Chapter 40: Chapter 39 Departure_1
Wan Fu ordered someone to prepare the rice, flour, incense oil, and offering money needed for the trip to Wan’en Temple, then he returned to his own room.
As soon as he was back in his room, he took out two incense cakes wrapped in cloth bags from his embrace and threw them into the brazier to burn.
When the incense cakes were thrown into the fire, they immediately emitted a strange, fragrant aroma that, once it entered the nose, inexplicably caused a sense of irritability to arise in one’s heart.
Wan Fu quickly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.
These two incense cakes were attached in a letter from "Young Master Zheng," who owed Wan Quan a debt. He instructed Wan Fu to wear these incense cakes on his person.
Although Wan Fu was reluctant in his heart, his leverage was in someone else’s hands, and he had no choice but to follow the instructions. When worn on the body, the scent of the incense cakes was faint, imperceptible unless sniffed closely, and wearing them for all these days didn’t pose a threat to life. Aside from causing sleepless nights and anxious palpitations, there seemed to be no other issues.
To Wan Fu, insomnia might not be considered a big deal, but for Master Ke, who was plagued by heart disease and constantly feared that Lu Tong’s ghost would come to claim his life, this anxiety was like adding frost to snow—it was indeed life-threatening.
"Young Master Zheng" wanted Wan Fu to play the role of a ghost in the Ke Family, creating the false appearance that Lu Tong’s ghost had come to claim a life, in order to break Master Ke’s resolve.
Hence, following the instructions in the letter, Wan Fu had someone make two wooden shoe molds from afar, and with a splash of water, two damp footprints would appear.
Lu Tong’s feet were small, and she made her own embroidered shoes, which were difficult to buy outside; however, it was easy to make the shoe molds. Then, by occasionally folding Ke Chengxing’s clothes and tidying up his books, he subtly hinted at a woman crying in the middle of the night. Indeed, it didn’t take long to scare Ke Chengxing out of his wits.
Ordinary maids were not allowed in Ke Chengxing’s room, but Wan Fu was, and the habits Lu Tong had of folding clothes and arranging books were unknown to others, but Wan Fu knew them well. However, Ke Chengxing trusted Wan Fu and never directed his suspicions toward the servant by his side. Therefore, Wan Fu struck while the iron was hot and suggested inviting a Taoist to perform a ritual to drive away evil spirits.
During the three days of exorcising evil spirits, Wan Fu didn’t play ghost to frighten people, which made Ke Chengxing believe even more in the principle that good prevails over evil and that everything was the work of Lu Tong’s ghost. This commotion alarmed Lady Qin and Madam Ke, who wouldn’t allow Ke Chengxing to continue with these supernatural activities in the house. With no way out, Ke Chengxing, upon hearing about the Qinglian Festival—an ultimate lifeline—was sure to believe without a doubt.
Wan Fu was secretly terrified.
"Young Master Zheng" was truly frightening; he had never even entered the Ke Family, yet it seemed he had anticipated every move that took place within, leading Ke Chengxing step by step into the Qinglian Festival.
As for what would happen at the Qinglian Festival, Wan Fu didn’t even dare to think about it.
Having gone this far, it was impossible for him to turn back now.
Nanny Wan came in from outside and saw Wan Fu sweeping the burnt ashes into one place, and immediately spoke irritably, "What exactly are you trying to accomplish by doing these things all day?" She took a few steps forward and asked anxiously in a low voice, "Tell me honestly, how is Quan’er right now?"
Wan Fu did not tell Nanny Wan everything, only that Wan Quan had incurred gambling debts, and he was trying to think of ways to raise the silver to redeem him. Because this matter was of great importance, and Nanny Wan was not aware of the inside story of Lu Tong’s death, knowing too much would only be dangerous.
Let alone "Young Master Zheng," not even Master Ke would spare her.
So Wan Fu kept Nanny Wan in the dark, after all, sometimes ignorance is indeed a blessing.
He stood up and thrust the bamboo broom into Nanny Wan’s hands, "It will be soon, in a few days he will be back. You mustn’t let others catch on, keep the master’s silver hidden as long as you can."
