Chapter 221: Missing
When Zhong Lanhua’s corpse was fished out of the lake, Zhang Zhaodi went to see it and came back vomiting her guts out.
Zhong Lanhua’s death was similar to her son’s, and everyone was talking about how her madness had flared up, she couldn’t think straight for a moment, and followed her son.
When Jiang Yihui died back then, Zhong Lanhua had gone mad, and though she gradually calmed down later, her mental state had always been unstable, flaring up from time to time. Now suddenly having an episode and following her son was within what everyone could understand.
The government office people investigated and said it was drowning, with no possibility of murder.
Jiang Yihuan had gone missing.
The government office people wanted to find her for questioning but couldn’t, and her lovers also said they hadn’t seen her for several days.
Xiao Yanci vacated the house and left the county town with Wen Shi.
Now that announcement day was approaching, it was normal for Xiao Yanci to head to the provincial capital early.
Su Yaoguang got out of the horse-drawn carriage and said goodbye to Cui Rong in the carriage. She was about to head back to Peach Blossom Workshop when she saw Zhou Wangshu talking with Feng Chaoyang in the corner.
She walked toward Zhou Wangshu.
Feng Chaoyang saw Su Yaoguang and greeted her with a smile: “Yaoguang older sister.”
“What are you talking about?”
She seemed to see Feng Chaoyang make a throat-slitting gesture, with such a fierce and dangerous look in his eyes, completely different from his current smiling and cheerful appearance.
Feng Chaoyang said, “Brother Zhou said he’s going to the provincial capital to check the list. I told him there’s been a new wave of bandits on the road lately, killing like hemp, so he should hire an Escort Agency for safety.”
“I see.” Hearing this from Feng Chaoyang, Su Yaoguang was a bit worried about Zhou Wangshu going to the provincial capital alone. “Good thing the big orders I signed last time are due for delivery soon. I’ve recently told them to hurry up the progress, get the goods out early, then I’ll hire an Escort Agency, and have the Escort Agency take us to the provincial capital then.”
They weren’t short on silver now; they had to spend where they should, with safety as the priority.
Zhou Wangshu gave Feng Chaoyang a look.
Feng Chaoyang got the hint, said goodbye to Su Yaoguang, and turned to leave.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t sending me to the provincial capital?”
“How was I supposed to know things outside are so chaotic now? Anyway, we have to deliver the goods, so might as well move this matter up; it’s killing two birds with one stone.” Su Yaoguang said, “Wait for me five more days; we set off in five days. Oh right, what did Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu say? Are they going to check the list?”
“Since we took the exam, of course we have to see the result.” Zhou Wangshu said, “We’ll go together then.”
“Okay.”
Zhou Wangshu soaked in the bathtub, thinking about what Feng Chaoyang had said.
Their people had told Zhong Lanhua the ‘truth’ about Jiang Yihui’s death. With Zhong Lanhua’s personality, she would definitely go find Xiao Yanci. Now Zhong Lanhua was dead, Jiang Yihuan was missing, and Xiao Yanci had left the county town early—these events were clearly connected. The others didn’t know what was going on, but he had a rough guess.
Zhong Lanhua’s death should be related to Xiao Yanci.
She had always been hung up on her son’s death, and now he wasn’t her son-in-law anymore, so she wouldn’t hold back in dealing with him.
Since someone had provided her with evidence that her son’s death was suspicious, no matter how sufficient it was, she would definitely go question Xiao Yanci.
“Is Xiao Yanci too clever, or are my people’s tracking skills not up to par? I already had them watching Xiao Yanci, yet he still got away.” Zhou Wangshu splashed the water in the bathtub. “Whatever, it’s good that he’s gone; at least there won’t be danger around her anymore.”
That Xiao Yanci couldn’t be left alive.
But once out of this county town, dealing with him wouldn’t be so easy.
Laughter came from outside, loudest from Su Yaoguang and Zhang Zhaodi. This mother-daughter pair were truly mother and daughter, with many similarities.
Zhou Wangshu got out of the bathtub, changed clothes, walked out, stopped a passing shop assistant, and asked, “What’s happening in the front yard? It’s so lively.”
“Boss Chun E is back,” the shop assistant said. “The owner is very happy and said we’re going to Jiang Family Restaurant for a big meal today.”
Zhou Wangshu understood.
For Chun E’s matter, he had sent Ming Ye Hall’s best killer to watch; if they still couldn’t get it done, then Ming Ye Hall might as well shut down.
“Wangshu, older sister Chun E is back.” Su Yaoguang saw Zhou Wangshu and waved with a smile. “Why’d you wash your hair and not dry it?”
Zhou Wangshu looked at the bejeweled Chun E and said, “Looks like everything went smoothly. Did Boss Chun E strike it rich overnight?”
“I did as Yaoguang said: first had that dog of a man transfer all the property to my name, waited until everything was settled, then went to the government office to report the case and handed over all the evidence. With the crimes he’d committed before, the government office directly sentenced him to death, to be executed after autumn. As for that woman, she begged me to leave them, an orphan and widow. I’m not running a charity, of course not. I’ve suffered so many grievances all these years while she lived the high life with him—why should I be the sucker now? She said the child is innocent; am I not innocent?”
“You did right; sometimes you can’t always be kind. Too kind and you become prey for others.” Su Yaoguang said, “If you meet someone you like in the future, you can still have him move in as a live-in son-in-law.”
“That’s true; you have experience in this. Listening to you is always right.” Chun E winked at Zhou Wangshu.
Zhou Wangshu said, “I’ll handle the Escort Agency arrangements. Once that’s set, can we head to the provincial capital?”
“These days I’ve been busy overseeing the goods and really don’t have time to find an Escort Agency. If you’re free, this is on you.”
“You all going to the provincial capital again?”
“The local imperial examination results are coming out; we have to go see.”
“Wangshu, aren’t you fifteen this year?” Chun E looked at Zhou Wangshu. “About time, right?”
Zhou Wangshu: “……Two months left.”
He glanced at Su Yaoguang.
Su Yaoguang coughed lightly and changed the subject.
A few days later, Su Yaoguang and Zhou Wangshu followed the Escort Agency to the provincial capital.
This time they were escorting quite a bit of goods, so it wasn’t a waste of resources.
Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu originally didn’t want to go to the provincial capital to check the local imperial examination results. In their view, even passing as xiucai scholars was thanks to Zhou Wangshu’s good fortune; they never hoped to become juren scholars. With the bit of ink in their bellies, if they just casually passed, everyone would think taking the Imperial Examination was easy.
But Zhong’s father and Chen’s father insisted they go with Zhou Wangshu, even saying they’d hand them over to Zhou Wangshu from now on, to follow him and make their way.
As for the family gambling house and dance hall, they shouldn’t dream of inheriting them. If they didn’t pass as juren scholars or become officials, they could go beg. They’d rather hand their industry to outsiders than let them manage it.
This was clearly not leaving them any fallback, forcing them to wholeheartedly follow Zhou Wangshu down the official path.
