Zhou Shaojin indignantly wrote a letter to her father, while Zhou Chujin went to see Cheng Mian.
After hearing the entire account, Cheng Mian was so astonished his mouth hung open for a long time. He asked Zhou Chujin: “Do you have confessions?”
Zhou Chujin said: “We’ve never dealt with lawsuits before. We had them mark their thumbprints, but we don’t know if it meets the authorities’ requirements?”
Cheng Mian took the signed confessions and looked them over: “Don’t spread word of this matter for now. I’ll go to the Jinling Prefecture Office right away.”
Zhou Chujin solemnly replied “Yes” and returned to Wanxiang Residence.
That afternoon, Cheng Mian had someone deliver Xinlan and Lanting to the Jinling Prefecture Office.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
With the people handed over to the authorities, whether Xinlan and Lanting lived or died would no longer concern them. Otherwise, if a death occurred at her sister’s hands and word got out, regardless of right or wrong, her sister would be stuck with a reputation for having a vicious heart and cruel methods. Just like in her previous life when Li Shi kept the child but not the mother—though it conformed to propriety, Father ultimately felt she was ruthless. Small matters between husband and wife gradually became rifts, rifts became friction, and finally they hurled harsh words at each other and turned against one another.
This was also why Zhou Shaojin suggested her sister hand the people over to the authorities for official interrogation.
With the Zhou and Cheng families’ connections, she wasn’t afraid the authorities wouldn’t handle matters impartially.
However, Zhou Chujin felt discontent in her heart.
When your head is chopped off, there’s only a bowl-sized scar—disposing of Xinlan and Lanting this way was too easy on those two!
They should at least be made to suffer a bit.
But the people had already been delivered to the authorities. Whatever she wanted to do was too late now.
If she’d known, she should have waited a few more days before telling Uncle Mian…
When Zhou Chujin got up the next morning, her expression was somewhat unpleasant.
Zhou Shaojin knew her sister must be feeling as distressed as she was. She silently helped her sister with the porridge and moved her sister’s favorite sesame oil vegetarian shredded tofu and jellyfish salad in front of her.
Zhou Chujin smiled with gratification and patted her sister’s hand. She picked up some steamed dumplings that Zhou Shaojin liked and said with a smile: “You eat too! Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine in a few days.”
Zhou Shaojin understood.
Just like in her previous life—when she encountered sad and distressing things with no one to talk to, she would quietly stay by herself for a few days. Then her anger would dissipate.
She squeezed Zhou Chujin’s hand.
If only one day her sister would confide in her!
She would comfort her sister just as her sister comforted her.
After the sisters finished their morning meal, they went to see Old Lady Guan.
This matter was kept from others but not from the old lady.
Old Lady Guan dismissed the servants attending in the room and kept the sisters to talk, saying: “You did the right thing in this matter. We are a proper scholarly family—we cannot tolerate bullying the weak or having blood on our hands. However, this matter cannot be handled as quietly as you and your uncle discussed, with everything disposed of without a sound. The necessary words must still be spoken, and some hints must be dropped. Especially regarding the side at Cunyi Lane.
“When we previously returned the property registered under our family’s name to them, Madam Bai stopped coming over as often. I think she must harbor resentment in her heart. I’ve been somewhat worried that if Cheng Lu gains power in the future, he might form a grudge against our family. Though we’re not afraid of him, having someone hold such hatred toward you is always an uncomfortable matter.
“Now that such a major incident has occurred, our not pursuing the Cheng family’s responsibility already shows leniency and magnanimity. The two families can be considered even.”
Old Lady Guan wanted to use this matter to restrain Cheng Lu.
Both Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin agreed.
After all, even if they reported Cheng Bai, since he’d been dead so many years, nothing could be done to him anyway. Instead, it would drag up the old grievances between the Cheng and Zhuang families and implicate Zhuang Liangyu in public criticism.
Better to spread some rumors favorable to themselves and make Dong Shi and Cheng Lu unable to hold their heads up in the Cheng family in the future.
“Then it’s settled.” Old Lady Guan was very satisfied with the sisters’ obedience. “Don’t concern yourselves with this matter—I have my own plans. For the next few days, Chujin shouldn’t help your aunt manage household affairs, and Shaojin shouldn’t go to Jing’an Study either. Just stay at home. If anyone asks, just say you’re feeling a bit unwell and need to rest for a few days.”
This was having them pretend to be grief-stricken!
No need to pretend. They were already distressed enough. But if it could humiliate Dong Shi and Cheng Lu a bit, Zhou Shaojin was willing to put on an act.
The sisters nodded in unison.
Only then did Old Lady Guan say: “Keep a good copy of both the complaint sent to the authorities and the authorities’ judgment. Though they say if the people don’t report, officials won’t investigate, if someone who dislikes that Cheng Lu reports this matter to the Ministry of Rites… with a father like that, I’m afraid wanting to become an official will be rather difficult for him!”
Ginger gets spicier with age!
The Zhou sisters were overjoyed beyond expectation and thanked Old Lady Guan repeatedly.
By that afternoon, news that Zhou Shaojin’s birth mother Zhuang Shi had been murdered by the maid Xinlan, and that Cheng Bai who lived next door to the Zhuang family’s maiden home was also implicated, sprouted up like bamboo shoots after rain within a certain range of Jiuru Alley.
Ji Ying came to visit Zhou Shaojin and comforted her somewhat awkwardly: “Heaven’s net has wide meshes, but nothing escapes it. Otherwise, after so many years, you still wouldn’t have discovered any clues. Don’t worry—neither of them will have a good end.”
Zhou Shaojin felt warmth in her heart and thanked her gratefully.
Ji Ying then asked curiously: “Logically speaking, since that Xinlan was already married, if she wanted to follow Cheng Bai, she should have just quietly run away. Why would she turn back to harm your mother? This person is truly strange! Could it be she wanted your mother to back her up? Could it be that your mother disapproved of her behavior and threatened to report her to the authorities or tell her husband, so she developed vicious intentions?”
Zhou Shaojin broke into a sweat.
Old Lady Guan had been deliberately vague, wanting to blur the perspective and let everyone speculate on their own, trying to keep Zhuang Shi out of it as much as possible. She hadn’t expected Ji Ying to arrive at such a conclusion.
If only everyone thought like this!
Zhou Shaojin went to close the door and quietly told Ji Ying the full account—since Ji Ying had taken out her privately hidden silver hairpin, possibly even a life-saving hairpin, to help her, she couldn’t selfishly keep things from Ji Ying.
After hearing this, Ji Ying’s face flushed red with anger. She said repeatedly: “How could you hand those two cheap servants over to the authorities? If you ask me, you should have lit them up as human candles so others could see what happens when they offend you.”
Human candles!
Zhou Shaojin vaguely remembered reading about this in some book.