WSMTATMC C163

Chapter 163

In mid-October, the Wang family’s vegetable shop opened again.

Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan had, the night before, harvested the ripe vegetables from the test plot and restarted the winter vegetable sales for the year.

Knowing the shop would open today, Lin Sui rose especially early, got ready, and went to the front courtyard to await loading.

Before long, Ershun drove the cart to the back courtyard, and everyone bustled about, carrying baskets of vegetables onto the cart.

Old Chen held up an oil lamp to shed light at the side. Ever since he had sprained his back in spring, Wang Ying would no longer allow him to do heavy work. The old man, unable to stay idle, did odd jobs at the residence; nominally master and servant, Chen Qingyan and Wang Ying had long treated him as an elder uncle of the family.

Once the cart was loaded, Ershun said, “I’ll go on ahead to the city and wait at the shop.”

Wang Ying patted the cart. “Mind the road.”

“Right, don’t worry.”

While he was hauling the goods, Wang Ying went back to the house to tidy himself, washed up, changed clothes, neatly tied his hair back, and set a plain hairpin.

Yuanbao was still asleep. Children love to sleep; if not woken, he would probably sleep until the chen hour.

Wang Ying asked the nursemaid to watch the child in the room, then went to the side hall with his husband to have breakfast.

Aunt Chen was getting on in years, and it was hard to buy and cook by herself without getting overwhelmed; thus, Ershun’s wife helped out as well.

Wang Ying did not let her work for nothing; at two hundred cash a month, she could earn some pocket money.

After eating, Wang Ying and Lin Sui went to the shop. Chen Qingyan still had to go to the prefectural academy later—its head had specially invited him to explain provincial exam questions to students who had not taken the exam.

By now, Chen Qingyan was a household name in the academy—third in the nation, and he had taken the exam from Jizhou Prefecture. The students all saw him as a model.

As for Chen Qingsong, the pressure was a bit greater. He hadn’t cared much when he was younger, but since both elder brothers had passed as juren, any mention of him at the academy came with comparisons.

The elder brothers’ halos shone too brightly, making Chen Qingsong seem all the more ordinary; he could only study relentlessly, afraid to do poorly and lose face.

—

When Wang Ying arrived at the shop, the two neighboring stores had also just opened. The sesame-oil shopkeeper, usually curt with them, came forward to speak first.

“Planning to sell vegetables again?”

“Yes. It’s too cold to sell ice, and the vegetables at the estates are ready—we’ve brought some to sell.”

“Yours is truly a good trade—what you sell in winter and summer is something others can’t replace.”

Wang Ying smiled and let it pass; the man had always looked down his nose at them, and this sudden warmth felt odd.

Tian Ju brought a ladder to swap the signboard, taking down the ice-shop sign and putting up the old vegetable-shop sign.

Ma Zhandong lined up the counters they had taken down before, ready to display the vegetables when they arrived.

They finished arranging the shop, but even by the chen hour, there was still no sign of Ershun.

By rights, last year when Old Chen hauled vegetables, he’d passed smoothly every time—no one had stopped the cart. Surely the very first load this year hadn’t been blocked?

Wang Ying grew anxious. “Xiao Ma, Xiao Tian, go to the city gate and see what happened.”

The two did not delay and ran off at once.

Ma Qianzi and Tian Ju jogged to the east gate. Circling the gate, they saw no sign of Brother Ershun. Could it be trouble outside the city?

“Got money on you?”

Tian Ju fished in his bosom. “Only fifty cash.”

“Enough.” Ma Qianzi had fifty as well; together, they had one string. He took the money to a petty clerk at the gate and slipped it over discreetly.

“What’s the matter?” The clerk, taking the money, looked at him in puzzlement.

“Begging to ask, officer, did a cargo cart enter early this morning? Dark red cart, loaded with fresh vegetables.”

The clerk’s eyes flickered. “That’s your goods?”

At that, Ma Zhandong knew Brother Ershun must be in trouble. “Yes, from our master’s shop—we planned to open today.”

“Heh, that’s unlucky.” The clerk lowered his voice. “On entry, the cart happened to meet the patrol. The city guards seized the vegetables.”

Tian Ju blurted out, “On what grounds do they seize our vegetables?”

“There’s nowhere to reason that out. The patrol leader is the brother-in-law of Assistant Prefect Zhao. Best accept the bad luck.”

Tian Ju wanted to argue, but Ma Qianzi pulled him back. “Thanks, officer.” This wasn’t something they could fix—they had to fetch the masters!

They ran back to the shop and relayed what they’d learned to Wang Ying.

Lin Sui said, “Seizing vegetables is one thing—but why also detain the cart and Ershun?”

Wang Ying’s face darkened; the heart had already guessed much of it. They coveted these vegetables and wanted to force from Ershun where the produce came from…

This was beyond him. At this moment, only the Marquis could help. Wang Ying grasped Lin Sui’s hand. “Sui’er, a favor from Sister-in-law.”

“Sister-in-law, what’s this talk—just say it!”

“Go to the Marquis’s residence and explain. Ask him to help.”

“I’ll go now!”

Ma Zhandong said, “I’ll hitch the carriage. If the Marquis isn’t at home, we’ll go straight to the barracks.”

