Lin Yuchan’s bones ached as she felt like falling into an abyss.

Human memory depends on anchors. Sometimes the past is like smoke, yet an old garment or object can evoke many faded memories.

Those malicious clerks who enjoyed bullying people, giving her watery porridge, and making her catch cockroaches—anyone in a bad mood could slap her. Every day she had to watch Shopkeeper Wang’s expressions, afraid of being sold off carelessly, smiling while secretly learning skills. Sometimes, unable to bear the oppression, she’d impulsively think: damn it, I quit, let heaven take me quickly!…

As Wang Quan grabbed Lin Yuchan again, those days of toiling like an ox and horse in Defeng Trading House, living in fear, played like a highlight reel in her mind, giving her the illusion of “returning to pre-liberation overnight.”

She cried out in panic: “What indenture contract do I have? Who sold me?”

Seeing Wang Quan insist on seeing the magistrate, this didn’t seem like wild talk. Cui Yin Mei was also momentarily confused: could these two really have history? Miss Lin was always careful and cautious—how had she provoked this Wang fellow?

He still tried his best to mediate: “Shopkeeper Wang, Boss Wang, it’s not easy for a young lady to start a business alone. Don’t frighten her…”

Wang Quan sneered coldly.

“Start a business alone? How could a woman possibly start a business by herself? Why don’t you ask her where her capital came from? What was she doing before coming to Shanghai?”

Businessmen’s hearts contained only shrewdness and calculation. If this Lin Ba Mei were a gray-faced little beggar whom Wang Quan encountered today, perhaps he’d only kick her once to vent his frustration.

But Lin Yuchan’s clothing and appearance today, plus Cui Yin Mei’s attitude toward her, clearly showed that this dead servant girl was doing well now. Even coming to customs to do business!

Most likely, she’d latched onto some wealthy gentleman who gave her capital to play at business.

Then Wang Quan couldn’t easily let this go.

According to Qing law, slaves’ property all belonged to their masters.

Of course, the current Qing Dynasty was in turmoil, with everyone exploiting legal loopholes. Some masters tacitly allowed slaves to accumulate private property and establish separate households. There were even cases where, years later, when masters declined and had no heirs, former slaves became wealthy instead, and generations later, turned to bully their former masters—such inversions of natural order now occurred frequently.

But master-slave relationships never changed. Slaves who separated to live independently, even if they became wealthy merchants and bought official positions, theoretically still had to kneel and serve when meeting their masters. Propriety couldn’t be abandoned.

Otherwise, masters could always sue slaves for insubordination and disrespect, reclaim property, and have officials punish rebellious slaves.

However, even with such cases, if masters were already impoverished with no money to bribe yamens, they mostly had no path to victory. Officials would at most judge that slave descendants should pay to avoid disaster, give original masters some money, and settle with reconciliation.

This was reality.

But Wang Quan had already calculated in his heart: insist that Lin Yuchan was a servant girl who embezzled money and fled. Law and morality were both on his side. As long as he brought her to court and mildly worked some connections, he could get her convicted of serious crimes, then swallow all her assets!

Defeng Trading House was no longer the giant wealth that could call wind and rain, where scraps from between teeth could feed a crowd. Mosquito legs were still meat—no matter how big a shop this servant girl ran, Wang Quan was determined to seize it all.

Even if she’d latched onto a wealthy merchant and become a concubine, to redeem her, bring money!

Wang Quan rapidly calculated this scenario, thinking the bigger the fuss, the better. If he didn’t drain her entire fortune, he’d make it impossible for her to live in the future.

So he dragged this Lin Ba Mei out of Cui Yin Mei’s office, stomping heavily on the polished marble floor, loudly telling the onlooking crowd in the corridor: “Family matter! This is an escaped slave from Master Qi’s household in Guangzhou! Don’t be fooled by her current human appearance—she’s a venomous snake! She stole money from the master’s house to open a shop, swindling and cheating in Shanghai. I’m taking her to the yamen right now to let the officials judge! Family matter—sorry for the spectacle!”

The servant girl in his grasp was still struggling desperately. To corroborate his words, Wang Quan simply gave her a vicious slap.

“Shameless slave, you still dare try to escape!”

Slap!

