Chapter 17: Home-style Tofu (Part 17)
Xu Qing stared blankly at Leng Yue for a long while, almost boring a hole through her with his gaze, before stammering, "You... you're that... that..."
A faint smile curled at the corner of Leng Yue's lips, her heroic aura undiminished. "No 'this' or 'that' about it. I'm the only woman in the dynasty who works as an official."
Zhang Lao Wu's mouth hung slightly open as he looked Leng Yue up and down with skepticism. This delicate young woman who blushed whenever she got close to Jing Yi didn't seem at all like the person described in street gossip...
Yet she had just identified the origin of his injuries with a single glance, realigned his dislocated bones in the blink of an eye, and carried that Ministry of Justice token...
For an ordinary young woman, any one of these would be remarkable enough. Who could possibly possess all these skills?
Leng Yue casually returned the token to Jing Yi's chest, calmly retrieved her sword from the stone table, and said to Zhang Lao Wu, whose expression had grown complicated, "Master Zhang, feel free to speak openly about who did this. Even if you don't know them, just give me a general description, and I'll have them behind bars before nightfall."
Zhang Lao Wu stared blankly for a moment, his thin lips trembling slightly. He ultimately forced a joyless smile and shook his head. "It's... it's nothing... just neighbors quarreling. I dare not trouble Constable Leng... It's my grandson's matter that..."
His voice choked off, unable to continue. He lowered his head and heaved a deep sigh.
Xu Qing gritted his teeth and patted Zhang Lao Wu's arm. "Master, at a time like this, don't worry about the money... One thing or another, it's all about money. However much you need, I'll pay. Don't concern yourself with it!"
Before Leng Yue could process these words, Xu Qing said something even more confusing.
"Madam... no, Constable Sir... no, Constable's Lady... that's not right either..." Xu Qing's face flushed red with frustration as he scratched his head. "I'm not good with words, please don't laugh at me... I just want to say that Chong'er's matter is my fault. If I had asked him earlier and stopped him, he wouldn't have done something that could cost him his head... My master's injuries are my fault too. If I had walked faster yesterday, my master wouldn't have suffered this... So everything is my fault. I beg you to take extra care. However much money it costs, put it all on me. I won't short you a single coin!"
Zhang Lao Wu's voice trembled uncontrollably. "Xu Qing... this has nothing to do with you..."
Leng Yue stared blankly at Jing Yi, who was quietly watching her with a wry, helpless smile at the corner of his mouth. The complexity in his gaze went beyond Leng Yue's comprehension.
Jing Yi clearly understood something, but she remained utterly confused.
"...What money?"
Xu Qing was taken aback by the question, still figuring out how to respond, when Jing Yi gave Leng Yue's hand hanging at her side a gentle but firm squeeze.
The familiar yet unfamiliar sensation instantly traveled from her palm throughout her entire body. Leng Yue's heart suddenly fluttered into chaos, her mind as if someone had unexpectedly set it ablaze. In that unprepared moment, all thoughts of money were burned to ashes and vanished like smoke.
This is going to be the death of me...Before Leng Yue could exert any effort to break free, Jing Yi had already subtly released her hand and casually patted Xu Qing’s shoulder, saying amiably, "We can discuss the money matter another day. For now, just answer whatever questions you’re asked."
Xu Qing and Zhang Lao Wu immediately relaxed as if Jing Yi had fed them a bottle of calming pills. Xu Qing responded with full confidence, "Ask away, I’ll answer!"
Jing Yi nodded gently, "Good, then I’ll start with a question."
Xu Qing straightened his back and focused intently, "Go ahead."
"Where’s the water?"
"...Water?"
Jing Yi frowned slightly, rubbing his chest, "The tofu pudding at Qingxiang Lou was too salty. I’m so thirsty..."
"..."
While Xu Qing, his face stiff and dark, went inside to fetch water, Jing Yi quietly asked Zhang Lao Wu, "Were the people from yesterday the same ones from three years ago?"
Zhang Lao Wu froze, shaking his head repeatedly, "No, no... no, they weren’t."
