Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 165: Du Jinnian
Captain Lu took action on three fronts: sending someone to perform an autopsy on Old Master Cheng—the poisoning case of Old Master Cheng; sending others to search the entire Cheng family mansion for clues on Du Jinnian’s disappearance; and he himself continued to oversee the front courtyard, maintaining control. As for Cheng Xiaonan being poisoned and the “kidnapping suspect” from the Fushou Gang that Hai Yunlong had just brought over, Captain Lu didn’t seem to be in a hurry to interrogate.
Taking advantage of the police’s widespread search and the resulting panic, the five friends quietly gathered.
Without time for pleasantries, Kuang Jinxin immediately shared his side story experience.
He had been following a master thief surnamed Chen, who was rumored to have stealthily entered the heavily guarded Marshal’s mansion one night. Instead of stealing any gold or jewelry, but not wanting to leave empty-handed, he managed to steal a bag of rice, earning him the nickname Chen Yidou*.
*Depending on context, in this case, his nickname can be thought of as “One Bag (of rice) Chen”.
Last night was their first reconnaissance of the Cheng family, where Chen Yidou skillfully stole a box of antique paintings and calligraphy. Today was their second, but Chen Yidou only had Kuang Jinxin keep watch outside, not disclosing what else he intended to steal.
“He just said it was for the same client, owing that person a favor, and he had to help whether he wanted to or not.” Kuang Jinxin managed to gather only this much information.
“The same client…” Wu Sheng mused. “So Chen Yidou was reluctant to come back?”
Kuang Jinxin nodded. “Yeah, he said it’s risky to act during the day and that something big was bound to happen at the Cheng family today. If he got caught, it would mean death.”
“And he still had you keep watch.” Chi Yingxue, who had been casually listening, suddenly turned serious. There was a flash of displeasure in his eyes.
“I can’t scale walls or roofs, so I could only do this…” Kuang Jinxin scratched his head awkwardly. His words were directed at Chi Yingxue, but his eyes were still on Wu Sheng, as if intently waiting for the advisor to decipher the connections.
Chi Yingxue lowered his gaze and said no more.
Xu Wang looked back and forth between them, unsure if he was overthinking or if there really was a subtle tension in the air.
What exactly did Chen Yidou still want to steal? And why didn’t he steal it all last night?—Wu Sheng was completely immersed in his deductions, oblivious to the subtle dynamics around him.
Qian Ai, always observant, suddenly warned, “They’re coming out.”
From the memorial hall—the autopsy site—a young police officer ran out to whisper something to Captain Lu.
Captain Lu’s face darkened, and his gaze swept around before announcing, “Old Master Cheng was indeed poisoned to death.”
The entire front courtyard fell deathly silent.
Captain Lu whispered to another officer. “Bring him up.”
The officer quickly left and returned, pushing a person into the center of the courtyard—it was Dr. Gong.
“I did visit the Cheng family last night…” Dr. Gong, obviously unaccustomed to such rough treatment, looked distressed and disheveled.
“What kind of visit?” Captain Lu asked sharply, as if interrogating a criminal.
Doctor Gong honestly replied, “A poisoning induced by aconite in alcohol.”
Captain Lu: “Did you see the medicated alcohol?”
Doctor Gong hesitated. “No, I didn’t.”
Captain Lu nodded, his gaze returning to Cheng Xiaonan. When he spoke again, his tone was devoid of politeness. “Cheng Xiaonan, your father’s death is suspicious, and you didn’t report it. You were poisoned, and you still didn’t report it. This seems hard to explain.”
A wind suddenly rose in the courtyard, as if heralding an approaching storm.
“Captain—Captain—” The police searching the Cheng mansion returned. “We found a body in the well in the backyard! Judging by the body’s build, it looks like Du Jinnian!”
The crowd was shocked, immediately buzzing with speculation.
Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes, skeptical of the too-convenient developments.
Captain Lu stood with a fierce glare, his face tightened with anger, yet if one looked closely into his eyes, the dark clouds had dispersed, shining brightly, and his voice carried an uncontrollable excitement. “Summon the men. Surround the Cheng family’s residence, lock the main gate, and let no one out!”
