Chapter 575 A Second Move
Although Old Madam Lin lived in the south, she had heard a little about the case. Her son was an official in the capital, and every year he would send someone back to deliver some clothes, fabrics, and silver. When he had free time, he would talk about the major and minor events that happened in the capital.
"Mother learned that you solved this case, and that it involved a daughter of an official."
It wasn't that Old Mrs. Lin had a good memory, but rather that this case was unheard of. A total of eight women had died, all of them with their hearts ripped out and their deaths were gruesome.
"Mother, that's exactly right."
Lin Shusheng sighed, raised his teacup and drank it all in one gulp. If Qin Shi hadn't brought up the events of that year, he would have forced himself to forget them long ago. Now, he was being forced to recall that scene.
"Those women were all killed by me and Qin Shi."
After a long silence, Lin Shusheng finally revealed his true feelings.
Under the windowsill, Xiaohe trembled, her eyes bulging in disbelief. She heard clearly that he had personally confessed to killing eight people.
Xiaohe touched her chest; her heart was pounding violently. She swallowed hard and mustered her courage to continue listening.
"My son, why are you doing this..."
Grandma Lin was also surprised. She never expected her son to become a murderer, but she believed that he had his reasons for doing so.
“A few years ago, my son was a minor official of the fourth rank in the Dali Temple, and he relied entirely on the Qin family for support.”
One day, Qin suddenly came home crying. When he asked her why, he learned that she had been wronged outside.
The incident began when Qin took Lin Yue'e back to her parents' home. Her sister-in-law, Zhou, looked down on her, saying that she couldn't help her family and always came to leech off them.
"In the end, it's because my official rank is lower than my brother-in-law's that Qin feels ashamed."
After their lovemaking that night, Madam Qin suddenly sat up and asked him a question: did he want to be promoted in a short period of time?
Needless to say, of course I want to!
Lin Shusheng himself realized that he needed a breakthrough to get promoted, and in the Dali Temple, only solving cases could provide that opportunity.
"Qin said that if we create a big case ourselves and then work together to solve it, we will have the opportunity."
Lin Shusheng admitted that this idea suited his taste and moved him deeply.
If there's no opportunity for promotion, then create one yourself. Many people's paths to promotion and wealth are bloodless. Even the royal family only achieved their supreme position by rebelling against the previous dynasty.
Throughout history, those in power have always walked a bloody path; without ruthlessness and cruelty, one is no true man.
To get promoted, you have to fabricate a major case, preferably one that's sensational.
"The Qin family came up with an idea to create an atmosphere of terror among the people of the capital, so that everyone would be in the shadows. Whoever solves a major case will surely be appreciated by the higher-ups."
Lin Shusheng wholeheartedly agreed. The two discussed it for several days and were drawn to a story about a female ghost in red. So they decided to use red to create the atmosphere.
This is all too secretive; no one can know about it, not even my own subordinates or servants in the mansion. Who knows if that person has a master behind him?
Qin was very cautious and decided to cooperate with him, with the two of them personally taking action.
"Originally, Cheng Dieyi didn't have to die, but she saw something she shouldn't have seen: Qin Shi was burying blood-stained clothes after killing someone."
Just then, Cheng Dieyi was dressed in red, and Qin Shi used Miss Cheng as a target to kill her to silence her.
Lin Shusheng, in one breath, poured out all his secrets.
"Then where is the murderer?"
This idea was brilliant, and Old Mrs. Lin couldn't help but continue to ask questions.
"His heart-ripping technique is so skillful that no ordinary person would dare to do it, so Qin and I have our eyes on the butcher."
As luck would have it, while searching for the murderer, Qin accidentally discovered that the butcher's wife was having an affair with another man. So they detained the butcher's wife and forced her to put on a show.
Next, fill in some details to connect the clues.
Based on the clues he had prepared beforehand, Lin Shusheng quickly deduced that he had also found the heart of the woman in red in the butcher's house, placed together with the pig's heart.
As expected, for a long time, the story of the woman in red having her heart ripped out circulated, along with many ghost stories.
"There are no ghosts in this world. If there were, why didn't any ghosts come out to take revenge on the Fang family when the entire Qi family died unjustly?"
Lin Shusheng's expression was complex and sarcastic: "What's more terrifying than ghosts is the human heart."
"My son, I understand."
Grandma Lin wasn't too surprised and quickly accepted it. She immediately raised a question, "The butcher's wife knew about this. Where is she? Is she dead?"
Back then, Qin Shi wasn't exactly a witness, as she herself was involved and couldn't escape responsibility. The important one was the butcher's wife, who was an insider.
"He's dead."
When Old Mrs. Lin mentioned it, Lin Shusheng immediately became cautious. At that time, it was Qin who handled the matter, and Qin told him that it had been cleaned up.
Since the couple were in the same boat, he had no doubts whatsoever.
However, not long ago, Qin's confident attitude made Lin Shusheng begin to have doubts again.
"That Qin woman isn't stupid. To come up with such a terrible idea shows how ruthless she is. Even if you're husband and wife, do you think she can easily trust you?"
The reason why Qin helped Lin Shusheng get promoted was because she felt ashamed in her family because the man she married didn't hold a high-ranking position. It wasn't because she truly cared about that.
Grandma Lin deduced that Qin must have left a backup plan, and this backup plan was probably not simple.
"Mother, you've really given your son a good reminder."
Lin Shusheng lowered his head, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and said calmly without any expression of fear on his face, "Once I find out, Qin Shi cannot be allowed to live. I will send her on her way soon."
"Yes, this jinx can't be kept around, or he'll definitely cause trouble."
The mother and son were whispering to each other when Xiaohe overheard them from under the window and was terrified. She tried to get up and hide, but she stumbled and knocked over a flowerpot on the windowsill.
It's over, this time it's completely over.
If Old Madam Lin and Scholar Lin find out she overheard the whole thing, they'll definitely make her disappear without a trace. Especially since she's an orphan girl, coming from the south to the capital, unfamiliar with the place and its people—who would care whether she lives or dies?
Xiaohe was so anxious that she burst into tears, her heart completely shattered.
Who's outside?
Lin Shusheng revealed a sinister look and strode out. He saw a kitten sheltering from the rain under the windowsill. Its fur was already wet and it was shivering.
"So you were the one eavesdropping, you little rascal."
Lin Shusheng stared at the kitten menacingly for a long time before speaking, "You should be glad that you can't understand human language, so I, your master, will be especially lenient."
After speaking, Lin Shusheng looked around again and waited a while before going back into the room.
In the adjacent tea room, Xiaohe hugged her arms, her body trembling uncontrollably, still in shock and terror.
"Young Miss, you..."
If Lin Yuesha hadn't appeared in time to pull her aside and leave the cat near the windowsill, Xiaohe knew for certain that she would be dead.
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