Lin Yuchan raised her hand to cover her face, deliberately not dodging. Wang Quan’s large palm struck her hand, the tremendous force momentarily stunning her. She took the opportunity to fall and roll, screaming: “Murder! Help!…”

After two years of civilized business in Shanghai, Lin Yuchan had grown accustomed to a middle-class life without worrying about food and clothing, cultivating elegant and proper mannerisms. But today, being shouted at by Wang Quan seemed to instantly return her to the past, falling back into that undignified, bottom-feeding mentality where the oppressed harm each other.

She shrieked miserably.

Wang Quan had assumed that masters disciplining slaves was natural and right, but unexpectedly, the watching customs staff didn’t unite against her. When Lin Yuchan got slapped, several foreigners immediately took her side, raising walking sticks and scolding him in broken Chinese: “Hey, what are you hitting her for? Are you sick?”

Another Chinese person asked: “Mrs. Su Lin, who is this person to you?”

Wang Quan wondered confusedly: who was Mrs. Su Lin? Her false identity?

Lin Yuchan exaggerated her panic slightly, shrieking: “Kidnap! Human trafficker! This is a trafficker grabbing people! I don’t know him!”

New-style traffickers had appeared in Shanghai county, grabbing women on the street and claiming they were runaway wives or maids from their own homes. Even when victims protested their innocence, bystanders who didn’t know the truth thought it was a family matter and rarely intervened. Sometimes they even helped catch the person.

But among the customs staff, many knew Lin Yuchan and had decent relationships with her—they couldn’t be called “uninformed.” Wang Quan was just a strange supplier who’d come to sign contracts. When Lin Yuchan shouted, they naturally believed her.

Someone immediately called the guards: “Come here! Drive this troublemaker away! This is customs—Chinese people won’t be allowed to act arrogantly here!”

Another said, “Since he’s a trafficker, arrest him first!”

Wang Quan quickly let go: “No, no, no, sir, don’t misunderstand…”

He was secretly alarmed. What was this servant girl’s background? Why did all the customs people side with her? Had she slept with all these foreigners?

If this crazy woman shouted all the way, Wang Quan would become Shanghai’s laughingstock!

The customs were mostly foreign faces. Wang Quan didn’t dare make trouble, could only admit he’d mistaken her for someone else, resentfully released Lin Yuchan, and fled in defeat.

Chinese and foreign staff returned to their offices.

Lin Yuchan ducked into a broom closet to straighten her clothes.

After hiding briefly, she heard the noise outside disappear. Wang Quan had been driven away.

She closed her eyes and slowly regulated her breathing.

She couldn’t stay in customs forever either. A familiar servant woman came for a broom and urged her to leave quickly.

Lin Yuchan dawdled as she went out, seeing a familiar figure waiting like a hunter by the side entrance to the main street.

Wang Quan had calculated well—wait until she left foreign territory, then deal with her.

Lin Yuchan steeled herself and walked out. Seeing Wang Quan’s face show a sinister smile as he instructed his servant, she gathered her courage. As soon as one foot stepped out of customs, Wang Quan immediately changed expression and split up with his servant to grab her!

Lin Yuchan ran for her life, shouting toward a tailor shop entrance:

“Freeman!”

Almost simultaneously, a tower-like black shadow pressed down. Wang Quan and his servant both jumped in fright. The tall, strong servant immediately deflated like a punctured ball, retreating while calling: “What… what… what are you…”

Dark skin, fierce countenance, with pins and scissors hanging from her body—this was Zhong Kui!

“Idiots!” Wang Quan shouted hoarsely, “Haven’t you seen a Southern Seas black ghost? It’s female too—what are you afraid of!”

Bang! Bang!

Christmas Freeman used action to tell him this female ghost could beat him until he bleated like a sheep.

“Don’t—you—dare—bully—Miss Lin!”

Wang Quan’s servant was thrown three zhang away. Wang Quan’s glasses fell into a tree pit as he panicked, searching the ground for lens fragments.

Lin Yuchan: “Freeman!”

This time it was to stop her. She didn’t want to use this powerful black woman as her private enforcer like Smith had. Having her resolve this situation so she wouldn’t be kidnapped by Wang Quan was enough.

