Chapter 312 Missing
Wen Rugui's face was sallow, his cheeks were sunken, and his skin was loose. He looked at least ten years older than his actual age. He seemed to be a different person from the Minister who was so proud of himself two years ago.
Hearing him ask for water, Chang frowned in disdain: "You drink every day and make yourself look like this, and in the end you still need people to serve you!"
At the beginning, although her hope of living in a luxurious house and becoming a noble lady was dashed, she thought that the man had some connections in the capital for many years, and her son would have a bright future if he studied hard, so she could endure a hard life. However, she did not expect that the man would never recover from this and could only drown his sorrows in alcohol.
As the days went by, facing a drunkard, any patience turned into complaints. After a while, the complaints turned into resentment.
She wished Wen Rugui would die immediately so that he would stop wasting the family's money, but she couldn't die because of her son's imperial examination.
Chang brought a bowl of water and gave Wen Rugui a few sips. Her actions were not gentle at all, and Wen Rugui coughed in response.
Hearing the noise, Wen Hui walked in with a book: "Is father okay?"
"What could possibly happen? Hui'er, don't worry about it. Just read your book."
Wen Hui glanced at Wen Rugui lying on the sickbed, a hint of worry in his eyes. Whether it was worry about his father himself or the impact on the imperial examination, it was hard to say.
"It's almost dark, and my sister hasn't come back yet. I'll go look for her."
Chang hurriedly stopped him and said, "Go and review your lessons. Mother will go find them."
"mother--"
"It won't be long before you're done. Nothing is more important than this." Chang urged her son to continue studying, changed into a blue cloth dress and went out.
Although it was almost dusk, Chang was hit by a heat wave as soon as he went out. He broke out in sweat after just a few steps and looked more and more impatient.
The difficult life had worn away her delicate qualities, leaving only the impatience of dealing with the daily necessities of life.
"This damn girl, she disappeared when I asked her to ask for money. She is so troublesome!" She cursed as she walked towards Prince Jing's Mansion, but she couldn't find Wen Qing along the way.
The Golden Crow completely fell, leaving only a dark crimson blush staining the western sky. Chang looked up at the sky, his heart sinking.
Could it be that he ran into that fierce woman Lin Wanqing?
Chang didn't think Lin Hao would harm her daughter. In her opinion, no matter how high Lin Hao's status was, he still had Wen Rugui's blood flowing in his veins. Having money and status would only make it easier for him to ask for money. This was why she didn't let her daughter go to Lin Chan.
Although Lin Chan is more gentle than Lin Hao, she married into a civil servant's family. Such families often have many rules and are very stingy, so the daughter-in-law does not have much freedom.
I was afraid Qing'er would run into that unruly and fierce woman, Lin Wanqing, like a scholar encountering a soldier. Considering the distance between Prince Jing's Mansion and the General's Mansion, this possibility was not small.
Chang hurried to Prince Jing's Mansion and knocked on the door.
The doorman looked at him and said, "You are—"
Chang forced a smile and said, "My daughter came to look for her sister today, but she hasn't come back yet, so I came to ask."
"I wonder what your daughter does in our palace?"
"My elder sister is the wife of your prince."
The doorman frowned: "This is not right, I have never heard that our prince's wife has a younger sister."
He suddenly remembered the excitement he had seen today, and his expression changed: "Are you that girl's mother?"
He saw the girl pestering the prince's wife at the door of the general's mansion and knew the girl's identity. Naturally, he looked at the woman in front of him with a bad face.
"Your daughter took the money given by our Crown Prince's wife and left. If you want to find your daughter, please look somewhere else."
Seeing the doorman about to close, Chang anxiously held it in place with her hand: "You said my daughter took the money and left? When was that?"
The doorman said impatiently: "It was in the afternoon, and he left in less than 25 minutes. You should look for him somewhere else."
"But..." Chang took a step forward, and his nose was almost hit by the door that slammed shut.
She was unwilling to give up and knocked on the door a few more times, but the door didn't move. She had no choice but to look for it along the way back.
When all the lights were on and the night was getting darker, Chang returned home hoping that Wen Qing had already returned, but she was disappointed.
Wen Hui also became anxious when he heard it: "Mom, let's go out and look for it together."
The mother and son went out together, each looking in a different direction to where Wen Qing might have gone.
Gradually, the lights in the houses went out, the bustling shops closed, the streets and alleys became empty, and the sound of night watchmen could be heard in the distance.
When Chang and Wen Hui met again, their faces were both pale.
"Didn't find Qing'er?"
Wen Hui rarely did this, and when he spoke, he was breathless: "No, mother didn't find my sister either?"
Chang shook her head, looked at the dark sky and stamped her foot: "It must have fallen into the hands of that fierce woman and her daughter!"
"Mom, are you talking about Mrs. Lin...?"
Chang sneered: "Who else could it be besides her? No, I'm going to find them!"
"There's no need for them to make things difficult for my sister." Wen Hui felt that something was not right.
"Ordinarily? Ordinarily, that shrew shouldn't have severed ties with your father! Hui'er, go home. Mother will go to Prince Jing's mansion to look for someone."
"I will go with you."
Chang's first reaction was to refuse: "No, you are about to take the imperial examination, don't get involved in these things."
"I can't just close the door and study while my sister is missing..."
"You are taking care of your seriously ill father at home, which is fulfilling your filial duty." Chang pushed Wen Hui to go back and hurried to Prince Jing's Mansion.
In the darkness of night, the lanterns under the eaves of Prince Jing's mansion swayed slightly, casting orange light on the two stone lions in front of the door. The doorman heard a hurried knock on the door and opened it while rubbing his eyes.
"Why you again?"
Seeing the doorman about to close the door, Chang shouted, "My daughter is missing!"
"Gone? Then why don't you look for it somewhere else? Why are you here?"
"I want to see your prince's wife!"
The doorman's face darkened: "Are you making a scene in the palace? Leave now, or I'll take you to the authorities!"
"Go to the officials if you want to. My daughter came to see the Crown Prince's wife and disappeared. I was even thinking of reporting her to the authorities!"
It was quiet at night, but because of Chang's noise, many people came out to look around curiously.
Lin Hao was chatting with Qi Shuo when they heard the report and walked out.
"What happened?" Qi Shuo asked.
The servant hurriedly said, "It's this woman. She said her daughter disappeared after coming to look for the Crown Prince's wife, so she's here to make a fuss."
Lin Hao looked at Chang and almost didn't recognize him.
The woman in the blue cloth dress had a fierce look on her face and had become plump. She was completely different from the delicate and delicate woman two years ago.
Chang recognized Lin Hao at a glance and rushed over: "Where is my daughter? Where did you take my daughter?"
"Wen Qing didn't go home?" Lin Hao's heart moved.
The doorman said, "This woman has been here once before."
"Have you looked for her in the places she often goes?"
Chang cried excitedly: "We've searched everywhere! I know you blame us in your heart, but no matter what, Qing'er is innocent. Please let Qing'er go..."
Lin Hao and Qi Shuo looked at each other and had some guesses in their minds.
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