"I can't just follow you like this for nothing. Even though I'm not your legal wife, I should at least show some appreciation, right?"
Song Ning had seen plenty of hypocritical people like Li Ji. Since she liked to pretend, she might as well let her pretend to the end.
Li Ji immediately stated that he would definitely give her a satisfactory concubine-taking ceremony.
After the person left, Song Ning's face turned cold, and she let out a sneer.
Shunzi didn't return until almost noon.
The Li family is a prominent family in Huzhou; a little inquiry from outside would be enough to find out some things.
Li Ji is indeed the young master of the Li family. He is usually very humble and always has a smiling face.
He has a wife but no concubines.
It sounds pretty good, but based on Li Ji's performance today, Song Ning doesn't believe a single word of it.
"there is none left?"
“I met a woman on the street who said something different.”
Tell me about it.
"The old woman said that her daughter was taken away by the young master of the Li family last year to be his concubine, and she hasn't seen her since. She went to look for her before, but the Li family said that there was no such person."
Is what this person says reliable?
“I think it’s believable. She said her husband’s surname is Zhao, her daughter should be nineteen years old this year, and her family lives in Liuhe Village, which is under the jurisdiction of Huzhou.”
I inquired and found out that her family is indeed in Liuhe Village. Her husband passed away early, and she and her daughter depended on each other for survival. The villagers said that her daughter has not returned since March of last year, and no one in the village knows where she went.
But the woman gave me something, saying it belonged to her daughter, and asked us to help find her daughter; it didn't seem like she was lying.
Li Ji... You can't judge a book by its cover. Sometimes, the more harmless a person looks, the more vicious they are inside.
Thinking that Song Rui was still in bed being beaten and unable to get out of bed, Song Ning temporarily ignored Li Ji and instead called Shi Tou and Shun Zi to visit the brothel for the second time.
The name Qingyuefang sounds quite elegant, but it's actually a place where prostitution takes place.
"Master, are we really going in?"
"Of course we'll go in; we're here on serious business."
Having learned from her first experience visiting a brothel, Song Ning was much more at ease this time.
It was the first time Shi Tou and Shun Zi had been to a place like this, and they were both drenched in sweat.
"Calm down, we're here to gather information," Song Ning whispered a reminder.
After the girls finished playing their pieces, they each sat down next to them.
The three tried to subtly inquire about some information, but to no avail.
The people here are all professionally trained and generally don't talk too much.
Song Ning had only come to try his luck, and when he couldn't get any information, he got up to leave.
The noise outside was deafening, and more and more people were getting inside the building.
Just as I went downstairs, I vaguely heard a shout.
In a corner by the railing, a drunk man grabbed a woman by the hair and threw her to the ground. He then proceeded to punch and kick her, slamming her head against the railing.
In such a noisy place, this scene in the corner went unnoticed by everyone.
Stone walked over, pulled off a curtain, and put it over the man's head, then started beating him mercilessly.
Song Ning quickly went over to help the girl up, then went around the railing and pulled her to a distance.
Are you alright?
The girl shook her head, hiding the bruises on her arm, and said timidly, "I...I'm fine."
Just as Song Ning was about to withdraw her hand that had been reaching out to straighten the girl's clothes, the girl suddenly grabbed her wrist, her voice trembling slightly: "This...this bracelet...where did you get it?"
Song Ning was taken aback, then laughed: "This was given to me by an old lady, who said it was made by her daughter."
The girl held her hand, looking her up and down, her eyes instantly reddening: "You...you've seen my mother? Is she alright?"
He and Shunzi exchanged a glance and both guessed the girl's identity: "Are you Miss Zhao?"
Zhao Qiao'er nodded: "Yes, how is my mother?"
Shunzi continued, "She's been looking for you. This bracelet is what she gave me, asking us to help find her daughter."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiao'er cried even harder.
Song Ning quickly pulled the person upstairs and into the room.
“Miss Zhao, please don’t cry. Your mother is fine, she just misses you terribly. But there are some things we want to ask you, and maybe we can get you out of here.”
Song Ning's words successfully stopped Zhao Qiao'er from crying. She then shook her head and said, "It's impossible. Once someone enters Qingyuefang, unless the brothel doesn't want them, no one can leave."
"How will you know if you don't try? Miss Zhao, I was just about to ask you about this. I heard that a maid who offended you was sold off here a few days ago. Are you aware of this?"
Zhao Qiao'er thought for a moment and said, "It seems so. Are you here to see her?"
"Yes, she is a member of my family. She was sold here, but we are too late. Do you know where she was sold to, young lady?"
Zhao Qiao'er shook her head: "We don't dare to ask too much about what happens in the building, how would we know these things?"
Song Ning's heart sank; the clue had gone cold again.
"However, I can help you inquire about it, but... could you do me a favor?"
"Please speak freely, Miss Zhao."
“My mother is getting old. Could you... visit her more often and tell her that I'm doing well so she doesn't have to worry? I have some savings, so could you please give them to her for me?”
As she spoke, she took off her hairpins, necklace, and bracelet and handed them to Song Ning.
Holding the heavy jewelry in her hands, Song Ning still asked, "Miss Zhao, there's something I hope you can answer. Your mother said you were taken away by the young master of the Li family. Why are you here?"
......
When Song Ning came out of Qingyuefang with Shunzi and Shitou, he didn't speak for a long time.
Walking along the road, Song Ning finally spoke up: "Send these things to Liuhe Village tomorrow."
"yes."
"Boss, what about that shop over there...?"
“Our shop was burned down like that, so naturally we have to go and collect our debts.”
It wasn't a clever tactic; they probably thought the Li family had powerful backers and that she wouldn't dare make a big fuss, so they acted so arrogantly.
I'll give up on everything else, except money.
Then she remembered what Zhao Qiao'er had said earlier: Li Ji was a menace.
On the third day, Shunzi went to Qingyuefang, and Song Ning met Li Ji again.
Li Ji still had that annoying attitude, expressing his feelings to her in front of her with flowery words, just like he had done to Zhao Qiao'er before.
She sneered inwardly, then feigned tears: "Li Lang, I know you're good to me, but I have an elderly mother at home. All our savings went into buying this shop. My mother wrote that she's seriously ill, and her medicine costs three taels of silver a day. Li Lang, what should I do?"
Song Ning cried so hard that tears welled up in her eyes, which stirred a slight feeling in Li Ji's heart.
People tend to get carried away when they're being flattered, and when they get carried away, they tend to act without thinking, and when they act without thinking, they tend to do stupid things.
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