Chapter 68 In Chapter 68, she seemed to see her former self...
What book did he leave behind?
Judge Lü was about to accuse Shen Lingyue of having wild ideas.
Before Mu Dashan broke his leg, he was just an ordinary laborer. Knowing his own name and being able to write one, two, three, four, five was considered being educated. How could you expect him to write a will? To draw circles on paper?
However, upon seeing Shen Lingyue's cunning and suggestive gaze, Judge Lü quickly changed his tune, drawing out his words: "The will... let me ask. Old Huang, come here for a moment."
Judge Lü summoned a middle-aged constable who had just been surveying the room, and the two went to the side and began to talk in hushed tones.
Shen Lingyue took this opportunity to observe the family of three across the street.
Mu Ersen was the first to lose his composure, constantly glancing at his wife and mother.
Both Madam Sun and Madam Xiao Sun had their brows furrowed.
Finally, unable to bear the long, oppressive silence any longer, Madam Sun blurted out, "My elder brother was forced to his death by Madam Wen, so why would he write a will?"
Mu Ersen chimed in, "That's right, that's right. My older brother can't read, what kind of will would he write?"
“You’re wrong. Dashan, he can read.”
Madam Wen mustered her courage and retorted, "He used to learn to read from the accountant when he was working. These past few years he's been bedridden, so I bought him three hundred thousand coins. Whenever he encounters a character he doesn't recognize, he saves it up and asks Fang Xiaolang, who goes to school next door. He also taught Yaya to read, saying that when she's older and healthier, he'll save money, even if it means scrimping and saving, to send her to school..."
With Shen Lingyue by her side, she seemed to have the strength to speak loudly.
“Since the incident in Dashan, you haven’t come here for a year or two. How do you know how we’ve been living?”
Seeing that she still dared to talk back, Madam Sun glared at her and was about to curse.
Shen Lingyue stepped forward and blocked Wen Niangzi's way.
"If Mu Dashan really committed suicide, and he could write, he would surely have left some words behind, such as instructions for his wife and daughters, and how to arrange the small courtyard where they now live..."
Sun's eyes flashed, and she blurted out, "I am his biological mother. He is dead, and everything here should be left to me to support me in my old age. Why should this jinx and her good-for-nothing son benefit from this!"
Madam Wen was so anxious that tears streamed down her face as she shook her head repeatedly. "No, we've already separated our family. You were the ones who kicked the three of us out, saying that we didn't have money to treat Dashan and Yaya's illnesses and that we wouldn't be needed to support you in your old age..."
Madam Sun forced a smile: "Sister-in-law, when my eldest brother suddenly had his accident, Mother was also very anxious. You know the situation at home. We were willing but unable to do anything... Dividing the family property was just something said in anger. Mother worked so hard to raise the two brothers. Can you bear to see her old age without anyone to rely on? You don't want people to talk behind your back and say you are unfilial, do you?"
Lady Wen was not a particularly eloquent person, and she found it even more difficult to deal with someone as sharp-tongued and unreasonable as Madam Sun.
Shen Lingyue snorted again: "You all just called her a jinx and a money-loser, does she think she's afraid of being called unfilial?"
"It's none of your business, an outsider, interfering in the affairs of our Mu family!"
Sun didn't care about any of that. She didn't even recognize Shen Lingyue. She lashed out at her fiercely and then pointed at Wen Niangzi, "I never agreed to Dashan marrying you. You look honest, but you're treacherous inside. You even lied to us and said this house was rented... You'd rather serve an old woman with no relatives than serve your own mother-in-law. Isn't it because you look down on us for being poor and incompetent?"
Shen Lingyue was confused, but she sensed something was amiss.
Right, if the Wen family really did lose all their money to two patients, then how did they come to own this little courtyard?
This is the capital city where land is incredibly valuable, and it's not far from the pharmacy that Zhao Lan brought with her as part of her dowry. It's practically a "hospital-area property." Although the house is a bit dilapidated, the location is worth a fortune.
Judging from what Sun said, the reason they came to make such a fuss today was simply to drive Wen Niangzi and Ya Ya out of the house and take over the courtyard for themselves.
Shen Lingyue asked Wen Niangzi in a low voice, "Did you buy this courtyard?"
Madam Wen shook her head, "No, we don't have the money to buy a house, it's Aunt Sun who..."
A neighbor who was watching the commotion from the wall chimed in, "This house originally belonged to Granny Sun. She had a hard life; she lost her husband in middle age and her son in her later years, and was all alone in the empty house until she met Madam Wen and her family..."
