Chapter 108 - The Story of Qiao An (1/2)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Qin Xiang returned to the tavern. When she heard the door creak open, she knew that it was Lan Zhihui and immediately sat upright.

Qin Xiang quickly walked towards the side of the bed and rejoiced, “Miss, congratulations! We can return to the square now!”

Lan Zhihui was washed with relief, but her expression did not show. She simply asked faintly, “What did he say?”

“The Young Master said the role as head of Robes Square had always been reserved for you. You can go back whenever you want, and no one else would take over this role, even if you are not around!” Qin Xiang said, deliberately emphasizing every word as she spoke.

Lan Zhihui’s lips curled into a small smile and replied, “He said that?”

“Of course. How could a slave like me lie to you?” Qin Xiang answered as she sat beside the bed, her eyes fluttering.

“If that’s the case, when will he come to pick me up?” Lan Zhihui asked casually, her fingertips smoothing over the flower prints on her quilt.

The smile on Qin Xiang’s face froze. She lowered her head and gave Lan Zhihui the stretched quilt. She laughed awkwardly and replied, “The Young Master is busy. We’ll go there by ourselves. I’ve already gone downstairs to arrange the transportation for you, and they are waiting for you now!”

Lan Zhihui’s eyes flashed and the smile on her lips faded a little. She asked, “Did you tell him that I’m sick?”

“I did…” Qin Xiang replied cautiously and continued, “Perhaps the Eldest Young Master is too busy. When he is done with his work, he’ll visit you at the square!”

By then, the smile on Lan Zhihui’s face had completely disappeared. The sense of enthusiasm she carried just moments ago had sunk rock bottom. She held onto the quilt tightly, her fingernails digging deeply into it.

“My lady, I’ll pack your things while you rest. We’ll go back together later!” Qin Xiang said as she stood up.

Lan Zhihui nodded her head and replied, “Yes, ok!”

That afternoon, Lan Zhihui arrived at Robes Square. The people there heard about her return and were happy to welcome her. However, the smiles on their faces were not what they appeared to be.

There were rumors that she had already resigned from the post, due to affairs related to the Third Young Mistress. The people also thought that she was arrogant and did not expect her to return so soon.

Of course, there were also embroidery maidens who had good relationships with Lan Zhihui. They were excited to greet and welcome her as they escorted her into the Square.

Except that when Lan Zhihui stepped into Robes Square, her mood and feelings were not quite the same as before.

At least the former peace of mind, indifference, and indisputable feelings against the world evaporated.

…

Ever since the government put up a public announcement regarding the imperial examination, Su Jiu felt that something was not right with Qiao An. He often stood in front of the cashier, seemingly anxious and uneasy. Sometimes, he would even involuntarily stop in his tracks when he saw the notice.

The next day, Su Jiu found out that Qiao An had burnt away all of the books that he usually read.

That same afternoon, the restaurant was not busy, so Su Jiu called Qiao An into the backroom.

After he sat down, Su Jiu asked him directly, “Grandpa An, what’s wrong with you?”

Startled, Qiao An smiled faintly as he replied, “Nothing’s wrong, the shop has been too busy recently, I guess I’m just a little tired!”

“That’s not true! Ever since the government posted the public announcement, you have been acting oddly.” Su Jiu said and looked him in the eye. She continued, “Grandpa An, what is there that can’t be said between the two of us?”

Qiao An held onto the teacup, lowered his head, and smiled awkwardly. “It’s nothing. It’s just that I’m feeling a bit uneasy. My father was a teacher and had always wanted to become a second-degree candidate in the provincial examination. He aspired to be part of the government officials to protect his nation but was never able to achieve his aspirations. I was influenced by him ever since I was young; wanting to score well and become an official too. Perhaps I had a bit of talent, as I came in third place in the entire Xu Province when I took the examination in my village. Everyone celebrated for me and my family was proud of me. I became confident too and decided to wait for three years to take the test in Beijing. I ended up scoring well, fulfilling my father’s wish and also achieving my ambitions!”

He thought about the past, which felt like decades ago. They seemed to have nothing to do with the imperial examination.

Su Jiu asked, “What happened after? Why did you come to Yuhu Mountain?”

“After that,” Qiao An’s expression turned dull and he continued in a low voice, “My family had some trouble and I caused the death of two people. I had to escape. I was terrified along the way and didn’t know where I was headed to. It was only when I saw you that I knew I’d arrived at Yuhu Mountain, which was in Shengjing City!”

It could be due to his innate desire to take the exam in Beijing, which led him to disconcertingly head towards the direction of Shengjing City.

Besides, Su Jiu remembered that Qiao An had mentioned about his escape after killing two people.

