"Aunt Zhang..." Upon hearing this, the old woman was alarmed. She quickly gave the idler some money and hurriedly returned inside.
When the Su family rushed to the riverbank, a group of people gathered around and started gossiping.
Su Jingxuan hurriedly pushed through the crowd and looked inside: "My mother-in-law!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou dared not approach any further.
Su Xuerong hurriedly handed her over to Wang Shi for support, and then followed her father into the crowd.
Zhang lay on the riverbank, soaking wet, already dead.
A man nearby said, "We were fishing in the river just now, and we accidentally pulled this old lady out..."
Su Xuerong had Xiuchun give him a string of cash and then ordered the servant to report the case to the yamen as soon as possible.
By the time the officials arrived, it was already dark, and the crowd of onlookers had gradually dispersed.
"Could it be an accidental fall into the water?" the constable asked impatiently.
It was almost time for the court to close before someone came to report the case.
Su Jingxuan said in a deep voice, "My mother-in-law is from Yangzhou and has been used to the city's waterways since she was a child. She would never fall in by accident."
"So you mean someone plotted to kill her?"
"It's too early to draw conclusions, but please have the coroner from the yamen examine the case," Su Jingxuan said, then ordered a servant to hand several yamen runners money pouches, "It's so late for the officials to come to handle the case, take this little bit of money to go on a drink."
After receiving the money pouch, the constables' expressions finally softened. They immediately ordered Zhang's body to be sent back to the mortuary, and the results would be announced after the coroner examined it.
Su Jingxuan thanked him politely.
When he returned home, he saw his wife and daughter sitting in the main hall.
"The officials will have the coroner examine the body..." Su Jingxuan said gravely, "My mother-in-law is a prudent person; she would never casually go into the water, even if she were just walking along the riverbank..."
Suddenly, Zhou asked, "Where is Qinniang?"
Zhang drowned. Where is her daughter?
Xiuchun rushed over: "I asked our gatekeeper, and he said that the mother and daughter left one after the other before noon, and it seems that they both went towards the riverbank."
Su Xuerong frowned and asked, "Who goes first?"
"Madam Chen, Aunt Zhang is following behind."
At the same time, in a house in Wuenfang by the river.
Chen stared at the man and woman before her with a face full of terror, her voice trembling: "Who...who are you people?"
Huang Silang smiled broadly, but held a gleaming dagger in his hand, gently tracing it across Chen's face: "I am your lover, my wife!"
"Pooh!"
The woman behind him suddenly spat at Madam Chen, then wrapped her arm around Huang Silang with a playful smile: "You're her lover, so what am I to you?"
Seeing the intimate actions of the man and woman before her, Chen felt a pang of regret: "You...you lied to me, you're not siblings at all!"
"Madam Huang, I am your savior! How can you treat me like this? You are repaying kindness with enmity!"
Huang couldn't help but roll her eyes at her: "You really think I would fall into the water that day? Only a stupid woman like you would believe that!"
Madam Chen cried out in astonishment, "I have no grudge against you, why would you harm my mother? I... I'm going to report this to the authorities!"
"Who said we killed your mother? You're the one who killed her!" Huang Silang grinned maliciously. "You accidentally seduced her and discovered our affair. I killed her to help you. Even if the authorities come knocking, you won't escape!"
Madam Huang said, "As a married woman, you seduced your lover while your husband was away, and even conspired to kill your own mother to cover up the truth. How do you think the authorities will deal with you then?"
Huang Silang sneered, "In Hangzhou Prefecture, adulterers are punished with a thousand cuts and slow slicing!"
He bent down and smiled at Chen, "I don't mind accompanying you on your journey, but what will happen to your son if you die?"
"If you die, the Su family will not shed a single tear for you. They might even take your son away from Hangzhou because of your shameful deeds, and find him a stepmother later. In a few years, no one in the Su family will remember you. No one in the afterlife will burn incense and kowtow to you anymore. Maybe even the King of Hell will despise you and throw you directly into the eighteenth level of hell..."
"No! No! No!" Chen was terrified.
Her mother is dead, she will be executed by slow slicing, Su Shirong will never spare her if he finds out about her affair, and even Jian Ge'er will not acknowledge her. Who will burn incense for her in the future?
Huang Silang and Huang Shi exchanged a glance when they saw the look of fear on her face.
"So you have to listen to us obediently. Nobody knows how your mother died." Huang Silang gently scraped Chen's nose with his dagger.
Chen was trembling all over like a sieve.
The Su family waited until 3:45 PM before they saw Chen Shi staggering over, supported by the gatekeeper.
"Where's my mother? Where's my mother?" She burst into tears as soon as she arrived, collapsing to the ground. "Mother..."
Her crying was heart-wrenching, enough to break anyone's soul.
Zhou and the others were already heartbroken, and seeing her like this, they all stepped forward to comfort her.
Su Xuerong coldly replied, "Aunt Zhang is at the yamen now."
Upon hearing this, Chen's face instantly changed from grief to utter horror: "The...the government?"
Su Xuerong saw the changes in her face and said coldly, "We suspect that Aunt Zhang was murdered, so we ask the coroner to examine her."
Chen's face turned deathly pale instantly, and her cheeks twitched uncontrollably.
Zhou then wiped away her tears and said, "The gatekeeper said your mother went to the river with you today. Didn't you see her?"
"No!" Chen jumped up immediately, waving her hands hastily. "No! No! I didn't see her!"
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