Ming Shu got her wish seeing Lu Chang lose his composure.
The relationship between men and women was like a tug of war, with a delicate balance of advance and retreat. Before, Lu Chang had always been more dominant, wielding his authority as an elder brother, while she remained restrained. Now it was time for a change.
She gazed into Lu Chang’s eyes, pressing harder with her hand.
“Ouch.” Lu Chang was pondering the meaning of Ming Shu’s words when his eye suddenly stung, causing him to involuntarily close his left eye.
Ming Shu stood up: “What are you daydreaming about?”
Before the physician arrived, all she could do was tend to his split lip and bruised eye—the rest would have to wait for the doctor.
“Lai An’s been gone so long without bringing back a physician. I’ll go check,” she tossed the damp cloth into Lu Chang’s lap and was about to leave when he caught her wrist.
Lu Chang’s heart was racing.
“What did you mean by those words earlier?” he asked.
Ming Shu countered: “Which words?”
“Don’t play dumb, you know which ones,” Lu Chang said.
This was a feeling he’d never experienced before. Because of those ambiguous, equivocal words, he found himself as anxious as a child, desperately wanting a clear answer from her, seeking her acknowledgment.
Ming Shu looked at this usually composed man in the candlelight. When he raised his eyes, his gaze was as clear as a child’s, making her feel mischievous. Just as she was about to speak, footsteps sounded outside.
“Lu Chang, Ming Shu, you’re back?” Madam Zeng’s voice called out.
Both of them froze.
Lu Chang made a silencing gesture, his eyes pleading—don’t let Mother know.
Ming Shu glared back disapprovingly and whispered: “Beg me!”
“I beg you.” Lu Chang’s voice was hoarse and deep.
That single word “beg” from his lips to her ears was like a heart-piercing bug, carrying just a hint of allure.
Ming Shu pointed to the inner chamber. Lu Chang quickly rose and retreated inside while she went to the door.
Whatever Ming Shu told Madam Zeng worked—by the time Lu Chang had changed his clothes, Ming Shu had convinced Madam Zeng to return to her quarters. Lai An had also quietly brought the physician, whom Ming Shu was now attending to.
After examining and bandaging the wounds, the physician emerged shaking his head: “The original wound hadn’t fully healed, and now with new injuries on top, the freshly healed flesh has all torn open… Pardon my frankness, but I warned the Deputy Magistrate just this morning to be careful. How did he get injured again? Recovery will be much slower now, and if not handled properly, the wound could worsen and affect his whole body…”
Seeing Ming Shu’s increasingly dark expression, Lu Chang quickly interrupted: “It was my fault for acting recklessly against medical advice. I will be more careful in the future.”
Seeing his cooperative attitude, the physician could say no more. He sighed, wrote a new prescription, and took his leave. Lai An escorted him out, leaving Ming Shu alone with Lu Chang again.
Ming Shu’s expression was extremely grim as she stood by the washstand cleaning the cloth, wringing it so hard the water splashed loudly. Lu Chang suspected she was imagining the cloth was him, nearly tearing it apart.
“Doctors always exaggerate. Ming Shu, my injuries aren’t that serious. A few days’ rest and I’ll be fine…” he said, walking up behind her.
“Shut up. I don’t want to hear you speak,” Ming Shu said angrily.
“Ming Shu…” Lu Chang sighed helplessly.
When her temper flared before, she had restrained herself out of respect for his position as elder brother. Now… Lu Chang found himself completely at a disadvantage.
Ming Shu unilaterally declared a cold war against Lu Chang.
This cold war particularly tormented Lai An, who served Lu Chang.
Though angry, she didn’t neglect any of her usual concerns. Instead of speaking to Lu Chang directly, she relayed everything through Lai An, making him deliver all the messages. Caught in the middle, Lai An was deeply troubled.
Lu Chang hadn’t expected Ming Shu to remain this angry, still fuming after a whole night.
“Lu Chang, even if you’re in a hurry, you can’t gamble with your health,” Wei Zhuo had heard about yesterday’s events. He truly hadn’t expected someone as intelligent as Lu Chang would choose to subdue those troublemakers with force.
“I don’t have time to slowly win them over. This was the fastest way,” Lu Chang said.
“Your mother and Ming Shu must resent me now,” Wei Zhuo said with a bitter smile.
“My mother doesn’t know, and Ming Shu… she’s reasonable. She knows this isn’t your fault and will only blame me, not you, Uncle Wei,” Lu Chang said calmly, then remembering Ming Shu’s expression when she saw him that morning, he couldn’t help asking Wei Zhuo, “Uncle Wei, do you know… how to make a girl happy?”
As soon as the question left his mouth, Lu Chang realized he’d asked the wrong person, seeing Wei Zhuo’s troubled expression.
“To be honest, your Uncle Wei is just a rough man. I’m afraid I can’t help you with this,” Wei Zhuo sighed, thinking of Madam Zeng.
Though she lived in his mansion, besides daily care for her food, clothing, and shelter, he didn’t know how to win her favor either.
Ah.
The two men sighed simultaneously, sharing a moment of commiseration.
