Ripe Town ep 3 recap/spoilers

Episode 3 recap: Qu San Geng resolved the Wu Hou Mansion issue.

Qu San Geng recalled the time when he was bathing with his master. His master asked him how to take down the Wu Hou Mansion. Finally, his master instructed him to secretly investigate and keep records of the illicit wealth they had acquired. If one day they were to take action against them, these account books and fearless witnesses would come in handy. Upholding justice is not a simple task. Qu San Geng went to the school, where Feng Ke Zhui filled a pit with a tree, symbolizing his deceased uncle.

The master died from repeated blows of a copper ruler, with a headless chicken chick stuffed in his mouth. Feng Ke Zhui speculated whether Cold Wu Ji and Feng Ke Zhui were acquainted or if the murderer did it as a sacrifice. Qu San Geng guessed that there might be more murders in the future, most likely accompanied by couplets with citations from the Analects, which spoke of four students discussing their aspirations to become high officials. However, one of the students, Zeng Xi, expressed a different view. He lacked grand ambitions and only desired spring outings.

And it is for this reason that the murderer might have regretted or felt remorse. Perhaps it was an intentional reference to something Wang Fu Zi did that involved a child. Feng Ke Zhui wanted to investigate the truth behind his uncle's death, suspecting that he had committed despicable acts. Qu San Geng explained that the monthly money they collected from the merchants was because the Yitou Bureaus served as the backing for various businesses. In addition, there were substantial illegal incomes from gambling dens, prostitution, and usury. Qu San Geng had obtained this information through several months of secret bookkeeping training, and the total amount was approximately two thousand taels.

Qu San Geng spent three years and was willing to use these account books as a bargaining chip to surrender to the Yitou Bureaus. The Yitou Bureaus agreed and kept the account book while restoring Shi Cong's official position. Feng Ke Zhui told everyone in the school that his uncle appeared in his dream and handed these calligraphy and paintings to the public. He mentioned that his uncle owed a sum of money before his death, but he himself had little money. Therefore, he was willing to use his calligraphy and paintings as payment for the debt.

Feng Ke Zhui wanted everyone to continue sending their children to school, although the place was not auspicious and the parents were reluctant. Feng Ke Zhui knew they would use this as an excuse, claiming that if they did not agree to the dying wish, Wang Fu Zi would personally come to their homes to teach the children, which frightened them. As a result, they all agreed to continue sending their children for classes.

Song Dian Shi arrived in the courtyard, and Zhang Ji Zu, the steward of Xue Ju Ren, helped with the settlement. He showed excessive courtesy because he was interested in buying the unoccupied house in the back of the Cuihua Building. A few days ago, Cold Wu Ji had also mentioned it to Song Dian Shi. The constant attention from beggars fighting over the house, fearing that it would cause trouble and lead to the closure of the front gate, prompted him to investigate. He discovered that the house had been sold to an outsider many years ago.

Qu San Geng continued to investigate the cause of the fire at the Lu family, while Shi Cong examined the files and discovered that all four members of the Lu family, Lu Jin Xin, Lu Zou Shi, Lu Bu You, and Lu Ping Er, had died. The steward, Lu Zhong, the maid, Shiliu Haitang, and the night watchman, Qu Tian Ming, also perished while trying to extinguish the fire. Qu Tian Ming was Qu San Geng's father.

On the other hand, Qu San Geng found out that a servant named Chen Wang had not died in the fire. His home was in Cuihua Lane, and his adopted son also survived. He had initially served as a book boy for his son but was later recognized as an adopted son. His name was Lu Zhi. Shi Cong discovered in the files that the book boy Lu Zhi and the household servant Chen Wang, as well as the guard Zhang Gui and the chef You Er, had survived.

Song Dian Shi arrived at Chen Wang's old house and discovered that the words "Ji Si" were carved in graphite. Qu San Geng investigated the courtyard based on Song Dian Shi's findings and found that the stone wall had been repaired. There were marks of a grindstone being turned and donkey footprints on the ground, indicating that a heavy object had been dragged. The courtyard turned out to be the place where Cold Wu Ji was murdered, hanging from the position of the wall hole and lifted up using a donkey and grindstone. Song Dian Shi immediately issued an arrest warrant and instructed Qu San Geng to carry out the task.

The pillar guardian of the Stonemason Bureau, Bao Zhu, was arrested by Qu San Geng. Song Dian Shi intentionally sharpened a bamboo stick and informed Bao Zhu of its purpose. Bao Zhu, in fear, revealed that he had once received a job to install a grindstone in an old courtyard. The customer, wearing a bamboo hat that covered his face, had a beard and slender hands with long fingernails. Upon returning home, Qu San Geng was summoned by the servants of the Wu Hou Mansion to attend a meeting. As he leisurely drank tea in the courtyard, they changed their usual cold attitude and shared the information they had secretly investigated with Qu San Geng. They assured him that they would investigate the case based on the information they had gathered. They also knew that the Wu Hou Mansion could not restrain the Yitou Bureaus, but the Wu Hou Mansion had the ability to secretly deal with the Yitou Bureaus. However, they emphasized that they must not take any action against government officials because they all relied on the government for their livelihood.

The reason why the Wu Hou Mansion instilled fear in the common people was because they had the support of yamen runners, so the yamen runners were untouchable. The Wu Hou Mansion had previously tried to bribe Song Dian Shi but failed. Qu San Geng suggested that they use the Yitou Bureaus to bribe Song Dian Shi, offering a thousand taels of silver and betting on how much would end up in Song Dian Shi's hands.

The next day, the Yitou Bureau offered a bribe of two hundred taels of silver to Song Dian Shi. However, Song Dian Shi refused to accept it, knowing the tactics of the Yitou Bureau, and immediately ordered the withdrawal of their management rights and drove them away. The Yitou Bureau regretted bribing Song Dian Shi as they not only lost the management of the Yitou Bureau but also the monthly supply of silver. Qu San Geng asked about the matter of the Yitou Bureau's mistress, whether he had taken care of her. The Yitou Bureau admitted that the mistress had only been with him twice in the two months since she arrived.

Qu San Geng asked about this because it confirmed his suspicion based on the incident with the Yitou Bureau's mistress. The Yitou Bureau was cleared of suspicion of purchasing the grindstone. With Song Dian Shi's support, Qu San Geng became the supporter of the Wu Hou Mansion, but he also planned to use the account book to dismantle the Wu Hou Mansion. With Song Dian Shi's consent, he decided to arrest all five members of the Wu Hou Mansion. Song Dian Shi learned that the two hundred taels of silver bribe was contributed by Qu San Geng himself and realized that Qu San Geng was not an ordinary person.

Feng Ke Zhui discovered that Wang Fu Zi intended to kneel and be whipped by the students, including the son of the Liu family blacksmith. He had never mentioned this to anyone else, and the student left in a hurry. That night, Qu San Geng tended to his wounds, and they were surprised by Wang Fu Zi's strange fetish. Furthermore, there were three poor students who had never paid tuition fees. At this point, Wang Fu Zi's true character became even more unclear to Feng Ke Zhui.

The three of them drank all night, and the next day, they found a hanging skeleton in the river.