WSMTATMC C147

Chapter 147

Li Mu racked his brains on the way over and still couldn’t recall when he had ever met a little gē’er.

His days ran on fixed rails between two points; aside from going home to eat and see his child, he was at the barracks drilling troops—no time to be anywhere else.

At the gate, he finally saw the person standing outside.

Li Mu halted; the face looked familiar—as if seen somewhere before. Studying closely, he remembered they had once crossed paths at Qingfeng Temple and wondered what business this person had with him.

Lin Sui also saw the Marquis of Wuping. Today, he wore light armor that made him look even more robust, his tall frame moving like a small mountain. The courage Lin Sui had worked up on the way evaporated at the sight of that visage, and he nearly turned to flee.

Li Mu was not ugly; with thick brows and bright eyes he could be called handsome, but the inky birthmark over his left eye covered half the socket. Coupled with the aura of one long seasoned in battle—that was blood-earned steel—ordinary folk could scarcely look him in the eye.

“What business brings you to me?”

Lin Sui’s knees gave way; he dropped and stammered, “I beg your Lordship’s pardon—please don’t make trouble for my cousin and cousin-in-law…”

“What?” His voice was too soft; Li Mu did not catch it.

Biting his lip, Lin Sui mustered his courage and said it again. “I beg your Lordship—please don’t go after my cousin and cousin-in-law.”

Li Mu scratched his head. His ears weren’t failing; why did the words make no sense? Who were this one’s cousin and cousin-in-law, and when had he ever troubled them?

“Stand up and speak first.”

Lin Sui rose slowly. The sun on the long road had left him dizzy; he staggered and nearly fell.

A broad hand steadied his arm and kept him upright.

Startled, Lin Sui jerked back. “Thank you, my Lord.”

Not far off, a few officers saw and let out a chorus of hoots, pinching their throats to mimic: “Thank you, my Lord~”

Li Mu’s face darkened further. He pointed back at them, then turned to Lin Sui. “Come sit in the gatehouse and talk.”

Lin Sui didn’t dare refuse and followed Li Mu inside. When bid to sit, he barely touched half a cheek to the stool, body taut as if ready to bolt at any moment.

“You said not to trouble your cousin and cousin-in-law—who are they, and why do you say this?”

Lin Sui guessed the Wei household’s mistress hadn’t yet told the marquis; his heart steadied a little, and he recounted everything from the beginning.

“Shopkeeper Wei’s wife said she is your aunt, and that she would call you to shut down my sister-in-law’s shop. I had no choice, so I came to find you. Please, my Lord, be magnanimous and spare us…” He finished and dropped to his knees to kowtow.

“Up.” Li Mu pulled him to his feet. Seeing tears like pear-blossoms in rain, he hurriedly took out a kerchief and handed it over.

“T-thank you, my Lord.” Lin Sui sniffled and took it.

“If it is as you say, this marquis is not one to confuse right and wrong. I will certainly not trouble you.”

“Truly?!” Lin Sui looked up in surprise.

Li Mu nodded. The Wei mistress was indeed his aunt—but he had long since broken with his father’s branch, and had not exchanged visits with that aunt in years; he scarcely remembered her. Who knew she dared bandy his name about to do ill.

“Rest easy. I’ll send someone to give them a warning. They won’t come after your shop again.”

“Thank you, my Lord—thank you!” Relief washed over Lin Sui’s face, and gratitude bloomed in his smile.

He was handsome to begin with; so pitiful a look easily drew a man’s sympathy. Hearing that the young gē’er was widowed, Li Mu felt a touch of pity.

“Did you come alone?”

Lin Sui nodded. “I went to your residence first—didn’t find you and asked my way along here.”

Such a fragile gē’er, running this far alone to a barracks to find him—all just to avoid implicating his cousin and cousin-in-law—drew his regard further.

“I’ll have someone fetch a cart to take you back.”

“No—there’s no need to trouble you. I can walk.”

Li Mu would not have it. “It’s out of the way here—there could be ruffians. A young gē’er alone is in danger.” He called to Captain Tian, who had been watching. “Old Tian—hitch a cart and see this gē’er safely home.”

“Aye!” Grinning, Tian went to it and soon drove up a flatbed gear-cart. “Up you get, young sir.”

The flatbed rode high; Lin Sui tried several times and failed to climb. Li Mu, watching, couldn’t bear it—he set a hand to the slim waist and lifted him up.

Lin Sui flushed scarlet. In a voice thin as a mosquito’s, he murmured, “Thank you, my Lord…”

—

Back home, no one knew Lin Sui had gone to the barracks alone.

After returning, they found no sign of him and only saw Qingyun hanging laundry in the courtyard.

“Where’s Brother Sui?”

