The old woman's surname was Cai. Many years ago, she married into Fujiazhuang, which was the same village as Fu Jiang.
She was widowed young and had no children. She moved away from Fujiazhuang many years ago and never went back.
Fu Jiang's recent trip back to Qingzhou to dig up his father's grave and scatter his ashes has drawn criticism from the local people.
Many people didn't believe that such an unfilial son could exist in the world, so they went to the cemetery to verify it. Some of them were old acquaintances of Butcher Fu and went to see him out of consideration for their past relationship.
Chen Qing had already arrived in Qingzhou, but he had little success. He also found no useful information when he went to the old Marquis's ancestral home.
After learning that the Marquis of Zhongyong would be going to Qingzhou, he returned to Qingzhou from the old Marquis's ancestral home and hid near the Butcher Fu's grave to see if he could find out anything from the onlookers.
That's how he discovered Old Lady Cai.
Old Lady Cai burned paper money for Butcher Fu, cursing Fu Jiang as a beast and saying that Fu Jiang was as vicious as his mother.
Chen Qing sensed something amiss and revealed himself to inquire. The old woman admitted that she was Fu the butcher's lover and also knew Fu Jiang.
He refused to say much about Fu Jiang's mother.
Upon receiving the news, Marquis Zhongyong rushed over without stopping.
Old Lady Cai now lives in a small, dilapidated house in the town. When Marquis Zhongyong arrived, it was raining heavily outside and drizzling inside. The floor was covered with pots, pans, and other containers that could hold water.
The old woman, wearing a straw raincoat, sat on the doorstep. When she saw people coming, she grinned, revealing a few loose old teeth.
He asked the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, "Are you their leader?"
The "they" she mentioned were the guards Chen Qing left at the old woman's house.
Marquis Zhongyong nodded, "You could say that. Why not have them fix your roof?"
He wouldn't dare say that all his men were good people, but they wouldn't normally stand idly by when the old woman's house was in such a dilapidated state.
Besides, they wouldn't let him go if he wanted to see the old woman.
The old woman's smile widened. "I heard you're from the capital and want to ask me some questions. You'll have to take me to the capital before I tell you."
"I'm going to the capital soon, so it doesn't matter whether this dilapidated house is repaired or not. I'm not going to make it back alive anyway."
There was also a threat in her words: she didn't have long to live, forcing a confession from her was useless, and at worst she would just die.
Chen Qing had already given her money, and seeing that she was taking advantage of him, he wanted to scold her, but Marquis Zhongyong raised his hand to stop him.
He looked at the old woman and asked, "Why do you want to go to the capital?"
"The capital is wonderful; all the people in the countryside yearn for it. This old woman also wants to go and see it. Would you agree?"
Marquis Zhongyong nodded. "If I agree, will you tell me everything you know?"
"Let's eat out again then. This old woman hasn't had a proper meal in years."
A meal is not a problem, but Qingzhou is Fu Jiang's territory, and Marquis Zhongyong does not want to be discovered by Fu Jiang's people.
He asked, "I'll have someone order some to go to the restaurant and bring it over. We can eat here in your room, how about that?"
Old Lady Cai had intended to make things difficult for him, but to her surprise, he actually agreed, "If you don't mind this dilapidated house, then eat here."
Chen Qing went to the restaurant in person and brought back a lot of dishes.
The old woman picked up a piece of pork knuckle with her chopsticks, which melted in her mouth. She smiled and said, "Your subordinate may look cold, but he's quite thoughtful."
This is a dish from Zuixian Pavilion in town. My wife used to eat it, but they usually don't stew it this tender.
"I only cook extra because the customers requested it. The fact that you're considerate of this old woman's weak teeth shows you're not bad people."
She took another bite, swallowed it, and then asked Marquis Zhongyong, "Why are you inquiring about Fu Tu's wife?"
Marquis Zhongyong replied, "Fu Jiang has recognized the Grand Princess as her maternal grandmother and said that her mother is the Grand Princess's daughter."
I felt something was amiss, so I came to investigate.
"Do you have a grudge against him? Did he kill your family, or did he sleep with your wife?"
Perhaps he had too many things on his mind, or perhaps it was because Old Lady Cai was a stranger, and a stranger who couldn't cause any trouble for him.
Marquis Zhongyong felt the urge to confide in others, so he dismissed everyone and told them about Fu Jiang and Lady Liu.
Grandma Cai exclaimed in surprise, "I thought you were a promising person, how come you've ended up in such a miserable state? You have three children, and not one of them is yours."
Your wife has been cheating on you with someone for decades, and you didn't even notice?
The Marquis of Zhongyong also stuffed a large piece of pork knuckle into his mouth, which was truly pathetic.
Old Lady Cai looked at her with sympathy. "He's just a county magistrate in Qingzhou. You're from the capital. Judging from your demeanor, you should be a higher-ranking official than that dog Fu Jiang."
But he's climbed up to your level; you have a traitor among your own people, someone helping him?
Marquis Zhongyong laughed, "You're shrewd, old man."
Grandma Cai said with a touch of pride, "Of course, when I was young, I was the smartest girl in the surrounding villages."
She touched her wrinkled face. "To tell you the truth, I used to be the most beautiful girl in the surrounding area. So many suitors came to marry me that they wore out my doorstep. I used to look down on Butcher Fu."
I felt I was destined to be a noblewoman, so I married the scholar next door, hoping he would pass the imperial examinations and bring me a life of luxury.
Who knew he was all talk and no action, and he died young, leaving me no children. He died within a year, and my in-laws blamed me for being a jinx.
When war struck, he abandoned me and secretly ran away with all his belongings.
It was too hard for a young widow with no one to rely on, so I set my sights on Butcher Fu. Although he was ugly, he was very strong and could protect me.
But someone was faster than me. She was even prettier than me. I heard she was the daughter of a disgraced official who was separated from her by bandits during her exile and ended up in our area.
Fu the butcher, that lecherous fellow, was seduced by someone and lost his mind. Despite his parents' objections, he insisted on marrying that woman.
That woman was lucky; she became pregnant not long after, and the town doctor even said it was most likely twins, a boy and a girl.
Butcher Fu cherished her even more, wishing he could pamper her like the apple of his eye.
But she was a daughter of an official, and even in her misfortune, she still had high aspirations. How could she possibly look down on that butcher who reeked of meat?
After becoming pregnant, and feeling secure in her position within the Fu family, she used her pregnancy as an excuse to avoid any intimacy with Butcher Fu.
Old Lady Cai ate another bite of food, swallowed it with a pursed mouth, and looked at the wine jar in front of Marquis Zhongyong.
Marquis Zhongyong had already put down his chopsticks and was listening quietly. Seeing this, he poured her some more food.
Old Lady Cai took a sip, and the spiciness made her face contort like a bitter gourd. She spat several times before continuing.
"At that time, the soldiers and bandits had reached the area not far from Fujiazhuang. I heard that the women they captured suffered even worse fates than the girls in the brothels."
I was scared, I didn't dare to sleep at night. After noticing the unsatisfied look on Fu the Butcher's face, I used some tricks.
Once a man has tasted the forbidden fruit, and is full of youthful vigor, how can he resist? If he can't sleep with his own woman, he'll naturally fall for it.
Because of this, when Butcher Fu fled to Qingzhou with his family before the bandits occupied Fu Family Village, he took me with him.
Not only did his wife not make a scene, but she also secretly told me to keep bothering Butcher Fu. I knew then that her heart had already flown away.
As expected, I was the most clever girl in the surrounding area when I was young. Sure enough, as soon as she arrived in Qingzhou, she ingratiated herself with a powerful figure.
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