Wang Daxia rode off, leaving Chen Jingji planning to find Wang Qianhu to file a complaint. However, that fall had hurt considerably—his hands and face were covered with dust and willow fluff, making him unfit to see anyone. Supporting his waist, he slowly shuffled to a well at the end of the lane.

This well’s water was sweet and clear, giving Sweet Water Lane its name. All residents of the lane came here for their daily water needs.

The sun had already set in the west. A group of women were drawing water around the well platform, washing bowls and clothes. Chen Jingji asked the women for a bucket of water to wash his face and hands.

They were all acquaintances. The women laughingly handed Chen Jingji an empty bucket while teasing:

“Wang Qianhu’s stepmother and stepson don’t get along—they quarrel every few days. Who among those in the know would dare rent that residence?”

“Exactly. You’d only invite trouble. The house has been empty for years, and you tricked an outsider into renting it. How could Second Young Master Wang let this go?”

“Getting a beating from Wang Yanei—regretting it now, aren’t you?”

Chen Jingji worked the pulley over the well, drawing up a bucket of water. “If a man doesn’t get tough, his wife won’t have jewelry. I need to earn money to marry and support a family.”

A woman poured a basin of greasy dishwater into the roadside drainage ditch. “You’re like a preserved duck boiled in a pot—your body’s all rotten, but your mouth’s still hard! Wang Yanei will surely beat you every time he sees you from now on.”

Having borrowed their water bucket, Chen Jingji couldn’t argue back and buried his head washing his hands and face.

Once clean, he brushed the dust and willow fluff from his round-collared robe and checked his reflection in the water bucket. Looking presentable enough to see people, Chen Jingji thanked the women and went to seek help from Wang Qianhu.

Who could control Wang Yanei’s misbehavior? Only the young master’s father.

The Wang family had a side gate in Sweet Water Lane. It was already completely dark, and the gatekeeper said Wang Qianhu hadn’t returned from the office yet.

Wang Qianhu was the Commander of the Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office.

The capital had five Military Commissioner’s Offices—East, South, West, North, and Central—specifically managing security, crime prevention, fire prevention, and road cleaning in their respective districts (equivalent to a combined police station, urban management, and fire department, with Wang Qianhu as the chief).

Chen Jingji waited at the gate, left and right, but saw no sign of Wang Qianhu returning home. Instead, he heard the rattling sound of a tiger support’s rolling bells.

By the dim moonlight and the lantern hanging at Wang Qianhu’s side gate, Chen Jingji saw the traveling physician shaking the tiger support—it was the tenant Wei Caiwei returning from practicing medicine.

Terrible! She couldn’t get into her house at all! That key hadn’t been retrieved yet!

Chen Jingji hurried over to greet Wei Caiwei. “Doctor Wei, there’s something I need to explain to you…”

Every family has its difficult scriptures to recite. Second Young Master Wang Daxia’s mother, Qian Shi, had died early, and he refused to submit to his stepmother Wu Shi’s discipline. He was an unlearned, extravagant wastrel known as Wang Yanei.

Wang Qianhu, worried that the wastrel would squander all of Lady Qian’s dowry, entrusted the dowry to his second wife, Lady Wu, to manage—including the small building Wei Caiwei had rented.

Wang Yanei was the type of wastrel who would fish money out of a frying pan to spend. How could he let this go?

Whenever Chen Jingji brought clients to view the house, he would come make trouble and scare them away. Thus, despite this excellent location in the Northern District, such a well-maintained residence with complete furnishings had remained vacant for half a year without being rented.

Today Chen Jingji had been lucky—Wang Yanei had left early in the morning for unknown business, allowing Chen Jingji to succeed through half-coaxing, half-deceiving the unsuspecting traveling physician into renting the house.

“…That’s how things stand,” Chen Jingji explained. “Doctor Wei, please rest assured. No matter how much the Monkey King causes trouble, he cannot escape Buddha’s Five-Finger Mountain. When Wang Qianhu intervenes to discipline his son, the key will naturally be returned. Wang Qianhu is Wang Yanei’s golden headband.”