Passersby saw violence here and didn’t dare approach, standing at a distance to watch excitedly.

Wang Quan clutched his broken glasses, looking at Lin Yuchan with lingering fear, trembling: “Name, native place, age all match… you… Don’t think you can escape! Don’t think everything’s fine just because the indenture contract is missing. I’ll send people to Nanhai County—they have records of your original sale! Just wait—don’t think you can get away with this!”

While speaking, he crawled away rolling and tumbling.

Lin Yuchan thought briefly, then got up to follow.

Christmas had just finished her fitting, wiped off the chalk marks, and strode beside her, asking menacingly: “Should I beat him more? Will I be arrested if I beat him now?”

Lin Yuchan: “No need.”

But she couldn’t let Wang Quan leave like this.

Wang Quan’s desperate threats reminded her. Previously she was in the shadows while Wang Quan was in the light—she just had to avoid him. Now that they’d encountered each other and Wang Quan wouldn’t “forget each other in the jianghu,” it would be trouble sooner or later.

Those “sale records preserved in Nanhai County” might be real or bluffs—she couldn’t risk letting him investigate.

Christmas would board a ship for America in a few days and couldn’t be her bodyguard forever.

Lin Yuchan had Christmas watch Wang Quan while she quickly scanned the surrounding streets, then ran back to that tailor shop with the copper coin sign.

“Boss! From the masses…”

Wang Quan hurriedly walked back. Usually reluctant to take rental carriages, he now gritted his teeth and waved one down.

“Quick, stop the carriage, go to…”

He had to hurry back and write to acquaintances in Guangzhou—he absolutely had to dig out this Lin Ba Mei’s background!

He’d been worrying about finding financial opportunities when heaven helped those with determination, letting him encounter this woman who’d deliver money to him!

The carriage stopped, but before Wang Quan could board, he suddenly felt the surrounding atmosphere wasn’t quite right.

What should have been numb onlookers now showed strange expressions.

Why were all these people looking at him so fiercely?

Wang Quan’s brain hadn’t reasoned out the cause when his body involuntarily shivered.

A tailor shop owner, wearing sleeve protectors and gripping an oilstone for sharpening scissors, said to the surrounding people: “That’s the man!”

Then several young men stepped forward, saying nothing but glaring viciously at Wang Quan.

They wore various clothing from all walks of life—the most ordinary, small people of unknown origin.

A silk shop clerk bowed to Lin Yuchan and asked kindly, “Miss, are you hurt? What grudge does this man have against you? Don’t be afraid—with our Huguang Hometown Association here, we won’t let outsiders bully you!”

Wang Quan was dumbfounded, involuntarily putting on his glasses only to find the lenses completely shattered, unable to see anything clearly.

Having been in Shanghai for several months, he thought he’d figured out the foreign settlement’s rules. Who knew reality would give him such a blow today?

People at customs showing favoritism toward women was one thing; her buying some strange-shaped bodyguard so he couldn’t take advantage was bearable; but why did so many residents and shopkeepers of different identities, seemingly unconnected, all stand on her side?

What was this Huguang Hometown Association? Why did it seem to spring from nowhere, suddenly producing so many people?

He was also Guangdong-born—why hadn’t anyone notified him to join?

No matter how much he racked his brains, he couldn’t figure out why a servant girl worth fifteen taels of silver would have such connections.

Why would people show concern for a lowly slave as if she were their sister?

Several strong men had already protected Lin Yuchan behind them, seized Wang Quan’s servant, and pointed at Wang Quan’s nose demanding: “Who exactly are you? What’s your intention in harassing this girl?”

Wang Quan bullied the weak and feared the strong, unconsciously speaking somewhat weakly: “I… this humble one is this servant girl’s master…”

Thud!

Before he could finish, a warning punch had already landed on his document bag, the opening gaping wide with papers scattering everywhere.

This was the huge contract with customs. Wang Quan hurriedly bent over to collect them.

The grand shopkeeper who’d been domineering and arrogant in Guangzhou now had no one to help him pick up papers.

When he stood up, a middle-aged clerk with graying hair stood before him, obviously having just arrived and breathing heavily.

