Chapter 51 Mother-of-Pearl Incense (14) It seems the old lady sensed something…
After careful consideration, Jiu Li realized that while Yu Qi's words seemed somewhat far-fetched, there was indeed a possibility, otherwise the aunt would have known. But why would Lu Yan'er's desire to marry be sparked by Tang Chengguan? Could it be that Tang Chengguan knew the man she wanted to marry? Did she see Tang Chengguan and suddenly remember this ideal husband?
That's not right either. She didn't know Tang Chengguan at all before she bought that coral bracelet.
She sat in the chair, racking her brains, but even with a headache, she couldn't figure out the connection between Lu Yan'er, Tang Chengguan, and that mysterious, ideal husband. It was like there was a thin layer of paper separating them, one she just couldn't pierce. Frustrated, she clenched her fist and lightly pounded her head. "Why can't I figure it out! I'm about to understand it right now!"
Yu Qi watched her tap her head from behind the desk and said with amusement, "Have you ever thought about why Lu Yan'er only started thinking about marriage after hearing that Tang Chengguan had died? Is it possible that she felt that Tang Chengguan's death could bring about this marriage for her?"
That's it! She started banging on the table again, three quick taps, "She might know something about Tang Chengguan's death!"
Yu Qi bowed slightly forward, clasped his hands on the desk, and nodded. "I also think the key lies here. Perhaps Lu Yan'er has guessed who the murderer of Tang Chengguan is, and she plans to use this to blackmail the murderer in order to facilitate her marriage."
"But what does the murderer have to do with her marriage?" Jiuli had just finished asking when she realized what had happened. She quickly raised her hand and pointed in the air. "I understand! She thinks the person she wants to marry is the one who killed Tang Chengguan!"
Turning her head, she was confused again. "But why would she make that guess?"
Yu Qi said, "There is only one possibility: she witnessed something with her own eyes, or she has some evidence against this person, so when she heard about Tang Chengguan's death, she immediately thought of the murderer."
She looked horrified and clicked her tongue in amazement, "This Lu Yan'er is really bold. She even dares to extort money from a murderer and wants to marry him."
“Lu Yan’er is already twenty-five years old. She knows that she can’t do this business for more than two years. She still needs to plan for her future. Perhaps the person she is thinking of is really good enough for her, and it’s worth the risk.”
Jiuli then picked up the list again. "I heard from my aunt that this Shen Zhi is the youngest and most promising of Lu Yan'er's guests. He earns a fortune every day, lives in a large mansion, and has dozens of servants at home. His parents died early, and he has no sons. Only his first wife gave birth to a daughter for him. He has no parents-in-law to control him, and no children or nephews to trouble him. Logically speaking, Lu Yan'er should be interested in him, but there is one thing that doesn't suit her: his wife is still alive."
As she spoke, she remembered something her aunt had said, "By the way, this Shen Zhi is the one who bought the coral bracelet for Lu Yan'er from Tang Chengguan that day. Could it be that Shen Zhi and Tang Chengguan had some kind of grudge over the transaction, and Shen Zhi killed Tang Chengguan, and Lu Yan'er happened to catch him doing that? She wants to use it to blackmail him into divorcing his wife so she can marry him as his principal wife?"
"It's not impossible. Let's go to the Shen family tomorrow and take a look."
Jiuli folded the list and put it in his pocket, laughing, "Didn't you already believe that Lao Han was the murderer? Why are you investigating Shen Zhi now?"
“When did I say that Lao Han was definitely the murderer of Lu Yan’er? It’s just that he is highly suspicious, so we can’t let our guard down. It doesn’t mean that others are not suspects.” After he finished speaking, he sat up and slowly walked out of the desk. “Alright, I still have to go to the front to see patients. It’s still early. You go back to your room and get a good night’s sleep so you can get up for dinner later.”
Jiuli agreed, but didn't leave slowly. Once he was out of sight, she ran to his bed and lay down. It was more comfortable to sleep on his bed for a nap.
As she lowered the two sheer, crab-shell-green curtains, a layer of light was absorbed, making the light less glaring and less gloomy. Spots of light fell on the curtain walls, like ripples on a country pond reflecting on artificial rocks. Although she enjoyed the excitement and bustle of Nanjing, she also missed the tranquil, peaceful days in the countryside.
