Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 37 Return to the Cellar
Shen Tu Zhuo looked at her with complicated eyes: "Did you recognize him? It was this trafficker who forced you to sign the indenture and sold you to the Tan family?"

Tan Huaike nodded.

She pulled up the cellar flap and stepped out.

Shentu Zhuo held her back and said, "Since you've already recognized me, do you still want to go down?" He couldn't bear to let Tan Huaike return to this dark place and recall the hardships he had experienced.

Tan Huaike smiled and said, "It's okay. Since we're here, it's better to take a closer look."

There was another door in the cellar. Pei'er clutched Tan Huaike's sleeve tightly, as if she was afraid that a terrifying ghost would suddenly jump out from behind the door. "Madam, did the trafficker lock you up here? Did he beat you and scold you? The one who sold me also scolded people, but not like this..."

Tan Huaike took her hand, pushed open the small door, and said calmly, "Well, because I refused to sign the indenture."

There was an unpleasant smell in the dark cellar.

Pei'er was surprised and said, "He abducted you here? How could he force you to sign a contract to sell yourself?"

Tan Huaike looked around. "He found me, exhausted and unconscious, and wanted to make some money from me. Those who sell themselves into slavery don't do so voluntarily; they are forced into it."

Pei'er felt the same way: "I'm the same. My family couldn't afford to eat, so they had to sell me off... Every time my brother and I argued or fought, Grandfather would lock me in the woodshed without food. It was just like here, dark and cold..."

Her hands were trembling slightly, and cold sweat was beading on her forehead. She was obviously terrified of this small, cramped place. Seeing this, Tan Huaike said, "Pei'er, you don't have to accompany me. Go up there and keep an eye on things and help keep watch."

"Oh, okay." Pei'er felt as if he had been pardoned. He climbed out of the cellar and returned to the yard, only then did he catch his breath.

Seeing that Tan Huaike could face all this calmly, Shentu Zhuo no longer tried to avoid the issue. He pointed to the hook on the cellar wall and said, "This trafficker's name is Wu Chou. The yamen runners found several whips and sticks here, saying he used them to discipline his slaves, but they didn't find the blade that cut his throat and wrists."

There were broken ropes on the ground. Tan Huaike said, "Well, it should be the same knife that was used to cut these ropes."

Shentu Zhuo said, "So the Chief Justice believed that one of the slaves could not bear the humiliation and retaliated with a hidden blade, killing people in the yard to vent his anger."

Tan Huaike pondered for a moment and said, "I don't know how to solve cases, but I was just thinking, Wu Chou is always cautious. He would search everyone he captured and pawn any valuables he found. Normally, he wouldn't be so careless as to leave a sharp blade in the hands of a slave. But if this slave was extremely shrewd and hid it well, it makes sense."

"What do you want to say?" Shentu Zhuo could hear something hidden in her words.

"I want to ask, is it possible that someone from outside came to find Wu Chou and killed him to silence him?" Tan Huaike said, "This scum deserves death, and I don't care whether the government can find the murderer, but don't you think this is too much of a coincidence?"

"Coincidence..." Shen Tu Zhuo reacted after she reminded him, "You are the one who survived the attack on the marriage party. Maybe someone is still investigating the matter. Are they looking for you to eliminate the root cause?"

"It could be those assassins. They didn't expect there were still survivors. After discovering the clues, they wanted to kill me as a potential threat. But it could also be someone who wants to facilitate the marriage..." Tan Huaike hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell Shen Tu Zhuo the truth. "Princess Mo He once told me that there would be someone to meet her inside Daxuan Pass."

She knew very well that she could not deal with these conspiracies alone, and the more help she could get, the better her chances of success. Besides, Shentu Zhuo also wanted to avenge his brother.

In the dark cellar, Shen Tu Zhuo looked at her and said, "It may seem like a coincidence, but there are actually clues. Regardless of whether they are friend or foe, if it was really caused by that assassination, they must have received some information or found some evidence to suddenly attack this human trafficker. So what clues did they find?"

Tan Huaike was silent for a moment. She realized that she had underestimated Shen Tu Zhuo's sharpness. Those secrets that she thought she had hidden well would always be pulled out by this man with that barely perceptible thread, and then peeled off layer by layer.

Tan Huaike sighed and said, "I have a token of love that was given to me by the princess herself. Wu Chou snatched it away and pawned it. It might have ended up on the black market and been discovered by those people."

Shentu Zhuo also sighed, and said with a complicated expression: "You are a Mohe woman, who escaped from the assassination attempt on your marriage, and you also hold the princess's token. Are you really not the princess herself?"

"I really am not." Tan Huaike said helplessly.

"Even if you don't admit it, others might not believe it. You're too deeply involved in this situation." Shen Tu Zhuo warned her, but as he spoke, he changed into a cynical look. "Forget it, you are my sister-in-law now, and you belong to our Shentu Mansion. No matter how they toss me around, I will protect you, sister-in-law."

"..." At this time, Tan Huaike did not expect that Shentu Zhuo's words would come true.
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After searching the cellar, the three of them tiptoed out of Wu Chou's yard.

Tan Huaike pointed at the ladder and asked, "What should we do with this?"

Shen Tu Zhuo said, "It's okay. Ah Hui will come and move it away soon. Don't worry, I'm very good at this kind of thing and I won't leave any evidence behind."

"What kind of thing is this? Chicken-stealing and dog-stealing?" Perhaps because they shared a common goal and secret, Tan Huaike spoke to him more casually. "As the second son of the Shentu Mansion, can't you do something honest?"

"How do you know I'm not doing anything serious?"

"Well, rehearsing Yuefu is indeed a serious matter."

"It's more than that," Shen Tu Zhuo said mysteriously, "Sister-in-law, you know too little about me..."

The two of them had lunch at a restaurant outside. Tan Huaike was about to return to the side courtyard when Shen Tuzhuo said, "Don't worry. I'll take you somewhere later."

Tan Huaike asked, "Where are we going?"

"Didn't you say that Wu Chou stole your token and pawned it, and it might have ended up on the black market? Since he's already come to your house to kill you, there must be some clues on the black market." Shen Tu Zhuo coaxed, "Besides, if you want to do business in Zhangye County, you need to have some knowledge of the black market. Otherwise, if you get ripped off, you won't know what happened."

"Black market?" Tan Huaike was really tempted. Ever since she heard about this place by chance, she had always wanted to go and see it, but she had been unable to find a way. Unexpectedly, she would come across this opportunity.

Maybe we can really find the whereabouts of the sapphire beads?

Seeing her eyes light up, Shentu Zhuo said calmly: "Do you want to go? If you do, sister-in-law, tell me something nice." It was not easy to get a chance to take credit, so he had to be praised.

Tan Huaike smiled and praised: "As expected of my uncle, you are really good at handling these petty crimes."

Pei'er: "Pfft. Oh, sorry, this cake is just too funny."

Shentu Zhuo: "..."
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　Next chapter: That thing would be wasted if it were given to me, but my uncle can use it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)