Volume Two: An Eventful Autumn, Full of Twists and Turns. Chapter 117: Wishful Thinking, Worse Than a Beast

Upon hearing this, Yang Chengzi knew what was about to happen. He stood up and walked away, followed closely by Liu Qinghuai.

"Is it the person you were thinking of?"

Yang Chengzi did not fully grasp the meaning of Liu Qinghuai’s question. He was still thinking that he didn't know anyone in the garden, so how could he possibly know who she meant? However, before he had walked many steps, a surge of resentful, baleful energy began to coalesce within his spiritual sense. Yang Chengzi was shocked—it was Wen Liangsheng!

Wen Liangsheng must have become like this after hearing those words just now. Could it be that Ruan Yuzhu was in that room? Yang Chengzi did not continue his train of thought; he sat down cross-legged on the spot and began to silently recite the Incantation of Inner Peace.

As the incantation cycled, the sound echoed within his consciousness, and wherever it reached, the baleful energy instantly dissipated. Influenced by the incantation, Wen Liangsheng calmed down.

Sensing that Wen Liangsheng had regained his reason, Yang Chengzi stood up and shook his head.

"Let me go back and think about this. I shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter, but since you helped me, I won't handle it perfunctorily."

"Thank you, Daoist. But you don't need to help me with my affairs anymore. She won't leave, haha. I thought that if I helped them perform, they would be grateful; I thought if I helped the troupe leader make money, he would help me; I thought she and I were in love, and she... haha. In the end, everything was just my own assumption."

"Life is full of disappointments. Since you are already dead, wait for me to resolve this matter, and then go be reborn properly. I have learned of your affairs and thus become entangled in your karma; I will certainly see it through, but I need to go back and think carefully about how to handle it. You two come back with me. Don't perform tonight. Later, go tell Uncle Pan that the matter is resolved. If you perform again, you will surely give yourself away. Their retribution will come; it is just not yet time."

Both Wen Liangsheng and Liu Qinghuai agreed. Yang Chengzi went to find Uncle Pan, and after the old man thanked him repeatedly, Yang Chengzi hurried back to the inn.

The night was not yet deep. Chen San and the others were sleeping like logs, wandering in their dreams, completely unaware of where their spirits were roaming. After knocking for a long time, it was a groggy Chen Xin who opened the door.

With his mind occupied by the events at Pan Garden, Yang Chengzi tossed and turned on his bed, unable to sleep, and he did not know when he finally drifted off.

Early the next morning, everyone was up. Chen San and the others had woken up naturally, while Yang Chengzi had risen early because he had matters on his mind and wanted to discuss them with the group; perhaps the two young women might have some ideas.

When Yang Chengzi recounted the situation at Pan Garden, Chen San slammed the table and glared, looking every bit the brute.

Yang Chengzi hadn't counted on him anyway, but he wanted to hear what Chen Xin and Chang Yu thought. If they wanted to have the authorities arrest Qin Liujia, the group would need to plan carefully. After all, with the collusion between Qin Liujia and the officials, they would need to corner both sides tightly, or the matter would likely fail.

...

"What is it? What could you not say inside the house that you had to come all the way to a teahouse to talk about? Aren't you afraid of being overheard?" Qin Liujia felt baffled. He knitted his brows, took a sip of tea, and waited for Ruan Yuzhu to answer.

"Pfft, it's not like it's something shameful, why would I need to be secretive? It's just not convenient to say it in your room, so I brought you here. Besides, someone already paid for this tea."

"Someone paid? Who? Is the money burning a hole in their pocket? Oh~ are they asking you to do something for them?"

"I’ll give you that, for a fat-headed man, you're quite sharp. You caught me. Guess who paid for the tea?"

"Who? Who else do you even know? Either those people in the garden or the patrons who support you. But those patrons are powerful and wealthy—they wouldn't need my help, would they?"

"Those lords wouldn't need my help; it’s naturally someone from the garden."

"A man or a woman?"

"A man? You've got some nerve, asking you for help? Are you two going behind my back...?"

"Stop with the wild thoughts. I said you were smart, but look at you... if there were something going on, would I ask you to meet here? Do I have a death wish?"

"Hmph, you’d better know it. Don't keep me in suspense. Tell me, who wants you to ask me for something?"

"Such impatience~ you men are all the same. You want to get straight to the point without any buildup; it's so boring and devoid of charm."

"Heh heh, do those lords act that way too? Don't you like it rough?"

"Who likes it rough? That's just because you lack the finesse, and I’m merely catering to you. Let's not talk about that. To be serious, it was Uncle Pan who asked me to find you."

"Uncle Pan? Why is he looking for me? Is there some hardship at home?"

