This household was a reasonably decent courtyard home: three main rooms in the central hall, with a kitchen, side rooms, and a well. However, only one person was living there now — his wife had taken the children and fled back to her parents’ home. Finding it too unsettling to live alone in three rooms, he had moved into the small side room.
One table, one oil lamp, four small dishes: salt-boiled soybeans, a square of tofu, home-pickled vegetables, one egg, accompanied by a flask of unremarkable plain liquor. After half a day’s busywork, Xu Jia sat down, poured himself a small cupful, and with a “tsss” sound, sipped down half of it.
Wonderful!
It was nearly dark, and from this point on, no one would be coming by except the night patrol! He also needed this bit of the liquor’s warmth to bolster his courage.
“Bang bang bang” — a knock at the door. Xu Jia’s hand trembled and half a cup of liquor spilled across the table; he quickly pressed his mouth down to the tabletop and slurped up the liquor, then called out: “Who is it?!”
A slightly young-sounding voice said: “Here to rent a room!”
Damn it! Xu Jia cursed silently. Some little rascal had come to make fun of him again! By the sound of the voice, this little rascal was absolutely no more than fifteen! Only a rascal of that age would have the nerve to come and play pranks around here!
Xu Jia didn’t want to deal with them! But the knocking didn’t stop. Xu Jia furiously seized a carrying pole, strode to the door, and yanked it wide open while raising the pole: “I’ll give you a good — hm?”
Zhù Ying was muttering to Zhang Xiangu: “Is no one home? Oh? There is someone!”
Xu Jia had been about to beat this trouble-making rascal, but seeing a carrying pole beside the person and a woman standing there too, he thought they might genuinely be there to rent the room. He put down the pole and asked: “Madam, are you here to rent a room?”
Zhang Xiangu was busy playing the blind woman — a skill she was quite practiced in. As a spirit woman, she occasionally played divine roles; it was practically her profession. She answered naturally: “Yes, are you renting?”
Xu Jia hesitated inwardly, but stepped back: “Well then — come in and talk?”
He led the two of them into the side room. Zhù Ying stood at the doorway without moving: “You’re not the owner?”
That question cut Xu Jia to the heart: “Of course I am! I have full authority here! I’m even the neighborhood head!” Four households make a neighborhood, five households make a ward. Xu Jia was a man who got by reasonably well — at least he owned his house and courtyard, had a wife and children, occasionally served as a go-between for neighbors and earned a little on the side. Life had been decent enough.
Until the Chen family went and stirred up a witchcraft affair!
He said: “This sort of thing — we’ve heard about it in stories since we were small. Big households and small alike can’t avoid it! Brothers cursing each other, daughters-in-law cursing mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law harming each other… we just treat it as a story to hear over dinner! But this Chen family — they’re different! The one supposedly being cursed is the eldest son, and recently the second son has started howling like a ghost again. Chilling to hear even in broad daylight!”
Before, when Zhù Ying had explored the prefecture city, she had walked past the direction of the Chen household once. But at the time, constables were nearby and she hadn’t been able to get close, so she had never heard any screaming. But she knew that Chen second son, though his act of cursing his elder brother had been exposed, was still being confined in his own family’s residence.
The Chen family was the household of a chief minister. The legitimate son born of the chief minister’s official wife could, under any code of law, hold an official post by virtue of his father. Even without a substantive post, one could hold a nominal idle post and accumulate rank over time — and no low rank at that. The so-called “being brought to justice” meant being placed under house arrest in his own home. Neither the prefecture nor Imperial Envoy Zhong had authority, prior to receiving clear instructions for his punishment, to strip him of his status even if they interrogated him in court; he would not need to kneel.
Zhù Ying said: “Is that so? That’s why the rent here isn’t so expensive?”
“Exactly! Those with relatives nearby have already gone to stay with them. Adults might be able to endure it, but children can’t — what if they were frightened into falling ill!” Xu Jia wore an expression of deep misfortune. “When people leave their homes, they lose standing; once you’re away from home, everything costs more money. So some people have rented out their houses to make a little. Might as well earn something.”
Zhang Xiangu said: “Just because of some wretched case — once the case is closed or the suspects taken away, it’ll be over, and they’ll come back! How long could we even live here? You’re not trying to trick us, are you?”
