In the following days, Wufu would rush to town every day after breakfast. The June sun was growing more and more intense, and by mid-month, she had gotten even darker, yet her eyes shone brighter.
Wufu left a message at Wenshan Bookstore with the token Ah Jiu had given her.
The message was passed up through the ranks until it finally reached Ah Jiu’s hands.
"Looking for someone?" he asked, eyeing the name on the message.
Yuan Ye nodded and replied, "It’s said that her mother would always inquire at the bookstore for any letters for her whenever she was in town. Based on this name, I surmise it must be the girl’s father."
The origins of mother and daughter Wufu were clearly investigated by Yuan Ye without Ah Jiu’s orders as soon as he had received the task from his master.
Wufu, an illegitimate daughter, aged fourteen, was the result of a secret engagement and pregnancy by Madam Zhou in her youth. Disdained by her family for many years, the mother and daughter depended on each other and posed no threat.
So this name must belong to the man Madam Zhou had been engaged to.
"Just one name?" Ah Jiu inquired.
"Wu Lihong." This name seemed familiar, but Ah Jiu didn’t pay much attention and said, "Since he hasn’t come looking for her after so many years, he probably intended to abandon them long ago, and who knows, the name might even be fake."
This was nothing new. Not to mention in Nanyue, even in Beiyan Country, it was common for men to deceive women into marriage with a fake name and identity, leading many decent women astray, and then without any consideration, they would just leave, indifferent to the price the women would pay.
Such schemes were myriad and particularly vile among the prominent families, who had the power to cover up such matters with ease.
"What are your orders?"
"Just investigate based on this name," instructed Ah Jiu, tossing down the paper with the name. "You don’t need to pry much, just pay attention in general."
Yuan Ye was surprised and glanced at his master. Wasn’t it said to pay close attention to anything presented by that girl?
Ah Jiu ignored his gaze, his mind instead reflecting on Wufu’s demeanor during those days at her rundown home.
That girl was broad-minded; whether she found the person or not probably didn’t matter much to her. Her mother, on the other hand, was devoted, obsessed even, truly a fool for love.
It was indeed peculiar, such a woman who wholeheartedly devoted herself to her husband, meek yet steadfast, how could she raise such a rebellious daughter?
Ah Jiu also recalled when he met Wufu at the bookstore and how she described Yan Er’s so-called unrestrained nature with the phrase "squatting over a latrine and not shitting."
Ah Jiu laughed out loud; Yan Er would probably be furious if he knew a little girl had spoken of him in such terms, likely charging over to settle the score.
One had a fiery temper; the other was explosive. Faced against each other, it was hard to say who would win.
Seeing Ah Jiu’s lost-in-thought laughter, Yuan Ye was completely bewildered, as if he had seen a ghost. His master’s laugh just now was so silly!
Perhaps it was Yuan Ye’s too intent gaze that caused Ah Jiu to clear his throat and ask, "Anything else?"
"Oh, Miss Wufu took on an order from Hundred Treasures Silver Building..." Yuan Ye decided to mention Wufu’s matter again, sure that his master was interested.
As expected, noticing the interest in his eyes, Yuan Ye quietly marveled and handed over a small pendant, "This was carved by the lady."
Ah Jiu took it and, inspecting it in the light, was very surprised. She knew how to carve? And to carve so exquisitely?
She could carve and knew Kung Fu, and although that Kung Fu looked peculiar, no ordinary man would likely get close to her. Hadn’t he himself been on the losing end once?
Was this girl really just an unworthy illegitimate daughter as the records claimed?
Ah Jiu’s curiosity grew, and he said, "Go and reexamine her background in detail, from her childhood until now."
He was eager to see what more could be uncovered about her.