Geschichte über einen Ehemanndiebstahl

Kapitel 9

During the day, the two girls disappeared along the path. There were no other paths in the garden beyond. Remembering the dense bushes on the other side of the path, Xiao Duan wondered if there might be another way. Why would two girls, in broad daylight, not take the proper path and instead sneak into the bushes?

When Xiao Duan is investigating a case, he doesn't let go of even the slightest clue. He insists on clarifying everything before he stops. Back at the inn, after thinking it over, he felt that the two girls' behavior was indeed a bit suspicious. This elegant inn also seemed to be full of mysteries. So Xiao Duan lay on the bed with his eyes closed to rest, planning to wait until midnight when there were fewer people on the road before going to the inn to investigate.

Walking along the path beside the pavilion, Xiao Duan lifted his robe and stepped into the bushes. Although it was shady, the vegetation was lush. As he walked, Xiao Duan looked around. Just as he was about to reach the wall, he suddenly caught a glimpse of white, which flashed by next to a tall camphor tree.

Xiao Duan's expression hardened, and he quickly walked towards the tree. Just as he reached it, a white flash appeared before his eyes, and a palm strike aimed straight at his face. Xiao Duan dodged to the side, but the man's movements were incredibly fast. He took a step and blocked Xiao Duan's path, while simultaneously unleashing a series of palm strikes, engaging Xiao Duan in a fierce battle.

Xiao Duan only defended and did not attack, dodging left and right. A thin layer of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead. This person's martial arts were far superior to his own, and he could kill Xiao Duan with a single palm strike at any moment. Even though Xiao Duan's lightness skill was excellent, this person's footwork was also not weak. He fought all the way and blocked Xiao Duan's retreat. Xiao Duan had no way to escape now.

Xiao Duan gritted his teeth, raising his palm to block the other man's arm while simultaneously aiming his other hand straight for the man's throat. This reckless attack startled the man. He hadn't intended to kill Xiao Duan, but the man's sudden move caught him off guard. Instinctively, he grabbed Xiao Duan's wrist with one hand and slapped his shoulder with the other. Xiao Duan felt a sudden weight on his shoulder, followed by a burning pain, and couldn't help but groan. Upon hearing the sound, the man's hand, which had been slapping Xiao Duan's shoulder, shifted to his arm, pulling him close. His clear voice held a mixture of surprise and uncertainty: "Xiao Duan?"

Xiao Duan gritted her teeth, her phoenix eyes already brimming with tears from the pain. The two had fought their way to the pavilion; though still pitch black, it was much better than their encounter in the trees and bushes. By the dim moonlight, Xiao Duan looked up and met Zhan Yun's crescent-shaped eyes. They were extremely close, close enough to feel each other's breath. Zhan Yun gazed at Xiao Duan's eyes, which were shimmering with a faint, unknown fragrance, and felt a sudden stirring in her heart. She quickly took two steps back, releasing her hold on Xiao Duan.

Xiao Duan felt a series of dull pains in his left shoulder, and his right wrist, which Zhan Yun had gripped tightly, was now burning and numb. Xiao Duan straightened his back, slowly exhaled, and said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Zhan Yun was an extremely observant person, and he naturally noticed the tremor in Xiao Duan's voice. Remembering that he had used a full five-tenths of his strength in that palm strike, he felt a pang of guilt and unease. He had already discovered during their exchange that Xiao Duan's skill was mediocre, and he had no internal energy. The fact that he had taken that blow and could still stand there upright, speaking to him with an indifferent expression, was entirely due to sheer grit.

I was just feeling my way along that wall, trying to find a way in, when I suddenly heard rustling footsteps behind me. My heart skipped a beat. I thought to myself, Zhao Ting was clearly looking from the other side; it couldn't be him. This person had entered the abode in the middle of the night, and was even tiptoeing into the bushes. Could I really have stumbled upon the culprit?

The path here was already shady, with tall, lush trees that completely blocked out the faint moonlight. The tall, dense grass made it pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The person must have seen him, holding their breath as they walked to the camphor tree where he was hiding. Zhan Yun thought to himself, "Instead of waiting for you to make a move, I'd rather capture you first and see who you really are."

As soon as they began to fight, Zhan Yun realized that this man's skill was far inferior to his own. Fighting him was merely a delaying tactic; he thought to himself that with such limited skill, he wouldn't be able to escape the garden tonight. Unexpectedly, the man suddenly retaliated, desperately reaching for his throat. Zhan Yun instinctively struck harder, but the next instant, he heard the man groan, and his brow furrowed. Zhan Yun was skilled in martial arts, and naturally had excellent hearing. He was also always observant; the man's groan sounded familiar. Looking closer in the dim light, he was immediately startled—it was Xiao Duan!

The two stood quietly, while Zhao Ting strode over from behind. Seeing someone standing with their back to him, Zhao Ting narrowed his eyes and looked them up and down: "Little Duan?"