Jing Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, leaning forward with a gentle smile. Though he wore only an elegant white robe, an undeniable air of official authority emanated from him, making Zhang Lao Wu inexplicably nervous.
Jing Yi asked softly again, "Why are you so sure?"
"They... they spoke differently."
"How so?"
"Yesterday... yesterday, those men..." Zhang Lao Wu swallowed hard before continuing, "They stopped me and asked where my grandson was. I said I didn’t know, so they beat me, insisting I hand over Chong’er, saying he owed them something and they’d dig him out even if he hid underground... Luckily, Xu Qing happened to pass by, otherwise... ah!"
Just as Zhang Lao Wu finished speaking, Xu Qing emerged from the house carrying a teapot in one hand and two bowls in the other, fuming, "Those bastards recognized me! They were afraid I’d identify them, so they turned and ran. Running won’t help—I’d know them even if they were burned to ashes!"
Leng Yue’s lips curled into a humorless smile, her sword trembling faintly, "They’re from the residence of Minister Qin Qian, the Director of the Department of State Affairs, right?"
Xu Qing was so stunned he nearly dropped the teapot. Jing Yi swiftly took the teapot and bowls, poured a bowl of tea for Zhang Lao Wu, handed another to Leng Yue, then picked up the black porcelain bowl Zhang Lao Wu had carefully examined earlier, filled it halfway, and passed it to Xu Qing. Finally, he glanced at the blue-and-white porcelain basin, hesitated for a moment, and ended up squatting under the locust tree, contentedly drinking directly from the teapot.
As long as it had nothing to do with the incident three years ago, his wife alone was more than enough to handle it.
Xu Qing stood dumbfounded, clutching the porcelain bowl Jing Yi had just called a treasure, staring at Leng Yue as if she were a ghost as she took a delicate sip with her slender neck bowed. "How... how did you know?"
Leng Yue moistened her throat, wiping the water from her lips before replying, "You recognized them because you’ve delivered ceramics to the Qin residence. When you did, they treated you poorly, didn’t they?"
Xu Qing’s jaw dropped wide enough to fit an egg. Too shocked to speak, he could only nod repeatedly.
Leng Yue snorted coldly, "I knew it. Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the offspring of rats know how to dig holes."
Jing Yi couldn’t hold back, spitting out a mouthful of water all over the ground.Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing might not fully grasp the implications, but Jing Yi understood perfectly well. Who was Qin Qian, the Second Rank Minister of the Department of State Affairs? None other than Xiao Yunde’s father-in-law, Qin Hehuan’s biological father—and currently the official in court who wielded his position with the utmost authority.
When his wife held a grudge, it truly was…
Tsk, tsk. Far more entertaining than listening to storytelling in a teahouse.
Jing Yi picked up the teapot and took a sip of the tea, which tasted as bland as boiled leaves, with keen interest.
Both Zhang Lao Wu and Xu Qing were stunned, paying no attention to Jing Yi. Their focus was entirely on the female constable rumored to be both godlike and ghostly.
The rumors… didn’t seem entirely unfounded.
Under the gaze of the three men, Leng Yue gulped down most of a bowl of tea, set the bowl down, wiped her mouth, and then turned her eyes to Xu Qing. "I heard from Master Zhang that on the day Zhang Chong was guarding the kiln for you, he kept cursing and swearing about wanting to kill someone."
Xu Qing nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes… I kept asking him what was going on, but he wouldn’t tell me. He just said to wait and see, and muttered something about heaven having eyes… It’s my fault. At the time, I thought he was just quarreling with someone again. If I had pressed him further, maybe this wouldn’t have happened… Now, we can’t find him alive, and we can’t even find his body…"
Xu Qing’s voice grew softer as he spoke, and by the end, he was biting his lip and lowering his head.
"Aside from cursing, did he have anything unusual on him that day?"
Xu Qing froze for a moment, then shook his head.
"Think again. Did he have a pouch or a money bag?"
Xu Qing still looked puzzled, but Zhang Lao Wu, who had been silently wiping away tears with his head bowed, suddenly looked up. "Yes… there was a money bag!"
Xu Qing furrowed his brow. "Master, what money bag?"
