Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Shen Guan did not die.

When Xie Wujiu rushed to the post station with the letter, Liang Attendant was about to drug the tea.

Shen Guan captured the culprit on the spot.

At midnight, the ambush at Qingshi Gorge was counter-encircled.

No matter how Magistrate Zhou quibbled, it was useless.

The ledger from the dry well, Liang Attendant’s confession, and the secret letter in Zhou Cheng’an’s sleeve-these three together were enough to crush the Zhou Family.

But Madame Qin was still not found.

As Magistrate Zhou was being escorted into the county jail, he saw Xie Wujiu and suddenly laughed.

“Your mother, huh.”

Xie Wujiu stopped.

Magistrate Zhou had blood on his face, his smile vicious.

“Guess if she’s still alive?”

Shen Guan frowned. “Take him away.”

Xie Wujiu abruptly stepped forward and grabbed Magistrate Zhou by the throat.

The jailers drew their swords.

I rushed over and grabbed his arm.

“Xie Wujiu.”

His hand was tight, and Magistrate Zhou’s face turned purple.

“He’s lying,” I said.

“What if he’s not?”

“He wants to provoke you into killing him here. If you kill him, the ledger becomes personal revenge, and even Shen Guan can’t protect you.”

Xie Wujiu’s eyes were scarlet.

“I don’t need his protection.”

“Your mother does.”

This finally made him release his grip.

Magistrate Zhou fell to the ground, coughing violently.

Xie Wujiu crouched down.

“You’d better pray to every god and buddha that my mother lives.”

Magistrate Zhou tried to smile again.

Xie Wujiu lowered his voice. “Otherwise, I won’t kill you. I’ll let you live long enough to see every room of the Zhou Family confiscated, and every person who ever worked for you betray you. Your son will know that every blade he suffers is because of you.”

Magistrate Zhou’s smile froze.

I stood by and suddenly realized that Xie Wujiu was no longer the boy I could shove into a desk in the private school.

He hadn’t killed indiscriminately.

But he would no longer believe the words “leave it to the authorities.”

Madame Qin was found two days later.

She had been confined in the Abandoned Kiln outside the city.

When found, she was already not well.

Xie Wujiu carried her back to town, silent the whole way.

When Madame Qin woke and saw him, her first words were: “Ah Jiu, have you been studying?”

Xie Wujiu knelt by the bed, his voice terribly hoarse.

“Yes.”

“Studying well?”

“Not bad.”

Madame Qin smiled.

She saw me and beckoned.

I walked over.

She took a small cloth bundle from her bosom.

Inside was a worn jade button.

“This was from his childhood clothes,” she said. “If in the future anyone asks whether he was born evil, you show them this.”

I held the jade button, my throat tight as if blocked.

Madame Qin looked at Xie Wujiu.

“Don’t hate yourself.”

Xie Wujiu kept his head lowered.

Madame Qin raised her hand and stroked the top of his head.

“And don’t hate the world for too long.”

After saying this, her hand slowly fell.

Xie Wujiu didn’t cry.

He just sat there, unmoving all night.

At daybreak, he asked me, “Was she very disappointed?”

I said, “No.”

“I almost killed Magistrate Zhou.”

“Almost is not killing.”

“What about after?”

I didn’t answer immediately.

He looked at me.

“Lin Wanzhao, do you still want to teach me to become a good person?”

I gripped the jade button.

“No.”

His eyes flickered.

I said, “I want you to be a person with a bottom line.”

“What is the bottom line?”

I thought for a long time.

“You can take up the knife.”

I looked at him.

“But never forget why you took it up.”