Chapter 103

The porridge bowl wasn't even cleared away when the knocking sounded again. Ping le jumped, and the spoon fell into the pot.

Li Ping'an gestured for her to stay quiet and tiptoed to the door. Through the crack, he saw Aunt Wang from next door standing outside with a vegetable basket.

Hey Ping'an, heard you found your sister? Aunt Wang's voice boomed, I brought some greens to welcome the girl!

Ping le nervously tugged at her brother's sleeve. Li Ping'an smiled and opened the door: 'Auntie, thank you for your trouble—this is indeed my sister, Ping le.'

As soon as Aunt Wang entered, she grabbed Ping le's hand: 'Oh, what a lovely girl! You're just like your mother when she was young!' Saying that, she pulled out some greens and two red eggs from the basket, handing them over: 'Take these for good luck!'

Ping le thanked her shyly, her cheeks flushed. Li Ping'an felt warm inside: there are still kind-hearted people in this alley.

Seeing Aunt Wang off, Ping le held the eggs, reluctant to eat them: 'Brother, people in Beiping are really nice.'

There are good and bad people everywhere. Li Ping'an ruffled her hair: 'Come on, brother will take you to the vegetable market—we can't live on porridge every day.'

Stepping out of the alley, Ping le's eyes couldn't take it all in—candied hawk sellers, sugar-blowers, puppet performers, it was bustling. She couldn't move her feet in front of a clay figurine stall, staring longingly at a Sun Wukong-shaped figurine.

Do you like it? Li Ping'an asked.

Ping le quickly shook her head: 'Just looking is fine, brother—earning money isn't easy.'

Li Ping'an felt a pang in his heart, pulled out money and bought two: one Sun Wukong, one Zhu Bajie—perfect to keep you company while you watch the house.

Ping le hugged the clay figurine, her eyes crinkling into crescents. As they passed a fabric shop, she whispered softly: 'Brother, I know embroidery—I can take work to help support the family.'

No rush. Li Ping'an lifted the vegetable basket: 'First let's get you healthy, then we'll talk.'

The market entrance was crowded with people. Li Ping'an carried the vegetables, when Ping le suddenly tugged his sleeve: 'Brother, someone over there is watching us.'

Li Ping'an glanced sideways and saw a thin man wearing a melon-rind hat, pretending to pick cucumbers. He understood at once, and loudly said: 'Le'er, let's buy a chicken to stew soup, to nourish you.'

The chicken stall owner warmly greeted: 'Freshly slaughtered old hen—best for stewing soup!'

Ping le looked at the live chickens fluttering in the cage, feeling a little scared. As Li Ping'an paid, he felt that gaze still sticking to his back.

On the way home, he deliberately detoured into a dead-end alley. Sure enough, the melon-rind hat followed him in. Li Ping'an suddenly turned: 'Brother, you've been tailing me—what's up?'

The melon-rind hat wearer shuddered, forcing calm: 'Who—who's following you? I'm just going my own way!'

Li Ping'an snorted coldly, grabbed him and slammed him against the wall: 'Are you from the Zhou mansion? Or the Police Station?'

Oh, gentlemen, go easy! The melon-rind hat wore a mournful face: 'I'm just an errand boy; Chief Wang told me to keep an eye on you…'

Police Station chief? Li Ping'an frowned: 'Why are you watching me?'

Saying you're connected to the Zhou mansion case… the melon-rind hat suddenly produced handcuffs: 'Sorry, sirs, but you have to come to the station for a trip!'

Ping le shrank back behind her brother in fright. Li Ping'an remained calm: 'Did Chief Wang not tell you I'm a victim's relative?'

While the melon-rind hat was dazed, Li Ping'an already reversed his grip and seized his wrist: 'Go tell Chief Wang, if you want to investigate the case, I'll accompany you anytime. If you keep sneaking around…' He applied a little force, and the melon-rind hat winced, teeth bared: 'Next time I won't be so polite.'

After shaking off the tail, Ping le's face turned pale: 'Brother, will the police come arrest us?'

