Overnight Stay

"Husband, if you want to thank Master Jing and the others, there's no rush. You can write them after you're better. The doctor said you need to rest in bed." Madam Wen urged, keeping her husband still, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

When Magistrate Wen heard what his wife said, he was speechless. He had always kept Master Su's identity secret, not even telling his family. How come that guy suddenly came to visit him? He was flattered, but also a little nervous.

"Do you know who shot you, Mr. Wen?" Su Chenyu asked.

"Master Su, I didn't see his face. All I saw was a man dressed in black from head to toe. His whole face was covered, I couldn't tell what he looked like at all. But I do know he was taller and more muscular than most grown men. He was also very fast—disappeared in just a few breaths of time." Wen Zhifu said, his voice heavy with recollection.

Wen Yuan spoke with deep resentment: "This definitely has something to do with the Feng family. But without proof, there's nothing we can do to get revenge."

"We have to get to the bottom of this." Su Chenyu said firmly: "As the appointed governor of the city, Magistrate Wen is a trusted official of the fourth rank. Who would be so bold as to try and harm him? This is clearly a direct challenge to the government. The Feng family must be investigated immediately."

Wen Yuan sighed: "But we have no leads at all. Where should we even start?"

Su Chenyu glanced at Jing Chen: "Leave it to us."

Magistrate Wen expressed his gratitude: "We're deeply thankful for Master Su's help. We still have no clues, so it's not clear where to begin."

"Let's start with the Feng family." Su Chenyu suggested: "Since their marriage proposal was rejected, they might be out for revenge."

"So you're saying we need to visit Xuanyang Town?" Wen Yuan asked.

Su Chenyu flicked his folding fan: "What do you think, cousin? I have nothing else to do, so a trip wouldn't bother me."

Jing Chen was quick to agree: "Let's go!"

Wen Yuan declared: "I'll accompany you both!"

Su Chenyu nodded his consent without hesitation.

Magistrate Wen, unable to rise from bed to express his gratitude, remained lying down and said with genuine appreciation: "Many thanks, Master Jing and Master Su."

"You don't need to thank me, Mr. Wen." Su Chenyu said: "You're a good official, and I'm glad you're recovering from that injury."

"It's time for us to leave now." Qibao interjected: "I think Uncle Wen has talked enough. It's not good for his rest."

Everyone nodded and left the room.

"Cousin, when do we plan to depart?" Su Chenyu asked.

"Whenever you're ready." Jing Chen replied: "It's still a two or three-day journey to Xuanyang Town."

"Perfect. Let's eat first—the trip will be a bit long and my stomach's empty." Su Chenyu said, patting his belly.

After they finished their meal, everyone got ready to set out. Madam Wen and Wen Die saw them off at the door.

"Stay safe on your journey!" Madam Wen said.

Everyone nodded in response.

Wen Die gazed at Xu Wenwu, reluctant to part. He nodded gently and whispered: "Don't worry, we'll be back soon."

Since they could all ride horses, they decided to continue their journey on horseback. However, they weren't in a hurry and rode more leisurely than the day before.

In the afternoon, they stopped at a roadside inn to fill their bellies before pressing on.

They found an inn for the night, and their first day wasn't too hard.

They rode until the evening of the third day, stopping in an open area about ten kilometers from Xuanyang Town.

"There's no way we'll get into the Town now." Su Chenyu said: "There are no inns here. Will we have to spend the night outside?"

Wen Yuan pointed to a village nearby: "Look, there's a village. Let's find someone there to put us up for the night."

Xu Wenwu nodded: "That's our only option."

When they entered the village, they found it very quiet. They could see candlelight flickering through some of the windows.

Su Chenyu knocked on the door of one house.

A woman's hoarse voice suddenly came from inside...

"Get lost! Even if I die, I won't let you in! Even if my whole family burns to death here, I won't let you take my daughter!"

Su Chenyu and the others were stunned, unsure what was going on.

Su Chenyu called out: "Auntie, you've got the wrong idea. We're travelers from out of town. It's dark and the city gates are locked, so we just want to stay with you for the night."

Silence at first. Then, a small square section of the wooden door swung open from inside, revealing a face watching them.

Su Chenyu jumped back in surprise.

The woman let out a sigh of relief and said: "You'd better leave! I may have trouble tonight, and I can't let you stay."

Su Chenyu could tell that this family was certainly having problems from the woman's yelling earlier.

So he asked: "Auntie, can you tell me what happened at your place?"

The woman's bloodshot eyes stared at Su Chenyu for a moment before two tears rolled down her cheeks: "Young master, you shouldn't listen." She said: "After tonight, my whole family might not be around anymore." With that, she closed the wooden panel and went back inside.

Everyone exchanged glances, unsure what had happened.

Wen Yuan suggested: "Let's try another house."

Su Chenyu nodded, and they moved to a neighboring house with a walled yard. He knocked on the door.

From the low courtyard wall, they could see a middle-aged woman holding a candle in the yard.

She heard us knock and opened the door without hesitation.

"Come in! I heard your conversation with the neighbor already. Our place is simple, but I hope you won't mind."

Su Chenyu said: "Thank you for taking us in, Auntie. We won't stay for free, we'll pay you."

As they entered, it was clear this family wasn't doing well either. The group felt awkward asking for food, since they were already somewhat hungry.

The woman said: "Alright! You decide how much to give. I can tell from your clothes that your family must be rich, so I'll accept it. But if poor people came to borrow a place to stay, I wouldn't ask for silver."

Su Chenyu said: "You're right, Auntie. Thank you for your help."

The woman said: "It's just me at home. My husband and son are in town and won't be back tonight. There are two rooms. Miss, you can have one, and the rest of you can squeeze into the other. I'll even change the blankets for you."

They nodded and thanked her.

The woman said: "You probably haven't eaten yet, right? If you don't mind, I'll cook some rice porridge to fill your stomachs. It'll be good with my pickles."

Su Chenyu said: "We're really bothering you, Auntie. But don't worry, we'll pay for the food."

The woman nodded and got busy. They watched as she opened a small cloth bag filled with white rice, careful not to spill even a grain.

"Auntie, what's been going on next door?" Su Chenyu asked, puzzled.

The woman sighed: "It's just bad luck. Listen, if a girl in our village is even a little pretty, why do the bad guys always target her? No one has the guts to stand up for them! We can't risk making powerful people angry. The hardest hit are us poor folks with no money or influence!"