Wu Laosan found a relatively intact chair, brushed off the dust, and handed it to Yunyi before saying: “This is our Wu family’s old house. Over thirty years ago, I lived here. Later, my parents brought me to settle down in Changshi Lane. This place has been uninhabited for a long time and has fallen into disrepair due to lack of maintenance, which is why it looks like this now. The entire row of houses here has been more or less abandoned, and very few people come here. Moreover, there’s a vegetable cellar in the back. If they come searching, you can hide in there. It should be quite safe.” As he spoke, he took out a small bundle from his bosom. “We left in such a hurry that I didn’t have time to take anything. I only have these few pancakes that were made beforehand. You should eat them first to fill your stomach. I’ll go outside to find some water.”
Yunyi silently accepted the pancakes he handed her and said in a low voice: “You… don’t have anything to ask me?”
Wu Laosan seemed not to have heard her words and muttered to himself: “It rained a few days ago, so there should be some water collected in the water tank in the courtyard. I just don’t know if it’s dirty or not.”
Watching his figure walking away, Yunyi suddenly said: “You knew all along that I wasn’t Wu Meixue, didn’t you?”
Wu Laosan’s movements froze. After a long while, he withdrew the foot he had already stepped out, and with a complex expression said: “I knew when you secretly went to the Feng family in the middle of the night. The next morning, I also deliberately stopped you from going. However, I truly learned everything when Chunxiu came to question me.”
Yunyi hadn’t expected Wu Laosan to suddenly mention Chunxiu, who had been dead for a long time. She said in shock: “What do you mean?”
Wu Laosan sighed and said: “That night, I got up to relieve myself and inadvertently saw you leaving. I found it strange, so I quietly followed behind. Who would have thought you actually went to the Feng family, easily climbed over the wall, and when you came out, you were holding a dagger in your hand. After returning that night, I didn’t sleep all night, constantly thinking about why you went to the Feng family and how you came to have martial arts skills.” At this point, he paused and said: “Did you go because of Feng Cheng beating me?”
At this point, Yunyi had nothing left to hide and answered truthfully: “That’s right. Chunxiu repeatedly harmed Meixue, then constantly opposed her, and even instigated Feng Cheng to beat you. She deserved to die!”
Wu Laosan nodded, then continued: “I guessed as much afterward. Afraid something else might happen, I kept watching. Later, when I saw you wanting to go out early in the morning again, I quickly found an excuse to keep you home.”
“Since you saw it, why didn’t you ask me?” To Yunyi’s question, Wu Laosan shook his head and said: “I don’t know either. I was always somewhat afraid to ask. Later, when you returned to the mansion during New Year, one night, Chunxiu suddenly came to find me and asked whether Meixue had a plum blossom tattoo on her left shoulder. After learning that she didn’t, her expression became very strange, and then she started laughing while saying, ‘Indeed, it’s not Meixue, she’s not!'”
“I found it strange, so I asked her what was going on. She told me that ever since Meixue went to the Governor’s mansion, the person I had been seeing was no longer Meixue, but a female assassin in disguise. I naturally didn’t believe it and scolded her for talking nonsense. She laughed at me instead, saying I was treating an assassin as my daughter, and that Meixue had long been dead.” At this point, Wu Laosan’s eyes reddened, and he said hoarsely: “When I heard her cursing Meixue, I got angry and scolded her a few times. She wasn’t angry at all and said the assassin had once been shot and wounded in the left shoulder, while Meixue, who originally had no tattoo, suddenly had a plum blossom on her left shoulder, clearly to cover up the arrow wound. Furthermore, she said… she said…” Wu Laosan’s body trembled slightly, and it took him a long while to say the rest with difficulty: “Meixue… was killed by her, she… she personally killed Meixue!” By the last sentence, Wu Laosan’s entire body was shaking. After a long while, he calmed down and continued: “I asked her why she did this. She said this matter couldn’t be blamed on her, and if anyone was to blame, it should be Meixue for protecting the assassin. From her words, I couldn’t hear a trace of regret or guilt, as if Meixue’s death wasn’t worth mentioning at all. I was very angry and wanted to drag her to see the County Magistrate, but she refused. She also said that once she exposed the assassin’s true identity, she would have accomplished a great merit. Not to mention just a Meixue, even if she killed me as well, it would only be a trivial matter. After saying this, she broke free from my grip and left.”
