"Sis, what is this place?"
Lin Fan gazed at the courtyard's blue-brick walls and the glossy black gate, which looked freshly painted. A feeling stirred in his heart, but he still asked.
Madam Wang didn't answer. Smiling, she took Lin Fan by the hand, pushed the gate open, crossed the threshold, and led him into the courtyard. It was very clean. The bricks beneath their feet were still damp, and the seams showed signs of recent cleaning.
There was a well in the courtyard, along with an elm tree at least a hundred years old. Its branches were lush, and in summer, they could sit beneath it to keep cool and admire the moon.
"Little brother, do you like it?" Madam Wang asked with a smile.
"I—I like it."
Lin Fan was sure now: his sis had bought this place especially for him.
Madam Wang said, "I'm glad you like it. Your sis bought it for you. I bought it a few days ago, but the place had been abandoned for a long time and was a complete mess, so I hired people to clean it up and make some repairs. It looks much better now. If there'd been any other houses for sale in this location, I wouldn't have settled for this one."
Now that was what it meant to be loaded.
And this place was right in the center of the city. It was expensive—very expensive.
"Sis, you shouldn't have. This is far too much."
"It's not too much. Isn't it only natural for your sis to give her little brother a place to live? Besides, I have money. Lots of money." Madam Wang wouldn't let Lin Fan refuse. She took out the property deed she'd prepared in advance. "Keep this safe, and write your name on it yourself."
Wang Changhai had just arrived when he heard his wife say she had money—lots of money.
He wanted to say, That's my money!
"Your sis gave it to you, so just accept it. She went to see the shack you were living in and said it was no place for a person to live. It broke her heart. She even did a lot of the work here herself because she didn't trust outsiders to do it right," Wang Changhai said.
After hearing all that, Lin Fan understood that if he didn't accept the deed, he'd be wasting his sis's good intentions.
He took it.
"Thank you, Sis."
"What are you thanking me for? I don't ask for much. I just want you to live comfortably." Madam Wang then seemed to remember something. She took Lin Fan's hand and said sincerely, "Don't think I'm doing all this to tie you to Changhai. I mean it. No matter where you go or what you decide to do in the future, I'll support your choice."
Hearing this, Lin Fan nodded. "I know."
If anyone else had done this, he'd have thought it was a way of buying his loyalty. But he saw the sincerity in his sis's eyes. She meant every word; there wasn't a hint of falsehood in them.
"And take this silver, too. Your expenses will only grow from here, and you haven't been here long. You can't have much money on hand." Madam Wang produced a purse packed with small silver coins.
She'd considered that silver ingots were hard to spend, while small coins were more practical.
"Sis, I can't take this."
Lin Fan hurriedly refused. She'd given him a house and now she was giving him money. How could he ever repay such kindness?
"Why not? I've already given you a house. What's a little silver on top of that? Listen to your sis and take it."
"Th-then, all right."
He took the heavy purse.
He knew that he now had someone to care about in this world. No matter where he went, even to the ends of the earth, he'd have to remember that he had a sister here.
Madam Wang patted Lin Fan's arm and looked him over carefully, smiling. "My little brother really is a handsome one. Young and capable, with a house and money. Seems all you're missing is a virtuous, understanding wife. I know a few girls..."
At that, Lin Fan quickly cut her off. "Sis, no need. Really, no need. I'm still young, and I still have work to do for the hall master. Settling down too early wouldn't be good."
Madam Wang smiled. "All right, all right. Don't rush. I won't set you up with anyone. My little brother is such a good boy, not interested in women at all. Unlike your brother-in-law, who can't take his eyes off a woman. He never stops to think whether he's still young enough for that. Little brother, don't you go learning from him. Men should keep themselves as chaste as women."
"Yes, Sis, you're right."
Lin Fan nodded again and again. Even if she said the hall master was a pig, he'd agree.
His sis had given him so much.
She'd nearly arranged his whole marriage, too.
She wasn't just a sister. She was practically his adoptive mother.
Wang Changhai stood there without a word. It wasn't that he didn't want to speak; he just felt like an outsider, unable to get a word in edgewise.
"Little brother, how long until the Security Bureau exam?" Madam Wang asked.
"Ten days."
"Then study hard over the next few days. Your brother-in-law and I will work on your connections. No, your brother-in-law can't do it. He's slow-witted and might say the wrong thing. I'd better handle it myself."
Wang Changhai: ...!?
Enough already!
What kind of wife was always saying her husband was no good?
Ah, when would a man finally get to stand tall after marriage?
If Lin Fan knew what the hall master was thinking, he'd definitely say, "Hall master, you're already standing tall. You're so brazen about finding a lover, and Sis allows it without saying a word. Plenty of men wouldn't even dare dream of that."