Xu Jia quickly stopped her: “The notice you’re holding is for my house! I have full authority over it! Even when my wife comes back, she’ll only stay in my place! She won’t go there! That place was originally rented out for income. The tenants who were there… well, they had matters to attend to back home, and that’s why it became vacant.”
Zhang Xiangu put her hands on her hips: “Wasn’t it haunted and they were frightened away?”
Xu Jia said: “Truly not!”
Zhang Xiangu let out a cold laugh: “The house may not even be yours! What if it belongs to someone else — you see the owner has fled, so you stick up a notice and rent out someone else’s house to pocket a few days’ rent?”
This idea stunned Xu Jia: “Madam! What a resourceful mind you have! You could actually do things that way?!”
Zhù Ying rolled her eyes: “Are you renting or not?”
Zhang Xiangu said decisively: “Don’t interrupt! Yes, we’ll rent — but make it cheaper!”
Because Zhang Xiangu was there, she managed to knock the rent down to seven-tenths of the asking price! Zhang Xiangu made a very reasonable argument: “A house without people living in it will become a haunted ruin within three months! We’re living there — the energy of the living will sustain the house. Nobody’s money grows on trees. Round down the odd amount!”
Her “rounding” was considerably more than just the odd amount.
Xu Jia’s eyes went slightly unfocused; glancing at the peddler’s carrying pole, he said: “Fine. I can see you’re unfamiliar here and not one of the peddlers who’ve been working these streets for years; I was worried you might not manage in this prefecture city. Now I bow to you — you could definitely run a successful business!” Even if this woman was blind!
Xu Jia, being a neighborhood head himself and able to read a bit, produced a rental contract, filled in a few details, and stipulated the rent for the first month, deposit, and so forth.
Once everything was settled, Xu Jia invited Zhù Ying: “Young fellow — can you take a cup?”
Zhù Ying never drank and shook her head: “Give us the key. Let’s first go take a look at the place and get settled in.”
Xu Jia had already taken the money and wasn’t worried about them running off. But over the seven-tenths-price rent, he couldn’t help harboring a small grudge, and said to Zhù Ying on purpose: “Aren’t you afraid of ghosts?”
Zhù Ying smiled: “Are you afraid of poverty?”
Xu Jia laughed at that.
Before long, they arrived at the property. Three connected rooms, divided down the middle by a partition, with three separate entrances, making three individual units.
Xu Jia said: “You’re here first, so you pick first. Once you lay your hand on one, it’s yours — but I say the end unit is the best one! Its chimney flue is the original!”
They went inside; it was already dark. Seeing Zhù Ying not moving, Xu Jia said: “May I trouble you — this is your room now. For lamp oil to give us some light, you’ll need to…”
These things were in the peddler’s carrying pole. Zhù Ying took out a short candle stub and lit it, and held it up to look around — the place was truly bare!
The depth was decent enough. The inner room had a bed frame that appeared to still have its boards, though a few were missing one leg; a worn bed-curtain; an old wooden cabinet with a door that wouldn’t close properly; a basin stand but no basin. The outer room had a lame table, a long bench, a few wooden planks nailed to the wall with several jars on them, a water vat in the corner, a shoulder pole, a wooden bucket, a wooden basin, and a battered broom and dustpan.
The back door opened onto a small alley; beside the door was an earthen stove — which, naturally, had no pot.
The middle section had originally been separated by a cloth curtain, but now that too was gone.
Zhù Ying had him open the other two units to look. The one Xu Jia had recommended was indeed the best of the three, so she chose that one.
Xu Jia said: “At this price, this is what you get. Turn left out the door and walk three hundred steps — there’s a well, and everyone goes there for water. With fewer people around now, you won’t have to queue. Before, there were peddlers who came around hawking firewood, but they don’t pass by much anymore. However, walk two streets forward and it’s still very lively there; you can buy firewood and carry it back…” He went on to explain various daily necessities.
Zhang Xiangu was still playing blind and couldn’t say anything, otherwise she would have scolded him. Fortunately, Zhù Ying was no pushover: “Between the deposit and one month’s rent, I’ve given you hundreds of coins! And you don’t even have bedding provided! What exactly is my deposit securing?”