Don't worry, they have no evidence. Li Ping'an picked up the vegetable basket: 'Let's go, back home to stew the chicken.'

When the aroma of chicken soup wafted from the courtyard, someone knocked again. This time it was a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, holding a briefcase.

Are you Mr. Li? I'm Sun Kezhang from the Police Station. He flashed his credentials, regarding the Zhou mansion case, and asked for your cooperation in the investigation.

Li Ping'an wiped his hands: 'Let's just ask here; my sister is timid, she won't go to the station.'

Sun Kezhang was courteous, sitting on the stone bench in the courtyard: 'I heard you went to the Zhou mansion last night?'

To find my sister. Li Ping'an served Ping le a bowl of soup: 'We haven't seen each other in four years—we can't wait until morning, can we?'

I understand, I understand. Sun Kezhang noted down: 'Did you notice anything unusual?'

Ping le suddenly interjected: 'I saw Master Zhou beating someone! He whipped Xiao Cui with a whip!'

Sun Kezhang's pen paused: 'Who is Xiao Cui?'

A maid in the Zhou mansion. Li Ping'an introduced: 'I rescued her when I saved my sister; she's now lying in the hospital.'

Sun Kezhang closed his notebook: 'Last question—do you know about the theft from the Zhou mansion's storeroom?'

Li Ping'an looked astonished: 'Theft? I thought it was burned down in the fire.'

Seeing Sun Kezhang off, Ping le whispered: 'Brother, do they suspect us?'

Normal. Li Ping'an slipped a drumstick onto her plate: 'Dozens of lives—someone has to take the fall. Eat up, the soup's getting cold.'

Rain began to fall at night. After checking the doors and windows, Li Ping'an saw Ping le embroidering a handkerchief under the lamp, her stitches extremely fine.

'Brother, look.' Ping le displayed the handkerchief with its flying bird pattern: 'Doesn't it look like a dove? I heard doves symbolize peace.'

Li Ping'an felt warm inside: 'Exactly! Where did you learn this skill?'

The Suzhou embroidery master hired by the Zhou mansion. Ping le lowered her head: 'Back then I practiced every day, my fingers were covered in blood blisters…'

Suddenly, the sound of dove wings flapping came from outside the window. Li Ping'an opened the window and took out a bamboo tube; the note inside read only one line: 'Meet at the teahouse tomorrow at noon. Urgent.'

Ping le looked over worriedly. Li Ping'an twisted the note into pieces: 'It's fine, Old Zhao invited me for tea.'

Amid the rain's sound, faint movement could be heard at the alley mouth. Li Ping'an blew out the oil lamp and peered through the crack—two dark figures were prying open the neighbor's door!

'Le'er, hide under the bed.' He whispered the instruction, then casually picked up the door bolt.

As soon as the dark figure stepped into the courtyard, a staff was placed against his neck: 'Which gang are you from?'

'Hero, spare my life!' the thief trembled, 'We were just stealing a bit of food…'

Li Ping'an frowned: 'Next door's Aunt Wang is a lonely old woman—you'd even lay hands on her?'

Just as he was speaking, a police whistle suddenly sounded from the alley. The two thieves were frightened and scrambled over the wall to flee. Li Ping'an thought for a moment, took out a bag of millet from his space, and quietly placed it at Aunt Wang's doorstep.

When they returned indoors, Ping le crawled out from under the bed, eyes shining: 'Brother, you were so impressive just now!'

Go to sleep. Li Ping'an tucked in her blanket: 'Tomorrow I'll take you to the teahouse to see the world.'

The rain gradually lessened, the eaves dripping patter. Ping le suddenly whispered softly: 'Brother, when times improve, let's open an embroidery shop—you protect everyone, and I'll make beautiful clothes for all.'

Li Ping'an laughed: 'All right, then I'll be your bodyguard when the time comes.'

In the darkness, the siblings' laughter softly echoed. Outside the window, on the old locust tree, a night crow called twice, then flapped away into the deep night sky.