Liu'er's temples were disheveled, and an obvious red mark stood out on her face. The shape of five fingers was clear, and there were still traces of blood at her nose and the corners of her mouth.
Sold at the age of six to be the first maidservant of the County Magistrate's young Miss, this was probably Liu'er's first time being beaten.
"You really have no backbone!" Fang Jinxiu gritted her teeth in anger and poked Liu'er's head, "What are you crying for! Making a fuss over nothing!"
Liu'er reached out to hit her hand.
"There are too many of them," she cried out, "how could I have fought them?"
"If you can't fight, then run," Seventh Chen couldn't help but interject.
"My Miss is still not found," Liu'er cried.
Fang Jinxiu bit her lower lip in anger.
"Stop crying," she said impatiently. "What did the county registrar say?"
Liu'er wiped her tears.
"I didn't see the county registrar; they told me he wasn't home," she cried, and then looked at Fang Jinxiu, "Are you lying to me, deliberately making me suffer?"
The beating she had received was still too light.
Fang Jinxiu glared in fury, lunging a hand towards Liu'er, who, though disheveled, prepared for both defense and an attack.
"You fool." Fang Jinxiu ultimately didn't hit her but flung her hand away and said, "I'm going to the Lin Family to look for someone, you go back and tell the Fang Family that your Miss cannot be found. By yourself, what can you accomplish?"
Liu'er looked sceptically at her.
"Do you want the Fang Family to start a fight with others?" she muttered.
Fang Jinxiu couldn't be bothered to respond further, and she turned around to leave, while Seventh Chen hurriedly chased after her, carrying a loop of grass rope.
"Are you really going?" he asked.
Fang Jinxiu walked briskly without speaking.
"You're just a child too, and there are only two of us," Seventh Chen said. "If it comes to fighting, we're still outnumbered. Better we notify the Fang Family and have them come."
Fang Jinxiu stopped and looked at him.
"You're wrong, it's just one person," she said. "It has nothing to do with you, you've sold your sugar figurines, pack up and go home."
Seventh Chen said, "Oh," then watched Fang Jinxiu stride off quickly, and a moment later, he followed again.
Fang Jinxiu glared at him.
"I'm showing you the way. Do you know where the county registrar's house is?" Seventh Chen quickly said. "Although you're not a pampered Miss who never leaves the house, you definitely aren't as familiar with this town as I am. The Lin Clan's residence is vast; you can't just wander there asking around."
Fang Jinxiu indeed didn't know where the county registrar lived, and she actually planned to ask along the way.
Seventh Chen was right; Liu'er had already caused a scene, and the Lin Family would be on guard. If she kept asking along the way, she might be stopped before she even reached the Lin Family.
Fang Jinxiu looked at Seventh Chen.
"Well, thank you then," she said.
Seventh Chen chuckled, adjusted the pole on his shoulder, and said, "Come with me," leading the way ahead.
Fang Jinxiu watched him for a complex moment, then followed.
"Why are you still carrying that thing if you've sold all your sugar figurines?" she asked.
"Making one of these takes effort," Seventh Chen replied. "The time it takes to make this, I could make ten sugar figurines, and ten sugar figurines could earn me ten coins. So this grass loop is money, and how can I throw money away?"
Fang Jinxiu tugged at the corner of her mouth and said no more.
Seventh Chen tightened his grip on the pole.
Besides, if a fight were to break out later, this thing could still serve as a weapon for self-defense.
The Lin Family's residence was easy to find. It was dusk now, and unlike the busy streets filled with playing children, Lin Family's Alley was unusually quiet.
Seventh Chen paused, hoisted the straw loop higher on his shoulder, motioned for Fang Jinxiu to follow, and strode in.
"Sugar figurines, sugar figurines," he called out.
His voice shattered the silence of the alley, prompting the hidden people to peer out.
In Yangcheng, Seventh Chen was somewhat of a celebrity; many recognized him.
Seeing it was Seventh Chen, some people frowned but otherwise relaxed.
"What are you meddling in, Seventh Chen?" someone said.
"Sugar seller, ah," Seventh Chen said with a laugh.
Everyone looked at his empty grass ring.
"Selling what, exactly?" someone grumbled irritably.
"I sold out everything at the execution platform," Seventh Chen said, "I was on my way home and thought I'd swing by to see if anyone here wanted sugar figurines. I could always deliver more."
People were used to Seventh Chen earning money any way he could, engaging in all sorts of trades.
"Who would want that?" everyone said impatiently, their gazes falling on Fang Jinxiu who was following Seventh Chen.
This time, Jinxiu was not dressed as a miss, but in coarse clothing, specially found for her by Concubine Yuan.
Wealth must not be flaunted; it was unsafe for a girl alone to dress too well and attract attention.
"Of course, someone will buy," Seventh Chen said, glancing back at Fang Jinxiu with a hint of pride, "How many did your family say they wanted again?"
"Just three," Fang Jinxiu muttered sullenly. "Can you hurry up? Do you even have any left?"
It seemed this girl was buying sugar figurines for her younger siblings at home; Seventh Chen had sold out but was taking her to his house to get more.
The people of the Lin Clan stopped paying attention to Fang Jinxiu.
"Stop wandering around here, there's no business for you, go back home," they said.
Seventh Chen agreed repeatedly, but he still made his way into the alley. The Lin Clan's servants lived here, and the interconnected neighborhood went through here; one could enter from this side and leave through another. The servants of the Lin Clan didn't care too much, letting Seventh Chen pass.
Turning down one alley, Seventh Chen let out a slight breath of relief.
"There weren't any people on guard here before," he whispered.
Jinxiu looked ahead where three or four men were stationed at the mouth of the alley, talking while keeping watch.
"They're really on alert," she said, "There must be something going on."
Liu'er told her they saw an execution on the street, and Jun Zhenzhen spotted an official from Taiyuan prefecture and sensed something was wrong, then she sent Liu'er to inform Old Lady Fang.
What exactly had she seen that was amiss? Was it related to the Fang Family? To the Fang Family's enemies? To Registrar Lin?
So, had Jun Zhenzhen approached Registrar Lin for information and then been deceived by him?
Perhaps she couldn't be easily deceived, but Jun Zhenzhen was too audacious, daring to confront it despite knowing it might be a trap.
"Where does Registrar Lin live?" Fang Jinxiu asked.
Seventh Chen pointed to a residence.
...................
As the relentless knocking persisted, the door finally opened with impatience, and the person opening it showed a clearly annoyed expression.
It was a maidservant.
"What do you want?" she asked sharply, recognizing Seventh Chen. "Seventh Chen, why are you knocking on my door?"
Seventh Chen shook the bamboo pole in his arms.
"Nanny Wang, want to buy a few sugar figurines for the miss and young masters at home?" he said with a cheerful smile.
Nanny Wang spat and relaxed her expression, her hand also leaving the door.
"You little rascal, always in some trade or another, how come you've ended up here..." she began.
Before she could finish, Jinxiu, standing behind Seventh Chen, stepped forward and forcefully pushed open the door, stepping over the threshold.
Nanny Wang startled and cried out.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Jinxiu didn't advance any further but just stood inside the door looking at her.
"Tell Registrar Lin that I am from the Fang Family—the Fang Family that just roused both the armies of Shanxi and Henan Province, smashed the county government's gates, captured the County Magistrate, and showed Yangcheng people a beheading that took three chops," Jinxiu said firmly. "Tell him, the Fang Family has come to demand people."
The color drained from the maidservant's face, her expression one of fear.
Seventh Chen watched Jinxiu with a face full of admiration.
What an aura, so decisive and impressive.
******************************