Song Jiyun returned to the Song Family home and in less than a Shichen, she left again.
She took Zheng Quan to Wong Dahai’s home.
Zheng Quan couldn’t help but advise her, "You should rest for a while, you didn’t sleep all night yesterday."
"Time wait for no one." Song Jiyun shook her head, "These past few days I’ve been busy with my father’s seventh-day funeral rites and the Kiln Factory’s affairs. But since everything originates from Wong Dahai, I should visit his home for clues."
Unable to dissuade her, Zheng Quan had no choice but to accompany her to Wong’s home, located in the north of the city.
Since it was close to the kiln factories outside the city, many Kiln Factory Store Managers and master craftsmen had settled here.
The one who answered their call was Wong Dahai’s youngest son. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
In such hot weather, he was dressed neatly, as if he was about to leave the house.
Upon seeing Song Jiyun and Zheng Quan, he was greatly startled and turned around, yelling into the house for his "mother," saying, "The young miss and Steward Zheng are here."
Madam Wong hurried out to greet them.
She was also dressed neatly in a bean-green summer fabric Beizi vest, with two date-red silk flowers pinned next to her bun.
A thought struck Song Jiyun, and her gaze lingered on the two silk flowers for a moment.
With her husband’s fate uncertain, could Madam Wong actually be in the mood to dress up?
Without showing any emotion, Song Jiyun followed Madam Wong to the hall to be served tea.
The hall was cluttered with large and small packages.
Madam Wong explained, "With no news of my husband until now, I thought of taking the children to the Nameless Temple to offer incense, fast for a few days, and pray to the Bodhisattva to bless us with news of him soon."
As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief and started crying.
Song Jiyun couldn’t help but comfort her a few words.
But there was something strange about her tears.
Even when she stopped crying, the tears kept flowing, and her eyes quickly swelled up, as if she had been irritated.
Song Jiyun looked around the Wong home.
Aside from the study, all other doors were either half-closed or wide open.
She said, "I would like to see the study."
Madam Wong hastily replied, "There’s nothing left in there. The people from the yamen have already searched it several times, and even taken away every scrap of paper."
Song Jiyun got up and headed toward the study, saying, "There might be something that was overlooked. It’s always good to be cautious."
Madam Wong had no choice but to accompany Song Jiyun into the study.
The study was a single room. Against the wall were shelves for books or display items, in the center stood a large desk, and behind it, an Arhat bed.
As Madam Wong had said, the study was spotless; other than the furniture, there was nothing left.
She looked around, and indeed, not a single piece of paper was to be found.
Madam Wong then said, "Not to mention you, even I wanted to find some clue and nearly turned the study upside down."
Only then did Song Jiyun notice a life-sized Peony Painting hanging on the wall behind her.
Undeterred, she continued to look around and even pushed open a window for a better view.
Madam Wong said, "Behind there is where the maids live. After such an incident in the family, the constables from the yamen took them in for questioning and haven’t let them out yet."
The window was a bit far from where Madam Wong stood, but rather than joining Song Jiyun by the window, she preferred to stand there and speak loudly to her.
A normal person would accompany their guest wherever they went, wouldn’t they?
Song Jiyun walked up to the Peony Painting.
Madam Wong still did not move, her smile appeared somewhat strained, and she said, "Young mistress, what are you looking for?"
Song Jiyun replied, "This peony is well painted, who is the artist? I would like to see the signature."
Madam Wong’s smile became stiff, and she said, "It was painted by Mr. Han from the Imperial Kiln Factory. He’s good at painting people and peonies. As you know, my husband often socialized with Eunuch Wan on behalf of the Owner, and through that, he became acquainted with the people from the Imperial Kiln Factory."
She talked at length.
Song Jiyun was almost shoulder to shoulder with her, yet she still stood her ground without moving.
"Is that so?" Song Jiyun said with a faint smile, leaning against the desk, "That must be quite difficult."
"Zheng Quan," she said, "take down that painting for me to have a closer look."
Madam Wong’s face immediately turned somewhat pale, and she refused, "This painting is very valuable. Mr. Han doesn’t easily paint for others, and it took my husband several years to persuade Mr. Han. It’s hung here specifically to avoid any accidents."
Zheng Quan wouldn’t care what she said and reached out to take the painting.
"No!" Madam Wong wanted to stop him but could only watch helplessly as Zheng Quan took down the painting.
Behind the painting was a stretch of pristine wall.
Song Jiyun just heard Madam Wong let out a long sigh of relief.
She smiled faintly.
There wasn’t even a trace of where the painting had hung.