Ming Shu went to Man Tang Hui early in the morning. After handling the shop business, she went to find Ying Xun this afternoon.
They had agreed to visit the Lu family’s wet nurse today.
The Lu family’s former wet nurse surnamed Tian, had entered the Lu household at age twenty-seven. Now forty-four, she lived in the south of the city with her two sons and two daughters, all married. When Ming Shu and Ying Xun found her, she was playing with her young grandson under a locust tree outside her house.
Wet Nurse Tian was fair-skinned and plump, with a kind and gentle demeanor. Seeing her grandson running until he was covered in sweat, she called him back and carefully wiped the sweat from his neck and forehead.
“What a lovely child, he looks so clever,” Ming Shu sat beside Wet Nurse Tian and praised.
Wet Nurse Tian turned to see a young woman and showed a loving smile: “You’re too kind, miss. Children shouldn’t be praised too much.”
“How old is he?” Ming Shu asked.
“Five years old. He’s very active, won’t stay still at home for a moment, and always wants to play outside. Even a puppy would be less trouble,” Wet Nurse Tian said, her eyes never leaving the child.
Suddenly, a man approached and stopped under the locust tree. He said something to the child, who excitedly ran over and stood beside him, looking where the man pointed.
There was a cicada in the tree.
The child couldn’t see it and stood on tiptoes. The man squatted down and lifted the child.
Wet Nurse Tian was startled and quickly stood up to walk toward the man.
“You dropped something,” Ming Shu held her back, pointing to a felt flower on the ground.
But Wet Nurse Tian didn’t even look back, trying to shake off Ming Shu’s hand, saying, “Let go!” while walking toward the child, terrified that a moment’s delay would mean her grandson being taken away.
The man plucked the cicada from the tree and gave it to the child, then carried him back toward Wet Nurse Tian and Ming Shu.
“Don’t worry, he’s not a kidnapper,” Ming Shu reassured Wet Nurse Tian, who was sweating with anxiety.
Ying Xun set the child down in front of Wet Nurse Tian and patted his head. The child held up the cicada to show his grandmother. Wet Nurse Tian managed a forced smile and looked at Ming Shu and Ying Xun: “You know each other? I’m sorry, I thought…”
“You thought we were child-snatching traffickers?” Ming Shu said.
Wet Nurse Tian remained silent, lowering her head to hold her grandson’s hand, making him thank Ying Xun.
“Wet Nurse Tian has encountered child traffickers before, hasn’t she?” Ming Shu continued.
Wet Nurse Tian’s head snapped up, looking at them with shock and suspicion: “How do you know my surname? Who are you…”
“Our children, even when they’re so troublesome that even a puppy would seem easier, are still our most precious treasures. Wouldn’t you agree, Wet Nurse Tian?” Ming Shu said softly.
“I have nothing to say. Xiao Lu, let’s go home, it’s time for your afternoon nap.” Wet Nurse Tian picked up the child and headed home.
The five-year-old was quite heavy, and she struggled to carry him.
“Wet Nurse Tian, you have children and grandchildren of your own. You must understand how a mother feels when her child is taken by traffickers. What would you do if it had been your child that day?” Ming Shu followed her to her doorway, watching her steps slowly.
“Having a lost child returned should be a parent’s joy, but if… the child returned isn’t their flesh and blood, while the child who should have grown up under their parents’ protection instead wanders homeless… if this were your child…”
Ming Shu hadn’t finished speaking when Wet Nurse Tian interrupted: “Stop!”
Wet Nurse Tian set down her grandson and patted his head, pushing him through the door: “Go inside and find your mother.”
Watching her grandson toddle inside, Wet Nurse Tian turned back with reddened eyes to look at Ming Shu: “Who exactly are you? What do you want?”
“We’ve been asked to investigate someone’s background and discovered it’s connected to the Lu family’s kidnapping case from seventeen years ago. That’s why we’ve come to ask Wet Nurse Tian a few questions,” Ming Shu said gently.
“Asked by whom? Who sent you?”
“A young woman who was abandoned as an infant,” Ming Shu replied.
Wet Nurse Tian’s eyes widened, and her breathing quickened, but she still said: “That case is closed. Third Miss Lu was found and is growing up well in the Lu family. I don’t know what connection this young woman you mention has to the Lu family. I have nothing to tell you.”
“Wet Nurse Tian, to be frank, I’ve already found the wife and sister of the kidnapper who stole the baby. They’ve confessed that his wife switched the babies, passing off the kidnapper’s daughter as the Lu family’s child. There’s just one thing I don’t understand—if Madam Lu couldn’t recognize her child, how could you, who cared for the baby day and night, not tell the difference?” Ming Shu asked.
“The kidnapper’s daughter?” Wet Nurse Tian asked in extreme shock, but after her initial surprise, she still insisted, “I didn’t make a mistake. That is Third Miss Lu!”
“Wet Nurse Tian, please think carefully before answering. If this matter isn’t cleared up properly, that young woman could take this to court, bringing you and those two traffickers face-to-face for questioning. With witnesses and evidence complete, there will be no room for denial. You could be charged with collaborating with kidnappers to steal your master’s child and deceiving your masters—a serious crime. Could you bear that?” Ming Shu’s tone grew increasingly stern, pressing each word deliberately.
