Chapter 4

Chapter 4

On Xie Wujiu’s seventh day at the private school, Zhou Cheng’an lost an inkstone.

He claimed Xie Wujiu stole it.

It happened so fast, as though it were following the script of a past life.

In that life, Xie Wujiu was expelled from the private school for stealing the inkstone.

I remember it very clearly.

In fact, Zhou Cheng’an had broken his own inkstone. Afraid of being scolded, he hid the broken pieces in Xie Wujiu’s tattered book bag.

I wasn’t there at the time, but when I heard about it later, I just thought, well, a beggar with sticky fingers, nothing surprising.

Now, Zhou Cheng’an stood before the teacher’s desk, his eyes red.

“Sir, that inkstone was a gift from my maternal grandfather. It is worth thirty taels of silver.”

The other students were in an uproar.

Thirty taels could feed an ordinary family for two years.

My father looked at Xie Wujiu.

Xie Wujiu sat in the last row, looking indifferent.

“Not me.”

Zhou Cheng’an sneered, “A search will clear things up, won’t it?”

I stood up. “We can search. But who will do it?”

Zhou Cheng’an said, “Sir, of course.”

“If Sir searches the students’ book bags and finds it, fine. But what if he doesn’t?”

Zhou Cheng’an frowned. “What do you mean?”

“If nothing is found, you apologize to Xie Wujiu.”

He looked as if he’d heard a joke. “To him?”

I nodded.

“To him.”

Zhou Cheng’an looked at my father. “Sir, Lin Wanzhao is being protective.”

My father said sternly, “Wanzhao, sit down.”

I didn’t sit.

Xie Wujiu suddenly spoke. “Let them search.”

I turned to look at him.

He was very calm.

So calm he didn’t seem like a thirteen-year-old boy.

I knew that calm.

In the previous life, that was how he always was before he killed someone.

I walked over and pressed my hand on his book bag.

“No search.”

Zhou Cheng’an said shrilly, “Scared?”

I said, “Afraid you might slip something in.”

His face darkened.

I looked at Xu Yuanbao. “Yuanbao, did you see who last touched Xie Wujiu’s book bag just now?”

Xu Yuanbao froze and swallowed nervously.

His family’s butcher shop relied on the Zhou Family’s patronage from the yamen.

Everyone was looking at him.

Xu Yuanbao’s face turned red.

I didn’t urge him.

After a long moment, he mumbled, “Young Master Zhou.”

Zhou Cheng’an shouted angrily, “Nonsense!”

Xu Yuanbao flinched in fright but still said, “I saw it. When Xie Wujiu went out to fetch water, you picked up his book bag.”

I let out a breath of relief.

Xie Wujiu glanced at Xu Yuanbao.

That glance was light, but it made my heart ache.

So even when he was thirteen, if someone was willing to speak the truth, he would remember it.

My father finally spoke. “Zhou Cheng’an.”

Zhou Cheng’an gritted his teeth. “I was just checking if his book bag was torn.”

“Then search yours.”

My father said this lightly.

Zhou Cheng’an turned pale.

In the end, the broken inkstone was found hidden in a compartment of his own book chest.

He cried bitterly, saying he hadn’t meant it.

My father punished him by making him copy texts and apologize.

Zhou Cheng’an went up to Xie Wujiu, his voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Sorry.”

Xie Wujiu asked, “What?”

Zhou Cheng’an gritted his teeth. “Sorry.”

Xie Wujiu said, “I didn’t hear you.”

Zhou Cheng’an’s face flushed red.

I should have stopped it.

But I didn’t.

Finally, Zhou Cheng’an shouted, “Sorry!”

Only then did Xie Wujiu lower his head and continue writing.

I thought that settled the matter.

That very night, people from the Zhou Family went to the south of the city.

They didn’t beat Xie Wujiu.

They smashed Madame Qin’s medicine stove.