This was indeеd Lаnting's final cаrd.
So no mаttеr hоw Zhоu Сhujin thrеatenеd or tempted her aftеrwаrd, she сlung to оnе роint: she wоuld rеvеаl Хinlan's whеreabouts, but thе Zhоu sisters hаd to sparе her.
Zhou Сhujin firmly refusеd аnd signаlеd Маdаm Ma Fushаn tо sevеr thе tеndons in Lаnting's hands.
Lаnting lеt out a рiеrcing, аgonized scrеam.
Zhou Shaоjin, stаnding in thе cоurtyard with her sistеr, wаs sо frightenеd shе сlung tо hеr sistеr's arm, trеmbling unсontrоllablу.
Shortly аfter, Маdаm Mа Fushаn еmеrged from the mаin hall and said in a low vоice, "She tаlked. Xinlаn might be in Jingzhоu Рrefеcture."
Her face was full of exhaustion; clearly, this task had been difficult for her as well.
"Might be?" Zhou Chujin frowned slightly, pondering, "Did she not say the exact location?"
"No!" Madam Ma Fushan replied respectfully. "She doesn't know the exact location either. She said Xinlan's husband used to buy cotton nearby in earlier years, but later discovered that cotton in Jingzhou Prefecture was much cheaper than here, so he resigned from the mistress's service and took Xinlan to Jingzhou Prefecture.
"When Xinlan returned to the estate, the mistress asked about her situation, and she also said she lived in Jingzhou Prefecture. This time she came back to Jinling to sell the old house she had left there, planning to settle in Jingzhou Prefecture permanently afterward.
"Later, when she discovered Xinlan's ** relationship with Cheng Bai, she felt Xinlan must have lied to the mistress. She secretly went to the house Xinlan used to live in and found it had been entrusted to a broker for sale but hadn't been sold yet. She suspected Xinlan had stolen the deed from her husband and even had someone pose as a buyer to check the property documents at the government office. The procedures were complete, so it seemed Xinlan really had returned to sell the house...
"Later, when Cheng Bai fell ill, she didn't see Xinlan. She went to Xinlan's house again. The neighbor next door told her that a few days earlier, Xinlan's husband had rushed over from Jingzhou Prefecture, sold the house, and taken Xinlan back to Jingzhou Prefecture.
"After that, she never saw Xinlan again."
Zhou Chujin remained silent for a moment, then said to Madam Ma Fushan, "In her current state, she's probably still holding onto hope, thinking that since I know about Xinlan, I'll definitely try to track her down and won't take her life. Go back in now. Tell her I don't believe her at all and that I've ordered you to sever the tendons in her feet..."
If the tendons in her feet were severed, she would be bedridden for life.
Madam Ma Fushan exclaimed in horror, "R-really sever the tendons in her feet?"
Zhou Chujin, furious, said, "Don't you understand the tactic of one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop?"
Madam Ma Fushan immediately understood, her face flushing bright red as she murmured her assent.Zhou Chujin said, "You must make her believe that the reason I haven't forced her to drink the muting medicine is because it's hard to obtain and hasn't been delivered yet. If she still refuses to tell the truth, once a bowl of that medicine is poured down her throat, even if she wants to speak, she won't be able to. Although there are doctors in Jinling Prefecture who can reconnect tendons, if treatment isn't administered promptly, even calling a doctor will be useless... Make her believe that I don't trust her words at all—what reason does she have to suspect that Madam was killed by Cheng Bai? That Xinlan merely helped a young maid carry a pot of water inside. Cheng Bai is only ** with Xinlan. Perhaps Xinlan did nothing at all; perhaps Cheng Bai encountered Xinlan by chance. That's how the entanglement between them began... You must persuade her that if she wants to survive, she must thoroughly reveal everything she knows. Even if she doesn't speak, I know Xinlan is in Jingzhou Prefecture. I can easily send people through the Cheng family to investigate, unless she's spouting nonsense—a household that moved there ten years ago is very easy to trace."
