Magistrate Zhang had previously investigated the Du family and knew about the Nie family, but due to the lack of evidence after so many years, he could not open a case.

Now that Nie Fantian has arrived, what will he do, and will he need evidence?

Jiang Zhi didn't know.

Upon arriving in Jincheng Prefecture, everything was arranged by Nie Fantian. This was his business, his domain, and he had his own set of solutions.

Having a precise address and a familiar person to guide you is very convenient.

Guided by Pang Hu, Jiang Zhi and his group found Du's Cloth Shop on the very day they entered the city.

The cloth shop was doing good business; even as closing time approached, there were still customers. The shop assistant stood at the door with a big smile on his face, and no one noticed the group of dusty country bumpkins on the street.

Only when the shopkeeper passed by did he realize that the people across the street were staring at him like wolves and tigers, glancing at him a few more times.

In the back room of the cloth shop, Du Baolin was busy checking the accounts.

It's already the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month, and business is in its peak season. He checks the cash flow every day.

This has been a habit of his for over a decade; he simply enjoys seeing money rolling in.

The shopkeeper came in: "Sir, you called me?"

Du Baolin, fiddling with his abacus, said, "Have the New Year's gifts for the Nie family been prepared? This is the eldest young lady's first New Year's visit since her marriage, so make sure the gifts are plentiful."

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. We've never shortchanged Mr. Nie with gifts over the years. Everyone says you're a man of great loyalty and affection."

Du Baolin sighed, "I was married to Nie in my youth, but unfortunately our fate was short-lived. Even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness, so it is my duty to support Nie's parents. I'm not afraid of doing too much, I'm only worried that I'm not doing it well enough!"

The shopkeeper sighed, "There aren't many good people like you in this world anymore; everyone in the neighborhood can see it."

Du Baolin was a son-in-law of the Nie family. Although his wife died in childbirth many years ago, he was still filial to his parents-in-law. He not only sent them greetings during festivals, but also often let his daughter go back to live with her maternal grandparents to alleviate the grief of the elderly burying their children.

When the two elderly people fell ill, Du Baolin would research medical advice and personally attend to them at their bedside without ever taking off his clothes.

Considering the son-in-law's deep affection for his deceased wife and the fact that his granddaughter was his daughter's blood relative, Old Master Nie entrusted most of the cloth shop business to Du Baolin. This son-in-law's reputation for filial piety and virtue was very good among the neighbors.

Jiang Zhi learned of these words the very next day.

Upon entering the city, Nie Fantian's first priority was to manage his supplies.

It seems the male protagonist is going to prioritize his career, and incidentally kill his father as well.

He didn't show up all day, and said he had his own ideas and didn't want Jiang Zhi to worry.

Well, Jiang Zhi didn't want to be with Nie Fantian either; everyone has their own way of handling things.

The next day, Jiang Zhi, Xiao Man, and Li Laoshi began to inquire about Du Baolin and the Nie family.

These things were no secret; Boss Du's loyalty and sense of honor had been publicized, and the group found out with just a few questions.

Qin was furious: "Who is a child of the Nie family? Little Genius is one, how come there's another granddaughter?"

Li Laoshi chuckled: "That's easy. Last time you were hatching chickens at home, you exchanged good eggs for bad ones. It's the same with that guy surnamed Du exchanging a fake girl for a real boy."

Qin Shi didn't believe it: "The Nie family also has parents, how come they didn't suspect it was fake?"

Jiang Zhi snorted coldly: "The Nie family only knows about difficult childbirth, and has no trusted people. Whether Nie Shi gave birth to a boy or a girl is just based on Du Baolin's words."

Judging from Du Baolin's current methods, the Nie family probably never had any doubts, and even if Nie Fantian stood in front of them, they might not believe it.

Qin murmured, "You said Little Tianniang is capable of running a big business, so why didn't she keep some of her own people around her?"

Li Laoshi chuckled again: "A man's mouth is a liar's tongue. As long as he speaks sweetly, no matter how smart Nie is, she will never suspect that the people around her have bad intentions."

