Chapter 72: The Wonderful Use of Animal Speech
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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After returning home, Lin Xiu entrusted the girls from Pear Blossom Garden to Ah Yue, knowing she would arrange everything for them. Madam Ping’an Bo was delighted with the new arrivals. Hailing from the opera house, these girls brought with them a wealth of talent, able to sing, dance, and even perform acrobatics. Their presence instantly enlivened the entire Lin Estate.
Lin Xiu reveled in this bustling atmosphere. In his past life, after his parents’ divorce, he had endured long periods of solitude, even watching the annual Spring Festival Gala alone. This kind of lively environment was precious to him.
Later, to confirm whether the two individuals outside were indeed protecting him, Lin Xiu, despite having nothing specific to do, went for a stroll with Sun Dali after dinner. As he suspected, the beggar and the pancake vendor discreetly followed him after he left the estate, maintaining a certain distance while keeping him within their sight.
Lin Xiu observed them for two days, noting their early arrival in the morning and departure just before curfew. They essentially provided him with all-day protection, easing his worries. Although he was unsure of their capabilities, being dispatched by the Secret Detective Agency suggested they were not incompetent.
With the security issue temporarily resolved, he only had one thing to focus on: cultivation.
Although he now had covert protection, it was ultimately reliant on others. Only by possessing his own strength could he truly feel secure. It wasn’t winter, Lingyin wasn’t by his side, and relying solely on depleting his Yuan Power for cultivation wasn’t very effective. Cultivating the power of thunder didn’t require external assistance, but it depended on suitable weather. Currently, the simplest method for him was still acquiring Yuan Crystals.
This, in turn, brought him back to the issue of money.
Lin Xiu had numerous ideas for earning money, including opening a veterinary clinic or engaging in business. However, both required significant initial investment and a considerable time for returns. He preferred more straightforward and quicker methods.
Footsteps echoed from the courtyard. Lin Xiu walked to the entrance and saw several familiar figures. They were his colleagues from the Clear Official Department. Having learned of Lin Xiu’s injury from Liu Qingfeng, they had come to visit with gifts after work.
Lin Xiu was currently well-liked within the Clear Official Department, maintaining cordial relationships with everyone. Seeing he was unharmed, they left their gifts and departed shortly after.
Maintaining good relations with the Clear Official Department was essential. The following day, with nothing pressing on his schedule, Lin Xiu left early, grabbed breakfast on the street, and leisurely strolled towards the department, accompanied by Sun Dali and Big Yellow on either side.
Upon arriving, he found the department unusually quiet. None of the constables were in sight, and even the entrance was unguarded.
He approached the archives and asked, “Clerk Xu, why is no one here today?”
Clerk Xu, who was organizing files, looked up and saw Lin Xiu. He stood and asked, “Master Lin, you were just injured. Why not rest at home for a few more days?”
Lin Xiu smiled. “The Imperial Physician has healed my injury. I was bored at home, so I came to have a look.”
Clerk Xu inquired about his well-being before explaining, “A wealthy merchant reported a missing son today, asking us to help search. He’s offering a reward of one thousand taels of silver if we find him. Those guys, hearing about such a large sum, all rushed out to look…”
Lin Xiu’s eyes lit up. “One thousand taels?”
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One thousand taels was no small amount. It was enough to cover ten years’ salary for an ordinary clerk in the Clear Official Department, and for the junior constables, it might be their lifetime earnings. No wonder they were so enthusiastic.
For Lin Xiu, who only had a few dozen taels to his name, one thousand taels could buy ten second-order Yuan Crystals. And all he had to do was find someone. It seemed almost too easy.
Lin Xiu inquired, “Which merchant reported the case?”
Clerk Xu smiled. “Is Master Lin also interested in this case? The merchant’s missing person notice is posted outside the department. You can see for yourself.”
Lin Xiu hadn’t noticed it earlier. Exiting the Clear Official Department, he indeed saw a notice on the wall. It was a missing person poster with a portrait of a child and details of the clothes he wore when he disappeared. The notice stated that anyone providing useful clues could receive up to one hundred taels of silver as a reward, while anyone who found the child and returned him home would receive a full one thousand taels.
