Chapter 10.1

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The county office wasn’t far from the town—if one walked briskly, it only took about a quarter of an hour to reach. Fan Changyu was in luck; she ran into an acquaintance also heading to the county and managed to catch a ride on their ox cart. By the time she arrived, the county officers had just started their shift.

She gave Captain Wang’s name to the guard at the entrance, and soon an attendant led her to the office at the back of the compound.

“…Anyone you find begging on the streets, bring them all to the county jail. The New Year is just a few days away, so keep your eyes sharp!” Captain Wang’s voice carried from inside, sounding like he was in the middle of giving orders. Fan Changyu chose not to interrupt, waiting quietly outside.

After issuing his instructions, Captain Wang glanced at the doorway, noticing Fan Changyu waiting there. He waved a hand, and the officers, now equipped with their official swords, filed out in groups of two and three, likely heading off to patrol the streets.

Only then did Fan Changyu step inside. “Uncle Wang, you seem busy today. Thank you for seeing me.”

The cold outside was biting, but a brazier burned warmly in the room, filling it with comforting heat. Within moments, a light mist formed on her eyelashes from the sudden warmth.

Captain Wang poured her a cup of ginger tea to ward off the chill. “Busy or not, it’s the same every year around this time. But this year, things have gotten worse with the mountain bandits causing havoc and taking lives. The higher-ups are cracking down on outsiders, so anyone without proper household registration or travel documents is getting thrown into jail. They’re also rounding up vagrants and beggars in these recent days.”

Hearing this, Fan Changyu couldn’t help but tighten her frostbitten, red hands as she thought about Yan Zheng, who currently had no official registration.

Noticing her hesitation, Captain Wang asked, “You’re here today to transfer the title of your family’s property, correct?”

Fan Changyu nodded.

Captain Wang sighed, “I forgot to mention, but Fan Da has already filed a complaint. Until the case is resolved, the property transfer can’t go through. But don’t worry—since you’ve taken in a live-in husband, even if it goes to court, the county magistrate will likely rule in your favor and grant you your parents’ inheritance. It’ll just be a bit of a hassle.”

Fan Changyu hadn’t realized how complicated the process could be.

Recalling the basin of water she’d splashed over the courtyard wall the previous night, she asked, “And what if, on the day of the hearing, my uncle fails to appear?”

Captain Wang gave her a knowing look. “If your uncle fails to show up, his complaint is dismissed, and he could be punished with twenty strokes for disrupting the court and disregarding the law—setting an example for others.”

Fan Changyu immediately regretted not dumping the entire water tank over the wall the night before.

Captain Wang then asked, “Why do you want to know that?”

She cleared her throat. “Just curious.”

Holding the steaming tea, her fingers absentmindedly rubbed the edge of the cup. “There’s another matter, Uncle Wang, that I need your help with.”

“Go ahead,” he replied.

Fan Changyu hesitated, then explained Xie Zheng’s situation. “My husband lost all his money and household documents to mountain bandits. Now that he’s married into my family, I was hoping to help him re-establish his registration.”

Captain Wang’s smile faded, and after a pause, he said, “At this moment, obtaining new documents is no easy matter.”

When Fan Changyu and Fan Da eventually face each other in court, she would need to prove her husband’s identity. The magistrate would likely question her about his origins. Without official documentation, Xie Zheng might end up in jail as a suspect.

In that case, she could lose her property, and her husband could end up in serious trouble.

Captain Wang paced back and forth in the room a couple of times, then, with a decisive stomp, said to Fan Changyu, “Follow me.”

The official in charge of household registration in Qingping County was a close friend of Captain Wang’s, and through this connection, he managed to help Fan Changyu arrange a new household registry for her husband.

Fan Changyu thanked Captain Wang profusely, but he merely waved it off. “Just don’t mention this to anyone. I’ll be in trouble if word gets out. Besides, your father once saved my life; I consider today’s favor a small way of repaying that debt.”

Fan Changyu quickly assured him, “You’ve done me such a huge favor; I’m grateful beyond words. I wouldn’t dream of gossiping about it outside.”

Captain Wang, recalling old memories, sighed. “Your father was an unusual man. With his skills, he could have easily taken up an official position here, but instead, he chose to be a butcher.”

Fan Changyu explained, “My father used to work as an escort, and my mother was constantly worried. When he finally put that life behind him, he chose butchery because he wanted to provide her with a sense of security and stability.”

All of this was what she’d heard from her parents back in the day. Captain Wang, knowing his old friend’s personality well, simply sighed and said no more.

After bidding him farewell, Fan Changyu stopped by her sister’s favorite candy shop and bought a small packet of malt candy. Originally, she’d planned to transfer the property title, then sell a few plots of farmland in the countryside to gather enough money for some New Year’s supplies and maybe even buy some pigs and piglets.

But plans rarely keep up with changes. With the property transfer delayed, the only money she had now was from the small wedding gifts left by neighbors and friends yesterday, barely amounting to one tael.

This meant she couldn’t afford the nourishing supplements she’d wanted to buy for Xie Zheng. Still, she didn’t want to return empty-handed. Seeing a street vendor selling hair ties and ribbons, she decided to spend a few coins on an ink-blue hair ribbon for him.

Since the wedding day, he hadn’t tied up his hair. Fan Changyu guessed it was because he didn’t have a suitable hair tie. The red one from the wedding didn’t seem appropriate for everyday use, so she figured this new one might be useful.

As Fan Changyu paid for the hair ribbon, a raggedly dressed man suddenly dashed past, knocking over a few stalls in his panic. Several constables chased him, shouting, “Stop!”

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