The Secret Room

Peach Blossom cast a pleading glance at Lin Fei. She didn't dare agree on her own, after all, the fine food and clothing she enjoyed now were all thanks to him.

"This is a debt of gratitude my family owes. I shouldn't have to ask you to repay it, but I..."

Peach Blossom didn't continue, afraid she might say the wrong thing and make Lin Fei despise her.

The ideas of Nanhuali were the same as those of ancient feudal society: men were superior to women.

In a household, the man held the highest status.

Especially in a wealthy family, the master of the house had the final say.

Whether wife or concubine, they had to show their husband respect.

If they displeased him, a wife could be cast out, and a concubine could be sold.

Although Lin Fei was a kind man, he wasn't fond of meddling in other people's affairs.

When he had helped Peach Blossom, first, he'd seen her selling herself to bury her father and had genuinely pitied her, moved by compassion.

Second, he hadn't wanted to see her abused by a butcher and have her life ruined.

But Xinghua's family was different.

Xinghua's father was a hopeless gambler. People like him wouldn't change unless they lost everything, leaving their families ruined and broken.

Helping someone like that could very well bring trouble down on Lin Fei in the end.

But Lin Fei and Peach Blossom had already become husband and wife in every way, and they would spend the rest of their lives together.

As the saying went, one day as husband and wife meant a hundred days of affection.

No matter what, Lin Fei had to give Peach Blossom some face.

"For Peach Blossom's sake, I can help you. But let me make this clear: I'll only help this once."

"Thank you! Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Xinghua thanked him again and again, as if she'd seized a lifeline.

Peach Blossom was grateful too. She stepped forward and hugged Lin Fei's arm.

Lin Fei thought for a moment, then said, "I'll give you two choices. First, I can give you a sum of money. You can use it to start a small business and support your family. That should be enough."

"The second choice is that I have a house in South City, where your family can work. The pay will be the same as any servant's. From now on, your whole family will have food and clothing, and you'll be able to save some money."

When Xinghua's father heard that Lin Fei was going to give them money, his eyes lit up.

"Thank you, sir..."

But before he could finish, Xinghua made the decision for them.

"Brother-in-law, we choose the second option. If you give us money, sooner or later my father will lose it all gambling, and our lives will go right back to the way they are now."

"Working at a large residence might be hard and tiring, but at least we'll always have enough to eat and drink, and a roof over our heads."

Lin Fei couldn't help nodding. He took another look at the young girl, Xinghua.

She was clever. She knew the difference between one full meal and having enough to eat every day.

Perhaps she'd suffered enough fear and anxiety, and no longer wanted to live with people showing up to demand debts, never knowing when she might be sold.

"Fine. Then get your things together. We'll head over now."

Xinghua's family lived in Peach Blossom's house. It was already bare, and her father was such a hopeless gambler that he'd long since gambled away everything they owned.

The only things in the house worth packing were a tattered mat and two threadbare quilts.

But when they left, Xinghua told her parents not to take anything.

That made Lin Fei a little wary.

As the saying went, even a ruined home was worth a fortune. No matter how worthless the things in the house were, they were still their own.

Keeping them could still preserve a memory.

Lin Fei had agreed to help, but they hadn't yet settled into a stable life. Throwing away everything they owned already seemed a little too clever.

Or perhaps it showed a certain lack of feeling.

The haunted house had lain abandoned for many years. After some time spent cleaning and renovating it, it had been completely transformed.

Seeing the grand residence, Xinghua couldn't help crying out.

"Wow... What a magnificent house!"

This was Peach Blossom's first time here too. She was just as astonished to see such a large residence.

The main gate was over ten meters wide, enough for three or four carriages to enter side by side.

Compared with the little house in East City, this place was far more impressive.

The gates swung open, revealing twenty guards standing on either side, each holding a long staff. They looked imposing.

"Greetings, Master of the House!"

This scene made the inexperienced girls, Peach Blossom and Xinghua, even more nervous.

Peach Blossom clutched Lin Fei's arm, tense.

Lin Fei smiled and patted her hand, then asked, "Where's Steward Bai?"

One of the guards replied, "Reporting to the master, Steward Bai is inspecting the land being cleared behind the mountain. I'll go inform him right away."

Lin Fei and the others went to the front reception hall. The maids promptly brought tea and pastries.

Xinghua's family didn't know whether to sit or stand.

After quite a while, Bai Yansong finally hurried over, out of breath.

"Master, you're back."

"Steward Bai, these three are people I've brought with me. Find them a place to stay for now. As for what they'll do from now on, you can arrange it."

Bai Yansong glanced at the three members of Xinghua's family and nodded.

"Yes, master. I'll make the arrangements shortly."

"There's also an important matter I'd like to report to you, master."

Bai Yansong looked up at Lin Fei, his expression serious.

He glanced at Peach Blossom, Xinghua, and the others, then hesitated, seeming to feel that it wasn't appropriate to speak in front of outsiders.

"Master, could I speak with you in private?"

Bai Yansong walked up beside Lin Fei and leaned close to his ear to whisper a few words.

When Lin Fei heard him, surprise showed on his face.

"A secret room?"

Bai Yansong had just told him that while a maid was cleaning, she'd accidentally opened a hidden secret room.

Lin Fei's interest was immediately piqued.

The former owner of this grand residence had been a wealthy merchant. Who knew how much gold and silver he might have hidden in the secret room he'd built?

"Peach Blossom, I have something to take care of. Stay here and rest for now."

"Steward Bai, lead the way!"

Bai Yansong led Lin Fei through the corridors and courtyards to a room in the rear courtyard.

Four guards stood outside the room.

"Master, the secret room is inside."

"After the maid discovered it and reported it, I ordered my men to guard this place. No one was allowed inside. I've been waiting for you to come."

Lin Fei patted Bai Yansong on the shoulder. The old man was not only sharp but also knew how to follow the rules.

"Come on, let's go in and take a look!"

Lin Fei went inside with Bai Yansong. The room had been cleaned and was completely empty except for rows of bookshelves.

"Where's the secret room?"

"Please wait a moment, master."

Bai Yansong walked to the bookshelf at the very back and gave it a hard push. The wall behind it actually moved.

The bookshelf swung around like a revolving door, revealing a dark space inside.

"This used to be a study where all kinds of books were kept. The bookshelves had been left behind. While cleaning, a maid found that this shelf wouldn't budge."

"Then a few maids pushed it together, and accidentally discovered the entrance to this secret room."

Lin Fei stared into the dark secret room. A chill wind seemed to blow out from within, making him shiver.

"Could there be hidden mechanisms or crossbow bolts in there?"