Chapter 4

Lin Fangzhou howled for a while longer, and finally collapsed weakly onto the ground, her expression despondent. She murmured, "It was I who caused his death, it was I who caused his death..."

Chen the butcher's expression softened, "I am not forcing you to pay; it is just that you should not mock me."

Lin Fangzhou suddenly sneered: "It seems that you cannot be kept any longer"

A sudden cool sensation of a foreign object appeared on her face. Lin Fangzhou withdrew her gaze and saw the child squatting in front of her, raising his hand to wipe her tears. His hand was very cool and soft, small in size, moving slowly, stubbornly wiping her face again and again.

Lin Fangzhou sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, looking at him, and suddenly said: "I know who you are now"

He still did not speak, gently raising his hand, softly reaching into the oiled paper bag, and took another steamed bun.

What is the need for an autopsy? Is it not clear that Wei Guai Zi committed suicide?

Three for one

Lin Fangzhou originally intended to perform a ritual for Wei Guizi, as his life had already been lost; making him her son was not a significant matter. However, upon further reflection, she realized that if her actions were too conspicuous and someone noticed, her own life would also be at risk.

Upon returning home, a steamed bun had just been finished. Originally in a good mood, Lin Fangzhou's expression immediately darkened upon seeing the little fool sitting by the bed

"Dalang, this is a small business of mine, I hope you can understand."

Lin Fangzhou suddenly felt bored, and tossed the steamed bun into his arms: "This is for you."

The vendor happily wrapped up the other three steamed buns and handed her both oil paper packages. Lin Fangzhou, holding a full embrace of lamb buns, was unexpectedly filled with a warm sense of happiness. As she passed by the old woman selling pancakes, she noticed the woman looking at her eagerly, and without hesitation, she took out a coin and slapped it down, saying: "Pay back!"

Two hundred it is then. It is just the beginning of summer now, winter is still far off, she can take her time to redeem it back.

He was captured by her like a puppet, yet his expression showed not the slightest change. His pitch-black eyes were silent and clean, as if it were a windless night

She was filled with shock, fear, and anger, with veins bulging on her forehead, and her two eyes shining brightly as if they were about to devour someone

The death of Wei Guazi has made her somewhat paranoid.

Although Chen the butcher appears fierce and intimidating, he is actually very public-spirited and righteous in his daily life. When such matters arise, it is usually he who takes the lead.

He did not give him any response, merely burying himself in eating the steamed bun

"Why are you still alive?" she said

Chen the butcher was stunned by the sight of the money, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Is this real? It can't be counterfeit, can it? That would be a death sentence! Don't bring me trouble."

The butcher Chen rolled his eyes dramatically and said, "You will eventually die in the casino."

Chen the butcher took the money but still felt somewhat puzzled: "Why have you suddenly developed a kind heart? This is unlike you"

I fully expected him to rush over like a lapdog, yet he remained seated with an air of calmness. Even though his gaze was filled with longing, he made no move whatsoever. His posture was upright and elegant, and even while sitting on that shabby bed, he gave off an illusion of extraordinary poise.

Lin Fangzhou stared at him intently, gazing into his beautiful, clean, and innocent eyes, and coldly asked: "Who on earth are you?"

... ...

Let us see what the authorities have to say after the autopsy

Do not pretend to be foolish! Wei Guizi died because of that rumor, those murderers, those killers—the real target is you! They want to kill you, they want to kill you! Who exactly are you?!

I do not know; I have just heard about it as well. That Wei Guai has no brothers, no descendants, and is completely alone, with no one to handle his funeral. It seems we, the neighbors, will have to gather some money for the burial and buy a simple coffin to lay him to rest

Lin Fangzhou threw him back onto the bed with such force that he accidentally fell down. Afterward, he slowly sat up, looking at her with a blank expression

Lin Fangzhou sniffed and asked, "How much is the steamed bun?"

Lin Fangzhou stroked his chin, making a concerted effort to suppress his feelings of guilt, and said to Chen the butcher, "Shall we go and take a look at Wei the cripple first?"

In the eyes of men, "lifelong impotence" is a more malicious vow than being torn apart by five horses. Little do they know that, regardless of whether Lin Fangzhou breaks this vow, he will never be able to "rise" in this lifetime.

She felt both guilty and ashamed, as well as angry and powerless, muttering to herself in a daze, her eyes vacant, and before long, tears streamed down her face.

You scoundrel dare to mock me! Mistress! Bring me my butcher's knife!

"How did I get it right?" Lin Fangzhou said with some pride

Lin Fangzhou took out a steamed bun to tease him: "Do you want to eat? Do you want to eat?"

The child looked at her distorted face, blinked once, and did not respond at all

Even in the case of suicide, an autopsy must be conducted, merely as a formality. I heard from those who went to the scene that he hanged himself at home, so it is most likely a suicide. It is better to live poorly than to die well; I do not understand what could have troubled Wei Guizi so much.

Lin Fangzhou's heart skipped a beat as she hurriedly ran outside, only to find Chen the butcher with a serious expression, his purplish-red face taut, which did not seem like he was trying to deceive her. She asked, "Why did he hang himself?"

This answer indeed surprised Chen the butcher: "I thought you would say you have no money"

She walked over and looked into the carrying pole, which contained only three steamed buns. Lin Fangzhou then said, "I will buy them all, please give me a discount."

