Something Was Wrong

The fourth day after joining the Inner Court.

At noon that day, Lin Yin didn't stay at the manor to eat steamed buns as he usually did. Instead, he left early.

After passing through the somewhat desolate Market, Lin Yin arrived at a little shop of perhaps twenty square meters.

A familiar figure was sitting in front of the shop, calling out to attract customers.

"Come have a look, come have a look—

Freshly woven blue hemp cloth!

The hemp stalks are retted clean, the thread is even and smooth, and it won't chafe your skin. Get a coarse hemp jacket for hoeing the fields, or have a pair of trousers cut to see you through the hottest days of summer.

Three widths wide, two widths narrow—ten cash gets you half a bolt, enough for the whole family. The old man can wear it in the fields, and it'll make washing clothes easier for the missus. Once you've passed this village, there's no other shop—hemp cloth won't wait!"

The practiced cries sounded a little hoarse from calling out for so long, but they were still remarkably loud. Now and then, farmers and women stopped nearby.

His mother greeted everyone with a smile, and business seemed to be especially brisk.

Lin Yin stood outside the crowd and watched for a while. Only when there were fewer people in front of the shop did he walk over.

"Mother..."

"Yin'er, you're here!"

The weariness vanished from Madam Wang's face in an instant. She set down the fabric she had yet to spread out properly and hurried over.

She looked Lin Yin up and down first. Only after confirming that her son seemed to have grown a little sturdier did she happily usher him inside.

"You must be hungry. I've made you something to eat."

"Mother, sit and rest a while. I'll get it myself."

The tiny space behind the tailor shop was crammed full of pots, bowls, and pans. Sitting on a little wooden stool, Lin Yin dug in with gusto.

His mother had made a rare bowl of beef and rice for lunch. It was clear that business had been going well lately.

That made sense, too.

Lin Yin had observed that there were almost no tailor shops selling hemp clothes or fabric nearby. Most of the other, larger tailor shops were in the center of Langshi Town, near Langshi Tavern.

The clothes sold there were mostly expensive, and ordinary people simply couldn't afford them.

By selling coarse hemp clothes at affordable prices, his mother, Wang He, could naturally attract people from the surrounding neighborhood.

Perhaps only those who had experienced hardship knew what everyone truly needed?

"Thick, warm cotton coats! Don't pass by without taking a look..."

His mother's cries rang in his ears as Lin Yin silently ate his beef and rice. The more he chewed, the more delicious it seemed.

Jingle, jingle...

A sound as clear as a bell.

Lin Yin had just swallowed the last piece of beef with a mouthful of rice when he looked up and saw his mother leading someone into the shop.

"Big brother!"

Her clear voice rang out like an oriole's song. Lin Yin saw a graceful figure flutter toward him like a butterfly and throw her arms around him.

"Lin... Ai Er?"

Confusion and surprise filled his eyes as he instinctively eased the girl in his arms away from him.

"What are you doing here?"

Looking at the excited, delighted girl before him, Lin Yin asked.

"Ha! Your little sister finally got a chance to come out and visit you, and after all this time, that's all you have to say?"

The girl turned her head away, looking utterly huffy.

Even so, Lin Yin noticed the faint glimmer in the corner of her eye as she turned her head just slightly.

Clearly, the little girl was watching his reaction.

Lin Yin glanced at his mother, who remained silent but wore a broad smile. Understanding dawned on him, and he deliberately put on a troubled expression.

"Ah, I didn't think this through. You came all this way, and I haven't prepared a gift for you."

The girl's lips puckered, and tears threatened to well up in her eyes. But Lin Yin's seemingly troubled expression suddenly gave way to a smile.

At some point, a wooden hairpin had appeared in his palm. It was about a finger's length, and its tip was carved with a flower resembling a rose.

Lin Yin had learned from his mother days ago that Lin Ai was coming. He had been preparing this small gift for a while.

"Ah!"

The girl cried out in surprise and eagerly snatched the hairpin from Lin Yin's hand. She examined it carefully, then, delighted, tucked it beside her temple.

"Does it look good?"

Her big, sparkling eyes were full of anticipation.

Lin Yin smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, big brother!"

Her bell-like voice was especially sweet, lending a lively touch to the shop's quiet atmosphere.

"Ai Er has been coming to help at the shop these past few days. Thanks to her, I've had a lot more time to rest."

Nearby, Mother watched the siblings with a beaming smile.

Lin Ai peppered Lin Yin with questions about life at Fist Manor until he was nearly overwhelmed.

From trivial little details to the martial arts taught Inside the School, girls her age seemed curious about everything.

It wasn't until nearly the start of Shen hour that she finally left, reluctant to go.

Watching the graceful figure cover her head with a veil and run toward the Market, Lin Yin's smile slowly faded.

"Mother... Ai Er doesn't seem to be going home."

His brows furrowed slightly. The world was in chaos, and a young, beautiful girl like Lin Ai needed to be careful.

"She's going through the Market and taking the long way around. There are more people there, so it's safer," his mother explained.

Lin Yin immediately understood.

It seemed Lin Ai wasn't a naive little girl after all. Third Uncle had clearly warned her about a few things to watch out for.

Thinking of Third Uncle, Lin Yin couldn't help asking how he had been. While they were chatting earlier, he had noticed that Lin Ai always seemed a little down whenever Third Uncle came up.

Lin Yin hadn't seen Third Uncle for days, and he suspected something was going on.

"Haven't meat prices been soaring lately? Your second uncle found a connection somewhere and wants to switch to running a butcher shop.

"Maybe that's why your Third Uncle, who manages the shop's business, has been so busy he can barely catch his breath."

"A butcher shop?"

Lin Yin frowned.

But Madam Wang didn't look very worried.

"I heard he's teamed up with a group of hunters. They've got an endless supply of game."

"An endless supply of game?"

The more Lin Yin heard, the more something seemed off.

Tiger Head Mountain certainly had plenty of resources, but saying they had an endless supply was an exaggeration.

More importantly, there were troubling rumors about the mountain's depths these days. Few hunters dared to venture there. As for the outer reaches, how could they provide enough game to run a butcher shop?

Lin Yin was puzzled, but his mother showed no sign of concern, so he could only put the matter aside for now.

After helping his mother sort some of the fabric, Lin Yin hurried back to Fist Manor.

Over the next few days, aside from eating steamed buns at Fist Manor, Lin Yin returned home for an extra meal every afternoon. From time to time, he would disguise himself and hunt in the mountains. His days were both regular and pleasant.

However, that peaceful stretch didn't last long.

That night.

Bang... Bang, bang!

The rickety door of the house shook under a furious pounding.

Lin Yin jolted awake. He opened his bedroom door and saw his mother, wearing a robe, carefully carrying incense and candles toward the entrance.

"Open up! Hurry and open the door!" The shouts outside grew louder and louder.

Lin Yin frowned and motioned for his mother not to move. Then he went to the other side of the door himself.

"Tax collection! It's time to pay your taxes! You're one of the last few households—hurry up and open the door!"

Tax collection...

Through a crack in the doorframe, Lin Yin saw several Bailiffs in blue-gray tunics standing at the entrance, each holding a knife. Their faces were full of impatience.