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Earth’s Redemption: Chapter 28
Chapter 28: Feng Shui Treasure Cave (4)
Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake
After chatting with Liang Fei, Ning Buwen began paying attention to the Xing family’s servants.
This observation led to a startling discovery—when he counted carefully, he realized the number of servants in the Xing family was decreasing daily. Yet no information about this was being disclosed, and some people didn’t even know where the person who had worked with them the previous day had gone.
But this couldn’t be blamed on the servants.
During the leadup to the ancestral rites, everyone was busy, and different people managed different areas. Reassigning personnel was common, and with the occasional purchase of new servants, there was even less focus on who was around them.
This was a simple math problem.
Suppose the Xing family initially had 120 servants and brought in seven or eight new servants every three days. Currently, the total number of servants was roughly 100. So how many people had been isolated?
If smallpox spread that quickly, the Xing family would’ve already been wiped out.
Ning Buwen didn’t dare ask too many questions. Asking too much would undoubtedly draw attention, so it was better to know when to stop.
When he returned to the courtyard, he was informed by the granny not to go to the eldest daughter’s courtyard to clean for the time being.
“Then, what can I do?” Ning Buwen was a little worried. “The household wouldn’t keep a servant who does nothing, right?”
“Don’t worry. It’s just a two-day break. Recently, the young lady, as her dowry was lost, has been in a bad mood and doesn’t like being disturbed,” the granny said. “If you feel uneasy about not working, go help in the kitchen. I’ll talk to the kitchen matron for you.”
The kitchen wasn’t a bad option either, its bustling environment being more conducive for gathering information.
“Alright, I’ll go to the kitchen. Thank you, Granny.”
“I only recommended you because you’re diligent and hardworking,” the granny said casually.
“Granny, you should try to persuade the young lady more,” Ning Buwen said after some thought, putting on a concerned expression. “For the young lady’s sake. She should also interact more with the master. The young lady still lives in this household, and I noticed the master doesn’t seem very friendly toward her.”
“I’ve tried persuading her,” the granny sighed. “Back then, the young lady was determined to marry the young master, and the master was strongly against it. He only reluctantly agreed in the end. But after just two years, the young master passed away. Of course, the master was angry.”
“Then the young lady must have loved the young master deeply,” Ning Buwen said, full of curiosity. “What did the young master do?”
“Take a guess.”
“The young lady seems gentle and refined, so the young master must have been similar. Was he a scholar?”
“Pfft, it’s not called ‘scholar’ anymore; it’s called ‘Western-educated student’ now,” the granny couldn’t help but laugh. “The young master’s surname was Gu, Gu Xuping. The Gu family used to be somewhat well-known and could afford his education, but unfortunately, their family fell into decline.”
Gu Xuping?
There’s no “Liang” in his name?
“Which ‘Xu’ and which ‘Ping’?” Ning Buwen pressed on. “Did the young lady, like other female students, also call the young master by his name?”
“Xu as in ‘rising sun,’ Ping as in ‘peaceful seas.’ It’s a good name,” the granny sighed. “The young lady called him A-Ping. The two of them were deeply in love, envied by everyone.”
A-Ping?
Ning Buwen’s thoughts were in turmoil.
So it really wasn’t A-Liang. Then, who’s the person Xing Fangfang was conversing with?
Ning Buwen was assigned to the kitchen, and his days suddenly became busier.
The kitchen was responsible for the meals of the entire Xing family. No matter how many people worked there, it was never enough. Only after dinner was there a brief moment to rest.
Spending his days in the kitchen, Ning Buwen was so exhausted he didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger, let alone sneak out to investigate.
He had miscalculated.
Ning Buwen deeply regretted it.
As he watched valuable time slip by, it seemed heaven finally heard his frustrations. The people in the kitchen started to chat.
“Why is there leftover food every day lately?” the woman in charge couldn’t help but complain. “I’ve repeatedly told them to portion meals based on headcount and to not overreport. We prepare the meals, but every day there are ten or so portions left over, such a waste.”
Everyone had lived through hard times, and found such waste hard to bear.
“Yeah, I think it’s strange too,” a maid washing vegetables chimed in. “Logically, everyone’s so tired that eating more shouldn’t be unusual. In the past, whenever we made extra food, someone would quickly eat an additional portion. But this time, the leftovers are really piling up.”
“San Guanshi 1, please say something.” Several helpers in the kitchen turned their gaze to the kitchen’s manager.
The person called San Guanshi was in charge of the kitchen. He was said to be a distant relative of the Xing family, which was how he’d managed to secure such a lucrative position.
“It’s like this during every ancestral rite,” San Guanshi scolded. “Cook more if you have to; it’s not like you’re paying for it. There’s so much going on now. We’d rather prepare more food than have a shortage and cause disputes. All this talk from you is just because you want the leftover food. If you want it, go ahead and divide it among yourselves.”
“Hehe, San Guanshi, look at what you’re saying.”
