts, he was swept away by the water.

“The river water was freezing cold, and even those who could swim couldn’t escape death. I was lucky, caught by a branch on the river bank.” The next day, he learned that of more than thirty beggars, fewer than ten survived. Those people Liu Heita had just mentioned had all perished in the river, with several families completely wiped out. “Little Cai’s body was found on a shallow beach ten miles downstream. Poor child, even in death, he still clutched a wooden knife, not letting go. At least he had a place of burial. His sister, Little Baicai, couldn’t even be found—who knows where she was washed to, probably long devoured by fish, not even leaving an intact corpse. Sister Cheng had gone to distant relatives in another village that night asking for help. After learning this news, she went crazy.”

Liu Heita was stunned. The wooden knife that Little Cai had was one he had personally carved and given to him, promising to teach him a set of knife techniques after the New Year. Little Cai had been so happy, telling everyone he met. These memories were vivid, but now the people were gone. He powerlessly squatted on the ground, with tears flowing even from his tiger eyes. After a while, he said, “How could such a natural disaster happen without warning? I know that river channel too—it’s where my father rescued me when I was little. Didn’t the prefecture’s river management abandon it? After more than ten years, even trees have grown to the thickness of legs. Besides, the autumn floods have passed; how could it suddenly flood?”

“…” Zhang Ergou opened his mouth, but One-Eyed He pulled him, and both remained silent.

“What’s going on?” Liu Heita saw they seemed to have something difficult to say. “Don’t you consider me a friend?”

“Sigh, Brother Liu, don’t get angry when I tell you, but this has nothing to do with you, yet it definitely started because of you.”

“Me?” Liu Heita widened his eyes, not understanding what Zhang Ergou was implying.

“Hai, I can explain it in one sentence.” One-Eyed He, seeing Zhang Ergou still hesitating, couldn’t help but interject: “It was done at Wang Tiangui’s instigation. He sent people to dig up the river embankment to divert water, wanting to drown us beggars in revenge for his messenger dog!”

Upon hearing this, Liu Heita was struck as if by lightning. “Could this really happen…” Being hot-blooded, he never imagined there could be someone in the world with such a malicious heart, so vengeful as to harm human lives.

Zhang Ergou nodded repeatedly: “Absolutely true. The Blind Brother and I went to look; there were clear signs of digging at the river channel. Afterward, Wang Tiangui told people several times that we beggars had eaten too much dog meat and suffered divine punishment from Erlang God. Moreover, thinking about it later, we realized, who was it that sent people to dig those caves in the first place? Wasn’t it that, what’s it called, inviting someone into…”

“Inviting the enemy into the trap!” One-Eyed He, having played the three-stringed instrument for storytelling, had some education. Gnashing his teeth, he said, “Who did we beggars offend? Even if there was a grudge, besides Wang Tiangui, who else would have such a vicious and poisonous method?”

He paused, then continued: “There’s something I discovered by chance, but for fear of bringing calamity by speaking too much, I’ve kept silent all along. Today, I might as well say it. Wang Tiangui has been harming people’s lives for a long time. He believes in Buddha and fears retribution, so every time he kills someone, he lights a long-lasting lamp in front of the five hundred arhats at Wubian Temple on the edge of the city, fearing that vengeful spirits would come for his life. After this incident, the very next day, he sent three large lotus-shaped vats to the temple, filled with lamp oil, and lit more than twenty lamps. Isn’t this clear evidence!”

“Hasn’t this been reported to the officials?” Liu Heita listened with his eyes bulging, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fists, the blue bricks under his feet creaking from his stomping.

One-Eyed He laughed bitterly, “Weren’t the yamen runners who drove us with nowhere to go, forcing us to move into the caves, the officials themselves?”

Liu Heita’s tiger-like body shook. He understood everything now! His heart was filled with both guilt and pain, never imagining that helping him with one favor would cost so many lives. At this moment, Zhang Ergou poured a bowl of soup from the earthen pot and brought it to Liu Heita: “Brother Liu, it’s really not your fault. It’s just that we beggars have thin fortune and lowly lives. It’s only a pity for those few children…” As he spoke, he couldn’t help but shed tears.

Liu Heita woodenly accepted the soup bowl, turned toward the offering table, and poured it on the ground, saying a silent prayer. Then he headed for the temple door.

“Brother Liu, where are you going? Your illness hasn’t fully healed.”

“I’m going to find Sister Cheng. No more people can die.” Liu Heita felt too ashamed to face his friends, and without looking back, strode into the howling north wind outside the temple.

Liu Heita groped in the dark, walking who knows how far, calling out as he went. He didn’t care if Sister Cheng could hear him, just kept shouting at the top of his lungs, expelling the pent-up frustration in his heart. By daybreak, Liu Heita finally found Sister Cheng.

Liu Heita discovered Sister Cheng, who had fallen into a deep ditch, from a woman’s shoe left on the road. However, no matter how he called, those eyes that had once laughed, cried, despaired, and then been filled with hope again because of her children’s precocious understanding, would never open again to look at this mortal world that had taken away all her hope. Liu Heita’s tears had long been dried by the fire of anger in his chest. He tried to dig a grave for Sister Cheng, but the soil was frozen solid, and even when his fingertips were bleeding, it was of no use. He could only cover her with loose soil and decayed leaves from around. After thinking for a long time, Liu Heita finally gently took the wooden knife that Little Cai had left from Sister Cheng’s hand, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times to this unmarked grave: “Sister Cheng, I’ll take this knife for now. I, Liu Heita, swear to heaven that I will avenge your whole family, and when the time comes, I will return this knife to you.”