Chapter 30 Find a place with good feng shui and bury her.
When Mr. Xu noticed that Ah Chan went to the restaurant every day, he figured that the young girl was probably inexperienced and that's why she was making such a fuss.
He couldn't help but comfort her, saying, "Madam Chen may have just closed the shop because of something, and she'll probably be back in a few days."
"But she didn't tell me beforehand."
Madam Chen is a trustworthy person. If something happens that forces her to close the shop, she will definitely inform Achan in advance.
"That means something urgent happened and I didn't have time to tell you."
Mr. Xu's words did not dispel her doubts.
"Mr. Xu, if I go to the Jingzhao Prefecture..."
Mr. Xu shook his head, interrupting her: "Miss Ji, you and Madam Chen are not related by blood, and you have no evidence to prove that something happened to her. The government will not take care of it."
Seeing that she still had a furrowed brow, Mr. Xu hesitated for a moment and then said, "I noticed that you seem to have some dealings with people in the government. Why don't we ask someone to inquire about it?"
Which gate was harder to knock on, the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture or the gate of the Mingjing Division? Achan didn't know.
But if she stood outside the Mingjing Division and said she wanted to see Bai Xiuming, she would definitely be kicked out. And even if she saw him, Bai Xiuming might not be willing to help her; that man is the type who won't act until he sees a benefit.
However, Ah Chan still listened to Boss Xu's advice: Chen Niangzi's matter could only be resolved by seeking help from officials.
When Achan returned home, she waited until late at night, then took an oil lamp to the backyard, squatted in the corner and began to carefully dig in the soil, then buried something inside.
The Mingjing Division spy, hidden in the shadows, sensed something amiss and moved to a closer position to try and see what she was doing.
Just then, Achan suddenly spoke up.
"Your Mingjing Division works so hard, how much salary do you actually receive each month?"
The scout froze instantly.
"You keep an eye on me every day, do you ever have time to rest?" Achan asked curiously.
The scout thought to himself that his job was much easier than that of his colleagues who were sent to keep an eye on the Xue family.
Achan's social circle is very narrow. Apart from her neighbors on this street, she doesn't interact with outsiders at all. Some time ago, she had a lot of contact with a woman named Chen, but recently there has been no news of her. Every day, she only talks about trivial family matters.
His mother and sister get up no later than the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM) every day. If they are late twice, his sister will feel ashamed. As for A Chan, her wake-up time is basically stable at the end of Chen Shi and she will never get up earlier.
While she was sleeping, he could not only catch up on his sleep, but also take the opportunity to return to the Mingjing Division office to hand over the surveillance log from the previous day.
However, she didn't need to know these things.
"I need to talk to you about something. Can you come out for a moment?"
Ah Chan waited quietly for a while, but there was no movement.
It seems that's not possible.
“I need to speak with Lord Feng Yang. Could you please pass on a message to him for me?” Achan tossed aside the small shovel in her hand, stood up and walked back. “If you can’t, that’s fine too. Next time I see your garrison commander, I’ll just say you spied on me while I was taking a bath.”
Thump, a small pebble landed at Achan's feet.
Achan kicked a pebble at her feet and smiled slightly: "I'll take that as a yes. I have something urgent to attend to, so please ask him to come over as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow."
After she finished speaking, she went inside, leaving the Mingjing Division's spies outside speechless.
He had heard from his colleagues that the girl he was monitoring, Miss Ji, had an ambiguous relationship with the garrison commander. In fact, even without his colleagues saying it, he had the same feeling. Moreover, the garrison commander had been impeached several times in court because of her.
Although it was supposed to be surveillance, he didn't look at anything he shouldn't have, for fear of making the garrison commander resentful. As a result, he was actually threatened by the person he was monitoring today.
The spy spent most of the night contemplating life on the rooftop. When he returned to the Mingjing Division early the next morning, he decided to report the matter truthfully to prove his innocence.
Bai Xiuming looked at his subordinate, who had been kneeling before him and pledging his loyalty for a long time, and closed the booklet that the subordinate had handed him.
"My lord, I really didn't do anything..."
"She wants to see Feng Yang?" Bai Xiuming interrupted his subordinate.
"Yes, Miss Ji went to the courtyard to dig a pit in the middle of the night, deliberately luring me out, saying that she had urgent business to see Lord Feng."
"What's the urgent matter?"
The scout thought for a moment and said, "Miss Ji hasn't encountered anything recently. If there's anything that's bothering her, it might be related to the owner of a restaurant she frequents. The owner recently closed her shop, and Miss Ji seems a little worried about her safety."
"Is she so bored that she's meddling in other people's business now?"
After a long pause, the subordinate managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Miss Ji has a kind heart."
Bai Xiuming glanced at his subordinate, speechless for a moment.
"...Sir, should I go back and keep watch?" the scout asked tentatively.
He really wanted to know how much longer he had to keep watch, feeling that if he continued, all his skills would be wasted.
