Chapter 31: You Are a Man!

Su Ruan pondered for a moment before continuing, "Master, if we truly need money, I do have a way!"

Lu Chuan looked up, somewhat surprised.

"However, it might involve some risk," Su Ruan said, her expression grave.

Lu Chuan smiled and asked, "What kind of path is it?" If it could make Su Ruan feel it was dangerous, it certainly wouldn't be easy.

"North of here, there is a mountain called Blackwater Mountain. On Blackwater Mountain, there is a stronghold inhabited by a nest of bandits. When my father was planning to wipe them out, he studied the topographical map of Blackwater Mountain in great detail, and I have seen that map as well."

"The bandits of Blackwater Mountain have hoarded countless riches. If we find an opportunity to sneak in, locate their treasure vault, and find a way to steal it—"

Su Ruan’s eyes were glowing as she spoke.

"Hold on a second..." Lu Chuan hurriedly raised his hand, saying helplessly, "You call that just 'a little risk'?"

Was Su Ruan being a bit too reckless? Who were those people? They were bandits! Bandits guarded their lifeblood with extreme vigilance. Stealing from them silently was basically impossible.

Su Ruan gave a sheepish grin. "Then I have no other ideas for the time being!"

"Alright, let's go back and eat," Lu Chuan said with a sigh.

There were many places where money was needed: they still needed to buy two hundred pounds of grain, a loom, and some land. Adding it all up, he needed to prepare at least a hundred taels of silver, and it might not even be enough. Still, Lu Chuan did not say much more.

After dinner, Su Ruan took Chen Miaomiao to rest, and Lu Chuan returned to the room with Bai Siyu.

Bai Siyu carefully closed the door and asked softly, "Are you short on money?"

"Yes," Lu Chuan replied casually, "but it’s fine, I should be able to solve it."

At that moment, Bai Siyu took a wooden hairpin from her hair and handed it to Lu Chuan with great care.

"When my family fell into ruin, my father knew that disaster was unavoidable, so he made some preparations to ensure that those who managed to escape could at least scrape by. Everyone’s situation was different. This was what my father prepared for me. The outside is plain wood, but inside is a valuable jade hairpin. If pawned, it is worth at least three hundred taels of silver."

Lu Chuan was stunned. "What are you doing?"

"As the saying goes, 'follow the rooster if you marry a rooster, follow the dog if you marry a dog.' Since I am already your woman, my belongings are yours," Bai Siyu said, her voice soft and her gaze steady. "It wouldn't make sense for me to eat, drink, and live off you while hoarding this hairpin. Since we have encountered trouble, it should be used. If you truly wish, you can redeem it for me once the household is no longer short on money."

After a pause, she added earnestly, "Master, I have given you the item, but I have only one request."

"Tell me," Lu Chuan asked, feeling puzzled.

Bai Siyu sighed. "In the future, if you encounter something that cannot be done, please avoid it if you can. I know you have a kind heart and want to protect us, but for now, we are just ordinary folk. If we truly run into insurmountable trouble, we can always pack up and hide elsewhere. Don't be a hero; the sisters and I are always worrying about you."

Hearing these words, Lu Chuan was moved beyond measure. He could only express his gratitude through action.

The next morning, when Bai Siyu woke up, she found that Lu Chuan was gone. On the table, he had left only the wooden hairpin and a note: "Keep it safe. Don't worry, I'm here."

Bai Siyu stared blankly at the hairpin. For some reason, she suddenly chuckled, her eyes filled with tenderness. She sat quietly by the side and began to pin up her hair.

...

At this moment, Lu Chuan was at Widow Wang's house. The widow sat on the bed, her complexion pale; even after drinking meat broth, she showed no signs of improvement.

"Qingqing," Lu Chuan said, looking at Chen Qingqing. This woman looked very similar to Chen Miaomiao, but because Chen Miaomiao was thin and sallow, it was hard to tell at a glance. Lu Chuan, being sensitive to facial features, had noticed it immediately. "Could you step out for a moment? I have something to discuss with Aunt Wang."

"Yes," Chen Qingqing nodded, looking at Aunt Wang with concern before stepping out.

Widow Wang lay there, her expression somewhat uneasy.

"Master Lu, I am truly sorry," the widow sighed. "My body is getting worse by the day. I fear I won't make it through this winter."

"Aunt Wang, you joke," Lu Chuan said, observing her quietly. The widow was not conventionally pretty and had many moles on her face, so few men in the village paid her any mind. It was only rumored that she had been beautiful in her youth.

Lu Chuan’s gaze was scrutinizing. He suddenly realized that Widow Wang was not a woman at all. However, the disguise was incredibly clever—her figure, posture, and even her voice were nearly indistinguishable from a woman's.

"Master Lu, you have helped us so much; please ask whatever you wish," the widow said, her voice tinged with helplessness. "We are just a widow and an orphan; we don't have that many taboos."

"I heard that government officials came to the village looking for someone—a man with two women, and it happened over a decade ago," Lu Chuan said bluntly. "If I'm not mistaken, the people they are looking for are you and Qingqing, right?"

The widow’s pupils constricted instantly. Her breathing quickened for a moment, but she shook her head. "How could that be? So much of the information doesn't match."

"True," Lu Chuan nodded. "Much of the information doesn't match, but that is because you have obscured the truth. Qingqing must have a twin sister, and you... you are a man."

Lu Chuan glanced toward the widow's lap. "Or rather, a eunuch. And because you were afraid of being discovered, you chose to disguise yourself as a woman."