WSMTATMC C118

Chapter 118

At this very moment, Huang Yong had already been knocked unconscious by Chen Guang, stuffed into a burlap sack, and carried all the way to the transport guild.

There, in the courtyard, an empty room had been prepared in advance. Wang Ying and the others were already waiting.

“Brother Chen has returned!” Cao Kun rushed forward from the front yard.

“Did you get Huang Yong?”

“Yes, I did. He’s still unconscious—how should we handle him?”

Wang Ying said, “Quickly lock him inside. Don’t let anyone see.”

Soon enough, Chen Guang strode in carrying the burlap sack. As expected of a trained martial man, he carried the living weight of a hundred jin as if it were nothing, walking light as a feather.

“Where should I place him?”

“In the room. How long until he wakes?”

“If left alone, he’ll stir in about an hour. But if we pour water now, he’ll wake immediately.”

“Can you make him stay unconscious a little longer—until the deepest hours of the night, so that he only wakes then?”

Chen Guang nodded. For him this was nothing difficult. He struck several precise points on Huang Yong’s back. The man collapsed limply to the ground. This was the martial method of dianxue (acupoint blocking)¹—not at all like the exaggerated techniques on television, but effective all the same, temporarily disrupting the meridians and carrying heavy toll on the body.

No matter. A person like Huang Yong deserved no pity whatsoever. Out of caution they still bound his wrists and ankles tightly and stuffed his mouth, before locking the door. Everyone returned to the main hall pretending nothing had happened.

Elsewhere, Madam Ma had already brought her eldest son to the authorities. The registrar at the yamen happened to be Huang Yong’s uncle, so thanks to this connection, word spread quickly. He assembled several constables to search at once.

Madam Ma’s first suspicion was, of course, aimed at Cao Kun. After all, he was the only one with the ability to spirit away her son without trace. Not to mention the feud from before—Lin Qiu surely couldn’t have sat and done nothing. Her son must have been taken by them!

She and the group of constables rushed to the Cao residence, pounding loudly at the gates.

Old Chen Bo answered. “May I ask whom you are looking for?”

“Where’s Cao Kun? Hand over my son, at once!” Without so much as a greeting, Madam Ma shoved her way past Chen Bo and stormed in with the constables.

“Hey, what do you think you are doing?” Chen Bo stumbled back and hurriedly called for help.

Immediately, out came Cao Kun, Chen Qingyan, Chen Qinghuai, and Wang Ying, blocking Madam Ma’s path.

Seeing so many men suddenly appear, Madam Ma shrank a little inside, not recognizing who they were. But leaning on the support of the constables, she raised her voice. “I don’t care what tricks you’ve used. Hand my son back to me now!”

Cao Kun was about to retort when Wang Ying pulled him back. Stepping forward himself, he asked, “You are Huang Yong’s mother?”

“Yes, and who are you?”

With no warning, Wang Ying slapped her hard across the face. The blow landed solidly, catching her completely off guard.

“Ah! What are you doing?!” Madam Ma held her stinging cheek, stars spinning before her eyes, darting behind the constables for cover.

Two constables drew their blades. “Do not be disrespectful!”

Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai at once stepped up in front of Wang Ying, glaring coldly across at them.

Wang Ying showed not a shred of fear. He pointed at Madam Ma and cursed: “You wretched woman! We hadn’t even gone to seek you out, yet you come to deliver yourself! My Lin Sui married into your family, never having committed evil nor betrayed his vows. So why, why did you use such vicious cruelty to beat him into miscarriage?!”

Madam Ma’s eyes darted about. “He fell by his own carelessness—it has nothing to do with us.”

“If it’s nothing, then why hide yourselves away for six or seven days, without showing your faces?”

Hearing that, the constables were taken aback. Suspicion piqued, they sheathed their blades and edged aside, eager to catch more gossip.