“This boss,” he smiled without warmth and bowed, his shop uniform embroidered with “Yixing,” “this is the concession, civilized territory—we don’t allow loud shouting and yelling. If you continue making trouble, sir, beware of entering the police station for a beating.”

He gestured with his mouth. Indeed, several constables carrying clubs were patrolling. Among them was a foreign officer with handcuffs at his waist, smiling as he watched the show from the roadside.

He showed no intention of intervening.

Wang Quan stammered: “You… what are you to her?”

He’d been a shopkeeper for decades and had an eye for reading people. This Yixing clerk wasn’t the law-abiding type—probably had underworld experience.

Could this be… the financier and big tree behind Lin Ba Mei?

“Brother Peng, Brother Peng,” Lin Yuchan had completely taken control of the scene. Her heartbeat gradually calmed as she pressed her advantage, saying quietly: “This man harassed me, insisting he knew us, saying I broke the law and wanted to drag me to the yamen. If not for this black sister’s help…”

To Shi Peng, she could reveal a bit more.

Shi Peng’s expression soured. Miss Lin’s hint was crystal clear. That seemingly casual “us” indicated this glasses-wearing tea merchant probably also had issues with Su Minguan and couldn’t be ignored. As for “breaking the law”…

Who didn’t have some illegal history? Absolutely couldn’t let him speak of it.

With Su Minguan absent, Shi Peng had full authority to decide.

And Shi Peng’s nature was unchangeable—for dealing with this type of scoundrel, he had a simple process.

Shi Peng gave Lin Yuchan an “understood” look and ordered several Yixing clerks to drag and carry Wang Quan, pushing him along the street.

“Come, come, let’s discuss this carefully at our shop. Don’t trouble this young lady.”

Wang Quan desperately craned his neck as years of suppressed bitterness rushed to his head. He looked longingly at that foreign constable.

Foreign master! Won’t you intervene?

This was the concession, not Qing territory. Didn’t foreigners follow the rules and the law? If not serving the people, at least they shouldn’t be blind, right?

He didn’t know the police station received gifts from Yixing every holiday, and Shi Peng had just slipped them a few silver coins. Seeing no bloodshed or group fighting here, just Chinese small fry pecking at each other, who had patience for such idle matters?

Wang Quan was escorted into the nearest Yixing franchise shop—the tailor shop. After a moment, he was escorted back out.

Shi Peng waved several handwritten documents, beaming: “That’s right! This young lady and you are strangers—you were too nearsighted and mistook her for someone else, leading to pulling and grabbing. Now you admit it was a misunderstanding and are willing to apologize. If you dare go to yamen in the future to confuse right and wrong, this guarantee letter will be court evidence, and all the neighbors here are witnesses—look, your handprint is here, can’t be faked. Want to check again?”

The constable who’d been blind earlier suddenly regained sight and joined in beating the drowning dog: “Don’t you know concession rules? Make more trouble and face foreign lawsuits!”

Wang Quan felt dead inside, not daring to look at Lin Yuchan. After gritting his teeth for a long time, he said: “Good, good, now you’re capable! Turned around to bully your master!”

Lin Yuchan said coldly: “Too kind.”

Wang Quan was indignant, opening his mouth to deliver harsh words, only to find he had nothing left to threaten her with.

He could only call his servant and leave unsteadily.

While regretting bitterly, why had he been soft-hearted back then and not sold or killed this servant girl?

Indeed, good people get no rewards.

Thinking of her well-fed face and those clean, unpatched clothes, Wang Quan felt something stuck in his throat, deeply sensing worldly injustice. A yellow dog ran to his feet, and he viciously kicked it.

Wang Quan walked dejectedly for an unknown distance when suddenly someone tugged his sleeve and greeted him quietly.

“Boss Wang, what’s troubling you? Come, have a smoke.”

A sticky voice sounded unexpectedly. This voice seemed to crawl from a withered throat, making listeners very uncomfortable.

Wang Quan jumped in fright, looking up to see a gray-haired old man bowing to him, smilingly offering a tobacco pipe.

The old man’s face was full of vicissitudes. His vision seemed problematic, wearing glasses like Wang Quan. His jacket was greasy and dirty, with a stench trailing behind his queue.

Wang Quan accepted it with a fake smile: “Boss Huang. What a coincidence seeing you here.”