At the bottom of the notice was the address of the merchant’s residence.
Lin Xiu patted Big Yellow’s head. “Let’s go, we have work to do…”
Merchant Chen’s Residence.
Merchant Chen was a renowned wealthy merchant in the West City, primarily dealing in jewelry. With over a dozen shops in the capital, he was genuinely affluent.
Merchant Chen was a self-made man, a testament to his ability to accumulate such wealth. However, he had no children after marriage, a constant source of worry. It wasn’t until he reached fifty and married his sixth concubine that he finally had a son. Overjoyed, he doted on his only child excessively, treating him as a precious treasure.
But yesterday, his only son went missing.
This greatly distressed Merchant Chen. After searching all night, he sent people to report the case to various government offices early this morning, simultaneously posting notices with a hefty reward, hoping for leads. Whoever found his son would receive one thousand taels of silver.
When Lin Xiu arrived at Chen’s residence, he found Liu Qingfeng already there, questioning an anxious-looking elderly man.
Seeing Lin Xiu, his eyes flickered with surprise. “Master Lin, are you also interested in this case?”
Lin Xiu replied, “I saw the notice and came to have a look. Master Liu, please continue. I won’t disturb your investigation.”
Liu Qingfeng nodded and continued addressing the elderly man. “From the current situation, it’s highly likely your son wasn’t lost but abducted. Furthermore, my initial guess is that the abductor is someone from the Chen household. I need you to gather all the household staff. I’ll question them one by one…”
Lin Xiu ignored Liu Qingfeng and approached a woman. “You are…?”
The woman immediately replied, “Responding to the official, I am the young master’s wet nurse.”
Lin Xiu snapped his fingers. “Perfect. Find me a piece of clothing your young master usually wears, preferably something close-fitting and unwashed. I have a use for it.”
Though unsure of Lin Xiu’s intentions, the wet nurse went into a room and returned with a garment, handing it to him. “This is what the young master changed out of yesterday afternoon. It hasn’t been washed yet…”
In Lin Xiu’s hand was a child’s bellyband, carrying a distinct milky scent, the unique aroma of a child.
After obtaining the bellyband, Lin Xiu left the Chen residence.
Liu Qingfeng had been observing Lin Xiu. He still hadn’t figured out how Lin Xiu solved the previous case, but he had to admit Lin Xiu did have some investigative skills. He walked over to the wet nurse. “What did he just say to you?”
The wet nurse recounted the conversation.
Liu Qingfeng’s brow furrowed. “What does he want with the clothes…?”
He quickly shook his head, putting the puzzling thought aside. Merchant Chen had gathered all the household servants, and he still needed to question them individually. His years of experience told him the culprit was an inside job, and the perpetrator was among them…
Lin Xiu exited the Chen residence, dangled the young master’s bellyband under Big Yellow’s nose, and said, “Remember this scent. Search every street. As soon as you find a place where this scent has been, come back and tell me immediately.”
Lin Xiu wasn’t skilled at finding people, but Big Yellow was.
A dog’s sense of smell is over a thousand times more acute than a human’s. No faint odor could escape their noses.
Big Yellow looked up at Lin Xiu with a troubled expression. “Master, this city is too big, too many streets. I can’t… sniff them all by myself…”
Lin Xiu pondered for a moment. “When you were roaming outside before, didn’t you have other friends?”
Big Yellow shook his dog head. “No, we all operate alone. Sometimes we even fight over territory and food. Even if I go find them, they definitely won’t help me.”
Lin Xiu thought briefly. “Tell them whoever finds the person I’m looking for, I’ll provide them with a month’s worth of food, three meals a day, guaranteed with meat every meal…”
The Capital, North City District.
In a vast area piled high with garbage and debris, the intermittent barking of dogs echoed.
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This was where the capital’s residents dumped their household waste. Far from residential areas, the stench was overwhelming, deterring anyone from approaching. However, it was a paradise for stray dogs.
They scavenged for food here daily, barely surviving.
The food in the garbage heaps was limited, insufficient for all the dogs. Fights over food occurred daily. But today, dozens of stray dogs had no time for squabbles, instead encircling a yellow earth dog, drooling.
