Perfect Encounter - Chapter 10.1
PROOFREAD BY AFREANA
Chapter 10
Outside the window, Big Long’s sturdy and tall figure blocked half of the window view. He made a gesture of silence with his finger and beckoned to her, signaling her to come over.
An Ruochen was overjoyed and ran to the window, lowering her voice and calling, “General Long, do you believe me?” Coming here secretly would make people criticize him, but in the end, he still came. That means he believed she would not deliberately set a trap for him, right?
“You burned down your own house. I was afraid there was an emergency.” Big Long didn’t waste time on half-hearted politeness and went straight to the point.
“I beg the General to save Lu Daniang.” An Ruochen didn’t waste any time. In one breath, she told him about how she asked Lu Daniang to help her rent the house, and about the murder of Old Chen, the owner of the house, for fear that it is related. Her speculation was that Mr. Xie will continue to eliminate all the leads.
Big Long frowned, did not get into details, only asking: “Address?”
“The row of houses at the back of West Field Street. The one with a willow tree in front of the door.” An Ruochen was glad that she had inquired carefully.
Without saying a word, Big Long turned around and walked away.
An Ruochen froze. There were many things she wanted to say. Will the General save Lu Daniang? She hoped it would not be too late. She looked out the window and could no longer see Big Long. She went behind the door to listen again and outside was still quite noisy. Everyone seemed to be around Zong Zeqing. An Ruochen understood that Zong Zeqing was responsible for diverting attention. To cover for General Long’s meeting with he
As she was thinking this, she saw Big Long appear at the window again, and she hurried over.
“I have already sent someone there.”
An Ruochen let out a sigh of relief. She kneeled and kowtowed: “Thank you for your kindness, General.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked up, but could not see the General. The window frame was in the way, so she got up and saw General Long skimming his eyebrows impatiently. Okay, okay. She is not supposed to crawl on her knees and should talk properly during an emergency.
“What are General’s orders?”
“The thieves killed the house’s owner surnamed Chen, gagged him, and broke his finger. The neighbors did not hear the sound of the finger being broken or the screams of the victim. The thieves acted cautiously and decisively. How come you are panic-stricken and still managed to flee?”
An Ruochen opened her mouth. She didn’t run into a thief. Didn’t he know that? Wait, she understood. The officials will come to ask her, and if she sets this person as the murderer of the Old Chen, then the words previously said will be incompatible in some places.
“Who said they were the same person? I have not seen the Old Chen’s murderer. I only know that I saw this person was medium-sized, wearing black clothes with a masked face. I was terrified at that moment and can’t remember exactly what he looked like. Anyway, I screamed for help. He wanted to come up to kill me. I was trying to escape, but he pushed me. I hit the chair, the candle lamp fell, the fire started burning, and then the maid came. I was too scared to remember.” An Ruochen blinked and spoke fervently.
Big Long nodded his head, satisfied: “Good. Then you should be more careful.” He gave An Ruochen a look and turned to leave.
“Wait, General, my father won’t let me go out.”
“Oh.” Big Long responded.
An Ruochen raised her eyebrows. What does oh mean?
“If there is an urgent matter, I won’t be able to go to the general.”
Big Long said: ”The General’s office’s door originally is not easy to enter. You can’t go out, but didn’t you pass the message to me three times already?”
So now the General is praising her? An Ruochen collapsed her face. General, if you want to praise someone, can you include some appreciation and satisfaction in your tone?
“General, what’s the news from Xu Matchmaker’s side?”
“I will tell you if there is anything.”
“So if I have a situation I want to report to the general, what should I do?”
“Stare at the tea stall a few more times, or set another fire, and I’ll know.” The serious tone looked like he was speaking seriously about the matter.
An Ruochen froze, is the general teasing her with a joke? It’s not funny, General.
General Long did not laugh and said again seriously: “Tomorrow, there will be a candy vendor next to the tea stall.”
“……” Well, selling candy is better than tea. She can find an excuse for her craving, and it’s okay for the maid to make a trip to buy it.
“Is there anything else?” Big Long asked.