A sachet hung from the canopy. It looked familiar, so she sat up to look at it and realized it was one she had made that spring. The embroidery on it was a mess, but it was unique. He hung nothing on his bed except this sachet. Touching it gave her a feeling of being valued, even though he had never looked down on her. But she felt that his attention to her lately was different from before. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
She lay down and smelled a faint scent of hibiscus and soapberry on his bamboo rattan pillow, and the same fragrance on the quilt, unlike the smelly men outside. She loved this about him the most; he was always clean, carrying the scent of morning dew from the mountains. She had grown accustomed to it; it seemed that from his youth until now, apart from getting taller and more indulgent towards her, nothing else had changed.
She fell asleep in the room without realizing it. After a while, the old lady woke up from her afternoon nap, went to the porch to cool off, and saw Yuqing and asked, "I think I heard Yu'er and the others come back?"
Yuqing was carrying a vegetable basket and heading towards the back kitchen. As she walked, she said, "I'm back early. The master is seeing patients at the shop, and Yu'er is sleeping in his room."
"If you're still sleeping at this hour, you won't be able to sleep tonight."
The old lady muttered as she walked to Yu Qi's room. She originally intended to wake Jiu Li, but when she entered the bedroom and lifted the curtain, she saw Jiu Li lying on her side, hugging the quilt, with half of her face flushed and pressed against the bamboo rattan pillow, leaving some haphazard marks. She couldn't bear to wake her and instead looked at her with great satisfaction.
Once she started looking, she became very focused, and gradually, the old lady's expression became somewhat serious.
She quietly left the house and went to the kitchen to help Yuqing. While hesitating, she pretended to gossip, "Tell me, why is our girl so attached to her uncle? Actually, when she was little, I took care of her more. Her uncle was away from home every few days."
Yuqing stood in front of the stove chopping vegetables and laughed, "After all, she was picked up by the master. She was such a small girl, and she suddenly lost her parents. Naturally, she would be close to whoever let her rely on her first. What, are you jealous, sir?"
According to Yu Qi, Jiu Li was originally the daughter of a friend he met while traveling. Her parents died suddenly, and seeing that she was all alone, he took her back to Suzhou. The old lady was always skeptical, but she never asked him in detail. Firstly, she didn't dare to ask him about his experiences outside in those years, fearing that it would further distance them; secondly, she knew his temperament—if he didn't want to talk about something, you couldn't get a single word out of him even if you pried his teeth out.
But Jiu Li was definitely not his illegitimate daughter. She was certain of that. Given his indifferent attitude towards everyone, it was impossible for him to have an affair with a woman at such a young age. Not even now, let alone back then.
She was only just realizing how frightening it was. Yu Qi hadn't married in a long time, and Jiu Li was all grown up now. The two weren't even related by blood, so she feared something unexpected might happen one day. Yu Qi was steady and might be able to keep things under control, but Jiu Li was completely unruly when she went crazy, and it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn't develop any feelings for Yu Qi.
Unfortunately, she couldn't say these things to others, so the old lady could only sigh, "It's not that I'm jealous, I'm just afraid. I'm afraid that Yu'er will take her uncle as an example and want to find a son-in-law like him."
“What’s wrong with that?” Yuqing said dismissively. “I think the master is perfectly fine. It would be a real hardship if Yu’er were to pick someone like her Uncle Fengqiao in the future.” As she spoke, she became fierce and chopped the knife with a loud thud.
Seeing that she couldn't reason with her, the old lady could only roll her eyes to the sky. She thought to herself that since Yu Qi didn't like the Qi family, she should urge him to find someone else quickly, otherwise Jiu Li might grow up with a crooked mind.
After dinner, Yu Qi was busy at the front of the shop again, and didn't bring the food in until after midnight. After coming in, he rushed back to his room to check today's prescriptions, keeping the old lady awake until she fell asleep. The next day, he was also busy and still didn't have a chance to speak.
On the third day, the old lady got up early to wait for him. As soon as he opened the door to his room, she personally brought in a bowl of tea on behalf of Yuqing.
The tea was placed on the table. Seeing that she was standing by the round table, hesitant as if she had something to say but couldn't bring herself to say it, Yu Qi took the initiative and said, "Please feel free to say whatever you have to say."
The old lady then pulled out a round stool and sat down. "Did you know that the fish was sleeping in your room the other afternoon?"
