Volume One: River City Tune Chapter 47: Within Three Days (Part 1)

When Li Ling stepped out of the county office, dusk was already falling. After the sun dipped below the horizon, the northern wind grew sharper, intensifying the winter chill. The normally bustling street in front of the office had grown desolate, with hardly any vendors in sight, save for a few shops that remained open.

He pondered for a moment and decided against heading straight home. Instead, he would seek Gu Yuezi’s help, asking him to send a shop assistant to keep watch on the Zheng residence for Lin Lie so that he could have a talk with him later. After all, since the words had already been spoken, he had to keep his promise. With this thought in mind, Li Ling quickened his pace. Just then, a figure stumbling with drink staggered out of a small tavern and collided squarely with him.

The man was unsteady on his feet, and upon impact, he slid right down Li Ling’s body toward the ground, dragging Li Ling into a stumble as well. Li Ling hastily reached out to catch him, but the sudden movement pulled at his back wound, almost making him cry out in pain. Yet upon recognizing the face of the drunkard before him, he forgot his pain and exclaimed in surprise, "Head Constable Lin, why are you..."

"You... you are Li Ling?" Lin Lie was not completely intoxicated yet. He steadied himself, raised his head to look him over, recognized him, and then gave a dry chuckle, "What brings you here?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why are you drinking your worries away here?" Li Ling retorted. His imposing manner genuinely managed to suppress the other man, leaving Lin Lie momentarily dazed. Then, exhaling a gust of alcoholic fumes, Lin Lie stammered, "Li Ling, I've wronged you. I shouldn't have lied in court yesterday, and I caused you to be beaten..."

Li Ling’s eyes lit up. A drunken man was far easier to talk to than a sober one; why not take this opportunity to extract some crucial information? Before he could figure out how to frame the question, however, the other man suddenly let out a loud burp, his tone shifting abruptly. "But you were in the wrong too! I had already warned you not to meddle, yet you refused to listen and even beat the drum to voice a grievance. Did you really think the county office would uphold justice for you? Now you know how formidable they are, don't you?

"Forget about you; even I—nominally a head constable—am nothing at all within the county office and at home. I have to obey their every command..." Perhaps because he had suppressed his feelings for too long, under the influence of alcohol, Lin Lie appeared utterly uninhibited at that moment, his voice by no means quiet. Fortunately, there was hardly anyone on the street, or it would have drawn a crowd.

Sensing Lin Lie's stifled frustration and indignation, Li Ling suddenly spoke up, "So this is why you've drunk yourself into a stupor today? Is it because being a matrilocal son-in-law to the Zheng family has brought you too many grievances, or is it because of the people in Willow Leaf Alley?"

That final question struck Lin Lie’s chest like a blast of freezing wind. His wits cleared instantly, his expression changed drastically, his drunkenness visibly receded by half, and his eyes widened. "Y-you, what did you say?"

"I asked what on earth is hidden in Willow Leaf Alley that could make you so uneasy, to the point that you suddenly changed your testimony right there in the courtroom!" Li Ling stared straight at him as he repeated the question. If he had only been fifty percent sure before, he was now eighty or ninety percent certain that a crucial secret was hidden in Willow Leaf Alley, which accounted for Lin Lie’s intensely emotional reaction.

Lin Lie fell silent, his gaze regaining its clarity. "I don't know what nonsense you're talking about. What Willow Leaf Alley? My home is in Baihe Alley." With that, he turned to leave. Yet just as he took a step, Li Ling's voice rang out once more: "Then let me make a guess. A heroic figure like Head Constable Lin would never commit heinous crimes. If you have some sort of business there, it's nothing disgraceful either. So, is it a secondary residence?"

At these words, Lin Lie’s movements came to an abrupt halt, though he did not turn around.

Li Ling continued, "You are a son-in-law to the Zheng family, yet you keep someone outside. They are bound to be displeased, and they might even use your future to threaten you. After all, Zheng Gen is a clerk in the county office and maintains a close relationship with your direct superior, Zhuang Hong. Dealing with you would take nothing more than a word from them.

"The position of head constable you currently hold was also granted by them; that must have been the condition for you entering the Zheng family. Yet as a son-in-law, you are deeply unhappy at home, and your relationship with your wife is poor, so you thought of finding someone outside who truly understands your heart. After all, among men, who likes being oppressed by their wife, unable to stretch their wings wherever they go..."

"Enough!" Lin Lie roared, cutting off Li Ling's words. "What on earth are you trying to say?"

Li Ling looked at him with a solemn expression. "Is it because Zhuang Hong holds this matter over your head that you were forced to lie in court? You care not just about yourself, but even more about that woman, don't you?"

Seeing him silently acknowledge the point, Li Ling pressed on, "Have you ever considered whether Zheng Gen is truly unaware of this matter? Or even if he remains in the dark now, what about the future? There will always come a day when the truth is exposed. Have you thought about how you will handle it, how you will protect yourself, and how you will protect the woman who has given her heart to you?"

These were questions Lin Lie had long since asked himself in his heart, only to constantly evade them. Now, however, Li Ling had confronted him with them directly. Each question struck him like a javelin, leaving him utterly at a loss. His body began to tremble, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

*What should I do? How can I protect her and our child? Should I secretly take her away from here?* Evasion was the first thing that came to his mind.

