Chapter 21: The Visit of the Princess Royal
“Back at the city gate, we parted ways so suddenly—I never even got to ask your name.”
Wang Chu leaned forward casually against the counter and asked.
Jiang Wan didn’t reveal her real name; instead, she made one up on the spot.
“Suyue. And you, sir?”
Though she had already learned Wang Chu’s name from her informants, she pretended ignorance and asked.
“Oh, I’m called Wang Chu.”
Wang Chu answered truthfully.
“Wang Chu…” Jiang Wan muttered the name, then said, “I’ll remember it.”
Wang Chu smiled. “Miss Su, what brings you here? This little shop stocks everything you might need for weddings and funerals, all at fair prices.”
Jiang Wan glanced around discreetly, searching for any hint of trickery.
But she found nothing unusual.
“Oh, I’m here to buy some joss paper.”
She withdrew her gaze and said so.
Wang Chu teased playfully, “For whom? Your father?”
Jiang Wan’s expression shifted briefly.
“Your father! Really, who curses people right off the bat? Do you even know how to do business?”
Wang Chu quickly apologized, “Sorry, that was careless of me.”
He walked over to the place where the joss paper was kept.
“How much do you need?”
Jiang Wan thought for a moment.
“One bundle will do.”
Wang Chu immediately picked up a bundle and handed it to her.
“One low-grade spirit stone, please.”
Jiang Wan took the joss paper and pulled out a low-grade spirit stone she had prepared in advance.
“Here you go.”
Wang Chu took the stone, weighing it briefly.
“Come again anytime.”
Jiang Wan didn’t turn to leave right away. Holding the bundle of joss paper, she said, “That night we met—did you come from the direction of Liu Family Village?”
Wang Chu feigned puzzlement, “Yeah, why?”
Jiang Wan countered, “Didn’t you notice anything unusual?”
Wang Chu shook his head. “No, what’s up?”
Jiang Wan said, “I heard someone say the Liu Family Village was wiped out.”
She carefully watched Wang Chu’s reaction, convinced this matter was connected to him.
Their meeting coincided with the time the Liu Family Village was destroyed—and Wang Chu had come from that direction.
Wang Chu didn’t seem to realize she was suspicious. He exclaimed in shock, “What! You’re not joking, right? When I passed by that day, everything seemed fine.”
Seeing that Wang Chu wasn’t acting, Jiang Wan turned away and said, “You’re lucky. If you’d been a bit later, you might have shared their fate.”
With that, she left, carrying the joss paper.
Once she had disappeared completely, Wang Chu placed the spirit stone in the cabinet and thought, “Could she have seen through my identity?”
He quickly dismissed the idea.
“No, if she had, she wouldn’t have disguised herself and come to my shop to buy things.”
Wang Chu put the spirit stone away.
“Forget it. Whatever comes, I’ll face it. Let’s just wait and see.”
He then went into the back room, fetched a book, and stood behind the counter leafing through it.
Hours passed swiftly until afternoon.
Wang Chu set the book on the counter and stretched.
Just then, another customer entered.
This time it was a pale, frail girl who looked pitiful.
Every few steps, she stopped to cough.
It seemed like a long time before she reached the counter.
Wang Chu worried she might collapse and die in his shop—that would be troublesome.
“Miss, what’s wrong with you?” he asked with genuine concern.
The girl shook her head faintly.
“Nothing… it’s just that I’m poisoned.”
“Just poisoned,” Wang Chu thought helplessly, and quickly suggested, “You should see a doctor.”
She shook her head again.
“Cough… it’s no use. They can’t cure me.”
Wang Chu sighed, “Then why are you here?”
She replied, “I want to buy a coffin for myself.”
Wang Chu was taken aback, “Are you serious?”
Weakly, she said, “I want to prepare a coffin in advance. If I die someday, please help me bury it somewhere.”
Even the well-experienced Wang Chu had never encountered such a case.
“Do you have no friends or family?”
Her eyes darkened.
“No.”
Wang Chu fell silent in thought.
Seeing this, the girl struggled to turn away.
“If it’s not possible, forget it—I’ll ask elsewhere.”
“Wait,” Wang Chu called after her.
“How many spirit stones do you have?”
She pulled out a spirit stone.
“I don’t know if it’s enough.”
Wang Chu grabbed the stone and examined its quality.
“One top-grade spirit stone—that’s definitely enough, even more than enough.”
At his words, the girl bit her lip and took out another spirit stone.
“Add one more, and please do me another favor.”
Wang Chu quickly tucked both top-grade spirit stones into his sleeve.
“What is it?”
The girl said, “While I’m still alive, I want you to stay with me.”
“Stay with you?” Wang Chu was cautious and curious. “I’m not the kind of person who’s easy to get along with.”
She explained weakly, “What do you think? Just to keep me company.”
Her voice carried a faint sadness.
“All my life, I’ve been alone. I’ve never known family love, friendship, or romance. I want to feel a little of that in the time I have left.”
Wang Chu grew more serious.
“Are you really that miserable? Not a single friend?”
The girl coughed twice.
“No.”
Wang Chu, somewhat vain, touched his cheek.
“Why me?”
She answered, “Because you sell coffins. It’ll be convenient for you to handle my funeral when the time comes.”
Wang Chu: ...
“Alright, considering how miserable you are, I’ll reluctantly agree to your unreasonable request.”
Suddenly, the girl collapsed unconscious on the counter.
Wang Chu scratched his head in frustration.
“With such a strong aura of death and doom, I wonder if this will bring trouble.”
Muttering to himself, he stepped from behind the counter, knelt down, and gently lifted the girl in his arms.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on Wang Chu’s bed.
Nervously, she touched her chest and looked around.
“Don’t worry, I haven’t done anything,” Wang Chu said as he sat by the wooden table reading.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s good. Otherwise, you might be dead by now. The poison in me is severe.”
Wang Chu looked up from his book to the girl lying with purple lips.
“So that’s what you were worried about?”
She explained, “I’m dying. Chastity means nothing now. But if you died because of it, then no one would take care of my body.”
Wang Chu couldn’t help but marvel at her logic—absurd yet strangely reasonable.
“Alright, I admit you have a point. By the way…”
He changed the subject.
“I still don’t know your name. I’m Wang Chu. And you?”
…