“The entire Lu household died out a year ago.”

“Died out?”

The old woman looked up to see the woman who had been standing silently at the side suddenly speak.

The next moment, another string of copper coins was pressed into her hands. Yin Zheng smilingly bought all the Fuling cakes from the top of the basket, giving more copper coins than needed, saying: “We’re from out of town and don’t know about the Lu family’s situation. Please, Auntie, tell us what happened to the Lu family?”

Fingering the string of coins in her hand, the old woman finally spoke: “It’s just that the Lu family had bad fortune. Earlier, they got a son-in-law from the capital, and the neighbors were envious, but who knew… ah!”

Two years ago, the Lu family’s eldest daughter Lu Rou married. The groom’s family was a wealthy merchant household from the capital, with considerable wealth. They sent fourteen carriers of betrothal gifts, making all the surrounding neighbors envious. Old Master Lu was just an ordinary teacher in Changwu County, and the family was poor. By all accounts, this marriage was the Lu family marrying above their station. Moreover, the merchant family’s young master was handsome and gentle, making a perfect match with the beautiful eldest daughter of the Lu family.

After marriage, Lu Rou followed her husband to the capital.

Everyone thought it was a flawless match, but less than a year after Lu Rou went to the capital, the Lu family received news of her death from the capital.

Along with this came some unsavory rumors. Lu Qian, the Lu family’s second child, who had been close to his elder sister since childhood, took his belongings and went to the capital to investigate what had happened. The Lu couple waited and waited at home, only to receive an official document from the government.

After reaching the capital, Lu Qian broke into a private residence, stole property, and assaulted women. He was caught by the homeowners and imprisoned.

Changwu County was small, and the neighbors had watched Lu Qian grow up. He had always been intelligent and kind, someone who stood up against injustice. Even the neighbors didn’t believe Lu Qian would commit theft, let alone the Lu couple. Old Master Lu angrily wrote a petition to appeal to the capital, but before reaching the capital, while traveling by water, they encountered a storm. The boat capsized, not even leaving complete bodies behind.

In just a short year, losing daughter, son, and husband, how could Madam Lu, née Wang, bear it? She went mad overnight.

“She seemed deranged but didn’t cry or make a fuss. She just sat by the lake all day, holding Lu Rou’s childhood rattle drum, singing and smiling…” the old woman sighed. “The neighbors were worried something would happen to her and tried to take her home. One night, the Lu house caught fire…”

It was natural for a mad woman to accidentally knock over an oil lamp on the wooden table at night, or perhaps she had a moment of clarity and, facing an empty house, lacked the courage to live on, choosing to burn everything, including herself, for release.

“This Lu family was really strange, dying out completely in a year.” The old woman was still chattering to Yin Zheng, “I suggest you don’t get too close to this door, lest you catch some evil influence and get affected.”

“Where is Madam Lu’s remains?” Lu Tong interrupted her.

The old woman looked at Lu Tong, meeting her deep, dark eyes. For some reason, her heart felt uneasy. Steadying herself, she said: “The Lu house fire was huge, and it happened at night. By the time it was discovered, it was too late. It burned for an entire night. When people went in the next day, they only found a handful of ashes. They just swept them away casually, and since the house couldn’t be repaired, they just left it like this.”

After finishing, seeing that Yin Zheng and Lu Tong still stood at the Lu family’s entrance with no intention of leaving, she shouldered her carrying pole again, muttering: “Anyway, the Lu family died in strange ways, probably offended some unclean thing. You shouldn’t stay too close to this place. Houses where people died are always taboo. Don’t regret it if something happens.” With that, she hurried away with her pole.

Yin Zheng still held the Fuling cakes she had just bought from the old woman. Returning to Lu Tong’s side, she was about to speak when she saw Lu Tong had already stepped into the house before them.

The fire at the Lu house had indeed been fierce. The entire building showed no trace of its past, covered everywhere in charred soot and wood splinters.

Lu Tong walked slowly.

She had been away from home for so long that many past images were no longer clear. She only remembered that the main hall had been inside, connected to the kitchen through a small courtyard. The eaves had been low, and during rain, water often collected in the courtyard.

Now the fallen charred wood mixed with the ruins, making it impossible to tell where the small courtyard was or where the kitchen had been.

Her feet made small crushing sounds stepping through the ruins. Lu Tong looked down and saw a solid porcelain corner exposed among the broken tiles.

She bent down and picked up the pieces of rubble.

It was a piece of blue stone debris. Near the kitchen at the end of the corridor, there had been a blue stone vat that was always full of clear water. Seven years ago, before she left home, she had drawn the last bucket of well water herself.

Behind her, Yin Zheng followed, looking at the blackened broken tiles all around. Unable to help feeling chills down her spine, she said softly: “Miss, perhaps we should leave first. That person just said we might encounter bad luck, moreover…”

“Moreover what?” Lu Tong spoke, “Moreover the Lu family was strange?”

Yin Zheng dared not speak.

Lu Tong lowered her gaze, gradually tightening her grip on the half-wind chime in her palm, looking at the ruins before her, saying coldly: “Indeed, very strange.”

Death, imprisonment, water disaster, great fire… these coincidences, one after another, she also wanted to know exactly what kind of “unclean thing” the Lu family had offended to be so mercilessly exterminated.

“Just now she said Lu Rou married into the Ke family in the capital?”

Yin Zheng collected herself and quickly said: “Yes, they’re said to be an old established business dealing in pottery and porcelain in the capital.”

“The Ke family…” Lu Tong stood up and said: “I’ll remember that.”