His excitement was too apparent, and his orders were too urgent. Not just Captain Xu, who was good at observing people, but even Advisor Wu could see—he had been waiting for this moment.
Cheng Xiaonan could no longer stand, falling to the ground with a crash, even with support.
“It’s over. The Cheng family is finished…” This sentence floated over amidst the noisy whispers.
Before Wu Sheng could look for the speaker, Xu Wang had already given Qian Ai a look, who, understanding, moved precisely next to an old maid who had spoken. With a dark and honest face, he seemingly struck up a casual conversation. “There’s no evidence saying it was the Master who did it. Spend some more money, and in a few days, they’ll be released…”
“That money is of no use,” the old maid whispered back, her voice filled with regret and sorrow. “The Cheng family has been targeted by the police department, just like the Du family back in the day. They’re after all your family’s assets…”
Qian Ai was startled. “The Du family? Du Jinnian’s family?”
“Yes, exactly. Haa, in these times, whether you’re a big family or not, those with guns make the rules. They can just find any excuse, arrest you, seal your house, take what they can take, occupy what they can occupy, and no matter how big the family business, it will fall into ruin… It’s better to leave early…”
Perhaps it was the old maid’s tone, so full of sorrow, or maybe because the chaos of war felt too close, Qian Ai felt a bit distressed. “Where can we run to? There will be wars everywhere in the country…”
The old maid didn’t hear the rest, responding only to the first few words. “To Hong Kong. The Du family has relatives in Hong Kong. I heard they’ve been wanting them to move there too. Alas, they were still a step too late…”
As Qian Ai was uncovering new information, the police had already moved the corpse to the front yard.
The body was swollen, and the face was so decayed it was unrecognizable, but the police said it resembled Du Jinnian, and no one dared to question it.
But Wu Sheng knew it wasn’t.
If it were, he would have given up his submission.
Captain Lu deliberately placed the body in front of Cheng Xiaonan, leisurely watching him.
Cheng Xiaonan’s face was bloodless. “Impossible, this is impossible… He came to me that day to ask about Lao Er. I didn’t know anything. We barely spoke before he left—he really left!” He almost pleaded with Captain Lu. “I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t kill him…”
Obviously, Cheng Xiaonan had determined the body to be Du Jinnian’s, but the body’s condition made it unrecognizable. The only identifiable feature left was…
Wu Sheng’s eyes flashed behind his glasses—the clothes.
“It seems Mr. Cheng has recognized the body, saving us some trouble.” Captain Lu smiled, causing his face to pile together. “Then, Mr. Cheng, please tell us what happened, to save you some trouble when we get to the station.”
“I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t kill anyone…” Cheng Xiaonan repeated, over and over.
Captain Lu’s face fell as he called to his men. “Take Cheng Xiaonan back—”
Going back to the police station would mean the police would lose all their politeness. Cheng Xiaonan knew it better than anyone. This whole affair was meant to doom him.
As he was being lifted, his lips suddenly trembled, as if he wanted to shout something, but before he could open his mouth, someone else spoke first—
“Captain Lu, have you forgotten something?” Hai Yunlong had been patient up to now, not wanting to break ties with the police station, but the situation no longer allowed him to stand by. His form of address* showed he could no longer afford politeness.
*He started using (你) instead of (您) which is the polite form of you.
Captain Lu glanced at the still prostrated, utterly shocked brother of the Fushou Gang. The impatience on his face was evident by his frown, his whole demeanor screaming “I don’t want to deal with this”, while his gaze drifted towards Ying Jiu.
Ying Jiu stepped forward. “This matter, the Fushou Gang should give an explanation.”
