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"So, did you have an idea in your heart at that moment?" Xing Ruyi pressed on. Wang Fu was clearly taken aback, remaining silent for a while.
He stared at Xing Ruyi for a long time before slowly sighing, "If I didn't have any thoughts back then, I would be lying to you. I was only about sixteen or seventeen years old, in the prime of my youth. When I suddenly heard that a beautiful girl, and that girl was Purple Jade, who had always liked me, how could my heart not flutter? But I knew deep down that this fluttering might not be related to love; it was just a bit of secret joy in a man's heart, the joy of knowing that such a beautiful girl didn't like Wang Shu but liked me instead.
Ruyi, you haven't seen the young Wang Shu. Although he wasn't particularly handsome, he was generous and witty, and very chivalrous. He was the kind of man who easily won girls' hearts. At that time in Luoyang, there were more than one girl who admired him.
As for Purple Jade, I won't deny that I had some fondness for her. However, upon reflection, I realized she wasn't the type of girl I truly liked. So while there was fondness, true love was uncertain. It was just that night; I didn't have the chance to think about all this. My heart was in turmoil, especially after hearing about her experiences."
"What did Purple Jade go through?"
"At that time, my family went through some changes, and I stopped attending school. I had fewer chances to meet Purple Jade. Instead, Wang Shu often took the opportunity to visit her under the pretext of buying tofu. Purple Jade was at an age when she should be getting married; her parents were anxious and began looking for suitors for her. Upon hearing this, she asked Wang Shu to deliver a message to me and arranged a meeting place."
"Wang Shu didn't tell you?"
Wang Fu nodded.
"Yes, he didn't tell me; he went to the meeting place himself." Wang Fu continued, looking up again. "Purple Jade told me that the meeting place was chosen at the City God Temple where we first met. She even specially brought me lotus leaf fried rice, which not only had tofu scraps but also included her mother's secret stash of cured meat. In the end, she waited for a long time but instead of me, it was Wang Shu who showed up. I couldn't make it due to family matters. Although Purple Jade felt a bit sad upon hearing this, she still kindly offered the lotus leaf fried rice to Wang Shu.
However, Wang Shu accepted the fried rice but didn't eat it; instead, he bullied Purple Jade right in front of the City God. At that moment, Purple Jade was calling my name; she hoped I would appear and stop Wang Shu from doing anything to her. But I didn’t show up, and neither did the City God hear her pleas.
Afterward, she returned home in despair. She initially wanted to forget everything but unexpectedly, soon after Wang Shu went to her house to propose marriage. In front of her parents, she felt powerless and could only agree."
"And then? After you heard all this from Purple Jade yourself, what did you do?"
"I—" Wang Fu opened his mouth; emotions surged quickly in his throat before he ultimately hung his head in frustration. "I did nothing! I admit that I was angry at that time; I even rushed to the wedding banquet intending to confront Wang Shu in front of all the guests. But in the end, I did nothing. Purple Jade had already married Wang Shu; what significance would my questioning have? Should everyone in Luoyang know that Purple Jade lost her purity because of Wang Shu and had no choice but to marry him? What good would that do for Purple Jade?
I stood there for a long time just staring at Wang Shu's back. Then I returned to the entrance and thought about Purple Jade: since things had come to this point and Wang Shu truly liked her, let her live her life well. The feelings she had for me—I kept them in my heart. Then I went back to the banquet and drank a lot of alcohol until I left in a daze."
"This, just now I heard Brother Wang say it too. He said you encountered someone on your way home."
"I did meet someone, it was like the scent of night jasmine, a very strong smell. I stumbled out of Wang Shu's house, and just as I was nearing the alley to my home, I accidentally bumped into that person. Although I was drunk, I could still smell that strong scent on him, which was quite overwhelming. At that moment, my head buzzed and I became a bit more sober. I apologized to him and caught a glimpse of him in the moonlight. I remember his face was very pale, with prominent features; he looked like a strong man at first glance. I felt a bit flustered and worried he might cause me trouble."
