Chapter Sixty-One: Gou Ye Imprisoned

Early the next morning, Gou Ye set out with Yun Niang and Dali for the county town. There was no choice but to take things as they came—if the local authorities said they were in violation, it was clear they had been prepared for this all along. Confrontation would do no good now. All that could be done was to seek out a new location for everyone.

Without the food stalls, the marketplace instantly seemed devoid of life; the flow of people dwindled, and many businesses became desolate. When Gou Ye arrived, a stall owner approached him and asked, “Young Master Gou, you’re finally here. How are the stalls from your village doing? You have no idea—the crowds at your stalls had grown so much! For a while, it felt as if half the county came here every day. Our own business became brisk because of it. But now, after just a few days of their absence, the crowds have dropped off sharply. I just want to ask you, Young Master Gou, when will your people return?”

Gou Ye smiled at the stall owner and replied, “Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon. But let me ask you, yesterday the authorities came and forcibly requisitioned that alleyway—do you know why?”

“I heard from other stall owners,” the man replied, “that the alleyway has been temporarily rezoned for civilian use. No more stalls are allowed there. They say the county office will plan a new area in the future, but when that will happen, I have no idea.” This answer was much as Gou Ye had expected. When officials acted, it was always justified, and even if he went to the magistrate, there was no ground for argument.

By noon, Gou Ye was convinced that the alley was still the most suitable location. All other areas for stalls would end up too scattered; if they set up elsewhere, it would be here a patch, there a patch, and he would have to negotiate with each stall owner to avoid affecting anyone’s business.

Gou Ye spent the entire afternoon negotiating with the various stall owners, carefully recording who was willing and who was not. Even so, they could only set up forty stalls—more than twenty had nowhere to go. For now, this was the best arrangement he could manage.

Back in the village, Gou Ye informed everyone of the situation, and a wave of dismay swept through the crowd. No one wanted to give up their thriving business, even temporarily. The question became: which twenty would have to step aside?

“For the sake of fairness, let’s discuss this,” Gou Ye addressed everyone. “We have room for forty stalls; the remaining twenty is a fact. No matter how much we argue, it won’t change anything. So let’s use the simplest method: drawing lots. I’ll prepare a box. Those who draw a slip with writing on it will stay and set up their stalls tomorrow; those who draw blanks will return home for now. Every three days, we’ll draw again. If after three days you still haven’t drawn a slip, you’ll have to chalk it up to luck—no complaints. I don’t think this situation will last long. I’ll continue searching for more locations at the market, and as soon as the county approves new ground, I’ll make sure we get first pick. Is that agreeable?”

After listening to Gou Ye, the villagers looked at each other. Though they still felt a sense of injustice, there was no better way, so they all agreed to his plan. Dali brought a box, and Caisheng fetched pen, paper, and ink. Caisheng tore the paper into sixty slips, wrote on forty, folded them in front of everyone, and all were placed in the box.

“Alright, you’ve all seen the process—there’s no trickery here, everything is fair and square. So, may luck be with you,” Gou Ye declared, arranging everyone in a line to draw lots, one by one. Those who drew slips with writing left with joy, while the unlucky wore gloomy faces, slapping their thighs in frustration—some even wanted another try, but Gou Ye refused them on the spot.

The drawing lasted a full hour. Those without slips slunk away, heads bowed, though they had another chance in three days. Still, everyone wants to be first; even if they fail again in three days, they hope to seize the first opportunity.

Seeing those who remained, Gou Ye instructed Dali to take them to the market early the next morning to secure their spots. Once the crowd dispersed, Gou Ye, Yun Niang, and the others finally returned home. The three of them, not having eaten all day, were famished. The maid had long since prepared their meal, and they devoured every dish clean.

Afterwards, Gou Ye lounged back in his chair with Yun Niang in his arms. “Dali, you saw how I worked on finding stalls today. Tomorrow, after you take everyone to the market, see if there are any other possible spots nearby. Every extra stall counts. Some of those who left today are in truly difficult straits. I wish I could have let them all stay, but rules are rules.”

Yun Niang, stroking Gou Ye’s round stomach, comforted him, “No matter what, don’t wear yourself out. Some things cannot be rushed.”

“Alright, my little wife!” Gou Ye teased, tapping her nose.

Yun Niang turned away with a shy smile. “Who’s your wife?”

“We made our vows before Mother—trying to deny it already? Let’s see how I deal with you.” With that, the two began to laugh and play, and Dali awkwardly slipped out of the room.

The next morning, Gou Ye rose early to see everyone off. He also handed the manuscript to Dali, asking him to deliver it to the bookshop on his way. Gou Ye estimated that in about ten days, “The Immortal Heroes and the Condor” would be finished, and he would need to plan his next work. Watching everyone leave, he felt a vague unease he couldn’t quite explain.

As it turned out, his worries were not unfounded. Just as Gou Ye was eating lunch, several constables arrived at his home. One of them barked, “Are you Gou Ye?”

Gou Ye swallowed his food and nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“You were responsible for purchasing all the foodstuffs for the Tumen Village stalls? And you organized their stall arrangements as well?” the constable pressed.

Sensing that something was wrong, Gou Ye glanced at the alarmed Yun Niang and said, “Don’t worry, go to the county and find Gu Shen. He can help me.”

“It was me,” Gou Ye replied calmly. As soon as he spoke, the constables clapped him in shackles and led him out of the house. Placed atop the prison cart, Gou Ye found the heavy chains and the forced standing agonizing. The journey was pure torment.

As they entered the county town, people gathered to watch. Who was Gou Ye? He was a renowned scholar here! At once, rumors flew and fingers pointed at the prison cart, but Gou Ye remained serene, paying no heed to the stares. When they reached the county office, however, he was not taken into the main hall, but led directly to the prison.

Only then did Gou Ye finally see for himself what the stone chambers Dali had described were truly like.