“We’re not really asking for it…”
The Xing family’s kitchen was managed tightly, with strict rules on how much food each person could take. Especially in this large kitchen, which prepared meals for servants. It was far less dignified compared to the smaller kitchens that cooked for the masters.
Normally, servants wouldn’t even get white rice to eat. It was only during the ancestral rites, when there was so much work, that white rice was served alongside extra meat in the dishes, to fill everyone up. Even leftovers, taken home and reheated, were considered rare delicacies.
Hearing San Guanshi’s words, Ning Buwen knew that the other party had experienced the previous ancestral rites, and decided to ask more questions.
“Grandpa Guanshi, what’s the deal with these ancestral rites?” Ning Buwen asked, feigning curiosity. “We’ve been busy for a while now. When will it finally end?”
“Yeah, yeah, we’ve been so busy recently, and there’s not enough staff.”
“Why are the ancestral rites so exhausting!”
…
Once someone started talking, the kitchen workers immediately began complaining.
“Quiet!” San Guanshi’s face darkened. “What do you know? If you all just stay quiet and do your work properly, the rites will be over soon enough.”
San Guanshi clearly didn’t want to say more. After a while, he left the kitchen, looking as though someone was chasing him.
Ning Buwen also excused himself, claiming he needed the restroom, and quietly followed him.
Not bad.
He’d been foolish.
He could’ve just asked these managers more about the previous ancestral rites. Why was he fixating on Xing Fangfang alone?
As San Guanshi walked past the rockery, someone grabbed and restrained him.
“Where’s my younger brother!” Ning Buwen asked in a roughened voice.
“Who—who’s your younger brother? I’ve never seen him,” San Guanshi stammered.
“Don’t give me that nonsense.” Ning Buwen bluntly punched him. “My younger brother, Xiao Jun, was bought for your household as a servant a few days ago. I worked hard to get in here to find him, but I can’t find him anywhere.”
“I—I work in the kitchen. I don’t know who you’re talking about,” San Guanshi felt deeply wronged.
“But you’re the only one I’ve caught.” The other person was silent for a moment. “You must know where he’s gone. There are plenty of strange rumors about your household. If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you. After all, losing one or two people here seems to be normal.”
As he spoke, Ning Buwen pressed a dagger against San Guanshi’s neck. A little more force, and it would be enough to send him to the afterlife.
San Guanshi realized the other party was serious and immediately broke out in cold sweat.
“This hero, this noble man, I truly don’t know where your younger brother is. But—but I have an idea that might help you find him,” San Guanshi stammered, swallowing nervously and begging for mercy.
“Speak!”
“Actually, I was only promoted after the ancestral rites three years ago. The Xing family holds grand ancestral rites every three years, and this year happens to be the third year since. You—you might not know this, but the Xing family’s feng shui is too good. So some people with weaker fates can’t handle it, and they easily offend spirits and fall ill. Those who fall ill seem to be sent to the estate for recovery and almost never return.”
This statement has a similar logic to the concept of isolation during smallpox outbreaks.
Ning Buwen knew that the rumors about people disappearing mysteriously would definitely have different versions. So, as long as the stories were roughly the same, they were probably accurate.
“Sent to the estate to recuperate?” Ning Buwen sneered. “It’s isolation, isn’t it? They’re afraid of them infecting others.”
“Yes, yes, you’re right,” San Guanshi didn’t dare argue with Ning Buwen at all. “I don’t know the exact location; only the head steward knows. We’re strictly forbidden from talking about it. Also, personnel change daily. The Xing family’s servants are frequently ‘released’ by Young Master Tang 2. We really don’t know the specific numbers. Hero, please let me go.”
As San Guanshi pleaded for mercy, Ning Buwen gradually pieced together the pattern to servants disappearing from the Xing family.
On one hand, they used the excuse that Young Master Tang, Xing Tianyou, didn’t like seeing servants to “release” people, and on the other hand, they used his name to “buy” people. This cycle of buying and releasing people happened so often that it became normalized.
Sometimes, when someone goes missing, the others would naturally assume they’d been released by Young Master Tang. Additionally, the frequent rotation of a servant’s posts in the Xing family made it difficult for servants to form groups or exchange information.
Otherwise, with the speed at which servants were being replaced, people would’ve long since been scared away.
This wasn’t something that could be accomplished in just a day or two. It had to have been planned over a long time.
Ning Buwen knocked San Guanshi unconscious. After thinking it over, he decided that the best approach was to stir the waters, create chaos, and fish in troubled waters.
In the following days, Ning Buwen disguised himself as the relatives of various people and specifically targeted solitary servants, threatening them to inquire about his younger brother’s whereabouts.
…
“Where exactly did your Xing family sell my child? If you don’t give me an explanation, I’ll cry here every day!”
“Is there no justice? My son only signed a short-term labor contract with you, not a lifetime of servitude!”
…
Outside the Xing residence, several strong and combative middle-aged women from the marketplace wailed loudly, causing a commotion that drew crowds to watch every time.
