Chapter 24: Keeping it is also a bane

The Shen Family had indirectly caused Old Master Chu’s death for their own selfish gain. And that wasn’t all; simply because Old Master Chu had saved their political rival, they had vented their anger on her, an innocent person. With people of such character, leaving them be would be a scourge. Since murder wasn’t an option, she’d just make them live every day in fear and trepidation. Having made up her mind, she prepared to take action. Just as she was about to enter the Shen Family premises through a previously scouted area, she heard the sound of footsteps and the rolling of cart wheels in the distance. She quickly hid behind a tree not far from the back door. Soon, she saw two people, one tall and one short, pushing a cart towards her. No sooner had the cart stopped than the back door was opened by someone from inside. The person in the courtyard spoke with annoyance, "Why are you so late?" The taller man lowered his voice. "Those people from the Dong Family didn’t know what was good for them, so we had to use a little trick, and it took some time." Yunyi glanced at the cart, which held three wooden boxes—two large and one small. Seeing that the person inside said nothing further, the tall man continued, "Uncle Du, the contents of the small box are a token of respect for you." After speaking, he said to his short companion, "Ezhong, come, lend a hand. Let’s push the cart in for Uncle Du." The two men pushed the cart into the courtyard with combined effort, then backed out. "Uncle Du, same as usual, we’ll come by to fetch the cart tomorrow afternoon." The person inside did not respond but simply closed the back door. Yunyi glanced at the closed back door. She figured she wouldn’t be able to enter the courtyard for a while, so she followed the two departing men. She overheard the short man named Ezhong say, "Shuanzi, the boss is being really generous this time. In a few days, I’ll go to Xiaofang’s family with the betrothal gifts. Let’s see if her mom still dares to look down on me then!" The taller man, Shuanzi, cleared his throat and warned, "Don’t get cocky. The origin of this money is unclear; be careful you don’t get into trouble." Listening to their conversation, Yunyi’s impression of the Shen Family worsened, and the anger in her heart became truly irrepressible. She followed them for over ten minutes until they entered a courtyard. She heard someone from inside call out, "Ezhong, Shuanzi, come in quick, the boss is waiting." After they entered, the same voice from before spoke again, "Gouzi, go and shut the main gate in a bit." Someone inside replied, "Got it." Yunyi slipped into an alley beside the courtyard. She saw a white poplar tree not far from the courtyard wall, and the wall itself looked sturdy. An idea struck her. She waited until there was no movement from inside, then climbed the wall using the white poplar tree. However, no sooner had she reached the top than she spotted a medium-sized dog in the courtyard, forcing her to halt. Just as she was about to climb down and consider other options, she noticed that the courtyard gate wasn’t properly shut. Perhaps the person who left earlier thought that with the dog guarding the yard, no one would dare to trespass. At that moment, the dog in the courtyard also noticed Yunyi and began to BARK BARK BARK in her direction. Yunyi swiftly climbed down the wall and waited for any reaction from inside the courtyard. She heard someone come out of the house, apparently not noticing anything amiss. "Hacker, are you full and just looking for trouble, barking like mad for no reason?" The dog whined pitifully a few times, then quieted down and retreated to the main gate. By this time, Yunyi had already moved from the side to the front of the main gate. The dog, which had just lain down, suddenly lifted its head and, with a WHOOSH, sprang up, sticking its head out through the crack in the ajar gate. In the blink of an eye, Yunyi reached out and touched the dog’s head, deftly pulling the dog into her space.