The Old House in the Desolate Village (Please Vote)

He Shengjun wanted to kill Zhang Laifu to silence him, but Lin Shaocong refused.

"No. I have my rules!"

"Young master, I'll follow your rules, but what do we do with Zhang Laifu? He can't leave Heishakou now, and he can't stay in town either!"

"Why can't he?" Lin Shaocong thought for a moment. "Find him a job somewhere away from the Lin Family Mansion. Advance him a month's wages and provide everything he needs to eat and live. Don't let him wander the streets."

"All right. I'll do as you say, young master." He Shengjun took Lin Shaocong back to the Lin Residence first. At dusk, he escorted Zhang Laifu out of town alone.

He Shengjun cautioned him all the way. "Brother Laifu, you can't leave Heishakou for now. The bandits from Hunlong Stronghold won't let you go. If you stay here, the Lin Family can look after you and keep you alive."

"The Lin Family doesn't support idlers. Our young master wants to find you work, but nowhere in town is safe. We'll have to look somewhere more remote."

"How remote?" Zhang Laifu asked.

"More than twenty li outside town. Food and lodging included, plus ten Silver Dollars a month. What do you say?"

"What's the work?"

"Watching a house. An old country house belonging to the Lin Family."

Someone selling wontons could rise before dawn and work past dark all month and make only twelve or thirteen Silver Dollars. They would pay him ten just to watch a house?

It reminded Zhang Laifu of the twenty thousand in wages Old Song had transferred to him.

"No need to trouble yourselves over this. I can find my own work." Zhang Laifu turned to leave, but two plates suddenly slid under his feet. One slip and a skid sent him right back.

"Brother, do you really not understand, or are you playing dumb?" He Shengjun looked at Zhang Laifu. "Our young master remembered your friendship and found you work. If you won't take it, I'll have to send you somewhere nice instead."

Zhang Laifu nodded. "Fine. Let's go see the house."

He Shengjun had said it was in the countryside, so Zhang Laifu had imagined a village. But when they reached the house, he found it standing in desolate wilderness, with no other homes for several li around.

"Why did the Lin Family build a house out here?"

"Brother Laifu, some things are better left unasked. Come have a look inside." He Shengjun went ahead and pushed open the main gate.

The gate opened, but neither man hurried in. Dirt was falling from the lintel. Against the evening glow, layer upon layer of dust poured down like a waterfall.

Once most of it had fallen, they went around the screen wall and entered the front courtyard. He Shengjun introduced the place as they walked. "There's a gatekeeper's room, six servants' rooms, a kitchen, a woodshed, two storerooms, and two privies."

"There's a well in the front courtyard. The water's a little bitter, but you can boil it and drink it. It even clears internal heat. There's grain in the storeroom. I had people deliver it today, and it's all fresh rice.

"I've stored plenty of Chinese Cabbage in the cellar for you, along with some radishes. Enough to last you through winter."

"By the rules, you should stay in the gatekeeper's room. But there's no one else here, and since you're watching the house, you can look around the other courtyards too..."

As he spoke, He Shengjun stumbled. Many of the stone slabs looked sound enough on the surface, but weed roots had long since split them underneath. One step could crumble a slab to pieces.

"That's called armor-piercing ground!" He Shengjun yanked up a weed, bringing a spray of sand and stones with it. "Pull some weeds when you have time. This courtyard needs careful tending."

They passed through the ornamental gate into the main courtyard.

The weeds in the front courtyard had been deep, but they could still just about see the ground. Here, the weeds covered their ankles and were creeping toward their knees.

He Shengjun continued his tour. "The main courtyard has a principal room, two side rooms, two rooms in each of the east and west wings, and two rooms facing the principal room..."

Zhang Laifu saw a single-wheeled flatbed cart outside the principal room. A large wooden chest sat on either side of it, both covered in dust and cobwebs.

The cart was crudely shaped and built. Something like it had no business being in the main courtyard. Then he noticed that a door panel had fallen off the principal room and its frame was splintered. The cart must have crashed into the room.

"What's this cart for?"

"Never seen a water seller?" He Shengjun said. "There's a well here, but its water isn't sweet. The Lin Family is the wealthiest household in Heishakou. They certainly couldn't drink bitter water, so they bought sweet water. That's the cart used to sell it."

Sweet water simply meant water fit to drink. Many wells produced bitter water that could only be used for washing clothes or cleaning. Anyone who wanted drinking water had to buy it from a sweet-water seller. Selling water was a trade like any other.

"But this Waterwheel drove right into the house?" Zhang Laifu had never seen a water seller, but something about the scene was plainly wrong.

"Brother Laifu, how many times must I tell you? The less you ask about your employer's affairs, the better."

They followed the covered walkway, passed through an arched gate, and reached the rear courtyard. It was smaller than the main courtyard, with a pond, a swing, and a grape trellis.

Strangely enough, there were still live fish in the pond.

The house had been abandoned for so long that no one could have been feeding them. Zhang Laifu badly wanted to know what they ate.

"Back in the day, someone of your standing wouldn't have been allowed into the rear courtyard. The women of the household lived here. But there's no one else in the house now, so you can come check on it often."

After the rear courtyard, they visited the east and west side courtyards.

"The east side courtyard used to house the steward, and the west side courtyard the accountant. You can live in either one if you like. Even if you don't, you'll need to check on them regularly.

"Last time I came, a family of wild boars had settled in the west side courtyard. If our master saw that, what a disgrace it would be!"

Zhang Laifu surveyed the west side courtyard. "The boars didn't mind living here?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" He Shengjun stood in the center of the main courtyard and turned in a circle. "It's a fine house!"

Clatter!

He Shengjun had raised his voice a little, and a piece of latticework broke off the principal room's window.

The house had dozens of rooms, and not one was intact.

Some roofs leaked; some doors had fallen off. Fewer than five rooms even had all four walls intact.

At least it was better than sleeping under a bridge.

Once He Shengjun had finished his instructions, he handed over the first month's wages. "Ten Silver Dollars a month, paid before you've even started. Ask around Heishakou. Who else is as generous as our young master?"

Generous indeed. Just like Old Song.

"Brother Laifu, I'm leaving the Old House in your hands. It's time for me to go, but though you're our young master's friend, I need to make one thing clear.

"You've never learned a trade. You're not even an apprentice. By rights, we shouldn't have hired you. But now that you're here, you need to act like a worker.

"If you're watching the house, you stay at the house. I'll come by from time to time. If I find you gone, pack your things and get out."

With that settled, He Shengjun left the property and rode his two plates all the way back to town.

When he returned to the Lin Residence, Lin Shaocong asked anxiously, "Is Laifu settled? The place isn't conspicuous, is it? It's far from the Lin Family Mansion, right?"

He Shengjun nodded. "It's out of the way. I sent him to watch the Old House."

Lin Shaocong started. "Which Old House?"

"The one at Whitegrass Marsh," He Shengjun said.

Lin Shaocong's eyes went wide. "What are you thinking? That house is haunted! Did you send him there to die?"