Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 3: The Sinister Arrival

“What the heck!? What is happening here?!”

The gambling house owner stared at the woman in disbelief at her defiant shout.

With a look that clearly questioned her sanity, he shot her a glare.

The woman, perhaps frightened by how resolute he sounded, shrank back, trembling amidst a pile of straw.

“Okay, I was wrong!”

“Who do you think you are, daring to act like this! Go with them right now!”

The gambling house owner’s voice roared again at the woman.

Unable to watch the confrontation, my older sister stepped up to explain to the woman.

“Little One, not only our owner, but also promised that you will be treated well. If you have family, we can arrange for them to live here in the Four Heavenly Houses.”

The woman, however, replied without a second thought.

“N-No! I refuse!”

“What! Is this really happening? Do I need to throw you out again?!”

“Even so, I can’t go! I will absolutely not follow you!”

As their conversation diverged into a standoff, my sister decided to clarify the woman’s situation to the gambling house owner.

Though officially there were no slaves in the Central Plains, people often worked like slaves due to debt. It was hard to determine from the woman’s current state and how she was treated whether she was akin to a slave or if her rejection meant she wasn’t one.

“Is this woman bound by debt? Or is she working on behalf of someone else? Does she absolutely need to work here?”

The gambling house owner waved his hands dismissively, denying the notion.

“Not at all! How could that be? There is no debt. She doesn’t receive wages either, yet she still serves us.”

“Huh?”

His equivocal answer, suggesting neither debt nor formal employment.

The owner continued with his explanation.

“Uh, you see… About five years ago? She appeared and said she didn’t need wages as long as I gave her work, but with a face like hers, it’s embarrassing to let her serve customers… Uh, she mostly does odd jobs, just eating up our food…”

According to the owner, years ago, the woman had shown up at the entrance of the gambling house, requesting work with no pay, and so he employed her.

Instead of entertaining guests like the other women, she was relegated to kitchen duties, but since the food was frequently described as foul, she was eventually assigned to manage the smelly crickets.

While I pondered over this peculiar explanation, the voice of Gu Pae chimed in.

“Excuse me, may I step out for a moment? I feel a connection between that woman and my former self.”

‘He sees his former self in her?’

I couldn’t fathom what this rugged man, his hair covering most of his face, saw in a girl who seemed to embody a mysterious aura. But my sister looked intrigued by Gu Pae’s statement.

With a spark of realization in her eyes, she nodded eagerly.

“Is that so?”

Then, Gu Pae proposed to the gambling house owner.

“Owner, would it be alright if we take her out for just a day? We won’t take her away permanently; we just want to treat her to something delicious and persuade her a little.”

“Oh gosh! Persuade?! Just a moment outside, and I will make her comply, even if I have to beat her into submission! Where’s my club? Ah, yes! That would do! Spit spit!”

Gu Pae had a plan to entice the woman with food and a place to work, but the gambling house owner was already picking up a broom from the ground and spitting into his hands.

As the owner approached the trembling woman, my sister intervened.

“Hold on! I’d prefer if you didn’t lay hands on her. She might soon become one of our family, and I wouldn’t like to see her harmed.”

“Ah, right! I was a bit hasty. Na-ok, you should go with them!”

“I-I don’t want to…”

The woman attempted to express her refusal again, but she suddenly trembled as if struck by lightning, staring wide-eyed at Gu Pae as if something resonated within her.

Then, almost instinctively, she nodded eagerly.

It truly felt like Gu Pae had struck some chord with her.

“Well then, we’ll take her along, alright?”

“Will there be any objections?”

“Then let’s meet again tomorrow.”

With a dazed look in her eyes, the woman seemed entranced by something.

Gone was her refusal, replaced by a look that suggested she was smitten, as she followed Gu Pae, almost enchanted.

Thus, we loaded her onto the carriage and headed not to the Four Heavenly Houses, but rather to a street lined with upscale eateries and pharmacies in Chengdu.

At the very back lay the grand entrance of the Four Harmonies Courtyard.

Upon reaching the entrance adorned with luxurious decorations and a fine physician’s office, familiar faces greeted us.

“Welcome, miss!”

“Yes, we’d like to stay for a day, please book us a room. But first, guide us to the reception hall. Bring forth some tea and light snacks.”

“Understood!”

With guards from the Tang Clan stationed, Gu Pae offered an explanation.

“This is like the Chengdu branch of the Tang Clan. That physician’s office is run by the clan, and this place belongs to us as well. This alley has two guesthouses, eight pharmacies, and five restaurants, all owned by the Tang Clan. I’ll show you the trading post and postal office later.”

The entire alley was our clan’s territory.

To be honest, I had been wondering how my grandfather and father-in-law managed to keep our family flourishing without doing much other than cultivating their skills—turns out there was a hidden secret behind it.

Ultimately, the fact that these properties belonged to the Tang Clan implied they would become my sister’s one day.

Internally, a meaningless cough escaped my lips.

Ahem…

After a moment, we arrived at the reception hall.

Inside, a modest spread of food and tea awaited us, but the woman’s eyes were solely fixated on Gu Pae.

Though it didn’t escape Gu Pae’s notice, he wore a slightly awkward smile.

“So, what happened? Maybe we can assist in some way. Surely, it seems like there’s something heavy on your heart.”

Don’t worry, just speak freely. We’re from the Four Heavenly Houses after all.”

After a brief hesitation, the woman stepped down from her chair and bowed, revealing her face hidden beneath her hair.

“What’s that…?”

