Chapter 327: Reunion with the Sister-in-Law
Lin Ming lay sprawled on the bed, feeling incredibly comfortable. The girl, dressed in a flimsy gauze skirt, her body faintly visible, was several times more seductive than if she were completely naked. Lin Ming felt like a prized steed, and the girl was a knight riding him with abandon. Sometimes she would thrust up and down, other times she would circle her hips. Lin Ming felt a wave of comfort throughout his body, and a tingling numbness in his lower regions, a sign that he was about to âdeliver the goodsâ again.
Lin Ming was a veteran of the pleasure quarters, with many wives and concubines at home. He prided himself on being a battle-hardened warrior. He never imagined that the short-hair brothels were so debauched and wicked, with many tricks he had never even heard of. Before they even got to the main event, he was already driven to the brink of ecstasy. He couldnât even handle the third level of the âIce and Fire Five Heavensâ before he had to surrender his goods.
Fortunately, he had been abstinent for over half a year and had plenty of âstock.â With a little teasing from the girl, he regained his vigor and mounted again. Having been pent up for so long, it was fine as long as he didnât start, but once he did, he couldnât stop. When one âbellâ ended, he was still not satisfied and added another.
Lin Ming was in the heat of battle when he suddenly heard the hurried footsteps of a large group of people in the building, accompanied by shouting. He shuddered: Could it be that the short-hairs had discovered his identity and were coming to arrest him? He immediately stopped the girl, pushed her off him, and quickly got dressed. The girl, confused, asked, âMaster, why did you stop? Was my service not to your liking?â
Lin Ming had no time for her. He put on his boots, opened a crack in the window, and looked out. The outside was surrounded by short-hair soldiers, and the police were searching and questioning door to door. Lin Mingâs heart sank. It looked like a city-wide manhunt. Such a large operation couldnât be just for a few petty thieves. The more he thought, the more worried he became. He wanted to escape immediately, but he saw the soldiers outside with their muskets at the ready. Whether he jumped out the window or climbed the wall, he would be shot full of holes before he hit the ground.
Besides, running would be useless. He had already registered his identity card when he paid for the time. The police could find out everything just by checking the guest register. Why bother?
Seeing his panic, the girl was also startled. She got up, put on a robe, and looked out the window. Seeing it was just the police, she relaxed.
She said to Lin Ming, âMaster, youâre not a local. Donât be afraid, itâs just a police check. My house is a legitimate business. We pay our taxes and have our medical check-ups on time every month, so itâs fine. Did you bring your travel permit? That is, your identity card.â
Lin Ming said, âI have it, Iâm just afraid the bailiffs will give me trouble.â
The girl smiled. âThis Qiongzhou Prefecture is not like the Great Ming territory. The police never harass the common people. As long as you are a law-abiding person, they will not make things difficult. Master, have a cup of tea to calm your nerves. We can continue our âcloud and rainâ after the check is over.â Lin Ming nodded in agreement. The girl poured a bowl of tea for him. The two sat by the bed, eating some snacks and dried fruits.
After a while, there was indeed a knock on the door from the police. The girl immediately opened it. A man and a woman came in. The man shouted, âSpot check, show your documents!â
Following the girlâs instructions, Lin Ming took out his identity card. He saw the girl also take out a âyellow ticketâ from her robe pocket. Just as Lin Ming was about to observe how these âshort-hair officialsâ conducted their business, a young woman in a police uniform stepped out from behind the male officer. When Lin Ming saw her, he was stunned:
Wasnât this his sister-in-law, the very person he had gone through so much trouble to find in Lingao?
She had shed her girlish immaturity and now had the appearance of a grown woman. She was not only taller than before, but her figure was also fuller and more solid. The black short-hair âuniformâ outlined her curvy figure, and the calves revealed beneath her skirt were wrapped in the white stockings commonly worn by the pseudo-short-hair women. On her head was a black, soft, round cap, adorned with silver stars on the band. The feeling was both strange and familiar. Lin Ming was momentarily stunned.
Li Yongxunâs gaze turned, and she also froze for a moment upon seeing Lin Ming. They quickly averted their eyes. Lin Ming was now certain: the female officer was his sister-in-law!
He stood there dumbfounded, watching his sister-in-law inspect the yellow ticket, ask the girl a few questions, and check the roomâs facilities. The room was very small, with almost nothing but a bed, a chair, and a cabinet. It could be seen in a single glance. She then left, but before she went out the door, she glanced at him one more time.
That glance was filled with complex emotions. Lin Mingâs mind was in turmoil, and he was in a daze when he heard the girl call out, âMaster! Master!â
Only then did Lin Ming come to his senses and force a smile.
âYou scared me to death,â the girl said, patting her chest with a pout. âMaster, you just froze, sitting there without moving. Your servant thoughtâŚâ she paused, âI thought you were unwellâŚâ
âIâm fine,â Lin Ming said, covering up. âIâm just terrified of officialsâŚâ
The girl giggled. âFrom your dignified air, Master, you donât seem like such a timid person.â
Lin Ming gave a dry laugh, thinking to himself what a close call! His behavior just now had been very out of character. If the male officer had become suspicious, there would have been a lot of trouble. But he was also secretly amazed. The police were indeed not troublesome at all. Under the Great Mingâs rule, let alone county yamen runners, even when his own team was conducting a raid on a shop, if the owner didnât offer some âshoe moneyâ and the customers didnât provide some benefits, they would inevitably find a reason to drag them away for some âproper hospitality.â The short-hair âofficialsâ were so incorruptibleâdid they live on air?
