Having received the silver, Liu Cuiming left happily.
Xu Yuehuai searched for a whole day and night, plus half a morning, but still couldn't find any clues. She began to carefully consider the matter, "My Qianqian is also extremely smart. The only people who could trick her and abduct her are probably family members."
First, Xu Yuehuai ruled out those few, and then Jiang Qianqian's parents. Although they kept saying they wanted to sell Jiang Qianqian to someone to be a child bride, these two scoundrels were always operating under his nose. Xu Yuehuai didn't even see them go out to contact anyone.
Naturally, that's also excluded.
After this process of elimination, everything quickly narrowed down to one person.
"Liu Cuiming!"
The three of them spoke almost in unison.
So the three of them went to look for Liu Cuiming, only to find that Liu Cuiming had vanished without a trace. Along with her disappearance, the eight taels of silver under Zhou Wan's pillow also disappeared completely.
"My mother's money is missing." Jiang Shichen searched under the pillow and looked anxiously at Xu Yuehuai.
When was the last time your mother saw you?
Jiang Shichen speculated, "If I do the math, it was about two hours ago."
Xu Yuehuai emphasized that he must remain calm.
Once they lose their composure, their camp will be completely finished. Xu Yuehuai hurriedly said to Jiang Shichen, "Quickly find Brother Xiao Er to come over."
The waiter replied that Liu Cuiming had returned a quarter of an hour earlier.
Xu Yuehuai immediately understood; it seemed that the difficult problem was about to be solved.
Where are they?
The waiter pointed outside, where a bustling crowd was. Where was she supposed to find her?
“She went over there; I saw her leave with my own eyes.”
At this moment, Liu Cuiming had already hired a horse-drawn carriage and soon left Tonggu County.
Xu Yuehuai quickly realized that the disappearances of Jiang Qianqian and Zhou Wan were inextricably linked to Liu Cuiming. She even deduced what method and time Liu Cuiming would choose to leave.
She's faster.
On the road east of Tonggu County, Xu Yuehuai waited quietly.
Jiang Shichen looked into the distance, "Will she really take this path?"
“This road is a pipeline and the only way to the capital. Compared to those narrow paths, this road is safer, and there are many inns ahead. She will definitely choose this one.”
"It seems a bit..."
Ah Qi frowned, "That's a far-fetched interpretation."
Just as the three were chatting, a carriage suddenly sped towards them from afar. But just as the carriage was about to approach the T-junction, the driver suddenly pulled on the reins. After a brief hesitation, the driver and the people inside the carriage whispered a few words to each other, and then the carriage headed northwest.
Xu Yuehuai pointed into the distance, "Chase after them."
Jiang Shichen was exhausted and soon fell behind, but A Qi and Xu Yuehuai quickly caught up.
Xu Yuehuai was too lazy to waste words. He stepped forward and tore open the carriage curtain. Inside the carriage was indeed Liu Cuiming, who was terrified. Seeing Xu Yuehuai outside, Liu Cuiming stammered, "I'm going out of the city."
"Auntie, there's no better time to go out. It's almost afternoon now, are you really planning to go out?"
"Something urgent has come up." Hopefully, I can get away with it.
But Xu Yuehuai wasn't so easily fooled. She lowered her head, her gaze lingering on her knees, and with a chuckle, Xu Yuehuai leaned in and grabbed the bundle.
It was heavy inside, full of silver.
"Give it to me, that's mine."
Liu Cuiming reached out and asked for it.
Xu Yuehuai opened the bundle and asked, "Auntie, you really are rolling in money. Where did this money come from?"
"This is what I've saved up along the way. Xu Yuehuai, don't push your luck. If you try to steal my money, I'll make a scene."
"Ah Qi." Xu Yuehuai was too lazy to pay attention. "She's not clear-headed enough. She abandoned the moat and made her aunt realize the truth."
In fact, Ah Qi had long wanted to give this good-for-nothing a hard time. Now, having received Xu Yuehuai's order, he grabbed the back of her neck without saying a word and pulled hard. With a whoosh, Liu Cuiming, who was top-heavy, fell out of there.
Liu Cuiming stumbled face-first into the mud, saying, "Xu Yuehuai, the money is mine. It's money I've painstakingly saved up."
Xu Yuehuai sneered.
Ah Qi wasn't a talkative person. He grabbed Liu Cuiming and threw her into the unfathomable moat. Liu Cuiming was terrified and flailed wildly in the water. Seeing that Liu Cuiming had drunk quite a bit, Xu Yuehuai slowly broke off a bamboo pole and stuck one end out.
Liu Cuiming grabbed it.
Xu Yuehuai clutched the silver ingot tightly. "This is over forty taels of silver. How could silver fall from the sky? You must have done something shady. Tell me! Which brothel did you sell Zhou Wan and Jiang Qianqian to?"
"My dear girl, Yue, you've been wronged..."
Clearly, Liu Cuiming was still preparing to spout nonsense and argue, but fortunately, Xu Yuehuai knew Liu Cuiming's weaknesses. He pressed down hard, and Liu Cuiming's head and most of his body sank into the water.
When they floated back to the surface, before Xu Yuehuai could even ask, Liu Cuiming had already confessed without being asked.
“I sold Jiang Qianqian to Tianxianglou, which is right across from the crossroads.”
Where is Zhou Wan?
Xu Yuehuai was surprised. How could Zhou Wan have been deceived? Zhou Wan was clearly very vigilant. Could she have easily trusted Liu Cuiming?
Liu Cuiming's face fell. "I took the little girl's hair ornaments early and used them to deceive Zhou Wan. Now Zhou Wan has been sold to Zhou Qing. Yue'er, everything I said is true. Please have mercy."
Xu Yuehuai hurriedly reached out to pull Liu Cuiming up, but at the critical moment, Xu Yuehuai coughed and said, "Ouch, my hand is cramping, it hurts terribly."
"Feel sorry."
Xu Yuehuai poked at the wooden stick and then tossed it aside.
The two watched helplessly as Liu Cuiming slowly floated down to the bottom.
"Let her fend for herself, let's hurry and save her." Turning around, Jiang Shichen had also arrived.
The two told him what had happened, and the usually gentle and refined Jiang Shichen could no longer hold back and started cursing at the guy.
Actually, there was a little incident involved.
It's truly a coincidence that Zhou Qionghua and Jiang Mingfu took Jiang Shixu out for breakfast this morning. The three of them had just sat down opposite the brothel when they heard a commotion on the second floor. Immediately afterward, a sharp girl's scream drifted out.
The sound stopped the clouds in their tracks.
"I'm looking for my Zhou Niang! Let me go! I won't serve men! Help! Help me!"
The madam gave a sinister smile, staring intently at Jiang Qianqian.
"Nine out of ten women who come to me are chaste and virtuous, but what can you do? They might cause a ruckus at first, but soon they will all be sluts and whores."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qianqian screamed.
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