He was a peculiarly unsightly man, under five chi tall, with an oversized head perched atop a diminutive frame. A pair of beady, rat-like eyes darted about slyly. Walking alongside the woman, he looked utterly out of place.
Noticing Gu Qingyun’s gaze lingering on him and his wife, the man couldn't resist barking an insult:
“What are you staring at, you bastard? Is my wife someone you can just gawk at?”
The woman opened her mouth to speak, but the rat-eyed man cut her off sharply:
“Shut your mouth too. I’ll deal with you when we get home.”
Gu Qingyun knitted her brows.
“Did you just call me a bastard?”
“So what if I cursed at you? What are you gonna do about it? Weren't you the blind fool who bumped into us first? I’m being generous by not making you pay compensation—what’s wrong with giving you an earful?”
The rat-eyed man sneered mockingly.
Seeing Gu Qingyun remain silent, the man smugly led the woman away. Gu Qingyun quietly watched their retreating figures, her eyes lowering slightly.
Night soon fell. Old Lady Zhang and the other three stayed overnight at an inn in the county seat. She had successfully secured the house for one hundred and seventy taels of silver. Both parties were thoroughly satisfied with the deal, and all that remained was to clean the place up over the next few days before moving the entire household in.
Upon receiving the news, Gu Qingyun found her mood—soured earlier that afternoon by the rat-eyed man—improving considerably. After having dinner outside with Old Lady Zhang and the others, she headed straight back to the yamen for duty.
...
“Bolt the doors and shutter the windows! Beware of thieves and prowlers!” The night watchman’s call rang out through the quiet streets; the second watch had already arrived.
Gu Qingyun and Bai Fan trailed quietly behind the watchman. Before long, she clutched her stomach with an expression of agony. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and her lips turned pale. Bai Fan took one look and jumped in fright.
“Sister Yun, what’s wrong?”
Gu Qingyun replied weakly:
“I don’t know... must’ve eaten something bad. I need to run to the latrine. Go on ahead with the patrol; once I feel a bit better, I’ll catch up.”
Bai Fan’s face was full of concern.
“Sister Yun, let me help you over.”
“No need, I can manage on my own. Take Little Black and keep patrolling.” Once Bai Fan was out of sight, Gu Qingyun straightened up, all traces of her earlier frailty vanishing in an instant.
Steering clear of her patrolling colleagues, she darted off like a phantom in a specific direction. Before long, she arrived outside a modest civilian house. Leaping lightly into the courtyard, she peeked discreetly inside.
Inside, two men were drinking. One of them was none other than the rat-eyed man who had cursed at her earlier.
By now, he was thoroughly sloshed. Beside him, a scrawny, monkey-like man was attentively pouring wine for him.
“Brother Hai, I really envy you. To find such a gorgeous wife—not only is she pretty, but she’s also completely obedient to you. If only I could find someone like that.”
The rat-eyed man downed his bowl of wine in one gulp and smacked his lips.
“Well, not just anyone has the skills to land a wife like mine. Don’t you worry, Skinny Monkey. If I spot another good one down the road, I’ll definitely introduce her to you.” He didn't breathe a single word about how he had found his wife in the first place.
The smile on Skinny Monkey’s face nearly cracked. Pouring more wine for the rat-eyed man, he said:
“Then I’ll thank you in advance, Brother Hai! Let’s drink till we drop tonight, and tomorrow we’ll go gamble a few rounds together.”
“Sure, whatever you say.” Flattered into high spirits, the rat-eyed man gulped down bowl after bowl until he finally passed out cold.
“Brother Hai? Brother Hai?” Skinny Monkey called out tentatively twice. Seeing no reaction, his expression shifted immediately. After kicking the rat-eyed man a few times, he wore a lecherous smirk and crept toward the adjoining room.
In the other room, a woman was mending clothes. Looking at her voluptuous figure, Skinny Monkey felt a rush of heat in his chest. Swallowing hard, he could hardly contain his lust.
“Sister-in-law, mending Brother Hai’s clothes, are we?”
Skinny Monkey sat right down beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Yingniang, be with me instead. A dwarf like him can’t satisfy you. As long as you’re with me, I’ll buy you new clothes and fine jewelry.”
