Zhou Shaojin wrote a letter to his father in indignation, while Zhou Chujin went to Cheng Mian.
After hearing what happened, Cheng Mian was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth for a long time. He asked Zhou Chujin: "Do you have a confession?"
Zhou Chujin said, "We have never been to court. If we ask them to sign, I don't know if it complies with government rules."
Cheng Mian took the signed confession and looked at it, then said, "Don't make this public for now. I'm going to the Jinling government office right now."
Zhou Chujin replied “yes” in a serious tone and returned to Wanxiangju.
In the afternoon, Cheng Mian sent someone to hand over Xinlan and Lanting to the Jinling government office.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
After handing the people over to the government, whether Xinlan and Lanting lived or died was no longer their business. Otherwise, if a murder case happened in the hands of her sister, and it got out, regardless of right or wrong, her sister would be known as a vicious person. Just like in the previous life, Li Shi left the mother and kept the son. Although it was in accordance with the etiquette, her father still thought she was vicious. The little things between the husband and wife gradually became cracks, and the cracks became frictions. In the end, they spoke ill of each other and turned against each other.
This is also the reason why Zhou Shaojin suggested that his sister hand the person over to the government for interrogation.
With the relationship between the Zhou and Cheng families, she was not afraid that the government would not be impartial.
Zhou Chujin, however, felt unfair.
The scar left after being turned over is only the size of a bowl. It would be too easy for Xinlan and Lanting to be dealt with like this!
At least they should suffer a little.
But the woman had already been handed over to the government office, and it was too late for her to do anything.
If she had known this, she should have told Uncle Mian a few days later...
When Zhou Chujin woke up in the morning, he looked a little unhappy.
Zhou Shaojin knew that her sister must be as sad as she was, so she silently helped her sister serve the porridge and moved her sister's favorite vegetarian shredded vegetables with sesame oil and mixed jellyfish in front of her.
Zhou Chujin smiled with relief, patted her sister's hand, picked up the steamed buns that Zhou Shaojin liked to eat, and said with a smile: "You eat too! Don't worry about me, I will be fine in a few days."
Zhou Shaojin understood.
Just like in her previous life, when she encountered sad things, she had no one to talk to, so she would just stay alone for a few days and her anger would subside.
She shook Zhou Chujin's hand.
It would be nice if my sister could confide in her someday!
She would also comfort her sister just as her sister comforted her.
After breakfast, the two sisters went to see Old Lady Guan.
This matter was kept secret from others, but not from her.
Old Lady Guan sent away the servants in the room and kept the sisters to talk, saying, "You did the right thing. We are a serious family of scholars, and we will not tolerate bullying and killing people. But this matter cannot be dealt with quietly as you and your uncle discussed. We should also let out some words that should be said. Especially in Cunyifang. When we returned the property they had deposited in our name to them, Mrs. Bai rarely came here. I think she must still have resentment in her heart. I have always been a little worried that Cheng Lu will gain power in the future and make enemies with our family. Although we are not afraid of him, it is always uncomfortable if someone hates you like this.
"Now that such a big thing has happened, we will not hold the Cheng family responsible. This is already a generous and kind act towards them. The two families no longer owe each other anything."
Old Mrs. Guan wanted to use this matter to blackmail Cheng Lu.
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin both agreed.
Anyway, even if they sued Cheng Bai, Cheng Bai had been dead for so many years, so they couldn't do anything to him. Instead, the grudge between the Cheng and Zhuang families would be brought up, causing Zhuang Liangyu to be criticized.
It would be better to spread some rumors that are favorable to him, so that Dong and Cheng Lu will not be able to hold their heads up in the Cheng family in the future.
"Then it's settled." Old Madam Guan was very satisfied with the sisters' obedience and said, "Don't worry about this matter. I have my own ideas. Chu Jin, don't help your aunt with housework these days, and Shao Jin, don't go to Jing'anzhai to study. You just stay at home. If anyone asks, just say you feel a little uncomfortable and need to rest for a few days."
This is to make the sisters pretend to be sad!
There was no need to pretend, they were already sad enough. But if it could embarrass Dong and Cheng Lu, Zhou Shaojin was still willing to pretend.
The two sisters nodded in unison.
Old Lady Guan then said, "You should all keep a copy of the complaint and the verdict sent to the government office. Although it is said that officials will not arrest people if they do not sue, if someone dislikes Cheng Lu and reports this matter to the Ministry of Rites... With a father like this, it will be difficult for him to become an official!"
Ginger is still spicy with age!
Sister Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed and thanked Mrs. Guan repeatedly.
In the afternoon, the news that Zhou Shaojin's biological mother Zhuang was killed by her maid Xinlan and that Cheng Bai, who lived next door to Zhuang's mother's house, was also involved popped up like bamboo shoots after rain in a certain area of Jiuru Lane.
Ji Ying came to visit Zhou Shaojin and comforted her with some awkward words: "The net of heaven is vast and wide, nothing can escape it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have discovered the clues after so many years. Don't worry, they will not have a good ending."
Zhou Shaojin felt warm in his heart and thanked him gratefully.
Ji Ying asked curiously, "Xin Lan is married now. She wanted to follow Cheng Bo and ran away quietly. Why would she come back to harm your mother? She is really strange! Does she want your mother to support her? Could it be that your mother couldn't stand her behavior and threatened to report her to the police or tell her husband, so she had such evil intentions?"
