Chapter 45: The Names
Administrator Wen had organized the garrison records by year, event, and relevant jurisdiction. The Hekou engagement had its own bamboo folder which went over the account of the battle, as well as the contract. Wen had been careful about what he put down.
The soldier at the records desk looked up when I came through the door. He was young and in his early twenties with dark hair that was cut short. From a certain angle he vaguely reminded me of someone else that I had known but I couldn’t place a finger on it.
"Instructor Pei," he greeted me by standing at attention.
"I need the casualty record from the Hekou engagement," I said with urgency.
He reached for the shelf behind him without hesitation. The folder had been accessed recently, the edge of it sitting slightly forward compared to the other records that were achieved near it. He set it on the desk between us.
"You're the second person to ask for that this week," he began to say. "A middle-aged woman came in three days ago and asked for this too."
"What did she say when she finished reading it?" I asked him.
He thought about it. "She smiled, thanked us for our time, and then left. She originally said that she needed to confirm the date of the contract for the smith Gao Ren."
For Gao Ren? Why would he need a record for that?