Chapter 107

That day Li Ping'an pulled his Rickshaw home, Ping Le sat in the courtyard embroidering, the needle and thread darted back and forth over the fabric, stitching a crooked little duck. Li Ping'an squatted beside her, watching and laughing.

Ping Le pursed her lips, "It's only the first time they're embroidering!"

Li Ping'an rubbed her head: "Our Le'er is skillful, so why does this little duck look like a drowned chicken?"

Ping Le laughed at the tease, then sighed: "If only there were a master to teach me…"

Those words awakened Li Ping'an. His sister couldn't stay cooped up at home all day; she needed to learn a respectable craft so she could earn a living from it later.

At dinner, he ladled a bowl of millet porridge and handed it over: "Le'er, do you want to learn embroidery properly?"

Ping Le's eyes brightened, then dimmed: "But… a master must charge a lot of money, right?"

Money matters, brother will figure it out. Li Ping'an pinched some salty pickles with chopsticks for her and asked, "So, do you want to learn?"

Ping Le nodded heavily, her eyes sparkling: "I do! I want to embroider the most beautiful peony in all Beiping!"

"I believe our Le'er is the best, I'll look for an embroidery master tomorrow," Li Ping'an said.

After dinner, Li Ping'an taught Li Pingle Tai Chi, and the brother and sister enjoyed this life.

The next day, Li Ping'an went to find Lao Zhao. The two of them ate baked pancakes in a stall while talking.

Li Ping'an voiced Li Pingle's desire to learn embroidery.

An embroidery master? Lao Zhao scratched his head, "You're putting me in a bind, aren't you? All I know are people who dance with knives and wield guns…"

Li Ping'an sighed, "I can't let my sister idle at home all day."

Lao Chen happened to bring over a baked pancake and interjected, "I actually know someone. A former Qing palace embroideress, now taking apprentices at Rui Fu Xiang."

Lao Zhao slapped his thigh: "Right! Su Shifu of Rui Fu Xiang! She even embroidered a phoenix robe for Empress Dowager Cixi!"

Li Ping'an frowned, "Someone of that stature would take a common family's girl?"

Lao Chen smiled: "Su Shifu is kind, she values talent. Shall I let your sister give it a try?"

The next day, Li Ping'an brought Ping Le to Rui Fu Xiang. The shop was grand, and the embroidered pieces displayed inside were exquisite.

Ping Le, nervous, tugged at her brother's sleeve: "Brother, I'm scared…"

Scared of what? Li Ping'an encouraged her, "My sister's skill is far better than theirs!"

Su Shifu was a slender elderly lady, wearing bifocal glasses, yet her eyes were sharp. She asked Ping Le to embroider the simplest petal.

Because of nerves, Ping Le's hands trembled badly, and she couldn't steady the needle. Su Shifu shook her head: "If the mind is unsettled, you can't stitch good work."

Li Ping'an grew urgent: "Master, could you give another chance?"

Su Shifu glanced at him and said to Ping Le: "Girl, why do you want to learn embroidery?"

Ping Le whispered: "I want to stitch a pouch for my brother, to hold a peace talisman…"

The elderly woman's gaze softened a bit, and she handed over a piece of new cloth: "Try again."

This time Ping Le settled her mind, the stitches were fine and even, and a small plum blossom gradually took shape.

Su Shifu nodded: "Skillful and clever, still promising. Come work tomorrow, start with splitting threads."

On the way home, Ping Le hopped excitedly: "Brother! The master accepted me!"

Li Ping'an watched her joyful silhouette and felt reassured. He had finally found a good place for his sister.

After settling his sister, Li Ping'an pedaled his Rickshaw again. Nowadays, spies on the streets were increasing, and arrests happened from time to time.

One day he pulled a customer dressed in a Zhongshan suit; as the passenger got off, he slipped a note to him. Unfolding it read: "Deputy Director Dai wants to purge the Communists, be careful."

Li Ping'an felt a chill in his heart. Being passively attacked wasn't a solution; he needed to strike proactively.

From then on, during the day while pulling his Rickshaw, he paid special attention to the mansions of high officials. He learned which doors faced which direction, and the guard shift times, all by heart.

At night, Beiping City gained a masked vigilante. He targeted corrupt officials who oppressed the people, sweeping away gold, silver, and treasure, and left his mark on the wall: "Yanzi Li San was here."

At first no one took it seriously, until the Tax Bureau Director's house was robbed. Supposedly ten gold bars and many antiques and calligraphy were missing.

The next day the whole city roared, the people clapped in delight: "Right! Let him stop extorting taxes!"

The Police Station was in an uproar. Deputy Director Dai personally supervised the case, but couldn't even catch a trace.

Li Ping'an continued to pull his Rickshaw, sometimes chatting with passengers: "Did you hear? Another official has been robbed!"

Passengers often sneered: "Serves them right! Yanzi Li San did a fine job!"

That day Lao Zhao waited for him at the baked pancake stall, his expression serious: "Regarding the recent incidents in the city, do you know who did it?"

Li Ping'an chewed a baked pancake: "Isn't everyone saying it's Yanzi Li San? Could there be more to it?"

Lao Zhao lowered his voice: "I heard it's one of ours, dedicated to dealing with those corrupt officials!"

Li Ping'an feigned surprise: "There are people like that too?"

Exactly! Lao Zhao leaned in, "Deputy Dai and Yan Wang are almost furious, they've set a heavenly net to capture him."

The most baffling was the real Yanzi Li San. That fellow was hiding out in Baoding, when he suddenly heard that he had committed several major cases in Beiping.

Damn it! He slammed the table in anger, "Which despicable imposter is pretending to be me?"

Worse, wanted notices were plastered everywhere. The real Li San didn't even dare to step outside his door, his hatred for the impostor gnawing at his teeth.

That night, Li Ping'an set his sights on the Education Director's residence. The director had recently been suppressing progressive students, and deserved a lesson.

He slipped through the courtyard wall with ease, but heard someone speaking inside the study.

"…We must capture Yanzi Li San quickly! That's Deputy Director Dai's voice. If this continues, Nanjing will have to be held accountable!"

Li Ping'an's heart tightened, and he quietly crept closer to the window.

The net had already been cast. Another voice said, "As long as he makes another move…"

Before the sentence finished, Li Ping'an slipped out of the courtyard. Luckily, he almost fell into the trap himself.

During the day while pulling his Rickshaw, he deliberately passed the Police Station entrance. Sure enough, many more checkpoints had been added, and entry and exit were strictly inspected.

When he returned home, Ping Le was embroidering by the lamp. Seeing her brother back, she raised a handkerchief like a treasure: "Brother, look! The master praised my rapid progress!"

The handkerchief was embroidered with two swallows, vivid and lifelike.

Li Ping'an's heart gave a sudden thump: "How did she embroider swallows?"

Master said Yanzi bringing spring is a good omen. Ping Le tilted her head; does Brother not like it?

Like it... really like it. Li Ping'an rubbed her head, saying... from now on don't embroider Yanzi.

Ping Le didn't understand: Why?

Because... Li Ping'an gave a wry smile; Yanzi has been causing trouble lately.

At night, he gazed at the moonlight outside the window, mulling things over. Deputy Director Dai had laid a net of heaven and earth—perfect for turning the tables.

Since we're playing, let's go big.

He spread out the paper and drew a deployment map of the Police Station—marking which post changes shift at what time, which road gets fewer patrols, all clearly marked.

Finally, he drew a little swallow in the lower right corner.

Since you've been looking for Yanzi Li San... he curled his lips, then let you see what a real Yanzi is like.