He didn't come back until dinner time after he left, by which time Jiuli was already awake. So that's what happened; no wonder he smelled a faint rose scent on his pillow when he went to sleep that night.
“That girl has always been disrespectful, which wasn’t a problem before, but now that she’s grown up, it’s not good if outsiders come to the house and see her lying down and sleeping in any room without any regard for propriety.” The old lady carefully chose her words, her face showing a troubled expression.
This touched on Yu Qi's sore spot. Outsiders wouldn't say anything, as they all assumed they were uncle and nephew. However, family members knew each other well, and it seemed the old lady had sensed something.
He could only pretend not to care and nod in agreement, "You are right to be concerned, it was my oversight."
"The main concern is what people will say about her. What young lady can bear such gossip? I think a girl won't mature until she's married. You say the Qi family is bad, but have you made other plans?"
Yu Qi held the teacup on the round table in one hand, remained silent for a moment, then shook his head, "I haven't had time for that yet."
“I know you’re busy, how about I keep an eye out for her? Don’t worry, although she’s not my biological granddaughter, I treat her like my own child. I won’t just give her away to anyone. If I think someone is good, I’ll naturally ask for your opinion.”
He trusted this point, so he could only nod and say, "Then I'll leave it to you to arrange."
As they were talking, they heard the door to Jiuli's room open, and Xiuzhi was bringing water in for her to wash up. After a while, Jiuli came out of the bathroom and went straight to Yuqi's room, where the old lady had already gone back to the main room.
Yesterday afternoon, Yu Qi and Jiu Li went to the Shen family, but Shen Zhi was not home and his wife was ill, so they did not go in. They still wanted to go today, but Yu Qi felt a little uncomfortable because of what the old lady had said earlier, and did not want to go with her.
Just when he was wondering what excuse to use, Zhang Da came looking for him. He said that before dawn, the Lu family's maid had come to report something. Yu Qi took the opportunity to say that he wanted to go to the Lu family with Zhang Da to investigate. He instructed Du Zhong to accompany Jiu Li to the Shen family. After saying that, he ignored Jiu Li calling him from behind and went out to the shop in front with Zhang Da.
Seeing that the sun was obscured by clouds and a wind was picking up, threatening rain, Yu Qi grabbed two umbrellas from the shop, went out, and handed one to Zhang Da. "What did the maid report?"
Zhang Da said, "She said that yesterday afternoon, Old Han's daughter came to the Lu family. She heard Old Han and the girl talking about something strange, so she came to the yamen early this morning to tell me."
What did they say?
"The maid only heard a sentence or two. Anyway, Old Han's daughter seemed to be crying anxiously, chasing after Old Han and asking if he did it. The other maids didn't hear clearly, but she thought it was very suspicious that his daughter asked such a question."
Yu Qi glanced at him and said, "We won't go to the Lu family compound; we'll go to the Han family's instead."
It just so happened that it started to rain, but fortunately it wasn't heavy. Jiu Li and Du Zhong took umbrellas and went out, hired a carriage, and went straight to Shen Zhi's residence in the east of the city. However, when they arrived at the gate of Shen's house, the servants wouldn't let them in. Jiu Li said that he was from the yamen, but the servants laughed at him for no reason. The two of them had no choice but to take the carriage and go to the county yamen to find Xu Bai.
Xu Bai came out and said, "I thought you would be with Zhang Da. I was tied up with some official business, so I sent him to find Mr. Yu first this morning. Why didn't you two come along?"
“Let’s question the others.” Jiuli took out the list and told him about her suspicions about Shen Zhi.
Xu Bai frowned. "Hearing you say that, Shen Zhi is indeed very suspicious."
Jiuli complained with a long face, "It's not just that. When we went yesterday, Shen Zhi wasn't home. When we went again today, his servants stopped us from entering, saying that we weren't from the yamen and didn't have any orders from the yamen, so why should we go into his house to investigate? I only said that I had something to ask Master Shen, not that I was asking on behalf of the yamen. His servants assumed that we were there to investigate, which shows that he knew the yamen people would be there. Isn't that a guilty conscience? And you guys, you're doing things for your yamen, but you won't even give us an official letter."
The carriage swayed back and forth, and the blue amber butterfly hairpin in her hair changed color. Xu Bai saw this and smiled indulgently, "What's the big deal? Tomorrow I'll issue you a document to take with you. You can investigate whichever family you want, and ask whomever you want."
