Phi-Fic #544 - Think again
#544 - Think again
These three events, listed in order, are: Master Zhang's concubine going mad, Old Lady Li's worsening illness, and Butcher He washing his hands of the trade.
Well, in truth, none of these three events can really be considered strange tales. At most, they're just neighborhood gossip. Except for those close to the people involved, most people just listen to them as entertainment, and many don't even know about them.
For example, the matter of Master Zhang's concubine going mad has been tightly covered up by Master Zhang, probably because he feels it would be embarrassing if it got out.
Neither the tea house owner nor the waiter in the restaurant knew about it before. In the end, it was the courtesan in the brothel who told Lu Jing.
And she knew because Master Zhang's concubine was also in that line of work before marrying Master Zhang, and she had a good sister.
The news of her madness was spread by her good sister, reaching the courtesan's ears, who then told Lu Jing.
The courtesan's intention was to explain to Lu Jing why she was unwilling to marry those wealthy merchants, hoping to gain more sympathy. However, Lu Jing was more attracted to the event itself after hearing it.
The ins and outs aren't complicated. Master Zhang has married many wives and concubines, but those women's bellies are disappointing. They've given birth to several daughters.
In addition, Master Zhang is getting old, and it's estimated that his sperm quality is getting worse, making it even more difficult for his wives and concubines to get pregnant. Seeing that his huge family business has no one to inherit, he can't help but feel anxious.
Master Zhang is anxious, and his wives and concubines are even more anxious. After all, whoever can give birth to a fat son for Master Zhang at this time will not only have their position completely secure, but also have the family property for themselves and their son after Master Zhang's death. As for the others, they will have to rely on their faces for food.
So, these wives and concubines are using all their skills to get pregnant as soon as possible.
Master Zhang's concubine is one of them. However, perhaps the strong desire and the contrast brought about by her constantly flat belly actually drove her crazy.
She now tells everyone she meets that she has given birth to a boy for Master Zhang, but the child was secretly taken to the wilderness and buried by Master Zhang's first wife as soon as he was born.
Because of this, she first rushed to Master Zhang's first wife and made a big scene, and then shouted that she would report to the authorities to seek justice for her newborn child who died young.
Master Zhang couldn't stand the disturbance and didn't want the family scandal to spread, so he found a room and locked up his concubine alone.
The second thing happened in the east of the city. It also involved a famous wealthy household in the city, nicknamed 'Half-City Ma.' He has an old mother, Liu, who wasn't in great health before, but she could still eat and walk. But a few days ago, she suddenly became very ill for some reason.
However, according to Ma Bancheng's recollection, his old mother hadn't fallen or caught a cold these days, and the food she ate was no different from usual, so he didn't understand why she suddenly became so ill.
Ma Bancheng even suspected that there were unclean things in his house, and he invited a team of Taoist priests and monks from nearby Taoist temples and temples to perform rituals at home for several days, wanting to exorcise evil spirits for his old mother, but unfortunately, it didn't work.
Compared to the previous two 'family affairs,' the impact of the latter event is even greater.
Because Butcher He is not the only butcher in Lingyang County, he is the best butcher in the city. He has slaughtered livestock for twenty years, and his knife skills are divine. Although he has never read 'Zhuangzi,' the story of 'Butcher Ding Dismembering an Ox' seems to have been tailored for him.
This person sells meat without using a scale. A casual cut is the amount the customer needs, not a bit more, not a bit less. And no matter what fat-to-lean ratio you want, he can cut it just right for you.
However, this man, who was simply born for slaughter, suddenly announced that he dared not do it anymore when he was in his prime.
So, for a time, the women in the city didn't know where to buy meat, while other butchers saw the hope of getting ahead and were overjoyed.
The above is what Lu Jing inquired about regarding the three rumors in Lingyang County. At first glance, they all seem ordinary. The reason why Lu Jing noticed these things was thanks to the previous small competition.
The cases recorded on the files at that time were also fragmented like this, seemingly unrelated, but as the investigation progressed, Lu Jing gradually discovered the connections behind them.
And this time, Lu Jing also felt a sense of deja vu from these three things.
First of all, these three things all meet the basic principle of being abnormal, which is also the effect that strange objects often bring when they appear. Secondly, the protagonists' encounters in these three things are incomprehensible to outsiders.
Of course, Lu Jing doesn't rule out the possibility that these three things are man-made. For example, Master Zhang's concubine gave birth to a boy and was buried alive by the jealous first wife. Or, although Ma Bancheng is filthy rich, he is also extremely stingy, dislikes his old mother, and wants to find a way to reasonably send her off.
And Butcher He also suddenly became enlightened, giving up a lot of money to earn and wanting to cultivate some other hobbies.
Zhang Mansion and Ma Mansion are not so easy to enter, so Lu Jing plans to talk to Butcher He first.
Butcher He is a celebrity in Lingyang County, so his residence is also easy to find.
Go west along Gaotou Street, and you can see He's Meat Shop at about the middle. The signboard is also very eye-catching, and you can see it from a distance, so you definitely won't miss it.
It's just that there is no longer a long queue of people buying meat in front of the meat shop, and it even seems very deserted compared to the sugar water shop next door. The shop door is tightly closed.
Lu Jing walked to the door, reached out his hand, and knocked on the door.
After a while, a woman's voice came from behind the door, "My family doesn't sell meat anymore. Please go back, guest."
"I'm not here to buy meat," Lu Jing said, "I'm here to find Butcher He."
After he finished speaking, he waited for a while. The wooden door opened a small crack, and the person behind the door looked Lu Jing up and down several times, and said suspiciously, "Forgive my poor eyesight, but you look unfamiliar. I don't know why you're looking for my man."
"Oh, I'm here to become an apprentice," Lu Jing said, "I heard people say that killing pigs and sheep can earn a lot of money, so I also want to open a meat shop to make a living. But don't worry, I'm not a local of Lingyang. I plan to open my meat shop back home. I just heard that your husband is best at this, so I came here to learn the trade."
The woman shook her head, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. My man is no longer doing this business."
After saying that, she was about to close the door, but then she saw Lu Jing take out two bright silver ingots and put them in front of her, while sincerely saying, "Please consider it again. This twenty taels is just a deposit."