Mystery
The next morning, Xu Lanxin and Cen Yan went to the clinic, but the woman had developed a fever the night before.
She was delirious with fever, but she kept muttering about her child.
The two had no choice but to wait and see.
Since she couldn't leave, Lanxin decided to explore the area.
Just as they stepped out of the clinic, a carriage approached. Through a corner of the curtain that had been lifted, a middle-aged man wearing an official's hat turned his head and looked over.
Lan Xin didn't care much and pulled Cen Yan forward, but was stopped by someone behind her.
"Lord Cen, please wait."
The two turned around and saw a man dressed in the robes of a county magistrate walking over. The man was thin and had a mustache.
If it had a shell on its back, it would look quite like a turtle prime minister.
"This humble official greets Lord Cen. I was completely unaware of Lord Cen's arrival in Liuzhou County. I have truly failed to greet you properly and have been extremely impolite."
The man bowed and greeted him with a smile:
"To express my apologies, I have prepared a feast to welcome you back, sir. I hope you will do me the honor of attending."
The mustachioed magistrate bowed deeply.
"No need, I still need to accompany my wife on her outing."
The man smiled and glanced at Lan Xin's hand, then casually asked, "Does Madam like the pastries from Yunxiangzhai?"
Lan Xin glanced at the paper packet in her hand and handed it to him: "It's alright, do you want some?"
Upon hearing this, the man waved his hands repeatedly, his smile growing even brighter:
"No, no, no, I don't want to eat."
After saying that, he realized he had made a mistake, and then laughed awkwardly and said:
"What a coincidence, Madam! My household has just hired a cook who is skilled in making pastries. Her culinary skills are superb; she makes excellent pastries that are not only unique in appearance but also taste far superior to those from Yunxiangzhai."
"I wonder if Madam would be interested?"
Lan Xin immediately felt that if she didn't go, she would be letting him down after all his hard work in advertising.
"Zijin, why don't you go and try it?"
She turned her head to look at Cen Yan beside her and asked cautiously. She didn't know much about the affairs of officialdom and had to ask him first.
"lead the way."
"Yes, Lord Cen, this way please."
The person made an inviting gesture, stepped aside, and led the way.
The residence of the mustachioed magistrate was located on South Street, with the gilded characters "Li Mansion" hanging above the red gate.
The exterior of the mansion is old, and the walls are somewhat mottled and peeling.
Upon entering the mansion, the scene inside and outside was completely different, making one wonder if they had traveled through time.
The garden is landscaped in a garden style, with lush greenery and precious flowers planted in the garden that are well cared for and bloom in full glory.
The entire design is centered around water, with pavilions and towers stacked on top of each other and a circular corridor bridge running through it.
The county magistrate's wife was already waiting in the hall, and she rose to greet him upon seeing him.
Although Madam Li had a smile on her face, the sorrow in her eyes was impossible to ignore.
They couldn't participate in the conversation between men, so Xu Lanxin followed Madam Li to the backyard.
The two arrived at the back garden, and Lanxin, who was talking, was not paying attention and was bumped into, causing her to stagger slightly.
A boy of about 7 or 8 years old was knocked to the ground.
Mrs. Li, who was standing next to her, rushed over and quickly helped the child up.
Just as he raised his hand to brush off the dust, the child ran towards Lanxin's direction.
"Pretty sister."
The child hugged her leg and cried out innocently.
Xu Lanxin looked at him; the child's eyes were vacant, and he seemed to have some intellectual impairment.
"Zhao'er".
Mrs. Li looked nervous. She took the little boy's hand, and the beads in the boy's hand broke and rolled to the ground.
The little boy started crying loudly.
"Take the young master away! Who told you to let him out?"
After she finished speaking angrily, she nervously squatted down and picked up the beads.
"Madam, would you like my help?"
Lan Xin bent down slightly to ask, but was immediately rejected.
"No need, I'll have my maid take you to have some tea first. Please wait a moment, Madam Cen."
Lan Xin didn't refuse, since it was someone else's house. She waited for a short while before Madam Li arrived.
Xu Lanxin politely asked if the beads had been given to the child, but Madam Li seemed a little uncomfortable and stammered her reply.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while and having lunch, Cen Yan came looking for them.
Despite Magistrate Li's repeated attempts to persuade them to stay for a couple of days, Cen Yan declined directly.
After strolling around for a while in the afternoon, the two returned to the inn.
Something bounced and fell to the ground with a "thud".
Lanxin, who was changing her clothes, looked down and thought the face looked somewhat familiar.
Xiao Xi picked it up and handed it to her.
"Young lady, this doesn't seem to be yours."
The wooden beads held between my fingertips were somewhat old and not perfectly round, and they were engraved with Buddhist script.
"It must have fallen from that child. I'll return it to him tomorrow."
A knock sounded at the door, and Qingyun came to inform the woman that she had woken up.
Lan Xin opened the door, and Cen Yan was already waiting. The two of them hurried to the clinic.
I was walking in a hurry and didn't notice that there seemed to be something in my hand.
"How did you manage to bring this thing out?"
What is it?
An old-fashioned bead lay in Lanxin's palm.
"It belongs to Magistrate Li's child. I noticed that Madam Li is quite concerned about this bead. I'll send it back to her tomorrow."
Lan Xin casually tossed it into the purse at her waist.
Inside the clinic, the woman was sitting and drinking her medicine, not even glancing up when someone came in.
“Auntie, we will cover your medical expenses. If you need any other compensation, please let me know and I will consider it.”
The woman stopped drinking her medicine, still not looking up, but just kept saying "my child" by the bowl.
Suddenly she grabbed Lan Xin's sleeve, her eyes filled with a kind of maniacal rage, and said emotionally:
"Have you seen my child? He's gone, where did he go?"
