How Deep the Crimson Leaves Lie Chapter Thirty-Four: Neighbors

A clamor erupted outside the courtyard. Gu Yu mumbled something unintelligible, rolled over, and tried to return to sleep, but the shouting outside grew louder and more insistent. With a start, Gu Yu scrambled out of bed, his eyes puffy from a lack of sleep; he had been up all night and had barely managed an hour of rest before being roused. Suppressing his irritation, he hopped off the bed, threw open his door, and walked with unsteady, heavy steps across the small courtyard to open the gate.

The street was in total chaos. In the center of a circle formed by onlookers, two people were brawling. Gu Yu rubbed his eyes and, catching a glimpse of one of the figures through a gap in the crowd, felt a jolt of surprise. "Excuse me, please, let me through!" he urged, pushing into the throng. A narrow path opened up, and though Gu Yu was not a large man, he was shoved from side to side by the reluctant crowd. By the time he reached the center, one of his shoes had been lost in the scuffle.

One of the combatants was barely over ten years old, while the other was a hoary-headed man of about sixty. The old man appeared to be in a state of manic frenzy, gripping the young man’s collar and pummeling him with his right fist. The younger man shielded his head and face with both hands, dodging without daring to retaliate. Nearby, a basket of peaches lay scattered on the ground. "I'll teach you to harm me! I'll teach you to harm me!" the old man shouted as he struck.

Gu Yu lunged into the fray and grabbed the old man. "Old Guan, that’s enough! Stop it!"

The old man ignored him, his hands and feet still flailing. He was frail, and Gu Yu dared not use too much force for fear of injuring him. Just as he was at his wit's end, a middle-aged woman pushed through the crowd, grabbed the young man, and hauled him backward. The two were quickly separated. The young man looked aggrieved under the gaze of the crowd. "I didn't harm him! I'm a fruit farmer; I just walked past his door and he beat me without rhyme or reason. What did I ever do to deserve this?"

The woman picked up his carrying pole and handed it back to him. "I am so sorry, so sorry. The old man’s mind is a bit gone. Please, don't take it to heart."

The young man shouldered his pole and muttered, "Bizarre."

The woman waved her hand. "It’s over now, everyone, disperse."

The crowd began to drift away, whispering amongst themselves. "Wasn't Old Guan some kind of official once? How did he end up like this?" "Who knows? Maybe he did something wicked."

After the exertion, the old man’s limbs went limp, and he swayed before collapsing backward. Gu Yu caught him, adjusted his grip, and hoisted him onto his back to carry him to the neighboring courtyard. The woman helped open the door and ran inside to fetch a low stool. Gu Yu gently lowered the old man onto it. The old man slumped there, his eyes vacant, still muttering, "I'll kill you, you wicked thing."

The woman retrieved a kettle from the kitchen and pulled a paper packet from the bed. She dissolved the black lumps inside into hot water, and a pungent, medicinal scent filled the room. Gu Yu lifted the old man’s chin, and the woman helped him drink it. Shortly thereafter, the old man’s eyes slowly closed.

Gu Yu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the woman. "Sister He, if you hadn't helped, I would have had a real struggle on my hands."

The woman, known as Sister He, blushed. "It was just a small favor. The old man is truly pitiful; if we neighbors don't help him, who will?" She spoke with a southern accent mixed with a clumsy Beijing lilt. Both were Gu Yu’s long-time neighbors. Old Guan was alone, and Sister He was a widow; the three looked out for one another as best they could. Gu Yu had been away from home for nearly half a year, and it was Old Guan and Sister He who had looked after his house.

The two chatted for a while until Old Guan let out a phlegmy cough and slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Gu Yu and Sister He with a cold expression. "Meddlesome!"

Sister He seemed used to his temper and did not take offense. She smiled at Gu Yu, saying, "Since the old gentleman is awake, I can rest easy." She offered a polite bow and left, pushing the courtyard gate open behind her.

Old Guan turned his head toward Gu Yu. "That boy was here to spy on me. Why did you stop me?" The old man had once been an investigating censor in the Censorate before being stripped of his office a decade ago. Since then, he had seemed to suffer from a mental decline; whether it was because he had offended too many people during his time in office, he was always convinced that those around him harbored ill intent.

Gu Yu gave a bitter laugh. "Your house is bare, and you are a commoner—what is there to spy on? You should be thankful he didn't retaliate; if he had, would your frame have been able to withstand it?"

Old Guan insisted, "That boy was deep. A greenhorn like you wouldn't be able to tell."

Gu Yu yawned. Just as he was about to argue back, Sister He returned with two bowls of porridge. "Neither of you has had breakfast, have you?"

Gu Yu quickly took the bowls and handed one to Old Guan, sighing, "I was chasing thieves all night and only just returned this morning. I had barely slept an hour when he woke me up with that racket." The latter, as if he had heard nothing, took the bowl without a word and buried his face in it, enjoying his breakfast.

A squad of soldiers carrying official notices marched down the street, their vigilant eyes scanning the crowd. The leader pointed to a tall man in the crowd. "You, come here!"

The man was terrified, stepping forward with trembling legs. "Officer, are you calling me?"

The leader grabbed the man by the collar, and a soldier beside him unfurled the notice to compare it with the portrait. The man did not dare resist, watching anxiously as they inspected him. The soldier shook his head, and the leader released his collar. "Get lost," he barked, leading his men away.

The crowd watched the soldiers go, whispering, "What happened?"

"Must be another major case in the capital," someone speculated.

In the alleyway, Li Fu poked his head out, checking the street with wary eyes. Once he confirmed the guards were far away, he stepped out first, followed by Tang Haiqiu. The two moved quickly through the crowd and ducked into the opposite alley, winding through several turns until they reached a courtyard gate. Li Fu took a key from his waist and quietly unlocked the door. Tang Haiqiu darted inside in a single bound. Li Fu glanced around, saw the alley was empty, and quickly slipped inside, closing the gate.

Tang Haiqiu slumped into a chair in the main hall, gasping for air. Li Fu crouched before him, and in a flash of cold light, Tang Haiqiu’s blade was at his throat. "What are you doing?!"

Li Fu replied with a blank expression, "Doesn't your wound need tending?"

Tang Haiqiu stared at him with suspicion, seemingly weighing his options. After a moment, he retracted the blade and stripped off his shirt, throwing it to the floor. His undergarment was already soaked red with blood; he removed that as well. After the night’s ordeal, the wound had stuck to the fabric. He gritted his teeth, shivering from the pain as blood welled up once more. Li Fu had already retrieved medicinal powder and cotton, quickly packing the wound to stop the bleeding.

His movements were clumsy, and the suppressed groans of pain escaping Tang Haiqiu’s throat only made him more frantic. It took about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to finish bandaging the wound. Both exhaled in unison. Li Fu picked up the blood-stained clothes from the floor, but before he could speak, a loud, sharp knocking sounded at the courtyard gate!