Jiuli smiled, pursing her lips. "Then if I take this official document, can't I do whatever I want?"
This made Xu Bai feel awkward, so he turned his gaze to Du Zhong and asked, "Brother Du Zhong, is your leg injury any better?"
Du Zhong nodded with a smile, thinking to himself that he had been on the carriage for quite a while, and it seemed like he had only just noticed him and was only now remembering to greet him. He glanced at them and then turned his face to the window.
Before long, they returned to the Shen family. Because Xu Bai was the leader, the servant did not dare to stop them again. After going in to report, the gatekeeper called out a servant to invite the three of them in.
Walking along the winding paths and corridors, one can see that the Shen family mansion is indeed quite large. There are many strange rocks and plants interspersed among the various houses, and the sounds of cicadas and birds are endless. After crossing a nine-turn bridge, Jiu Li saw the lotus flowers in the pond below being hit by the rain, and the green plate filled with pearls. Suddenly, he remembered the petal fragments under Tang Chengguan's fingernails, so he stopped on the bridge.
The servant, having lost track of footsteps ahead, turned around and saw the three men standing on the short bridge whispering to each other. He quickly returned and invited them, "Sir, this way."
Xu Bai, holding an umbrella, followed him down the bridge, saying with a smile, "The lotus flowers in your garden are blooming beautifully; I've never even seen many of the varieties before."
The servant, who also knew something about the Qi family, laughed and said, "Sir, you are a man who has seen the world in the capital. Saying you haven't seen it is just a polite way of putting it. If even you haven't seen it, then we should all be blind."
Jiuli glanced at him from behind, remembering what the Lu family's aunt had said: the servant who often followed Shen Zhi was named Shen Er. Coincidentally, the servants at the gate had just called him "A-Er," so it must be him! Therefore, she struck up a conversation with him, "A-Er, do you often accompany your master to the Lu family in Quzhong? Have you heard about Miss Lu Yan'er?"
Ah Er turned around and asked, "The adults came because Miss Lu was killed the other day, right?"
"So you knew she was dead."
"I heard it from people when I went out with my master yesterday." Ah Er shook his head with a smile. "If you're talking about who killed Miss Lu, the first person I think of is Old Han, the cook from the Lu family."
Jiuli smiled. "Even you think it's Old Han?"
"I don't know about other things about Miss Lu, but I do know something about her relationship with Lao Han. Every time I go to the Lu family to have a banquet with my master, I eat and drink in the Lu family kitchen, and I often see Miss Lu picking on Lao Han."
"The last time you went with them, wasn't it on the tenth of the month?"
Ah Er nodded in agreement, “That’s right, it was a few days ago when Master hosted a dinner at the Lu family’s house, and I went along.”
Seeing him getting wet in the rain, Jiuli went over and put an umbrella over his head, deliberately chatting with him, "That day your master bought some jewelry for Lu Yan'er, didn't he? It's clear your master is very generous to Lu Yan'er. I heard from Lu's maid that it cost nearly five taels of silver."
Ah Er looked up and, unable to bear the weight, quickly stepped out of the umbrella. "No, I only spent a little over one tael to buy a bracelet. Miss Lu originally wanted a bangle, but I had to go out and haggle with the shopkeeper."
Just as Jiu Li had thought the day before, there were many guests at the Lu family that day, and the maid didn't notice that after buying the coral bracelet, Shen Zhi noticed that Lu Yan'er was still not very happy, so he chased after her out of the hospital to find Tang Chengguan to buy the bracelet.
"So, has it been purchased?"
Ah Er shook his head. "That seller insisted on three taels of silver. Our master thought three taels wasn't worth it. It wasn't that the goods weren't worth it, but his goods were obviously stolen, yet he dared to ask for three taels. He even mocked our master for being stingy, calling him a poor but arrogant scoundrel who couldn't even do business! Later, when we got home, our master told me that next time he saw that person, he would definitely beat him up!"
As they spoke, they arrived at a small hall, where Shen Zhi greeted them with bows and clasps. Jiu Li put away her umbrella and saw that he was indeed a dashing and romantic man, truly worthy of being Lu Yan'er's "ideal husband".
After exchanging a few polite words with Shen Zhi, Xu Bai got straight to the point, "Sir Shen, we are here today for Lu Yan'er. You must know all about her affairs, right?"
