Chapter 17: Treacherous Intent

"Father, I've bought the coffin, the burial robes, and the paper money and candles. The money you gave me is almost all spent."

Upon returning home, Lu Tianxing grabbed the kettle from the table with one hand and flipped over a bowl that had been placed face-down with the other. No sooner had he filled the bowl with water than he impatiently tilted his head back and downed the contents in one go. After three bowls, he finally set the kettle and bowl down with a grunt of satisfaction. He wiped his mouth, pulled up a chair, and sat down right in front of Old Master Lu, stretching his legs out straight. Once his legs touched the chair, they began to shake uncontrollably, as if he had triggered a switch.

"Father, the lack of money is secondary. The real problem is that not a single family within tens of miles is willing to come and help us. As for finding Taoist priests and musicians for the funeral, I don't even know where to start. The few I know of turned me away the moment I asked, offering all sorts of excuses. Even when I offered a tael of silver per person, no one would agree to come."

Old Master Lu bowed his head, remaining silent for a long time. "Have you tried looking in the neighboring county?"

"The neighboring county?" Lu Tianxing’s eyes darted around. "I suppose I could ask, but the costs would likely triple."

The room plunged into a deathly silence once more.

When Lu Shijiu and Mrs. Xue were summoned, the oppressive atmosphere in the room had not lifted. Old Master Lu stammered for a while before finally speaking: "Third daughter-in-law, ever since your mother-in-law was taken away, our family's vitality has been severely damaged. Now that the Third Brother is gone, we must, at the very least, ensure he leaves with dignity and is buried properly."

Mrs. Xue wiped away her tears and nodded. "I will do as you decide, Father."

"After paying for your mother-in-law's funeral, I didn't have much left. The costs for Magistrate Zhao to have the bodies near her grave cleared, hiring men to carry the Third Brother down from the mountain, and purchasing the coffin have drained our coffers completely. You must bring out whatever money you have."

Mrs. Xue lowered her hand from her eyes. "Father, I truly have no money on hand. In the past, the money from selling my embroidery was always kept by Mother. If the family is truly short on funds, I have several finished pieces; I can take them to the Jinxiu Embroidery Shop tomorrow to settle the account."

Lu Tianxing’s leg-shaking paused. "Third Sister-in-law, there's no need to be so distant! I have to head out these next few days anyway. Why not give those pieces to me? I’ll go deliver them for you!"

"Back when we were arranging Mother’s funeral, I heard the Third Brother say that because of our family's reputation, it was hard to find priests, musicians, and pallbearers. Now, with the incident of the corpses at Mother’s grave, it will likely be even harder to find anyone. I must trouble you, brother-in-law, to put in the effort there. I’ve been to the Jinxiu Embroidery Shop many times, and I know the way. Plus, I have some standing with the proprietress, so I’m sure I can handle the delivery myself," Mrs. Xue replied logically.

"But for a woman like you to go out alone..." Old Master Lu expressed approval, yet remained cautious.

"How about this? I’ll head out tomorrow and drop Third Sister-in-law off at the county seat. If it’s truly impossible, I’ll take the 'Jinx' along. Third Brother is gone, and she should start taking on some responsibilities," Lu Tianxing said, his leg still vibrating.

After a moment of hesitation, Old Master Lu sighed deeply. "Let it be so for now."

Lu Shijiu was willing to go to the county. Whether it was to repay the ten taels of silver for Dr. Liu’s medical fees or to find a way to acquire a sharp dagger, she could not achieve these things without going to the county seat. Since her scuffle with her "cheap" father, she felt an urgent need for a sharp weapon. Moreover, once her second uncle returned, she feared she would have nowhere to hide.

Learning more about her environment was a good thing; in her previous life, from birth to death, she had been trapped in Wangjiadai, never once stepping outside.

As the ox cart swayed, Lu Shijiu kept the road to the county firmly in her mind.

"Jinx, stick close to me later. Don't wander off, and don't speak, do you hear me?" After getting off the cart and saying goodbye to Lu Tianxing, Mrs. Xue glared at her with a fierce warning.

Lu Shijiu pressed her lips together and nodded.

The county was nothing like the village. As the morning light hit the town, every sight was filled with bustling crowds. Peddlers hawking, people haggling, neighbors exchanging greetings, gossiping—the list went on. Lu Shijiu followed Mrs. Xue, squeezing past stalls selling mountain goods and poultry, through the breakfast shops, all the way to the Jinxiu Embroidery Shop.

Steaming buns, crystal-clear wontons... various aromas rolled and surged through the air, so fragrant that Lu Shijiu couldn't help but steal a few glances at the food stalls. She imagined they must taste just like the nougat Dr. Liu had given her.

"Oh! Mrs. Xue, I haven't seen you in a long time. You're early today!"

As she turned the corner with Mrs. Xue, before Lu Shijiu could even stand still, a plump, well-dressed woman emerged from the shop ahead, greeting Mrs. Xue with a beaming smile.

"Yes! We were delayed by some family matters. I had some free time today, so I brought over the finished embroidery," Mrs. Xue replied, walking over with a smile of her own.

Lu Shijiu glanced at them and quickly looked away. She wasn't interested in their pleasantries or business, so she stood still and began to observe her surroundings. This area was filled with shops that looked somewhat sophisticated, neatly arranged on both sides of the street. Lu Shijiu saw shops selling cosmetics and powders, gold and silver jewelry, general goods, books, and even restaurants. It was a completely different world from Wangjiadai.

While she was lost in thought, the sound of "clanging" in the distance pulled her back to reality. It was the sound of a blacksmith! Lu Shijiu suppressed her inner excitement and followed the noise.

"Bang!"

She was caught off guard and knocked to the ground. Before she could stand up, a pair of fair, delicate hands reached out toward her.

"Little sister, are you hurt anywhere? I'm so sorry, I was rushing out and bumped into you."

Before the words had even faded, she was helped up. Lu Shijiu looked up to see a pair of watery eyes gazing at her with concern. Perhaps noticing that her eyes were different from others, a flash of surprise crossed the girl's face.

"I'm fine," Lu Shijiu said coldly, brushing off the helper's hand. She dusted off her clothes and turned to leave.

"How can you be fine? Your clothes are torn; let me see if you've scraped your arm!" The fair hands grabbed her again, and without waiting for an answer, pulled up the torn sleeve of Lu Shijiu's garment.

"Oh! Your arm..."

The hands, which were fairer than tofu, did not show the slightest bit of disgust as they pulled the sleeve up even further. The entire arm was covered in bruises, crisscrossed with gruesome, bloody scars.

"This..." The eyes were filled with disbelief. As if the owner had realized something, the fair hands reached out to take Lu Shijiu’s other hand, gently rolling back the sleeve. The same sight met her: skin covered in bruises layered with bloody scars.

"Who did this?" the gentle voice asked, now laced with a bone-chilling coldness.

Lu Shijiu froze and pulled her hand away from the girl's grasp. "It doesn't matter!"

"How could it not matter? Who is it? Who has such a vicious heart?" Lan Yin was so angry that her face, round as a goose egg, crinkled in distress.

Lu Shijiu stared at the beautiful girl, who looked genuinely heartbroken for her, feeling puzzled. "You’re angry for me?"

"Of course I’m angry! To inflict such cruelty on a child this small? Their heart deserves to be punished!"

*Their heart deserves to be punished!*

*Deserves to be punished?*

Ha! Indeed, didn't their hearts deserve to be punished?