TGCFNM -Chapter 73 The Storyteller

Yang Huaishan’s eyes lit up with excitement as he looked at Chu Ling. “My lord, if Madam Lu committed suicide, then it wasn’t Lu Anming who killed her. Lu Anming can be saved!”

Chu Ling looked at him and asked, “And how do you plan to persuade Lord Zhao here to reopen the case?”

“Huh?” Yang Huaishan froze.

Chu Ling’s gaze darkened. “The evidence we have came from a private autopsy we conducted ourselves. And the witness, Lu Gao, insists he saw correctly. If we want the verdict overturned, it won’t be easy.”

“Then… then what should we do?” Yang Huaishan muttered.

Chu Ling pondered for a moment before suddenly thinking of something. “Yang Huaishan, you’re planning to go to the capital, aren’t you?”

Yang Huaishan hummed in acknowledgment. Though he didn’t know why Chu Ling was suddenly asking this, he answered honestly, “Yes. I was going to head to the capital to seek refuge with relatives there and wait for next year’s spring metropolitan examination.”

“Good. Then go write me a storybook,” Chu Ling said. “It doesn’t need to be long. I’ll dictate it—you write. Just polish it a little.”

“A storybook?” Yang Huaishan was stunned.

The streets of Wanzhou Prefecture suddenly grew lively. Vendors set up stalls, street performers gathered crowds, and even the beggars by the roadside huddled in twos and threes, whispering mysteriously to one another:

“Have you heard?”

“I have!”

“They’ve started a brand-new story at Chunfeng Teahouse.”

“I heard they set up tables outside—anyone can watch.”

“And the tea is free!”

“They’re even scattering copper coins!”

“Then hurry! Hurry! If we’re late, there won’t be seats—and we won’t even get any coins!”

Inside Chunfeng Teahouse—

The shopkeeper bowed and scraped before his wealthy patron, smiling so broadly his eyes nearly disappeared. “Young Master, your generosity knows no bounds. Truly a most magnanimous gentleman.”

Wan Sanjin stood with his hands clasped behind his back and said to the shopkeeper, “Make sure this story is told well. I’ll pay an extra sum.”

“Of course, of course. Rest assured, Young Master.” The shopkeeper cupped his hands and hurried off to make arrangements.

Wan Sanjin returned to the private room on the second floor. Sitting by the window, he looked down at the dense crowd gathering below—more and more people were still arriving.

The shopkeeper was directing the waiters to move stools outside, making sure to leave ample space for the storyteller’s table.

“My lord, will this work?” Wan Sanjin turned and asked.

Chu Ling took a sip of tea. Looking at Lu Gao—his mouth gagged—she smiled faintly and leaned back in her chair. “How would I know whether it’ll work? We’ll have to see what the common people think.”

“My lord, my brother and I are going to listen to the story too,” Xiao Hua said.

Chu Ling smiled. “Go on.”

At that moment, someone knocked on the door of the private room. Xiao Hua happened to be heading out and led the visitor inside. “Young Master Lu, our lord is over there.”

Lu Shiming cupped his hands in thanks. The moment he stepped in and saw Lu Gao tied up like a rice dumpling, he jumped in shock and cried out, “Uncle Lu!”

Chu Ling beckoned to him. “Come sit and have some tea. Don’t mind him.”

Lu Shiming walked over in confusion and sat down beside Yang Huaishan. “Brother Huaishan, what’s going on?”

Yang Huaishan lowered his head, staring fixedly at the teacup in front of him. Several times he lifted his head to look at Chu Ling, but the moment their eyes met, he lowered it again.

“Brother Huaishan?” Lu Shiming grew even more puzzled.

“It’s about to start. The storyteller’s here,” Wan Sanjin called out as he turned his head.

Su He stood and walked over, leaning by the window to look downstairs.

The storyteller approached slowly, one hand pressed against his pouch. Inside were three taels of silver—payment from his previous patron. But this new script made him tremble from the depths of his heart.

Smack—

The wooden clapper struck sharply, and the storyteller took his seat.

“The tale I tell today is called ‘The Burial of Pear Blossoms.’”

Lu Shiming stood up curiously and moved closer to the window. “My mother loved pear blossoms most when she was alive.”

Lu Gao struggled desperately, his face flushed red from the strain, but it was useless. He could only glare viciously at Chu Ling.

“Now then, in Pear Blossom City there was a talented young man surnamed Xu, named Xu Cheng—a merchant by trade. From childhood, Xu Cheng never excelled at his studies, but he had a natural gift for arithmetic. When he grew older, he traveled far and wide doing business and amassed considerable wealth. During one business engagement, he made the acquaintance of a certain Boss Li.”