Shen Zhi was heartbroken upon hearing this, "I'm still completely baffled. How come she was perfectly fine the day I saw her, and then suddenly she's gone?"
Jiuli looked at him and sighed, "I heard that Master Shen once wanted to marry Lu Yan'er as his second wife. He must have been very close to her. No wonder he is so heartbroken."
Shen Zhi invited the three of them to sit down, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at Jiu Li, "You all know about this? It's just that the King of Xiang is willing but the Goddess is not; she refuses."
"Why doesn't she agree? It's said that Master Shen is handsome, wealthy, and young, while Lu Yan'er is just a woman from a brothel. It should be her good fortune to marry you."
“You don’t know Yan’er’s temper. She’s proud and arrogant. I have a wife at home, and she would never be inferior to her. Actually, my wife is weak and relies on medicine to keep her healthy. She has no energy to manage the affairs of the household. I told Yan’er that she would be in charge of the household after she marries into our family, but she said that her status was not right and she has never agreed.”
Xu Bai asked, "So she means she wants you to divorce your wife?"
Shen Zhi sighed deeply, "I could never do this. Although my wife is childless and frail and will have difficulty conceiving in the future, she is still my wife of many years. So I cannot agree to her request, and this matter will be dropped."
Xu Bai glanced at Jiu Li, "So, she really did mention this idea to you?"
"She did mention it, but I think she was just making excuses for me. She knows perfectly well that I would never divorce her."
Perhaps it wasn't just an excuse at all, Lu Yan'er genuinely thought so, but Shen Zhi refused at the time, so she had no choice but to give up. Now that Tang Chengguan's matter had happened, she felt that another opportunity had come.
Whether the truth is as Jiu Li thinks depends on the connection between Shen Zhi and Tang Chengguan. Therefore, she asked, "On the tenth day, did you set up a table at the Lu family's house?"
Shen Zhilue lowered his eyelids, as if recalling something.
"But do you really need to think about what happened a few days ago for so long, sir?"
He quickly smiled and nodded, "Yes, yes, yes, I did host a banquet at the Lu family's house on the afternoon of the tenth. I remember the event, but I don't quite remember the date. I only remembered it when you mentioned it, Miss."
"That evening, did you buy jewelry for Lu Yan'er?"
"Yes, I bought it."
"Does the gentleman still remember what you bought?"
His face suddenly stiffened for a moment, then he laughed and said, "Hmm, I don't quite remember that. Women are choosing jewelry, what am I, a grown man, supposed to do? I'll just pay for it."
Jiuli deliberately probed, "Did you buy a coral bracelet and a red agate bangle?"
He gripped the armrest of the chair with one hand and almost stood up. "No! I only bought a coral bracelet."
Jiuli smiled and said, "See, you remember it very clearly."
His face showed embarrassment, and he slowly sat down, turning to Xu Bai with a smile, "If you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have remembered any of this."
Xu Bai nodded with a half-smile, "Does Your Excellency still remember what that person who sold things looked like?"
He laughed again, "A vendor, I remember what he did."
Jiuli's smiling eyes were fixed coldly on his face. "You really don't remember?"
He still shook his head. "I really don't remember. Why would you ask that, young lady?"
Jiuli slowly shook her head, "It's nothing, I was just asking casually."
As they were talking, they saw a maid peeking into the room from outside the door, looking hesitant to go in. Shen Zhi called her in and asked what was wrong, only to find out that the lady inside was refusing to take her medicine when it was time, and he was asked to come in and coax her to take it.
The three then took the opportunity to say goodbye. Du Zhong said as they came out, "It seems that Shen Zhi was right. He and his wife are indeed a loving couple. No wonder he is unwilling to divorce her."
Jiuli said, "But he lied about something else."
Du Zhong thought for a moment, then pointed his finger in the air, “Oh, you mean regarding Tang Chengguan’s matter? Ah Er clearly said that Shen Zhi had a few words with Tang Chengguan and even said that he would beat him up if they met in the future. How could he not remember? But he insisted that he didn’t remember, as if he was deliberately avoiding the topic.”
That's right. If Shen Zhi's heart is open and honest, why would he need to be so cautious? Could it be that after arguing with Tang Chengguan that day, he went home and, unable to contain his anger, went to find Tang Chengguan and killed him?
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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