“Are you serious?”
“Find that person, and you’ll provide a month’s worth of food, three meals a day, with meat every meal?”
“If you dare lie to us, we’ll bite you to death!”
Facing the clamoring pack, Big Yellow sat firmly, his dog face brimming with pride. “Look at me. What’s different about me compared to before?”
The dogs examined Big Yellow and exclaimed in surprise.
“You seem stronger!”
“Your fur is shinier too.”
“You’ve gained a lot of weight!”
“Have you been eating well lately?”
Big Yellow looked down at the assembled dogs. “Silence, silence! I’m different from you now. I have a master. I guarantee you, if you find the owner of this piece of clothing, for the next month, every meal will include meat. You’ll never go hungry again.”
Longing filled the dogs’ eyes, but none moved. Instead, they looked fearfully at a large black dog at the front. This dog, a full size larger than the others, was their leader. It always ate first. Without its nod, no dog dared to act.
The black dog circled Big Yellow. “You don’t belong here anymore. Leave and don’t come back. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being unkind.”
As the pack leader, it sensed Big Yellow’s presence threatened its authority. The Big Yellow of the past had been subservient to the leader, offering any found food first. But things were different now. Three days could bring significant change, let alone a month.
He was no longer the same dog.
Larger than the black dog, he lunged, pinning it to the ground. The black dog struggled, but a scavenger was no match for a well-fed Big Yellow. Unable to break free, it whimpered and lowered its head in submission.
Big Yellow stood over the subdued leader. “From now on, I am your leader. Who agrees? Who disagrees?”
With a single bark, the dogs lowered their heads.
Soon, stray dogs appeared on every street and alley of the capital, noses to the ground, sniffing incessantly, a sight that amazed the onlookers…
Pear Blossom Garden.
“Ten years ago, I didn’t know you. You didn’t belong to me. We were just the same, accompanying a stranger…”
Lin Xiu listened to Caiyi sing. This time, he hadn’t requested an opera piece. Hearing “Ten Years” in this unfamiliar world, sung by Caiyi, gave Lin Xiu a sense of displaced time.
If she wasn’t wearing ancient-style robes, but a cheongsam or a T-shirt and shorts, the feeling would be even stronger.
In the future, Lin Xiu decided he would design some modern clothes for her. Caiyi’s figure was perfect for a cheongsam. He imagined her in a cheongsam, singing a Jiangnan folk song…
Yes, the feeling of first love.
Caiyi noticed the melodies Lin Xiu requested, while beautiful, were becoming increasingly unconventional. She knew he didn’t understand music. She was curious where he learned these songs.
After the song, she refilled his teacup. “Those young girls haven’t learned any manners. Have they caused you any trouble?”
Lin Xiu smiled. “No, they’re very lively. My mother likes them a lot.”
Caiyi teased, “I envy them. Even being a servant in your house is much better than being in the opera house. If I could, I’d like to be like them, even just serving tea by your side…”
Lin Xiu shook his head firmly. “No, no, absolutely not.”
The light in Caiyi’s eyes dimmed, but she maintained her smile. “Don’t take it seriously, Master. I was just joking.”
Lin Xiu looked at her. “A fine woman like you, Caiyi, serving tea is something I wouldn’t bear. When I’m rich, I’ll invite you to my home and have you sing for me every day…”
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Caiyi’s sadness instantly brightened. Seeing this, Lin Xiu felt a pang of heartache and tenderness. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make promises, but with his engagement unresolved, any promises were meaningless.
Soon, Caiyi went downstairs to perform. Lin Xiu rested in her room when he heard barking outside.
He went downstairs and saw Big Yellow and a grey dog at the entrance. Big Yellow looked at him excitedly. “Master, we found him!”
Lin Xiu asked, “Where?”
The grey dog still couldn’t believe a human understood dog language, but it craved meat more. Wagging its tail, it exclaimed, “Follow me!”
The Capital, North City District.
The Great Xia Capital wasn’t solely inhabited by the wealthy. In reality, over ninety-nine percent of its population consisted of impoverished commoners. The capital’s prosperity had little to do with them.