Xu Jia cursed small-time traders being difficult about eight hundred times inwardly, but finally said: “Bedding takes wear and tear. Who provides new bedding for tenants? Everyone brings their own.”
Zhù Ying said: “I was originally going to stay at an inn for the night, so I don’t have any right now. I’ll make do for one night. Don’t leave yet — tell me which shops have the best needles and thread?”
Xu Jia said: “You want to have bedding made to order?”
Zhù Ying said: “Needles, thread, small sundries — things are actually cheaper in the city than in the countryside. I’ll buy them and sell them in the villages. Tell me what you know, so I have a sense of things. Once I earn money, I can stay here long-term.”
Xu Jia said: “Oh? So you want to settle here?”
Zhù Ying said: “Try it out first.”
Xu Jia considered: a young man like this with a blind old mother to look after was actually not a bad tenant. Not like those wandering sorts who might bring all manner of unsavory characters back to wreck the room. Peddlers might be sharp and stubborn in business matters, but they were better than unknown wanderers who might be wanted criminals — bandits, petty thieves, and the like. And not like frauds and swindlers who’d provoked their victims outside and had aggrieved parties coming to cause a scene and break the place up.
Compared to the best sort of honest, settled laborers with families, perhaps a step down — but still acceptable.
So Xu Jia told Zhù Ying which needle-and-thread shops were good, where to find durable sundry items and lamp wicks, and which cosmetics and hair oil shops were best: “Women love them! And they really are cheaper here than in the countryside — my wife stocked up when she went back to her parents. In the countryside, they’re not just expensive — there’s nowhere to buy them at any price!”
Zhù Ying also asked which shops paid fair prices for local goods, and Xu Jia told her that as well.
They chatted at length until a watchman’s clapper rang out. Xu Jia said hastily: “Oh goodness, it’s late! I must get home! Hey! If you hear any strange sounds, don’t be alarmed — it’s most likely Second Young Master Chen.” With that, he turned and left, then after a few steps doubled back and tossed over a key: “Here! The key!” This time he truly walked away without looking back.
Zhù Ying pocketed the lock and key, set them on the table, and as soon as the door was closed, Zhang Xiangu tore off the black cloth covering her eye! The two secured both front and back doors, and Zhang Xiangu launched into a tirade about how city people were dishonest — a wrecked room like this, and the several hundred coins they’d paid could rent a place in the county seat for three months. And so on.
Finally: “Enough. Let’s scratch together a nest first!”
Zhù Ying first checked the back door and secured it, then looked over the water vat and bucket, and said to Zhang Xiangu: “I’ll go draw some water. You stay inside — if someone sees you acting like a sighted person, the blind disguise is blown.”
She carried one bucket of water, and the two of them pulled a handful of rice straw from the bed to scrub the bucket and vat clean. Zhù Ying then went to fill the vat halfway and said: “Latch the door — I’m going to fetch the bedding!”
By the time she had climbed back from the inn’s roof beam and retrieved both their bedrolls, Zhang Xiangu had already been busy sweeping the room thoroughly clean, and was now sitting in the light of a candle stub barely a fingertip’s length, taking stock of the goods in the peddler’s carrying pole.
The bed had been swept clean too. Zhù Ying spread the bedding on the bed, placed what she had in her hands on the table in the outer room, and seeing the water vat nearly empty, said: “Mother, spread out the beds. I’ll go draw some more water.”
Zhang Xiangu felt for her and said: “What’s the rush? Hurry up and eat, then sleep. Whatever great matters there are can wait until tomorrow. You’re not the only one with strength!”
Zhù Ying said: “It’s not much trouble. I can still manage. I don’t want to get up early tomorrow, so I’ll get it all done tonight.”
She drew more water to fill the vat. Zhang Xiangu had already laid out the food bought along the way: “Just eat what we have.” She didn’t bring up Zhū Shenhan again. In truth, she was becoming more and more regretful about having softened and followed her daughter back here. She felt uncertain.
Zhù Ying, however, was at ease. She ate her fill and quickly fell asleep. The two had barely drifted off when Second Young Master Chen’s cries began. The Chen residence was a large compound, and whatever sounds could travel out were already diminished; yet they came intermittently, adding a few notes of eerie melancholy to the night. This, however, was not enough to frighten the mother and daughter. They listened a moment — “Oh, it’s a human voice” — and went back to sleep.