Qin's eyes widened immediately: "Are you lying to me too?"

Li Laoshi immediately complained, "How could I dare to lie to you? Every word I said is truer than pearls. I've told you everything. I'd even show you my heart."

Qin seemed unconvinced: "Are you serious?"

Li Laoshi swore an oath: "If I've told a lie, may I roll off a cliff as soon as I step out the door..."

Qin covered his mouth, saying, "Don't say it, don't say it, I believe you!"

Jiang Zhi couldn't stand it anymore. While they were getting down to business, the two of them took the opportunity to show their affection.

Judging from Qin's appearance, it's not hard to imagine that Nie was also deeply in love with Du Baolin and had unwavering faith in him.

Newly married and pregnant with their child, she was a wife and mother for the first time. Who would doubt her tender husband? That's why she left her parents in Jincheng to run a business in Pingchuan County while waiting to give birth, and thus fell into the trap set by Du Baolin and Xu Xiaolan.

Of course, this is all just Jiang Zhi's imagination; only that adulterous couple knows the truth.

Meanwhile, news of the Nie family's affairs also came to light.

The Nie family was not a small household; on the contrary, it consisted of three branches of brothers, and the family was large and prosperous, all engaged in the fabric business. However, Nie's branch had only one daughter.

Old Master Nie was also a proud man. He did not adopt nephews from the other branches of the family to support the family business. He only focused on raising his daughter, Nie, to inherit the family business of his branch.

However, Nie died in childbirth, leaving behind only a "daughter," namely Du Jinying.

Madam Nie was deeply affected and has been in poor health for years. Old Master Nie has no interest in the business, and it is all managed by Du Baolin.

Du Baolin's filial piety towards his parents-in-law was well-known, leaving the other two branches of the Nie family speechless.

With their granddaughter by their side, the two elderly people have managed to survive until now, so naturally they dote on Du Jinying.

Two months ago, when their eldest daughter got married, the two elders prepared a generous dowry.

Wow, what a talent!

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi was once again impressed by Du Baolin's methods.

The Nie family wasn't without nephews to inherit the family business, but he, a son-in-law who moved in with his wife's family, managed to control everyone.

The sophistication of their methods and the depth of their cunning are truly astonishing.

Sigh, I wonder if a greenhorn like Nie Fantian can outmaneuver such an old bird.

By now, Jiang Zhi has lost all confidence in herself.

No wonder Magistrate Zhang's case was shelved after being sent to the prefectural government; there was simply no flaw in the case.

Jiang Zhi had previously thought that as long as she explained the situation to the Nie family, the truth would come out.

Now it seems that with Du Baolin's twenty years of business experience, the Nie family has complete faith in him.

If someone suddenly appears claiming to be the grandson of the Nie family, he'll probably be kicked out immediately.

We also need to be wary of Du Baolin's ruthlessness. He dared to kill people to silence witnesses in Pingchuan County, and he is the master here in Jincheng.

If the news leaked out, Du Baolin would kill his son.

This matter cannot be delayed. Nie Fantian has a military post and came here on the opportunity of escorting grain and fodder. He cannot let these family matters drag him down.

I can't afford to waste this year or two.

Honestly, I'd rather stay home and watch Peppa Pig digging in the dirt than see this upsetting thing.

Not to mention that the New Year is just around the corner, the village primary school is about to start, college students from various towns will come to learn technical skills in their second year of junior high school, Qiaoyun is about to give birth, and the pharmacy needs to stock new medicines.

The cats and dogs in Xujia Village are more meaningful than Xu Xiaolan.

But since we're already here, this kind of thing still needs to be resolved.

Just as Jiang Zhi was racking her brains trying to find out where Du Baolin might have left any evidence, Xiao Man brought a letter:

Nie Fantian asked Jiang Zhi to bring people to Guixianju.

This person had been out of contact for three days, but now that he had finally shown up, Jiang Zhi was eager to share what she had found out with him. She immediately took Qin Shi and Li Laoshi to Guixianju Teahouse.