Nanny Wan looked at Lu Tong: “Young lady also knows the Ke family?”

“Who in Shengjing doesn’t know the great name of the Ke family?” Yin Zheng feigned surprise. “I heard that even Grand Tutor Manor uses Ke family kiln porcelain—what an honor. So Nanny works at the Ke Manor, how respectable.”

“We’re all just servants, what’s respectable about it.” Nanny Wan spoke modestly, but her expression showed some pride.

Lu Tong smiled faintly.

Of course Nanny Wan was no ordinary servant.

Her husband Wan Fu was Ke Chengxing’s personal attendant.

Wan Fu had followed Ke Chengxing for about twenty years, which meant Wan Fu had watched Lu Rou marry into the Ke Manor. After Lu Rou died, Wan Fu couldn’t possibly be unaware of the inside story.

Lu Tong had originally wanted to approach Wan Fu directly, but this man was naturally cautious by nature and she couldn’t find a reason to get close to him, so she had no choice but to turn her attention to Wan Fu’s wife, Nanny Wan.

After Nanny Wan revealed her identity and learned that Yin Zheng was a fellow townsperson, her speech became more casual and intimate. Speaking again about today’s plum blossom purchasing matter, she complained: “These plum blossoms are scattered, so the cakes won’t taste right. When Madam asks about it later and gets angry, I’m afraid I’ll get another scolding.”

Lu Tong had finished inserting all the golden needles and sat in the chair waiting for the needle effects to take hold. Hearing this, she smiled and asked: “Didn’t they say the eldest mistress of the Ke family has a gentle and tolerant nature? How could she fuss over a few plum blossoms? Nanny is overthinking.”

“Gentle and tolerant?” Nanny Wan burst into laughter with a “puchi.” “Young lady, where did you hear such words? That one has nothing to do with the four words ‘gentle and tolerant.'”

Lu Tong’s eyes flashed as she asked in confusion: “Really? I heard that the eldest mistress of the Ke family has upright character and is also a rare beauty. Could it be that others were deceiving me?”

Nanny Wan looked at her and was about to speak when she suddenly remembered something and lowered her voice: “Young lady may have heard correctly, but the person others were talking about was probably the previous eldest mistress of the Ke family.”

“The previous one?”

“Yes, the previous mistress—now she was truly outstanding in both character and appearance. Unfortunately, she had no good fortune and passed away not long after entering the family. It was all wasted on the current one.” Nanny Wan seemed quite dissatisfied with the Ke family’s new daughter-in-law, her words carrying considerable resentment.

Lu Tong asked calmly: “She passed away not long after entering the family? Did she fall ill somehow?”

“Yes.” Nanny Wan sighed. “I don’t know how she developed a mental illness when she had been perfectly fine before. Perhaps she didn’t want to burden the master, so in a moment of despair she threw herself into the pond. Such a good person who treated servants well too—what a pity.”

She truly felt sorry for Lu Rou, but her words made Lu Tong’s gaze darken.

Old Madam Ke had said that Lu Rou failed to seduce the young master of Grand Tutor Qi’s manor, became angry from embarrassment, and threw herself into the pond. But Nanny Wan said that Lu Rou developed a mental illness, didn’t want to burden Ke Chengxing, and sought death.

The two accounts were inconsistent, indicating that Nanny Wan didn’t know about the matter involving Grand Tutor Qi.

Why would Old Madam Ke hide this from the servants unless there was some hidden story?

Looking at Nanny Wan’s appearance, she didn’t know the truth. Her husband Wan Fu probably hadn’t revealed anything to her either.

The more they concealed, the more suspicious it became.

Lu Tong glanced at Nanny Wan and suddenly smiled again: “Did the eldest master remarry this one not long after his first wife died? If so, men are truly heartless.”

“Who says they aren’t?” Nanny Wan felt the same way. “Madam died in June, and by September they were already preparing the new madam’s betrothal gifts. Even we servants felt disheartened.”