“Grandpa An, if you are interested in taking the imperial examination, I can help you think of a solution!” Su Jiu suggested while remaining in deep thought.

Qiao An shook his head and replied, “It is very strict to take part in this exam. Everyone from your ancestral home, your background, and your conduct will have to be investigated. Non-local students will also have to submit letters of recommendation from local officials and colleges before taking the exam. Once I register my name and they find out that I’ve taken the lives of others, they will immediately catch me and behead me! Why even participate in the examination?”

“So what if you’ve killed someone? Who hasn’t?” Su Jiu responded indifferently.

“The people we killed afterward were bandits and outlaws, so no one probed further. Naturally, nothing happened to us. But those that I killed were ordinary people, and such crimes are definitely in the records. It’s different.” Qian An said dispiritedly.

Su Jiu thought for a moment, then asked, “Grandpa An, can you tell me, in detail, why you killed them and who those people were exactly?”

Qiao An lowered his head, eyes slightly closed. His expression revealed some form of pain as if he was unwilling to be reminded of those incidents. After quite some time, he nodded his head slowly and said, “I might as well just tell you.”

Su Jiu poured him a cup of tea and replied, “Go ahead!”

Qiao An’s hands trembled slightly while grabbing the teacup. He thought for a moment, and muttered softly, “When I was about 14 or 15 years old, my father died of a sudden illness. In less than a year, my mother passed on too. My ancestors were officials, so they left us with some property. With that, my old housekeeper stayed with me and looked after me every day. When I was 21, a matchmaker came over to my house and introduced me to a lady. At that time, I only cared about studying and had no intention of falling in love. However, the old housekeeper was very keen on matchmaking me with her. After seeing the lady’s image, he agreed to the matchmaking and even gave the opposite party several betrothal gifts. At the end of the year, the lady and I got married.”

After getting married, both of us were respectful towards each other. I studied every day, while she took care of the house. She was kind and virtuous, and soon I began to develop some feelings for her. I started to treat her better and cared more for her. Soon, it was time to take the exam that was conducted in the villages. I went to Xu Province with a few of my classmates to take the exam, but we had to wait for the release of results, so we stayed there for more than a month. When I received my results and found out that I got third place, I was over the moon. I rushed back home and couldn’t wait to tell her about my good news.”

Qiao An took a deep breath and shut his eyes.

“I traveled for several hours, and when I got home, it was already midnight. I entered the house, only to see her lying in bed with a stranger. They were both undressed and they panicked at the sight of me. At that moment, it felt as if I was being stabbed with a knife, and my blood turned cold. Later, she cried as she told me that the man was her childhood friend and they had deep feelings for each other. It was only because of his poor financial background that they didn’t get together. Her family saw that we had money, so they forced her to marry me. However, after marrying me, the man still couldn’t forget her. So when I went to sit for the exam, he went over to my house to work, and they both ended up in bed instead.”

“At that moment, I was filled with absolute fury, even more so after seeing them naked in bed. In a fit of anger, I grabbed the knife on the table and bolted towards them. I slashed their heads, and only when their bodies were soaked in blood did I realize that I’d killed them!”

“The housekeeper heard the noise and was stunned when he saw what happened. He quickly packed my luggage and pushed me out of the house, asking me to hide and escape.”

“I hid at the corner of a wall in the city. Once the gates were open, I rushed inside and ran aimlessly in anxiety. That’s how I ended up at Yuhu Mountain.”

At this point, Qiao An’s voice had gradually calmed down. “Later, I also heard of what happened back home. The housekeeper had passed on two years after my escape, and my house had turned into ruins. There was no news regarding the two of them. Maybe the officials couldn’t find the murderer, so they decided to close the case.”

It was as if Su Jiu had suddenly thought of something. She frowned, her eyes moving. Suddenly she lifted her head and asked,

“Grandpa An, what is your name?”

Intellectuals often had names that were generally well-written.

Qiao An was confused by her question, but replied, “Zi Yuxiu.”

Su Jiu revealed a look of astonishment on her face. She got up abruptly and walked out swiftly.

It was Qiao An’s turn to be in shock. Watching Su Jiu’s sudden disappearance, he wrinkled his brows as he wondered what was wrong and why she left without saying anything.

Qiao An was bewildered. Nevertheless, he felt like a weight had been lifted after pouring out everything that had been buried in his chest.

Su Jiu left the restaurant and called out to Chang Huan, “Get into the carriage quickly, let’s get out of town!”

Both of them sat on the shaft. Chang Huan asked, “Boss, where are we going?”

“Out of town, to Yuhu Mountain!”

“That’s great!”

Chang Huan whipped the horse, and both of them took off towards the city gates.

