Chapter 11: A Violent Riot in the Hall of Abundant Harvest; Au Cheuk-hing Fattens His Pockets Twice Over Seeing the situation turn dire, Kwai-hing sent Hei-loi to fetch the “strategist” Cheuk-hing while he consulted Zong-kong. Before Cheuk-hing arrived, Zong-kong tried to bolster Kwai-hing’s courage: “She took poison herself! We didn’t force it down her throat. What is there to fear?” He had barely finished…

Chapter 10: A Double Bereavement Brings Trouble to the Scoundrel; A Cunning Mediator Profits from a Settlement Kwai-hing rushed into the inner chambers to find the servants in a chaotic panic. Lady He beckoned him, crying, “Hurry, Husband! Something has happened to Sister!” Kwai-hing reached Kwai-sin’s room and was met with a horrific sight: Kwai-sin had used a silken scarf to hang herself. Her…

Chapter 9: A Virtuous Mother Pitied in Poverty; A Silken Scarf Ends a Noble Life The mention of “Zong-kong” made Lady Zheng’s eyes snap open with fury. “What has that devil done now?!” she demanded. The servant Kei-fu reported that Zong-kong had led dozens of men to Yellow Mud Ridge to dig up and carry away the entire harvest of taro plants belonging to…

Chapter 8: Clarifying Debts of Gratitude and Grudges; A Bitter Family Quarrel and a Mother’s Broken Heart When Lady Zheng learned that Yi-hang had followed Kwai-hing’s orders to beat Leang Tin-loi, her fury knew no bounds. Disregarding all propriety, she slapped him across the face, grabbed his collar, and refused to let go, wailing: “You heartless, godless wretch! How dare you tell me this…

Chapter 7: Forging a Three-Thousand Debt to Steal Three Hundred Silver; The Thugs Succeed While the Village Elder Suffers Au Cheuk-hing addressed Kwai-hing: “If we simply round up a mob to rob them on the road, bystanders will intervene, and it will ruin the Ling family’s reputation. I have a plan. We shall write a false promissory note that reads: ‘In the 48th year…

Chapter 6: Minor Disputes Lead to a Breach; With Tigerish Greed, Kwai-hing Plots His Scheme Zong-kong, seeing that Kwai-hing was already enraged, added fuel to the fire: “When I heard him say those things, I couldn’t stand it for your sake. I argued with him, and the brothers and their father nearly came to blows with me. All the neighbors came to mediate, but…

Chapter 5: Family Ugly Scenes Over Daily Bread; Stirring Up Trouble Between Relatives Ling Kwai-hing’s ancestral home was in Mude-lisi, but his father’s wealth had allowed them to build a grand mansion in the provincial capital. Kwai-hing spent most of his time in the city under the guise of “studying,” but after the Feng Shui excursion, he stayed behind at the old house, sending…

Chapter 4: Anxiously Awaiting the Results as if Boiling; Casual Talk and Tall Tales About Feng Shui In the year of Bing-wu (1726), the results of the Guangdong provincial examinations were scheduled to be posted on the ninth day of the ninth month. By the eighth day, Ling Kwai-hing was already in a frantic state. He grabbed Zong-kong to plan the menu, arrange the…

Receiving a Letter from the Capital, Lord Chen Sells an “Opening”; Casting Off Mourning Garb, Ling Kwai-hing Sits for the Provincial Exams Ling Kwai-hing left Ma the Semi-Immortal and headed home with his servant. Along the way, he asked repeatedly, “Why is Lord Chen looking for me?” The servant, named Xi-lai, was no longer a child—around fifteen or sixteen years old—and Kwai-hing treated him…

Shareholders of Guangyuan Shop Dissolve Their Partnership; A Fortune-Teller Discusses the Stars on Saddle Street Guangdong has long been known as a region of immense prosperity, a gathering place for merchants where goods flow freely. Before the sea routes were fully opened, those traveling to the northern provinces mostly went through Jiangxi. On the border between Jiangxi and Guangdong stands Mount Nanxiong. This area…