章節 14: Feng Shou Town
Mei Fong panicked when she saw her husband being helped by Lin Fan, limping along with only one leg.
"Aunt Mei Fong, it's all right. Uncle Liu most likely bruised his shin bone."
"Yeah, it's just a slight bruise. Nothing compared to what I've suffered before."
Lin Fan and Uncle Liu both tried to downplay the seriousness of his injury.
Mei Fong didn't buy it.
She went into the bedroom, rummaged through her clothes, and finally found what she was looking for.
A white-colored handkerchief made of cotton and laced with silk tied up in a bundle.
She opened it and inside were some jade pendants and earrings.
Mei Fong spent a few moments looking at these pieces of jewelry she had brought over as her dowry.
She couldn't bear to part with them, but they wouldn't be able to pay the autumn harvest tax if she used the money they had to ask the sensei to heal her husband.
She bit her lips, made her decision and got out of the bedroom.
Mei Fong said to Uncle Liu, "I'm going to get the Sensei over to look at your injury. You better stay put."
"Sensei? There's no need to do so." Uncle Liu tried to quickly limp towards Mei Fong to stop her, "See, I'm all right and able to start hunting tomorrow."
He put down both of his legs and tried to take a step towards Mei Fong, but the pain struck him like lightning.
"Ouch!"
He cried out and had to sit on the ground.
"Are you all right?" Mei Fong hurried over and checked on Uncle Liu.
When Uncle Liu saw what Mei Fong had in her hands, he tried to take all the jewelry away from her.
"What are you thinking? These are your dowry…the only thing to remind you of your family."
"What else can I do? The autumn harvest tax is coming…" Mei Fong's eyes started to fill with tears.
Little Liu Han, seeing what happened, started crying out loud.
"Daddy's going to be all right!"
Lin Fan didn't expect this sudden turn of events.
He said to Uncle Liu, "Let me go to Feng Shou town. This sword seems to be valuable; I will try and sell it. Whatever it fetches can be used for the sensei."
"But you might need the sword when you join the Qing Feng sect later on…" Uncle Liu said.
"Let me do it, Uncle Liu. I'm not really interested in sword fighting techniques. It's the least I can do for you," Lin Fan started to walk out, not giving Uncle Liu a chance to reject his help.
"Aunt Mei Fong, take care of Uncle Liu and wait for my good news."
Lin Fan assured Mei Fong, then smiled and waved at Liu Han and left.
Mei Fong sighed as she watched Lin Fan leaving.
She felt ashamed of herself.
What was she thinking back then, seeing Lin Fan as a burden, leeching on Uncle Liu?
How wrong she was.
Lin Fan walked along the dirt path and all along the way, he could hear similar conversations about finding money for healing.
This whole charade with the wanderers and vagrants had dealt a huge blow to the villagers.
Winter was going to be hard to endure.
When Lin Fan reached the village head's house, the village head and Ho Ming were already waiting for him outside.
"Village head, I think Housekeeper Lee from the Tan family had a hand in what happened.
"When I reached the open field, there were men waiting in ambush for me.
"I've found this, too bad it can't prove Housekeeper Lee sent them."
Lin Fan handed over the wooden slab with a lotus carved into it.
Ho Fu took the wooden slab, carefully looked at it.
He wasn't sure what the wooden slab signified.
He would have to check with the magistrate in Feng Shou town.
"I'm not sure what this is.
"I will let the magistrate handle it.
"As for Housekeeper Lee, I agree with you, he is involved somehow.
"But we will have to try and get evidence before I can do anything.
"The Tan family is waiting for me to make a mistake and come in for the kill."
Ho Fu took a puff off his pipe and said.
Lin Fan nodded and thought about how to nail Housekeeper Lee down.
"Stop looking so serious. This must be the first time you will be in town; let me show you around when we get there," Ho Ming said and patted Lin Fan on his back.
"You are right, let's go then," Lin Fan replied.
…
Feng Shou Town.
The town was organized in a square shape.
In the center was the Yamen, where the town's magistrate worked and lived.
Leading out from the Yamen were straight streets and along the streets were rows upon rows of shop houses peddling their wares and goods.
These houses with their distinct sloped tiled roofs were more than a notch better than the wooden huts in An Xiang village.
The streets were bustling with people, each going on with their daily routines and the hustling of the hawkers.
A far cry from the sparsely populated An Xiang village.
"Both of you stay out of trouble. Find me at the Yamen after one hour," Ho Fu passed some copper coins to Ho Ming and made his way to the Yamen.
"You know where I can try to sell this sword?" Lin Fan asked Ho Ming.
"Wow. This sword looks expensive. We can try our luck over at the weaponry shop."
Ho Ming led Lin Fan through the streets and then stopped at the corner shop.
The shop had tough-looking men with their scars and tattoos guarding outside.
They tried to stop Ho Ming and Lin Fan from entering but let them in after Ho Ming showed them his copper coins.
When he was inside the shop, Lin Fan was having an eye-opening moment.
There were swords, knives, long spears and even axes on display for sale.
Lin Fan went closer and looked at all the well-crafted weapons.
"How can I help you?" a shop assistant came up to him and asked.
"How much can I sell this for?" Lin Fan said and lifted the sword in his hand.
The shop assistant opened his eyes wide when he saw the sword.
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