Wet Nurse Tian’s face changed several times before finally yielding to the last question.
She stamped her foot hard: “Stop asking! Those cursed kidnappers, completely heartless… to think it was the trafficker’s daughter…”
As she cursed, her eyes grew redder: “You said a young woman asked you to investigate her background. Is she…”
“The two traffickers have already confessed,” Ming Shu’s tone softened again, using both gentle and firm approaches. “Wet Nurse Tian, if there’s truly a hidden truth here, you’ve kept it secret for seventeen years. Now we only ask you to tell us the truth, at least let that child know where she truly belongs.”
The kidnappers’ testimony alone wasn’t enough to convince the Lu family about their lost child—it was the wet nurse’s identification that ultimately led them to take the child home.
Wet Nurse Tian covered her face and wept, crying for a long while before saying: “Seventeen years… this matter has been buried in my heart day and night, keeping me from sleep. I’ve wronged Madam Lu and Third Miss… It was me, I was bewitched and let the kidnappers’ scheme succeed! I harmed both Madam and Third Miss.”
She slowly walked to the wall, sobbing as she recounted the past events.
Originally, Third Miss Lu had been lost while in her care. After the Lu family searched for several months without success, they directed their fury at the wet nurse, seeking to hold her responsible. The Tian family were just common people—how could they compensate the Lu family? She lived in constant fear of the Lu family’s retribution. Fortunately, not long after, the authorities caught these traffickers and found several unsold children in their homes.
Clinging to a last hope, Madam Feng brought the wet nurse to identify the child.
This child was the Lu family’s third daughter, lost when she was just a month old. Madam Feng, due to her postpartum confinement and household management duties, hadn’t personally cared for this child, leaving it mostly to the wet nurse. Additionally, half a year had passed, and infants grew quickly—she couldn’t recognize her child and had to rely on Wet Nurse Tian’s judgment.
Wet Nurse Tian hadn’t found the real Third Miss Lu, and fearing the Lu family’s punishment, so…
“Do you remember who pointed out Third Miss Lu?” Ming Shu asked after hearing the whole story, showing no surprise.
“Yes, it was that kidnapper Peng Qing’s wife, surnamed Cai,” Wet Nurse Tian said, wiping her eyes.
“So, the current Third Miss in the Lu family… is not Madam Feng’s birth daughter,” Ming Shu asked again.
Wet Nurse Tian froze for a long while before nodding heavily.
“Correct.”
It was still early when Ming Shu and Ying Xun returned to Man Tang Hui.
At this point in the investigation, they could confirm that the current Third Miss Lu, Lu Ruishan—the same young woman who had previously schemed to get close to Lu Chang—was not the Lu family’s child.
Only one final step remained before the whole truth would come to light.
“Now only Madam Cai knows the true Third Miss Lu’s whereabouts, but she’ll never reveal it,” Ming Shu discussed with Ying Xun as they walked side by side.
From Ming Shu’s limited interaction with Madam Cai, she felt the woman wouldn’t yield to either soft or hard approaches. Being cunning and experienced, she would certainly never confess honestly to protect her daughter.
“Asking her directly won’t get us answers. Don’t you have Yu Lian’s promissory note? Have Miss Peng find a way to get information from Madam Cai—that might work,” Ying Xun suggested.
Ming Shu nodded: “That’s our only option for now. This matter…”
“I’ll go,” Ying Xun volunteered immediately.
Dealing with someone like Yu Lian was better left to him.
Ming Shu smiled and cupped her hands: “Thank you, Master.”
Ying Xun had grown resigned to her calling him that. From their initial mutual dislike to later becoming acquainted through conflict, they had found common ground in their determination to get to the bottom of things. He had gradually grown accustomed to her personality.
“Come in for some tea,” Ming Shu invited as they reached the shop.
Ying Xun nodded and followed her into Man Tang Hui, but unexpectedly, a shop assistant saw Ming Shu and said: “Miss Lu, the Deputy Magistrate is here, waiting for you in the back hall.”
Ming Shu was very surprised—at this hour, why would Lu Chang be here?
Puzzled, she entered the back hall with a cold expression, indeed finding Lu Chang sitting in an armchair.
She huffed and walked to her desk, ignoring Lu Chang.
Lu Chang pinched his brow, sitting silently in the chair.
Ying Xun looked at Ming Shu, then at Lu Chang, stopping at the curtained doorway.
“Greetings, Deputy Magistrate,” he bowed to Lu Chang.
Lu Chang finally turned his head: “Does Officer Ying have business here?”
“No,” Ying Xun sensed the awkward atmosphere and prepared to leave. “I won’t disturb your siblings’ conversation. I’ll take my leave.”
“Safe journey, Officer Ying.”
“Wait, Master, don’t go!”
The siblings spoke simultaneously, one dismissing the guest, one detaining him.
Ying Xun: “…”
He shouldn’t have followed Ming Shu in for that cup of tea.