WSMTATMC C151

Chapter 151

In the ice shop, Wang Ying and Lin Sui stared wide-eyed at little Qing’er, and she stared right back.

“What’s your name?”

“…” The little girl tilted her head and watched them.

“Where did you come from? What are your father and mother called?”

Qing’er shook her head. She didn’t cry or fuss, only looked them over with curiosity.

Softly, Lin Sui said, “Could she be mute?”

Wang Ying said, “Likely not. Most who are mute are also deaf, but she hears us fine—she just can’t speak.”

“Are you hungry?”

Qing’er’s eyes lit up; she nodded like a pecking chick.

Wang Ying stood. “Let’s take her home first. From her clothes, she’s not from a poor family—perhaps she wandered off. At this hour the yamen is off-duty; tomorrow we’ll ask if any report has been filed.”

Lin Sui reached to take Qing’er’s hand. Her soft little palm tightened into a fist in his, nervous. He lowered his head and smiled at her; Qing’er, shy, loosened her fist and let him hold on.

Wang Ying locked the shop, and they went home together.

As soon as they entered the yard, Yuanbao ran out. Seeing his father and little uncle bringing home a child, he asked curiously, “Ah-Fu, who is this?”

“Don’t know—some child who got lost. Chunsheng, take her to wash hands; then we’ll eat together.”

“Okay.” Chunsheng stepped up to lead the girl, but she hid behind Lin Sui and wouldn’t go, perhaps still shadowed by her cousins’ chase that afternoon; Qing’er had no fondness for big children.

Chunsheng was a bit embarrassed. Lin Sui said, “I’ll take her to wash.”

He had looked after little Mai at home, so he was deft with children. He helped her wash hands and face, then loosened and combed her messy hair—she had picked up thatch hiding in the cart. After parting her hair into two neat knots, the little girl looked even sweeter and lovelier.

“Wait here—I think I still have some red ribbon in my room; I’ll fetch it for you.”

The little one clutched his sleeve and wouldn’t let go. Seeing her timid look, Lin Sui’s heart softened to a puddle. “All right—come along and help me find it.”

After moving to the new house, Lin Sui’s and Qingyun’s bedrooms were in the west wing.

Seeing him lead in a little girl, Qingyun exclaimed, “Sui, where did you pick up a child?”

Lin Sui briefly explained. “Don’t know whose she is, and she doesn’t talk. Sister-in-law said to bring her home.”

“She is lovely.”

The girl was beautiful, and something about those brows and eyes felt familiar to Lin Sui—as if he’d seen them before—but he couldn’t place it. Forget it—she’d go to the yamen tomorrow; no need to overthink.

He found a red ribbon he’d once worn and tied it in her hair. With her rosy lips and white teeth, once combed she looked like a New Year picture doll—very charming.

“Hungry? Let’s eat.”

In the side hall, everyone was already seated. Madam Li had heard from Qingyun that Lin Sui and the others brought a child back. Looking her over, she said, “What a beautiful child—clearly raised in a wealthy family.”

Wang Ying asked, “How can Mother tell?”

“Look at her little hands—no dirt under the nails. Our Yuanbao still digs in the sand and mud every day.”

Fang Ling nodded. “A child this age lost—her family must be frantic. Best send word to the yamen—don’t let a good deed go wrong.”

Wang Ying immediately called in Ma Qianzi and told him to notify the yamen.

Qing’er was truly hungry. She tugged Lin Sui’s sleeve and pointed at the steamed buns, asking with her eyes if she could eat.

“Eat—but don’t burn your hands.”

She grabbed a bun and gnawed like a scrapper. Not to be outdone, Yuanbao imitated her—and choked.

Wang Ying quickly fed his son water and patted his back. “Why eat so fast?”

“I always eat this fast.”

“That’s because she’s hungry. You’re not—eat slowly.”

The little girl’s appetite was large; she ate two fist-sized buns and still wasn’t full. Lin Sui dared not let her eat more, fearing it would upset her stomach.

Qing’er felt a little wronged—back home she could eat three buns in a sitting…

After dinner, Ma Qianzi returned. At this hour, the yamen was at rest, with only a watch clerk on duty. He explained and left their address.

—

At the Li residence, Li Mu had nearly gone mad searching. Over twenty servants had turned over every room, yet no child was found.

Madam Li (the mistress) spoke snidely on the side. “Why scour the house? With legs on her, maybe she ran out.”

Li Mu narrowed his eyes. “She went missing in your house. If she isn’t found, none of you will have it easy!”

The murderous edge in his voice made the madam press her chest and stumble back. “Call the master at once.”

Before he arrived, his curses came first. “Unfilial son—what will you do? For a bastard girl, you—”

(The woman Li Mu married gave birth to Li Qing’er eight-plus months after the wedding, then had a liaison with another, so rumor said the child was not his.)

