The main hall was still the same main hall. In fact, because the sun had risen, the light was even brighter.

But everyone in the room had grave expressions.

Zhou Chujin sat in the armchair before the central hall, lifted her tea cup, and gently skimmed the tea leaves on the water’s surface with the lid, saying in a heavy voice, “Speak! What’s this all about?”

The rough-working matrons and the people from the employment agency had all withdrawn. To prevent Lanting from doing anything impulsive, she was still bound with rope and thrown before Zhou Chujin. Zhou Shaojin stood behind her sister, while Madam Ma Fushan guarded the doorway outside.

Lanting’s eyes flashed with cunning as she said, “If Eldest Young Miss sends me back to Baoding, I’ll tell you how things happened!”

Zhou Shaojin sneered coldly, stood up, and called loudly for Madam Ma Fushan to come in, saying, “Go ask those Daoist nuns and procuresses for a muting drug to force down her throat—since she doesn’t want to speak, let her shut her mouth forever.” Having said this, she walked out without looking back.

Zhou Shaojin hurried to follow.

Lanting said, “Don’t you want to know what really happened back then?”

Zhou Chujin scoffed disdainfully: “What evidence do you have? Do you take me for a three-year-old child? Even if you say a thousand or ten thousand things, I still need to investigate and verify. You’re foolishly deluding yourself thinking you can negotiate conditions with me? When Mother died, you were at most twelve or thirteen years old. At your age, you weren’t even entitled to first-class monthly wages. Even if Cheng Bai did harm Mother, you probably only thought of some clues after the fact. After I give you the muting drug, cripple your hands and feet, and sell you to the lowest brothel, I can still investigate the several senior maids who served Mother back then. How could I not uncover the truth! If what you say is true, I’ll let you linger on in the brothel. If you’re spouting nonsense, rest assured—it’s just a matter of spending more silver to send you to the Nine Border Garrisons to become a military prostitute.” At this point, she ordered Madam Ma Fushan, “Oh yes, when you sell her, make it clear to the procuress not to give her contraceptive medicine. I not only want her to become a prostitute, but I want her daughters to be prostitutes for generations…”

Even Zhou Shaojin shivered hearing this.

Only now did Lanting’s expression change.

“No!” she screamed miserably. “You can’t treat me like this. I’m your father’s person…”

Zhou Chujin spat at Lanting: “What thing are you? How dare you say you’re my father’s person? Did my mother drink your kowtow tea? Or did my father go to the yamen to officially register your name? You’re nothing but a thing that warms my father’s bed. How dare you claim to be my father’s person? Don’t forget, your indenture contract is still with my Zhou family! If I elevate you, you’re a person. If I degrade you, you’re mud! Madam Ma Fushan, what are you still standing here for? Can I not even command you anymore?”

Madam Ma Fushan’s face went white. She trembled and kept saying “Yes,” her voice completely changed.

“No, no, no.” Lanting struggled, trying to crawl toward Zhou Chujin, but being tightly bound, not only did she fail to crawl forward, she actually fell to the ground. “Eldest Young Miss, you can’t do this, you can’t do this.”

Zhou Chujin laughed, glanced coldly at Lanting, and walked forward with her head held high and chest out.

Zhou Shaojin hurried forward to support Zhou Chujin’s shoulder.

Only then did she discover Zhou Chujin’s body was trembling slightly.

Sister was also afraid she couldn’t subdue Lanting, which was why she had said those words.

Zhou Shaojin gripped Zhou Chujin’s hand tightly, as if pumping her up with courage.

Little sister’s hand was slender and soft, yet warm and strong.

Zhou Chujin immediately understood Zhou Shaojin’s intent.

She turned her head to glance at Zhou Shaojin, her eyes full of warmth.

Zhou Shaojin smiled at her sister with pursed lips.

Behind them came Lanting’s urgent and anxious voice: “Eldest Young Miss, I’ll talk, I’ll talk. As long as you don’t sell me to that filthy place, I’ll tell you everything.”

Zhou Chujin turned back and said coldly, “Do you think you can negotiate conditions with me?”

“I can’t, I can’t.” Looking at Zhou Chujin’s frost-and-snow-like face, Lanting felt coldness spreading through her heart. She knew she had encountered a tough character—if she wasn’t careful, she would fall into the world of prostitution with no way to rise again. She hurriedly said, “Eldest Young Miss, I misspoke. I’ll tell you everything, tell you everything.”

Zhou Chujin smiled ambiguously, curling the corner of her mouth, and said, “Speak then. What exactly happened back then?”

Lanting rallied her spirits and said with a somewhat flattering tone, “Just as Eldest Young Miss said, I was only thirteen years old then, a second-class maid in Madam’s quarters. The one who served Madam was Xinlan, Madam’s dowry servant.” As she spoke, her tone paused slightly. “Does Eldest Young Miss know Cheng Bai, Grand Master Cheng of Cunyi Lane?”

“I know!” Zhou Chujin said indifferently, returning to sit in the armchair.

Madam Ma Fushan immediately ran over to refill Zhou Chujin’s tea, then closed the door and went outside.

Lanting was quite surprised to hear Zhou Chujin say she knew Cheng Bai of Cunyi Lane. She said, “He’s not only a branch member of the Cheng family—in earlier years, he also had some connection with Madam…”

Zhou Chujin interrupted her words, saying nonchalantly, “Wasn’t he just betrothed to Mother? Everyone knows about this.”