Zhou Shaojin was sweating.
Mrs. Guan's tone was unclear. She just wanted to blur the perspective and let everyone guess for themselves, trying not to involve the Zhuang family. Unexpectedly, Ji Ying came up with such an answer.
If only everyone thought like her.
Zhou Shaojin went to close the door and whispered to Jiying what had happened - Jiying was able to take out the silver hairpin that she had hidden away and which might even be her life-saving hairpin to help her, so she couldn't selfishly hide it from Jiying.
Ji Ying was so angry that her face turned red. She kept saying, "How could you hand those two slaves over to the government? I think you should burn them to death so that others can see what happens when they offend you."
Light the sky lantern!
Zhou Shaojin vaguely seemed to have seen it in a book.
Very cruel.
She asked, "Have you ever lit a sky lantern for someone?"
"Oh!" Ji Ying looked a little uncomfortable and said, "No. But my brother has lit sky lanterns for people."
Zhou Shaojin was very suspicious.
Ji Ying quickly changed the subject and said, "Isn't the Cheng family known as the number one family in Jinling? Your Cheng family's name card should be very useful in the Jinling government office. Can you sentence them to death by a thousand cuts? I heard that it's as powerful as lighting a sky lantern."
"I don't know!" Zhou Shaojin said in a gloomy voice, "My sister has been feeling unhappy about this!"
"If it were me, I would also be unhappy." Ji Ying had a good impression of Zhou Chujin. She thought she was dignified and generous, yet gentle and honest.
Zhou Shaojin was just about to say something to comfort Jiying when Cheng Ji came over.
As soon as she entered the room, she shouted, "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? If I knew, I would definitely not let you hand him over to the government." As she spoke, she looked around and said, "Where's cousin Chu Jin? Didn't she say you were feeling bad? Where did she go? Why didn't she come to accompany you?"
"I'm not a three-year-old child." Zhou Shaojin said angrily, and ordered the maid to serve tea and snacks to Cheng Ji.
Only then did Cheng Ji see Jiying and greeted her.
Jiying nodded lightly and sat there thinking.
Cheng Ji didn't care and whispered to Zhou Shaojin: "What do you think? Can we pretend to be Lan Ting's relatives and send her a pot of poisoned wine to poison her to death..."
Zhou Shaojin said unhappily: "It would be better to sentence her to immediate death!"
Cheng Ji chuckled and touched his head embarrassedly.
Ji Ying suddenly said quietly: "I have an idea..."
They both looked at her.
She raised her hand to adjust her temples, and said slowly: "When I was at home, I heard people say that the darkest place in the world is the prison. It is full of criminals who can do anything. But the easiest place to do things in the world is also the prison - as long as you have money, the jailers don't care what your status was in the past, or what you have done. Anyway, there is no good person, and they can kill and burn with ease. I think, instead of pretending to be Lan Ting's family and sending her a pot of poisoned wine, it is better to use the money to bribe the jailers in the prison, let her suffer three meals a day, let her regret it... It's better!"
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Ji looked at each other and asked, "Is there such a thing?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Ji Ying said unhappily, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Cheng... um... your uncle Chi. He's used to dealing with the government, so he knows it best."
"I believe in Jiying!" Zhou Chujin's voice suddenly sounded in the ears of Zhou Shaojin and others.
The three of them turned around and saw Zhou Chujin walking in with a haggard look on his face.
She glanced at Jiying and said, "I believe what Jiying said." Then she said, "Jiying, if I send someone to take care of those jailers, who should I ask? The prefect? The deputy prefect? The assistant magistrate?"
"Should we go find the head of the jailers?" Ji Ying thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "The last time the Huai'an boat capsized, it was Qin Ziping who asked one of his men to do it. If we were to find the prefect, the co-prefect, or the assistant prefect, Qin Ziping should have done it himself."
Zhou Chujin nodded and said to Jiying sincerely: "Thank you! When I finish this matter, I will invite you to come over for a simple meal."
"No, no." Ji Ying said a little embarrassedly, "It's just a small favor, Miss, there's no need to be so polite."
Zhou Chujin smiled and didn't say much, but Zhou Shaojin could see that her sister had made up her mind and was definitely going to treat Jiying to a meal. She thought this was a good idea.
Ji Jian is a friend worth making.
Zhou Chujin called Ma Fushan into the mansion, and the two decided to take out two hundred taels of silver to bribe the jailers.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said: "I'll pay for this money!"
But before she finished her words, she thought of her empty box, and her momentum suddenly weakened. She looked at her sister and Ma Fushan quietly.
Zhou Chujin was thinking about how to "take care" of Xinlan and Lanting, while Ma Fushan was thinking about who to ask to be the middleman. Neither of them noticed her expression. Ma Fushan even laughed and said, "How can we let the second young lady pay for this? This is a family matter. If we need to pay, it should be paid by the family. The second young lady should keep the money for herself to buy flowers to wear!"
Zhou Shaojin didn't even dare to say a polite word and returned to his room in depression.
Silver, silver!
It turns out that the hard-earned money is so important!
She has to find a way to increase revenue and reduce expenditure!
Madam Guo sent Biyu to invite Zhou Shaojin over to talk.
※
Sisters, today's pink ticket will be added!
O(∩_∩)o
※(To be continued)