Madam Ma found Wang Ying unyielding, so tried a softer tack. “What husband and wife don’t quarrel? Time is needed to settle matters. Lin Sui spoke too sharply and angered Yong, so Yong only pushed him lightly. Who could have expected such misfortune—that a mere push would lead to miscarriage?”

Madam Ma pulled out a handkerchief, pretending to weep. “We too felt grieved. After all, the child was my blood grandson. Yong was devastated for days. So I took him away to our hamlet for a little fresh air.”

“I spit on your lies! Hear yourselves! My Lin Sui was beaten into miscarriage, and instead of caring for him, you pamper the culprit and go sightseeing? Are you even human? You are worse than pigs and dogs!”

“And another thing! If it was a mere push, then why is Lin Sui’s whole body covered in bruises? Do you dare swear before Heaven? Swear upon your Huang line, that if you utter one lie, your branch shall be cut off and annihilated?”

“You—!” Madam Ma dared not. If her son hadn’t disappeared, she would never have dared show her face here.

“Bring out Chen Rong,” she said. “I don’t recognize you. I want to speak with her!”

Of course Wang Ying would not allow Third Aunt to come out. Her health was frail enough—anger might worsen it.

“I am Lin Sui’s eldest sister‑in‑law. Whatever you have to say, say it to me. If you wish the matter judged, then let us go before the magistrate and let the officials decide who is shameless!”

By now, neighbors had gathered outside, crowding round the Cao gates to watch the commotion.

Madam Ma flew into rage. She didn’t fear a lawsuit, but she dreaded too public a spectacle—yet these people gave her no way out.

“Since you leave me no choice, don’t blame me for baring all! My son married into your family; what of Lin Sui’s belly—was the child even ours?”

She suddenly snatched up a nearby iron shovel and threatened violence.

The constables quickly rushed to restrain her. Feeling even bolder, she shrieked at the top of her lungs, “Your man shields Lin Sui so fiercely—it reeks of foul secrets! Surely they share one bed themselves! My son beating him into miscarriage was already saving him face! Shameless ge‑ers like him deserve the cudgel to death!”

Lin Qiu nearly fainted on the spot. Cao Kun hurriedly supported him. “Don’t listen to her filth! Our conscience is clear—let her spin lies as she will!”

Even Wang Ying, seasoned though he was, had not expected this old woman to sink so utterly without shame—turning black into white, white into black.

Since they had no intention of repentance, then let it be. As for whether Huang Yong lived or went mad—that was now up to fate.

“Get out! Get out of our house!” Lin Qiu screamed. “If Huang Yong is here, search for yourself! If you dare set one more foot inside, Madam Ma, I swear I’ll cut you down myself!”

Madam Ma clutched her chest in fake anguish. “You all heard him—he threatened murder! Who could live under such people?”

Seeing rage boiling in their eyes, the constables were rattled as well. Fearing bloodshed, they forced Madam Ma out, not wanting trouble to tangle them.

They searched the entire courtyard, found nothing, and left.

But the crowd outside did not disperse. The onlookers whispered in twos and threes.

“Never thought Lin’s ge‑er would be such a man. Always looked honest, yet having relations with his brother‑in‑law…”

“Indeed! You can’t judge by looks. No wonder he was beaten into miscarriage—any man would be enraged to wear such a green hat.”²

These words sent Lin Qiu’s vision spinning again. The Huangs had struck even lower—ruining reputation, leaving his brother no way to survive.

For women and ge‑ers, reputation was everything. With such slanders—of illicit relations with his own brother‑in‑law—this was no less than driving Lin Sui to suicide.

Fuming, Wang Ying shouted, “Uncle Chen, Er‑shun, shut the gates at once!”

“Yes.” They slammed them closed, shutting out the gawping crowd.

Clutching Lin Qiu’s trembling hand, Wang Ying said resolutely, “Not one word of what was said today must reach Third Aunt’s or Lin Sui’s ears. You must keep strong—leave the rest to us.”

“Mm.” Lin Qiu sobbed, but thanked heaven his cousins were there—for otherwise, what could he have done?