By the time they left the town, the sun was almost setting. However, they did not stop. They stayed up and continued their journey the entire night until the next morning, where they stopped at a small noodle shop in Jing Province. It was also where Su Jiu and Ji Yuxian had eaten previously.

It was dawn.

The man in the noodle shop had just started their business. There was a long scar that created a division on his handsome face. This gave him a sense of brutality and frightfulness.

“You all are so early!” The man yawned and welcomed both Su Jiu and Chang Huan into his shop. He laughed and said, “The stove is not heated yet, so you’ll have to wait for a while for your orders to be ready!”

After he spoke, he called out into the backyard, “My wife, we have customers!”

“Coming, coming!” A woman replied as she lifted her hands to shove her hair away from her forehead. She grinned as she trotted out, smiling warmly and said, “Good morning to the both of you!”

As she spoke, she took a cloth and cleaned the front table and chair.

Su Jiu glanced at the couple and decided to go straight to the point to ask, “Do the both of you know who Qiao An is?”

At that instant, the couple’s expressions changed. They looked at Su Jiu in astonishment.

Suddenly, they heard a cold sneer that came from the backyard. An old lady, whom Su Jiu had previously met before, staggered out from the back door and emerged behind the curtains. Her lips trembled slightly as she cried out, “It’s karma! God has eyes, and Yu Xiu had finally found someone to take revenge!”

She looked at Su Jiu agitatedly and pointed to the couple. Her voice trembled as she continued, “It was them who committed adultery. Kill them and seek justice for Yu Xiu! It has been eight years, and it’s time for them to receive the punishment they deserve!”

“Mother!” The lady cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Su Jiu let out a sigh. She was right!

Chang Huan, on the other hand, was confused by the situation. She tucked Su Jiu’s sleeves and whispered, “Boss, who is Yu Xiu?”

Su Jiu turned her head and replied, “It’s Grandpa An!”

Chang Huan widened his eyes dramatically as if he understood the situation.

The old lady fell into the chair and wept bitterly, while the other woman knelt on the ground as tears fell from her cheeks incessantly. The man stood at the side, looking green, and spoke in dismay, “What we had done to Qiao An was wrong. If both of you are here to seek his revenge, you may do whatever you want with us. Just leave our kid alone! She’s innocent, so please spare her life!”

At that moment, a young girl of about five to six years old wandered out, rubbing her eyes. It seemed that she was awakened by the wailing sounds. She asked in a soft voice, “Dad, Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

The old lady wiped her tears and asked Su Jiu, “Are you Yuxiu’s friend? Where has he been all these years? Is he still alive? How has he been?”

Su Jiu nodded and replied, “The reason why I’m here is that I wanted to take all of you to visit him! If you are willing to show him your repentance, come with me!”

The few of them were startled. The old lady asked frantically, “Yu Xiu is still alive? Where is he?”

All these years, there had been no news of him. They thought Qiao An was already dead.

“Yes, he is still alive. He is in Shengjing City. Are you all willing to visit him?” Su Jiu asked.

The couple looked at each other, startled. They thought for a moment and nodded their heads slowly. “Ok, we’ll have to trouble you to take us there. We’ll agree to how you want us to repay him!”

The old lady got up slowly and added, “What you have said is fair. As long as Yu Xiu forgives you all, I will forgive you too!”

There was a spark of joy in the woman’s eyes as she said, “Is what you say true?”

“It is! Pack your things and lock the doors. I’ll go with you all!” The old lady said to the couple. She looked at Su Jiu and continued, “We’ll have to trouble you to bring our family there.”

“Ok!” Su Jiu nodded her head steadily.

There was nothing much to pack. They only brought some food and a thick mattress for the old lady as they were afraid that she could not tolerate the bumps on the road. The couple helped her onto the carriage and later boarded with their daughter as well.

Su Jiu and Chang Huan rushed into the carriage. They headed towards Shengjing City once again, despite not having taken their breakfast.

The horse galloped at a high speed and by the time they arrived at Shengjing, it was already dark. The city gates were closing soon, but Chang Huan forcefully whipped the horse, causing it to increase in speed, and they eventually managed to enter the city.

Throughout the entire journey, the family was very silent in the carriage. Their daughter would sometimes ask where they were headed out of curiosity, but her mother would always only give short and vague replies.

As they entered the city, they sat down with their heads lowered, feeling increasingly anxious.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the restaurant and by then, the sky had turned completely dark. Su Jiu opened the carriage door and held onto the old lady as she alighted. Su Jiu led the family into the restaurant.

The woman looked up earnestly at the extravagant restaurant. She began to panic as she tightly held onto her daughter’s hands while following Su Jiu from behind.