"However, he was actually very nice. Not only did he not blame me, but he also made me feel at ease. After that, I went home, completely unaware of what happened outside. It wasn't until I was startled awake by the noise outside that I learned Purple Jade had taken her own life right by the Black Sophora tree outside my door."
"When Purple Jade died, you really didn't hear anything at all?"
"No!" Wang Fu pointed to his yard: "Ruyi, look at the layout of my yard. Since it was carved out from the entire mansion, my house isn't square or perfectly rectangular; it's rather long and narrow. In the front yard, I've tried to preserve some of the original features, with the resting area further inside. Whether it's a quiet death or a loud commotion, if there were any sounds, I might not have heard them anyway. Besides, at that time, I was still inebriated."
"Logically speaking, Purple Jade should have been in her new house at that time. Even if she wanted to take her life, she could have done so directly from the beam in her new house. Why would she come to your doorstep? Have you thought about this question?"
Xing Ruyi initially thought Wang Fu would hesitate for a moment, but to her surprise, he nodded immediately: "I vaguely know some things; this is what Wang Shu later told me. He said Purple Jade had always harbored resentment towards him. After the guests left, he returned to his new house heavily intoxicated and unexpectedly found that Purple Jade attempted to stab him. He instinctively seized the weapon from her hand and pushed her down; then they ended up in the Wedding Chamber together. After that, he couldn't remember anything."
"I speculate that perhaps after the incident occurred, Purple Jade felt heartbroken and ran out from Wang Shu's house, naturally ending up at my doorstep. She might have wanted to confide in me or seek my protection. Unfortunately, I was also drunk at home with the door tightly shut and didn't respond at all. Purple Jade must have been extremely heartbroken; that's why she chose to end her life. Oh right, when Purple Jade hanged herself, she used her red waistband which had embroidered mandarin ducks on it; hidden among the ducks was a character for 'Fu'. However, Wang Shu didn't notice it and neither did anyone from Yamen investigate closely. Fearing trouble for myself, I kept it hidden."
Xing Ruyi nodded in understanding.
Wang Fu sighed deeply again and turned his gaze towards the door as if looking at the Black Locust tree outside: "Just now Ruyi asked me if I've truly let go of what happened back then. If I say there's not a trace of resentment in my heart, that would be a lie. I'm not a saint; I'm just an ordinary person and even consider myself somewhat narrow-minded. The reason I've kept silent about what happened back then is partly because I didn't want to stir up more trouble for myself and partly because I've always followed Wang Shu and held some respect for him; deep down I didn't want to provoke him. But resentment has always existed."
"I once thought about revenge, especially after my eldest son passed away when I saw that black cat buried beneath my house; I truly felt like killing him then. But just like San said, perhaps there's still some kindness left in me; I can't help but consider others' feelings as well. So until now, I've done nothing."
"I think I've found the secret behind your shadow!"
"Ruyi what?"
"Uncle Wang, you are also a scholar. Have you ever heard of the term 'Heart Demon'?"
"'Heart Demon'? Is it related to things like infatuation, anger, and greed?"
Xing Ruyi nodded. "Hatred, Greed, Delusion, Obsession, Resentment—these all belong to the Heart Demon. The Heart Demon can exist continuously, arise suddenly, hide away, grow, devour a person, or even temper a person. Those events from many years ago seem to have gone unexamined by you, Uncle Wang, and it appears that you have let them go. However, the Heart Demon has always been there; you've just hidden it well. Until the day your family's protective stone was destroyed by Wang Shu's grandson, who is also Wang Chengjia's son next door, your Heart Demon could no longer be concealed."
Wang Fu felt a rush of emotions, and his old face turned red instantly. Fortunately, in the darkness, others could not see his embarrassment. He cleared his throat softly and said, "Indeed! When I saw that the talisman drawn in Cinnabar was destroyed by that child, my anger flared up immediately. I thought to myself that many years ago, your grandfather bullied us and even killed my child while cursing our family. I didn't pursue it then. After all these years of hard-won peace for my family, you come back to bully us again. So I felt a deep-seated hatred and dreamed several times of killing that child and their entire family.
