Now the person and the time have been identified, but we don't know who coerced him.
Lu Baichuan then asked, "Brother Zhang, did you see him associating with any suspicious people before?"
This time, Zhang Youwei shook his head: "No, I guess such behavior is something that can't be done in the light of day, so they don't dare to associate with each other so openly."
"Do you know where he lives?"
Zhang Youwei continued to shake his head: "There was only one time when he asked me for a pancake and said that he had nowhere to go and lived by sleeping under the open sky."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Jiuniang said, "This is not credible. He told you that he was threatened by the other party with his family. It's impossible that he doesn't have any family. On the contrary, since his family members can be arrested at will, it means they are also citizens of the city. Of course, this is based on the premise that what he said about his family members being arrested is true."
So now there are two possibilities: one is that the Taoist's family members were really arrested and he was threatened into doing things for others; the other is that he was the mastermind behind this lie and no one coerced him.
As for what exactly happened, we need to investigate further to find out.
"Thank you, Brother Zhang. This information is very important."
Lu Baichuan sincerely thanked them. They had previously thought that the Taoist priest might be from Dongting, and considered the matter in a more complicated way, but now it seemed that the situation was simpler.
"Hehe, I wasn't much of a help either."
Zhang Youwei smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "I'll keep an eye out when I set up my stall tomorrow. If I hear anything, I'll let you know tomorrow night!"
"Great, we just received news that there will be a treasure at Xilai Tower tomorrow, let's go and take a look."
"Yes, yes, yes, ever since this incident became public, Xilailou's business has been booming. It's said that this event was arranged by the owner of Xilailou. You should go and take a look; maybe you'll find some clues."
The couple exchanged a glance. The owner of Xilailou? This is interesting.
Aunt Zhang pulled Jiang Jiu Niang aside and said, "There are too many people and too much attention in that kind of place. It's not convenient for you to go with me since you're heavily pregnant. I'll come find you tomorrow and keep you company."
Sensing Zhang's kindness, Jiang Jiuniang did not refuse and nodded in agreement.
She hadn't originally planned to go. Firstly, she was tired from traveling, and secondly, it wouldn't be safe with so many people tomorrow. She was heavily pregnant and didn't dare to do anything reckless.
After returning from the Zhang family, Lu Baichuan boiled water for Jiang Jiuniang to take a bath. While she was bathing, he unpacked all the packages that everyone had helped carry into the house that day and arranged them neatly by category.
Although the villagers were very familiar with the things that were originally in their homes, they did not directly deal with the things that the villagers brought. They were very good at maintaining a proper balance. So much so that he personally took care of the pig slaughtering at night, as a way of thanking everyone for their help.
When Jiang Jiuniang came out after taking a bath, Lu Baichuan had already tidied up and naturally went to help her dry her hair.
Jiang Jiuniang closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment, saying, "I didn't expect to come back like this. Although not many of the families are familiar faces from before, the new villagers are easy to get along with, no worse than the villagers from Daling County."
"Yes, sincerity begets sincerity. It's truly rare for them to reciprocate our kindness with such sincerity."
Lu Baichuan spoke gently, then added, "I'll take the dog out tomorrow. You stay home and rest. If you need anything, ask Sister Zhang for help. I'll come back to thank her."
"In my opinion, the events at Xilailou are inextricably linked to someone behind the scenes. I need to find an opportunity to investigate the owner of Xilailou..."
He patiently explained his plan to her, only to find the little woman in front of him with her back to him, her head nodding off, clearly starting to doze off.
He didn't say anything, but quickly dried her hair, then picked her up and took her to bed.
Jiang Jiuniang had no guard up next to Lu Baichuan. After lying down, she turned over and continued to sleep.
Lu Baichuan looked at her sleeping soundly and felt a little helpless. He went out and fetched a bucket of cold water to wash himself clean.
His wife has been pregnant for several months now, and he's already gotten used to it.
The dog had already washed up and was reading when he came out to use the restroom. Seeing his father carrying cold water, he asked worriedly, "Daddy, why don't you use hot water?"
"The hot water is gone, and I'm too lazy to boil it."
He doesn't hesitate at all when it comes to fooling his son.
But the dog was genuinely worried about him. He ran to the kitchen and asked in confusion, "Daddy, there's still hot water in the pot!"
Lu Baichuan said calmly, "Forgot? Go do what you need to do. I'm fine."
The dog was still a little worried; it was still early spring, and taking a cold shower could really make him sick.
So he couldn't help but wonder if his father and mother had a fight, and his father was deliberately trying to make himself sick so that his mother would care about him.
Tsk tsk, the dog thinks it's right.
So he decided to find an opportunity to talk to his mother, telling her that she should take her anger in moderation, because if his father got sick, he wouldn't be able to take care of her.
The next morning, Lu Baichuan got up early and went to the kitchen to get busy.
Yesterday, the hospitable villagers brought them rice, flour, and vegetables. They were going to give them money, but no one wanted it, since the villagers had already given them pork.
Since they were neighbors, they didn't refuse any further, only thinking that they could leave them something when they left.
Jiang Jiuniang slept well; the barking of dogs and crowing of roosters in the village did not disturb her sleep. She slept until the sun was high in the sky. Meanwhile, Lu Baichuan and Gou'er had already set off for Xilailou.
There was a small note on the table telling her that the food was being kept warm in the pot.
Jiang Jiuniang was only pregnant, not unable to take care of herself. She washed up by herself, then sat in the kitchen to eat, and felt that this kind of life was really good.
The courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside. It was Sister Zhang. She thought Jiang Jiuniang was still asleep and walked very quietly. But when she saw Jiang Jiuniang already sitting in the kitchen eating, her eyes instantly crinkled with laughter.
"I thought you weren't awake yet! I brought you some food, I just steamed some meat buns, have a taste!"
She sat down casually beside me, warm and charming, just like she had years ago.
"Thank you, sister-in-law!"
Jiang Jiuniang didn't stand on ceremony and took it and started eating.
The steamed buns made by Sister Zhang were actually soup dumplings. They were a bit hot, but they tasted really good. Jiang Jiuniang ate them while praising them, as if they were the best steamed buns she had ever eaten.
“Jiu Niang, your sister-in-law can see that you have really been doing very well these years. Your personality has changed so much. It’s wonderful! But then again, not only did your family settle down in Jingzhou, but you also met the third brother. It’s truly a blessing from heaven. You’ve finally overcome all your hardships.”
With a sigh, Sister Zhang felt a pang of heartache as she recalled Jiang Jiuniang from the past.
"Hehe, sometimes it's out of necessity. I only changed back then when I was fleeing famine. There were bandits and government officials blocking our way. If I had been as timid and cowardly as before, I'm afraid neither Gou'er nor I would have survived!"
Jiang Jiuniang found a reasonable explanation for her change of personality.
As she listened, Sister Zhang nodded repeatedly, tears welling in her eyes. The hardships of fleeing famine back then were truly immense.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Jiuniang was afraid that she would really cry, so she changed her mind and said, "Sister Zhang, over the years I have studied medicine under a doctor and have made some progress. Why don't I take your pulse to check your health?"
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