Furthermore, his own sister-in-law came from a family with a hereditary military post. How could she be willing to take on such a âlowly serviceâ? Lin Ming was not unaware of Li Yongxunâs little dream, which was to become a real Jinyiwei. She had even once tried on his uniform at his home to admire herself. How did she end up defecting to the short-hairs?
Despite his suspicions, Lin Ming saw that he was not the target of the manhunt. Although Li Yongxun had recognized him on the spot, she hadnât exposed him, which clearly meant she still had some affection for him. For the time being, he should be fine. His heart settled a little.
But his interest in continuing the battle had vanished. He was about to take a bath, change his clothes, and go back. The girl, being perceptive, saw his lack of enthusiasm. She immediately knelt between his legs and bent down. Lin Ming felt a tingling sensation in his lower body, and his interest was immediately rekindled.
Suddenly, a bell on the wall rang loudly. The girl stood up and said, âMaster, please wait a moment. They are calling us for questioning. Your servant will be back shortly to continue serving you. For disturbing your pleasure, the house will surely compensate you with extra time. Please donât worry.â
Lin Ming saw the girl leave. He opened the door slightly and saw that the police had already left outside; only the girls and pimps were rushing about in the corridors. Although Li Yongxun hadnât exposed him on the spot, they had been apart for years, and she had defected to the short-hairs. He didnât know the details⌠Thinking of this, his heart was in his throat again. He was a Jinyiwei Trial Centurion, a fact his sister-in-law knew very well. His arrival in Lingao⌠Li Yongxun wouldnât think he was here to look for her. She would surely believe he was here to spy on the short-hairsâ military intelligence.
What if Li Yongxun had been bewitched by the short-hairs and reported him?
At this thought, the hair on his neck stood on end. He wanted to get up, settle the bill, and leave. But then he remembered that since his arrival in Lingao, every step he took had been registered. Where he lived, where he workedâthe short-hair âpoliceâ could find out with a simple check. In Lingao, you needed documents for everything: an identity card to stay at an inn, a work permit to find a job, and even to visit a brothel, you had to register your identity card. It was impossible to immediately disappear under a new name!
But on second thought, although there was fear in Li Yongxunâs eyes just now, there were also elements of affection, concern, and worry. He and his wife had treated her well. Moreover, Lin Ming knew that she had once had a little crush on him, and the two had been quite flirtatious. With these feelings, she surely wouldnât be too cruel, right?
As long as she was willing to cover for him, he would still be safe in Lingao. The next step was how to contact her again and persuade her to flee back to Guangzhou.
With this thought, Lin Mingâs heart calmed down. Just then, the girl returned, smiling and curtsying. âIâm sorry for interrupting your pleasure, Master. The management said they will give you half a âbellâ for free. Your servant will definitely serve you well.â
The team Li Yongxun was with, which was sweeping the customs industry district, found no suspicious individuals and returned to headquarters before midnight. She was on temporary overtime assignment, so after filling out the action report, she was free to go. She would get a day off tomorrow as usual. On a normal day, Li Yongxun would have rushed back to her dormitory to sleep. But tonight, she returned to the Household Registration Office.
The Household Registration Office was brightly lit, with some people still busy with official duties. The officer on duty was surprised to see her back.
âI still have some work to finish, and Iâm off tomorrow anyway,â Li Yongxun explained.
âYou must be off duty by one oâclockâŚâ
âOkay, I know.â She nodded repeatedly and hurried to her desk.
A staff member with a trolley poured her a cup of black tea. Li Yongxun covered her face with her hands and leaned on the desk, motionless for several minutes.
As Lin Ming had guessed, Li Yongxun had also recognized him at first sight. Although he was wearing a loose robe, disheveled and with messy hair, she still recognized her cousin-in-law at a glance.
Lin Mingâs appearance had thrown a stone into her otherwise calm heart, stirring up many chaotic ripples. She had always had a favorable impression of this dashing, handsome cousin-in-law, not to mention the added bonus of him being a âJinyiwei.â Although she couldnât openly express it due to propriety, she wasnât averse to his occasional âflirtations.â On the contrary, she sometimes deliberately played the part of a coy young girl to entice him.
However, the past was not the present. Now she was working for the Australians, while her cousin-in-law was still an official of the Great Ming. Lin Mingâs sudden appearance in Lingao was undoubtedly related to the Australians. Lin Ming was a Jinyiwei from Foshan, and she knew the Jinyiweiâs procedures. They would always select local Jinyiwei personnel to gather military intelligence. His coming to Lingao must be to spy on the Australiansâ military situation, and he probably wasnât alone.
Connecting this to the recent major manhunt, although she didnât know the specifics of the case, the scale and frequency of the police deployment and the urgent demand for interrogation reports told her that the higher-ups took this case very seriously. Could her cousin-in-law be involved in this case?