“Didn’t he go to the new house?”

“No. Haven’t seen him all morning.”

Qingyun scratched her head. “That’s odd…”

A chill struck Wang Ying’s heart. This child had not—

“I’m going out. If Mother asks, say I went to the shop.”

He grabbed Tian Ju and Ma Zhandong and hurried out, anxiety gnawing the whole way—afraid Lin Sui might do something foolish.

He had no schooling and a simple way of thinking; years of being ground down by his former husband’s family had bred self-denial and the habit of taking all blame on himself—hating to trouble others.

If anything happened—how could he face Third Aunt…

At Wei’s candle-and-incense shop, Wang Ying stormed in. “Where is your master!”

The clerk knew him. “He’s not here, sir—what’s the matter?”

“Did my younger brother come just now?”

The clerk thought and nodded. “He did—asked for the master. I said he wasn’t in, and he left.”

“You’re sure Master Wei isn’t here?”

“Truly not. This morning it was the mistress who opened—she tossed me the keys and went back home.”

The man showed no sign of lying. Wang Ying stepped outside with his two men and stared at the busy street; his head throbbed—where to look in a city this size?

“We split up. Tian Ju—Main Street. Ma Qianzi—Zhengtong Street. I’ll take Zhengyang. Ask everyone you pass if they’ve seen him.”

“Yes.” The two darted off.

Wang Ying began along the street; from noon to afternoon, nothing. On the brink of despair, someone called out to him.

“Sister-in-law—Sister-in-law!”

He looked up to see a cart coming; on it—Lin Sui!

“Sir—please stop the cart!”

The reins tightened. “Whoa!” Captain Tian said, “Down carefully, young sir.”

Lin Sui held the shaft and hopped down. “Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome.” Tian turned the cart and drove off.

Wang Ying rushed up, seized Lin Sui, and looked him over. “Where have you been? We were frantic!”

Guiltily, Lin Sui lowered his head. “I’m sorry—made you worry.”

Wang Ying softened. “Where did you go—and who brought you back?”

After a pause, Lin Sui told of going alone to the barracks to find the Marquis. “He promised not to trouble our shop.”

Wang Ying’s heart thudded—he had walked that far alone—and actually seen the Marquis.

“Never again. If anything happened, how would I face your mother?”

“I understand…”

Wang Ying sighed. “I know you feared implicating us. But you’re still young—leave it to us to handle. Don’t shoulder everything.”

Lin Sui’s nose smarted; he furtively wiped away a tear. Having Sister-in-law—how good it was.

Whatever Li Mu had done, within days Shopkeeper Wei came with his wife and gifts to apologize in person. Wang Ying wouldn’t accept them—he made the pair admit at the door that they had slandered Lin Sui, to set the record straight. Shopkeeper Wei’s old face turned red; he mumbled and fled. His wife, though, shouted a few admissions and hurried off.

Their “calamity-star” nephew had somehow gotten wind of it and, after years without contact, suddenly visited yesterday to threaten them—if she dared use his name to stir trouble again, he’d have their two sons hauled off to the barracks to be soldiers. Terrified out of her wits, she dragged her husband to the ice shop to apologize the next day.

—

The matter soon blew over. Time slipped to the end of the seventh month—Chen Qingyan would soon sit the provincial exam.

The eighth day of the eighth month was the date. This was the triennial exam year; candidates from every prefecture in the state gathered in the city. Those from afar had come as early as half a year in advance, renting rooms to prepare; those late arrivals found no lodgings—not only were inns full, but even communal sleeping-boards and woodsheds took in people.

Every lane showed scholars in gowns and hats; tea houses and taverns buzzed with exam talk—the atmosphere was thick.

The two cousins from Tianyang also came. Second Cousin Li Bingchen would take the exam this year—his third attempt—and Elder Cousin Li Bingwen escorted him.

Uncle had meant to come, but a back ailment had him bedridden; he could only send his two sons on ahead.

They brought many things and, using the address from the letter, found the rented courtyard—only to discover the gate locked and the place dead quiet.

“Did we go wrong?”

“No—this is the alley, seventh house—there’s a jujube tree by the door.”

“Then why is no one here?”

Worry creased both faces. Aunt had said in her letter all was well—had she merely papered it over?

Just then, a neighbor came out. “Old sir—did a family named Chen used to live here?”

“You mean the previous tenants? Heard they bought a new house and moved.”

A smile brightened the cousins’ faces. “Do you know where?”

“Same alley—the third house up.”

They hurried over and knocked. After a while, a familiar face appeared.

Steward Chen blinked. “Young masters… from Tianyang?”

“You still remember us?”

He flung the gate wide. “Come in! Young lord—old madam—the cousins have arrived!”