Chapter 1790: Chapter 1790: Dead
A middle-aged man in charge of the estate replied, "Granny Liu came to our estate fifteen years ago when my father was still alive. My father was the person responsible for this estate. But after Granny Liu came here, she died within a few years!"
"Died, how did she die?" the butler asked urgently. "I remember Granny Liu, though old, was in robust health!"
Jian Shiqing’s expression gradually darkened.
Once a person is dead, what significance is there in finding the cause of death?
He stood up, walked to the door, and gazed at the tea hills outside.
The middle-aged man glanced at Jian Shiqing and said in a low voice, "Granny Liu was indeed in good health and could help us with the tea-picking. But in her third year at the estate, she accidentally fell from the mountain while picking tea. My father was there at the time and seemed to have tried to pull her up – both ended up tumbling down the mountain and died!"
"Your father and Granny Liu met with misfortune together?" The butler was quite astonished.
Meanwhile, Jian Shiqing turned his head slightly and said, "Let’s go to the next one!"
Granny Liu had undoubtedly been murdered, so we must see if others met the same coincidental fate, all dead.
The butler wanted to say something more but saw Jian Shiqing’s somber face and finally said nothing, merely bidding farewell to the people at the estate.
"Young Master Jian is still busy with other estates, so we’ll be leaving first."
"Alright, alright, Young Master Jian is busy!" The people at the estate noticed that Jian Shiqing and the Commandery Princess were following it, realizing that things might not be as simple as they imagined.
But they were just servants living a simple life at the estate. These matters of the masters, they could only answer what was asked, couldn’t say more, nor dared to.
They visited several estates, all places arranged for those who had served Tianhai Mountain Villa well to retire, yet found no one, as everyone who arrived at the estates mysteriously died within a few years.
Jin Luoyin said, "Obviously, they were all silenced. The secret of Tianhai Mountain Villa’s owner being replaced was meant to be taken to the grave."
Veins throbbed on Jian Shiqing’s forehead as he coldly said, "No matter how powerful a person is, how can they calculate what happens after death? I will make him suffer utter obliteration; he cannot dream of entering his grave in peace!"
Seeing this situation, the butler fully believed Jian Shiqing’s words.
How could such coincidences happen in the world? Fifteen years ago, all Zhu Haisheng’s most trusted people were dismissed under various reasons, and those deemed blameless were sent to retire at the estates, all dying inexplicably.
The causes of death were varied, making people secretly gasp!
"Let’s go, to the next estate!" the butler sighed softly after a long moment.
The next estate, upon inquiry, revealed that the retirees placed there included a person of similar status to Granny Liu, Zhu Haisheng’s former book boy, who grew up with him as if they were real brothers.
Even outsiders knew that the book boy was almost a master of Tianhai Mountain Villa and should not be neglected.
In the future, his prospects were promising.
With such a position in the villa, he could easily become an accountant at the Accountant’s Office; doing well, he might become a tutor to the young masters or even be entrusted with some business, becoming a wealthy and influential gentleman.
Yet, after Zhu Haisheng was murdered, he too was sent to the estate for retirement.
"Where has Master Chen gone?" When they arrived at the estate, they still couldn’t find Master Chen.
The butler felt uneasy, sensing that the situation was similar to the previous estates.
