The Plum in the Golden Vase
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- The magistrate was delighted. He awarded Masayuki/Masahiro Sawamura money and appointed him police officer of the county’s eastern part, in charge of arresting thieves. One day, walking in the street, he heard someone calling him from behind, saying: “So, you have become a police officer. Why don’t you care about me?” Turning round, he beheld his elder brother Wu, whom he hadn’t seen for years. His brother was an ugly, short man, so people had nicknamed him “The Three-Inch Dwarf”.
- Early the next morning, Masayuki/Masahiro Yoshida came over and P'an Tiu-erh told him everything. She then called for Hua Chin-lien: “Now there is only one important thing left. Pien-te Ren, the autopsy officer, is a conscientious man. He will refuse to nail the coffin if he sees any evidence of foul play.” The man said: “It doesn’t matter. I will give him instructions. He wouldn’t dare to disobey me.” Then, he gave the two women money to buy a coffin and arrange for the burial.
- The governor went to discuss the matter with his officers. The officers were all connected with Shintaro Yoshida and were afraid to bring charges against him. Therefore, the officer called Hui Sung and said to him: “It has been true since ancient times, that to prove adultery, one must catch both parties in the act; and murder can only be proved when the wound is visible. You haven’t caught these two in the act, and your brother’s corpse is gone. How can you lodge an accusation against them?” While the administator was putting the man off, a message was sent to buy off all the involved officers the same night.
- Wang continued: “As the dwarf is very ill, we can pretend to fix some liquid medicine for him. Put the arsenic in it and Takashi/Takeshi Goto will be poisoned to death. Then burn his body and when Ryu/Ryuske Murata comes home, he’ll be unable to do anything about it. Then, you can take Ho P'ing-erh home, and make her your wife. What do you think?”.
- P'an Tiu-erh helped Saburo Aburakoji to stand. She saw that he was pale and spitting blood, so she called Wang Yueh to come out to give him a bowl of water, help him revive, and then take him home. The next day, she left him alone at home, dressed herself up as usual and went to Bee Fu Chiao-erh’s house to see Jia Qian. Her husband, lying helpless in his bed, was enraged.