Zhang Lao Wu braced his hands on the table as if to stand up. "Ah, it was in that bundle he asked you to bring home that night. It was hidden inside, a satin one…"
Xu Qing was still confused but pressed Zhang Lao Wu’s shoulder gently. "Master, sit down. I’ll go get it."
Xu Qing hurried into the house and returned with a coarse cloth bundle.
"Master… aren’t these just the clothes Chong brought home to wash? Where’s the money bag?"
"It’s there, it’s there… inside the clothes!"
Xu Qing spread the bundle open on the stone table and rummaged through the pile of dirty clothes. Sure enough, he pulled out a bright green satin money bag.
"Yes… yes!" Zhang Lao Wu took the money bag, his hands trembling as he handed it to Leng Yue. "This is it. This isn’t Chong’s. I don’t know where he got it… Constable Leng, is this useful? With this, can we find him now?"
Leng Yue’s heart ached under Zhang Lao Wu’s hopeful gaze. She took the money bag, glanced at Jing Yi, who was squatting under the locust tree, holding the teapot and frowning slightly.
Clenching her teeth secretly, Leng Yue tightened her grip on the smooth, bulging money bag.
"Yes… Just give me two more days."
Zhang Lao Wu’s spirits lifted instantly. Wiping away tears, he laughed excitedly. "Alright… alright! Take your time, take your time…"
Xu Qing also grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "As long as we can find him, that’s all that matters!"
Leng Yue felt as if a lump of cotton were stuck in her throat. For a moment, she stood there, unable to speak.Jing Yi rose silently, set down the teapot, moved close to Leng Yue, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder from behind. "Let's go. While it's still early, we should find someone."
Xu Qing hurriedly said, "I'll see you out!"
Before Jing Yi could respond, Leng Yue had already grabbed his arm and strode out of the courtyard gate.
At a turn in the alley, Leng Yue halted abruptly, pushed Jing Yi into the corner, wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder.
She was upset—Jing Yi knew that.
He also knew why she was upset.
So he remained silent and still, letting her cling to him like a stubborn plaster.
After a long moment, he heard Leng Yue murmur bitterly.
"What the hell kind of world is this..."
Jing Yi smiled wryly to himself. He had pondered this question long ago, but it wasn't something that could be answered in just a few words.
He sighed softly. "I feel the same... You can tell just from the tokens in your Ministry of Justice—it's truly a sign of moral decline and corrupted hearts."
Leng Yue looked up in surprise, releasing her hold on Jing Yi's neck. "What's wrong with the Ministry of Justice tokens?Jing Yi pulled out Leng Yue's slender black lacquered token engraved with the character "Justice" from his robe. He flipped it over and handed it to her, his gaze filled with unmistakable tenderness. "The token of the Chief Arrest Officer of the Ministry of Justice actually has a horseshoe carved on it. Could it be that the Ministry is really as hard-pressed as the rumors say—officials being used as constables, and constables being worked like livestock?"
Leng Yue's eyes shifted between Jing Yi's gentle, handsome face and the token in his hand. Blushing slightly, she took the token and tucked it into her sleeve, saying lightly, "That's all nonsense. There's no such thing."
Jing Yi sighed again, his voice softening even further, melting Leng Yue's heart.
"You're my wife. Why put on a strong front with me?"
"I'm not..." Leng Yue took half a step back before she completely melted. "This isn't my token."
The pity in Jing Yi's eyes deepened. "I found this in your clothes. If it's not yours, then whose is it?"
Leng Yue sighed inwardly and clenched her teeth.
Since Jing Yi had pressed the matter this far, she had no choice but to be honest...
"It belongs to my horse."
"...Your horse?"
"This is the pass token for my horse to enter and leave the Ministry of Justice stables... You took the wrong one."
"..."
Now it was Leng Yue's turn to gaze at Jing Yi with heartfelt sympathy, her eyes full of tenderness as she gently ruffled his hair. "It doesn't matter. They look almost the same anyway... We'll need to use it again later. Just play along and don't let it slip."
"...Use it again?"
Leng Yue waved the emerald green satin coin purse. "We're going to smoke out the rats. Are you coming or not?"
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