To speak seriously, the cost of performing a funeral rite is greater than that of paying money. But Chen the butcher did not want to make things difficult for Lin Fangzhou, so he said: "What is this about performing rites or not? When a person dies, it is like a lamp going out; there is no need for you to act as a cheap son for him. I am not a robber; contributing money or effort is entirely voluntary. If you have no money, then so be it. If you truly care, just help out a bit during the mourning period."

The yamen quickly completed the autopsy and allowed Chen the butcher to take away the body of Wei the cripple. The yamen has always been lazy in its work, so this unusually high efficiency made Lin Fangzhou feel rather strange

As expected, there was no response

Get lost! If you really die, I will celebrate by setting off firecrackers for two days and two nights!

The little fool remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on the oiled paper bag in her hand

Like a scion of a noble family

Lin Fangzhou felt a secret joy in her heart, yet her expression remained unchanged as she composedly nodded and said: "Well, even if I cannot eat it, it is still good to take it home to feed the dog"

The steamed bun that fell on the ground was only dusted with some dirt, and it could still be eaten after peeling off the skin. Lin Fangzhou peeled the skin while eating, transforming the bun into what resembled a baked sweet potato.

Holding this money, Lin Fangzhou first went to Chen the butcher's house, leaving behind one hundred and eighty wen, "Brother Chen, this is a small token of my appreciation. Please buy a better coffin for Wei Guizi."

How wonderful it would be if he never woke up; she could dig a hole and bury him, without anyone knowing, which would be better than the current state of anxiety and fear, dreading the day when she wakes up to find herself hanging from the beam...

Lin Fangzhou nodded slightly, "That is only natural"

He grabbed a steamed bun and started eating. Because he was too hungry, he ate a bit quickly

Lin Fangzhou turned to leave, but the steamed bun vendor suddenly called out to her. He took out an oiled paper bag and said: "My dear, please wait. A bun fell on the ground and got a bit dusty. I wouldn't want to dirty a customer's mouth, so I intended to take it home to eat myself. If you don't mind, this one can be considered a gift to you, is that alright?"

I truly have no money

No, no, no... I will hit him with a flag! Smash the bowl! Isn't it enough to treat him like a son!

In the evening, Lin Fangzhou returned to the city from the cemetery and saw someone at the city gate selling buns: "Buns, fragrant lamb buns..."

He suddenly raised his head, his pure black, clean eyes fixed on her

Lin Fangzhou seemed to casually wave his hand and replied, "Recently, my luck has been terrible. I suspect it is due to my lack of virtue. It would be better to take this opportunity to do some good deeds, which may help me recover my losses."

The act of beating the banner and smashing the basin is typically the responsibility of sons; if there are no sons, daughters may suffice. Some individuals without children fear that they will not be able to report smoothly to the underworld after death, so they make arrangements for all funeral matters during their lifetime, spending money to hire someone to beat the banner for them. Since beating the banner is considered a loss of dignity, only those unscrupulous and disreputable individuals are willing to take on such tasks, and the price is not low.

As Chen the butcher walked away, Lin Fangzhou turned and stumbled into the house. Once inside, he grabbed the child who was sitting foolishly by the bed and growled, "Wei Guizi did not commit suicide; it is impossible for him to have done so! He was killed by someone! Who exactly are you?!"

The butcher Chen waved his hand and said, "No, it won't do. The constables and the coroner have arrived and are currently examining the body. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach."

"Tonight when I return to the city," Lin Fangzhou said to herself, "I saw a few strangely dressed individuals at the city gate, looking quite fierce. I think they must be the ones sent to capture you. If I can notice them, the authorities surely can as well. However, the authorities have turned a blind eye, neither driving them away nor even questioning them... Isn't that strange? The only explanation is that they are in cahoots with the authorities. The authorities want to secretly capture you, or even kill you. Yet, they have allowed them to remain, without any intervention... Isn't that strange? The only explanation is that they are in cahoots with the authorities. The authorities want to secretly capture you, or even kill you. And you, appearing in armor in Yongzhou, which has no stationed troops, so you are—" Her gaze suddenly darkened, "a rebel."

Good, Brother Chen, you have worked hard

Lin Fangzhou smiled and said, "If I really die at the casino, I would still need to trouble Brother Chen to help me raise money for my funeral"

Amitabha, it is better to lose one life than two... Wei Guizi, every grievance has its source and every debt has its owner. If you truly wish to seek revenge, go find that little fool... I will burn you some extra paper money, so you can enjoy yourself in the underworld and not think about coming home...

It is true. If it is false, then let it teach me to remain impotent for life

Lin Fangzhou took a winter quilt to the pawnshop and exchanged it for two hundred wen. Her quilt had only been used for two years and had no patches at all, yet the pawnshop clerk still looked at her with disdain, offering her only two hundred wen, as if he could take it or leave it.

... ...

Then forget it

I understand. I also had a few free rice cakes from Wei Guai Zi, and now it is time to repay the debt

Lin Fangzhou spoke to this point, her voice trembling slightly in fear. Fortunately, Chen the butcher was lost in thought and did not notice her unusual behavior. He said, "Let us agree on this for now, and I will inquire with others."