Chapter 87: Tracing the source
Chapter 87 Tracing the Root
Staring at Xiaofen's heartbroken look, Chu Nanzhi couldn't bear it, but in order to find out the case as soon as possible, she had to continue to ask:
"Sister Xiaofen, then you carefully recall the memory, from picking tea to before the incident, did you see any suspicious people in the yard, or who else touched that bag of tea besides your little mother?"
Just finished speaking, she was worried that she didn't explain clearly enough, so she quickly added: "For example, who did you come into contact with when picking tea, and who were there when drying tea?"
Of course, the maid Xiaofen is also among her suspicions.
Although it is a bit cruel, it is inevitable that all possible suspects will be checked one by one in the process of handling the case, so as to narrow down the suspected target more precisely.
This is also her usual investigative method when she was a criminal policeman.
Judging from the clues we have so far, this little maid has nothing to do with the case.
After her reminder, the maid Xiaofen also began to carefully recall in her mind the search for the relevant strangers she met from picking tea last month to before the owner’s poisoning, and then slowly narrated:
"My servant remembers that on the eve of the summer solstice last month, the mistress came to Xiaoniang's courtyard and said that Nanhua Temple had a lecture on Taoism. She wanted to invite her to go with her. She stayed in the temple for three days, and when she returned, she saw the honeysuckle on the back mountain of Nanhua Temple. It was in full bloom, so I took my mother to pick some, but I didn't meet any strangers, and as for the drying of the tea after I came back, it was all done with the help of my servants, and no one else made trouble."
After racking her brains for a while, she explained seriously:
"My young lady always likes to be quiet, so there are no other maids in the courtyard, only slaves."
"Um."
Chu Nanzhi nodded thoughtfully: "Ms. Han often invites your young lady to go to Nanhua Temple together, or go out for an outing?"
"it's not true."
Xiaofen answered decisively.
Looking around the crowd with tears in her eyes, a look of panic suddenly appeared on her face, and she said anxiously:
"It's not that the slaves want to slander my mistress. Although the mistress looks good-looking, the city mansion is deep and tight. On weekdays, even if the young man comes to visit the young lady, she will follow her every step of the way, even if the two of them talk to each other. She has to listen carefully to every word, even if she has never treated the young lady badly, it is still not as good as the rumors outside."
Regarding this point, Chu Nanzhi somewhat agrees.
Seeing that the little maid's words and demeanor were quite sincere, she suddenly raised her face when she was doubtful, and said in a stern voice: "Xiaofen, what you said just now could not be a deliberate slander against Mrs. Han who kicked you out of the house. People?"
Being questioned by Chu Nanzhi like this, Xiaofen was so frightened that she fell to her knees again:
"Although the servant girl is just a humble maid, she doesn't have to rely on the Shen family to survive. These years, the young lady has saved some money from time to time to reward the servant girl, and let the servant girl take it back to her hometown in the south to collect for the family. There are a few acres of good land, and the younger brother of the servant girl is also a conscientious man, who has been thinking about the servant girl, and the whole family is looking forward to the servant girl returning home as soon as possible, if it is not for the loneliness of the young lady, why would the servant girl stay here so hard."
After complaining heart and soul, she began to complain for Shen Yang:
"It is said that my young lady was lucky enough to meet a benevolent mistress, but who knows that she is the one who can't tell the real suffering. Back then, my young lady fled unaccompanied and came to Tong'an Village and was coaxed by the mistress to come to Tong'an Village. The female envoy in charge of the house, but later forced her to become a concubine for the continuous descendants of the Shen family,
She is also born in a scholarly family and can read and write. She has always been contented and happy without coveting glory. If she hadn't been coerced, she would not be able to find a stable and reliable man to marry with her talent and appearance. Wife, why would you be humiliated as someone else's concubine? "
After listening to Xiaofen's narration, Li Sanmu first sighed for a while, and couldn't help but sigh: "A few years ago in the village, I heard that the head of the Shen family took in a beautiful concubine, but I didn't expect it to be forced by Mrs. Han. of."
When this matter was mentioned, Xiaofen became even more indignant, and continued to narrate with a bit of anger: "This slave will never dare to lie, the nuns in the Shen family who have been in charge for a long time are well aware of this, slave I overheard it when they were chatting, and later, I saw the young lady alone in the courtyard, and she was drunk that day, so she told her slaves about all her experiences."
"In this way, Shen Yang is indeed a poor person."
Chu Nanzhi looked around at the people in the carriage, and saw that everyone was fascinated by what they heard, and she couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Thinking of the original topic, she asked back without delay:
"You said just now that Mrs. Han doesn't often take Shen Yang out. Why did she want to take her to Nanhua Temple last month?"
Xiaofen thought about it for a while, but was also a little dazed: "I can't figure this out, the mistress just said that this year the head of the family has expanded the business again, and wants to take the young lady to the temple to pray for the Shen family."
Chu Nanzhi continued to ask: "Have you ever traveled together before?"
Xiaofen frowned and thought about it carefully, then slowly shook her head.
Chu Nanzhi probably had some calculations in her heart. Thinking about Shen Jia Erlang, she asked again:
"I heard that the Shen family's first family and the second house are not in harmony, but seeing it with my own eyes today, it doesn't seem to be the case. Mrs. Han seems to be very friendly to the second house's nephew?"
"The discord between the two families is just the group of ungrateful people that the head of the family hates the second house."
As soon as the second room was mentioned, Xiaofen puffed up her cheeks and wanted to punch someone, and she lost all good looks:
"Although the owner of my family has been very prosperous in the past few years, he was also very poor in his early years. When he was down, he couldn't even eat a full meal, but his twin brother and his family would rather feed the leftovers to the dogs than give money to the owner. Patriarch Shi didn't feel sad when he fell down like this, but the mistress loved Erlang, if the patriarch hadn't insisted on objecting, and then the mistress gave birth to the young man, I am afraid that Erlang would have been the head of the family by now."
Hearing what she said, Chu Nanzhi was a little puzzled, but before she had time to express her doubts, Xiaofen immediately solved her doubts like a prophet: "Miss Chu, don't underestimate Erlang, he will She is very flattering, she talks nonsense when she sees people, especially in front of the mistress, she always has a docile and filial face."
"Um."
She has already seen this.
The little **** is indeed a master who will come to things, so it is no wonder that he can be favored by the Han family.
In this way, it can be explained why the Han family would rather abandon the adopted son than the second son.
Through a rough overview of her thoughts, she raised her eyes lightly, and looked deeply at Xiaofen: "So, your Patriarch and Mrs. Han have always had differences?"
"Humph."
Xiaofen sneered with a bit of disdain: "It's not a servant girl boasting, but if my young lady is a spoiled and proud person, there is no room for the mistress in this family."
"I see."
Chu Nanzhi suddenly realized that she didn't know whether Shen Jianghe spoiled his concubine and killed his wife, but the relationship between the husband and wife may not be harmonious.
Her eyes fixed on Xiaofen like a torch, and she asked a question that she had kept in her heart for a long time: "Your young lady and Mrs. Han went to Nanhua Temple last month. Have you ever met Taoist Ximen?"
"Taoist Ximen?"
Xiaofen was very surprised, with endless confusion in her eyes, and she didn't know why she had such doubts. She shook her head in thought: "I have never seen this person before."
Hearing this concise answer, Chu Nanzhi once again fell into deep thought.
(end of this chapter)