“How did a woman end up with such scars on her face?”

As her features became clear, red burn marks marred her complexion.

While she seemed cute overall, scars were apparent on the face of Na-ok, the woman who stood before us.

And between the sympathetic voices of my sister and Gu Pae, the woman began her tale.

“I’m Song Na-ok. I come from Song Village, not far from here…”

Her voice was remarkably clear compared to before.

*

Song Na-ok and her sister, Song Na-eun, were quite famous in Song Village, a small settlement near Sichuan where most of the residents shared the surname Song.

They were known for Na-ok’s devotion in raising her little sister in place of their deceased parents and for the beauty of the sisters.

Especially Na-ok’s pale skin drew a lot of envy from others, leading the people to call them the Jade Sisters.

“Sis, you’ll be home early today, right?”

“Yes, it’s not far to the neighboring village, and I’ll help with the festivities and return quickly. So just wait a bit! I’ll bring back something tasty!”

“But I don’t want to be alone today! I’d rather help you with the work…”

It was the day Na-ok had promised to assist at a festival for pay in a neighboring village.

As she was about to leave, Na-eun clung to her sister’s arm, pouting.

Now a young adult herself, Na-eun insisted on going to help, but Na-ok simply ruffled her hair.

Though their usual banter ensued, Na-ok understood the reason behind her sister’s stubbornness today.

“I’m sorry for today. But I wouldn’t want to make you suffer on a day like this. I promised parents I would take good care of you.”

“But I am grown now!”

While the fact that Na-eun was now an adult was true, to her sister Na-ok, she still seemed so cute and childlike.

Furthermore, the promise made before their parents passed away—to take care of Na-eun—stayed firmly in her heart.

Gazing at the small bowls tucked in a corner of the room, she said, “Though you might be bored, you can play with your crickets.”

The crickets chirped as if responding to her call.

-Creek, creek.

Having started caring for a few crickets to keep her sister company, Na-ok hoped they would become friends during her absence.

Now several crickets had emerged as companions, but Na-eun pouted at her words.

“Playing with just two crickets isn’t fun! Huh.”

Today, she found it harder than ever to leave her sister behind because it was Na-eun’s birthday.

Reluctantly, Na-ok stepped into the kitchen, retrieving the fragrant pouch she had hidden among the dishes as a birthday gift for her sister, and tied it around Na-eun’s waist.

“Last time, you expressed a desire for this pouch, right? I intended to save it for your birthday, but I’ll give it to you early, so wait nicely today.”

“A fragrance pouch!? But this is expensive…”

Na-eun’s eyes widened with excitement as she looked at the pouch tied around her waist.

“After helping Mr. Ho from the postal office, he gave it to me cheap from Guangzhou.”

“Thank you! Sis!”

Na-eun beamed as she hugged Na-ok, and the lingering aroma of the special incense filled the air.

Only then did Na-eun smile up at her sister, bidding her farewell.

“Okay. You must come back as soon as you can!”

“Yes, I’ll be quick.”

The neighboring village’s gathering turned out to be busier than anticipated.

More guests had arrived than the host expected, and even though it was far past the promised hour, the festivities kept dragging on longer than intended.

They received a good sum for the surplus food and some extra pay, but Na-ok was anxious to get back to her sister, promising to hurry ahead of the group.

After all, it was Na-eun’s birthday.

She yearned to celebrate with delicious party food before the day slipped away.

“Na-ok, be careful! It’s dark; you might hurt yourself. Walk slowly!”

“No, I must hurry! Uncle! I can’t leave her hungry any longer!”

Though the others who had gone with her was trying to slow her down, Na-ok rushed forward, using the moonlight as her guide.

Thus, dramatically, she arrived at Song Village’s entrance much earlier than anyone else.

Having arrived early at Song Village, just as she stepped toward the entrance, the bright moon was suddenly veiled by clouds.

Turning the corner, she felt a jarring shock.

“Ugh!”

“Kyah!”

Na-ok collided with someone rushing out toward the village entrance.

She quickly apologized, but the man, looking annoyed, shouted and hurried out of the village.

“I-I’m so sorry!”

“Be careful!”

Recovering her fallen groceries and rising to her feet, Na-ok tilted her head.

Since Song Village was exclusively inhabited by the Song family, she rarely encountered outsiders. The scent of the pouch she used to see off her sister tinged her senses as she recalled the encounter.

But her suspicion was brief.

After all, men could carry pouches too. Shrugging off the thoughts, she hastily gathered her items and headed home.

Upon reaching her home, to her surprise, the front door was ajar when it usually remained shut, and an eerie silence enveloped the inside.

‘Are they saving oil? Or did they fall asleep waiting for me?’

It was likely that her sister had waited without eating anything.

Na-ok first stepped into the kitchen to set the food down and called for her sister.

“Na-eun! Na-eun! Get up! I’m back!”

But there was no reply from her sister.

Kindling the fire in the stove to warm the food, Na-ok lit a lamp and opened the door to her sister’s room.

“!”

-Crash.

Red stained the room in the lamp’s flickering light.

The startled Na-ok dropped the lamp to the ground.

The place was in chaos as if there had been a struggle, and her sister’s previously flawless skin, envied by many, now lay cold and tainted.

“Na-eun! Nooo…”

A scream erupted from Na-ok as she cradled her sister’s lifeless form amidst the carnage, and a flame ignited from the broken lamp behind them.

Suddenly, like a funeral dirge, the sound of crickets began to fill the room.

-Creek, creek.

-Creek, creek.