Unexpectedly, Wei Caiwei didn’t fly into a rage or curse Chen Jingji as a crooked merchant. Instead, she listened with interest to his account of the Wang family gossip and said:

“So that’s how it is. I’m very satisfied with this house. As for the key—I’d like to meet this Wang Yanei first and reason with him, courtesy before force. If I go directly to Wang Qianhu to complain, Wang Yanei will inevitably get a beating, damaging his self-respect. The more he’s pressured, the more desperate he’ll become. Even if tonight he gives up the key under Wang Qianhu’s forceful pressure, he might come trouble my household again in a couple of days, disturbing my peace forever.”

Chen Jingji quickly said, “A physician’s heart is like a parent’s—Doctor Wei is truly a living Bodhisattva. However, you must not harbor any illusions about Wang Yanei. He’s a famous young wastrel throughout the Northern District. Even his stepmother Lady Wu can’t handle him. Filial sons emerge from under the rod—only Wang Qianhu can control him.”

For some reason, no matter how Chen Jingji warned her, this young widow insisted on meeting Wang Daxia, saying, “I still decide to talk with Wang Yanei first.”

Chen Jingji had no choice but to ask the gatekeeper again, “Is Second Young Master Wang at home?”

The servant boy still shook his head. “Our Second Young Master left early this morning and hasn’t returned home yet.”

Chen Jingji reported back to Wei Caiwei, who calmly pointed to a night market across the street. “I haven’t had dinner yet—no rush. I’ll eat while waiting.”

Chen Jingji was also hungry and said, “It’s my poor handling of affairs. This meal is on me—an apology to Doctor Wei.”

Chen Jingji was quite cunning. Once someone ate his food, if problems arose with the house, this traveling physician couldn’t simply say she wanted to move out.

Everything could still be salvaged.

Being stingy, Chen Jingji chose the cheapest wontons in the night market, making excuses: “This stall is closest to the Wang residence—convenient for surveillance. Once we see Wang Yanei return, we’ll go talk to him.”

Wei Caiwei smiled without exposing his lie. “Manager Chen is still so thoughtful.”

This outsider is so easy to fool! After all, she’s still young and inexperienced. Chen Jingji sat down and ordered a bowl of mustard greens and pork wontons.

Wei Caiwei said, “Boss, two bowls of three-delicacies wontons, one without cilantro.”

Chen Jingji, concerned about money, said, “Cough, cough, Doctor Wei, this place gives generous portions—one bowl has fifteen large wontons. I’m afraid you’ll get too full.”

Wei Caiwei smiled. “I’m not eating alone.”

Chen Jingji looked around. “Ah? Does Doctor Wei have an attendant?”

Wei Caiwei said, “It’s for my late husband—I’ll pay for my late husband’s bowl of wontons.”

When a husband dies, the wife must provide meals for her husband for three years.

Since she’d already ordered, right? Not lacking the money for one bowl of wontons. Chen Jingji quickly said, “Let me, let me—just a few small coins.”

During their conversation, three bowls of wontons were served. Chen Jingji began eating while Wei Caiwei placed the bowl without cilantro on the west side of the table, sprinkled some pepper, set out a pair of chopsticks, and spoke to the air:

“Erlang, time to eat. Today I… was busy until now. Business was quite good—the capital is really different. Dinner is too late—you must be hungry.”

So considerate of her dead husband, even remembering he didn’t eat cilantro but liked pepper!

Chen Jingji thought to himself: If I marry a wife who treats me this well in the future, I might die of happiness!

“You two had deep conjugal love,” Chen Jingji never imagined he’d one day envy a dead man.

Wei Caiwei sighed softly, “Pity that deep love doesn’t ensure longevity.”

Halfway through their meal, a figure sidled over and plopped down in the seat of Wei Caiwei’s late husband, slapping Chen Jingji’s shoulder.

“You’re waiting here to ambush my old man and file a complaint against me, right? Give up that hope. Tonight, wherever you go, I’ll follow. I won’t let you meet my old man.”

It was none other than Wang Yanei, Wang Daxia.

Chen Jingji, his thoughts exposed, stammered, “Second Young Master Wang misunderstands—I was just hungry and looking for a place to eat.”

“You have quite an appetite, ordering two bowls of wontons.” Wang Daxia sniffed. “Mm, no cilantro—just to my taste. I won’t be polite then—you’re treating.”

Wang Daxia picked up the bowl and began eating.

