Chapter 311: Chapter 126: Wanyue Gets Married (Part 3)
The Shi family was just a stepping stone for her. Once she had scraped together enough silver, she planned to change her identity and marry again.
She had it all planned out, but the two old shopkeepers of the Shi family weren’t fools. They were wary of her and certainly weren’t about to give her any money easily.
When she didn’t get what she wanted, Chen Wanyue started to cause trouble.
One day she’d claim the house had bad feng shui and that she always heard ghosts knocking at night. The next, she’d complain that the stench from the neighbor’s latrine was overwhelming her.
As it happened, the house next door belonged to Wo Laicai.
Wo Laicai had been sentenced to death, and his wife and children wanted nothing to do with him. As soon as the sentence was handed down, his wife took their son and daughter-in-law and went to stay with her own family.
His two older brothers, both of whom were Scholars, were ashamed to have such a sibling. They had cut off all contact, so there was no question of them looking after his house.
Even the local ruffians and hooligans, wary of the house’s reputation for being haunted, generally stayed away.
In other words, Wo Laicai’s house was now ownerless and unwanted.
But while others didn’t want it, the Shi family did.
He couldn’t care less whether the house was sinister or haunted; his line of business involved dealing with such things. If there really was something supernatural inside, it might even bring him good fortune.
So, using the pretext that "the stench from Wo Laicai’s latrine was bothering his daughter-in-law," the head of the Shi family brazenly knocked a hole in the wall between the two properties and proceeded to demolish the latrine.
A latrine? Who in their right mind would go messing with a place like that?
Even when Chen Song and his men had been searching for the victim’s remains, the latrine was the absolute last place they planned to dig. The reason was simple: it was just too disgusting.
But the master of the Shi family didn’t mind how filthy it was. He actually demolished it and started digging. And as soon as he did, he uncovered something major.
"So that’s the gist of it. The remains were found at Wo Laicai’s house, so he’s definitely connected to it. Constables have already been sent to summon his wife and children, but regardless, Wo Laicai’s execution cannot proceed until the case is fully investigated."
’And this whole affair has been handled poorly. Once I get to the Prefecture, I’ll probably get an earful from the Lord Prefect.’
’I have to take the fall for County Magistrate Cheng, so I have no choice but to make this trip.’
Hearing Chen Song’s reason for going to the Prefecture, Xu Su Ying sighed in resignation.
"Of all the rotten luck."
If this had been discovered at any other time, it would have had nothing to do with Chen Song; County Magistrate Cheng would have been the one to get reprimanded. But with Mr. Cheng currently in the Prefecture awaiting his exam results, it wouldn’t look good for him to be publicly scolded. Therefore, her husband had to be the one to take the heat.
Xu Su Ying stomped her foot in frustration and went into the room to pack his things. "What is all this nonsense!"
Just as she finished muttering this, she suddenly remembered that her daughter also wanted to go to the Prefecture.
Xu Su Ying’s eyes immediately lit up. She clapped her hands, spun around, and said, "Qing’er..."
Chen Wanqing smiled and said, "Mother, I was just about to talk to you about this. I think it’s too much trouble to bring two members of the Zhao family with me. I don’t want you to have to make the trip either. After all, while I’m gone, I’ll need you to handle a lot of things for me here. I was originally thinking of going by myself, but I was afraid you’d worry and wouldn’t let me go. But now this is perfect! Since Father is going, what do you think about me disguising myself as his personal attendant and traveling with him?"
Chen Song, not having quite caught what was going on, quickly waved his hands. "No, absolutely not. It won’t work. I’ll be riding hard the entire way, turning a journey of several days into just three. You don’t know how to ride, and you’re a young lady. If you come along like that, your legs will be rubbed raw by the time we reach the Prefecture."
After saying all this, Chen Song then asked his daughter cautiously, "Did you get a letter from Jing and De’an? Is one of them in trouble? Is that why you want to go? You won’t be able to help much by going yourself. Tell me what’s going on, and I’ll see if I can help them."
"Nothing’s wrong," Chen Wanqing said. "I just want to go to the Prefecture to have a look around." She then recounted the casual conversation she and her mother had earlier that day.
Chen Song breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "In that case, just wait a while," he said finally. "When I have some free time, I’ll take you myself."
"Look at you, with your official’s duties, you’re so busy you don’t know if you’re coming or going. By the time you ’have some free time,’ you’ll probably be on your deathbed. Enough, stop dawdling. Just let the girl go with you. If she’s not afraid of a little hardship, then let her experience it. If she gets a good scare from how tiring it is this time, maybe she won’t be so desperate to go gallivanting off in the future."
And so, the matter was settled.
Since it was late, Xu Su Ying didn’t feel comfortable letting her daughter go out, so she had Chen Song make another trip to Mr. Wang’s place to tell them not to wait for her daughter the next day.
After that, she busied herself preparing some travel rations for the two of them, working late into the night before they all finally retired to their rooms to rest.