Madam Ma Fushan repeatedly answered "Yes," thought for a moment, and entered the main hall.
Zhou Shaojin was still somewhat worried and said, "What if she doesn't believe it? Would we really sever her tendons in her hands and feet?"
"If it truly comes to that," Zhou Chujin pondered, "then that's the only way."
Zhou Shaojin sighed and accompanied her sister to the main room to await news.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Madam Ma Fushan returned.
"Eldest Miss," she said with an awkward expression, "Lanting said that after Madam passed away, the Master intended to release all of them. To gain the Master's trust, she remembered a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets she had once seen in a silver shop, which were similar to the ones Madam secretly gave to the Zhuang family's maternal uncle. But she had no money to buy them, so she eventually set her sights on Cheng Bai. However, Cheng Bai paid her no attention. Having no other choice, she boldly wrote a note saying 'You and Xinlan conspired to kill Madam' and gave it to Cheng Bai. Surprisingly, Cheng Bai obediently followed her instructions and left two hundred taels of silver under the big tree at the City God Temple. When she discovered this, she was terrified, afraid of Cheng Bai's retaliation, and didn't dare take the money. After that, Cheng Bai fell ill... As for Xinlan, she truly doesn't know her exact address, only that when she saw Cheng Bai was gravely ill and realized there would be no good days even if she entered the Cheng household, she followed her husband back to Jingzhou Prefecture when he came for her."
In other words, the so-called dying wish of their mother entrusting her to care for her younger sister might also be false!
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
Zhou Chujin clutched her chest as if struggling to breathe and said after a long while, "For now, let her keep her wretched life. Once I find that Xinlan, I'll notify Father to come and interrogate her. Then the truth of the matter will be completely clear!"
Madam Ma Fushan bowed her head in agreement.
Zhou Chujin instructed her, "You must keep a close watch on her. If she offers silver to bribe any of you, just accept it. Even if she asks you to secretly find a doctor to reconnect her tendons, find someone for her. Don't let her feel hopeless and recklessly take her own life. I'm counting on her and Xinlan to turn on each other!"
Madam Ma Fushan hurriedly patted her chest in assurance.
Her sister was using hope to keep Lanting alive!
Only then did Zhou Shaojin truly realize how formidable Zhou Chujin was.
She felt deeply envious, but even more so, she was filled with admiration.So on the way back, when Zhou Chujin asked her, "What have you learned?" she giggled and shook her head, saying, "Sister, I'd better just stay quietly behind you and Father and live my little life."
Zhou Chujin shook her head in disappointment at her lack of ambition.
Zhou Shaojin just hugged her arm and smiled.
Zhou Chujin sighed helplessly, thinking of what their grandmother had said: "Every blade of grass gets its own drop of dew."
For her younger sister, the path she herself was taking might not be suitable. On the contrary, her sister's path lay at her own feet; as long as she walked her own road well, she could find happiness... perhaps she would be even happier!
Zhou Chujin felt relieved and gently patted her sister's head.
Zhou Shaojin asked her sister, "How should we investigate Xinlan's matter?"
Zhou Chujin smiled and asked in return, "What do you think would be the best way?"
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and said, "I think Ma Fushan would be most suitable, but I'm afraid Madam Ma Fushan might not have the time."
"Hmm!" Zhou Chujin agreed. "He really isn't very suitable. After the Winter Clothing Festival comes the Beginning of Winter, and we need to prepare the New Year gifts. Many of the officials are from Jiangnan; they prefer Hangzhou's lotus seeds and Gaoyou's salted duck eggs. Ma Fushan has to help prepare all these things, so he can't get away."
Zhou Shaojin thought of someone.
Ma Fushan's cousin's son, Ma Ci.
In her previous life, Ma Ci had entered the household as a guarantee by Ma Fushan when her sister was getting married and needed to select attendants from the Zhou family's long-serving servants. Not only was he hardworking and enduring, but he was also shrewd, capable, and loyal. Shortly after following Zhou Chujin to the Liao family, he stood out and became the person Zhou Chujin relied on most. Later, when she herself got married and had no suitable person to manage her dowry, her sister asked her and then entrusted her dowry to Ma Ci. In just a few years, her private savings doubled. Until her rebirth, Ma Ci had been helping both sisters with their affairs.