Collecting themselves, they reentered the house. Chen Rong asked from her bed, “What was all that noise? Did I hear Madam Ma’s voice?”

Lin Qiu replied quickly, “You misheard. She wouldn’t dare come. After what they’ve done, if she dared, we’d have driven them with cudgels long since.”

Chen Rong nodded. “I thought so too. If she had courage, she wouldn’t have hidden away with her clan.”

Lin Qiu exhaled, glad Mother guessed nothing. As for Lin Sui, hiding the truth proved harder. Recognizing perfectly his mother‑in‑law’s voice, he had started shaking violently, hiding covered under Chen Qingyun’s quilt.

When told by his brother that Madam Ma had only come to fetch him home, he trembled harder. “I—I won’t go. I refuse to go back!”

Lin Qiu hugged him tightly. “She has been driven out. Don’t be afraid.”

Madam Ma searched vainly for her son and refused to give up, wanting to check Cao Kun’s transport guild next. But by then it was nightfall, and even the constables slipped away, saying they’d continue tomorrow.

Without their backing, Madam Ma dared not search alone. She had no choice but to return and wait.

Meanwhile, Wang Ying and the others kept their usual calm at the Cao house until afternoon, then returned to the inn for dinner.

Only after deep night fell did they quietly scale the wall to Cao Kun’s transport guild.

To avoid suspicion, Cao Kun did not appear. After all, should any harm befall Huang Yong, he would be the prime suspect.

So tonight only Wang Ying, Chen Qingyan, Chen Guang, and Chen Bo went.

Wang Ying dressed in advance with clothing of Lin Sui’s. Though taller so the garments fit snug, it would suffice in the dim candlelight to escape notice.

Chen Bo had glued on a white beard, blackened his eyes with soot, donned a wooden death crown³ and thrown over himself a thick cloth cloak.

Wang Ying whispered, “Have you memorized your lines?”

Chen Bo nodded. “I have—three lines. ‘Insolent wretch, seeing this official and not kneeling—do you know your guilt? Should you deny your crime, your tongue shall be torn and you cast into Hell!’”

“Correct. When the candle is lit, you deliver them.”

“Yes, yes.”

Chen Guang, perplexed, watched all this. He did not know what plan the young master devised, but it wasn’t his place to ask. He simply obeyed, arranging white cloth around the room, scattering paper money all over the ground.

Chen Qingyan donned black robes, ready to act as Ox‑Head or Horse‑Face demon from the underworld.

Once ready, Chen Guang unbound the prisoner, then pressed points on his back to rouse him. After roughly one tea’s time, Huang Yong stirred.

Dazed, he groped at his face, and found his hand full of paper money used for funerals. Terrified, he yelped and sat bolt upright.

The room before his eyes was festooned with fluttering white cloth, swaying in icy drafts.

“Wh—where is this? Let me out! Let me out now!”

“Yong‑lang, where are you going?” A delicate voice wafted through the dark—it was Wang Ying mimicking Lin Sui.

If listened to closely, one would notice at once the differences. Wang Ying’s tone was brighter, while Lin Sui’s genuine voice softer, gentler. But Huang Yong, trembling in terror, had no such subtle discernment left.

He turned—and saw a shadow flickering. Then “Lin Sui” suddenly appeared before him, hair wild and loose, cradling in his arms an empty swaddling bundle.

“Yong‑lang,” the apparition wailed, “where is our child?”

Footnotes

1. Dianxue (点穴) – A traditional martial practice of striking pressure points/meridians to paralyze or immobilize. Here fictionalized to render Huang Yong unconscious for several hours. 
2. Green hat (绿帽子) – A Chinese idiom for being cheated on, i.e., a cuckold. Rumors of infidelity destroy reputation, especially for ge‑ers whose chastity is fiercely policed. 
3. Death crown (旒冠) – A wooden crown resembling those used as underworld official props or Taoist ritual attire, here employed to impersonate a judge of Hell.