Most people here struggled to make ends meet.
Unlike the East City, where the majority of the capital’s elite resided, the North City District was dilapidated, home to the poor. With low-rise houses and no patrolling guards, it was the capital’s most crime-ridden area, a breeding ground for illicit activities.
Lin Xiu, Sun Dali, Big Yellow, and Little Grey stood before a house. He looked at Little Grey. “Is it here?”
Big Yellow nodded vigorously. “Master, I smell it too. The scent is inside this courtyard.”
Lin Xiu stepped forward and knocked loudly.
A wary voice came from inside. “Who is it?”
Lin Xiu replied, “Census. Please open the door.”
The voice responded, “Two people in our household.”
Seeing no intention to open, Lin Xiu continued, “One more thing, the government is distributing subsidies, one hundred wen per household. Open the door to receive it.”
The voice said, “One hundred wen isn’t much. Just slip it through the crack.”
Lin Xiu tried again. “We’ve been walking for a long time and are thirsty. Could we have a cup of water?”
The voice was callous. “Aren’t you conducting a census? Go ask the next house.”
Lin Xiu’s patience ran out. “You’re asking for it! Dali, go!”
Boom!
With a gentle push from Sun Dali, the double doors crashed down. A middle-aged couple stood inside, looking fearfully at Lin Xiu and Sun Dali. “Wh-who are you? What are you doing here?”
Big Yellow sniffed. “Master, in the room on the right.”
Lin Xiu glanced at the couple and walked towards the right-hand room. The man’s expression changed, and he moved to block, only to be picked up like a chicken by Sun Dali and tossed aside.
Sun Dali glared at them. “Stay put, or I’ll make you.”
Witnessing Sun Dali’s strength, they dared not move, their fear deepening.
Lin Xiu pushed open the door to the right-hand room. On the bed, he found a sleeping boy. His appearance and clothes matched the missing person poster perfectly.
Lin Xiu’s footsteps seemed to awaken the boy. He startled awake and began to cry.
Lin Xiu went to the bedside, picked him up, and patted his head. “Don’t cry. The bad guys have been caught. I’ll take you to your parents.”
As Lin Xiu carried the boy out, the couple in the courtyard dropped to their knees, wailing, “It wasn’t us! We were just helping someone…”
Chen Residence.
Liu Qingfeng, having questioned every servant, stared at a woman. “Tell me, where did you hide Merchant Chen’s son?!”
Merchant Chen, having his son late in life, doted on him excessively, even hiring four wet nurses.
This woman was one of the wet nurses. She hadn’t anticipated that a slight flicker of panic during questioning would expose her. Under relentless interrogation, her story crumbled, leaving no room for denial…
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Resigned, she looked at Merchant Chen. “Yes, I hid the young master. Give me ten thousand taels and let me go, and I’ll return him. Otherwise, Master, just wait to collect his corpse!”
Liu Qingfeng’s eyes narrowed. “You scoundrel! You dare threaten us even now…”
Merchant Chen tugged at his sleeve, his face etched with worry. “Forget it. It’s just ten thousand taels. Give it to her. My son’s life is more important…”
A smug look appeared on the wet nurse’s face. She had gambled on the merchant’s love for his only son. Initially, she planned to have a relative collect the ransom, but now she was forced to do it herself.
She looked at Merchant Chen. “Master, I must also tell you, if anything happens to me, they will kill the young master. You’d better…”
Lin Xiu walked in, carrying a small boy. “Better what?”
Seeing Merchant Chen, the boy reached out, crying, “Daddy!”
Merchant Chen froze, then his face erupted in joy. He took his son from Lin Xiu, hugging him tightly. “You’re back! My son is back!”
The wet nurse’s face drained of color, and she collapsed to the floor.
How could this be?! She had clearly left the young master with her relatives!
Liu Qingfeng stared blankly at Lin Xiu, his mind reeling…
He had painstakingly identified the culprit and was about to continue questioning, but Lin Xiu… Lin Xiu simply returned the child. How did he know where the child was? Was he a fortune teller? Impossible…
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