Zhan Yun thought it over and over, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how reckless he had been. He hadn't looked carefully before attacking, and how could he have failed to notice that the other person was someone he knew while they were fighting? Now, things were really messed up. Xiao Duan wasn't exactly friendly to people to begin with, and he had hit her so hard; Xiao Duan would definitely dislike him even more now.

Zhao Ting walked up to the two and saw that Zhan Yun's brows were slightly furrowed, and his expression was quite annoyed. Turning his head to look at Xiao Duan, he saw him standing quietly to one side. Perhaps because of the dim light, his already fair face was even paler than usual, and his cold phoenix eyes seemed to be suppressing something. Zhao Ting then turned to look at Zhan Yun: "What's wrong?"

Zhan Yun pressed her pink lips even tighter, clenched her fists, lowered her crescent-shaped eyes, and said in a low voice, "Just now, I didn't see him clearly and injured him."

Zhao Ting was taken aback and turned to look at Xiao Duan: "Where are you injured?"

Xiao Duan remained expressionless, his voice strained: "It's nothing." He looked at Zhan Yun, who was half-lowering his head, and said softly, "My kung fu isn't great, but I'm not that easily defeated. You don't need to worry about it."

Zhan Yun looked up, her crescent-shaped eyes sparkling, and her pink lips parted slightly: "Xiao Duan, I'm sorry."

Xiao Duan didn't say anything more and turned to walk back along the path. Judging from his expression, he didn't seem to care at all about Zhan Yun injuring him. Actually, it wasn't entirely Zhan Yun's fault. Both of them attacked first without being able to see each other clearly, and it was Xiao Duan who was about to use his full strength before Zhan Yun only slapped him once, not hitting any vital points, and without using his full power—he had already shown considerable mercy. Xiao Duan didn't consider himself an unreasonable person; although his shoulder injury ached intermittently, there really wasn't anything to fuss about.

Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun followed. Zhao Ting walked a few steps ahead of Xiao Duan and said in a deep voice, "I just found a door over there."

Xiao Duan and Zhan Yun followed Zhao Ting to a thicket of bushes. Small, pale pink flowers bloomed among the bushes, and waist-high wild grass surrounded them. A few steps further, the terrain suddenly sloped down. Parting the lush green grass, a small wooden door appeared before them. Zhao Ting turned back, a slight smile playing on his lips: "The terrain here is low, and the surrounding grass is dense. Walking along the path, you can't see this door from any direction. But if you follow the wall, it's quite easy to find."

As he spoke, Zhao Ting pushed open the door, and the three of them stood in front of it, looking out. They saw a hillside leading out, and in the vast darkness of the night, tall trees seemed like demons, silently gazing down at the dark earth. Xiao Duan frowned slightly: "Those two went out from here this afternoon..."

"That's a bit strange," Zhao Ting remarked, and Xiao Duan nodded slightly. Why would they choose to venture into this desolate wilderness instead of using the main gate? It seems we need to meet with this Miss Lanlan and her friend again.

This trip to the inn wasn't a waste after all; at least one mystery was solved. Reaching the door, Xiao Duan nodded to the two men and leaped over the wall. His shoulder injury throbbed with pain, sending a burning sensation through his heart. Not wanting to be caught by the two and waste more time talking, Xiao Duan held his breath and used his light-footed skill to return to the inn. He climbed through the window and knelt down on one knee with a thud.

Xiao Duan gritted his teeth, braced himself with one hand on the ground, and sat down on the stool. He poured some water into a cup, picked it up with his right hand, and tremblingly brought it to his lips. He tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful, spilling about half of the water onto his clothes and thighs. Xiao Duan put down the cup, raised his hand, and the wide sleeve slipped down to his forearm, revealing a ring of redness and swelling around his fair and slender wrist. Xiao Duan cursed himself fiercely, staggered to his feet, walked to the bedside, sat down, and took out several small bottles from his bundle.

With trembling right hand, he unbuttoned his shirt, took off his outer garment, and removed his white undershirt. Looking down, he saw a patch of bruises on his left shoulder. His fingers trembled as he touched it; it burned intensely. Xiao Duan picked up a pale blue medicine bottle with one hand, bit off the stopper with his teeth, gently tapped out some pale blue ointment, applied it to the edge of the wound, and then spread it with his hand. Next, he took a pill from a small black bottle and put it in his mouth. After sealing both bottles, he finally picked up a small round wooden box, unscrewed it, scooped out a small piece of ointment, and applied it to his right wrist.

After tidying everything up, Xiao Duan let her hair down and walked to the table with her clothes loose. She drank a couple of sips of water to wash away the slight bitterness in her mouth, then turned and lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes to sleep. Her shoulder still ached, but the medicated plaster she applied, with its cooling mint, had somewhat reduced the burning and swelling. She had to get up early tomorrow, so no matter how uncomfortable she felt, she needed to make the most of her time to rest.

Author's Note: Hmm... Our little Duan is injured... Poor thing, come here, let me rub it for you~

Two updates today.

11

Chapter Six: The Broken Bridge and the Fragrant Soul • Love Letter...

