"The Lu Family all perished a year ago,"
"Perished?"
The old lady looked up to see the woman who had been standing to the side in silence, suddenly speaking.
The next moment, another string of copper coins was stuffed into her hand. Yin Zheng smiled and bought all the Poria cakes that were placed on top of the basket, paying even more than their price. She said, "We come from afar and are not aware of the Lu Family's affairs. Could you please tell us what happened to the Lu Family?"
After fingering the string of coins in her hand, the old lady said, "It's just that the Lu Family had bad luck. They had a son-in-law from the Capital City, and the neighbors were quite envious, but who would have known... alas!"
Two years ago, the Lu Family's eldest daughter, Lu Rou, married into a wealthy merchant family from the Capital City. The family was quite affluent, and the dowry they sent consisted of no less than fourteen carriages, which made the surrounding neighbors envious. Old Master Lu was just an ordinary Teacher in Changwu County, and his family was poor, so by all accounts, the marriage was an act of the Lu Family reaching above their station. Moreover, the young master of the wealthy merchant family was also handsome and gentle. Standing together with the beautiful Lu Rou, they were indeed a perfect match.
After Lu Rou got married, she followed her husband to the Capital City.
What was thought to be an impeccable marriage turned out otherwise; less than a year after moving to the Capital City, the Lu Family received news of her death from there.
Along with her death came some unpleasant gossip. The Lu Family's second child, Lu Qian, who had a deep bond with his sister since childhood, took his luggage and went to the Capital City to find out what had really happened. Mr. and Mrs. Lu waited and waited at home, only to receive a decree from the Imperial Court.
After Lu Qian arrived in the Capital City, he was caught breaking into someone's home to steal valuables and assaulting women and was captured by the homeowner, landing himself in jail.
Changwu County was only so big, and Lu Qian had grown up before the eyes of the neighbors, always being bright and kind, a man who would stand up for justice. Not even the neighbors believed that Lu Qian could commit theft, let alone Mr. and Mrs. Lu. In a fit of rage, Old Master Lu wrote a complaint to take to the Imperial Court in the Capital City. Unfortunately, before he could reach the Capital City, a storm hit while they were traveling by water, and the boat capsized, leaving no bodies behind.
In just one short year, having lost a daughter, a son, and a husband, Lady Lu could not bear the pain and went mad overnight.
"People saw her madness, but she neither cried nor made trouble, just sat by the lake day and night, holding the rattle-drum Lu Rou played with as a child, smiling and singing…" the old lady sighed, "The neighbors were afraid she might harm herself, so they took her in. One night, the Lu Family's house caught fire…"
A madwoman accidentally knocking over an oil lamp in the middle of the night could naturally start a fire. Or perhaps, in a brief moment of lucidity, facing an empty home, she lacked the courage to go on living, and chose to burn herself along with the house to escape it all.
"This Lu Family is really cursed. All died out in one year," continued the old lady as she chattered on to Yin Zheng, "I think it's best you don't get too close to this doorway, to avoid the evil influence and bringing trouble upon yourselves."
"Where is Lady Lu's body?" Lu Tong interrupted her.
The old lady looked at Lu Tong, meeting her deep, profound eyes, and for some reason felt a bit frightened. She calmed herself before saying, "The fire in the Lu house was huge, and it was at night. By the time it was discovered, it was already late. It burned all night long. When people went in the next day, they only found a handful of ashes. They just swept it away casually. Since the house was in disrepair, it was left abandoned here."
After she had finished speaking, seeing Yin Zheng and Lu Tong still standing at the entrance of the Lu house, showing no sign of leaving, she put the basket back on her shoulder and muttered, "Anyway, the death of the Lu Family was strange. Maybe they offended some filthy thing, so you better not stay too close. People always avoid houses where someone has died. If something happens, don't regret it later." Having said that, she walked away quickly with her basket.
Yin Zheng still held the Poria cakes she had bought from the old lady as she returned to Lu Tong's side. Just as she was about to speak, she saw that Lu Tong had stepped into the house in front of them.
The fire at the Lu house had indeed been ferocious. Not a single trace of its past could be seen now; everywhere were charred remains, ashes, and splinters.
Lu Tong walked slowly.
She had been away from home for quite some time, and many past images were not very clear. She only remembered the main hall from before, which connected to the kitchen in the small courtyard behind it. The eaves were very low, and often during rain, the courtyard would be flooded.
Now, the charred remains were mixed in the rubble, making it difficult to distinguish where the courtyard was or where the kitchen had been.
Her feet stepping on the rubble created a faint scraping noise. Lu Tong looked down and saw a tiny piece of porcelain poking out from among the broken tiles and debris.
She bent down and picked up the fragments.
It was a piece of blue stone shard. Near the kitchen in the long corridor, there was a blue stone tank, always full of clear water. Seven years ago, before she had left home, the last bucket of well water had been drawn by herself.
Yin Zheng came up behind her, looking at the burnt tiles all around, and couldn't help feeling a chill. She said in a low voice, "Miss, let's leave for now. The person earlier said that if you violate the taboo, especially since…"
"Especially what?" Lu Tong said, "Especially since the Lu Family is cursed?"
Yin Zheng dared not speak any further.
Lu Tong lowered her eyes, gripped the Wind Chime fragment in her palm tightly, and looking at the ruins ahead, said coldly, "Indeed, it is quite cursed."
Dead, imprisoned, drowned, burnt... She too wanted to know what "filthy thing" the Lu Family had offended for someone to mercilessly exterminate them.
"Did she say earlier that the family Lu Rou married into was the Ke Family from the Capital City?"
Yin Zheng composed herself quickly and replied, "Yes, that's right. They said it was a time-honored family in the Capital City that dealt in pottery."
"The Ke Family…" Lu Tong stood up and said, "I'll remember that."