But upon waking up, I buried those thoughts deep in my heart because I know that killing someone comes with a price. My family is honest; we haven't even managed to arrange a marriage for the third one yet. If I become a murderer, how would he live out the rest of his life?"
Wang Fu pounded his thighs hard twice in frustration and sat beside them with a mix of annoyance and emotions he couldn't quite express, shaking his head and sighing repeatedly.
Wang San wanted to comfort his father; he opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
"The so-called demons arise from the heart. Uncle Wang, the shadow you see is actually your own Heart Demon. Although there is some negative energy in your home, with this stone suppressing it for now, it won't turn into ghosts or monsters anytime soon. Moreover, Brother Wang just mentioned seeing Uncle Wang's shadow resembling a Black Locust tree; this too is a form of Heart Demon. Growing up listening to stories about Black Locusts has instilled an instinctive fear in Brother Wang towards that tree; it's just like Uncle Wang's feelings—hidden deep within. If you want to completely rid yourself of the Heart Demon, Fox Demon here has a method; I just don't know if Uncle Wang and Brother Wang are willing to hear it."
"Ruyi, please!"
"Since this house has such heavy negative energy and is not suitable for living beings, with so many sad events occurring within its walls, Uncle Wang might as well sell the house and find another place. Perhaps Brother Wang will then be able to start a family."
"Is San's situation also related to this house?"
"A house with such heavy negative energy inevitably suppresses its own fortune. While I can't say for certain that it's directly related, there is indeed an influence. If Uncle Wang trusts the Fox Demon, then seek another residence; if good things still do not happen afterward, I can help Brother Wang set up a peach blossom arrangement or something similar to promote his romantic prospects so that he can soon attract the Crimson Phoenix star."
"In that case, thank you very much, Ruyi! However, selling this house is not something that can be done overnight. The location of this house is not bad; besides, the events from back then are well-known among the locals at Rouge Shop."
"This is no problem! Uncle Wang, you can consider it carefully. If you really want to sell, the Fox Demon here can make an introduction. As for the price, Uncle Wang, rest assured, it will only be higher than the market price."
Upon hearing this, Wang Fu's eyes instantly brightened but then dimmed again. "According to what the young lady said, this place has a heavy yin energy. It is not suitable for living beings at all; who would pay to buy it?"
Xing Ruyi smiled. "Since Uncle Wang brought this up, I won’t hide it any longer. Your house is indeed not easy to sell; even in Luoyang City, even outsiders who know a bit about feng shui wouldn’t want it. But Uncle Wang, I can buy your house. Although it is not suitable for living beings, it is excellent for growing shade-loving flowers and plants. You can see that the flowers and plants in your courtyard are growing better than those in others' homes."
"I understand now. The young lady is in the business of Rouge and Face Powder, so she must need some flowers and plants. That's why she wants to buy my house as a garden."
"Uncle Wang, isn’t your house already a garden?" Xing Ruyi chuckled. "The Fox Demon has made things clear here. Whether you want to sell or not depends entirely on your own wishes."
"The young lady's words, I will consider carefully," Wang Fu said with cupped hands. "In any case, I must thank Ruyi!"
"Uncle Wang, no need to be polite. If you have made up your mind, you can send Brother Wang to my shop. As for the selling price, you can have someone evaluate it yourself. No matter the amount, I, Xing Ruyi, will not haggle!"
Wang Fu nodded excitedly.
Seeing that it was already late at night, Wang Fu wanted to invite Xing Ruyi to stay overnight but was politely declined by her. After some thought, he instructed Wang San to take a lantern and escort Xing Ruyi back.
As they exited the alley, they saw a group of people carrying white lanterns in the distance. On the street, the wind blew gently, making it quite chilly. Xing Ruyi squinted to see that at the front of the group carrying lanterns were actually a pair of paper figures.
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