Li Mu’s taut reason snapped. He seized his father’s collar and hauled him up. “Kill you? If anything happens to Qing’er, I’ll have the whole Li clan pay with your lives!”

“Third—Third, speak nicely. Put Father down first.” Li Chen rushed to pull him off, but Li Mu was a head taller, his arm thicker than Li Chen’s leg—he could not be pried away.

The women nearby were in a swoon, and the old master grew truly afraid, struggling. “Who would harm a child for no reason—”

“When I was a child, you sent me to war before I’d filled out—could barely hold a spear—and I stumbled onto the battlefield, not knowing how many times I almost died!

“Enough.” He tore his gaze away and barked to the steward, “Keep searching—carefully—”

Li Mu let go. His men had already gone to the barracks to summon troops. If she still wasn’t found, he would comb the entire Jizhou prefecture overnight—whatever the cost, Qing’er must be found!

A while later, the steward ran up. “A maid found a hairpin in the ice room—please see if it is the young lady’s.”

Li Mu examined it closely—indeed, his daughter’s. “She was in the ice room!”

“That must be it. In the afternoon, fellows from the ice shop came to deliver ice—might they have taken the young lady…”

Eagerly, Li Mu asked, “Which ice shop?!”

“The Wang family shop in the city.”

Without another word, Li Mu took his men to the ice shop.

After he left, the madam spat, “Damn spawn—why didn’t he die on the battlefield!”

Li Chen objected. “Mother—don’t say that about Third Brother—”

“Third brother? Look at him—he’d kill us all if he could. Only you think well of him!”

“The child went missing here—it’s only natural he’s frantic.”

The madam reeled with rage. “How did I bear a son with elbows turned out!”

The old master’s face went long. “Enough—back to the hall.”

Li Chen sighed. The little bit of peace he’d mended with Third Brother—smoke again now.

—

Night was deep; not a soul was on the streets.

Suddenly, a drum of hooves rolled past, rousing those living by the road.

An old man lit a lamp. “Thunder outside?”

“Don’t know—not like thunder.”

As the hoofbeats faded, people realized a troop had passed. Was there war again?

Li Mu’s face was ice as he rode. Since hearing that his daughter might have run out of the Li house, his heart had hung suspended.

He had no other kin—only an old mother and one daughter. Qing’er was the flesh of his heart.

At four and not speaking—if she were sold by villains or harmed… He didn’t dare think; the thought alone made his chest ache with breathless pain.

They reached the Wang ice shop—shuttered at this hour. He roused the nearest households and asked one by one where the shop’s keeper lived.

Someone recognized Wang Ying and pointed the way. Soon, they reached Xizi Alley.

Knock-knock-knock! The urgent pounding woke Chen Fang. Rubbing his eyes, he cracked the side gate and, before he could ask who it was, someone shoved it wide and knocked him aside.

“Hey—what are you doing—breaking into a house! Help—!”

Steward Chen, Ma Qianzi, and Tian Ju threw on clothes and ran out. In the yard stood seven or eight burly men with torches and sabers at their waists; the leader was eight feet tall—his very stance made knees weak.

Steward Chen hastened forward. “Honored sirs—what urgent business brings you at midnight?”

Li Mu spoke straight. “Have you seen a little girl—four or five—who does not speak?”

Ma Qianzi understood at once—he was here for the child. He stepped up quickly. “We have—we delivered ice to the Li house today, and on the way back found an extra child on the cart. She wouldn’t answer. We meant to take her to the yamen, but it was too late—they were off duty.”

Li Mu’s voice shook with relief. “Where is she now?”

“Our lord took her to the back to rest.”

Without thinking, Li Mu strode toward the inner gate. Steward Chen hurried to block him. “You mustn’t!”

“You dare stop me?!”

Overwhelmed by his aura, Steward Chen collapsed onto the ground. “We have unmarried ladies and gē’er in the rear—if you rush in—how will they keep face?”

Li Mu paused, drew a deep breath. “I was rash. Please announce me—and bring my daughter.”

“Yes—yes—this old one will go at once.” He scrambled up and hurried to the back.

Soon, lights flared in the rear. Li Qing’er was sleepily roused by Lin Sui. “Up—your father is here.”

Perhaps she had taken to him at once—since coming, she had stuck to him, even sleeping by his side. Lin Sui dressed her and carried her out.

Li Mu had waited to the snapping point. Just as he was about to go himself, he saw his daughter carried out by a young gē’er, head dozing on his shoulder, arms looped about his neck—a display of affection that made the father a touch jealous.

“Qing’er?”

Hearing him, she turned, lit up, and waved excitedly.

Lin Sui hadn’t expected the man to be the Marquis of Wuping. He handed the child over and bowed low. “Greetings, my Lord.”

The marquis froze, then looked closely—he knew this gē’er. A coincidence indeed…