“Second Master Cheng’s kidnapping was done by a few shortsighted boys without the Fushou Gang’s knowledge. Someone paid a large sum of money to hire them for the kidnapping, with the ransom split fifty-fifty. After the deed, it was this kid who sent the ransom note…” Ying Jiu’s tone was calm and systematic, not like a suspect defending himself but more like a teacher lecturing. “When I found out, I immediately had them release Second Master Cheng and made sure he reached his doorstep before withdrawing…”
“I regret Second Master Cheng’s ordeal. But the Fushou Gang neither took the ransom nor killed the man. We admit to the kidnapping, and I will personally deliver those kids to the police station.”
His last statement was directed at Captain Lu, who immediately responded, quite courteously, “Thank you, Mr. Jiu.”
Anyone with a discerning eye could see what that attitude implied.
Hai Yunlong understood even better, but the Hai Gang wasn’t to be trifled with. Accustomed to being domineering, he certainly wouldn’t allow anyone to flaunt their power in front of him. “Captain Lu! If Cheng Xiaonan is a suspect, you take him in, yet Master Ying Jiu has already admitted that the Fushou Gang kidnapped someone, but you’re being polite. What kind of reasoning is this?!”
Captain Lu indeed had no ground to stand on, so he rested his hand on the gun at his waist, ready to intimidate, but Ying Jiu gently patted his shoulder.
“Young Master, don’t rush. I haven’t finished talking.” Master Ying Jiu smiled slightly, as if he was having a chat over tea. “The murderer of Second Master Cheng, we’ve already caught them. Please take a look.”
With that, a young man, bound tightly, was brought forward, and upon seeing Hai Yunlong, he burst into tears. “Young master—”
Hai Yunlong was both shocked and angry. “Ying Jiu, what’s the meaning of this?!”
Master Ying Jiu remained silent while a brother from the Fushou Gang who was beside him raised his leg and kicked the bound man.
The young man shuddered violently, clearly having been tortured. His eyes were filled with fear, and he began to spill everything.
It turns out, after Cheng Jiming reached his doorstep and the Fushou Gang brothers had withdrawn, some members of the Hai Gang who had been watching took him for the second time. They were the ones who collected the ransom, killed, and disposed of the body. The Fushou Gang, who had released the victim, was wrongly accused.
As for the mastermind behind the scenes, the young man explicitly identified Hai Yunlong.
The young man was a familiar face of the Hai Gang and especially close to Hai Yunlong, which left Hai Yunlong unable to deny his identity. He could only insist that Ying Jiu had bribed him to frame him. “Ying Jiu, you have no proof. Don’t try to throw dirty water on me!”
“No proof?” Master Ying Jiu looked leisurely at the young man.
The young man shuddered again and suddenly shouted, “I have evidence. I have evidence—”
In a short while, police who had gone to dig for evidence on the back mountain returned, bringing back a bag of silver dollars wrapped in a ragged piece of clothing.
The silver dollars, taken by the young man in a moment of greed, were part of the ransom. Though the words “ransom” weren’t written on the silver dollars, the ragged clothing wrapping them was what Second Master Cheng was wearing when he was kidnapped.
Several maids from the Cheng family could testify that the pattern on it was stitched by them, needle by needle.
With both testimonial and physical evidence available, Captain Lu’s face nearly split with a smile, and even his voice became gentler and patient. “Young Master, we’re not saying you definitely ordered this, but looking at the current situation… you might have to come back to the station with us.”
“I won’t go—” Hai Yunlong stepped back abruptly, looking at Ying Jiu and then at Captain Lu. As if realizing something, his eyes filled with rage. “This is a setup. You’re trying to frame me, frame the Hai Gang—”
He understood.
So did Wu Sheng.
But Wu Sheng saw something more—Cheng Xiaonan began to yawn, one after another, unnaturally frequently, looking around as if searching for something, yet his gaze was unfocused.
He was having a bout of opium withdrawal.
Captain Lu saw it too and immediately seized the opportunity, stepping forward to Cheng Xiaonan, asking with feigned concern, “What’s wrong, Master?”
Cheng Xiaonan grabbed him like a drowning man clutching at a lifeline. “Let me have a few puffs… Just a few…”
Captain Lu shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. The case is still unclear, Master. You’ll have to come back to the station with us.”
