“Every time she returned home after that, it only got worse. Whenever our parents used serving chopsticks to offer her food, she looked upon it with sheer disgust and wouldn't touch a single bite, let alone share quiet confidences with Mother.
“Other than demanding money from our parents, she hardly ever visited, and whenever she did, the atmosphere in the house became suffocating.
“The children were terrified of her. Whenever she arrived, they would hide in their rooms and refuse to come out. Over time, I stopped asking her to come back.”
Having held those words in for far too long, Bai Shuyuan poured them all out in a single breath. Exhaling deeply, he took a seat across from Gu Qingyun.
Just then, Granny Wang brought in two cups of tea and several plates of pastries, setting them on the square table before quietly stepping out.
Gu Qingyun picked up a piece of red date pastry and took two bites, remarking casually,
“Have you ever considered that she might not be your sister?”
Bai Shuyuan nearly laughed out of sheer exasperation.
“If she isn’t my sister, is she yours? Just because a person changes doesn't mean she ceases to be family!”
Gu Qingyun sighed inwardly. Taking a jade pendant from her pocket, she set it on the table and gently pushed it toward him.
“Take a look. Do you recognize this?”
The moment Bai Shuyuan saw the jade pendant on the table, he shot to his feet. He turned it over and over in his hands, his fingers tracing the character 【Zhu】 carved upon it. Taking several deep breaths, his gaze darkened.
“This is my sister’s pendant. She has worn it next to her skin since childhood. How did it end up with you? Where did you get it?”
“If I told you Bai Zhu'er gave it to me with her own hands, would you believe me?”
Bai Shuyuan’s mouth fell open in shock, and he slammed his hand down on the table.
“Do I look like a fool? This is my sister’s favorite pendant! Why would she ever have you give it to me?
“You claim the current Bai Zhu'er isn't my sister. Then tell me—why hasn't the real Bai Zhu'er shown up herself? Why hasn't she come forward to clear this up?”
Gu Qingyun looked up, meeting his eyes steadily.
“You're wavering. Down in your heart, you must have already guessed the truth. If she could come here in person, there would be no need for me. But you are seeing me right now, which means she cannot come.
“Her body is currently in the river, and her soul cannot stray more than five li from the riverbank. All she can do is wait there day after day, praying that you would uncover the truth and find her real self.”
Bai Shuyuan stared fixedly at Gu Qingyun, his voice hoarse and dry.
“What do you mean by that?”
“She is dead.” Gu Qingyun’s words shattered his remaining illusions.
Bai Shuyuan forced a smile that looked uglier than weeping.
“Ha... you must be saying this on purpose just to give me a surprise. Alright, I admit you frightened me. That's enough—call her out. Let me see for myself whether she's my sister.”
Gu Qingyun merely looked at him without uttering a word. Silence enveloped the study. Bai Shuyuan’s eyes reddened, and he collapsed back into his chair.
“How did she die?”
“She was beaten severely and thrown into the river, where she drowned alive.”
Covering his face with both hands, his entire frame trembled. Gu Qingyun waited quietly. After a long while, Bai Shuyuan spoke in a raspy voice:
“Who was the killer?”
“The cousin staying as a guest in the He household. According to Bai Zhu'er, her name is Zhang Xiaoxiao.”
Gu Qingyun looked at the man weeping uncontrollably with mixed emotions.
“So it was her.” Bai Shuyuan clenched his fists, his face flushed. Consumed by rage, he could think of nothing else and wanted only to storm the He residence to demand answers.
“You know your sister well. She is pure and kindhearted. She wants you to beat the grievance drum so the truth can come to light and the killer can face justice.
“She doesn't want you rushing off like a headless fly. Even if you went, she would never confess. Only by recovering your sister's corpse and securing evidence can you truly avenge her.”
Bai Shuyuan slapped himself across the face several times, his eyes brimming with anguish. Bowing his head, he stared down at the jade pendant and choked out, “Little Sister, you never changed after all. It was your foolish brother who failed to realize someone had harmed you.”