When did this become something everyone knew?

Lanting was stunned.

Back then, Zhou Zhen had expended great effort to suppress this matter.

She glanced at the Zhou sisters.

Not only was Zhou Chujin’s expression normal, even Zhou Shaojin showed no unusual expression.

Only then did Lanting believe that everyone knew about this matter.

She became uneasy.

It seemed that in the years she hadn’t been in Jinling City, many things had happened. She would have to answer carefully later.

Lanting’s expression tightened slightly as she said, “At that time, Madam and Old Madam lived on Government Street. Since Old Master wasn’t home, all the comings and goings in the inner courtyard were handled by Xinlan. Cheng Bai was very attentive to Madam, sending things over every few days. Sometimes he would also write letters and poems to send to Madam. All of these were given to Xinlan to pass to Madam.

“Madam didn’t like these small favors from Cheng Bai and had Xinlan return the things to him. When Cheng Bai sent things to Madam again, he would also buy hair ornaments and handkerchiefs to give to Xinlan, asking her to say a few good words before Madam. Back and forth, Xinlan became familiar with Cheng Bai.

“When Madam’s marriage to Cheng Bai didn’t work out, Xinlan followed Madam and married into the Zhou family.

“But that Cheng Bai wouldn’t give up. He begged Xinlan to send things to Madam several more times. After Madam reprimanded Xinlan several times, Xinlan instead spoke well of Cheng Bai. So Madam discussed with Master and married Xinlan off.

“Xinlan married a traveling merchant in the cotton business. In earlier years, that merchant was still collecting cotton around Hangzhou. Later, when business wasn’t good here, he took Xinlan to Jingzhou Prefecture.

“Everyone thought that after Xinlan married, she never returned. In fact, when Madam was pregnant with Second Young Miss, Xinlan came back to visit Madam. However, all those serving by Madam’s side had entered the household after Xinlan married, and she had changed in appearance. Madam also didn’t seem to want people to know. Everyone just didn’t think of who she was at the time.

“At that time she wanted to stay at home for a few days. Madam didn’t keep her. She left disappointed.

“That’s why I paid attention to her.

“Later she came several more times. Madam gradually wasn’t as cold to her as at the beginning and would occasionally chat with her.

“I remember when Madam gave birth to Second Young Miss, it was a difficult delivery. At that time, everyone in the household panicked. Xinlan suddenly came to visit Madam. The steward settled her in the flower hall and hurried off to fetch the doctor.”

Lanting fell into reminiscence.

“I had been on night duty the previous evening. When Madam went into labor, I was sleeping in the room. Hearing Madam had a difficult delivery, how could I keep lying there? I thought of going to the small Buddhist hall to offer incense for Madam.

“But the main hall was full of people everywhere. Master was pacing back and forth in the courtyard, displeased with everyone he saw.

“I didn’t dare approach and took a roundabout way to the kitchen.

“From afar, I saw Xinlan carrying a hot water kettle walking over.

“When she saw me, she greeted me and asked with great concern how Madam was doing now. Then she raised the copper kettle in her hand to tell me that the main hall kept calling for hot water, the tea room’s stove was too small and couldn’t heat it fast enough. Seeing those little maids were so frightened they were clumsy, she volunteered to help carry water.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time and even said, ‘You’re a guest—how can we trouble you? I’ll deliver this kettle of water instead.’

“Who knew Xinlan seemed startled when she heard this. She kept saying ‘no need’ and hurried toward the main hall carrying the kettle.

“Seeing even a married-out woman being so diligent, I thought about it and followed.

“But when I reached the main hall, she had vanished.

“I was muttering to myself when she suddenly appeared from somewhere, carrying that copper kettle, standing by the curtain.

“I remember Master saw her and frowned, wanting to say something to her. But then people inside the room called out ‘send in another kettle of water.’ Xinlan quickly passed the water in, and Master said nothing.

“Not long after, the midwife came out from behind the curtain with a pale face, wiping her forehead, and told Master that the bleeding wouldn’t stop and there was nothing she could do.

“Master’s expression at that moment was terrifying. He confronted the midwife, saying, ‘Didn’t you just say the bleeding had stopped? How can you now say it won’t stop? Did it stop or not? If you’re talking nonsense, you can forget about making a living in this profession anymore.’

“The midwife was so frightened she started crying, saying the bleeding had stopped at first. Who knew that just after settling Madam, massive hemorrhaging started again.

“Master truly treated Madam well. When others gave birth, they called for midwives, but Master called for a doctor. He even accompanied the doctor into the delivery room to take Madam’s pulse. Only then did Madam keep her life.

“But Madam’s vitality was damaged after all. After lingering for half a year, she still passed away.”

Lanting finished speaking with a somewhat dazed expression.

Zhou Shaojin listened to these events from her childhood, imagining Father’s grief after Mother’s death, and for a moment was somewhat lost.

The room suddenly became utterly quiet, without a sound.

Zhou Chujin snorted coldly and said, “This is what you call ‘Cheng Bai killed my mother’? I think it wasn’t Cheng Bai who killed my mother—you’re making trouble out of nothing! Even if you wanted to fabricate a story to deceive my sister and me, you should at least make it believable!”

“Eldest Young Miss, I didn’t fabricate a story.” Lanting came back to her senses and said anxiously, “It really was Cheng Bai who killed Madam.”