That year, Mu Dashan was injured and broke his leg. Wen Niangzi gave birth prematurely to Yaya, who was born with congenital defects. Before she had even finished her postpartum confinement, her mother and younger brother kicked her out of the house, threatening to sever all ties.
Wen Niangzi came out to rent a house with her meager savings, but the landlords shook their heads as soon as they heard about her situation. They not only thought it was bad luck, but also felt that such a family was unable to pay the rent and would cause a lot of trouble.
It was snowing that day. After asking around all the way, Madam Wen was repeatedly disappointed and could no longer hold on. She fainted at the door of this house.
Grandma Sun opened the door and let her in, and then cooked her a bowl of thick brown sugar ginger water.
The old man could tell at a glance that she had just given birth. He scolded her for not taking care of her health and said that her family was irresponsible for letting a woman go out to look for a house in the snow.
After listening to Madam Wen's tearful account of her ordeal, the old woman decided to let her move in with Mu Dashan and her daughter, and only charged a token amount of rent.
Both surnamed Sun, Mu Dashan's biological mother, Sun Shi, abandoned him without hesitation when he was seriously injured with a broken leg and needed his mother's comfort the most.
However, Grandma Sun, a complete stranger, opened her door on a snowy day and welcomed the family of three. From then on, they became a family of four, supporting each other through one winter after another.
Madam Wen was grateful to Aunt Sun for taking her in, and treated her with the same filial piety as an elder in her own family, cooking, washing clothes, cleaning rooms, and doing everything herself.
Grandma Sun also felt a long-lost warmth from this family of three.
Madam Wen sobbed, "Last month, Granny Sun suddenly fell seriously ill. Several doctors came, but they all said there was nothing they could do and told us to prepare for her funeral... The day before she passed away, she forced herself to take me to the government office so that she could transfer this house to me..."
Shen Lingyue suddenly realized.
She looked at Madam Sun: "You know that this house now belongs to Madam Wen and Mu Dashan, which is why you couldn't wait to come and fight for the family property!"
"What's this talk of arguing? Everything my son has is mine," Sun said matter-of-factly. "I gave birth to him and raised him for over twenty years; he owes me a debt he could never repay in his next life!"
This is an apartment in the inner city of the capital! As long as she gets rid of the Wen family and that little burden, she can move into the city with her youngest son and his family to enjoy a comfortable life.
"Then you're probably going to be disappointed."
Magistrate Lü walked over, holding a land deed document stamped with the official seal of the yamen, and said calmly, "It is clearly written here that the current owner of this courtyard is Wen Mingyue, not Mu Dashan."
"What?!"
The three members of the Sun family all widened their eyes.
Madam Sun tried to snatch the land deed, but Magistrate Lü dodged it with a raised hand, his eyes turning cold: "The government has records of these deeds. Even if you snatch them and tear them up, it won't do you any good."
She shrank back in fright and quickly protested, "No, I just wanted to see it clearly..."
Shen Lingyue asked Wen Niangzi with her eyes what was going on.
"Aunt Sun has met Da Shan's family. She said that they are not easy to get along with. If they find out that we have a house, they will definitely come and make trouble."
Madam Wen's eyes were red. "She also said that I have been taking care of her all these years. She has long regarded me as her own daughter. She is willing to give this house to me so that I and Ya Ya can have someone to rely on."
Shen Lingyue breathed a sigh of relief, silently giving a thumbs-up to this unseen Aunt Sun.
The old lady has a keen eye; she guessed everything correctly.
"Did you hear that? This house belongs to Madam Wen, not your son." Shen Lingyue glared. "Even if you want to take over the inheritance of an illegitimate child, it's not your turn!"
At this moment, Shen Lingyue seemed to see her younger self from the past.
She was once too weak, and could only protect what her parents left her by relying on external forces.
Now she can finally stand in front of Lady Wen, as if making up for the pain she once suffered.
Shen Lingyue's wary gaze swept over the Sun family and the others, her tone carrying a hint of authority.
"I heard you usually don't come here for months at a time. How come you're so well-informed today? It's like... you knew all along that Mu Dashan would be in trouble?"
A neighbor in the crowd suddenly spoke up: "I think I saw Dashan's younger brother at the street corner yesterday. He came out of the courtyard angrily, as if he had just had a big argument with someone."
Mu Ersen's expression changed instantly, and he loudly denied it: "It wasn't me, you've got the wrong person! I've never been here!"
The neighbor, hands on hips, angrily exclaimed, "How could I be wrong? You were walking so fast and not watching where you were going, you almost knocked over my basket, and you didn't even apologize! I saw it clearly!"