“Boss Li had a daughter of remarkable beauty—so lovely she could outshine the moon and put flowers to shame. Xu Cheng developed feelings and visited repeatedly under various pretexts. After enduring three rounds of testing by Boss Li, he finally won the beauty’s hand. This Miss Li had learned business from her father since childhood and was highly capable. With their marriage, it was like a tiger gaining wings—unstoppable.”

“The Xu family possessed vast wealth, but aside from an elderly mother, a delicate wife, and a young child, Xu Cheng had no one else to rely on. Thus he had no choice but to personally travel for business. Who could have known that this journey would be his last? Alas… home was already within sight, yet he encountered bandits along the road, and just like that, a life returned to the Yellow Springs…”

At this point, the people downstairs began stirring restlessly, exchanging looks filled with shock and uncertainty.

Why did this story sound so eerily familiar?

The storyteller struck the clapper again—smack!—drawing everyone’s attention back.

“The Xu family’s great wealth tempted greedy eyes. The widow and orphan were bullied. Uncles and aunts all came to mourn—but what they truly sought was control of the family fortune.”

“In the mourning hall, funeral banners swayed. The burial garments had not yet been fully arranged, yet abacus beads were already clacking before their eyes. Lady Li pleaded in agony, but the uncles and aunts turned a blind eye. Several people pressed forward together, ill intent gleaming in their eyes! They demanded she hand over the family fortune, or else she would never know peace again!”

A wave of outrage swept through the crowd. They ground their teeth and cursed, wishing they could roll up their sleeves and jump straight into the story to give those villains a thorough beating.

The storyteller took a deep breath to steady himself before continuing. “At this moment, a turning point arrived.”

“In Pear Blossom City, there was one surnamed Xu and another surnamed Xu—no, one surnamed Xu and one surnamed Xu? No—one surnamed Xu, one surnamed Xu?—ah, one surnamed Xu and one surnamed Xu?—”

(He chuckled and corrected himself.)

“One surnamed Xu, and one surnamed Xu?—No—one surnamed Xu and one surnamed Xu?—”

(Then clearly:)

“One surnamed Xu, and one surnamed Xu?—No. One surnamed Xu, and one surnamed Xu?—”

(At last:)

“One surnamed Xu, and one surnamed Xu?—No. One surnamed Xu and one surnamed Xu?—”

(He smiled.)

“One surnamed Xu, and one surnamed Xu?—”

(Then firmly:)

“One surnamed Xu, and one surnamed Xu?—”

(He waved a hand.)

“One surnamed Xu, and one surnamed Xu?—”

(Then finally:)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, the other surnamed Xu? No—one was surnamed Xu, the other surnamed Xu?—”

(He cleared his throat.)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, the other surnamed Xu?—”

(He laughed.)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu and one surnamed Xu?—”

(He shook his head.)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu and the other surnamed Xu?—”

(Then properly:)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, the other surnamed Xu?—”

(He corrected himself at last:)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, and the other surnamed Xu?—”

(Then finally clearly:)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, the other surnamed Xu?—”

(He steadied himself.)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, and the other surnamed Xu?—”

(Then he finally said it correctly:)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, the other surnamed Xu?—”

(He stopped, then spoke plainly:)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, and the other surnamed Xu?—”

(Then at last:)

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu, and the other surnamed Xu?—”

“In Pear Blossom City, one was surnamed Xu (徐), the other Xu (許). Xu Cheng did business; Xu Shu loved reading. Their surnames sounded alike, and they had once studied together as classmates. But their interests went in opposite directions, so they often quarreled and eventually drifted apart. Yet when misfortune struck the Xu family and no one dared to speak a word of justice, Xu Shu boldly reported the matter to the authorities. He brought the constables into the Xu household, scolded away those heartless relatives, and saved the family.”

“You must be thinking—Xu Shu, speaking up for justice, must be a good man?”

“Isn’t he?” someone asked in confusion.

The storyteller burst into laughter. “A good man indeed—but with thoughts of his own. Xu Shu had taken the imperial examinations several times and failed each time. He became a teacher, yet grew poorer by the day. Then one day he happened to meet Lady Li and was captivated by her bearing and talent. He marveled at her in secret and even once stepped in to help her.”

“A scholar follows propriety—though feelings may stir, they are restrained by ritual. Knowing Lady Li was already married, he quietly withdrew. But fate twists and turns—Lady Li became a widow and nearly fell prey to bullying. So Xu Shu visited time and again to assist her, ignoring gossip and slander.”

“At last, the old Madam Xu sensed something amiss.”

The storyteller took a sip of tea, caught his breath, and shook his head slightly before continuing.

“Xu Shu had his own intentions, yet he never crossed the line. But rumors grew louder and louder, until Madam Xu began to question the truth behind her son’s death. After all, the land around Pear Blossom City is flat—there are no mountains. So where did these bandits come from? And where could they possibly have been hiding?”