After having breakfast at the wonton stall, Xiao Duan tossed down a coin and headed towards the government office. The two men were now living in the courtyard behind the office. Yesterday afternoon, Lord Li had three rooms prepared, saying that the men were busy with the case and didn't need to go anywhere else; staying at the government office would be fine. Besides, if anything happened, the three of them would be informed immediately, which was quite convenient.

Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun didn't refuse. They had rushed over overnight and hadn't found a place to stay yet. Neither of them were picky, and the rooms in the government office were usually empty, so they could be easily cleaned up and were quite satisfactory. However, when they arrived at Xiao Duan's place, he refused with a single sentence, saying he had already booked a room at the inn for half a month and couldn't cancel it.

Lord Li wasn't angry at all. He stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Then make it easy." This infuriated the boy tidying the room. He kept muttering, "How can this person be so ungrateful! People from the capital haven't even bothered with anything, yet this guy, of unknown origin and penniless, is already picking up the bag."

As Xiao Duan walked into the back courtyard of the government office, he saw Li Qinglan, Registrar Tao, Zhao Ting, and Zhan Yun sitting inside having breakfast. Old Master Li was drinking porridge when he looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, Xiao Duan's here! Have you had breakfast yet?"

Xiao Duan nodded, bowed to Li Qinglan and Tao Hanzhi, and then sat down quietly, waiting for them to finish their meal. Li Qinglan put down her bowl, took out a letter from her bosom, and had a servant hand it to Xiao Duan, saying with a smile, "Xiao Duan, a letter has arrived from home."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Duan looked up and saw Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun staring at him sideways. Zhao Ting raised an eyebrow, Zhan Yun smiled warmly, while Xiao Duan remained expressionless, pretending not to notice their expressions. He reached out and took the letter, thanked them softly, glanced at the envelope, and then began to open it.

Tao, the registrar, spoke first, stroking his chin and looking at Xiao Duan with a half-smile: "Judging from the handwriting on the envelope, it should be a young lady. Xiao Duan, is she the match your family has arranged for you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ting raised his eyebrows even higher, thinking to himself, "Where would I get any family? Didn't he say his parents died early and he was all alone? Then where did this girl come from?" Zhan Yun had been watching Xiao Duan with some nervousness. Judging from his complexion, he must have rested quite well last night. Was his injury serious? He raised his hand and touched the medicine bottle in his sleeve, wondering whether he should give him the medicine or not.

Xiao Duan finished reading the letter in no time. His expression remained unchanged. As he folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, he looked up, cupped his hands, and thanked Li Qinglan: "I sent a letter to someone a couple of days ago. I don't live in a fixed place, so I wrote Hangzhou Prefecture. I didn't expect her to reply and even send the letter to you. I'm really sorry for troubling you."

Lord Li waved his hand repeatedly, saying, "It's nothing! You're too kind, Xiao Duan."

Tao, the registrar, was in his forties, with a fair complexion and a neatly trimmed mustache. He seemed quite serious, but he loved to joke with the younger generation. Seeing that Xiao Duan had finished reading the letter without replying or showing any expression, he decided to tease him again. "Xiao Duan," Tao said, picking up a piece of pickled vegetable and chewing slowly, his narrow eyes narrowing into slits, "that young lady misses you terribly, so she must have replied to your letter that very day. Don't be so cold, or she might not be able to handle your temper and run off to someone else. Then you'll have nowhere to cry."

Xiao Duan folded the letter and put it in her bosom. Her phoenix eyes looked coldly at Lao Tao, and her pink lips curled slightly: "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Tao."

Old Tao, finding it uninteresting, nodded and went back to drinking his porridge. He muttered to himself, "This kid Duan isn't funny. If it were any other boy, even if he wasn't angry or upset, he'd at least feel a little embarrassed, maybe even blush. Teasing someone is all about the fun! But with Duan, he remained calm and collected, shutting him down with a single sentence." As Old Tao pondered this, he heard Duan ask, "Lord Li, Mr. Tao, was someone ever killed at that 'Bamboo Fragrance Retreat'?"

Grandpa Li was taken aback by the question, stroking his beard and frowning as he began to recall. Tao Hanzhi put down his bowl and spoon, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, nodded, and sighed.

By this time, Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun had almost finished eating, so they sat quietly to the side waiting for him to speak. Upon seeing Old Tao's reaction, Li Qinglan's eyes widened, and his white beard twitched: "Hey, am I getting old or what? I don't remember anything like this!"

Tao Hanzhi glanced at Li Qinglan, shook his head and sighed, then tapped the edge of the table: "Back then, it was during the major exams held every four years, and Hangzhou had been experiencing three consecutive months of rain. Several counties were flooded, especially the Qiantang River area, which was the worst affected, drowning many people and leaving many homeless. You were always running around to various counties and villages back then, and with such a thing happening in the city, how could you possibly care?"

Upon hearing this, Old Master Li became anxious: "Oh! This is a matter of life and death, how can I ignore it! People have died, why isn't a case being filed, why isn't an investigation being conducted, why isn't—"