Madam Wen's face grew paler and paler, and her body swayed slightly: "No wonder Da Shan looked so bad when I came back from work yesterday. He barely ate any dinner, and when I asked him what was wrong, he wouldn't say... Why did you come to my house? What did you say to Da Shan?!"
In the end, she shouted at Mu Ersen in an almost accusatory tone.
The neighbors started criticizing him all at once, and for a moment Mu Ersen felt as if he were in a storm vortex. Those words and looks were as real as a gale, sweeping over his muscles and bones. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, his body trembled like a leaf, and his legs shook uncontrollably.
Shen Lingyue's gaze inadvertently swept over his left hand, which was concealed by his wide sleeve, and something seemed to flash there...
She suddenly exclaimed, "Sir, look at his left hand!"
Judge Lü acted swiftly, grabbing Mu Ersen's left wrist and raising it high.
When the sleeve fell down, the exposed left hand was clearly missing a little finger.
Judge Lü squinted and sneered, "So he's just a gambling addict."
He grabbed Mu Ersen's wrist and twisted it behind his back, pinning him down. He said sternly, "Tell me, is it because you're heavily in debt that you've set your sights on this house, trying to drive Mu Dashan to his death!"
A sharp pain shot through his shoulder and back, and Mu Ersen's defenses crumbled. He cried out for help, screaming for his parents.
"I didn't mean to! I was desperate and just wanted my older brother to help me out. He's always been the one who's loved me the most since we were little..."
Mu Ersen's eyes were red, filled with resentment. "He's a cripple with a broken leg. No matter how much money we spend on treatment, he won't be able to stand up again. Are we just going to watch all that money go down the drain? He doesn't even have a son, but I have two! I can always give one of my sons to him..."
Magistrate Lü was too lazy to listen to his sophistry, so he ordered the constables to tie him up and gag him, and told him to take him back to the yamen for questioning.
Sun and her younger sister were also suspected of being accomplices and were taken away together.
Judge Lü walked up to Shen Lingyue, his tense face relaxing slightly as he forced a smile. "Sister-in-law, thank you for your help today."
She comforted the deceased's wife, and then, through a flurry of punches, she managed to extract the true feelings of that heartless family.
Shen Lingyue quickly waved her hand, "It is I who should thank you. I will have my husband invite you to our home for dinner another day. Please do not refuse, Lord Lü."
Judge Lü's smile deepened. "No problem. It's been a while since Huaizhou and I have gotten together."
He gave Shen Lingyue a wink, and the two of them moved to a slightly farther place, away from Wen Niangzi, to talk.
Judge Lü said in a low voice, "All the evidence currently indicates that the deceased hanged himself. Even if Mu Ersen admits that he came to the house yesterday and verbally provoked the deceased, you must understand that it is very difficult to convict him under the law in this situation..."
All he could do was keep Mu Ersen in jail for a few more days to suffer, and warn the Sun family not to cause any more trouble for Wen Niangzi.
But he can only manage it for a short time, not forever. He can't always have someone watching him, can he?
Shen Lingyue nodded: "I understand."
"Then I'll go back to the yamen first; I still need to write case files."
Judge Lü bid her farewell and ordered the constables to carry Mu Dashan's body back to the yamen for a thorough examination by the coroner. Only after the examination was completed and the records filed could Madam Wen retrieve the body for burial.
Lady Wen stared blankly as the body covered in white cloth was carried out of the courtyard. Finally, she could no longer hold back her sobs and collapsed to the ground, covering her face.
Shen Lingyue was about to take a handkerchief to wipe her tears, but when she opened her purse, she found it was empty; she had forgotten to bring it with her when she went out today.
A silk handkerchief was handed to her from behind, and a familiar voice said, "This one is new."
"Yan Yan!" Shen Lingyue turned around, her voice filled with surprise and delight. "How did you find me here?"
Yan Yi smiled helplessly, "You disappeared right after I finished discussing the prescription with the shopkeeper. I asked around, and you're always the one in the crowd."
She lowered her voice, "When did you switch careers and become a famous detective?"
"It was purely coincidental; we just happened to run into each other."
Shen Lingyue stuffed the handkerchief into Wen Niangzi's hand and helped her stand up. "Don't be sad. Perhaps... this is a relief for him. He definitely hopes that you and Ya Ya can live well."
Madam Wen, clutching her handkerchief, looked stunned: "Really?"
Shen Lingyue nodded firmly, "The dead are gone, those who survived must be even stronger."
