Ripe Town Episode 1 Recap
> Ripe Town Recap
During the 37th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, a bizarre murder case shocked the wheat fields of Qijia Fortress in Duxian, Jiangnan. Upon receiving the report, two constables from the county yamen (Qu Sangeng and Gao Shicong) hurried to the scene. In the center of the wheat field, they found a neatly dressed scarecrow. Qu Sangeng used a wooden stick to lift the scarecrow's big straw hat, revealing a familiar face. The victim, pale-faced, was Qu Sangeng's master - Leng WujÃ.
The news spread rapidly, and county historian Song Chen, who was interrogating another case at the yamen, heard the tragic news of Leng WujÃ's murder without displaying much surprise.
The body was brought back to the county yamen, and it was discovered that Leng Wujà was not tied to a wooden frame but rather impaled by a mulberry wood sedan pole, fixed on a frame. The brutality of the murderer was evident. Forensic analysis revealed that the true cause of Leng WujÃ's death was suffocation. Upon removing the body, a message was found carved on the pole: "My path is consistent."
Based on the available evidence, County Magistrate Wei speculated that the murderer might be a sedan chair bearer. Qu Sangeng objected, noting that sedan chair bearers are usually illiterate and rough, yet the murderer left a classical expression behind. Song Chen analyzed that the murderer might be a scholar among sedan chair bearers.
He Shiyé informed County Magistrate Wei that Duxian has a deep literary tradition, with several hundred scholars. To investigate each one would be a daunting task. Faced with this challenge, Wei sought a solution and, upon He Shiyé's suggestion, decided to report the case to the higher authorities.
Wei Magistrate finally disposed of the hot potato. Song Chen, seeking instructions, informed Wei Magistrate that with Leng WujÃ's demise, the fast squad had lost its head constable. According to convention, Squad Leader Yi should temporarily oversee, but Wei Magistrate, preoccupied, only instructed Song Chen to handle it according to normal procedures.
In the face of Leng WujÃ's corpse, Qu Sangeng was lost in thought. A year ago, due to a dispute, he and his colleague Zhang Lao San had clashed. Zhang Lao San had taken bribes, bullied widows and orphans, and Qu Sangeng, unable to tolerate it, had secretly assisted the weak. When Leng Wujà found out, instead of supporting Qu Sangeng, he had helped Zhang Lao San with medical expenses. Despite Qu Sangeng's explanations, Leng Wujà had only said, "Fairness is a roundabout path."
Back in the present, Qu Sangeng asked Squad Leader Yi about the investigation into Leng WujÃ's murder. In the fast squad, apart from Leng WujÃ, Qu Sangeng was essentially the second in command. Squad Leader Yi, wanting to establish authority, was indifferent to Qu Sangeng's questions. He asked about the usual investigative process, and Qu Sangeng listed them: visit the scene, talk to the victim, trace the movements, and then investigate suspects.
Squad Leader Yi replied that of those methods, Qu Sangeng's investigation was the most convenient. Unable to proceed on his own, Qu Sangeng, seeing that Squad Leader Yi was not focused on solving the case, requested at least two or three experienced constables to visit Qijia Fortress.
Annoyed by Qu Sangeng's gestures, Squad Leader Yi and Qu Sangeng argued, and it was only through the mediation of Jin Er from the fast squad that they settled down.
Leaving the fast squad, Qu Sangeng visited Leng WujÃ's home to interview his adoptive mother. Leng WujÃ's daughter, Leng Guier, welcomed him and informed him that the family could still manage. The most important thing was to find the murderer and avenge her father.
To understand the meaning of the message left on the frame, Qu Sangeng and Gao Shicong went to the academy to seek the help of a teacher. Their friend Feng Kezhui happened to pass by and, seeing Qu Sangeng's confusion, tried to explain. After a long explanation, Qu Sangeng didn't grasp anything. However, it sparked some inspiration: to find the murderer, they should perhaps start with old cases handled by Leng WujÃ.
Checking the case files, Song Chen told Qu Sangeng that only solved cases were recorded, so there were not many clues available for investigation.
With no leads, Qu Sangeng found Leng WujÃ's waist token, planning to clean it and keep it. Suddenly, Gao Shicong thought that on the day of the incident, Leng Wujà left the fast squad without his waist token, indicating it wasn't official business. Qu Sangeng immediately thought of a place.
They rushed to Cuihua Lou, where Qu Sangeng directly asked Lin Siniang for information. Lin Siniang was unaware of Leng WujÃ's murder. When Qu Sangeng explained the situation, Lin Siniang suddenly lost control of her emotions, sobbing uncontrollably. Qu Sangeng had no choice but to step aside for the moment.
It turned out that Lin Siniang was Leng WujÃ's lover, and they had an ongoing relationship. When Lin Siniang managed to control her emotions, she told Qu Sangeng that on the day of the incident, Leng Wujà had indeed visited Cuihua Lou. He mentioned that Wei Magistrate, newly appointed to the county yamen, was a useless official.
Having served as a constable for over twenty years, Leng Wujà had encountered various officials, and he classified them into five types: wolves, dogs, snakes, rats, and cats. Wolves were fierce and greedy; dogs were relatively incompetent; snakes were good at evasion; rats were opportunistic and parasitic, while cats were gentle, narcissistic, and liked to be praised.
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