As soon as Yuan Qi entered, he saw a woman with a large pregnant belly struggling to pour water from a wooden bucket into a water vat.
"Sister-in-law!" Qi Sheng rushed over and took the wooden bucket from the woman's hands. "Where's Brother Li? You're about to give birth, how can you still be doing such heavy work? It's really outrageous of him."
The woman looked heartbroken and shed a few tears, supporting her large pregnant belly with her hands: "Thank you, he went to see that Huang Ying again. I was going to secretly follow him, but I'm clumsy and he walks fast, so I couldn't keep up."
Qi Sheng introduced, "This is the Taoist priest I told you about, the one who is very capable."
Yuan Qi looked around the small courtyard and indeed noticed a faint ghostly aura.
The woman wiped away her tears and saw a tall, slender, and very pretty girl dressed in a Taoist robe. Surprised, she bowed to Yuan Qi.
Yuan Qi helped her up: "No need to be so polite, let's go inside and talk."
The woman was wearing a green jacket and skirt with a slightly faded appearance after washing. The fabric at the elbows was a bit loose, suggesting that she had worn it for many years and that she was probably not well-off.
She wore no makeup, and only had a silver hairpin in her hair, with no other jewelry.
Looking around the yard, there wasn't a single flower or plant, only a yard full of clothes, a large water vat, a washbasin, and a washboard, among other things.
The woman said, “My surname is Cui, and my name is Wenqing. You can call me Cui Niangzi, Taoist priest. My husband and I are both from Qinghe County. Our parents are honest and hardworking farmers. My family is doing well. We have several dozen acres of fertile land, an ox, and both of my older brothers work in the county government. We live a decent life and can eat meat during festivals.”
“My husband’s family is in dire straits. Now that the tuition is high, all their money goes towards his education. Everyone was hoping he would prosper and live a good life, but who knew this would happen. The family is almost starving, and he even gave away his salary to others.”
Cui Wenqing sighed and brought Yuan Qi and Qi Sheng a glass of water, apologizing, "I'm sorry, we don't have any tea to serve you. Please make do with this."
The furnishings inside the house were very simple, no different from those in an ordinary person's home.
Neither Yuan Qi nor Qi Sheng cared about these things.
Qi Sheng was also from a poor family, and his family was not wealthy. Renting a house in the capital would cost a lot of money. However, he was never married, so he was self-sufficient and his salary was enough, with some left over.
Qi Sheng said politely, "Sister-in-law, you don't need to be so polite. We don't stand on ceremony. You should tell the Taoist priest about Li Fu's matter so that he can see what's really going on."
Only then did Cui Wenqing begin to talk about her husband.
“Actually, since we settled here the year before last, my husband and I have been quite loving. Although we weren’t rich, we lived a harmonious life. Every now and then, we would send some money to my parents-in-law to help with household expenses. But things started to change two months ago. A powerful man my husband knew suddenly died. My husband said he jumped into the lake. My husband had a good relationship with him and even went to the funeral. After returning from the funeral, my husband started acting strangely, going out every few days.”
“My husband usually comes home around sunset. At first, he would only come home late once every other day, and it would be dark by the time he got home. When I asked him what he had been doing, he wouldn't tell me and would tell me to mind my own business. From then on, he treated me differently and wasn't as nice as before. Later, he became more and more unreasonable. He would come home after dark every day, and he stopped bringing home his salary. When we told him we were out of rice, he didn't care.”
“He wasn’t like this before, sigh… The key thing is that lately he refuses to sleep in the bed with me. He either sleeps on the floor or on the table. It’s like he’s not my husband.”
Qi Sheng nodded: "That's right. Brother Li is also different from before at the Hanlin Academy. These days he's been neglecting his duties. He always makes excuses when given tasks by his superiors, and he's always asking for leave. Sometimes he even asks others to do his work. This is not like him at all. Once, he didn't go home for several days. When my sister-in-law came to the Hanlin Academy, he went out and scolded her, telling her to go home immediately."
"I sensed something was wrong, so I followed him after he finished his shift. You'd never guess what he did!"
Cui Wenqing wept, clearly aware of the matter. She choked out, "I even suspect my husband has been bewitched. Why would he fall for a woman with a child!"
Yuan Qi glanced at Qi Sheng, who nodded: "That's right. Daoist, do you see any evil spirits in this room? Is Brother Li possessed by an evil spirit, which is why he's behaving strangely?"
Yuan Qi looked around the room again and found it was indeed a bit chilly: "There is something unusual about it. I can sense a trace of ghostly energy, but whether your husband has been possessed by evil spirits can only be determined by seeing him in person. But don't worry, it's not a big problem."
Cui Wenqing's mood improved considerably, and she finally smiled. She looked at Qi Sheng politely and asked, "Brother Qi Sheng, do you know where he is?"
Qi Sheng said, "I know, it's not far from here, there's a place called Plum Blossom Alley. Let's set off now. But sister-in-law, you're heavily pregnant, it's inconvenient for you. Maybe you shouldn't go? I'm worried you might see something that you can't handle."
Cui Wenqing's attitude was very firm: "I'm not afraid, I just want to see who harmed my husband!"
Yuan Qi hummed in agreement: "How many months pregnant are you?"
"A little over six months." Cui Wenqing, afraid that Yuan Qi wouldn't take her with him, immediately said, "It's not a long pregnancy. I can still carry water myself and do heavy work."
"In that case, let's go together."
Yuan Qi didn't dare to walk too fast on the way, and slowly followed Qi Sheng in that direction.
Cui Wenqing also talked a lot about when they got married in Qinghe County. Yuan Qi learned that Li Fu was actually a very good man. He was not only talented, but also very good to his wife. The two were an enviable couple in the surrounding area.
Before long, we arrived at Meihua Hutong.
Today was a day off, and Li Fu and Qi Sheng were drinking together when Cui Wenqing discovered them. Cui Wenqing questioned him about what he was doing all day long, especially on his day off, not helping her with chores and instead drinking outside, etc.
The two started arguing, and after a few words, Li Fu stormed off.
Qi Sheng had no choice but to send Cui Wenqing back and then come to invite Yuan Qi.
Along the way, Yuan Qi finally figured out the cause and effect of the matter.
Qi Sheng stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a short while, a woman wearing a floral-patterned jacket and skirt came out to open the door. Upon seeing the three of them, her eyes were filled with strong hostility: "Who are you looking for?"
Qi Sheng said, "I am Li Fu's colleague. I've come to discuss something with him."
The woman quickly closed the door.
Qi Sheng didn't hesitate either, immediately using his foot to brace the door: "Open the door."
The woman said, "I don't know you. If you don't leave, I'll call for help."
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