"I don't know if he has hardships, but he wants a raise. He's getting on in years and plans to return to his hometown to retire in a few years, so he's hoping to buy a few more acres of good land to live a bit more comfortably in his old age."

"A raise? Why didn't he come say it himself? It's not like it's an unspeakable request. To be honest, I don't want to give anyone in the garden a raise, but for Uncle Pan, I might consider it."

"Why? Did you finally find your conscience?"

"It's not exactly that. Look at Uncle Pan; he’s been working diligently in our garden for over ten years. Not only has his pay barely increased, but look at the work he does—isn't he the one who handles all the difficult tasks for me? With him around, I have much less to worry about. A raise is deserved."

"Oh, my~ you make it sound so noble. And here I am, laboring and toiling, doing this and that, feeling sore and aching every day to the point where I can barely walk—why haven't I seen you give me a raise?"

"What are you meddling for? Is your pay not high enough? Besides, when you're sore and aching, aren't you enjoying yourself too? I'm the one putting in all the effort and exhaustion; who am I supposed to ask for a raise?"

"Pfft, a man’s mouth is a lying devil. You promise anything when you want something, but once you're out of bed, you deny it all. Not a single man is any good." As she spoke, she pouted.

"I knew you wouldn't bring me out here for anything good. If I couldn't even guess that much, I would have wasted all these years. Here, take it—a hairpin from the Baoyu Studio. Don't say I don't think of you; who knows when you might be pining for something." Qin Liujia took out the hairpin and placed it in front of Ruan Yuzhu.

Ruan Yuzhu took the hairpin with great joy and examined it carefully.

"A hairpin from Baoyu Studio really is different. Look at this craftsmanship; it makes one look even more beautiful just wearing it~" She even tucked the hairpin into her hair to show it off.

"Mm-hmm, indeed you look more beautiful. It makes my heart flutter—I could just eat you up right now~"

"Ugh, disgusting~ always thinking of such vulgar things."

"Don't you love these vulgar things? Otherwise, why do you always put in so much effort every time?"

Qin Liujia wore a lecherous expression, winking and teasing Ruan Yuzhu.

"That's not true~ who likes these vulgar things~ annoying~"

"Speaking of which, this teahouse is really deserted today. In broad daylight, there's not a soul here. I’m afraid this pot of tea alone wouldn't even cover the waiter's wages."

"Don't you worry about it. If there were more people, I wouldn't have come. Since there’s no one, we can just sit and drink for a while. Anyway, there’s nothing going on in the garden right now; it’s better to come out, relax, and have some tea."

"It's not exactly 'nothing going on.' I don't know if that Daoist has resolved the matter in the garden." Qin Liujia drank his tea with a look of concern.

"Didn't Uncle Pan say it was all resolved? I asked him about it today, and the Daoist's own words were that everything would be peaceful from now on."

"Who knows if that's true or false? I can't see anything. If he’s just playing tricks and talking nonsense, won't I have to find someone else to sort it out?"

"If that's the case, you'd better be careful. If the people you hire find out about the business with Liu Qinghuai and Wen Liangsheng, it'll be big trouble."

"Who's to say it wouldn't be? Wen Liangsheng is easy enough to handle—he doesn't even know how he died—but Liu Qinghuai..."

"What about Liu Qinghuai? Isn't she just performing? At worst, let her keep performing."

"You don't understand. When that girl who was scared mad bumped into me, I had just come out of that room. I was off looking for rope, wasn't I? Who knew that girl would go looking for her at that exact moment? It’s a good thing she was scared mad on the spot, otherwise, it would have been a real headache."

"That girl is already mad, so what does it matter? Besides, she didn't see you, so what are you panicking about? I do have a question, though: she's been dead for over two years, why didn't she perform before? Why wait until now?"

"I've been thinking about that too. Maybe after so long, she's become a vengeful spirit? Started acting up? Or perhaps my Buddha amulet was washed away by the water?"

"A Buddha amulet? You put a Buddha amulet on her?"

"It was two lives in one, after all. Putting a Buddha amulet there gave me some peace of mind. It was something I bought for a high price; I always wore it around my neck and never took it off."

"You really are ruthless—you could even bring yourself to harm your own child."

"What choice did I have? You know how that woman at home is. Although her father doesn't hold any significant office, he relies on the support of those imperial relatives. Did I dare to let that child be born? If it had really been born, who knows what kind of trouble would have followed."

"Hmph, it's a good thing I can't conceive, or I’d be dead by your hands sooner or later. You're truly worse than a beast~"

"I couldn't bring myself to harm you~ You're much more sensible than Liu Qinghuai. If it weren't for her pestering me day and night to divorce my wife and marry her, I wouldn't have had to resort to such cruel measures."