Moved by the seriousness in his expression, Nanny Wan subconsciously nodded. Seeing Wan Fu go out the door again, she hurriedly followed a few steps behind him, asking, "It’s time to eat, where are you going again?"
Wan Fu didn’t answer her question, and his figure quickly disappeared outside the door.
...
The daylight always seems to pass quickly.
After the foot traffic for purchasing medicinal tea decreased, there was nothing much left to do in the clinic, so Du Changqing took Ah Cheng home early. Yin Zheng carefully locked up the shop’s main gate and, after counting the remaining medicinal tea jars, found it was already time to light the lamps.
The lanterns in the courtyard swayed gently. It had rained a few days earlier, and the lanterns were dampened by the rainwater, the patterns blurred on the surface, making them appear even more aged.
The small window in the kitchen was firmly shut, with slivers of orange light seeping through the gaps, casting a soft and tranquil glow over the small courtyard.
Lu Tong was in the back kitchen making medicine.
Lately, she had always been quite busy. While Du Changqing stared off into space in the shop, Lu Tong would often go back to the small courtyard behind the shop first and burrow into the kitchen, where she would remain for several hours. Sometimes she would be busy until midnight and then get up at dawn to open the shop.
Yin Zheng walked onto the corridor, looking at the light shining through the window cracks, wondering in her heart, didn’t her young mistress feel tired? Ordinary people would be exhausted by such concerns, yet her mistress always appeared clear-headed and showed no sign of fatigue each day.
In the stone jar on the porch was clear water, with a gourd ladle floating on the surface, the light casting faint ripples.
Yin Zheng steadied her mind, pushed open the door, and said softly, "Miss..."
The entire back kitchen was enveloped in smoke, and a strange fragrance hit her as she entered.
The scent was peculiar, as if mixed with some kind of pine resin and reminiscent of the sandalwood in temples: both rich and subtle, both lucid and turbid. As soon as it entered the nostrils, it felt as though one was being poured a mouthful of old, strong liquor that had been stored for a long time, intoxicating and swelling the brain.
Yin Zheng was startled, and in the next moment, she heard Lu Tong’s harsh shout, "Get out!"
She seldom spoke to Yin Zheng with such a severe tone, and the surprise made Yin Zheng take several quick steps back, pulling the door closed as she retreated. For some reason, her heart pounded erratically for a few beats.
In that room, the smoke swirled, not seeming like the making of medicine, and then there was that fragrance...
The cold breeze outside scattered the shock she had just felt. The courtyard at night was serene, and Yin Zheng’s racing heart gradually calmed down. After some thought, she found a stool, carried it to the porch in front of the back kitchen, and sat down, peacefully waiting.
The oil in the lamp had burned down by half, when the door to the back kitchen opened.
Lu Tong came out, her brown cloth clothes turned gray from the smoke, and there was a hint of fatigue in her eyes and brows.
Yin Zheng stood up and said softly, "Miss, we’ve received a message from Kuaihuo Tower. Wan Fu said that everything is ready, and Master Ke will set off for Wan’en Temple early tomorrow morning."
She didn’t mention the strange smell she had encountered in the back kitchen, but only smiled at Lu Tong, "Master Ke believes deeply in Wan Fu’s proposal. I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly on this end."
When Lu Tong first sent scented pastries to Wan Fu, Yin Zheng felt somewhat uneasy. Deceiving people with these tricks seemed a solution, but Madam Ke didn’t look easy to fool. If discovered, trouble would inevitably come knocking at their door.
But alongside the scented pastries, Lu Tong also sent a kind of cooling plaster. Wan Fu secretly applied it several times to the rim of the cups and dishes usually used by Madam Ke. After a while, Madam Ke caught a chill.
Being ill, Madam Ke couldn’t manage the household chores well and had no choice but to let Wan Fu manipulate things around Ke Chengxing.
Getting Ke Chengxing’s agreement to visit Wan’en Temple was much easier than anticipated.
Yin Zheng looked at Lu Tong, "But Miss, when do we set off?"
Lu Tong replied indifferently, "It takes half a day to climb the mountain. If we depart at noon tomorrow, we will arrive at the temple by evening. After staying overnight, the next day is the Green Lotus Festival."
She lowered her eyelids, "We will leave in the afternoon tomorrow."