“It’s clear. It’s clear!” Cheng Xiaonan’s fingernails were almost digging into Captain Lu’s flesh. At this moment, he didn’t seem human but more like a ghost. “It was Hai Huiping who poisoned my father. It was Hai Huiping who had someone kill my brother. It was all that bitch’s doing. She even wanted to poison me! Quick… give me some opium…”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Hai Huiping, who had been hiding among the Cheng family members in mourning attire, became hysterical, screaming shrilly.
Immediately, two junior officers rushed to her side, but they didn’t arrest her and just stood guard.
Cheng Xiaonan had completely lost his mind, turning back to yell at Hai Huiping. “It was you! You seduced me, saying my brother never touched you and that he wasn’t a real man! I just wanted to make some money. I never wanted my brother to die—”
“Cheng Xiaonan, you’re slandering me!” Hai Huiping was trembling all over, whether from anger or fear.
Cheng Xiaonan couldn’t hear her anymore, continuing to sob and wail to Captain Lu, no longer resembling the Master of the Cheng family. “I really didn’t kill anyone. I just wanted to make some money… My father wouldn’t give me any… I’m the eldest son. Why should all the inheritance go to my brother…”
Captain Lu, disgusted, was about to push him away when Master Ying Jiu handed him an opium pipe from the side.
Captain Lu paused, then, understanding, took the opium pipe and waved it in front of Cheng Xiaonan.
Cheng Xiaonan, like a dying man seeing a panacea, reached out eagerly.
Captain Lu raised the opium pipe high, teasing him like teasing a monkey, while provocatively asking, “She instigated the murder of your brother. Did she also instigate the murder of your father? The Old Master was close to uncovering the truth. You then poured water in front of his door to make ice, failed in one attempt, and then poisoned him. Are you even human?”
Cheng Xiaonan’s eyes darkened, clearly more stimulated by the mention of “father” than “brother”, but at this moment, it was unclear whether he was truly coming back to his senses or descending into a deeper frenzy. “I didn’t expect the old man to be so tough… It’s all because he was partial… Because he was partial…”
Towards the end, he actually laughed. Despite his face being covered in tears and snot, his smile was twisted and bizarre.
With that, the situation became clear.
Cheng Xiaonan and Hai Huiping hired the Fushou Gang to kidnap someone—of course, they definitely didn’t reveal their identities. Cheng Xiaonan, as he said, likely just wanted to make some money, hence the ransom split fifty-fifty; but Hai Huiping might have wanted Cheng Jiming dead from the start, so when she found out the Fushou Gang had released him, she directly hired people from the Hai Gang for a second kidnapping, and after receiving the ransom, they killed him.
Whether Cheng Xiaonan was willing or not, and whether there was any affair between him and Hai Huiping, became irrelevant. A life had tied him, Hai Huiping, Hai Yunlong, and even the entire Hai Gang together on the same boat.
When Old Master Cheng commissioned Mr. Bai to investigate Cheng Jiming’s death and was close to the truth, Mr. Bai received a warning note from the Hai Gang, Old Master Cheng slipped on ice, and from then on was bedridden, likely poisoned little by little from that time.
Hai Huiping wanted power, Cheng Xiaonan wanted money, and Hai Yunlong likely wanted to swallow the entire Cheng family. The three, each with their own schemes, orchestrated a series of tragic events.
All these were within Wu Sheng’s deductions. The only thing he hadn’t expected was—Master Ying Jiu and Captain Lu seemed to know the case better than him, the “detective”.
From the moment the police stormed into the Cheng family mansion, first claiming to investigate, then step by step, link by link, they brought out Cheng Xiaonan, Hai Huiping, and Hai Yunlong.
Although far from “irrefutable evidence”, just inviting the three to the police station for “tea” would likely lead them to confess everything, whether they were guilty or not.
This wasn’t a situation formed by fluke.
If Xu Wang hadn’t been “possessed” to scare that Fushou Gang brother, Ying Jiu could have directly thrown out the bound young man from the Hai Gang, claiming the kidnapping was entirely the Hai Gang’s doing, completely skipping over the Fushou Gang’s framed charge, making the situation even more perfect.
