Jiang Huaiyu gazed at her and said firmly, "I will do everything in my power. You must also persevere in prison. We should not give up until the very last moment, okay?"
Tears welled up in Cao Shuwan's eyes, and her voice trembled as she said, "When I was young, they accused me of bringing death to my father and cursed my mother to be weak and sickly. I never believed it, but I couldn't refute it... Last year, thanks to your help, I managed to carve out a niche for myself. I thought I could finally hold my head high for once, but now I'm imprisoned. I'm afraid they'll say that I brought this upon myself and that I brought death upon myself... These days, I've been imprisoned in the cell and often reflect on whether I was truly born unlucky, which led to this ordeal."
Jiang Huaiyu gently comforted him, saying, "No one is born with bad luck. You don't have to bear those unfounded accusations and slanders. You must believe in your own strength."
Cao Shuwan glanced at Jiang Huaiyu's flat stomach, her voice becoming even more choked up.
“Master, we have never met before. What have I done to deserve such a deep favor from you?”
Jiang Huaiyu patted the back of her hand and said with a smile, "Don't overthink it. Without you, my career would be difficult to maintain. Just think of it as me planning for myself."
However, Cao Shuwan knew in her heart that things were not so simple.
There are countless artisans in the world skilled in making rouge, so there's no need for the employer to have a special fondness for her. Looking back, it was the employer who extended a helping hand, not only assisting her but also pulling her into starting a business together, making her realize that she wasn't without skills.
Cao Shuwan secretly vowed that if she could truly turn the tables this time, she would do everything in her power to repay her employer's kindness. If she still couldn't change her fate... then she could only hope for the next life, willing to serve Jiang Huaiyu like a slave to repay this profound debt of gratitude.
After comforting her for a few moments, Jiang Huaiyu didn't linger; she needed to find evidence as quickly as possible.
As she left the dark cell, Cao Shuwan's words kept echoing in her mind, and she felt as if she had missed a crucial clue.
As I wandered in a sea of contemplation, Yingxiang's words, like a gentle breeze across the water, quietly broke the silence.
"Madam, we promised Miss Cao that we would rescue her mother. Have you decided where to settle Aunt Cao? Will she stay at the inn where we are staying?"
Cao Shuwan's mother?
Like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, a scene flashed through Jiang Huaiyu's mind. A cousin of the Cao family had harbored lustful desires towards Cao Shuwan's mother and attempted to assault her. This matter seemed unrelated to the case, but it concealed a profound and unfathomable motive.
That is, he attempted to seize all the property owned by Cao Shuwan and her mother by forcing them to submit. He didn't crave the occasional small sums of money Cao Shuwan gave him, but everything they owned, so that he could continue to wallow in the abyss of gambling.
On that decisive day, if Cao's uncle succeeds, Cao Shuwan's mother, a woman whose reputation is ruined, will have nowhere to stand in this world. Apart from choosing death or becoming a nun, she will have no choice but to submit to him. In this way, he will be able to more unscrupulously dominate Cao's mother and daughter, taking everything from them.
However, fate took a turn for the better at the crucial moment when Cao Shuwan happened to return home and prevented everything from happening.
Although Cao Shuwan's uncle's plot failed, the result was that Cao Shuwan was imprisoned and her life was in danger; her workshop was seized by her clansmen; her mother lost all her family property and was now penniless, forced to beg on the streets...
Jiang Huaiyu's thoughts grew increasingly heavy, and his heart felt as if it were being chilled by a cold wind.
Although Cao's uncle had died, the fate of Cao and her daughter did not improve. Behind this tragedy, the biggest beneficiary was Cao's uncle's son, Cao Xin.
To some extent, Cao's uncle's scheme has already borne fruit, but the beneficiaries are not him, but his descendants.
Speaking of Cao Xin, based on Cao Shuwan's previous remarks, he seems to be a gambling addict as well.
"Madam, what are you thinking about? You seem so focused, as if you've entered another world."
Jiang Huaiyu was startled from her reverie by Yingxiang's gentle call and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Yingxiang?"
Yingxiang frowned slightly and said, "I just asked where we should place Aunt Cao. I've asked several times already, but you haven't responded at all."
She continued, "Madam, this prison is filled with eerie atmosphere. You are currently six months pregnant, so it's best not to stay here for too long. What if you offend the little master in your womb?"
Jiang Huaiyu chuckled softly, "Where would you get this yin energy in broad daylight?"
The two stepped out of the dark prison and had not gone far when they unexpectedly encountered Ling Mo.
As soon as he saw Jiang Huaiyu, he immediately opened the umbrella in his hand and handed it to Yingxiang, saying, "The sun is scorching, be careful not to get sunburned."
Jiang Huaiyu asked with a smile, "Young Master Ling, what brings you here so suddenly?"
"Seeing that you hadn't returned for a long time, I guessed you might have gone directly to the prison, so I came here to wait. Well, have you seen Miss Cao yet?"
"Yes, I have already seen them."
"So, is there any new progress in the case?"
Jiang Huaiyu sighed softly, "I am also quite confused about this. Even Qiao Tongzhi, who is in charge of criminal cases, is helpless in this case. Although I have met with Miss Cao, I still cannot determine which clues are the key. The only thing I can be sure of is that although Miss Cao's kick was not weak, it was not enough to be fatal. The death of her uncle is too strange."
Since he showed no signs of illness and had not been in any disputes with others, Cao Shuwan's slight kick was clearly not fatal. Therefore, the only person who could have secretly manipulated the situation without being noticed was someone close to him.
"He actually dared to commit patricide..."
Jiang Huaiyu's eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.
As we all know, even disobeying one's parents is punishable by severe penalties, let alone harming one's own family. Cao Xin dared to defy the world and commit the heinous crime of patricide; such utterly insane behavior is truly astonishing.
After a long while, she finally clenched her fists.
"If things are indeed as I suspect, Miss Cao must not bear the blame for such a scoundrel. I must get to Wusu Ancient Town as soon as possible."
Ling Mo stopped her in time, saying, "Don't rush. You haven't fully recovered yet. Take your time and go by carriage. I'll ride ahead on horseback to scout out the situation."
"this……"
“Master Jiang, you come from a prestigious family, while I grew up in the streets and alleys of the martial world. I know how to gather intelligence. You can rest assured that this task is entrusted to me.”
After listening, Jiang Huaiyu had no objection and nodded slightly to Ling Mo.
"Young Master Ling, thank you for your trouble."
After Ling Mo left, Jiang Huaiyu didn't rest. She first went to the government office to find Cao Shuwan's mother, took her to the inn where they were staying, and invited a famous doctor to give her a thorough diagnosis. After making the arrangements, she took a carriage to Wusu Ancient Town.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
