#7: The Slum

Ever since Wu Ruian was punished by Emperor Chen Zhao by kneeling, he had gone to Jiansu Medical Hall and started living a reclusive life.

This wasn’t his first time being punished by the Empress to kneel. For this, he was already adept and could completely disregard it.

After dinner, Shuxiang sat in the courtyard, playing chess with Wu Ruian.

Shuxiang played with full concentration, each move cautious. Wu Ruian, on the other hand, propped his head with one hand, idly making random moves. Yet, even so, Shuxiang was still utterly defeated by him.

After Shuxiang lost the fourth game, he sighed deeply and casually remarked, “Your Highness hasn’t attended the morning court for three days. Are you... not planning to go back yet?” Ostensibly, he was worried about Wu Ruian’s official career, but implicitly, he meant: “How long do you plan to torment me here?”

Wu Ruian hummed in response, saying calmly, “Anyway, there’s nothing for me to do in the imperial court, so I might as well stay here, where it’s comfortable and peaceful.”

Shuxiang was speechless and looked at Di Jiang for help.

Di Jiang was explaining Buddhist scriptures to Wen Yao and had no time to pay attention to him. However, Wen Yao, who was listening to the Buddhist scriptures, also looked like she was suffering a fate worse than death and was looking at Shuxiang for help.

Their eyes met, and they instantly formed a plan.

Shuxiang clapped his hands, stood up, and feigned annoyance, saying, “Ah, shopkeeper, I suddenly remembered that a few days ago when I went to the slum, I promised to deliver steamed buns to the beggars there. I completely forgot about it these past few days with His Highness here!”

“Oh? Is that so?” Di Jiang put down the scripture and said, “Then go now. You must keep your promises to others and complete what you’ve agreed to as soon as possible.”

“Yes.” Shuxiang nodded, then gave Wu Ruian an apologetic smile and turned into the backyard.

When Shuxiang came out, he was carrying two large baskets of steamed buns, looking as if he could barely lift them. Wen Yao, seeing this, immediately stood up and helped Shuxiang carry the baskets, saying, “Shopkeeper, I’ll go with Shuxiang!”

Di Jiang could tell she wasn’t interested in the Buddhist scriptures, so she reluctantly waved her hand, “Go then.”

Di Jiang stood at the doorway, watching the two of them, each carrying a huge basket, walk towards the west side of the city.

Wu Ruian walked over, leaned against the door, and smiled, “Their relationship is getting better and better.”

“Only at times like these,” Di Jiang said with a wry smile.

The number of residents in the alley has decreased in recent years. It seems that only Di Jiang’s pharmacy and Zhong Xu’s coffin shop are still open on the entire street.

In the coffin shop, Zhong Xu and Chang Sheng were busy making paper flowers. They had already filled two large baskets beside them, and the corners of the walls were also filled with various types of funeral paper. It looked like their business was rather dismal.

“Daoist Zhong seems to be making paper effigies in the shop every day these past few days,” Wu Ruian said with concern, “He seems… different from before.”

Di Jiang smiled and nodded, “Indeed, it’s rare to see him settled down. Before, he…” Di Jiang paused abruptly, shook her head, and smiled, deciding not to continue.

“What was he like before?” Wu Ruian asked curiously.

“He… was very busy,” Di Jiang replied casually.

Wu Ruian thought Di Jiang also found him boring, so he cleared his throat and said seriously, “I used to be very busy too.”

“Yes, yes, you were all very busy before, but recently, you both seem rather idle. Too idle,” Di Jiang poured a bucket of cold water on him without hesitation, leaving Wu Ruian speechless.

Wu Ruian sighed, feeling a bit disappointed.

He wasn’t deliberately idle; he also wanted to be diligent in court and contribute to the people and the empire.

But where in this world is there a perfect solution? He couldn’t just tell Di Jiang that Emperor Chen Zhao had explicitly ordered a marriage, could he?

He didn’t want to wrong Di Jiang; he didn’t want two consorts.

He used to cling to luxurious silks and the lofty status of a revered prince, but after his journey to Yunmengze, he suddenly saw some things in a new light.

He thought, if that day of choice truly arrived, he would likely choose to elope with Di Jiang and wander the world. He just wanted to experience beforehand what it would feel like to be a shopkeeper in this pharmacy when he was no longer a prince…

The next day, right after breakfast, Wen Yao and Shuxiang ran out again, carrying two large baskets of steamed buns. Their demeanor clearly indicated they were going to do a good deed, but there was always a feeling of them slipping away, like grease underfoot.

Indeed, both of them didn’t want to stay.

The only outcome of staying was: Shuxiang being pulled into a game of chess by His Highness, and Wen Yao being held down by Di Jiang to listen to Buddhist scriptures.

To them, that was simply worse than death.

After Shuxiang and Wen Yao left, Wu Ruian and Di Jiang also felt a bit bored.

Moreover, Wu Ruian discovered that after truly falling in love with someone, being with her always led to a restless heart. And truly loving someone means being unwilling to treat them lightly or take advantage of them.

