Chapter 190 [(*^▽^*)]
Fang Hong: "Oh? Sister Ding, you think so too?"
Ding Baishuang said, "Perhaps... we should wait until night to go there; we won't find any clues during the day."
Fang Hong: "Then let's go first and wait until evening, okay?"
Xue Rui looked at them and said, "Let's go first. We can take advantage of the daytime to question the servants of the Lin family about what happened before. Perhaps we'll find something."
Fang Hong said, "The information I got from the villagers was also very useful. The stepmother and the illegitimate child were both very suspicious. Moreover, the stepmother was the one who encountered a ghost that night, and no one else saw it."
When the four arrived at the Lin residence, the servants at the gate greeted them. This time, they weren't driven away, but they weren't particularly enthusiastic either.
After all, to the servants who didn't know the truth, how could there possibly be such a thing as a vengeful ghost in this world? It was all fake.
The reason they were greeted here was merely because Master Lin had instructed them to do so; the gesture was perfunctory.
Xue Rui suddenly spoke to him, "Hi, buddy, may I ask you some questions?"
The servant was somewhat surprised. "What's the problem?"
Xue Rui: "I heard that the young master of the Lin family is in poor health. He suddenly fell seriously ill a couple of days ago and has been recuperating in his own courtyard. No one could have predicted what would happen. When Master Lin spoke with us earlier, he did not tell us where the young master's courtyard was. I wonder if you could tell us?"
The servant paused for a moment, about to point, but then seemed to suddenly remember something and changed his mind, "Um... well, the young master's courtyard... I, a gatekeeper, really don't know about this courtyard. Why don't you go ask someone else?"
Xue Rui didn't press further about where the courtyard was, but instead asked a different question, "When did you find out that the young master was gone?"
The servant thought for a moment, "It's probably around today. That's quite normal. In the past, when the young master was sick, the doctor would say that he might not make it. I didn't expect this time..."
Xue Rui: "You only found out today that the young master is gone. In the past two days, when the young master did not appear anywhere else in the mansion, did you notice anything amiss? For example, the medicine that your young master had to take every day?"
As the servant pondered his answer, he seemed to have thought of something, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Normally, there would have been a lingering bitter smell of medicine in the air.
But now...
Not to mention the doctor, even the smell of medicine that was usually brewed regularly to take care of the young master's health had disappeared.
He didn't disappear today, but rather two or three days ago. However, the servants only found out today that the young master had passed away due to illness.
But it seems like we didn't call a doctor when he was seriously ill before. He's the gatekeeper; if we had called a doctor, he would have been the first to know. There's no way we could have kept it from him.
Surely someone else couldn't have brought the doctor in through the back door, could they? They'd have to leave through the front door too.
Upon careful consideration, it seems that only one possibility can be considered: the young master may not have died yesterday or today, but rather a few days ago.
Why? Because...
He seemed to have suddenly realized something, his face filled with panic. "I...I don't know, I don't know anything! Don't ask me!"
He then turned and ran away, not even intending to stay and guard the gate any longer, and to come back after everyone had left.
Xue Rui turned around and looked at the three people behind him. "You probably understand now, right?"
Fang Hong is dead.
Zhou Feng, "has been dead for two days."
Ding Baishuang, "After she died, she returned as a vengeful ghost to seek revenge."
Xue Rui said, "Let's go in and try to find this young master's courtyard. Be careful not to be discovered by the servants here."
The four walked inside and soon disappeared around the corner. After a while, the servant who had been hiding earlier quietly returned.
He originally wanted to talk to Lin Zhoushan about this, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that if he went to tell him, wouldn't the responsibility fall on him?
If Master Lin were to blame him, he would be the first to be punished, so he simply pretended not to know anything, as if nothing had happened. Even if someone mentioned it later, he remained completely unaware of it.
Xue Rui naturally knew where Lin Leyou's courtyard was, after all, he had hidden a corpse there one night. However, he could only lead the three of them around the mansion, turning left and right.
Ding Baishuang: "Find a courtyard in a good location, but one where no one goes in or out."
Fang Hong said, "Yes, that young master must have had a very high status before. The courtyard he lived in must have been in a very good location. After all, it's said that the medicine he took cost a lot of money. When he was still alive, this Master Lin should have doted on him. I never expected that now..."
"Alas, it's true what they say, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out."
Zhou Feng said, "If we're talking about good locations, do you think this courtyard is in a good location? We've walked all the way here, and there are servants in almost every other place, but we haven't seen many people around this courtyard."
