“I…I saw that uncle climb over the wall and enter Zhou the Butcher’s house.”
He pointed at Wang Erma, "That's him. My father and brother went out to work, and I was home alone. Around 9 a.m., I went to the kitchen to get a big pancake and ate it in the yard. I saw him sneaking around Zhou the butcher's house through the crack in the door."
"Later, I saw him go to the back alley, so I opened the door and quietly followed him. I found that he climbed in through the back window of Butcher Zhou's house."
Wang Erma's lips trembled. "You...you're talking nonsense! I've never been to Butcher Zhou's house."
Bai Bai squinted and slammed his gavel down hard. "Wang Erma, did you go to Butcher Zhou's house or not? If you don't tell the truth, don't blame me for using torture."
Wang Erma's face turned pale, and he knelt on the ground, trembling all over. "No...no, I didn't go to Butcher Zhou's house today."
"Guards, administer severe torture!" Bai Bai shouted.
Immediately, yamen runners retrieved the instruments of torture.
Wang Erma looked terrified and begged for mercy, "M-sir, spare my life! I'll confess, I'll confess!"
“Speak, Miss Su has been cleared of suspicion. Now, you are stammering, and there are witnesses who saw you sneaking into the deceased’s courtyard. If you don’t tell the truth, I can’t help you.”
"Please have mercy, Your Excellency! I will confess!"
"I did go to the master's house today, arriving around 5 a.m. The master wouldn't let me in, telling me to leave through the door, saying I was disturbing his sleep, and that he had to see someone else after he woke up..."
Do you know who he's going to see?
Wang Erma shook his head, "Replying to your question, sir, I do not know. The master did not mention it, and I dare not ask."
"I'm going back now. But as soon as I got back to my lover's place, debt collectors came to my door. I have no money to pay off those gambling debts."
"Suddenly, I was bewitched and remembered that my master said he would go to see someone after he woke up. So I returned to my master's house just as the sun was setting."
"The boy threw stones into the house, but after waiting for a while, no one came out. So he walked around the house and found that a back window of the house was not closed properly, so he went inside."
"I thought the master had gone out to meet someone. I was just thinking of quickly finding some silver and leaving, but I never expected to find the master dead in the bathtub. I was so scared that I almost cried."
He quickly took fifty taels of silver and left.
Wang Erma was truly frightened and kowtowed repeatedly.
"My lord, I only went to steal silver, I really didn't kill anyone! I understood what the coroner said. I was at my old flame's house at that time, she can testify for me."
Bai Bai asked a few more questions in detail and sent two constables to find the old flame he mentioned and to the Qianlai gambling den to verify his words.
Soon, the two constables returned.
Things were indeed as he described.
Upon hearing this, Wang Erma finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.
Bai Bai said, “Although you did not kill Butcher Zhou, you stole other people’s property and kidnapped Su Ruanruan, which caused her serious injury. I will also thoroughly investigate the case files handed down by the previous magistrate. I will detain you for now, and I will settle accounts with you for each and every matter later. Guards, take him away.”
"My lord, spare my life! My lord, have mercy! It was all at the behest of Butcher Zhou..."
Bai Bai ignored him and glanced at the crowd below. "I have now ascertained that Su Ruanruan has no connection whatsoever with the murder of Butcher Zhou. On the contrary, it is an indisputable fact that Butcher Zhou abused and severely injured Su Ruanruan."
"When I first took office, I rectified bad habits, hoping to govern forcefully and enrich the people. Yet, some still slip through the net. I reiterate: if such things happen again, the punishment will be unforgivable. This serves as a stark warning!"
After a moment of silence, he looked at Zeng Yuan outside the hall, who had a somewhat disdainful expression, and slowly said, "Women value their chastity. I have already learned from Physician Wen that apart from the beating, Su Ruanruan has not suffered any other harm."
“You all have elderly mothers to care for and wives and children to raise. You should show compassion and sympathy. I hope you will not spread rumors and put her in a difficult position.”
"It is getting late. The case of Butcher Zhou will be investigated again tomorrow. Anyone who recalls any clues related to this case should come to the yamen. Also, regarding the victim mentioned in the long-forgotten case files, I will certainly give her an explanation. Court adjourned!"
After the court session ended, Mu Bai intended to take Su Ruanruan to the inn to settle her in, as he did not want to trouble others by returning to the tofu shop.
His own courtyard had already been sold to a brokerage firm, and he still had to take some time to tidy up some things.
In the rush to sell, there wasn't time to organize the items, and it was impossible to put Ruanruan back there.
“If Young Master Mu doesn’t mind, we can settle Miss Su in the backyard of the yamen. There are maids and servants in the backyard, as well as clothes for my daughter Baiyun to change into. It’s much more convenient than having a man like you here alone.”
Bai Bai had just heard from others that Mu Bai had actually given up his courtyard for Su Ruanruan. Although few people knew about this, he still found out.
Now even he is homeless.
Tsk, that's quite the infatuation.
When he went to the tofu shop, Ruan Ruan was fine, wasn't she? Who knew that in just a short while, her condition would deteriorate?
I should have stayed by her side instead of leaving.
That's him selling his house today to raise money for ginseng and secret medicine.
Maybe Ruan Ruan will be moved by him too.
Mu Bai didn't want to trouble the tofu shop owner. But then he remembered that Ruan Ruan really needed to be wiped clean and tidied up.
It's indeed inconvenient for him, a man.
If there were maids to help out, that would be excellent.
Su Ruanruan was placed in a side room in the backyard.
Mu Bai stood guard outside the door, watching the two maids bustling about.
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