"Madam, you have saved me again..." Madam Wen grabbed her arm and was about to kneel down, but was helped up by Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi.
Shen Lingyue deliberately changed the subject, "I've always called you Lady Wen, but I only learned your real name today. What a coincidence, we both have the character 'Yue' in our names. My name is Shen Lingyue."
Lady Wen said softly, "When I was born, I had a red birthmark the size of a copper coin on my back. My parents said, 'Let's name you Mingyue.'"
"Wen Mingyue, what a beautiful name." Shen Lingyue patted her shoulder encouragingly. "It would look even better if it were written in the head of household section. You are now the head of the household, so you have to take good care of Ya Ya."
Yes, she also has Ya Ya.
Wen Mingyue's eyes lit up again, and she clenched her fists as if to encourage herself. "I will. There's also Dashan and Aunt Sun. They will protect my daughter and me from heaven."
Ya Ya was still being looked after by the neighbor. Wen Mingyue was going to pick her up and take her home, so Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi left first.
As soon as they left, the aunties and older women who were close to Wen Mingyue came into the yard and comforted her all at once. Some even brought her some dry food and rice soup from home, urging her to eat something to fill her stomach.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi watched this scene from afar and felt slightly relieved.
She took Yan Yi's arm: "There are still more good people in the world, right?"
Yan Yi hummed in agreement, "A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative."
The two returned to the pharmacy, where Shen Lingyue described Wen Mingyue's appearance to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper quickly remembered, "That lady, she's been here before. Sometimes she buys medicine for her husband, sometimes for her daughter. She's clearly not well herself, but she's reluctant to spend money on medical treatment. Sigh, it's not easy for her."
Sometimes the shopkeeper would be soft-hearted and waive a few coins. But Ya Ya was born with a weak constitution, and the nourishing and tonifying herbs were already expensive; this small amount was just a drop in the ocean.
Shen Lingyue instructed the shopkeeper to help out whenever possible in the future, and that she would cover the cost of the medicine.
On the carriage ride back, she leaned on Yan Yi's shoulder, as if talking to herself.
“I know I can’t do much by myself. But… this little fish cares.”
Yan Yi grasped her hand, their fingers intertwined and pressed tightly together.
"If one person isn't enough, then two will do."
She would always stand next to Little Moon.
...
Two days later, Yan Yi received a reply from Zheng Chunyun and went to the Duke of Lingguo's mansion with Shen Lingyue.
The two were led to the backyard by the butler, and Shen Lingyue let out a howl as soon as she stepped over the threshold.
Oh my god!
Yan Yi was half a step behind and was almost startled by her shout. She quickly steadied herself and stood firm.
When she looked up and saw the scene in the courtyard, she almost screamed like Shen Lingyue—
Shen Lingyue rushed in like a cannonball, stopping just in front of the man standing steadily in the courtyard. She exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Gu, you can stand up?!"
Gu Lin smiled slightly and raised his arm to show her: "You still need to use a cane."
A polished ebony cane rested under his elbow, concealed by a black cloak.
"That's great!" Shen Lingyue circled around him, her joy almost overflowing. "If you can stand up, you can walk, you can run, you can ride a horse, and you'll get better day by day!"
Yan Yi walked over and congratulated the two of them, then asked when the incident occurred.
Zheng Chunyun, supporting Gu Lin's arm, smiled and said, "Last month, my legs started to regain feeling, and ten days ago I was able to get up with crutches for the first time."
Having just received visiting cards from Yan Yi and Shen Lingyue, the couple decided to give them a "surprise".
It seems to be working well.
After saying that, she turned to Gu Lin and said, "Husband, you should sit down and rest. The doctor said you can't stand for long periods of time."
A servant pushed the wheelchair over, and Gu Lin slowly sat back down, holding the armrests. He took Zheng Chunyun's hand and said, "It's windy outside, so don't stand with me. Take them inside quickly, I'll be there in a bit."
Shen Lingyue and Zheng Chunyun stepped onto the stairs together. Shen Lingyue noticed that Zheng Chunyun's steps were a little slow and that she was holding her lower back with one hand. Suddenly, she understood what was going on.
"Sister Zheng! Are you—"
Zheng Chunyun shushed her, her cheeks flushing slightly, and whispered, "The doctor said it hasn't been two months yet, so we haven't announced it to anyone."
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi exchanged a glance, their faces breaking into smiles.
"This is a double celebration!"
Zheng Chunyun became increasingly embarrassed by their scrutiny, cleared her throat, and changed the subject: "Don't just congratulate me, you guys need to hurry up too."