Wu Laosan laughed bitterly: “Tell me, am I not ridiculous? My daughter whom I raised for so many years was replaced by someone else, and I was completely unaware, only learning about it from someone else.”
Yunyi said apologetically: “I didn’t intend to impersonate Meixue. I truly had no other choice. I’m sorry.”
Wu Laosan looked at her and said: “I know. From the days I spent with you, I could tell you’re not a bad person. It’s just… what method did you use to become Meixue’s appearance? Is it the disguise technique that storytellers talk about?”
Yunyi nodded and said: “I did disguise myself, but not now—it was my previous appearance.”
Wu Laosan asked in confusion: “Previously? What do you mean?”
“When I entered the Governor’s mansion, I wore a mask, and now… this is my true appearance.” Her words made Wu Laosan’s body tremble, revealing an expression of disbelief. “You mean… you and Meixue… look exactly the same?”
“That’s right. When I first saw Meixue, I was also startled. How could there be such similar people in this world? Even more incredible is that Meixue and I were born on the same day.”
Wu Laosan tried to calm his emotions: “Meixue was someone I picked up. This means you… you and Meixue are twin sisters?”
“I also have this suspicion, but my parents never mentioned having another sister lost elsewhere. I suppose it should be a coincidence.”
Wu Laosan murmured: “In this world… there could really be such a coincidence? It’s truly hard to believe.” After a while, he looked at Yunyi and said: “Can you tell me what your real name is?”
Yunyi answered truthfully: “My surname is Yang, and my name is Yang Yunyi!” To avoid suspicion, when she snuck into the Governor’s mansion, she had taken Moping’s surname Shen.
“Yang Yunyi…” Wu Laosan repeated it seriously several times, then smiled and said: “Very pleasant to hear. This name is very beautifully chosen. Your parents must love you very much.”
Yunyi didn’t know how to respond and could only smile. Wu Laosan, having stood for quite a while, casually sat down in a dust-covered chair and said: “After Chunxiu left, I became increasingly worried, so I went to the Feng family to find her, wanting to ask her to spare you.”
Yunyi was about to speak when Wu Laosan said: “I know what you want to ask. You want to know why I would still save you knowing you’re not Meixue, right?”
“That’s right, why?” To her question, Wu Laosan smiled bitterly and said: “I don’t know either. Perhaps I’m used to having Meixue by my side. Even knowing you’re fake, I’m unwilling to expose it, preferring to deceive myself and pretend… that Meixue is still alive.” He wiped away tears that had somehow appeared at the corners of his eyes and said hoarsely: “For these past ten-plus years, Meixue has been my everything. She was so kind, so wonderful. When she couldn’t even speak yet, I swore I would raise Meixue well to adulthood and then find her a good marriage. All these years, I’ve worked hard to hunt more prey, and I even hunted a white tiger, just wanting to provide Meixue with a dowry so she could marry in style without being looked down upon by her in-laws. But… all of this was destroyed by Feng Chunxiu. She destroyed all my hopes. I’ve been tolerant of their Feng family in every way. When Feng Cheng said he wanted several portions of the prey I worked hard to hunt, I dared not disobey in the slightest. Why does the Feng family still want to push me to death! Why!” Wu Laosan’s chest heaved violently. After a long while, it gradually subsided. He took a breath and said: “On the way to the Feng family, I happened to see Chunxiu coming out, so I went to discuss this matter with her. Who knew she absolutely refused to spare you and said I was old and confused, actually protecting an assassin. Because of this, we argued on the street for quite a while.”