Chapter 3
Gu Ran immediately figured it out.
I'm afraid that seeing that I gave a gold leaf to Liu Yichang, Mrs. Dou became greedy.
Originally, Mrs. Dou accepted the money from the Qin family in order to collect the body for herself. Whatever was looted from the body would belong to her. So in Mrs. Dou's eyes, the gold leaf should have been hers.
But because I survived, she lost the gold leaves and lost ten taels of silver in vain. Moreover, I just said that I would be very grateful to her. Maybe she thought I still had some money hidden on me, so she simply poisoned me to take my money for herself?
Anyway, she was a prisoner abandoned by the Qin family and was a dead person in the eyes of Chen Jie Guan. Among the post station chiefs, the only ones who knew that she was still alive were her, the guard and the post station chief.
Before Liu Yichang sent anyone to inform them, she killed herself and said that she suddenly became seriously ill and died, which would not be a big deal.
Gu Ran guessed right.
Mrs. Dou was indeed greedy and wanted to embezzle the money from Mrs. Qin Si.
It just so happened that Grandma Qin Si said she was hungry and asked her for food, so she decided to go all out. After returning to the kitchen, she first rummaged through all the drawers and cabinets and found the poison to repel insects and snakes that she had left over from the summer.
The post station was built in the mountains beside the official road. In spring and summer, there were not only many wild animals and wild creatures nearby, but also many mosquitoes, flies, insects and snakes. The kitchen was also an important place in the post station, so naturally a lot of these poisons were distributed there.
Mrs. Dou quickly lit the firewood and heated up the millet porridge that had been cooked long ago. She put a bowl of the porridge into a wooden bowl, and when she picked up the poison, she hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted her teeth and poured it all in. When she was about to stir it with her fingers, she stopped and stirred it with chopsticks instead. Then she found two frozen and hard steamed buns and handed them over together.
When she found out that the steamed buns were frozen, Grandma Qin Si would definitely choose to drink this bowl of hot and warm millet porridge.
Eat her to death!
Then we can tell Lord Liu that Fourth Grandma Qin died after her last breath and we can get away with it.
Mrs. Dou was secretly delighted and walked out of the prison, waiting to come back and collect Gu Ran's body.
At this time, Gu Ran touched his hot forehead.
Originally, this bowl of millet porridge looked hot and I wanted to drink it, but now I have become suspicious and can only decline it.
She looked around the prison and found a dark place in the corner. She endured the discomfort and moved the straw around her over, laying it down layer by layer, twice the size of her body. When it became thick enough, she moved the tattered mattress over and spread it on top, and also moved the two steamed buns and the bowl of porridge over there, and then lay down on them herself.
This time when entering the workshop, Gu Ran not only entered with his mind, but also with his whole body.
Suddenly, there was no one in the prison.
That's why she wanted to find a dark place to lie down.
The light was too bright, and if a living person suddenly disappeared, anyone who noticed would be shocked, and then she would be exposed.
The light was dim, so people beside her couldn't see clearly, which made it convenient for her to enter and exit the workshop.
After entering the workshop, he first swept aside the purse and money that were originally on the desk, then searched again and finally found an empty painted pottery jar on the antique shelf. He picked it up and put it on the desk. Then Gu Ran poured the bowl of millet porridge that he suspected was problematic into the jar, sat on the chair, and began to feel around to see if there was any food in the workshop.
Then I found out, no.
In her previous life, she had spent forty years cultivating to reach the foundation-building level of a cultivator. She had already been practicing fasting and did not need to eat at ordinary times. Especially when she was going to enter the great secret realm called Qin'a, she had prepared weapons to defend against foreign enemies and elixirs to improve her cultivation. She had fasting pills, but this body was not that of an ordinary person in the world of cultivation. These pills were probably incompatible with the Great Sheng Dynasty and should have expired and become invalid. Would it be useful to take the pills?
Gu Ran took out the only storage bag in the space and took out a few porcelain bottles. She looked at them for a long time and then put them back.
For ordinary mortals, casually taking a cultivator's elixir would not only be useless, but it would also easily lead to death due to the inability to withstand the medicinal properties of the elixir. Not to mention that the elixir has lost its original effect. She had just barely saved her life, and if she had any side effects after taking it...
I'm afraid the cost outweighs the gain, so let's just give up.
Finally, the only thing in the workshop that could be linked to food rations was a pot of red tangerines that she used for decoration and refreshment.
No matter in which life, the best way to refresh herself is the smell of oranges.
When she was tired, neither coffee nor pills had any effect on her, but just smelling the scent of oranges would immediately make her refreshed.
So much so that in her first life she particularly liked a song called "Orange Perfume" by a certain singer that she occasionally came across, and she would listen to this song from time to time to improve her work efficiency.