She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her eyes filled with anticipation: "Our children can grow up together, just like their father, becoming the best of brothers and partners from childhood."
Zheng Chunyun radiated maternal warmth, her entire being immersed in gentle happiness.
The two followed her into the house, drank tea and had some snacks while chatting for a while, before Gu Lin came in in a wheelchair.
"General Liang Xian? I remember him. He was in charge of suppressing bandits in Xichuan a few years ago. He was a skilled and valiant general."
Gu Lin recalled, "With him serving as the border guard, the northern desert should be more peaceful in the next few years."
Yan Yi earnestly asked him for advice on how to survive in the northern desert winter, and what daily necessities and medicines were indispensable.
Gu Lin shared his experience without reservation and praised Zhou Yanling's bold actions.
"The border region is bitterly cold, and the coldest winter winds are sharper than knives. She actually abandoned the wealth and glory of the capital to join the army. She is truly a heroine among women."
Yan Yi quickly jotted down the key points with her charcoal pencil, and when she looked up, her eyes were bright. "Yes, my sister is really amazing."
...
After returning from the Duke of Lingguo's mansion, Shen Lingyue accompanied Yan Yi on a few more days of outings, running around and finally managing to gather all the New Year's gifts to be sent back to the Bai family, as well as two large packages prepared for Yanling, all of which were delivered before Bai Ruixuan left the capital.
Yan Yi wrote a long letter to her maternal grandfather, whom she had never met, and at Shen Lingyue's suggestion, added several "photos" of her and Pei Jingyi.
"The old man definitely hopes that you will have a harmonious and happy marriage, at least let him see what his grandson-in-law looks like, right?"
Shen Lingyue spoke with conviction, and Yan Yi couldn't refuse. She even dragged Pei Jingyi, who was on leave, to be her model for the day.
Then he received a plaintive accusation from the latter: "I spend every day with my wife, don't you even remember what I look like?"
Yan Yi continued painting without looking up, her tone calm: "Don't you want to leave a perfect first impression on your grandfather? -- Don't move, I won't be responsible if you ruin the painting."
Pei Jingyi couldn't refute it, so he could only continue to stand obediently by the window in a daze.
But in his heart, he had already decided to let her draw the next one...
...
On this day, Magistrate Lü was on leave, and Pei Jinghuai invited him to his home for dinner.
Shen Lingyue personally cooked... She went into the kitchen to supervise a table of delicious dishes, and then brought them over with her maid.
She raised her glass gracefully: "Thank you for your leniency, Lord Lü—has Mu Dashan's case been closed?"
Judge Lü downed his drink and nodded: "That Mu Ersen was a spineless coward. He confessed everything after only a few lashes. He admitted that he had gone to see Mu Dashan and said some unpleasant things, but no evidence could be found that he was the one who laid the knife. In the end, the case was closed as a suicide. His wife has already taken his body back for burial."
Out of respect for Shen Lingyue, he even made a special trip to Mu Dashan's funeral on the day of the funeral, and told Madam Wen that if the Mu family caused trouble again, she should report it to the authorities and not suffer in silence.
Judge Lü said, "I don't think Wen Niangzi's neighbors are bad people. Although it's hard for her to raise her daughter alone, to put it bluntly, without Mu Dashan as a burden, her life shouldn't be any worse, right?"
It all depends on whether she can stand up for herself.
Although Judge Lü is only a few years older than Pei Jinghuai, he has been working in Shuntian Prefecture for five or six years and has handled many cases, so he has long been hardened by experience.
Shen Lingyue toasted him again, "I understand, thank you for your care, Brother Lü."
Pei Jinghuai chewed on a peanut and raised an eyebrow at her. "Wrong. He's not called Brother Lü, he's called Second Brother Lü."
Shen Lingyue gazed silently at the sky.
Are you guys some kind of 2-2 alliance? Why is it always the second-place player hanging out with the second-place player?
Judge Lü laughed and explained to Shen Lingyue, "I have an older brother who has been stationed in the capital for ten years. He has been rated as excellent for three consecutive terms and this time he finally has the opportunity to be transferred back to the capital so that the whole family can be reunited."
When mentioning his elder brother, Magistrate Lü's expression was full of pride and joy. "My elder brother is very capable. He passed the imperial examination at a young age and was appointed as an official. He rose from a minor county magistrate to a prefect, and he achieved remarkable political achievements in every post. When he was promoted and left office, he received several 'umbrellas of ten thousand people's praises."
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Author's Note: I'm back! [Let me see] I'll update early today! [doge] More juicy gossip coming soon...
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