It was dinner time, and the hall was filled with clamoring people.

One of Su Jiu’s friends saw her and quickly greeted her, “Master, you are here!”

“Where’s Grandpa An?” Su Jiu asked as she scanned the empty chairs behind the cashier.

The shop clerk glanced at his surroundings and replied as he scratched his head, “He was just here moments ago. Perhaps he had already gone upstairs!”

“Will do, you can go ahead to do whatever you have to!”

The dining hall was noisy and crowded. It was certainly not a suitable place for them to talk. Su Jiu let Chang Huan find Grandpa An, while she brought the rest into a room behind the cashier.

The old lady, the couple, and their child sat on the chairs and waited anxiously for Grandpa An’s arrival.

The old lady seemed much calmer as compared to before. She looked around and laughed. “Is Yu Xiu staying here? Working here?”

Su Jiu ordered her servants to prepare some tea and snacks for the guests, and replied, “Grandpa An is the shopkeeper!”

The few of them were a little astounded. They did not expect Qiao An to own such a large restaurant in Shengjing City.

The old lady wiped her tears and said, “Good, that’s good! Yu Xiu can the stand out wherever he is. He was also popular in the past. If it weren’t for that incident, he could have been an official now!”

As she spoke, she started wailing again.

The woman sat next to her husband, fingers twisting the corners of her burlap linen, her head lowered in silence.

Soon, they could hear footsteps coming from outside. The door squeaked open, only to see Qiao An entering the room in a light grey robe, looking prim, proper, and genteel.

He noticed so many people around and was slightly startled. He glanced at Su Jiu and exclaimed, “Chief, you’re finally back!”

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the room abruptly looked up. The old woman quivered as she stood up, and said excitedly, “Yu Xiu, do you still recognize me, your mother?”

After the two of them got married, although Qiao An had no parents, he was filial to his parents-in-law. When the old lady got treated poorly by his son, Qiao An would bring her back home and take good care of her. She had always treated him as his biological son. So when the incident happened, she was the angriest.

The couple also stood up, eyes welled with tears, as they looked at Qiao An with guilt and shock.

Qiao An was rooted to the ground, completely dumbfounded.

He always thought that they were dead, and after eight years, they finally met!

Eight years later, the woman was no longer a flower-like jade. The hair on her temples had turned white. Her face was yellow and there were wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. Her appearance was full of traces of deterioration and vicissitudes. The man seated next to her was also no longer a handsome and charming young man. The long scar on his face was like a long and deep gully, clearly revealing the difference of eight years then and now.

They gradually knelt before Qiao An and pleaded, “Yu Xiu, we were wrong. Today, we are finally here to beg you for forgiveness!”

As they continued, the woman was already weeping and her words were inaudible.

When Qiao An and the woman became a married couple, Qiao An treated her well, and she always remembered that. She believed that she had been in a state of confusion to have done something so wrong to him. All these years, there was not a moment that she felt at ease, and finally, she could personally meet Qiao An to kneel in front of him and beg for forgiveness.

Qiao An was horrified. He staggered backward and said dumbly, “You… you all are not dead?”

The old lady wept and responded, “They deserve to die, but God let them live so that they can repay their debt to you!”

The woman shook her head and choked as she said, “That night, Yun Lang and I were just unconscious after getting stabbed. The old housekeeper also thought that we were dead. He sat outside the door the entire night and immediately called the servants to buy coffins the next morning. By the time the coffins were bought, I was already awake. The housekeeper saw that I was not dead, so he quickly called the doctor. In the end, both Yun Lang and I survived!”

After all, Qiao An was an intellectual. He did not have much strength when he was young. At that moment, he was both angry and confused and was utterly mortified after stabbing them and seeing the blood.

In actual fact, their wounds were not deep. The woman got stabbed in the shoulder, while the man suffered a little more as his face got wounded.

“After saving both Yun Lang and me, the housekeeper sent men to look for you, but you were not able to be found ever again.”

The woman stopped at this point and did not continue further.

How could she?

Tell him that she got together with her childhood friend Yun Lang and got married to him? And because they were disapproved of by the villagers, they left their hometown, wandered around and finally settled down at Yuhu Mountain?

How was she supposed to say all these to him?

But she did not have to speak. Qiao An looked at the state of both of them, as well as the little girl who, at that point, was so afraid that she had cowered in the embrace of the old lady. He was able to predict what happened after that.

Qiao An was overwhelmed with emotions. He simply did not know what to say.

At that time, he thought that the woman betrayed him, causing him to escape from his hometown to save his own life. He later turned into an outlaw and became a mountain bandit for eight years. All these years, he had always thought that he killed them, so his hatred towards them had gradually faded away.