Chen Jingji was stunned. “You… how outrageous! This is dinner Doctor Wei provided for her late husband!”

Seeing Wang Daxia, Wei Caiwei’s gaze froze, her lips slightly parted, and the spoon in her hand lost control, clattering into the bowl with a splash of soup. “It’s you! I am… I—”

Seeing Wei Caiwei’s flustered, incoherent appearance, Chen Jingji thought she was afraid of Wang Yanei and quickly stood between them. “Wang Yanei! What kind of skill is bullying a young widow!”

In his anger, Chen Jingji no longer called him Second Young Master, directly using the nickname Wang Yanei.

Wang Daxia sidestepped around Chen Jingji, tilting his head to examine Wei Caiwei. The white mourning knot in her hair was particularly conspicuous in the night.

To be beautiful, wear all white mourning. What a lovely young widow!

Wang Daxia’s eyes immediately brightened like stars, his eyebrows arching flirtatiously.

Seeing a beauty, Wang Daxia’s attitude softened considerably. He set down his bowl and said:

“Little widow, I have no grudge against you. You’ve been deceived by this unscrupulous broker. He knew full well that house was disputed, yet for five taels in commission fees, he coaxed you into signing the lease. The house and all its furnishings are my late mother’s dowry. I want to keep them as mementos and don’t want outsiders living there. Now the rent is in my stepmother’s hands. You should have Chen Jingji get the rent back and find somewhere else to live.”

By this time, Wei Caiwei had recovered her composure, her emotions stabilizing. “Second Young Master Wang misunderstands. Chen Jingji and I were waiting at your gate for you to return home, not to complain to Wang Qianhu. Regarding the house matter, I’d like to discuss it with you face to face. My surname is Wei, and I practice medicine for a living. You may call me Doctor Wei.”

Oh, this little widow is interesting! Speaking so pleasantly even to me, this notorious wastrel.

She really treats me like a person, but…

Wang Daxia frowned, stroking his chin, appearing very troubled. “There’s nothing to discuss. My mother’s dowry—I won’t allow anyone to touch it. Doctor Wei should still move away.”

So there was nothing to negotiate.

Just as Chen Jingji was about to speak again in persuasion, Wei Caiwei pointed to the bowl in front of Wang Daxia. “My late husband has already eaten. Second Young Master Wang must be hungry, right? If you don’t mind, please have this bowl of wontons. Even if business doesn’t work out, we’ve still made each other’s acquaintance.”

The so-called providing meals was symbolic—once the intention was shown, it could be given to living people to eat. Common people wouldn’t waste food.

With a beautiful young widow generously inviting him to eat wontons, if he refused, wouldn’t that be coy? Even less than a young widow.

“Thank you, Doctor Wei.” Wang Daxia picked up his spoon to eat the wontons. Being from a noble family after all, though a wastrel, his eating manners were still proper, making no sound whatsoever.

It looked like Doctor Wei was going to move out, and the five taels in commission fees would have to be returned. Chen Jingji grew anxious, finding even the mustard green wontons in his bowl tasteless. What could be done?

At this moment, hoofbeats sounded on the road—the Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office was beginning night patrol. Chen Jingji sprang up, craning his neck in hope: Wang Qianhu was coming home! He still needed to speak with the young master’s father!

Wang Daxia saw through Chen Jingji’s little scheme, grabbing his hand and forcibly pulling him back down. “It’s not my father. A murder case just occurred in the Northern District. The Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office is currently searching everywhere for the killer. My father is busy with the case and will probably stay at the office for the next few days without coming home. Give up your idea of filing a complaint.”

“Ah?” Chen Jingji was quite shocked. “A murder case! Who was killed?”

“Don’t know. I heard the scene was quite terrible.” Wang Daxia gestured across his throat with his spoon. “One slash across the throat—neck blood sprayed all the way up to the willow fluff in the treetops, dyeing the white fluff red.”

Chen Jingji shuddered in fright, instinctively covering his neck with both hands. “Aiya, what kind of hatred, what kind of grudge—such a terrible death.”

Wei Caiwei looked down at the floating scallions in her bowl, thinking: What hatred, what grudge? Of course, the enmity of family annihilation, the hatred of killing relatives!

I did it.

Living again in this world, repaying kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance—only then would I not waste Heaven’s gift of a second chance.