Qin San Langâs birthday is during the peak of Juneâs Big Summer; he is still three months shy of fifteen years old and totally inexperienced concerning certain matters. Upon hearing Gu Jinliâs plan, he couldnât help but blush deeply.
Qin San Lang quickly collected himself, cleared his throat, looked up at Gu Jinli and said, "Your plan is good, it not only teaches Lu Laosan a lesson and serves revenge for our families, but also cripples one of the Lu Familyâs arms. Itâs an excellent strategy."
However...
"Wait for a moment, Iâll get something for you." Qin San Lang said, and hurried back home. Shortly afterward, he returned and handed a piece of yellow paper to Gu Jinli: "This is a map of the Lu Mansion, take a good look and remember the positions of the rooms noted here."
This map depicted all the rooms and corridors of Lu Mansion, with small characters detailing the arrangement clearlyâvisible and instantly understandable at a glance.
Qin San Lang pointed to the right side of the map and said, "The first yard on the right is where Lu Laosan and his wife reside, but he despises Ms. Wu and only spends the nights at her place on the first, tenth, and twentieth of each month, usually sleeping in the study in the front yard."
Lu Laosanâs current wife is not his original spouse but rather a remarried widow, average in appearance. She is the daughter of Concubine Luâs aunt, who is related to County Magistrate Zou. In order to curry favor with County Magistrate Zouâs aunt, Concubine Lu urged Lu Laosan to divorce his original wife and marry the widowed Ms. Wu.
Lu Laosan, though married to Ms. Wu, despised her; if not for fearing to offend County Magistrate Zou, he would never enter Ms. Wuâs room.
These matters, Qin San Lang learned during a nocturnal exploration of Lu Mansion, overhearing the servants gossiping.
"This here is the study; just remember this place," Qin San Lang stated.
Gu Jinli, upon seeing this map, was thrilled. He looked around to ensure no one was nearby before asking, "Brother Qin, when did you draw this map? Have you visited the Lu Mansion before?"
Without having scouted the Lu Mansion, it wouldnât be possible to draw such a clear map.
Qin San Lang nodded: "The night Lu Laosan came to steal the tofu recipe, County Captain Jiang captured him and his son and sent them to the county government. I went to check out the Lu Mansion then."
Due to his family background, he learned the skills of a Scout at a young age; understanding your enemies grants invincibility in a hundred battles. Since the Lu Family had shown their true colors, it was necessary for him to scout the estate and fully understand their affairs.
Gu Jinli carefully stored the map: "Alright, Iâll memorize the layout once I get home. Weâll meet behind your house after everyone goes to sleep tonight. With the Lu Mansion in disarray over Lu Dezhuâs affair, weâll strike then."
"Alright," Qin San Lang nodded.
Gu Jinli, seeing his agreement, went over the plan carefully once more before picking up a bucket and heading home.
That night, after everyone else had fallen into a deep sleep, Gu Jinli sat up, dressed, and then fetched two burlap bags. He made two holes in each bag, slipped them over his head to cover his face, and then left his house to meet behind Qinâs house.
Qin San Lang was already waiting for her. Once they met, Gu Jinli handed him the other burlap sack: "Put it on to cover your face."
Qin San Lang took the burlap sack, covered his head, and then said, "The servant guarding the back door, Old Lady Qian loves to drink. Every night before midnight, she has to have a bowl. Itâs midnight now, she should be drunk by now."
Old Lady Qianâs tolerance was quite poor; she would be quite tipsy after just one bowl each night.
Gu Jinli nodded: "I remember."
She could use a sedative to knock out the servants of Lu Mansion, but doing so would leave traces. The Lu family could follow these traces to investigate the incident, possibly tracing it back to her family. Thus, she must execute tonightâs affair without anyone noticing.
The two of them moved stealthily in the dark, heading towards Lu Mansion.
Lu Family was quite stingy as well; in their grand four-entry mansion, under the eaves of the main gate, there wasnât even a single lantern lit.
Qin San Lang, in order to sketch, had visited the Lu Mansion several times and was already familiar with the layout; he quickly brought Gu Jinli to the back door.
Just as they reached the back door, they heard the sound of loud snores.
It was the gatekeeper, Old Lady Qian, asleep after drinking.
Qin San Lang took out a rope with an iron hook, threw it into the Lu Family property, climbed over first, and after confirming it was clear, opened the gate for Gu Jinli.
The two smoothly entered the Lu Mansion, walking along a narrow passage from the back door all the way to the front courtyard.
The front courtyard of the Lu Family was different from the back; while the back was quiet and pitch dark, the front had several rooms lit up. Especially the study on the right, from where sounds of singing and men jovially talking vulgar jokes could be heard.
Listening closely, it was precisely Old San speaking.
Old San said, "Old Second, donât be so stern. The matter with Lu Dezhu wasnât our fault. In a few days, when the County Governor cools off, you can return to the county and continue running your shop."
"Come on, since youâre home now, enjoy yourself properly. This Mianâer was just brought in by Shuan Daâs wife a few days ago. Not only does she sing well, but her body is also very supple; sheâs still a...virgin..."
Qin San Lang, having good hearing, clearly listened to Old Sanâs words, his face flushed red as he hung his head low, not daring to look at Gu Jinli.
Although Gu Jinli had never dated in her previous life, she had watched quite a few adult films and knew what was implied; she was unmoved by Old Sanâs words.
She followed Qin San Lang, hiding under a few banana trees not far from the study, waiting for the right moment.
While the noise from the room continued, bustling with activity, Widow Qiu arrived carrying a food box.
Hearing the sounds from the study, she quietly cursed, "Cheap girl, so young, and already snatching up men. I hope it kills you!"
After saying that, she signaled for a servant standing outside the study door.
The servant recognized her and came over as she waved.
Widow Qiu couldnât wait and asked, "Xiao Wuzi, what about the thing I talked to you about during the day? Did you do it or not?"
Old Second and Old San despised her for being old and lusted after the young girls, finding a new maid to accompany them tonight named Mianâer instead of her.
Tsk!
What kind of name is Mianâer? Clearly, sheâs not from a decent family.
After He Shanwa was sentenced to exile, Widow Qiu had lost her son and was plotting how to serve the Lu Family Brothers a few more times in hopes of getting pregnant, securing her future, when suddenly Mianâer arrived, naturally, she detested her.
She heard from Shuan Daâs wife that Old San would disdain her because he intended to employ the new maid tonight, so she bribed Xiao Wu to give Mianâer a laxative.
If Mianâer couldnât hold it while serving Old Second and Old San, they surely wouldnât let her serve them any longer; perhaps they would even beat her and then sell her off.