The woman named Yingniang struggled desperately.
“No! I only love Brother Hai! Let go of me!”
A vicious glint flashed across Skinny Monkey’s eyes. Raising his hand, he slapped her across the face and pinned her onto the bed.
“Don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! It’s your blessing that I fancy you. It’s not like you’re an untouched maiden anyway—if Shorty Hai can touch you, so can I!”
Utterly despairing, Yingniang cried out in terror:
“Husband, save me!”
Skinny Monkey laughed wildly.
“That dwarf is sleeping like a dead pig! Sweet Yingniang, tonight you’re mine!”
Right then, a hand reached in from the side and slapped Skinny Monkey clean off the bed, sending him crashing to the floor.
Rage blazed in Gu Qingyun’s chest. In the brief moment she had taken to slap that dwarf a few times, a woman had almost been violated right under her nose.
Still unsatisfied, she seized the man called Skinny Monkey and rained several fierce slaps across his face, battering him black and blue until several teeth flew out.
Skinny Monkey’s eyes went wide as he took in Gu Qingyun’s constable uniform. His face turned ashen.
“Y-You’re a constable... Officer, I won’t dare do it again! Spare me!”
Curled up at the corner of the bed, the woman named Yingniang trembled uncontrollably, biting her lip so hard she didn't dare sob aloud.
Seeing this only stoked Gu Qingyun’s fury. Tossing Skinny Monkey to the floor, she delivered several swift kicks straight to his gut, curling him into a ball as he threw up all the liquor he had just consumed.
Gu Qingyun shot him a disgusted glare and delivered a sharp knife-hand strike to the back of his neck, knocking him out cold.
Softening her expression with what she thought was a gentle smile, she approached the woman.
“Sister, your name is Yingniang, right? It’s alright now. You’re safe.”
Yingniang stared at Gu Qingyun, tears streaming down her face even faster. She had been truly terrified just now—her own man couldn't even protect her.
Back when she had first married Liu Hai, life had actually been quite good. All she had to do was cook and keep the house tidy.
Liu Hai would go out every day to find work. He possessed excellent culinary skills, so families hosting weddings or funerals would always hire him. The two of them had enjoyed a period of sweet, blissful harmony.
Over time, however, the novelty wore off. Liu Hai slipped back into his old habits—working for a few days, idling until all the money was spent, and only then bothering to look for work again.
Yingniang’s heart and soul were devoted entirely to him. When money ran tight, she was content to forage wild greens for their meals. As time passed, Liu Hai grew even lazier.
Whenever he had free time, he drank with his disreputable cronies. When he drank too much, he would beat her, yet Yingniang never complained. She had never imagined that today, she would almost be violated.
Watching her do nothing but weep, Gu Qingyun felt a headache coming on. She honestly didn't know how to handle such a situation.
Grabbing the scrawny man, she walked into the main hall and hauled up Liu Hai as well, preparing to leave. Only then did the dazed Yingniang snap back to her senses, trailing after her:
“Constable, where are you taking my husband?”
Gu Qingyun gave her a speechless look. What was wrong with this woman, being so desperate to cling to a man like this?
It made no sense at all. Any normal person would look down on a man like him. He was abusive, dirt-poor, and hideously ugly—practically devoid of a single redeeming quality. What could Yingniang possibly see in him?
She snapped crossly:
“Don’t worry, I won't kill them. This guy called Skinny Monkey has to be hauled off to the cells. As for this one—here, take him back.”
With that, she dumped Liu Hai onto the ground and walked away. Yet the further she walked, the more unsettling it felt. Something about the whole situation was distinctly eerie.
Gu Qingyun turned back, walked up to Yingniang, and scrutinized her closely. Finally, she took her by the hand. A wisp of qi, invisible to ordinary eyes, slipped through Yingniang’s wrist and penetrated her body.
Gu Qingyun frowned. There was no sinister, evil qi, nor the demonic qi like Xiaojin had, nor any gu parasite inside her. She was clean as could be. That made no sense.
Unable to figure it out for now, Gu Qingyun could only shelve it. She released Yingniang’s hand and turned on her heel to leave, leaving Yingniang staring after her retreating back in utter bewilderment.
Rate on N.U.