Perhaps Madam Wong had sighed with relief a bit too soon.
Song Jiyun sat down in the Taishi Chair behind the writing desk, the Peony Painting laid out on the desk.
She reexamined the study.
Apart from the Peony Painting, there was only the folding screen hanging next to the desk.
The black-lacquered frame of the screen seemed to be more lustrous in the lower right corner than the rest.
Song Jiyun stood up and took a closer look.
The screen wasn’t gleaming because it was frequently cleaned; it was because people often touched it.
Song Jiyun smiled sweetly at Madam Wong, and then, with the swiftness of lightning, suddenly grabbed the corner of the screen and shook it vigorously from left to right.
A thunderous "boom" was heard within the room as the white wall where the painting had hung began to split open, revealing the door to a secret chamber.
"No!" Madam Wong screamed in anguish, "That, that’s where our family keeps the porcelain collection."
Without waiting for Song Jiyun’s instructions, Zheng Quan had already bent down and walked in, and in a moment had Wong Dahai, who had caused an uproar in Liang County these past few days, pushed out.
Wong Dahai’s face was pale, showing a mix of shock and fear.
But Madam Wong threw herself at Song Jiyun’s feet, "Miss, please, he didn’t mean to hide. He did it for the Kiln Factory, for you!"
"Is that so?" Song Jiyun looked at Wong Dahai with a pseudo-smile, "Does Head Shopkeeper Wong think so too?"
Wong Dahai shivered as if he had just come to his senses and hurriedly said, "Yes, Miss, that’s exactly what I think."
His mind raced, "I, I know that before the Owner died, he wanted you to manage the Kiln Factory. But since the Owner suddenly passed away and Third Old Master kept coming to see me, pressuring me to help him. Although I was reluctant to do such a thing, remembering the kindness of the Owner, yet since Third Old Master is indeed your uncle by blood, I feared being caught between a rock and a hard place! I had no choice but to resort to this, as a way to warn you, Miss!"
He also called out to Madam Wong, "Quick, get me the inventory list I gave you that day!"
"By doing so, I could also help Miss to root out those who are undermining the Kiln Factory from within." As he spoke, he seemed to portray himself as a hero bearing indignities, full of grievances, his eyes even welling up with tears, "Didn’t Song Li collude with Ninth Grand Master?"
Song Jiyun smirked as if she found his words quite reasonable, "Where is the Blue and White Dragon Pattern Sea Waist Mug now?"
Wong Dahai paused, then promptly said, "It’s also with me, but I stashed it in a different place..."
Song Jiyun, tired of his nonsense, gently knocked on the desk to cut him off and said, "The reward my uncles offered is quite hefty, isn’t it? I wonder how many people have come snooping around these days? You planned to visit the Nameless Temple to make an offering, and since it’s outside the city, it would be easy to find a place to hide for a week or two, wouldn’t it?"
Wong Dahai’s expression became less natural, "Miss, what are you implying..."
"The glaze shop of that Madam Wang has made quite a profit for you over the years, hasn’t it? Who else knows about it?" Song Jiyun continued without paying him any heed, "Tell me, if I were to report this to the authorities and make you cough up all that you’ve swindled, what would happen? I hear if one feeds silver to the Governmental authorities and cannot reclaim a debt, they allow the debtor to redeem themselves by being sold. I wonder how much your whole family could fetch?"
"Miss!" Wong Dahai broke into a cold sweat and knelt "plop" in front of Song Jiyun.
Song Jiyun didn’t bat an eyelid, "You don’t think that, after the fate of the Song Family Kiln Factory is decided, you can come out of hiding and get away with everything because you’ve been missing?"
"No, not at all." Wong Dahai turned as pale as death having had his thoughts read by her; still unable to let go, he said, "I genuinely wanted to help you, Miss. Otherwise, why would I disappear in advance? I could’ve disappeared just one day before Prince Ning’s Mansion shipped out their porcelain."
"That only proves that you haven’t been a complete fool!" Song Jiyun said and shot a glance at Zheng Quan.
Zheng Quan stepped forward and pinned him to the ground with his foot.
Wong Dahai cried out in pain.
Song Jiyun stood up, her gaze sharp as a knife looking down at him, and said sternly, "Where is that Blue and White Dragon Pattern Sea Waist Mug?"
Zheng Quan ground his foot a bit.
Almost wetting himself in fear, Wong Dahai hurriedly said, "With my wife! It’s with my wife!"
Song Jiyun sneered, settled back into the chair behind the desk, and leisurely said, "Then we can start having a good, long chat!"
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