Every day he either listens to gossip about family matters or which restaurant has the cheapest meat, vegetables, and eggs. He has even figured out the prices in Changpingfang, and they are indeed a penny cheaper than the vegetables near his home.
"No need."
The subordinate breathed a sigh of relief; the task was finally over.
"Then...where is Master Feng?"
"No need to tell him."
"yes."
Ah Chan waited at home for Feng Yang to come over, but he didn't show up all day.
She thought she had been tricked by the spy who was watching her, but even though it was already curfew, there was a knock on the door downstairs.
Achan opened the door and saw Feng Yang's boss.
They actually exceeded the mission target; the spy is such a good guy.
Although she thought this in her heart, Achan didn't show it on her face. She asked in surprise, "Why are you here so late, sir?"
"You want to see Feng Yang."
"Yes, where is Lord Feng?" Achan stepped aside to let Bai Xiuming in, and peeked out as she closed the door, but there was no one there.
"He was busy catching snakes."
"Still catching them?" Achan's voice rose. "How many snakes are you trying to catch?"
Bai Xiuming smiled without saying a word. Achan suddenly realized what was happening, chased after him, tugged at his wide sleeve, and asked, "Sir, you're not trying to take advantage of this to embezzle my mother's dowry, are you?"
“That’s a good idea.” Bai Xiuming sat down at the table by the window.
Achan poured him a cup of cooled tea, showing a bit of hospitality, but not much.
"My lord, I'm running out of money for food." Achan sat down on another chair and looked at him pitifully across the table.
"So pitiful?"
Achan nodded frantically, then glanced at the exquisite money pouch hanging from Bai Xiuming's waist: "Why don't you lend me some?"
Bai Xiuming actually tore off his money pouch and threw it to her. When Achan opened it, she found only ten taels of loose silver inside.
She couldn't bring herself to do it; this man was rather poor. And if she really accepted Bai Xiuming's money, she worried that her dowry would be even further away.
After stuffing the silver into the pouch, Achan pushed it back and immediately changed her tune, "Actually, my inability to eat has little to do with the silver; the main problem is that something happened at the place where I was supposed to eat."
After rambling on for a while, she finally got to the point.
Seeing that Bai Xiuming didn't react, A Chan continued.
"The owner of the restaurant I frequented suddenly disappeared a while ago."
"The Mingjing Division doesn't handle missing persons cases; you should go to the Jingzhao Prefecture."
“I know.” Achan’s voice softened, and she gestured. “I just want to ask you to do me a small favor.”
"Um?"
"Help me report this to the Jingzhao Prefecture."
"Ji Chan".
"Yes, sir."
What makes you think I will help you?
Ah Chan blinked innocently, the light from the oil lamp dancing in her eyes: "I thought I was quite familiar with you, sir, and that we could help each other out with small favors. Have we already become strangers after just a few days apart?"
Bai Xiuming pressed his throbbing temples, and finally relented under her persistent entreaties: "I will speak with the Prefect of the Capital, but you'd better not get your hopes up too high."
"Thank you, sir." Then Achan added, "How would you like to tell me the results of the investigation? Perhaps through that young man who lives on the roof of my house?"
Suddenly I realize it's quite convenient to have a spy in the house.
He doesn't live at your house anymore.
Achan was taken aback. He withdrew the spies? Did this mean he finally stopped suspecting her?
"The people from the Jingzhao Prefecture will come to inform you of the investigation results. Also, your mother's dowry is all stored in one of her houses, along with the key and land deed..."
Achan looked at Bai Xiuming with expectant eyes, only to hear him say, "I forgot to bring it. Next time."
Her expectations were dashed, and Ah Chan angrily decided to take away half of her gratitude for his help today.
The next morning, Achan heard that some constables from the Jingzhao Prefecture had gone to Madam Chen's shop, forcibly opened the lock and went inside to investigate, but it seemed that they had not found anything.
There was no further news for the next two days, but on the third day, a constable from the Jingzhao Prefecture came to inform Achan of the results of her investigation.
The constable treated Achan with great respect and recounted the entire investigation process of the past few days to her.
“Young lady, we checked Chen Hui’s residence. When she left home, the house was very tidy, which doesn’t seem like she was kidnapped. We also investigated her ex-husband. He had his leg broken and had been recuperating at home. He had no motive for committing the crime.”
The other party was practically telling Ah Chan directly that she was overthinking things.
"Thank you, officer."
"You're too kind, young lady. I'll take my leave now."
After the official left, Achan sighed, hoping that it was true, as the Jingzhao Prefecture's investigation had shown, that Madam Chen had simply left on business and had forgotten to tell her.
Chen Hui had been imprisoned in this dark and sunless dungeon for an unknown amount of time. This place did not seem to be in the capital city. That day, she had just closed her shop and was about to return to her residence when she was knocked unconscious. When she woke up, she was in a carriage.
She hadn't seen the people who had kidnapped her in days.
Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if the other party had arrested the wrong person, which was why they had been leaving her alone.
Perhaps she still has a chance to go back alive?