Watching his conflicted expression, Li Ling smiled. "Actually, Head Constable Lin, you don't need to feel troubled at all. Right now, there is an opportunity to resolve this problem once and for all—it all depends on whether you have the courage to seize it."

"Y-you... what do you mean?"

"County Magistrate Wei is newly appointed. As the saying goes, a new broom sweeps clean. This is the prime opportunity to eradicate Zhuang Hong and his faction. For you, it is also a golden chance to turn your fortunes around! As long as Zhuang Hong is brought down, Zheng Gen will inevitably be dismissed from his post, and you will become a trusted, powerful head constable under the magistrate. When that time comes, you can take the initiative to sever ties through a formal separation and live your own quiet life with the one you love. Or, stepping back, you could take charge within the Zheng family; taking an extra concubine would be as simple as a single word. Why would you have to live like today—sneaking around and trembling with anxiety?"

These words left Lin Lie utterly stunned. After a long while, he finally reacted and asked, "Are you here to lobby on behalf of the magistrate?"

Li Ling smiled and sidestepped the question. "This is the best opportunity before you to turn your life around. It is precisely because Head Constable Lin is considered reasonably upright and has never harmed the common people in the past that the magistrate is offering you this chance. I won't hide the truth from you: within three days, there will inevitably be a shake-up in the county office. By then, those who still stand with Zhuang Hong, dreaming of opposing the magistrate or playing both sides, will face a grave disaster. Therefore, it is best for you to take the initiative right now and exert yourself for the magistrate.

"Whether you consider your future or your family, this is the best choice for you. I hope you give it serious thought and do not let down the magistrate's painstaking efforts!" With that, Li Ling strode away, not waiting for the other man to react. He had said everything that needed to be said and pierced through the core issues; what choice Lin Lie ultimately made depended entirely on his own backbone.

Though this man was no fierce dragon, any man with a shred of blood and pride would never be content to remain a mere puppet and echo of a matrilocal son-in-law!

As Li Ling walked away, Lin Lie stood alone in the biting wind, motionless for a long time, as if struck by a paralyzing spell. The chaotic scene from his return to the courtyard in Willow Leaf Alley last night flashed through his mind once more—the gentle, water-like woman collapsing to the ground with tears she could not shed, their home in utter ruins, and his two-year-old son sitting on the edge of the bed wailing in pain—along with the years of being ordered about like a servant, beaten and scolded at the slightest displeasure...

It was only after a long while that he slowly exhaled a heavy breath, his fists suddenly clenching tight. The once-confused look in his eyes instantly turned resolute!

***

"Brother, the wound on your back has split open again..." When Li Ling returned home with a sense of fulfillment, Yue’er took one look and cried out in distress, her eyes turning somewhat red. Only then did Li Ling feel the pain in his back intensify, a series of burning sensations clearly indicating that the stitches had torn.

"It's nothing. I just had a little accident earlier and bumped into someone," Li Ling quickly comforted his younger sister. "Just a minor wound, some ointment will fix it. Why don't you help me apply some medicine?"

"Alright, Brother, you mustn't get hurt like this again. It hurts so much," Yue’er stepped forward and slowly helped her brother take off his outer garment. Fortunately, two stoves were burning in the room, making it warm enough; otherwise, removing his clothes would have been impossible. The little girl then carefully took out the ointment left by the physician and meticulously tended to Li Ling’s wound, chattering all the while and telling him not to go out again.

Though she was nagging him, Li Ling did not feel the slightest annoyance. Instead, a wave of warmth surged in his chest. This was how family members interacted; this was the true feeling of home.

However, Yue’er was destined to be disappointed in the days ahead, because there were still too many matters that required Li Ling to assist Magistrate Wei in handling.

***

The long night passed, and a brand-new day arrived.

Unlike yesterday's bright sunshine, thick layers of clouds obscured the sky early this morning. The northern wind blew even more fiercely, and the temperature dropped further. This caused the townsfolk in the small county to rise later than usual; it was not until around the巳 hour (9 to 11 AM) that the street in front of the county office grew lively once more.

At that moment, a youth holding a large sheet of paper and a pot of paste emerged from the main gates of the county office. With a few swift motions, he pasted a large notice onto the wall directly in front of the gates, then called out, "Fellow villagers, come take a look! This is the decree of the county office..." Having shouted three times and seeing a crowd gather around, he turned and went back inside.

Soon, several dozen people had gathered beneath the notice, filled with genuine curiosity. Normally, notices from the county office were posted on the inner screen wall; it was only for extremely significant news that they were posted outside. Moreover, someone was often specially stationed nearby to explain the contents to the public, since the literacy rate remained rather low.

Although the county office had not dispatched anyone specifically for the task, an enthusiastic literate citizen stepped forward to interpret the text for the crowd. A middle-aged man gazed at the notice while loudly explaining it to everyone: "What this notice says is that the magistrate has ordered all clerks and runners who haven't shown up at the county office recently to report back before noon on the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month—which is tomorrow. Otherwise, everyone who fails to report will be dismissed from their posts, and replacements will be recruited to serve in the county office..."

By the time he finished reading, the man himself was stunned, and the surrounding townspeople all revealed looks of astonishment. Was this... the internal strife within the county office being brought out into the open?