This was a new business partner he’d met upon first arriving in Shanghai. Surnamed Huang, he had methods and courage, but had gone bankrupt before. His current capital was somewhat insufficient—he and Wang Quan shared similar circumstances.

Wang Quan found him more worthy of association. Warriors battling commercial seas—who hadn’t had ups and downs? Bankruptcy was nothing.

The two hit it off, cultivating excellent plastic business friendship, often gathering to smoke, visit brothels, and ponder unorthodox money-making schemes.

But today Wang Quan had no heart for casual chat with friends, politely deflecting before trying to take leave.

But Old Huang persistently followed, pursuing the question: “That Miss Lin, earlier—you had issues with her?”

Wang Quan started, straightening his back somewhat.

Shanghai truly hid dragons and tigers. Wang Quan quickly slowed his pace, viewing this new friend with new respect.

“How so? Does Boss Huang also…”

“That woman is ruthless. She once tried to use me, but I saw through it and escaped in time.” Old Huang adjusted his glasses with a profound smile. “Seems she’s offended quite a few people. If Boss Wang has also suffered deeply from her, we could chat.”

Old Huang, carrying dozens of silver dollars from selling his granddaughter, house, and tortoiseshell glasses, ambitiously tried to rise again, only to constantly hit walls. Many merchants, upon hearing his name, directly refused cooperation without explanation.

Being extremely shrewd, Old Huang immediately understood through self-reflection that he’d probably been retaliated against by that “benefactor” Miss Lin.

Old Huang thought resentfully: if doing good deeds, one should expect no return. After charity, one should forget each other in jianghu—that’s a qualified philanthropist. People like Lin Yuchan, who, after small favors through little effort, actually had many moral demands on him, simply disgraced charitable people everywhere.

Fortunately, Old Huang was thick-skinned. Though boycotted by many merchants, many people knew nothing of his past. For instance, Wang Quan, newly arrived in Shanghai, had given him considerable assistance.

Old Huang struggled to do business in cracks, here and there, relying on his seasoned methods to achieve modest success over several months, accumulating hundreds of silver dollars.

However, with limited business routes, he couldn’t fully display his abilities. Over these months, Old Huang’s small remaining gratitude toward Lin Yuchan had been completely consumed, considering her the culprit preventing his great wealth.

Seeing Wang Quan also had enmity with Lin Yuchan today, Old Huang was overjoyed.

“This woman has gang backing—can’t be easily moved. Boss Wang, you were rash.” Old Huang, as a half-Shanghai native, shared his experiences wholeheartedly with his friend. “Doing business in Shanghai now, connections and reputation are secondary—the key is having money. Money makes ghosts turn millstones. Once you’re wealthy, toppling her reasonably and legally won’t be a problem.”

Wang Quan felt a knee-jerk pain from these words. Old Huang’s eyes were too sharp.

Ordinary people seeing Wang Quan’s modest wealth would directly classify him as “wealthy.” Only this Old Huang saw at a glance that Wang Quan’s ambitions didn’t match his current capital. He wanted to earn much more.

Indeed, money made ghosts turn millstones. If Wang Quan’s wealth multiplied a hundred or eighty times, returning to Defeng Trading House’s peak momentum, why fear Lin Ba Mei? One look from him would have countless people charging through fire and water for him, making this servant girl regret ever escaping the Qi family.

Wang Quan had only casual friendship with Old Huang before, but today’s words immediately made him feel kinship with this Old Huang. He repeatedly lamented people’s materialism and moral decline.

Earlier, that yellow dog, probably starving, bore no grudges and wagged its tail, approaching again. Wang Quan and Old Huang each kicked it, sending the dog howling away. Both men laughed heartily.

Old Huang squinted his surgically-treated presbyopic eyes, smiling: “That ‘British Union’ I introduced to Boss Wang last time—this month’s dividends should be ready. Come. I’ll accompany you to collect some money.”

Wang Quan’s worries turned to joy as he nodded smilingly: “Good! Today I’m treating Boss Huang to the opium den—you absolutely mustn’t refuse!…”

The two new friends went arm in arm, regretting not meeting sooner due to their common enemy. Sentence by sentence, they discussed methods for dealing with Miss Lin.