Lin Fan took the Security Bureau exam seriously and had been studying diligently lately. Given how well he understood the law now, he shouldn't have any trouble.
"Thank you, Sis."
"There you go again, saying thank you. Don't do that anymore. You're making us sound like strangers."
"..."
At dusk, in the shantytown.
Zhao Er, a low-ranking lackey in the Fierce Tiger Gang, dragged his weary body home. He stopped outside his door, wiped the sweat from his face, patted his round cheeks, and forced a smile.
"Mother, I'm home."
He pushed the door open and went inside.
He had to act cheerful and relaxed so his mother wouldn't worry. He'd kept his work as a gang lackey from her, but a nosy neighbor had told her, "Your Zhao Er's mixed up with a gang. He gets into fights every day. One wrong move, and he could wind up in serious trouble."
He'd been so angry he'd wanted to confront the neighbor, but in the end, he let it go.
He wasn't home most of the time, and his mother had trouble getting around. Sometimes she had to ask the neighbors for help. If he damaged that relationship and something happened to her, there might be nobody to help—and he might never know. What would he do then?
But as soon as he entered the house, he froze in shock. Two people were inside, and his mother lay on the bed, watching him with worried eyes.
Zhao Er recognized one of them at once: Yuan Jiang's adviser, the White Paper Fan of their branch.
He didn't recognize the other man, but judging by his stocky build, he must have been the adviser's hired muscle.
"Master Li, what brings you to my home?" Zhao Er asked nervously.
He was just a low-ranking gang member. There was no way he should have any dealings with the adviser, let alone be on his mind. And if he was on the adviser's mind, it couldn't mean anything good.
Master Li held a paper fan and smiled broadly. "Zhao Er, you're back."
"Yes."
"Good. How long have you been in the gang?"
"Master, I've been under the hall master for half a year."
"Half a year isn't all that long, but it isn't short, either. You've been diligent and conscientious, and the hall master has noticed."
The longer they delayed getting to the point, the more afraid Zhao Er became.
"M-Master, is something wrong?" Zhao Er swallowed and asked anxiously.
Master Li tapped his finger on the table. "The hall master killed someone. Ordinarily, we could've just buried the body and been done with it, but too many people saw what happened. The victim's family keeps making a scene at the yamen, so we need someone to take the blame. Are you willing to take the fall for the hall master?"
At those words, Zhao Er's face turned deathly pale.
Thump!
Zhao Er dropped to his knees and begged, "Master Li, please let me go! My mother needs me to take care of her. She can't live without me. Please, Master Li, have mercy and let me off!"
Master Li ignored Zhao Er's pleas and smiled. "The hall master knows what a devoted son you are. So here's the deal: if you take the fall, the branch will pay for your mother's medical care and support her from now on."
Madam Zhao, lying on the bed, struggled to raise her hand and knocked the medicine bowl beside her onto the floor. Alarmed, Zhao Er crawled over to her on his knees and took her hand. "Mother, what's wrong?"
"Let... let me die."
Her breathing was faint, and she was utterly feeble.
"Mother, don't say that. I won't take the fall. I won't go. Please don't say that." Zhao Er's eyes reddened with helplessness. He knew his mother didn't want to drag him down and was thinking of taking her own life.
Master Li gave the hired thug beside him a look.
The man understood at once. He strode over, grabbed Zhao Er by the hair, and kicked him to the ground. Then he picked up the bowl, smashed it, and scooped up a shard, eyeing Zhao Er with a mocking grin.
"The master's made himself clear. You're taking the fall whether you like it or not. If you keep refusing, your mother dies right here. If you agree, the master might actually show mercy and pay for her treatment. So, what'll it be?"
Despair and helplessness closed in around him.
He knew they'd do it.
The hall master had killed someone. Usually that wouldn't have been a problem, but too many people had seen the body, and the whole thing had blown up. If no one had seen it, nobody would've cared.
Even if the family complained, it wouldn't have mattered.
He was just a man scraping by at the bottom, trying to put food on the table. Now this had landed on him, and he knew there was no escaping it.
"I—I'll take the fall."
Those few words took every last bit of strength he had. He slumped to the ground like a puppet on strings, his life no longer in his control.
Master Li nodded with satisfaction and rose to leave. The place stank, and he couldn't wait to get out. He still had a banquet to attend, and he was already imagining which girl he'd be spending the night with.
He opened the door and was just about to step outside.
Then Master Li's expression stiffened. In his eyes, a hand was reaching for him, grabbing his face and shoving him back into the house. The grip was powerful; he couldn't resist at all.
Who?
Who was grabbing this old man by the face and shoving him inside?
Who the hell was it?
Soon, clattering and crashing rang out from inside the house, followed by bursts of screams that carried through the evening dusk.
Anyone who didn't know better would've thought someone was beating a child.
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