But she was so hungry. A couple of days ago, someone threw a coarse grain cake through the bars of the iron gate, but there hadn't been any recently. She was afraid she would starve to death here.
When she couldn't take it anymore, Chen Hui put the fragrant pill that A Chan had given her in her hand, and smelling the scent of the pill seemed to give her a little more time to endure.
Hunger made Chen Hui's body weaker and weaker, and her consciousness gradually became blurred. The scent of the fragrant pills kept wafting into her nose. They smelled so good.
She finally couldn't resist and put the fragrant pill in her mouth.
The initial taste wasn't the bitter flavor of spices, but rather a meaty aroma. She chewed the meatball carefully before finally swallowing it.
Even though it was just a small ball the size of a fingernail, which didn't fill her up much, Chen Hui still felt her burning hunger subside.
If we can eat the fragrant pills this time, what will we do next time?
Chen Hui leaned against the wall, and in the quiet, deathly space, she once again fell into despair.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly heard a sound—heavy breathing, not human, but like a wild beast going berserk.
The closed iron gate creaked as it was scratched by that thing, and Chen Hui was startled, her confused consciousness clearing up a bit.
"Is anyone there?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Her answer was the creaking sound of the iron gate opening.
A dark, shadowy thing lunged at her.
It wasn't until her body was slammed back to the ground and she was bitten on the arm that she gradually saw what was attacking her—it was…a person?
But the man's skin was hard, his eyes were red and glowed in the dark, and he roared like a wild beast; he wanted to eat her.
This monster was incredibly strong, and she couldn't move an inch, leaving her completely at its mercy.
This reminded her of many years ago when her father died, and most of his body was eaten away. Now, she was following in his footsteps.
Is it really just an accident?
Just then, the dark cell was suddenly brightly lit, and the oil lamps hanging on the iron chains on the wall were lit one by one. A sharp whistle rang out, and the monster that had already torn a piece of flesh from her arm suddenly stopped.
Chen Hui turned her head with difficulty to look outside the cell, and she saw a familiar figure.
"It's you..." Her mouth opened and closed, but she could barely make a sound.
Dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with jewels, Madam Yan, supported by her son, slowly walked into the prison cell.
Yan Cheng, who had met A Chan once before, was with his mother. He was holding a jade whistle in his hand. He was the one who had blown the whistle to control the monster just now.
"Chen Hui, do you know how long I've wanted you dead?" Fang Yu glanced at the monster with some disgust, then looked at Chen Hui, who was covered in blood, and gave the answer, "Twenty years."
Why?
"Why? Because your existence makes me uncomfortable. If it weren't for my husband, you would have been eaten up long ago, just like your dead father."
Chen Hui's pupils contracted: "It's you, it's you—"
Seeing that she was clearly furious but didn't even have the strength to raise her hand, Fang Yu couldn't help but laugh: "Of course it's me. Do you really think it's a coincidence? Your parents and your brother all died in the mouths of the zombies I raised, and so will you."
The zombie let out a low growl, seemingly in agreement with Fang Yu's words.
“Yan Liru…” Chen Hui said the name with difficulty.
"Of course my husband knows, but he only told me to let you go, which is why you've survived until now. I thought you would settle down after you got married, but I never expected that after twenty years, you would still be so shameless, seducing other women's men."
Chen Hui glared at Fang Yu: "You're the shameless one! You stole him away!"
Fang Yu's face immediately darkened.
Yan Cheng, standing to the side, spoke up: "Mother, why waste words with her? Let's get rid of her as soon as possible. If Father finds out that the living corpse is still here, he'll be angry again."
Fang Yu rolled her eyes at her son, annoyed: "It's all because you acted rashly and brought people here by kidnapping them."
Yan Cheng didn't think he was wrong and argued, "It was your servants who said that you couldn't sleep well day and night after seeing this person. Since she made you uncomfortable, then kill her."
"You," Fang Yu tapped her son's forehead, then glanced at Chen Hui, "So many years have passed, I originally wanted to forgive you, but my son is so filial, so I'll let him have his way."
The whistle blew again, and Yan Cheng and Fang Yu, mother and son, walked out of the cell together. Inside, all that could be heard were Chen Hui's hoarse screams and the sounds of the living corpses gnawing on the ground.
Just then, a hurried footstep sounded, and Chen Hui vaguely heard someone call out, "Father!"
But she couldn't see the person; she couldn't see anything anymore.
Upon hearing his subordinates report that he was a step late, Yan Liru stood outside the prison gate but ultimately did not step inside.
"Father, it's my fault." Yan Cheng saw his father's stunned expression and immediately knelt down to admit his mistake.
Yan Liru looked down at his only son, speechless for a long time.
Fang Yu gently tugged at Yan Liru's sleeve: "Husband, Cheng'er didn't do it on purpose. He was just instigated by someone and did something wrong. It's also my fault. I failed to stop him in time."
Yan Liru closed his eyes briefly and then ordered, "Dispose of that zombie. As for Ah Hui... find a place with good feng shui and bury her."
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