After saying that, she laughed a few times and then started crying again.
Cen Yan tugged at Lan Xin, and when the woman saw this, she tried to grab her again, but Qing Yun stopped her.
But as she bared her teeth and claws, she snatched the purse from Xu Lanxin's waist.
The beads bounced out with a "thud" and rolled to her feet.
The woman was stunned for a moment.
She crouched down, picked up the beads, stared at them intently, and muttered to herself:
"Dong'er, Dong'er!"
He tilted his head and looked at it for a while, then suddenly looked up and said happily, "This is Dong'er's, this is Dong'er's!"
He wanted to rush forward, but was stopped by Qingyun.
But she still excitedly shouted, "Have you seen my son? This is my Dong'er's son. Have you seen my son before?"
Cen Yan gave Qingyun a wink, then with a swift chop, the woman collapsed again.
Lan Xin looked at Cen Yan, somewhat shocked. Could it be such a coincidence?
"Zijin, this..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zi Jin interrupted him: "Let's talk about it when we get back to the inn!"
Inside the inn, Xu Lanxin gulped down several mouthfuls of tea before looking at Cen Yan.
"Zijin, this bead was dropped by Madam Li's young master, so why did that woman say it belonged to her son?"
Cen Yan glanced at her and shook his head as well.
"No way? Is there some earth-shattering secret involved?"
"What melon?"
Lord Cen was completely bewildered and asked with a frown.
Lanxin gently touched the man's brow and smoothed it out.
"It's just gossip, it's about other people's secrets being dug up. Many people love to hear this kind of information, just like storytellers."
The man pulled down her hand, wrapped it around his arm, and looked at her intently.
He slowly moved his head closer to her and kissed her, giving her a gentle peck.
An inopportune knock sounded on the door.
Cen Yan opened her eyes, the deep emotions still lingering.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again. The cold was so intense it could freeze a person to death. He gritted his teeth and said:
"Get in here!"
Qingyun forced herself to walk in, not daring to look him in the eye.
"Sir, I have arranged for the woman to stay at a farmhouse outside the city."
"Go and keep watch at the Li residence."
After he left, Lan Xin looked at Cen Yan: "Do you also think there's something wrong with the Li family?"
"Let's wait for news from Qingyun."
The following afternoon, Qingyun returned to the inn.
He had been staking out the area for a day and a night, but hadn't brought back much useful information.
"Zijin, why don't we stay at the Li residence for a few days?"
Curiosity killed the cat; not trying to unravel the mystery is like being torn apart.
"Go and tell Magistrate Li that the lady is craving his family's pastries."
That evening, Lanxin and her companion went to the Li residence.
Magistrate Li and his wife were already waiting at the gate of the government office, with Magistrate Li still wearing a fawning expression.
After entering the room and exchanging a few pleasantries, Lanxin took out the beads at the opportune moment.
"Madam Li, please take a look. Is this the young master's? It accidentally fell into my sleeve the other day."
When Madam Li looked at what Lan Xin was holding, a look of panic flashed in her eyes, and a hint of ruthlessness lurked deep within.
He was momentarily stunned.
"What are you standing there for? Go thank Madam Cen."
He only snapped out of his daze after being yelled at by Magistrate Li, who was standing nearby.
"Yes, it belongs to my son."
After Madam Li stepped forward to accept it, she said, "Thank you very much, Madam Cen."
Magistrate Li quickly smiled apologetically, "My wife is dull-witted; please forgive her."
"The cook made some new pastries today, Madam Cen. You must try them later. Why don't you and the master stay at my humble abode for a few days and let the cook make more pastries for you to try?"
"Then I'll have to trouble Magistrate Li."
Xu Lanxin and her husband were able to settle in smoothly, and Qingyun continued to keep watch all night.
However, no abnormalities were found.
The next morning, Qingyu came to inform Xu Lanxin that Madam Li seemed to be going out.
Lanxin felt that this might be a good opportunity.
However, Cen Yan forbade her to take the risk.
"Zijin, good Zijin, please let me go. What if I find something?"
Lan Xin cupped his face in her hands, her expression pleading. Seeing that he remained unmoved, she kissed him and continued:
"I swear, I will prioritize my own safety and never act rashly. If anything goes wrong, I'll come back to you first. Besides, I have Qingyu here with me!"
Cen Yan was so bothered by her that he looked at Qingyu and said sternly, "Protect the lady well. If she suffers another injury, you may kill yourself!"
"Don't try to scare her. She's mine now."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Lanxin, the old hen, spread her arms wide and shielded the person behind her.
Her protective attitude had no deterrent effect, but it made Cen Yan's face turn cold, and he was practically radiating jealousy.
Startled, she grabbed the bluefish and ran outside.
Lan Xin walked to the only way out of the mansion and saw Madam Li in the distance. She then pretended to run into her and went out.
Good morning, Madam Li. Are you heading out so early?
Madam Li was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered: "Madam Cen, don't rest for long. I'll send someone to accompany you around later. I'm going to Yufeng Temple to ask for a Taoist talisman for my son. I'll be back soon."
"What a coincidence! I also want to get a peace charm for my parents. How about we go together?"
Lanxin, ever so familiar with her, pulled her along, not allowing her to refuse. Even the discomfort on her face was automatically ignored by Xu Lanxin.
However, Madam Li insisted that Xu Lanxin ride alone in a carriage. It wasn't until Lanxin saw the mentally challenged little boy get into the carriage in front that she understood why.
Inside the Sanqing Hall of Yufeng Temple, there were many believers, all bowing devoutly in worship.
After they obtained the talismans, Madam Li excused herself to leave for a while, letting Lanxin wander around on her own.
Xu Lanxin outwardly agreed, but secretly followed them.
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