Granny Wan looked at Lu Tong: “Young lady, you know of the Ke family too?”

“Who is Sheng Jing doesn’t know the Ke family’s name?” Yinzheng feigned surprise, “I heard even the Grand Tutor’s mansion uses Ke family porcelain—what prestige! So Granny works at the Ke mansion? That’s quite distinguished.”

“We’re all just servants, what’s there to be distinguished about?” Granny Wan was modest in her words, but her expression showed some pride.

Lu Tong smiled faintly.

Granny Wan was certainly no ordinary servant.

Her husband Wanfu was Ke Chengxing’s attendant.

Wanfu had served Ke Chengxing for over twenty years, which meant Wanfu had witnessed Lu Rou’s marriage into the Ke family, and after Lu Rou’s death, Wanfu couldn’t have been ignorant of the circumstances.

Lu Tong had originally wanted to approach Wanfu directly, but since he was cautious by nature and she couldn’t find a pretext to get close to him, she had no choice but to turn her attention to his wife, Granny Wan.

Having revealed her identity and learning that Yinzheng was from her hometown, Granny Wan spoke more casually and intimately. Speaking again of buying plum blossoms today, she rambled on: “With these plum blossoms scattered, the cakes won’t taste right. If the madam asks about it and gets angry, I’m afraid I’ll be scolded again.”

Lu Tong had finished inserting all the gold needles and was sitting in the chair waiting for them to take effect. Hearing this, she smiled and asked: “Isn’t it said that the eldest Madam Ke is gentle and kind-hearted? How could she fuss over a few plum blossoms? Granny must be overthinking.”

“Gentle and kind-hearted?” Granny Wan burst out laughing, “Young lady, where did you hear such things? That one has nothing to do with being gentle or kind-hearted.”

Lu Tong’s eyes flickered, and she asked puzzledly: “Is that not so? I heard that the eldest Madam Ke was virtuous and a rare beauty. Could others have been deceiving me?”

Granny Wan looked at her, about to speak, when she suddenly seemed to remember something and lowered her voice: “Young lady might not be wrong, but the person others speak of is probably the previous eldest Madam Ke.”

“The previous one?”

“Yes, the previous madam was truly outstanding in both character and appearance. Unfortunately, she had little fortune and passed away not long after entering the family. It all benefited the current one.” Granny Wan seemed dissatisfied with the Ke family’s new bride, her words carrying clear resentment.

Lu Tong asked casually: “Passed away not long after entering the family? Did she fall ill?”

“Yes.” Granny Wan sighed, “Don’t know how she suddenly developed a madness when she had been perfectly fine before. Perhaps she didn’t want to burden the master, and in a moment of despair jumped into the pond. Such a good person, kind to the servants too, what a pity.”

She truly seemed to regret Lu Rou’s fate, causing Lu Tong’s gaze to darken.

Old Madam Ke had said that Lu Rou had tried to seduce the Grand Tutor Qi’s son and failed, then jumped into the pond out of shame and anger. But Granny Wan said Lu Rou had developed a mental illness and sought death to avoid burdening Ke Chengxing.

The two versions didn’t match, indicating that Granny Wan knew nothing about matters related to the Grand Tutor Qi.

Why would Old Madam Ke hide this from the servants, unless there was something to conceal?

Looking at Granny Wan’s manner, she didn’t know the truth, and perhaps her husband Wanfu had never revealed it to her.

The more that was concealed, the more suspicious it became.

Lu Tong glanced at Granny Wan, then suddenly smiled and said: “So Master Ke married this new wife not long after the first madam’s death? Men truly are fickle.”

“Aren’t they just?” Granny Wan agreed sympathetically, “The madam passed in June, and by September they were preparing the betrothal gifts for the new madam. Even we servants found it heartless.”

As she spoke, she seemed to realize the impropriety and quickly changed the subject to herself. One moment she spoke of how her son had recently learned to gamble from bad company, often angering Wanfu, the next she talked about how the new madam was strict in household management, keeping tight control over expenses from top to bottom. Then she mentioned how Old Madam Ke loved sweets and ate several compartments of confections daily.

After chattering on for who knows how long, Granny Wan suddenly noticed that the pain in her ankle had lessened. Looking down, she saw that the swelling had mostly subsided.

Lu Tong removed the gold needles one by one from her ankle and applied a hot towel. Granny Wan stood up and took a few steps, immediately delighted: “It doesn’t hurt anymore!”

Yinzheng smiled and took credit: “I told you my miss’s medical skills were excellent, I wasn’t lying.”

Granny Wan put her shoes and socks back on, praising profusely and expressing thanks again. Yinzheng refused to take her money, just smiling and pushing her toward the door: “Granny, we’re already fellow townspeople, what thanks are needed? Meeting at the flower market today was fate. No need for material things, just come by and chat with us when you’re free.”

Granny Wan still wanted to express more gratitude, but seeing it was getting late and the plum blossoms would wilt if left out too long, she exchanged a few more jovial words with Yinzheng before leaving with her basket.

After Granny Wan left, Du Changqing, who had been lounging at the counter, looked at Lu Tong and grumbled: “I didn’t expect you knew acupuncture. But after all this effort, not a single copper coin earned—Doctor Lu truly views money as dirt.”

Lu Tong ignored him, lifted the felt curtain, and went straight into the small courtyard behind the medicine shop.

Yinzheng glared at him before following her in.

Du Changqing received an inexplicable glare and jumped up angrily: “Why are you getting angry at me? Makes no sense.”

Lu Tong entered the small courtyard and went to the inner room.

The windows were open, and the plum tree branches were stark against the eaves, like a simple painting.

Yinzheng followed her in, closed the door, and looked at Lu Tong’s expression: “Miss.”

“You heard it all.” Lu Tong said calmly, “Granny Wan said the eldest madam passed in June.”

The people in Chang Wu County said Lu Qian received news of Lu Rou’s death in March.

Perhaps that wasn’t a letter bearing news of Lu Rou’s death.

For instance…

It might have been a cry for help.

Yinzheng thought for a moment: “But from Granny Wan’s words, she didn’t know the details of the eldest madam’s illness. She also said that before the new madam entered the family, Old Madam Ke, fearing to displease the new bride, replaced all the old servants from the previous madam’s quarters. Miss, should we try to find those old servants now?”

“No need.” Lu Tong said.

The fact that they changed the servants showed that the Ke family wanted to conceal the truth. Those who knew the truth were probably no longer in this world. And those who fortunately survived probably only knew fragments and couldn’t help much.

They would have to work through those close to Ke Chengxing.

Lu Tong was silent for a moment, then asked: “Today Granny Wan mentioned that Wanfu’s son recently became addicted to gambling?”

Yinzheng nodded: “Yes, I heard he was beaten twice for it. Now he’s behaved himself and stays home to study properly.”

Lu Tong made a sound of acknowledgment, then asked: “Yinzheng, do you know how to gamble?”

“I do.” Yinzheng nodded without hesitation, “Back in the pleasure house, we had to learn everything—music, chess, literature, painting, gambling, drinking… Not just gambling, sometimes to cheat foolish young masters out of their silver, we had to learn how to rig games and set up traps…” At this point, she suddenly paused and looked at Lu Tong, “Miss, are you thinking…”

A breeze blew in, making the plum branches outside the window sway.

Lu Tong stared out for a while before withdrawing her gaze.

She said: “Yinzheng, I’d like to ask for your help.”