"It's been... two years. He said that job was good, allowed him to study, and that official master even provided him meals... He said he'd surely pass the imperial exam this year, become an official, and give us a good life... He couldn't have killed anyone..."
The woman broke down in tears, unable to continue. The little boy's tears fell like broken pearls, yet he bit his lip to keep from crying aloud, staring straight at Xiao Jin Yu.
Xiao Jin Yu frowned slightly. "Li Rusheng claimed he was frail and feared the cold, so he wore multiple layers of clothing to the exam. Is this true?"
The woman nodded through her tears. "We only had a little charcoal left for winter. I told him to take it, but he said he'd just wear more clothes and leave the charcoal for us mother and child..."
Xiao Jin Yu's brow relaxed as he nodded faintly. "Would you two like to know why Li Rusheng died?"
The woman kowtowed repeatedly. "Brother Sheng was wronged, wronged... Every word Yun Gu says is true! May lightning strike me if I lie! I beg Wang Ye for mercy... I beg Wang Ye to give Brother Sheng justice!"
The little boy joined in kowtowing. "I told the truth too! My father was wronged!"
"Tomorrow we'll hold a public trial for this case at the Imperial Examination Hall. If you want to know why Li Rusheng died, stay at the examination hall today... The case is currently handled by Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lord Jing Yi. I can have him hear your pleas."
The boy looked up. "Do you keep your word?"
Xiao Jin Yu looked at him coldly. "I have conditions."
The woman quickly said, "I'll do anything to clear Brother Sheng's name!"
The boy straightened his neck. "I'll do anything too!"
Xiao Jin Yu looked at the boy, raising an eyebrow. "Do you keep your word?"
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!"
Xiao Jin Yu nodded slightly. "If you two finish all the food on the table, I'll summon Lord Jing."
Looking at the stunned mother and son, Xiao Jin Yu said impassively, "Wu Jiang, stay and supervise."
"Yes."
"Chu Chu, come with me to the backyard."
"Oh... alright!"
As soon as Chu Chu wheeled Xiao Jin Yu from the inner room to the outer room, she turned to close the inner room door, slipped before Xiao Jin Yu, cupped his still expressionless face, and kissed him.
With her back to the open door, Chu Chu could only see Xiao Jin Yu, but Xiao Jin Yu's gaze extended to the corridor outside the door, the courtyard beyond the corridor, and the servants tending flowers in the courtyard...
Under the meaningful sidelong glances from the servants, Xiao Jin Yu's normally calm face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Unable to speak while being kissed by Chu Chu, he had no choice but to respond gently.
Only when she had kissed him breathless did Chu Chu release the thoroughly flushed man. "Wang Ye, it's wonderful being your wife!"
Xiao Jin Yu took several proper breaths before responding with mixed amusement and exasperation, "What's so wonderful about it..."
"You're a good man!"
Leaning back in his chair and gently smoothing his chest, Xiao Jin Yu looked at the beaming face before him with mock annoyance. "I can't build houses or do hard labor..."
"You don't need to!" Chu Chu pursed her lips in a smile. "You're good at teaching children. I'll bear you many children, and they'll work for you later!"
Xiao Jin Yu paused, then curved his lips slightly. "How do you know I'm good at teaching children?"
Chu Chu pointed at the inner room door. "You just demonstrated it."Xiao Jinyu's smile deepened slightly. "Wasn't I making things difficult for him?"
"Not at all!" Chu Chu moved closer to Xiao Jinyu and whispered, "That child's father is dead, and his mother is a sickly blind woman. From now on, their family will rely entirely on him. If he only knows how to cry and make a fuss, both he and his mother will have no way to survive, right?"
Xiao Jinyu wrapped an arm around her waist, looking at her earnest face with mild surprise. He hadn't expected this girl to understand his thoughts at a glance. He would have been content if she didn't resent him for being unfeeling.
Chu Chu wore a smug smile. "I also know that you'll definitely help them, but certainly not by giving them money."
Xiao Jinyu looked at her with great interest. "Why?"
"If we give them a large sum of money all at once, it will definitely attract bad people. If we give a little at a time, regularly, that child might become lazy or corrupted by suddenly living a good life, which would harm both him and his mother even more."
Xiao Jinyu nodded with a smile. Her reasoning was much simpler than what he had considered, but it made sense. "Reasonable... Then tell me, how do you think I plan to help them?"
Chu Chu stuck out her tongue. "I don't know that..."
Xiao Jinyu sighed softly, reaching out to stroke Chu Chu's stomach, murmuring with emotion, "Two people's cleverness is indeed much greater than one's..."
Chu Chu stared blankly at Xiao Jinyu. "What do you mean?"
"...Nothing."
Chu Chu puffed her cheeks and glared at him. "It's something!"
"I mean... it's wonderful to have a wife like you."
Chu Chu smiled. "What's so wonderful?"
"Everything is wonderful..." Xiao Jinyu gently patted the small of her back. "Accompany me to investigate one more matter, then I can organize the case files."
Chu Chu was startled. "Brother Jing hasn't solved the case yet, how can you organize the files?"
Xiao Jinyu sighed softly. "If I don't organize the files properly, how can he solve the case... Grand Tutor Xue is still in prison."
☆、105 Crystal Sugar Pork Knuckle (Nineteen)
When Chu Chu and Xiao Jinyu returned from the backyard, the Li family mother and son had already cleared all the bowls and plates from the table, leaving not a single crumb behind.
Xiao Jinyu glanced indifferently at the little boy who was still greedily licking his fingers, then turned to Wu Jiang. "Take them to see Jing Yi."
Wu Jiang frowned, leaning close to Xiao Jinyu's ear and lowering his voice. "Wang Ye, where is Jing Yi..."
Xiao Jinyu coughed lightly twice, covering his mouth as he replied softly, "How would I know... Search the beams in every room."
"Yes..."
As Wu Jiang led the Li family mother and son out the door, just as the sound of the door closing was heard, Xiao Jinyu let his straight spine slump weakly against the back of the chair.
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