The Zhou sisters closed the door and talked to Ma Fushan.
Ma Fushan half-sat on the armchair and whispered, "During those days, the government had prisoners escorted here from Jiangning and other counties. Some of the prisoners' families followed them all the way, trying to bribe the jailers, entertaining guests and giving gifts. The prison was a bit chaotic, and we couldn't find any clues after a few days of investigation. But the clues provided by the second young lady... allowed us to find out some very strange things about Zhao Dahai."
"Shao Jin?!" Zhou Chujin looked at his sister in confusion and asked, "What clues did you provide?"
Zhou Shaojin had already thought of a countermeasure. She smiled and said, "I suspected Cheng Lu at the time. If Lan Ting and Xin Lan were murdered, I couldn't think of anyone else who would do it except Cheng Lu. So I reminded Manager Ma to check Zhao Dahai who was beside Cheng Lu... If we do the opposite, we might get something. It seems that my idea worked!" She said the last sentence to Ma Fushan.
Ma Fushan laughed and said, "Second Miss's idea really worked. We found out that Zhao Dahai had returned to Jinling City from Changsha three times since the Chinese New Year. The last time was three days before Lan Ting and Xin Lan died suddenly. He also had dinner with one of the jailers named Chen San. But when we found Chen San, he was already dead in the house. The coroner said that he died of excessive drinking, but Chen San's lover said that Chen San seldom drank..."
Zhou Shaojin was silent for a moment.
Cheng Lu... has it really come to this
Or maybe she never knew that Cheng Lu had already reached this point!
She couldn't help but exchange a look with her sister.
Zhou Chujin asked: "Then do you know how Lan Ting and Xin Lan died?"
"We found out." Ma Fushan said, "He died of arsenic poisoning. Magistrate Wu has asked people to secretly investigate to see if they can find out which pharmacy sold the arsenic. However, Zhao Dahai came from Changsha Prefecture. If he brought the arsenic from somewhere else, then there is nothing we can do."
Arsenic can be used as medicine, but the dosage is usually very small, not enough to kill a person. Few people buy arsenic in large quantities, and usually drug stores have an impression of it.
Zhou Shaojin felt that Zhao Dahai would definitely not buy arsenic in Jinling City.
That way it can be easily detected.
He didn't bring them from other places. He just bought a little bit every time he passed by a place and saved them up little by little.
She pondered and said, "No matter what, you have to investigate it thoroughly. Even if we can't interrogate Zhao Dahai in the end, we have to find out whether it was Cheng Lu who ordered it. Although I suspect him, I can't wrongly accuse him."
Ma Fushan responded respectfully, “Yes.”
Sister Zhou Shaojin personally saw him off.
Watching Ma Fushan's back disappear around the corner of the corridor, Zhou Chujin couldn't help but sigh and said to his sister, "What do you think Cheng Lu is thinking? Lan Ting and Xin Lan will be executed in the autumn, so why would he do this?"
Zhou Shaojin said in a deep voice: "Sister, what if Cheng Lu doesn't believe that his father did anything against the will of heaven? What if he thinks that we kept Lan Ting and Xin Lan to frame his father?"
Zhou Chujin was stunned.
Zhou Shaojin said: "Apart from this reason, I really can't understand why he wants to harm Lan Ting and Xin Lan!"
Apart from this reason, she couldn't figure out why he wanted to harm her in his previous life!
Zhou Chujin smiled bitterly and said, "If this is true, I'm afraid we will be in trouble in the future."
Zhou Shaojin encouraged his sister: "Don't be afraid! We already know that he is not a good person. Be careful of him, and he won't take advantage of you."
“But the feeling of being a maggot attached to your bones is really unpleasant!” Zhou Chujin said.
"Then find an opportunity to resolve this matter." Zhou Shaojin agreed with her sister's words. She still had a lot of things to do and couldn't waste her time on Cheng Lu.
Zhou Chujin laughed and said, "You are much braver now and have your own ideas. I can finally put my mind at ease."
Is sister afraid that she will be bullied after she gets married
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly took Zhou Chujin's arm and said, "Don't worry, I will take good care of myself. I will come to see you in two years. Maybe by then your brother-in-law will have passed the exam and been admitted to the capital, and you will also go to live in the capital. Then we sisters can go to the Daxiangguo Temple together."
Zhou Chujin's face turned slightly red.
※
Cheng Chi was also a little surprised to hear that Lan Ting and Xin Lan died suddenly in prison. He said to Huaishan, "This is definitely not the Zhou family's intention, and it couldn't have been done by the jailer, otherwise the two maids wouldn't have waited until the autumn to be executed... It seems that this matter is quite interesting. Go and check what happened!"
Huaishan left the study.
Cheng Chi read for a while, thinking that his mother had finished her morning lessons and went to the main room.
Madam Guo was discussing with Nanny Shi which servants to take with them to Mount Putuo. When Cheng Chi came in, Madam Guo showed the list to her son and said, "Give me some ideas."
Cheng Chi took a look and said, "It's pretty good. I don't think there's anything to add or subtract."
He now wants to try his best to meet all of his mother's requirements.
