Chapter 10

Wei Cai Wei used the key manager Chen gave her to open Wang Da Xia’s lock, then she used her own key to open the other lock, then she pushed open the door to go home.

Having been busy most of the day, Wei Cai Wei was too lazy to open the chests and tidy up her stuff, she cleaned herself first, feeling refreshed all over, she lit a mosquito-repellant incense in the courtyard, separating her damp hair she let it blow in the night wind.

Outside was a young man pushing a wheelbarrow selling watermelons, Wei Cai Wei brought one, cutting in half, she used a spoon to eat it, scooping it out as dinner. 

Wei Cai Wei ate half a melon, the moon was as cool as water, gently shining on the stone table in the courtyard, she noticed there were notches on the stone table, holding a lantern she took a look, it was a tortoise, beside the tortoise there were some scribbles: “Wang Da Xia was here.”

There was no need to guess, her damn husband had done this “masterpiece”, boasting he was a hero but was actually a Ya Nei.

A trace of a smile appeared on Wei Cai Wei’s lips, the tip of her finger traced along the rough engraving, a stifled sound came from the alley behind the courtyard, like something had fallen down.

Last night Wei Cai Wei had killed two enemies, she was on alert, she casually picked up the knife she cut the watermelon with, climbing on the wooden ladder against the wall, she looked down from on top of the ladder, a black blob was struggling with the thick maple vines on the neighbouring Wang residence wall, standing up with the help of the wall, “Si! That fall really hurt.”

Even though she couldn’t see the person clearly, but she was familiar with the voice, it was her damn husband from her former lifetime, Wang Da Xia.

It seems Wang Da Xia couldn’t stand being confined and climbed over a wall to escape.

Sure enough, from inside the high walls came a clamour, “I saw the second young master climb a tree, from the tree he climbed over the wall out of the residence!”

“Give chase! Take the side door!”

Wang Da Xia seemed to have injured himself, he limped along holding the wall, he couldn’t run quickly.

Wei Cai Wei didn’t have time to think, she immediately got down from the ladder, running to open the small door at the rear courtyard, beckoning at Wang Da Xia, “Quick come in!”

A beautiful woman with her hair down in white waving at him in the middle of the night, Wang Da Xia was startled, his legs weakened, he almost fell over again.

Holding the wall he stared, oh, wasn’t this the pretty young widow!

At this moment the side door of the Wang residence opened, a group of servants holding lanterns came running out to catch him, Wang Da Xia entered Wei Cai Wei’s courtyard from the rear door like a stray dog.

Wei Cai Wei shut the door, making a gesture for Wang Da Xia to shut up.

Wang Da Xia silently went to the centre of the courtyard, seeing there was still half a watermelon on the stone table, he licked his lips, he had used a lot of strength escaping, he was both tired and thirsty.

Wei Cai Wei stood at the rear door listening to the nose of the chasers outside, seeing his greedy expression, she gave the knife in her hand to Wang Da Xia, pointing at the watermelon, making a eating gesture, allowing him to do what he wanted.

Wang Da Xia nodded in knowing, holding the knife he cut it up.

Wang residence’s servant looked at the faint light coming through the slight gap in the neighbouring courtyard door, he knew there was someone at home so he knocked on the door, “May I ask this neighbour, did you see our family’s second young master just now?”

Wang Da Xia frantically shook his head holding the watermelon.

Wei Cai Wei said: “I’m a widow, it’s not convenient for me to open the door to chat, please forgive me, when I was just enjoying the cool air in my courtyard, I faintly heard someone run in the east direction.”

The servant said: “Many thanks!”

The clamour moved to the east side, silence resumed in the courtyard, at this moment Wang Da Xia had already eaten a quarter of the melon, and still wanted to keep going.

Wei Cai Wei said: “Just eat it, it’ll turn bad by tomorrow.”

Wang Da Xia was like when Marshal Tianpeng1 reincarnated to Gaolaozhuang2, he almost ate the skin as well.

Wei Cai Wei asked: “Your family didn’t feed you?”

Wang Da Xia nodded, “I don’t dare to stay at home, my father said he’ll starve me for the day to see if I’ll still have the energy to run.”

Wei Cai Wei sympathised more and more with Wang Da Xia, that Wang Qianhu didn’t know how to educate his son, indulging or pampering him, shouting and beating him yet still not feeding him.

Wei Cai Wei took a bag of deep fried sugar cakes from the house, “I just moved in, I haven’t started a fire in the kitchen yet, made do with this.”

Wang Da Xia couldn’t pick what he ate when hungry, “This is good! I like it!”

Teenage son eats his father to bankruptcy. 

Now it was a teenage husband who ate all his wife’s snacks.

Wang Da Xia ate the bag of deep fried cakes only then was he full, “Many thanks doctor Wei.”

Wei Cai Wei saw half of him was covered in dust, with nothing except bare necessities, she asked: “Where are you running to avoid Wang Qianhu? Why do you not even have any luggage? Running away with nothing?”