To ease the awkwardness, Wu Ruian said, “I’ve never been to the slum. Would you accompany me for a walk?”

Di Jiang pondered for a moment, then nodded, “Okay.”

Subsequently, Di Jiang went to Zhong Xu’s coffin shop, asked Chang Sheng to help her watch the shop, and then took Wu Ruian to Kangping Fang in the southwestern part of the city.

________________________________________

In Kangping Fang, the houses were low and dilapidated, with several families crowded into one courtyard. Pots, pans, and bowls were strewn everywhere, and trash piled up on the ground. There were beggars, the sick, and people engaged in various professions. Their common characteristic was poverty.

Wu Ruian pinched his nose, coughed twice, and after a glance from Di Jiang, he lowered his hand and pretended not to care, stepping over a rotten vegetable leaf… But at that moment, Di Jiang clearly saw his shoulders trembling.

Di Jiang and Wu Ruian circled Kangping Fang but did not see Shuxiang or Wen Yao. However, they saw a house surrounded by a crowd.

“Give me back my granddaughter!”

Amidst the crowd, a heart-wrenching wail emerged, startling both Di Jiang and Wu Ruian.

The two walked forward, peering through the gaps, and saw a hunchbacked old man, limping, splashing a large bucket of excrement onto the doorstep of that household. At the same time, he cursed vehemently: “You lay in the mud perfectly fine, but you just had to help people onto the wall! Rotten wood rotted perfectly fine, but you just had to carve it into something useful! My little granddaughter, no matter how ugly or bad she was before, she was still a living person! She was alive and well! Now look, my granddaughter is dead, she’s dead!! Money-lender Fourth Aunt, you owe me my granddaughter!! You owe me my granddaughter!!!”

The old man kept cursing, cursing heaven and earth, cursing Money-lender Fourth Aunt’s family to a terrible end.

Beside him, apart from a night soil cart, there was also a rotten straw mat. As for what was wrapped inside, Di Jiang couldn’t tell from her angle. But from his words, it was clear that his granddaughter had died, and the rotten straw mat... probably wrapped his granddaughter.

But Money-lender Fourth Aunt’s door remained tightly shut. No matter how the lame man insulted her, she wouldn’t open it, not even a sound.

“What happened here?” Di Jiang asked an old woman nearby.

The old woman glanced at Di Jiang and Wu Ruian, and seeing that they were both well-dressed, she said, “Young lady, you’re not from our Kangping Fang, are you?”

“Hmm,” Di Jiang nodded, smiling slightly: “I live next door.”

Next to Kangping Fang was Changping Fang. Although it wasn’t a slum, it wasn’t much better either. Upon hearing that they weren’t from a wealthy family, the old woman put down her prejudices and guard.

The old woman sighed deeply, saying bitterly, “You wouldn’t know! It’s truly a deadly sin! Old Xu’s son and daughter-in-law died long ago. For over ten years, he and his granddaughter depended on each other, and they were living quite well. But Xu Ya listened to Money-lender Fourth Aunt’s advice and went to work at the official’s house. It hasn’t even been three days, and she’s dead!”

“How did she die?” Di Jiang gasped.

“They say she died of illness, but I think she was tortured to death!” The old woman curled her lip, “The girl’s corpse is missing half an arm, and a section of her lower leg!”

“What! This is too much!” Wu Ruian’s face turned green, looking extremely surprised.

“Isn’t it! This is clearly abuse!” The old woman continued, “But if you ask me, Old Master Xu shouldn’t blame Money-lender Fourth Aunt. After all, she also wanted to help Old Xu. The girl went to a wealthy family, saw the world, and in the future, she could have married better, without having to do night soil work here. Money-lender Fourth Aunt originally meant well, but who knew the outcome would be like this… Alas! We can only blame Gongsun’s youngest son for using his power to bully others!”

“Gongsun Qi?” Wu Ruian was startled.

“You know him?” The old woman glared.

Wu Ruian shook his head repeatedly, awkwardly saying, “Gongsun’s youngest son is famous; I know him, but he doesn’t know me.”

He chuckled after saying that, and the old woman’s expression improved slightly. She then added, “Exactly, he’s simply an animal!”

“Yes, yes,” Wu Ruian nodded in agreement, secretly sighing in relief.

Clearly, the people here had more than a little aversion to high-ranking officials and nobles. If he were to say he had a good relationship with Gongsun Qi, they would probably flay him alive…

Just as Wu Ruian felt dejected, Old Xu, after throwing the last large bucket of excrement onto Old Lady Zhang’s window, wiped away a tear and carried his granddaughter’s corpse, limping away.

“From childhood, I told you, when you see injustice, walk away. But you wouldn’t listen. Now look, your body is dismembered, are you happy?” Old Xu cried as he walked.

As he passed by Di Jiang and Wu Ruian, Di Jiang finally got a clear look. Xu Ya’s body, wrapped in the rotten straw mat, indeed had half an arm and a section of a lower leg missing. Especially the wound on her lower leg, it was uneven, as if something had gnawed it off. Her stark white bones were exposed, mixed with blood, emitting an unbearable stench…