Jiang Huaiyu's gentle voice drifted from inside the house, carrying a hint of gratitude: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your concern, sister-in-law!"
Madam Yang smiled and replied, "No problem, no problem, sister-in-law. If you have any favorite things, just tell me and I will cook them for you myself."
After she left, Bai Yujing carefully carried a bowl of porridge into the house.
Jiang Huaiyu smelled the aroma of rice and meat in the air, and her hunger flared up involuntarily. She stretched out her hand slightly.
"I was indeed a little hungry, and this bowl of porridge from my sister-in-law was just the right amount of food!"
However, Bai Yujing did not hand it to her immediately. Instead, she gently scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it a few times, and then slowly brought it to her lips.
"My sister-in-law specifically instructed that she should feed you herself."
Jiang Huaiyu's eyes widened slightly as she asked in confusion, "Did my sister-in-law really say that?"
Bai Yujing nodded, her expression serious. "That's exactly how I understand it."
Jiang Huaiyu wore a hint of helplessness on her face, but a sweet feeling welled up in her heart. She slowly savored the porridge with his hand.
...
Afternoon.
After finishing her work, Madam Yang came over and chatted with her for a long time. From Jiang Huaiyu, she learned about the thrilling events of the previous day, and her face instantly turned pale.
"Sister-in-law, you are truly blessed. Just thinking about that bloody scene makes my heart tremble with fear..."
Jiang Huaiyu was equally terrified, but she had no other choice.
If she hadn't stood up for herself, she would have been at the mercy of others. Fortunately, she ultimately won.
Yang thought so too, and said indignantly, "Those wicked villains who have lost all conscience have fortunately been arrested. In my opinion, they should be executed. We must never let them do evil in the world again!"
Jiang Huaiyu also learned from Bai Yujing about the mastermind behind her arrest. It was said to be the son of a powerful local gentry and landlord, who also seemed to have some kind of kinship with the county magistrate. He had previously claimed to be related to her in this way.
If he truly has close ties with the county magistrate, will the case encounter further complications once it reaches the county seat?
Jiang Huaiyu's condition fluctuated like waves, sometimes improving and sometimes worsening. During the day, she seemed to be recovering quite well, but as night fell, a high fever would rage through her body again.
The doctor diagnosed that her illness was caused by extreme fright, and prescribed several doses of calming and soothing herbal decoctions.
These days, Bai Yujing has not been by Jiang Huaiyu's side the whole time. Every other day, he goes to the county town.
Jiang Huaiyu knew perfectly well that this was for the purpose of investigating that case.
Bai Yujing revealed that the Chao family had a deep connection with Magistrate Zhang. When Magistrate Zhang learned that the person arrested was Chao Wei, he initially intended to secretly protect him. However, the constable Liao was an upright and incorruptible law enforcer who firmly believed that Chao Wei would not risk harming a married woman simply because of some rumors.
After a thorough investigation, they discovered that Chao Wei had a long history of misconduct and had preyed on countless respectable women.
Because the Chao family was wealthy and generous, they were always able to quell trouble with money, which prevented these crimes from being made public.
But in this world, some choose to compromise, while others, like Jiang Huaiyu, resolutely resist to the end.
Based on his years of accumulated investigative intuition, Chief Constable Liao was convinced that there was something fishy about the villa where Jiang Huaiyu had been taken. He secretly ordered the water in the lotus pond to be drained and sent men to dive into the lake to search.
Unexpectedly, the investigation uncovered the remains of more than a dozen young women in the mud. After examination by the coroner, the remains were confirmed to belong to young women.
Once this matter was exposed, the whole city was in an uproar.
The county magistrate could no longer exonerate Chao Wei; this heinous crime, deserving of divine retribution, sparked strong protests from the people. With his crimes piling up, Chao Wei was quickly sentenced to execution in the autumn.
Even worse, he was tortured to death in prison after only a few days in jail because his crimes were too numerous to count and aroused public outrage. He did not survive to be executed in the autumn.
With Chao Wei's death, Jiang Huaiyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, muttering to herself, "Good and evil will be rewarded in the end, and the cycle of karma is inevitable."
However, there was still something Bai Yujing didn't know.
After the case came to a close, Constable Liao spoke with him privately and revealed a thought-provoking secret: those women who unfortunately fell into Chao Wei's clutches, whether they chose to endure it silently or were tortured to death in the lake, all had one thing in common—they all came from poor families.
Such families, lacking both the power to seek justice from the government and the ability to resist the temptation of money, became the easiest targets for Chao Wei.
As for daughters of officials like Jiang Huaiyu, who were even related to marquis families by marriage and enjoyed a certain reputation in the town, they were usually not included in Chao Wei's hunting list.
The Chao family wielded immense power. Although Chao Wei's behavior was absurd, he was not a reckless madman willing to take any risks.
Liao, the head constable, had some doubts, but before he could find out the truth, Chao Wei had already died. So, he could only tell Bai Yujing his suspicions, hoping that he would be alerted.
Time flies, and September has arrived in the blink of an eye.
Although the start of autumn has passed, the weather remains unbearably hot, but the temperature in the mornings and evenings is gradually cooling down.
Jiang Huaiyu had fully recovered and was considering returning to the private school to continue teaching. However, Bai Yujing firmly disagreed and insisted that she continue to recuperate.
Even Madam Yang advised, "Sister-in-law, you should take better care of yourself. This illness has made you much thinner. Why bother worrying about others?"
Jiang Huaiyu disagreed: "Sister-in-law, I have recovered from my illness. Besides, have the students been neglecting their studies these days? Since I promised to teach them, I have to be responsible for them."
A hint of displeasure flashed in Yang's eyes: "You care so much about them, but what about them? In my eyes, they are all ungrateful scoundrels. You are so ill, have any of them come to visit you?"
"I think that your not going to the private school is exactly what they want, allowing you to break free from their constraints. If that's the case, why do you even bother going to that place? After all, Fengyun and Huiyi are at home; their studies are already demanding enough for you to manage..."
"Sister-in-law!" Bai Yujing's voice was resolute, unwilling to let her continue.
Jiang Huaiyu shook his head slightly, a deep look flashing in his eyes. "No, they have been with me for a long time, and I know a little about the personalities of these children. They will not give up so easily."
Why would I harm you?
Seeing that persuasion was hopeless, Yang simply turned and left, her figure gradually disappearing into the afterglow of the setting sun.
Jiang Huaiyu watched her retreating figure, a sense of confusion rising in her heart, "Why is my sister-in-law acting so strangely today?"
Bai Yujing tried to comfort her, saying, "Sister-in-law has always been straightforward and frank, and has never meant any harm."
However, a faint trace of melancholy appeared between his brows before he entered the study alone.
Feng Yun and Hui Yi were concentrating on their homework when Jiang Huaiyu went over to visit them.
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