As she spoke, she seemed to feel this was inappropriate and quickly changed the subject to herself. Sometimes she talked about how her son had recently been led by bad friends to learn gambling, often making Wan Fu angry, and sometimes about how the new madam managed the household strictly with frugal spending from top to bottom. Then she mentioned how Old Madam Ke loved sweets and ate several compartments of sweet foods daily.

She chattered away like this for who knows how long when Nanny Wan suddenly felt the pain in her ankle lessen. Looking down, she saw the swelling had mostly subsided.

Lu Tong removed the golden needles from her ankle one by one and applied hot handkerchiefs. Nanny Wan stood up and walked a few steps, immediately delighted: “It really doesn’t hurt anymore!”

Yin Zheng smiled and took credit: “I told you my young lady has excellent medical skills and wouldn’t deceive you.”

Nanny Wan put on her shoes and socks, praising endlessly and thanking them again. Yin Zheng refused her money and just smiled while pushing her toward the door: “Nanny, we’re already fellow townspeople—what’s there to thank? Meeting at the flower market today is also fate. There’s no need for vulgar objects. When you have nothing to do in the future, just come here to chat with us.”

Nanny Wan still wanted to thank them more, but seeing it was getting late and the plum blossoms would wilt if left outside too long, she exchanged a few more laughs with Yin Zheng before taking her basket and leaving.

After Nanny Wan left, Du Changqing, who had been lying on the counter, looked at Lu Tong and muttered: “I didn’t expect you really knew acupuncture. But after all this busy work for half the day, you didn’t collect a single copper coin. Doctor Lu really does regard money as dirt.”

Lu Tong ignored him, lifted the felt curtain, and walked straight into the small courtyard behind the pharmacy.

Yin Zheng glared at him and followed her in.

Du Changqing received a blank stare for nothing and stamped his feet in anger: “Why are you taking your temper out on me? How inexplicable.”

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

The window was open, with plum tree branches stark and angular against the window frame, like a simple painting.

Yin Zheng followed from behind, closed the door, and looked at Lu Tong’s expression: “Miss.”

“You heard everything.” Lu Tong said calmly: “Nanny Wan said the eldest mistress of the Ke family died in June.”

But the people in Changwu County said Lu Qian received news of Lu Rou’s death in March.

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

Or perhaps…

It was a letter asking for help.

Yin Zheng thought for a moment: “But from Nanny Wan’s meaning, she doesn’t know the inside story of the eldest mistress’s illness. She also said that before the new eldest mistress entered the family, Old Madam Ke, fearing to displease the new daughter-in-law, replaced all the old servants from the previous madam’s courtyard. Miss, should we look for those old servants now?”

“No need.” Lu Tong said.

Since they had changed people, it meant the Ke family wanted to cover up the truth. Those who knew the truth were probably long dead. Those who survived by chance mostly had incomplete knowledge and couldn’t be of much help.

She still needed to target people close to Ke Chengxing.

Lu Tong was silent for a moment before asking: “Today I heard Nanny Wan say that Wan Fu’s son became obsessed with gambling recently?”

Yin Zheng nodded: “Yes, I heard that because of this, the son has been beaten twice. Now he’s being well-behaved, staying home and studying obediently.”

Lu Tong hummed and asked again: “Yin Zheng, do you know how to gamble?”

“I do.” Yin Zheng nodded without thinking. “Back in the brothel, we had to learn music, chess, calligraphy, painting, gambling, cockfighting, and drinking. Not only can I gamble, sometimes to cheat those foolish young masters out of their silver, I had to learn how to cheat and set up games…” At this point, she suddenly froze and looked at Lu Tong. “Miss, are you thinking…”

Wind blew in, and the plum branches outside the window swayed.

Lu Tong gazed intently for a while before withdrawing her gaze.

She said: “Yin Zheng, I’d like to ask you for a favor.”