The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (ENGLISH TRANSLATION)

CH 27

Sui Zhou’s residence was a small, three-area home.[1] If one lived with a large family, it would be a bit crowded, but if one lived alone like Sui Zhou did now, it would be unduly spacious, so the addition of Tang Fan wasn’t excessive. There were three main rooms and three side rooms; apart from the main room Sui Zhou stayed in and a side room used for storing junk, the other two main rooms and side rooms were all free for Tang Fan’s selection.

Of note: no rent was collected.

Tang Fan had never thought to eat or stay for free, but Sui Zhou wasn’t in need of that bit of rent cash. In any case, if Tang Fan wasn’t here, he would be living alone as ever in such a big house.

Since Centarch Sui said he wouldn’t accept coin with a cold face, Tang Fan didn’t insist. However, given that he had the free time, he would put some rice, noodles, and other foodstuffs into the home, which was tantamount to undertaking food expenses. Sui Zhou had no comment whatsoever on this.

Tang Fan chose a side room as his own. That wasn’t because he was being coyly polite and too afraid to live in a main room, but rather because this one faced east, and its door opened to the courtyard, the illumination of its field of view decent. Whenever he had the spare time, he could also plant all sorts of vegetation under the pillared terrace in the courtyard.

After finding a day off work, he moved his stuff over.

Li Lin was surprised that he wouldn’t have anything to hold over Tang Fan, since the other had found a new dwelling so quickly.

Ah-Dong’s issue was settled with the same speed. It wasn’t good for Tang Fan to step in himself, but Sui Zhou completely lacked that worry.

He didn’t even need to show his face. People from the Northern Bastion Office only had to stand there at the Li household, saying that Li Man’s case wasn’t yet concluded and that they were going to take a group of people for questioning. Ah-Chun, Ah-Qiu, Ah-Dong, and the other servants would all be pulled away, then released, then carried off again, then released, then carried off again. After a few rounds of this, the Li’s couldn’t take it anymore. Steward Li pulled the Brocade Guards aside and begged them to give the family a break, secretly stuffing silver taels to them, but it didn’t work. At last, the Li’s had no choice but to offer up the slave contracts with both hands — not only Ah-Dong’s, but Ah-Chun’s, too.

With Lady Zhang gone, Ah-Chun didn’t want to remain in the house anymore. Her biggest wish was to be able to regain her autonomy and go off to marry, but Li Lin had been wanting to make her a concubine, which she was unwilling for, but unable to do anything about. Tang Fan, as a good man, saw things to their end; he had resolved to rescue Ah-Dong, and incidentally brought Ah-Chun over alongside her. Ah-Qiu was willing to stay with the Li’s, so she was left to herself.

In the span of three days, it was done and dealt with, making Tang Fan sigh with how wonderfully efficient the Bastion Office truly was, able to accomplish what ordinary people could not. No wonder everyone’s expressions changed when they heard the words ‘Brocade Guard’.

Ah-Dong had been sold into the family as a child. After leaving it, she had nowhere to go aside from seeking out Tang Fan.

Even so, he didn’t accept Ah-Dong’s slave contract, and instead burned it right in front of her, telling her that it was fine; he would just accept her as a sworn sister. Prior to her being fifteen, he would shelter her, and after she was fifteen, he wouldn’t force her to stay if she wanted to get married. When the time came, he would naturally sort out a dowry for her and find her a good family.

Ah-Dong was enthusiastic about this, of course, immediately switching to calling him ‘big brother’. She originally had no family name, but from then on, she would have one before her given: Tang Dong.