Ye Cuiru looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a round face and a rather short stature. She seemed a bit shy and cried when she saw Miss Xie's corpse.
Her eyes were red from crying: "How could... how could it be Miss Xie?"
Gu Xin patted her shoulder: "Miss Ye knows Miss Xie? Are you two on good terms?"
Madam Zhu came over and took Ye Cuiru's arm: "Xiaoru, this is Princess Xinxin, who assists the yamen in investigating cases. She's the Princess Xinxin you used to say you admired the most. Don't cry, don't be afraid."
Gu Xin pursed her lips, unsure of what to say about Madam Zhu.
If Ye Cui was as surprised as Zhu Niangzi had been, and then awkwardly tried to bow to Gu Xin, Gu Xin stopped her and asked her to answer a question.
Ye Cuiru whispered, "I know Miss Xie. When my sister-in-law and I went to sell embroidery, it was Miss Xie who told the shopkeeper that she wanted to see me. Usually, she would tell me what she liked and ask me to embroider it. Miss Xie likes the patterns of the Gu sisters the most, but Master Xie wouldn't let her buy them. Once, I designed a pattern based on the Gu sisters' big-headed dolls, and Miss Xie liked it, so she specifically came to me."
After saying that, she blushed and lowered her head, as if she had done something wrong.
Gu Xin raised an eyebrow, knowing why she was acting this way, but didn't say anything. She asked, "Miss Ye, are you and Miss Xie on good terms? Besides talking about embroidery or patterns, do you talk about anything else? What were you doing from noon to nightfall on the seventh day of this month?"
Zheng Qiu has just confirmed that Miss Xie died in the afternoon of the seventh day of the second lunar month, roughly between noon and 5 pm.
Gu Xin asked softly, but the question was quite serious.
Ye Cuiru said with a confused look, "I don't have any other contact with Miss Xie. I just embroider the patterns she likes for her each time. On the seventh day, well, I was sick on the seventh day. I had a fever and didn't wake up until the evening."
Madam Zhu immediately testified for Ye Cuiru: "That's right, Princess. Xiaoru was sick for three days. She developed a fever on the night of the sixth day, and my husband and mother-in-law were terrified on the seventh day. The doctor said that if she didn't wake up on the night of the seventh day, she would die. Our family did nothing that day but waited at home for Xiaoru to wake up! Princess, please bless her, Xiaoru woke up that night, and then she was better on the eighth day. She only had some energy at night. These past few days, she has finally gained some weight back in her face."
Gu Xin grabbed Ye Cuiru's wrist directly. She was indeed a little weak, and her pulse was weak. It had only been a few days, and she still needed to rest. So she instructed, "Miss Ye, you need to continue taking your medicine. Make sure you are completely healthy before doing anything else. Miss Ye is still young, there is no need to rush into embroidery."
Ye Cuiru glanced at Gu Xin shyly, then nodded, blushing and lowering her head.
Madam Zhu thanked Gu Xin repeatedly.
Gu Xin told the two to sit down to the side, and then had the yamen runners bring people in.
Of all the people in Xima Alley, only the two sisters-in-law knew the deceased. Everyone else had come to see him, except for Mrs. Song, the owner of the alley next door. Her son, Mr. Song, said that his mother fainted in the afternoon after hearing that there was a corpse in the well. He called a doctor to come and said that she should rest, because his mother's health was not good to begin with.
After thinking about it, Gu Xin decided to go next door with this young master Song to see Mrs. Song and ask about the situation.
Just as I reached the door, I heard heart-wrenching cries coming from the alleyway entrance; the deceased's parents had arrived.
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