For a time, the study was filled solely with the man’s weeping.
...
At the county yamen.
Gu Qingyun scrubbed clothes beside the well, glancing outside from time to time. She had kept a constant lookout, having fretted endlessly over Bai Zhu'er’s predicament.
Nearly a shichen had passed since she returned from the Bai household. She crouched down, spread the garments over a flat stone, and beat them rhythmically with a wooden paddle.
After rubbing the clothes with a soap cake a few times, she washed them with meticulous care.
Just as she hung the laundry out to dry in the courtyard, 【Dong!】【Dong!】【Dong!】 the grievance drum before the yamen gates thundered. Straightening her posture, she immediately hurried toward the front entrance.
The main hall was specifically reserved for trying cases. Looking inside, the first things to catch the eye were the screen depicting the sun rising over churning waves behind the magistrate's desk and the horizontal plaque hanging above that read 【Bright Mirror Hung High】. Symbolizing upright justice, it inspired instinctive awe in all who beheld it.
By then, County Magistrate Yu and Advisor Zhuang were already seated in their respective places. Ten fellow constables stood straight as ramrods, some holding water-and-fire staves while others held iron rulers and ropes.
County Magistrate Yu surveyed the scattered townspeople gathering outside the doors and brought his gavel down with a sharp crack. Seeing this, Constable Li Yuan threw his head back and bellowed at the top of his lungs,
“Open—court—!”
His resonant cry echoed through the main hall and carried far into the streets outside. Hearing the call, townsfolk busy with their daily affairs began crowding toward the yamen's main gates.
Before long, the corridor outside the main hall was packed with onlookers, everyone craning their necks and standing on tiptoe to peer inside.
County Magistrate Yu lifted his gaze to look directly at the person kneeling below the dais.
“Who kneels before the court? What grievance do you bring?”
“Your Honor, this commoner is Bai Shuyuan. I reside in Bamboo Leaf Alley and run a cloth shop to make a living. This commoner formally accuses Zhang Xiaoxiao, wife of He Yuan of the He family in the southern quarter, of murdering my younger sister!
“She assumed my sister's identity to marry into the He family, deceived our Bai family, and left my sister, Bai Zhu'er, without offerings after death, never to rest in peace!”
“I beg Your Honor to uphold justice for my wrongfully murdered sister!” Bai Shuyuan prostrated himself against the floor, his voice cracking with tears.
Hiss. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd upon hearing his petition. If this were true, it was simply inhuman.
Advisor Zhuang picked up the written complaint and handed it to County Magistrate Yu. After a brief, quiet exchange between the two, County Magistrate Yu’s eyes turned solemn. His voice was not loud, yet it carried an undeniable authority:
“Bai Shuyuan, do you possess evidence to support this claim?”
Bai Shuyuan looked up, withdrew two jade pendants from within his robes, and raised them with both hands.
“These jade pendants are the evidence. My sister and I have worn them since childhood, one piece for each of us.
“Yesterday, this commoner had a dream. I dreamt that my sister was weeping beside my bed, saying she was so cold and had been submerged in water for a whole year, unable to find her way home.
“She said her corpse has remained in the Huai River all this time, and only through the aid of a benefactor was she able to send me this dream. When I awoke, I found this pendant right inside my house!”
County Magistrate Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. This Bai Shuyuan isn't bad—he didn't expose the constable under my command. His fingers tapped lightly against the desk, and then he abruptly struck the gavel down.
“Impudent! Confucius did not speak of strange occurrences, violence, disorder, or spirits. Bai Shuyuan, how dare you file an accusation against another based solely on a dream? What if you have falsely accused an innocent person?”
Bai Shuyuan turned deathly pale and kowtowed repeatedly.
“Your Honor, if this commoner has falsely accused her, I am willing to surrender half my family fortune to compensate her!”
Rate on N.U.