In her second life, in order to maintain her mental state in the workshop, she brought in this pot of red tangerines and placed it in the left corner of the desk.
The red tangerine remained in the same state as before she was struck to death by lightning. It had already borne fruit, with each tangerine hanging among the lush green leaves.
It just so happens that I seem to have some signs of cold and high fever. Eating oranges can not only provide vitamins, but also replenish water and energy, and relieve symptoms.
Gu Ran slowly chewed the two steamed buns and ate them.
Although it tastes bad, it's better than nothing.
After all, I am just an ordinary citizen now. I have to eat three meals a day to ensure that my body functions normally.
When you are short of food and clothing, you cannot waste.
I picked another red tangerine, slowly peeled it and ate it. It was fresh, juicy and sweet. After eating one, I felt it was not enough, so I ate another one. Only then did I finally feel alive.
After the feeling of fullness came, the pain in the body became obvious again.
Gu Ran looked at his red and swollen fingers, then at the orange peel on the table. He was about to take any action when he heard Mrs. Dou's suspicious voice outside, "Grandma Qin Si?" He immediately left the workshop.
"Grandma Dou!"
Mrs. Dou had just asked the guard to open the cell. She followed the sound and found Gu Ran in the corner. She couldn't hide her surprise on her face: "Why... are you lying there?"
"It's nice to lie down here!"
"I'm here to take back your wooden bowl."
Although there are separate prisons for men and women in Qingyi, there are no female jailers. The female prisoners who are temporarily staying in the post station are usually guarded by male post guards outside. Anyway, the prisoners basically stay overnight and set off the next day, so after the female prisoners are driven into the cells, they eat, drink, defecate, urinate and sleep in the cells.
When it was time to set off, the officer in charge of escorting the prisoners came in and shouted, and the guarding postman opened the door and left. There was no need for any female jailer. The only thing that had to be done was to deliver food to the female prisoners, which was done by Dou Pozi from the kitchen.
"Hey, here."
Gu Ran handed the bowl of millet porridge to Mrs. Dou with both hands, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Dou."
As she said this, she forced a smile at Mrs. Dou. Seeing the disappointment in Mrs. Dou's eyes, she naturally understood what she meant. She said nothing, lowered her eyes, and lay back down obediently.
Mrs. Dou looked at the clean wooden bowl, her face a little dazed, and she muttered in disbelief: Why did this person eat it and be fine? Was it because the poison was too old and lost its effectiveness? Or is it that the poison used on insects and snakes is ineffective on humans?
"Grandma Dou, can I ask you for a favor?"
"What's the matter? Why are you so long-winded?"
Gu Ran saw that Mrs. Dou's poisoning had failed, and she thought about the silver that was about to fly away. She did not hide her dissatisfaction and became impatient with herself. She still smiled and asked, "Can you please help Mrs. Dou send a letter to my parents' home for me?"
She had thought about it before. Now that Mrs. Dou wanted to kill her, what should she do?
It was impossible to report it. She was now an exile, locked up alone in a women's prison. The only person she could contact was this old lady Dou. She had no other way to accuse this old lady of plotting against her.
Besides, even if she reported it, it was still a question whether Lord Liu and other postmen in the post station would believe her and make decisions for her. She was afraid that the report would fail and she would offend people instead. Since Mrs. Dou had worked in the post station for many years, she should have some connections, right?
If she gets into trouble and can't do anything herself, but instead orders others to frame her, she will suffer even more.
Therefore, for this kind of troublesome little devil, she could rely on winning him over or intimidating him. However, she had no cultivation and magic skills now, so how could she win him over or intimidate him?
Gu Ran thought about it and decided that the only things he could use were money and the original owner's identity.
The reputation of the Marquis of Yuanning's Mansion is quite great, and it is probably quite intimidating to use it to scare the common people far away in the capital.
Sure enough, when Mrs. Dou heard Gu Ran mention her parents' home, she swallowed the anger in her heart.
Chief Liu seemed to have heard that Grandma Qin Si's family was from a marquis's family and had a very powerful background. If something happened to her, it would be easy to deal with as he could destroy the body and cover up the evidence. If nothing happened, he must not let her see any of his intentions.
So Mrs. Dou's tone immediately softened: "What letter?"
"When Prime Minister Qin asked for my hand in marriage on behalf of his son Silang, he spoke more sweetly than an opera singer, saying that he loved me forever and would never leave me. But what have they done now? The whole family just left me in the post station." Gu Ran said, and burst into tears. "It was because Qin Silang was so good to me that I didn't divorce him when the Qin family was in trouble. I thought that we could share happiness and suffering together. Otherwise, why would I be exiled thousands of miles away? Who knows..."