Or to say, closer to some original plan.
This was a grand play of cooperation, both overt and covert, with Ying Jiu and Captain Lu in the open and another hand in the dark.
Wu Sheng pulled over Chi Yingxue, whispering a few words.
Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow, not understanding his purpose, but still turned to leave.
“Arrest them all. Seal the Cheng family mansion. During the investigation, no outsiders are allowed in or out—” With the case clear, Captain Lu’s order was resolute.
Before the policemen in the yard could act, those guarding outside rushed in. “Captain, the Hai Gang and Fushou Gang are fighting outside!”
Captain Lu glanced at Ying Jiu without doubt but with a bit of worry.
Master Ying Jiu gave him a reassuring smile.
Captain Lu was relieved and yelled at the stationary junior officers, “What are you standing around for? Arrest them!”
“Yes!” The junior officers, now with orders, had no hesitations. Regardless of whether they were a master or a young gang leader, they were arrested without discrimination.
The Hai Gang’s young leader wasn’t so easily caught. Outside the Cheng family mansion, a fierce battle ensued.
But the Fushou Gang wasn’t to be underestimated. If the Hai Gang brought people to rescue, they brought people to block. It became a standoff over who could outfight whom—after all, it was clear which side the police station was on.
The Fushou Gang alone against the Hai Gang had no chance, but Fushou Gang + police station…
Wu Sheng, watching Master Ying Jiu’s calm demeanor, thought that if this were a segment of history that could continue, from then on, Tianjin might no longer have the Hai Gang.
Chi Yingxue hurried back with the news. “Didn’t find Cheng Yixin.”
Wu Sheng nodded, the last bit of doubt in his mind settling.
The fight outside eventually spilled inside, turning into a grand melee. The five friends used Xu Wang’s offense stationery + Qian Ai’s defense stationery to escape the chaos.
Once in a safe area, Qian Ai scratched his head. “The case is all clear now, but what about Du Jinnian?”
Wu Sheng said, “I know.”
……
In front of Cheng Jiming’s grave.
A young man in a plain, long robe was speaking softly to the grave’s occupant. He didn’t burn paper money but just spoke quietly, as if he was saying goodbye rather than paying tribute.
“I’m leaving now, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to return. But rest assured, I will treat Xin’er as my own daughter…”
He spoke for a long time, so long that he checked his pocket watch repeatedly, and upon the third check, he finally stood up, took one last reluctant look at the tombstone, and turned to leave.
But he had barely taken a step when he froze.
Five people were approaching.
One in a suit, handsome and refined; one in monk’s robes, bald and shining; one in a long robe and jacket, with a serene yet somehow menacing air; one young and naively charming; another dark-skinned, with a powerful build.
The five walked side by side in brisk steps with varying heights, dressed in different styles, making it difficult to discern what kind of organization they might belong to.
As they came within a few steps of each other, four of them suddenly stopped. Only the handsome, refined young man in a suit took a half step forward, naturally drawing the focus to him.
“The body of Old Master Cheng, it was you who intentionally carried it away and gave it to Ying Jiu and Hai Yunlong…”
The young man adjusted his glasses, speaking clearly and logically.
“Your move gave Ying Jiu an excuse to enter the Cheng household and also implicated Hai Yunlong. Even if he didn’t go, with Ying Jiu refusing to leave the Cheng residence, Hai Huiping would have called her brother to stand guard…”
“Cheng Xiaonan thought it was Hai Huiping who poisoned him, but it wasn’t. It was you. You needed the Cheng family’s case to be as complicated as possible—the more cases there are, the more reason the police have to search the place…”
“Targeting Hai Huiping and Hai Yunlong is equivalent to targeting the Hai Gang. The Fushou Gang couldn’t do it, nor could the police department, but together, they could. Once the Hai Gang was scattered, the Fushou Gang would take the territory, and the police department would benefit. You, who used their hands, killed three birds with just one stone—Hai Yunlong, Hai Huiping, Cheng Xiaonan—all to avenge Cheng Jiming.”
