Chapter 457 Incense Burner

"You should also tell your subordinates not to spread the news that Manager Zhuang came to see a patient, so as to avoid letting people know that Manager Zhuang knows medical skills." Cheng Ruize said.

Fang Hou's eyes widened when he heard this.

After a long while, he came back to his senses and gave Cheng Ruize a thumbs up. "Master, you are really amazing. Just now, the shopkeeper told me to keep this matter confidential and told me to tell you about it. But before I even opened my mouth, you already knew about it."

"Master, how did you acquire this ability to calculate?"

"What do you mean by fortune-telling? It's just that Manager Zhuang never mentioned that she has medical skills before. Even the recipe for the mosquito repellent herbal bag was said to have been obtained by chance. I guess Manager Zhuang doesn't want to publicize the fact that she has medical skills too much." Cheng Ruize explained.

I see.

His young master will always be his young master.

Extremely intelligent, wise and brave.

Fang Hou grinned.

"Master, please take a rest. It's easy to get tired if you keep sitting like this. You'd better lie down. Even if you can't sleep, it's good to rest your mind." Fang Hou said as he picked up the soft pillow behind Cheng Ruize.

"Shopkeeper Zhuang said that I would feel sleepy after taking the medicine. I am really a little sleepy now. I will take a nap first."

Cheng Ruize had just laid down when he said, "I have been ill these past few days and have not been able to burn incense. Can you help me burn incense? It will also be considered as a way to let Auntie know that she is safe."

"I'll go right away."

After Fang Hou settled Cheng Ruize down and saw that he seemed to be asleep, he gently closed the door, told the servant next to him to watch over him, and then went to the small ancestral hall nearby.

Inside is the tablet of Cheng Ruize's biological mother, An.

An died of complications during childbirth of Cheng Ruize. Logically, as a concubine, An should be enshrined in the Cheng family's ancestral hall. However, Mrs. Cheng thought that An passed away early and had never even seen Cheng Ruize, and that Cheng Ruize had never repaid her aunt for giving birth to him. So, she specially let the tablet follow Cheng Ruize, asking him to burn incense and kowtow to him every day, as a way of fulfilling his filial piety. During the Chinese New Year every year, she would take the tablet back and be worshipped together with others.

Therefore, Cheng Ruize would light a stick of incense every morning when he woke up. If he had free time, he would recite a passage of scripture and talk to An's tablet.

It can be said that it has become a habit.

Cheng Ruize has been ill these days, so this matter has been delayed.

Before Fang Hou entered the small ancestral hall, he changed into clean clothes, opened the door, and kowtowed a few times on behalf of Cheng Ruize. "Aunt An, the third young master's illness has been greatly improved, don't worry. It's just that he hasn't recovered yet, so I can't burn incense and kowtow with you. Let me come to report that he is safe and burn incense for you."

After Fang Hou finished explaining, he took the incense next to him and lit it with a fire stick.

He bowed respectfully once more, then stood up and bent over to insert the incense into the incense burner.

Just when he lowered his head, Fang Hou's movements paused.

He remembered this incense burner because Cheng Ruize accidentally slipped his hand when he was cleaning the ash in the incense burner, leaving a small chip on the edge of the incense burner.

Originally, Fang Hou suggested replacing it with a new one, but Cheng Ruize said that the incense burner was already used and had been serving An for so long, so it was just a small crack and there was no need to worry too much about it, so he continued to use it.

The incense burner in front of me does not have this gap.

Obviously, this is a brand new incense burner.

On weekdays, only he and Cheng Ruize came into the small ancestral hall to clean, change offerings, etc., and other servants had never come in. Why did he replace the incense burner with a new one, and it was exactly the same as the previous one? He was so painstaking, probably to avoid being discovered.

But why would someone do this...

Cheng Ruize has always been a kind person, and he is always gentle to his servants. He will not care if someone does something wrong or knocks over something, as long as it is done accidentally. He will not dare to say anything if someone accidentally breaks an incense burner.

This can only mean that someone had to replace the original incense burner to hide something.

Actually, Cheng Ruize was not ill this time, but poisoned. And from what Zhuang Qingning said, the poison did not become so serious overnight, but was the result of long-term accumulation.

But he had almost always been following Cheng Ruize. They didn't eat and sleep together, but most of their diets were the same, and they went to similar places. Yet, Cheng Ruize was so seriously poisoned, but he was fine.

There must be some place or something that Cheng Ruize has been in contact with but he has not touched.

If there is such a place, it is this small ancestral hall.

When Cheng Ruize went to burn incense, he always came alone, and would often stay here for a while before leaving.

This fragrance...

Fang Hou frowned heavily, put the incense in his hand into the incense burner, and hurried out of the small ancestral hall.

"You two take good care of the young master. I'm going to the county government office." After instructing two trusted men, Fang Hou deliberately raised his voice and said, "Let's go and see what's going on in the county government office. Why haven't they dealt with that quack doctor yet..."

After that, he went out cursing. ——After leaving Cheng Ruize's place, Zhuang Qingning went straight to Zhuang Yutian's house.

When I got to the door, it was closed.

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At this hour, it was estimated that Zhuang Yutian and Meng were busy in the shop, and there were only old people and children at home, so the door was closed.

Zhuang Qingning reached out and picked up the door knocker, then knocked twice.

“Here I come.”

There was a reply, and a moment later there was the rustling of the bolt.

With a creak, the door was opened.

"Auntie Wen." Zhuang Qingning saw that the person was Mrs. Wen and called out in a crisp and sweet voice.

When Mrs. Wen saw that the person coming was Zhuang Qingning, she was stunned at first, then slammed the door shut with a bang.

Zhuang Qingning, who was nearly hit on the nose, held his forehead and sighed helplessly.

The arrogant old lady was indeed angry.

"Aunt Wen, can you please open the door?" Zhuang Qingning smiled flatteringly, "I really had something to do yesterday and didn't have time to come home."

"I made lotus cakes to make amends. Would you like to try some?"

After Zhuang Qingning finished speaking, he pricked up his ears to listen for any noise, but there was no sound from behind the door.

"Aunt Wen?" Zhuang Qingning continued, "I had lunch at home at noon, and now I'm hungry. I want to eat some fried tofu balls..."

It was still quiet.

It seems that the killer move is really going to be used.

Zhuang Qingning cleared his throat and said, "It seems that Aunt Wen doesn't like me and doesn't want to see me anymore. Well, I won't make Aunt Wen upset. I'll leave this lotus cake at the door for you. Remember to come and get it later. I'll leave first..."

(End of this chapter)