She clasped her hands tightly together and said, "Sister, I happened to hear that Ma Fushan has a cousin's son. He's very capable, I think his name is Ma Ci. Why don't you ask Ma Fushan and see if we can have this cousin's son run some errands for us?"
Zhou Chujin was quite surprised.
She wasn't surprised that Zhou Shaojin suddenly mentioned Ma Fushan's cousin's son; she was surprised that Zhou Shaojin had suddenly thought of a way to overcome her bad habit of twisting her fingers when nervous.
"When did you come up with this idea?" Zhou Chujin pointed at her hands and said, "But, relax a bit. That way it looks more natural."
Zhou Shaojin was embarrassed to say it was Cheng Chi who told her, so she just said "Oh" and adjusted her posture, pressing her sister further: "Do you think my idea is good or not?"
Zhou Chujin didn't believe for a moment that Zhou Shaojin had just happened to hear the name Ma Ci. In her view, this was surely Madam Ma Fushan asking Zhou Shaojin to arrange a job for her cousin's son. If it were any other matter, she would have agreed immediately, but this time it involved investigating Xinlan's whereabouts, so she said, "Have him come see me! If he's suitable, I'll send him."
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief and agreed with a smile. Upon returning to Fragrant Garden Residence, she had Shi Xiang take a message to Madam Ma Fushan, asking Ma Ci to go see Zhou Chujin.Ma Fushan knew that his nephew had always wanted to work in the Zhou residence, but since Zhou Zhen was serving as an official elsewhere and the two young ladies had long resided with the Cheng family, there were simply no vacancies on Flat Bridge Street, leaving him idle all this time. Hearing that Zhou Chujin wanted to see Ma Ci, he assumed Ma Ci had found some other connections and didn’t ask further. After instructing him on a few things to pay attention to, he sent him to Nine Prosperities Lane.
Ma Ci was only sixteen, but he was already tall, sturdy, and very steady.
After questioning him, Zhou Chujin was quite satisfied and promised him two hundred taels of silver to make a trip to Jingzhou Prefecture.
When Zhou Shaojin heard this, she was stunned for a long while.
Her sister had given Ma Ci only two hundred taels to go to Jingzhou Prefecture… while she had given Fan Qi five hundred taels to go to the capital…
She hurriedly sent Shi Xiang to check her private savings.
Shi Xiang kept meticulous records of every income and expense, regularly reconciling them to ensure the accounts matched the actual funds.
When Zhou Shaojin asked, Shi Xiang replied without hesitation, “You still have sixteen taels and three mace of personal savings.”
Zhou Shaojin immediately broke into a cold sweat.
She had promised Fan Qi a reward of two hundred taels of silver and ten mu of prime paddy fields upon success…
When Fan Qi returned, what would she use to reward him?
She paced anxiously around the room and asked Shi Xiang, “When I withdrew the silver, why didn’t you tell me I only had a little over five hundred taels?”
Shi Xiang replied in surprise, “You said you wanted to use the silver to buy land… I thought buying land was a long-term plan… Besides, you don’t have many expenses. By the New Year, the Old Madam, the First Madame, the First Master, and others will all give you rewards…”
Zhou Shaojin said, “But those are all silver ingots. Can silver ingots be exchanged for money?”
Shi Xiang widened her eyes and said, “Of course silver ingots can be exchanged for money. Otherwise, where would Second Master Yi and the others get their gambling money?”
“Oh, right!” Zhou Shaojin responded, but in her mind, she was thinking of having Shi Xiang gather all the silver ingots she had received over the years to see if they could add up to two hundred taels… If that really wasn’t enough, she could write to her father and ask for some… But what excuse could she use? She couldn’t possibly say she needed to reward Fan Qi, could she?
※
Sisters, today’s bonus update.
o(n_n)o
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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