Taking a deep breath, Wu Sheng pulled out a seal from his chest.
The young man in plain clothes showed a flicker of surprise. “How did it end up with you?”
“Sorry, I searched the Cheng family mansion earlier than the police.” Wu Sheng smiled, but his eyes were cold. “If this seal ended up in the hands of the police, the matter of Du Jinnian dying at the Cheng residence would be confirmed, right?”
The young man in plain clothes remained silent.
Wu Sheng sighed. “For revenge, you didn’t hesitate to harm another life?”
The young man was startled, then shook his head. “I didn’t. He was a poor soul from the mass graves. When I found him, he was already dead. I merely borrowed his body.” Lowering his eyes, the young man’s voice carried apology and shame. “If I meet him in the underworld, I’ll apologize to him…”
Wu Sheng was taken aback by his response, pausing before saying, “Xue Qingshan commissioned me, saying his best friend had disappeared and asked for my help to find him. Money was no object; he was just afraid something had happened to his friend.”
The doubt that had lingered in the young man’s eyes now dissolved into understanding, and his look towards Wu Sheng became less guarded, tinged with a wry smile. “I did say I was going far away… Ah, please apologize to him for me.”
Wu Sheng sighed. “In just a short while, you’ve wronged two people.”
The young man, not expecting to be teased, seemed to want to laugh but couldn’t, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Jiming died too horribly. I couldn’t let him go without clarity. I originally wanted to seek revenge through the Fushou Gang, but later discovered the real culprit was someone else. I’m not afraid of Cheng Xiaonan, but I couldn’t take on the Hai Gang alone…”
Wu Sheng: “So you used Ying Jiu? The Hai Gang thug who embezzled the ransom, you gave him to Ying Jiu, right?”
“It’s not about using.” The young man said, “My little tricks couldn’t deceive Master Jiu. He was just happy to go along with it.”
Wu Sheng: “Where is Cheng Yixin?”
The young man, caught off guard, looked at Wu Sheng incredulously.
Wu Sheng shrugged. “The items Chen Yidou stole were for leaving a way out for Cheng Yixin. You knew that once this matter came to light, the Cheng family would fall, just as your family did, so you had to leave enough money for her—enough for you and her to live in Hong Kong…”
“Actually, you didn’t want Chen Yidou to probe into the Cheng mansion, but there was no choice. This time, you were stealing a living person. If Cheng Yixin disappeared the night before, the Cheng family would surely be in chaos, which would affect the subsequent steps, so Cheng Yixin could only disappear the next day, quietly amidst the chaos in the front courtyard…”
The young man fell silent, having nothing to add.
“These stars are not those of last night, for whom do the wind and dew stand deep into the night?” Wu Sheng pulled out the note found in Cheng Jiming’s study, reciting it softly.
A complex emotion welled up in the young man’s eyes.
“This is from Huang Jingren’s ‘Qi Huai’ poem number fifteen*. I’m not good at literature, but I’m good at love poems.” Wu Sheng spoke naturally, his confidence seamlessly integrated into his demeanor. “I’ve always wondered what the red crescent mark at the end of the note meant. Until just now…”
*It is work fifteen in “Qi Huai”, which is a collection of sixteen poems by Huang Jingren. I’ll provide my analysis of this and how it applies to this instance in my Kinky Thoughts.
He unfolded the note towards the young man, the other hand holding Du Jinnian’s seal with “Yu Sheng” engraved on it, gently pressing the bottom of the seal onto the red crescent. The edge of the seal fit perfectly with the crescent’s edge; even the tiny chip on the seal was clearly imprinted on the crescent’s edge.
“This isn’t just any crescent moon, but a seal. The person stamping it regretted it the moment it touched the paper.”
So, only half of the red edge was stamped, not the letters.
The young man’s eyes reddened, whether from the emotions he’d invested or the memories of those gone.
