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墨書 Inktalez
Sang Qingxiao was quite curious about Lou Old Woman. She was indeed a pitiful person. Sun Rongniang, carrying a jug of wine and a plate of snacks, sat beside Sang Qingxiao. Lou Old Woman had lost her husband when she was young, but fortunately, she raised an extremely filial son. He started as a commoner and managed to secure a position as a Constable. Within five years of doing well in his duties, he was promoted to Capturer.
He even gained the appreciation of the County Lieutenant, who was willing to marry off his daughter to him. Life seemed to be getting better and better, and who in the neighborhood didn’t envy them? However, just a day before the wedding, her son was suddenly imprisoned on charges of embezzlement, with the amount being quite substantial.
The Government searched the Lou household thoroughly but only found a small box of silver, which was nowhere near the amount mentioned in the case. The entire situation was more noise than substance; after half a month of turmoil, the case was hastily closed without recovering any money. The only person related to the case who died was her son. In short, all blame was placed on him.
It was obvious to everyone that he had been made a scapegoat. Lou Old Woman could not bear to see her son die unjustly. According to her, that small box of silver in their backyard had been buried and then dug up right in front of her eyes. The other party had even warned her not to meddle; otherwise, they wouldn’t spare even an old woman like her.
With her home gone and her son dead, what else could she fear? Lou Old Woman went to the Government several times but was invariably driven away. At over sixty years old, being thrown out left her injured; anyone who saw it would feel pity. Some kind-hearted people secretly helped her but dared not show it openly.
At that time, I advised her that officials protect each other. It seemed Lou Old Woman took my words to heart; since then, she never returned to the Government but instead pretended to be mad and wandered outside, not even going home.
Two years passed like this until Common Faith emerged. When Lou Old Woman joined in worship on the first day, she received divine favor. In just three days, the wrongful case was overturned; the county office underwent a complete change, including the family of County Lieutenant's daughter who was supposed to marry.
It was said that the plot against the Lou family originated from him; Lou's son was an upright man who advised his future father-in-law against accepting bribes, which led that old scoundrel to hold a grudge. It was also said that during those two years when Lou Old Woman pretended to be mad, she gathered plenty of evidence for the case to turn around so quickly.
After everything ended, I bought some daily necessities intending to visit her and learned that she had become a servant at a Taoist temple. I visited her at the temple and found that she had become a shell of her former self—blind, deaf, and mute—as if she had lost all five senses. Seeing people made my heart tremble.
When I saw her in the temple, she truly looked soulless. When did these symptoms start? Could it be due to heartbreak? Sun Rongniang shook her head; during the retrial, Lou Old Woman had appeared in court looking quite well and clear-headed. Her change seemed to have begun when she entered the temple; I guessed this must be the price for overturning the case.
As Sun Rongniang spoke here, fear filled her eyes. After taking a big gulp of wine, she earnestly advised Sang Qingxiao, “Sister, heed my advice: demanding too high a price is burdensome. You’ve seen what this temple is like; it’s better for you to return home and prepare for marriage.”
Sang Qingxiao merely thanked her for her good intentions. Sun Rongniang wore a worried expression and didn’t press further. Returning to their guest room, everyone was gathered around discussing under the red lanterns.
Sang Qingxiao sat down with them and asked if they had noticed anything unusual.
Old Vine explained that these were merely domesticated Fireflies. They became particularly active when there was light and heat, measuring less than a tenth the size of a sesame seed. When they were lively, their bodies glowed a fiery red, blending into the flames and making them difficult to detect.
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