True to her word, the next day Zhù Ying did not rise early. She only got up once she was properly rested. Breakfast was just two flatbreads. Zhù Ying said: “I’ll go get something to eat.”
Zhang Xiangu said: “Watch the money — spend carefully!”
Zhù Ying had not gone far out the door before she ran into a neighbor! The man lived at the other end of their row; the two came face to face, and the middle-aged man asked: “You’re the one who arrived last night?”
“Did you hear us?”
The man looked embarrassed: “Ahem!” He hadn’t dared open his door to look. To cover it up, he asked: “Aren’t you afraid of ghosts?”
Zhù Ying asked: “Is this your own house?”
“Renting.”
“How much are you paying?”
The man said: “Ahem — cheap! True enough — money can stop a hero in his tracks, and they also say money makes ghosts turn millstones; no money… a person can only tolerate a ghost or two!”
Zhù Ying let out a snort of laughter and said: “Pay enough and I’ll turn millstones for a ghost.”
The man burst out laughing. Zhù Ying asked his name, learning that he was called Li Da. He had a wife living there with him; he worked carrying loads at a rice shop in the city, and his wife did sewing and took in piecework at home — barely scraping by. Zhù Ying said: “Please look after us from now on.” She asked him to bring back a bag of coarse-ground grain on his way home from work and paid him a deposit.
One went to work, one went to buy breakfast. Out of the alley and around one more street corner, a lively scene opened up — this was the prefecture city that Zhù Ying was already somewhat familiar with.
She quickly bought some simple breakfast, purchased a load of firewood from a hawker, and carried it home herself.
Back home after breakfast, she asked Zhang Xiangu: “Is there anything else we need to get?”
Zhang Xiangu said: “Are you really going to make a life here?”
Zhù Ying said: “Well, the place needs to look like someone lives in it.”
Zhang Xiangu washed the bowls and thought: If we could truly live a settled, stable life, that would be good.
Zhù Ying said: “Once I sell the local goods and pick up some needles and thread and small wares, we need to at least look the part. And we can earn a little money on the side.”
Zhang Xiangu said: “Be careful — don’t let anyone recognize you. You’ve walked around on these streets before, and you’ve made enemies. Getting back that money for Yu Madam must have stirred up resentment!”
Zhù Ying said: “I know! But look at me now!” She was now a nondescript, unremarkable little peddler — nothing like the previous prosperous son-in-law of a well-off household. Besides, the place she was going was not where those fraudsters normally went, so she was unlikely to run into them.
Zhang Xiangu added: “Keep your eyes open — the shops Xu Jia mentioned may not actually be cheap. Compare prices across three places…”
Zhù Ying listened to it all quietly. She had explored this city before and had a rough sense of prices in her head. Last night asking Xu Jia had only been to determine whether this landlord was an honest man who knew the streets well. From what he said — while not entirely expert, he had not deliberately pointed her toward shady establishments — she could tell this landlord was a decent enough person, so she could provisionally feel at ease leaving Zhang Xiangu here.
When Zhù Ying finished her circuit — selling the local goods, buying miscellaneous items, picking up a wok, and purchasing some bowls, chopsticks, and such, packing it all into the wok with a copper basin turned upside down on top and placed in one side of the carrying pole, and vegetables and other market purchases in the other side — the small home of a little peddler making a living in the city with his blind old mother was more or less set up.
Zhù Ying tossed a small cloth packet to Zhang Xiangu: “Here!”
Zhang Xiangu opened it — it was rouge and face powder: “Stop wasting money! What does a blind woman want with rouge?”
Zhù Ying said: “The hair oil — take a look.”
Zhang Xiangu sighed: “You’re the one who should be at the age for pretty things!”
Zhù Ying rolled her eyes.
Zhang Xiangu said: “I’ll go fix dinner.”
After nightfall, Zhù Ying had Zhang Xiangu latch the door securely, then she herself crept step by step to the outer wall of the Chen household and stood quietly, listening to the sounds from within. Confirming that no one was nearby, she took a light leap and sprang up onto the top of the wall!