Wu Sheng had only one last question—not crucial but still curious if the other party was willing to answer. “Is it because of you that Cheng Jiming doesn’t touch Hai Huiping?”
“No.” The young man didn’t hesitate before shaking his head. “We were just friends. The letters I wrote…” He smiled bitterly. “I never received a response.”
Taking a deep breath, he calmed his gaze, devoid of any bitterness, only resignation and remembrance. “His heart had room only for Lanxin, and no one else could enter after her.”
Zhou Lanxin, Cheng Jiming’s official wife.
Cheng Yixin, Yi, Xin*.
*Clarity: His daughter is named Yi Xin (忆欣) which translated would mean to recall/remember Xin (his wife).
“Aren’t you leaving?” Wu Sheng suddenly urged. “The ship to Hong Kong is about to depart, isn’t it? Any later, and Chen Yidou might worry about not being able to deliver the hard-stolen young lady.”
“You’re not arresting me?” The young man in plain clothes was astonished.
Wu Sheng adjusted his glasses, smiling. “We’re not police. Why would we arrest you?”
After saying this, he looked back.
A young monk behind him stepped forward confidently, pointing at the young man in plain clothes, putting a conclusive stamp on this tumultuous saga—
“Du Jinnian, we finally found you!”
[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 11/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]
……
Back at the hotel, just as he was about to fall asleep, Xu Wang remembered to ask, “What exactly is Master Yan Yi carrying on his shoulders?”
Wu Sheng, even more sleepy, muttered with his eyes closed. “Not sure…”
Xu Wang, persistent, pressed, “Then share your guess.”
Wu Sheng, struggling to keep his eyelids up, asked, “What’s the reward for telling?”
Xu Wang raised an eyebrow. “None. But there’s a punishment for not telling.”
Wu Sheng: “……”
Negotiations are all about who can hold out longer, and clearly, Advisor Wu was outmaneuvered.
“I guess he might have seen Cheng Jiming’s body being dumped; maybe he even recognized someone from the Hai Gang, but he didn’t want to cause trouble, so he kept quiet…”
“It seems like he feels guilty…” Xu Wang, recalling his observations of Master Yan Yi throughout the night, somewhat agreed but added, “Could it be something else? Are you sure it’s about witnessing Cheng Jiming’s body being dumped?”
Wu Sheng: “I’ve asked around. When Cheng Jiming was kidnapped last year, Master Yan Yi was meditating in the mountains. Later, the mass grave where Cheng Jiming’s body was dumped was on that mountain.”
Xu Wang: “……”
You’ve asked about that too? What else hasn’t his advisor considered?
Wu Sheng: “……”
Since his sleep was already disturbed, why not… pull him closer, tackle him, and get down to business?
“Why are you still looking at me? I’ve asked everything I wanted to. Let’s go to sleep. When we wake up, let’s go have Changwang noodles and sour soup fish!”
“…Mm.”
Kinky Thoughts:
Oh, what a bittersweet instance. Wu Sheng, you need to be more assertive!
The full poem is:
Many a time, beneath the flowers I sit and play the flute, the Milky Way and red walls enter my distant gaze.
These stars are not those of last night, for whom do the wind and dew stand deep into the night.
Entwined thoughts exhaust as I draw the remaining cocoon, my heart aches as I peel the banana from the back.
Three to five years, three to five months, pitifully, the cup of wine has never faded.
The poem represents the poet who is sober, knowing that the past won’t reappear, and it is precisely this soberness that he falls into despair. All his illusory comfort has disappeared, leaving only a lonely person to maintain the posture of looking at the moon (one of longing).
The poet continues to stare into the sky while the cold dew of night wets his clothes. He knows that this kind of waiting has no fruition and tries to “peel” away from his longing and disillusionment, yet he can’t help but still longs.
As the years pass, from three to five, the fine wine has now become bitter, illustrating how he can’t break out of the gap between the past and reality.
This basically represents Du Jinnian’s one-sided love for Cheng Jiming. He knows the reality, yet he can never escape his feelings for him. Even as he tries to move on, the bitterness of his unrequited love lingers.
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