There seems to be a lot more than that, but nothing occurred to her for a while. Wait. “Yes, General, will you help me?”
Big Long glanced at her, “Take care of yourself.” Then he turned and walked away.
So, will he help her or not? An Ruochen wanted to grab General Long’s back and shake him hard.
At the back of West Field Street, a tall thin figure approached the house with a willow tree at the door. He stood outside the door and listened, looking at the surrounding movement. He was about to leap through the wall and enter when he suddenly heard the sound of horses’ hooves. People were running in his direction, and a low voice could be heard: “The one with the willow tree at the door, quickly.”
The tall thin figure frowned. It was too late to leave. He turned around and leaped into the courtyard of the house next door.
After standing still and hiding his figure in the shadows of the corner, he heard the sound of horses’ hooves outside and approaching the door. The figure carefully listened to the movement. His eyes shone with a brilliant light. It was Mr. Xie.
Xie Gang jumped down from his horse and faced the door of Lu Daniang’s house. A few soldiers behind him quickly flashed away, trained to look in a circle around. Xie Gang looked at the Lu Daniang’s house’s door, there was no difference. He pushed the door, but it was bolted from the inside. Xie Gang nodded to a soldier. The soldier leaped into the yard of Lu Daniang’s house, turned around, and saw no abnormalities. The inner door was locked properly. He reported to Xie Gang in a soft voice.
On Lu Daniang’s roof, a soldier gestured at Xie Gang, saying there was no abnormal movement. Another soldier on the roof crouched down, ready to rush into the house.
Xie Gang raised his hand and knocked on the door, but no one in the house paid attention. Xie Gang knocked again. After a while, Lu Daniang put on her coat, held a wooden stick behind the door, and asked, “Who is it?”
“Daniang, I am Lieutenant Xie Gang. I am here on the order of General Long.”
Lu Daniang looked through the door suspiciously and saw a general and two soldiers in the moonlight. She was silent for a while and asked, “What is it?”
“About the murder case in Ping Hu East Lane, there are some things I want to ask Daniang.”
Lu Daniang was silent, and after a while, she asked again, “Is there something else going on?”
“Not yet, but there are some things I need to ask you. Can you open the door and let us in?”
Lu Daniang hesitated, then opened the door. Xie Gang politely gave a fist salute to Lu Daniang and took a big step inside. The two soldiers outside the door did not move and only guarded the gate.
Lu Daniang’s house is very small. One look and you can see it all. Xie Gang went towards the house. The two soldiers on the roof took advantage when Lu Daniang came out, and quickly sneaked in to confirm that there was no one lurking and that the house was safe.
Lu Daniang followed Xie Gang into the house. She exclaimed when there were two more soldiers inside the house.
“Don’t panic. It’s just that the city has not been peaceful recently. The horse farm was burned, and there was a murder in Ping Hu East Lane. Maybe these thieves are a gang. To keep the people safe, we routinely check other people associated with them. Some neighbors saw Daniang talking with the deceased Old Man Chen, so we came to check it out.”
Lu Daniang frowned and said, “I have no visitors here, and I have never seen any suspicious people. Usually, the neighbors take care of each other. I’m sorry for your trouble.”
Xie Gang nodded: “Okay, I’m sorry to bother you. We will leave now. If you remember anything, or if you see any suspicious people, please report to the Purple Cloud House in the east of the city, where the General’s office is. You can beat the drum or tell the guards that you are looking for me, Xie Gang.”
Lu Daniang nodded: “Thank you, sir.”
Xie Gang led the two soldiers out. Lu Daniang closed the door, hid behind it, watched them ride away, then went back to her room. She closed the door and windows tightly, put out the lights, and slept with the big stick beside the bed.
Xie Gang rode out for a while, then whispered to the soldiers around him, “Keep an eye on that house. If anyone sneaks in or attempts it, take them down. Keep an eye on the lady during the day. Watch out for anyone suspicious and report to me as soon as possible.”
The two soldiers took orders and went away.
Mr. Xie came out when Xie Gang and the others had left, looked carefully at their traces, turned his head, and left quietly in another direction with a few leaps.
Nothing happened that night.