Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The Commendation Document held in the Pawnshop was for a woman named Cao Yu-shi.

Cao Yu-shi had been sold into the Cao Family as a servant at the age of five. At sixteen, she was taken as a concubine for Lord Cao. On the very night she was concubined, Lord Cao passed away from illness. Three years later, the Cao Family erected a Chastity Arch and was issued a Commendation Document. Cao Yu-shi remained a widow for nearly forty years, childless until she passed away peacefully of old age.

This Commendation Document had been pawned by a member of the Cao Family; the signature on the record was Cao Houde.

However, the man who had come to Redeem Pawn today was surnamed Wu, named Wu Meng.

I wasn’t sure what the relationship was between Wu Meng and the Cao Family-whether he was a descendant or something of the sort.

When Pawned Items are overdue and not redeemed, according to our Pawnshop’s rules, a five-day grace period is given before the item is considered abandoned. After that, the item belongs to the Pawnshop.

That Commendation Document was stored in a small red lacquer box, placed on the highest level of the Antique Shelf.

Perhaps because it wasn’t particularly ancient, nor as popular with the public as antique paintings or calligraphy, it had simply sat there, untouched.

According to the Pawnshop’s rules, Wu Meng was not permitted to Redeem Pawn.

But since the item now belonged to the Pawnshop, if he truly wanted it, we could negotiate.

For example, a trade of goods.

But Wu Meng clearly had no such intention.

After I explained the situation and explicitly told him that the Pawn Ticket had expired too long ago for him to Redeem Pawn, he didn’t pester me. Instead, he said, “Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu, to be honest, I knew this would be the result before I came. However, Master Hui Quan said that if you would be so kind as to grace us with your presence, perhaps you could come to my home and take a look.”

Master Hui Quan?

I quickly asked, “Is Master Hui Quan at your house right now?”

“Something happened at home, so we invited Master Hui Quan over a few days ago to perform a ritual to Release from Suffering,” Wu Meng said. “Master Hui Quan was the one who helped find this Pawn Ticket, and he was the one who guided me to Wufu Town to find you.”

So that was it.

I asked again, “May I ask what happened at your home? Is it convenient to talk about?”

Wu Meng nodded and recounted the whole story to me.

“When I was young, I worked hard away from home and made a good amount of money. My children have long since started their own families, so my wife and I thought about buying a quiet residence to move into for our retirement. After looking around, we actually found one that suited our hearts perfectly.

“The two of us have lived there for nearly three years, and everything was peaceful. This year, my younger daughter-in-law became pregnant with her third child, but the pregnancy was a bit unstable, so my wife brought her over to look after her.

“In that Late Qing-era Old Mansion, the thresholds are exceptionally high. My daughter-in-law’s body grew heavy, making it very inconvenient for her to go in and out. So, I had someone smash the threshold of the inner room where she was staying to level it out.

“But ever since we touched that threshold, the house has…”

At this point, Wu Meng seemed to think of something terrifying, something difficult to describe.

“In short, things have been very unsettled. My daughter-in-law constantly hears the sound of a small child crying in the house. My younger son even saw… saw a woman with bound feet, asking him… asking him if he had seen her Commendation Document…”

My heart skipped a beat. I looked back at the box on the top shelf of the Antique Shelf containing the Commendation Document. Could that woman be Cao Yu-shi?

Since Master Hui Quan was able to help Wu Meng find the Pawn Ticket and sent him to me to Redeem Pawn, then resolving this matter must require this Commendation Document.

But I couldn’t just give the item away for nothing; the rules of the Pawnshop had to be upheld.

Looking at the few deals I had made since reopening the Pawnshop, which one didn’t have a thrilling story behind it?

If I didn’t follow the rules, things would eventually fall into chaos.

However, for the sake of Master Hui Quan, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

After all, I also had matters I wanted to ask Master Hui Quan for help with.

After thinking it over, I decided to go with Wu Meng to his house first. As for the Commendation Document… I would decide after I met Master Hui Quan.
I was about to head out when Li Qingying insisted on coming along. “You haven’t fully recovered yet. I’m not comfortable letting you handle business alone.”

I couldn’t win the argument, so I let her lock up the shop and join me.

This time, Li Qingying drove me in her own SUV.

Wu Meng’s residence was located on the outskirts of the neighboring county. Most of that area had long since been demolished and replaced by rows of modern buildings, but a few antique mansions remained preserved in the eastern suburbs.

Wu Meng’s house was the most grand among them.

The step at the entrance of the mansion was indeed very high, nearly reaching my knees.

In ancient times, there was a saying: “A threshold higher than a man makes the courtyard a basin of gold.” The threshold was a symbol of the owner’s status and wealth.

Of course, there were also rumors that ancient courtyards were built with high thresholds to ward off evil-for instance, it was said that jiangshi couldn’t hop over high barriers.

After crossing the threshold, we followed Wu Meng toward the back of the house.

As we entered the main courtyard, the air seemed to turn significantly cooler, perhaps due to the lush greenery.

Master Hui Quan was waiting by the Main Hall. As soon as he saw me, he hurried over with a cheerful smile.

I was about to reach out and shake his hand. After all, during our last meeting, I had been a bit blind to his expertise and had acted rather abruptly.

But before I could extend my hand, Master Hui Quan’s eyes swept over me, and he exclaimed in surprise, “Oh? It’s only been a few days, but Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu has changed quite a bit.”

I had indeed undergone significant changes during this period. Master Hui Quan truly possessed some spiritual cultivation to be able to tell at a glance.

I remained composed and asked, “Please, enlighten me, Master. How have I changed?”

Master Hui Quan stroked his small mustache and said, “Many things have changed. Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu must have encountered a great stroke of fortune recently. However, I still maintain what I said before-if you don’t mind, I would like to calculate your Eight Characters for you. Would that be alright?”

This time, I nodded. “That is actually part of why I came today. However, for now, I want to understand the situation with the Wu Family first. Afterward, I have something I would like to ask for your help with.”

Master Hui Quan immediately beamed. “Very well, very well. This humble priest would be honored.”

While we were talking, Wu Meng approached carrying something.

He placed the object on the table, wrapped in a black cloth. Master Hui Quan gestured for me to open it.

I pulled back the black cloth to reveal two stone carvings.

They were carved from bluestone into the shape of two lifelike pomegranates. The fruit was slightly split open, revealing a cluster of seeds inside.

I turned them over in my hands, examining them for a long time before speaking cautiously. “If I’m not mistaken, these two stone carvings were cut from a Chastity Arch, weren’t they?”

Chastity Arches came in many specifications. Some were extremely simple, while others were magnificent and ornate, covered in carvings of flowers, birds, fish, and insects-each with a specific meaning.

Pomegranates symbolized many children and grandchildren.

Some women were already mothers when they were widowed. If the husband died early and the woman remained chaste, honoring her parents-in-law and raising her children to continue the family line, her Chastity Arch would usually feature pomegranates in a prominent position on the front.

It was a beautiful sentiment and a mark of honor.

However, some women had no children, such as Cao Yu-shi. Even so, pomegranates would still appear on the Chastity Arches of such women.

After all, even if Cao Yu-shi hadn’t given birth, she was only a concubine; her husband might have had other children to carry on the lineage.

On the Chastity Arches of these women, the pomegranates were usually tucked away on the side corners.

When I entered the gate earlier, I had specifically checked the surroundings of this mansion and the lintel of the gate. There were no traces of a Chastity Arch ever having stood there.

I pointed at the pomegranates and asked, “Where did these come from?”

Wu Meng replied, “They were found inside the threshold of the inner room that we tore down…”