Gu Ran sang, recited, acted, and performed with ease: "I want to send a letter back to Ningyuan Marquis Mansion to tell my father and mother that the Qin family treated me badly and left me alone to die at the post station. I want my father to make the decision and divorce me."
Although Mrs. Dou could barely read, she had stayed at the post station for a long time and had come into contact with many prisoners. She also knew that her husband had committed a crime. If the lady proposed a divorce, then Mrs. Qin Si would be able to regain her identity as a Gu and would not be implicated in exile.
But, this Fourth Lady Qin has been in exile for so long, and the emperor is far away, how can there be room for maneuver? Mrs. Dou didn't believe it.
Gu Ran saw through Mrs. Dou's suspicion and sobbed twice. She said, "Mrs. Dou, please don't disbelieve me. My father is the Ningyuan Marquis, the one most trusted by the current emperor. He is in the emperor's heart and has always doted on me. When the Qin family was in trouble, he immediately came to the Qin family to persuade me to divorce and go home. I was blinded by Qin Silang's hypocrisy and became so foolish. Now that I have been through the gates of hell, I see clearly that my husband is as hard as iron. If my father heard that I had changed my mind, he would come all the way to make me break off with the Qin family."
Grandma Dou's face changed.
Is this, is Grandma Qin Si’s family really so powerful?
No wonder Chief Liu agreed to the request of Grandma Qin Si. If she was poisoned to death today, the consequences would be disastrous if the Marquis' Mansion investigated in the future.
She almost made a big mistake. After she realized what was happening, Grandma Dou suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
"Grandma Dou, can you please help me post the letter? When my father arranges my divorce, I'll ask him to reward you handsomely. Is that okay?" As if afraid she wouldn't agree, Fourth Madam Qin fumbled around again, pulled out a bit of silver, and timidly handed it to her. "I gave all my silver to Lord Liu the other day, and now I only have this little change left. Could you please go and find me two pieces of paper, a letter inscribed with two carp characters, and some writing brushes and ink? Is that okay?"
When Mrs. Dou, who was hesitating, heard that there would be a big reward, she was eager to act. When she saw the silver, her eyes lit up and she quickly reached out and snatched the silver away. "I think you have a hard life, Grandma Qin Si, so I will help you one more time."
"Thank you, Grandma Dou. I will tell my father in detail in the letter how you helped me, and let the Ningyuan Marquisate know about your great kindness to me. Then, the Marquisate will definitely be grateful to you."
"No, no, it's just a small favor, not worth mentioning." Mrs. Dou said politely, her wrinkles deepening with a smile. "Then you should rest well. I'll find you some paper and ink later."
"Hey, sorry to bother you, Grandma Dou."
Mrs. Dou picked up the silver coins and weighed them, estimating that they were worth about one or two taels. She walked out of the prison with an empty bowl in her hand and a smile on her face.
Oh, I was impulsive. Instead of taking the risk of committing a crime and killing someone to steal the corpse, I wouldn't get much silver. After all, Grandma Qin Si said that the big pound had been taken away by the postmaster. Of course, it would be better to make friends with the wife of a high-ranking official in the capital and get a generous reward. If I tell others about it in the future, it will also make the sons and daughters at home proud.
No wonder Chief Liu was willing to do a favor for Grandma Qin Si. She would be willing to do the same if she were in his place!
Fortunately, Grandma Qin Si was not poisoned to death by her!
When Mrs. Dou outside was rejoicing, Gu Ran also breathed a sigh of relief.
In fact, after the Qin family got into trouble, the Gu family of Ningyuan Marquis Mansion wanted to cut off all ties with the Qin family. How could they care about the original owner who married Qin's Silang?
Even if the original owner desperately wanted to ask the Gu family to let her divorce from the Qin family, the people in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion were unwilling to step in and make the decision. Moreover, the original owner had no blood relationship with Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion. She had also caused a scandal about the real and fake daughter, which brought shame to the Marquis' Mansion. Now that the Qin family was in trouble, they felt that it would be a blessing to take her, the trouble, away with them.
However, this is a matter in the capital, and the true relationship between the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion and the original owner is clear to each other. The post station is thousands of miles away from the capital, and outsiders only know one side of the story. Naturally, not many people know that the original owner and the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion have actually become estranged.
If you can use the information, don't waste it.
She dared to show off in front of Mrs. Dou at this time, but it was just to spread the message.
I hope this can dissuade Mrs. Dou from wanting to kill for money!
As promised, Mrs. Dou brought Gu Ran some writing materials. When she handed her the paper, she suddenly said, "Mrs. Qin Si, could you please write me an IOU for a generous reward?"
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