“Good—hurry!”

Assistant Prefect Zhao, a sixth-rank official, roughly like a deputy mayor in later ages—crossing such a man would bring no advantage.

A quarter of an hour later, the carriage picked up Lin Sui and sped toward the Marquis’s estate.

—

Meanwhile, Ershun had been taken by the patrol to the nearest guard post. They had not only seized the cart, but also…

The leading cavalry captain was named Xue Wang, Assistant Prefect Zhao’s brother-in-law, nicknamed “Xue the Bully.” Relying on his brother-in-law, he swaggered through the city; anything he wanted, he got.

He’d heard about the fresh vegetables last year, but there had been rumors that the shopkeeper was the nephew of Assistant Magistrate Wang, so he hadn’t dared to act.

Later events revealed the two families had no relation at all, and Xue Wang’s mind turned crooked again.

Today’s patrol happened to meet Chen Ershun at the gate, and he seized man and goods at once—the aim: to learn the source of the vegetables and take a cut.

Dazed, Chen Ershun was dragged in, tied hand and foot, and locked in a room.

He wasn’t bold to begin with, and he was so terrified he nearly wet his pants, kneeling and begging. “Our master is a juren. Please release me; we’ll give up the vegetables—all as an offering to you.”

Xue Wang spat and sneered. “A juren? I’m terrified.”

Hearing this, Chen Ershun dared say no more and crouched in a corner, silently praying in his heart. Surely the young master would come to get him…

After half an hour, Xue Wang entered with two subordinates and, without a word, began beating.

They were soldiers; how could Ershun stand it? After only a few punches, his nose and mouth bled, golden stars danced before his eyes, and he knelt, kowtowing and pleading.

Xue Wang yanked his hair to haul him up. “Where did the vegetables on the cart come from?”

“L-little one doesn’t know.”

“Pah. Got a stiff spine? Keep beating.”

The man’s fists knocked him to the ground; then came kicks, until he curled up, clutching his head, begging.

“Enough—lighten up. If we beat him to death, how do we ask where the vegetables come from?”

“Heh, habit.”

Xue Wang ground Ershun’s head underfoot. “Still not talking? Keep this up and your life’s gone.”

A hoarse croak came from Ershun’s throat, but even so he would not say that the vegetables were supplied by his young master. He only stammered, “The vegetables… were delivered… at the relay station outside the city…”

“Bullshit. Last year I followed your cart. The driver then was an old man—he just went out to dawdle and came back. Who are you trying to fool?”

Tears and snot streamed down Ershun’s face. “I… truly don’t know… Please… spare me…”

Xue Wang frowned. Did the man really not know, or was he tough? Usually, after a beating and a scare, they confessed at once—yet this one held out.

He did not dare beat him to death—he’d have his brother-in-law on his back again. He had the men lock Chen Ershun up, thinking that if by tomorrow he still didn’t talk, they’d toss him somewhere else and think of other methods.

—

Wang Ying, nearly beside himself with worry, finally saw the Marquis gallop up after two hours with Lin Sui on his horse.

“Marquis, please help…”

“No need to say more,” said Li Mu. “On the way, Lin Sui told me everything. I’ll fetch the man first.”

“Many thanks, Marquis!”

Li Mu set Lin Sui down with one arm and lashed his whip, flying eastward. Wang Ying and Lin Sui watched him go, hearts in their throats.

“Why did it take so long?”

“Ma Zhandong took me to the Marquis’s residence first,” Lin Sui said. “The Marquis wasn’t in, so we went straight to the barracks—but he’d gone outside to drill troops. A centurion who knew us fetched him.”

The back-and-forth had cost time. Once they met, Lin Sui briefly explained, and Li Mu, without another word, took his own horse, carrying him into the city.

“Wonder how Ershun is—please, let nothing have happened.”

Lin Sui held Wang Ying’s hand to calm him. “It will be fine.”

Li Mu knew Xue Wang—a reckless sort. Previously, he had served in the camp under Li Mu’s drill, but unable to bear hardship, he had used connections to transfer to the city guard to patrol daily.

Arriving at the guard post, the sentries barred the way. “This is a restricted post—entry forbidden.”

Li Mu cracked a whip across one of them. “Blind dogs—can you not recognize this Marquis?”

The two took a closer look, saw the bluish birthmark on Li Mu’s face, and were shocked, hastily stepping aside. “Forgive us, Marquis—eyes unseeing Mount Tai…”

Li Mu couldn’t be bothered to waste words and went straight to the main hall. Xue Wang had been tossing dice with a subordinate; seeing Li Mu, he froze. Why had this plague god come here today?

He forced a smile and got up. “Ah, Marquis! Why not send word first so I could greet you?”

Li Mu cut him off. “The Wang family’s cart, horse, and man detained this morning—release them.”

Xue Wang played dumb. “What does Marquis mean? I don’t understand.”

Li Mu didn’t bother with him and turned to search the rooms.

Xue Wang rushed to block him. “I am at least the chief rider of the post—Marquis, raiding my place without a word is not proper, is it?”

Murderous light flashed in Li Mu’s eyes. “Do you think this Marquis cannot deal with you—or do you think your brother-in-law can protect you?”