Chapter 70: Madwoman
Chapter 70: Madwoman
Lu Jiaxin asked in a soft voice, "Which box contains the paintings and calligraphy? Let's carry that one up first."
Gu Wenfeng pointed to the top left box and then walked over to lift it down. He even thoughtfully opened it for her to inspect.
Lu Jiaxin took a quick glance and then walked over to open the exposed box. This box contained books, neatly arranged.
She picked up a book and carefully flipped it open, using her flashlight to illuminate the pages. They were all in traditional characters and written in classical Chinese, read from right to left.
Gu Wenfeng then pointed to the top right box and said, "This box contains all sorts of bottles. I don't understand much about them, but they're quite beautiful."
Now that Lu Jiaxin had a sense of what was in the secret passage, she didn't want to linger. She pointed to the box at his feet and said, "Gu Da ge, let's carry this one up first."
"Alright."
Lu Jiaxin added, "Porcelain is very fragile, so be careful when you're carrying it."
After saying this, she became even more concerned about the safety of carrying the box up through the dark passageway. If someone tripped, an entire box of porcelain could be ruined.
Noticing her sudden silence, Gu Wenfeng prompted, "Lu jiaxin, our courtyard has suddenly become quiet, and I'm worried that the people from the other household will come knocking. Let's quickly carry the boxes up, and we can come back for the rest later."
Lu Jiaxin felt that he was very considerate. "We'll follow your lead, Gu Da ge."
But as soon as she hoisted the carrying pole onto her shoulder, Lu Jiaxin knew something was amiss. "Gu Da ge, wait a moment. The weight doesn't feel right. There shouldn't be paintings at the bottom."
"There are only five paintings. The rest are paper, brushes, and some strange stones," Gu Wenfeng replied with a nod.
Strange stones? Lu Jiaxin wondered if they were inkstones or ink slabs, but she couldn't be sure without taking a closer look. It was too dark in the passageway to examine them properly.
Even with the ink or inkstone slabs, the box still felt light, perhaps only weighing three or four catties. It was probably just because the box was so big; otherwise, Gu Wenfeng could have carried it up himself.
Since ink slabs were fragile, Lu Jiaxin walked slowly. Upon reaching the exit of the secret passage, she suggested in a hushed tone that they first carry up the paintings and then use a basket to transport the rest of the items in batches.
This would be more troublesome, but it would also ensure maximum protection for the contents of the box. "Then you go up first. I'll wait here," offered Gu Wenfeng.
After Lu Jiaxin climbed up, she heard someone shouting from outside, "What are you doing, locking the door in broad daylight? Open up!"
She recognized this voice—it was the old lady from the second courtyard, Sun. That old woman was insatiable when it came to taking advantage of others, and not a single neighbor could stand her.
Lu Jiaxin stuffed the paintings into the luggage bag and quickly went out. She found Xue Mao and asked, "What's going on?"
Xue Mao shook his head. "I don't know. The old lady from the second courtyard suddenly came knocking. I told her that you and Gu Da ge were taking a nap and that she could come back later if she had something to say. But then she started shouting."
Bang, bang, bang. After a series of knocks, the voice of the old lady Sun rang out again. "Open the door! If you don't open it, I'll call all the neighbors to come and see..."
Lu Jiaxin quickly washed her face, dried it, took off her outer shirt, and ran her hands through her hair. She then went to the kitchen, grabbed a vegetable knife, and opened the door.
When the old lady Sun saw Lu Jiaxin, she was about to hurl insults, but the sight of the knife in her hand startled her. She swallowed her words and forced a smile instead. "You... what are you going to do?"
Lu Jiaxin glared at the old lady Sun, her eyes full of malice, as she asked, "Do you have the guts to repeat what you just said?"
The old lady Sun took an involuntary step back at the sight of Lu Jiaxin's chopping motion.
The old lady Sun's shouting had already attracted a small crowd. One of the onlookers said, "Young lady, let's talk things over calmly. Please put down the knife first."
Lu Jiaxin had no intention of putting down the knife. She turned to the old lady Sun and said, "Why do I keep the door locked during the day? It's because I'm guarding against thieves like you two. When we first moved in, we didn't know any better. My brother went out to buy something and forgot to lock the door. When he came back, his axe and kitchen knife were missing, along with over thirty yuan from his wallet. My brother is too honest; he didn't come to you for an explanation. If it were me, I would have called the police immediately."
The old lady Sun was furious and shouted, "Who are you calling a thief? We've never touched your things!"
Lu Jiaxin pointed the knife at her and asked, "If you didn't come to steal, why were you banging on my door so loudly? My brother was afraid that you would wake me up, so he didn't open the door. And then you started saying all sorts of nasty things. If you don't explain yourself, I'll chop you up."
The old lady Sun was so scared that she shivered. But soon, she tilted her head back and said, "Murder is a crime. If you dare to touch me, you'll be arrested!"
A malicious smile curved Lu Jiaxin's lips as she said, "I'm a madwoman. If a madwoman kills you, she won't be held accountable."
Xue Mao's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Lu Jiaxin had actually claimed to be a madwoman to intimidate this old lady! She really went all out.
The old lady Sun looked at Lu Jiaxin's pale face and bulging eyes, and she did seem a little abnormal. Coupled with the fact that their family was brewing medicine every day, the old lady Sun felt a sense of trepidation. She stuttered, "I... I just came to borrow a hammer."
"Borrowing is just a pretext for taking possession of someone else's belongings," Lu Jiaxin scoffed. "What's the difference between that and stealing? No, at least thieves know that what they're doing is shameful. What you're doing is blatantly robbing us in broad daylight."
The few onlookers all felt that this young lady's tongue was as sharp as a knife.
The old lady Sun was infamous in the neighborhood for her shameless behavior. She would pick fights, roll on the floor, and curse at people. But today, she didn't dare to curse at Lu Jiaxin. If she really provoked this madwoman and ended up getting slashed a few times, even if she didn't die, she would still suffer greatly and have to pay for her medical expenses herself. On the other hand, the madwoman would likely just be locked up.
"Forget it, I won't borrow it then," the old lady Sun said, and she slinked away.
Once the old lady Sun had left, Lu Jiaxin paid no heed to what the others might think and simply closed the door. Seeing that Xue Mao looked like he wanted to say something but was hesitating, she smiled and asked, "What is it?"
"Sister, you didn't have to say that about yourself," Xue Mao said.
"When dealing with people like her, we have to use special methods," Lu Jiaxin replied. "Before we leave, she probably won't dare to come knocking again. Xue Mao, it doesn't matter what methods we use as long as we get a good result."
She added, "As long as it's not illegal."
As they were talking, Gu Wenfeng walked out of the room. "It's fine to say whatever we want here, but we can't do the same back in Si Jiucheng."
Lu Jiaxin smiled. "Thank you, Gu Da ge. I understand."
It was a good thing they had left Xue Mao behind. If all three of them had gone down, the old lady Sun would have become suspicious if no one answered her persistent knocking. Having someone as thoughtful as Gu Wenfeng around really saved them a lot of trouble. Lu Jiaxin felt that she should seize this opportunity to make a request. Perhaps Gu Wenfeng would agree to stay and help her out! Although the chances were slim, she had to try.
(End of Chapter)
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