The group walked around the courtyard, only to find that the gate leading into it was sealed off.
Zhou Feng said, "Very good. Now we don't need to ask anymore to know that this young master is 100% dead. There's no smell of medicine, no doctor in sight, and the whole courtyard has been sealed off. It would be a problem if he were still alive."
Xue Rui, "Should we go in and take a look?"
Ding Baishuang, "Someone is watching us from behind, I'm afraid..."
Fang Hong sneered, "It seems you don't want us to go in. What if we insist on going in?"
Zhou Feng said, "I don't know why Lin Zhoushan won't let us come and see this courtyard."
Fang Hong said, "Perhaps there is evidence in this courtyard that some young masters did not die of illness, but were murdered? These secrets cannot be known to us."
Zhou Feng said, "Since someone is watching us, let's go find Master Lin, explain the situation to him, and then go in openly and honestly, shall we?"
Xue Rui: "That's good, let's go."
Seeing that they did not barge into the courtyard, the servants who had been secretly watching them breathed a sigh of relief. This was the master's order; they were absolutely not to be allowed into the courtyard.
It's also... the young master's courtyard.
Since then... Lin Zhoushan sealed off this courtyard, and no one is allowed to enter. The servants who are watching them are among those who know what happened that day.
However, his indenture was in the hands of his master, and if he wanted to live a good life, he absolutely could not speak carelessly. He was prepared for these people to come and ask him questions, but to his surprise, no one came to ask.
That's fine, he's happy to have some peace and quiet.
Lin Zhoushan was processing his letters in his study when the butler came over. "Master, several guests want to see you. They say they have something very important to discuss."
Lin Zhoushan was silent for a while, "..."
The butler continued, "These four men all look very proper, unlike the others who are somewhat frivolous."
Lin Zhoushan then said, "Let them go to the guest room on the side. I'll be there soon."
Butler: "Yes."
Xue Rui and his three companions were led to the reception room by the butler. Lin Zhoushan arrived shortly afterward. "What brings you all here? Have you made any progress?"
Zhou Feng: "Master Lin, we want to confirm with you whether the evil spirit your Lin family is talking about is indeed your youngest son who died not long ago, right?"
Lin Zhoushan sighed deeply after hearing this question, "If there really is a ghost, then it must be this child."
“I knew this child had been blaming me all along, blaming me for not taking good care of him. After his mother passed away, he immediately married a new woman who brought home a child who was two years older than him.”
"But there was nothing I could do. I was very young at the time, and it was inevitable that I would make mistakes. I never expected his mother to die so young. I never intended to bring the mother and daughter back with me."
"But my wife has passed away, and I can't let my bloodline continue to flow outside."
His expression was sorrowful, as if it were all his fault, but what he said was all about shirking responsibility.
It's all because his ex-wife died too early; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought back the other woman and her child.
Which man hasn't made mistakes when he was young? He just made a mistake that all men make. We can't criticize him for such a small thing, can we?
Besides, he had always kept people outside and never brought them home. Wasn't that enough?
He only took action after his ex-wife died, and he took good care of the child, feeding him well and spending money like water to get him to take his medicine. Isn't that enough?
The child was sick and died, so why did he become a vengeful ghost and cause trouble? He openly and secretly said that he treated the child very well.
But the child was ungrateful and returned as a vengeful ghost, causing unrest in the household and showing no filial piety whatsoever.
Lin Zhoushan said, "This child... I don't think I've treated him badly at all. My current wife is also very good to him. Although the child I brought back has a somewhat impatient personality, he's not the kind of person who doesn't know what's important."
So no matter what the fault is, it's not their fault, but the fault of the child who turned into a vengeful ghost. Why didn't he just die quietly? Why did he come back?
Xue Rui ignored what Lin Zhoushan said and asked, "In that case, we'd like to go and see the young master's courtyard. Maybe we'll find some clues there. Is that feasible?"
Lin Zhoushan paused for a moment, his eyes darting around subtly, perhaps wondering if any evidence had been left behind. After a while, he nodded, "Okay."
“But that’s where my son lived before he died, and I want to keep it exactly as it is after he’s gone. I hope you can look at it, but don’t mess it up.”
Xue Rui: "Of course, we'll just go and take a look. If we find any clues, we'll definitely tell Master Lin immediately."
Lin Zhoushan was satisfied and let them leave.
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