"Hu Lu?"
Today was a rest day.
Song Chengan carried a fish basket and fishing rod, intending to go fish for a while.
But when he opened the door, he froze.
There was someone sitting outside his door.
It was Hu Lu.
Hu Lu held a bolt of cloth in his arms, sitting on the steps before Song Chengan's door.
He seemed to have come looking for Song Chengan, yet did not dare knock.
"Brother Song!"
Hu Lu rose to his feet.
He bent at the waist, a somewhat stiff smile on his face.
His hair was streaked with gray amid the black.
He looked as though all spirit had drained from him.
He was clearly more than ten years older than Song Chengan, yet he called him brother.
"You came looking for me. Why didn't you knock?"
"I only just got here." Hu Lu seemed at a loss.
Song Chengan shook his head.
How could someone who had only just arrived have mist on his hair?
"Come in."
"What is it?"
"Sit. Don't stand on ceremony."
Song Chengan looked at Hu Lu.
He wanted to know why this man had come to find him.
"Brother Song!"
Hu Lu dropped heavily to his knees.
Seeing Hu Lu like this,
Song Chengan's feelings were complicated.
To be honest, when he heard that Hu Lu's son was not his, he had wanted to gloat as well.
But seeing Hu Lu reduced to this state now, he could not quite bear it.
"Brother Song, I beg you to help me!"
"I'd like you to come forward."
"Be a middleman for me."
Song Chengan fell silent.
To be honest, he did not want to wade into this muddy water.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I'm old. I won't have any children in the future."
"I want you to come forward as a witness."
"Have Guiyu give birth to the child."
"Once the child is born, I'll raise it."
"As long as she is willing to give birth and give the child to me, I'm willing to let her go live with Wang San'er."
"I'm willing to give her a sum of money."
He said,
"At the end of the day, she is the one in the wrong. If I refuse to let go, there is nothing she can do about it."
"I'm willing to let go, but the child must be given to me."
Song Chengan helped him up.
"For this matter, you should find someone respected in the city."
"You shouldn't have come to me."
Hu Lu's eyes reddened.
"I'm just a lowly pig-gelder. How could I possibly know those old gentlemen?"
"Only you, Brother Song. I was blind and failed to see Mount Tai before... You are a great man who does not remember a petty man's faults..."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and viciously slapped himself.
Again and again.
Each blow was heavy.
Song Chengan grabbed his hand.
"That isn't what I meant."
"What I mean is, your woman and Wang San'er may not be willing to give me face."
"Since you insist on asking me, I'll go take a look with you."
"Whether it works out or not will depend on your luck."
Song Chengan was not confident either.
After all, he was merely a Demon Suppression Envoy of the Demon Suppression Division.
Though he was an official, in Spirit Mound he truly did not count as anyone important.
They might not be willing to give him that much face.
To put it bluntly, face was like carrying a flower-decked sedan chair—everyone helped lift it.
They called you old brother, and you called them younger brother in return.
For small matters, everyone could laugh it off.
But once real interests were involved, even if you kept calling them younger brother, they might not be willing to acknowledge you as their old brother.
You were not holding their lifeline in your hand, so why should they give you face?
"Isn't Hu Lu just a pig-gelder?"
"How could he know some important figure from the Demon Suppression Division?"
"With such an important figure backing him, his tail is practically pointing at the sky."
"From the way he spoke today, if we refuse, he might actually take this to the County Yamen."
"If it truly reaches the County Yamen, I'm afraid the two of us will come out worse for it."
Wang San'er looked troubled.
"What are you afraid of!"
Zhao Guiyu was over forty and heavily pregnant, yet she still retained her charm.
Hearing this, she immediately snapped impatiently.
"Do you think the yamen runs on reason alone?"
"When the time comes, we'll spend some silver to grease the right palms. Even if he has reason, he'll end up without it."
"He's just a pig-gelder and has no money. Could anyone really stand up for him?"
"All the money he earned these past years is with me."
Wang San'er felt somewhat reassured.
"But I'm still worried."
"If it were only Hu Lu, I wouldn't fear him making a fuss."
"I have a few friends in the Black Tiger Gang whom I often eat and drink with. Hu Lu alone can't stir up much trouble."
"I'm only worried about this important figure from the Demon Suppression Division he found."
"You saw it today too. Even that spineless man's back had straightened."
"I'm afraid that important figure really will stand up for him."
"What important figure?" Zhao Guiyu said disdainfully. "There are only a few people of standing in the Demon Suppression Division: those Demon Suppression Envoys and Captain Wu."
"A great figure like Captain Wu—not to mention Hu Lu, even Master Zhao Da could not meet him."
"As for those few Demon Suppression Envoys, every one of them is a young master from a prominent family in the city. Would a pig-gelder like Hu Lu not sully their threshold?"
"He probably hired a clerk, or some martial man who guards the gates of the Demon Suppression Division yamen."
"I heard that besides those Demon Suppression Envoys, the Demon Suppression Division yamen also has some martial men who handle odd jobs."
"I have already invited Miss Zhao to come forward today. At the very least, she can make that man retreat when faced with difficulty."
"You really invited Miss Zhao?"
Wang San'er said in delighted surprise.
"Of course."
"I have served Miss Zhao since I was little. She treats me like family. If I have a request, how could she refuse?"
"Then that's good."
Wang San'er let out a breath of relief.
"Miss Yuan'er!"
As they spoke,
Zhao Guiyu stood up.
A woman in white rose and walked in.
"Sister Guiyu, sit down."
Zhao Yuan'er sighed and gestured for Zhao Guiyu to sit.
"Miss Zhao!"
Wang San'er hurriedly rose as well and bowed.
But Zhao Yuan'er never once looked at him.
Zhao Yuan'er looked at Zhao Guiyu.
"Sister Guiyu, by seniority, I should call you cousin."
"But what you have done today has truly gone too far."
Zhao Guiyu heard this.
"Miss Yuan'er."
"For a moment, lard covered my heart. I already know I was wrong."
"But now Hu Lu refuses to spare me even though he has the upper hand."
"He found an important figure from the Demon Suppression Division to support him and wants to face me in court."
"I had no choice but to come beg you."
Zhao Yuan'er said, "You have been with my family for many years. There is some affection between us, after all."
"I have already told my father about this."
"My father's meaning is that I should step in this time as a middleman and have you settle your feud with Hu Lu."
"Whatever compensation should be paid, we will pay it."
"Do not think of bullying an honest man."
"Th-this means paying money..." Zhao Guiyu was immediately unwilling upon hearing that.
"Then I'll leave?"
Zhao Yuan'er rose.
"No, no, Miss Yuan'er, we'll pay!"
"We'll pay!"
Seeing this, Zhao Guiyu hurriedly pulled Zhao Yuan'er back down.
If Zhao Yuan'er left, she and Wang San'er would not be able to withstand the person from the Demon Suppression Division behind Hu Lu.
Besides, she knew Hu Lu well. Even if he named a price, it would not be much. So she gritted her teeth and agreed.
As for Wang San'er, he did not have a single coin. Only Zhao Guiyu had money, and it was all what Hu Lu had earned in the past. Thus, he did not say a word and left Zhao Guiyu to decide everything.
After Zhao Yuan'er sat down, she said nothing more. Looking at Zhao Guiyu's swollen belly made her feel somewhat sick.
Having a child again in middle age should have been a great blessing, but she had never expected her once-closest cousin to cause such a disgraceful affair, dragging her into public shame as well.
Each of them had their own thoughts. They all remained silent, waiting for Hu Lu and the important figure from the Demon Suppression Division Hu Lu had spoken of to arrive.
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