It was even better when the police came. Once they arrived, these women would start talking about how their sons and daughters had mysteriously disappeared in the Xing residence, leaving everyone at a loss as to how to respond. Local tabloids also began reporting on these incidents.
Before long, most of the servants in the Xing household knew about people’s siblings disappearing in the Xing family. Even police and reporters started showing up to investigate.
Of course, all of this was orchestrated by Ning Buwen.
“You’re really ruthless,” Liang Fei couldn’t help saying. “I thought you’d carefully investigate step by step, but instead, you just exposed everything. Now everyone outside is talking about the Xing residence. There have already been several waves of police officers showing up, just trying to take advantage of the situation.”
Thanks to Ning Buwen’s actions, the Xing residence was thrown into chaos.
“We don’t have a choice, our power is too little,” Ning Buwen shrugged. “The two of us are just servants now. We can’t interfere in the Xing family’s affairs at all. Rather than that, it’s better to leverage external forces. Outsiders will naturally be curious about the Xing family. By exposing this matter, at the least, the Xing family will have to be more cautious when targeting servants. If they really run out of people and can’t act against the servants, they’ll be forced to take risks and use other methods to find people. That’ll be our chance to follow their trail and break the situation.”
If no one had first brought this matter up, everyone might’ve let it slide and ignored it. However once the issue was exposed, the servants could no longer suppress their panic.
“Speaking of, my good friend also disappeared a while back. At the time, everyone said she was released by Young Master Tang. I even blamed her for not leaving me a message.”
“Same here, same here. A friend of mine also disappeared.”
“Do you still remember Xiao Liuzi? That guy with the tiger teeth when he smiles. Haven’t we not seen him for a long time?”
…
It was fine when no one mentioned it, but once it was brought up, the servants immediately realized something was off.
More people started going to question the managers.
In the end, after the managers and Master Xing harshly punished a few people for gossiping, the open discussions quieted down significantly. However, the speculations in secret grew increasingly frightening. Rumors even began spreading that Master Xing ate people, or that a deceased concubine was seeking a substitute out of resentment. All kinds of ghost stories spread at the fastest speed.
To calm people’s hearts, the Xing family had no choice but to invite Taoists from Wuyang Temple to perform rituals ahead of schedule.
Wuyang Temple was the most famous Taoist temple nearby, and its Taoists were naturally well-respected. Upon hearing that Taoists from there were coming, the servants immediately felt much more at ease.
To prepare for the Taoists’ arrival, the kitchen naturally had tasks to handle.
“Buy what?” Ning Buwen was stunned for a moment.
“Buy roosters and black dogs,” San Guanshi, whose temper had worsened ever since he was found unconscious by the latrine, said. “The Taoists need them for the ritual. Hurry up and get them ready. When the roosters and black dogs arrive, you’re in charge of keeping an eye on them. If even one goes missing, don’t think about getting your monthly wages, understand?”
“Yes.” Ning Buwen had no choice but to comply.
Many people in the kitchen felt envious of Ning Buwen’s task.
“Xiao Er, how nice. Black dogs and roosters ward off evil. Staying with them, nothing bad will happen to you.”
“Yeah, Xiao Er, how about we switch tasks?”
“When the time comes to draw blood, remember to secretly save me some. I’ll sprinkle it around my house.”
“The experts from Wuyang Temple are incredible. I was once sick, and just drinking their talisman water cured me. If they’re handling it, there’ll definitely be no problem.”
…
Ning Buwen only felt a headache.
The Xing family played their hand beautifully, instantly overturning the advantageous situation he had painstakingly created.
The servants of this era were all incredibly ignorant. Just as they had been frightened out of their wits by Ning Buwen’s earlier ploy, they could also be reassured by such a simple ritual.
In the end, it wasn’t enough to form any substantial force.
Otherwise, the Xing family wouldn’t have remained so stable for so many years.
Fortunately, Liang Fei had made considerable progress on his end. Over the past few days, he had been sending messages to tell Ning Buwen to stay put and not act rashly. Otherwise, Ning Buwen would have likely stirred up more trouble by now.
“Hello, here are the 100 roosters and 50 black dogs you requested. Please check to see if there are any mistakes.” The vendor delivering the roosters and black dogs bowed and scraped outside the residence. The animals were all in cages, waiting for the servants to carry them inside.
“Woof, woof, woof—”
As Ning Buwen walked over, one of the black dogs barked particularly energetically, causing the other black dogs to start barking as well.
“What are you barking at!”
“Stop barking.” The dog vendor’s face darkened. With all this noise, how could he sell them at a good price?
“Woof—woof.” One dog stubbornly kept barking.
Ning Buwen walked up to that black dog, his expression extremely complicated.
He had been wondering where his stupid dog had gone. Now he was certain.
That dumb dog, Xiao Xin, had actually been caged and sold here?
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- San is three. Guanshi means someone who takes care or/manages things. Manager basically. Decided to leave it in pinyin instead of using third steward or steward 3 as it is used as a name.[↩]
- 堂 [táng] – Of the same paternal grandfather or great-grandfather. Relationship between cousins on the paternal side.[↩]