Madam Cheng was very dissatisfied when she heard this and said, "You don't have to be perfunctory to me! I think there seem to be too many female relatives serving, so I asked you to help take a look."
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "We are going out to have fun. If we save money and eat less, what fun will that be? Just follow me with peace of mind."
Madam Guo was still a little hesitant and said, "I'm afraid Biyu and the others will get seasick."
Many of the women were going out for the first time, and no one knew what the scene would be like once they got on board.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "The second young lady of the Zhou family doesn't get seasick, so let her take care of you when the time comes."
Mrs. Guo was very happy to hear this and said with a smile: "This child and I get along well. I originally thought that she was living under someone else's roof, like a bird in a cage, so I wanted to take her out to see the world. Who knew that she would not get seasick. I know you are used to being outside, but I am old now, and sometimes I just want you to be with me. Who knew that she would actually play chess... This child is very good, we must find a good family for her. When you go out again, take a close look at her. She must have a good temper and be caring. This girl does not necessarily have to marry someone from a high-class family. What matters is that the couple live in harmony, love and care..."
Cheng Chi couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
It was true that the little girl was in great spirits when she got on the boat, and as for playing chess, she was just pretending... However, her mother was right. A girl of her age would worry most about whether she could marry a good husband. Since she had served her mother once and pleased her, helping her find a good marriage was a way of thanking her.
I wonder if she is willing to marry far away
He was really not familiar with these wealthy families in Jinling City.
The Guo family is too rigid, and the Gu family has too many...
Cheng Chi decided to hand this matter over to Qin Ziping.
That kid likes these family matters the most, so it’s more reliable to leave them to him.
He responded "hmm" and "hmm", keeping his mother's words in mind.
In Wanxiangju, Zhou Shaojin felt overwhelmed.
Cheng Ji was so angry that she walked around her room, scolding her as she walked: "You were going to Putuo Mountain to burn incense, but you didn't tell me! I heard about it from Cui Huan. Are you and I sisters? Are there sisters like you? You didn't even tell me about such a good thing. If I had known earlier, I would have gone to my grandmother to find a way to let Madam Guo take me with her! How could you do this? I always think of you when I have good things, but you don't remember me..."
Zhou Shaojin was really at a loss, and said, "I sent you a plate of mulberries a few days ago. How can you say that I didn't think of you when I had good things to do? This time, I also relied on the blessing of Madam Guo. How can you tell me? If I tell you to go with me, isn't that encouraging you to make a scene
Cheng Ji immediately lost his temper, slumped down on the armchair and murmured, "Anyway, you should have told me earlier..."
Zhou Shaojin could understand her feelings.
Such an opportunity to go out may not come once in a lifetime, so everyone wants to go.
She could only whisper to comfort Cheng Ji: "I heard from my cousin Gao that we should take a boat to Zhenjiang first, then take the Grand Canal, pass Changzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Jiaxing to Hangzhou Prefecture, and then go from Hangzhou Prefecture to Ningbo, Zhoushan, and then to Putuo Mountain. When the time comes, I will bring you a Buddhist lamp, okay?"
Cheng Ji had a stern face and did not comment.
Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to rub his temples.
Bi Tao came in and said, "Second Miss, Miss Jiying from the Fourth Master's room is here."
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved and said hurriedly, "Please ask her to come in."
Cheng Ji then sat down reluctantly.
Ji Ying never cared about other people's faces. After greeting Cheng Ji, he started talking to Zhou Shaojin with a smile: "I heard that you are almost done copying the scriptures. The Fourth Master plans to leave on the tenth day of next month to catch the Qiantang tidal bore. I will go with you then."
Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed.
Cheng Ji snorted coldly in dissatisfaction.
Zhou Shaojin smiled apologetically at Jiying.
Ji Ying didn't even glance at Cheng Ji, and said to herself: "When you pack your things, call me. I used to go out with my father. I will come and help you pack your luggage."
Zhou Shaojin thanked him repeatedly and said, "I heard that the Qiantang River will have a high tide on August 18, the birthday of the Tide God. Doesn't that mean we won't be able to attend the temple fair on September 19, when Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva attains enlightenment?"
"What's so good about a temple fair?" Ji Ying asked curiously, "Do you know what the Qiantang River tidal bore is? When the Qiantang River is in full swing, the sound is like thunder, the water sprays and the tide peaks are like mountains... How many people have never seen it in their lives, and you are actually thinking about the temple fair? There are temple fairs everywhere. The Daxiangguo Temple in the capital, the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, and the Jiming Temple in Jinling City are all the same. Can a flower bloom in Putuo Mountain?"
Zhou Shaojin said weakly: "Aren't we going to burn incense?"
Ji Ying said: "When you go out, you should lift the curtain of the sedan chair and look outside a few times!"
All right!
Zhou Shaojin admitted that he had little knowledge!
She said, "Then come over in a few days to help me pack my luggage."
Jiying then nodded with satisfaction.
Cheng Ji, who was sitting there alone and depressed, looked at Zhou Shaojin and Ji Ying who were chatting happily, then walked away in anger.
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※(To be continued)