Chapter 118: Laughter

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Chen Jin held the thick soup, then scanned the table around him, only to find there was no soup spoon! Looking at the others, each person was directly pouring the soup into their mouths using the bowl itself... Helpless, Chen Jin pinched his nose and drank the thick soup in the same manner. He took a small sip first, then bit into the steamed bun. The bun tasted quite good—at least much better than modern ones. The soup’s flavor was beyond reproach: sour, spicy, and tinged with a numbing sensation, absolutely delicious.

“Brother, where do you work?” asked a man sitting at the same table.

“For the Zhang family,” Chen Jin replied casually.

He deliberately steered the conversation toward the Zhang family.

“The Zhang family? Which Zhang family?!” The people around exclaimed in surprise. The man who asked the question pointed in a direction and inquired further.

He pointed toward the location of the Zhang family in Liyuan Town.

“Yeah, what about it?” Chen Jin feigned curiosity as he looked at the man.

“Brother, I advise you not to go there. The Zhang family... isn’t exactly clean (he lowered his voice)…” The man wore a look of concern, as if trying to protect him.

“Huh? What?” Chen Jin pretended not to hear clearly.

The man leaned closer and said, “The Zhang family isn’t clean. Little brother, you should be careful. That’s all the advice I can give.”

“Not clean? What do you mean? I’m just carrying bricks, I don’t care if they’re clean or not,” Chen Jin continued to act puzzled.

“This kind of unclean isn’t what you think it is. This unclean is a different kind of unclean.” The man sighed, a bit frustrated at Chen Jin’s apparent ignorance. But people nowadays were simple and straightforward, so he wouldn’t just stop after a few warnings; he’d go on to explain more. Whether Chen Jin could absorb it was up to him.

“What else could ‘not clean’ mean?” Chen Jin couldn’t say it outright.

“Sigh...”

“It means ghosts.” Another man at the table interjected.

“...”

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The place suddenly fell silent.

“Ghosts... ghosts? You mean ghosts? The Zhang family has ghosts? But I thought... the feng shui seemed pretty good. How could there be ghosts?” Chen Jin pretended to want to argue but sounded somewhat flustered.

“Didn’t you hear what happened last night?” the man asked.

“I came from Xiahe Village. What happened last night?” Chen Jin hurriedly asked.

“You’re here to help the Zhang family matriarch build a tomb, right?” The man scanned Chen Jin up and down before speaking.

“Yes, yes,” Chen Jin nodded.

“Well, the thing that happened last night was because of the Zhang family matriarch... she came back as a revenant!” The man’s expression became exaggerated.

“Ah?! A... a... a revenant?! Is that for real?” Chen Jin’s face showed panic, fear, and disbelief.

“Don’t doubt it. Everyone in town knows. Ask around.” The man gestured to the people around.

Everyone around nodded in agreement.

“Brother, what exactly happened?” Chen Jin asked hesitantly.

“The Zhang family hasn’t done a few unethical things over the years. Only the old lady was pitiful—she was a good person but took the blame for her children and grandchildren. Alas, she can’t rest in peace even after death.” The man sighed.

“What kind of unethical things did the Zhang family do? The Zhang family people seem nice to me—they talk and joke with me. Not like other wealthy families, where a servant would boss me around,” Chen Jin looked puzzled.

“Brother, you’re still too young. You won’t see the wicked deeds of the Zhang family. Haha, they never did things like kicking widows’ doors or abusing old women. But do you know how many skeletons on Emei Mountain were forced out by the Zhang family? And what about that day at the river... tsk tsk, many died. If you work for the Zhang family, you need to watch out not just for ghosts, but for the hearts of men too, brother.” The man clicked his tongue.

He spoke without much restraint now, venting the resentment he had kept inside. The reason for this openness was Chen Jin’s prompting; without it, none of these people would reveal their true thoughts. They’d just keep their heads buried in the sand like ostriches, and no such candid words would be spoken with such abandon.

“I don’t understand,” Chen Jin feigned ignorance.

“Well... in short, what the Zhang family does is akin to forcing women into prostitution, but they do it secretly and carefully. They also often give porridge to beggars on the roadside, so the authorities can’t touch them. Have you noticed how grain prices have soared recently in Liyuan Town and nearby areas?” The man continued.

“Yes... yes, they have risen quite a bit,” Chen Jin agreed, though he actually had no idea about the grain prices around Liyuan Town.

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“That’s the Zhang family’s doing. A month ago, they bought up all the grain from local farmers and landlords. By this month, grain prices have skyrocketed due to their hoarding. Next month, when everyone’s reserves run low, heh, the Zhang family will sell the grain at even higher prices, forcing many to ruin.” The man sneered.

“Wow, brother, you really know a lot and see it clearly.” Chen Jin was surprised. The man’s words were coherent and convincing, despite some gaps. At least by the standards of this era, it made sense and carried much truth.

The others present were also stunned and amazed.

“No, no, that was just what a passing scholar said a few days ago. He understood it better than us rough peasants. We’ve lived here over thirty years, been screwed by the Zhang family for over ten, and still didn’t get it. We thought the Zhang family were great benefactors. Sigh, you have to read more, or else you’ll be the one counting someone else’s money after being tricked,” the man quickly waved his hands.

“A scholar?” Chen Jin asked curiously.

“Yeah, a rather handsome scholar, apparently heading to the capital for the imperial exams. He’s probably on Emei Mountain now,” the man said.

“No wonder. Only a true scholar could see through it all,” Chen Jin agreed.

“Exactly,” the man nodded.

Now, in Chen Jin’s mind, a new suspicious figure was added: that scholar. Anyone connected with the Zhang family was to be treated with caution. He’d waste a little brainpower to memorize names and gather information, analyze it, and when encountering matters related to such people again, he could deduce the truth about the Zhang family.

“Little brother, want some more soup?” Suddenly, the shop owner called out to Chen Jin.

At that moment, Chen Jin felt the guiding illusion he had cast on those around him dissipate.

“No charge?” Chen Jin asked.

“No charge,” the owner replied.

“All right then.” Chen Jin handed over the bowl.

He turned and looked directly at the owner.

The owner smiled broadly, though somewhat stiffly.

...