Wang Da Xia sighed: “I had taken several sets of clothes and gold and silver valuables, but when I climbed the tree to go over the wall, there was moss on the tree, I slipped over, falling directly over the courtyard wall, the bundle on my back is still hanging on a branch.”

Wang Da Xia looked around, fixing his gaze on the wooden ladder in the courtyard, “Can you lend me the ladder? I’ll climb up the wall to get the bundle.”

Wei Cai Wei said: “Your family is a noble family with high walls, our small family household’s ladders can only reach half way up your family’s walls, you won’t be able to climb over.”

“Tomorrow morning, someone in the residence will notice the bundle, the secret stash of money I’ve accumulated will be gone.” Wang Da Xia thought quickly, “It doesn’t matter, I’ll take a bamboo pole, on the ladder I’ll be able to pick the bundle from the branch.”

You really are a goddamn pilfer!

Wei Cai Wei didn’t have a ready-made bamboo pole in her home, but there were tall bamboos growing in the courtyard, Wang Da Xia used the watermelon knife cutting down one down, paring it, now outside sounded the night watchman’s clapper, it was already the first period third part.

Wei Cai Wei said: “Don’t pare it, hurry up, in another two part it’ll be the second period then it’ll be night curfew, the northern city military patrol at night, it’ll be impossible for you to escape, you’ll be dragged back and will be beaten and starved again.”

Wei Cai Wei felt sorry for her damn husband, his father didn’t cherish him, mother didn’t love him, you almost starved my husband into what appearance! He ate fried cakes like he was eating a delicacy of the world.

Wang Da Xia hurriedly carried the ladder out, climbing to the top of the ladder, he plastered himself against the vine covered high wall, raising the bamboo he hooked it onto the bundle on the branch.

Wang Da Xia held the bamboo up, bit by bit he moved the bundle over the fork in the branch, pushing it off.

When it was almost off, Wang Da Xia’s hand ached like it had been soaked in vinegar, using all his strength, the bundle landed in the alley with a bang.

Wang Da Xia joyfully climbed down the ladder, his joy suddenly turned into sorrow, he missed the last step, he fell to the left.

He expected to land on his face, injuring his handsome features, Wang Da Xia closed his eyes in despair, suddenly there were two pressures, one around his waist the other around his head, only his two legs touched the ground.

Wang Da Xia opened his eyes, finding himself in doctor Wei’s embrace, one of doctor Wei’s arms was around his waist, another supporting his neck.

Two people, four eyes, looked at each other.

So embarrassing, he was being princess carried by a widow, fortunately it was dark so his red face couldn’t be seen, Wang Dai Xia hurriedly got up from the widow’s embrace, running to pick up the bundle, he immediately left, avoiding continuous embarrassment, “Many thanks for your help doctor Wei, I’ll leave.”

But then the sound of horse’s hooves came from the top of the alley, looking in the distance, there were even star-like torches!

The northern city military had begun their night patrol early!

“Quickly come in!”

Wang Da Xia seeing the northern city military was like a mouse who saw a cat, taking the ladder he ran, Wei Dai Xia closed her courtyard door.

Outside the door came Mu Baihu’s voice, “Chen Qianhu and his son’s deaths were bizarre, every is on alert in the capital, our Wang Qianhu has also offended quite a few people over these years, it’s hard to guard against secret conspiracies. In order to protect he Wang Qianhu family, you ten, two people in a team, keep watch along the south wall, take turns to patrol, each team guard for one night period, then you can rest, you can’t lower your guard.”

“Yes!”

“The rest of you follow me to the north wall!”

The torches and sound of patrolling footsteps outside sounded unendingly the entire night.

At this moment the second night period sounded, the night curfew began, Wang Da Xia couldn’t leave, even if he did, he would very soon be caught by his father’s subordinates and brought back.

The mechanism was too smart, in the end he had done so much for nothing.

“I…I should give myself up and go home.” Wang Da Xia picked up his bundle, walking to the door.

“Please wait.” Wei Cai Wei said: “You can’t leave.”

“Ah?” Wang Da Xia thought he had misheard, “A woman and man alone, staying in the same house for a night…this—”

“If you don’t tell, I won’t tell, who would know? But if you go out now—” Wei Cai Wei pointed at the door, “The people on night patrol will notice you leaving my home, your servant also knows I lied just now. So even if you and I jump into the Yellow River we wouldn’t be able to clear this up.”

Wang Da Xia was shocked, but in his mind he was secretly a little delighted, “Doctor Wei’s meaning is—”

“Sleep here tonight.” Wei Cai Wei said: “Wait until the night duty patrol stops then you can leave.”

Wang Da Xia was ecstatic, this was such a good thing!

1 Title held by Zhu Bajie from “Journey to the West” before he was banished from heaven↩

2 A place in “Journey to the West” where Zhu Baijie spent some time.↩