This was indeed Lanting’s trump card.
So afterward, no matter how Zhou Chujin threatened or enticed her, she only clung to one point—she could reveal Xinlan’s whereabouts, but the Zhou sisters had to spare her.
Zhou Chujin flatly refused and signaled Ma Fushan’s wife to sever Lanting’s hand tendons.
Lanting screamed miserably.
Zhou Shaojin, standing in the courtyard with her sister, was so frightened she trembled while clutching her sister’s arm.
Before long, Ma Fushan’s wife emerged from the main hall and said in a low voice, “She talked. Xinlan is probably in Jingzhou Prefecture.”
Her face was full of exhaustion—clearly this task had been difficult for her as well.
“Probably?” Zhou Chujin frowned slightly and said thoughtfully, “Didn’t she say specifically where?”
“No!” Ma Fushan’s wife said respectfully. “She doesn’t know the specific location either. She said that Xinlan’s husband used to collect cotton in the area years ago, but later discovered that cotton in Jingzhou Prefecture was much cheaper than here, so he resigned from Madam’s service and took Xinlan to Jingzhou Prefecture.
“When Xinlan returned to the household, Madam asked about her recent situation, and she also said she was living in Jingzhou Prefecture. This time she’d returned to Jinling to sell the old residence she’d left behind in Jinling, planning to settle permanently in Jingzhou Prefecture afterward.
“Later, when she discovered Xinlan had an ambiguous relationship with Cheng Bai, she felt Xinlan must have deceived Madam. So she quietly went to the residence where Xinlan used to live and discovered that residence had been entrusted to a broker for sale but hadn’t been sold yet. She suspected Xinlan had stolen her husband’s property deed, and even had someone pretend to be a buyer and check the residence’s documents at the government office. The procedures were all in order—Xinlan really had come back to sell the residence…
“Later, when Cheng Bai fell ill, she didn’t see Xinlan and went to Xinlan’s residence again. The neighbor next door told her that some days earlier, Xinlan’s husband had rushed over from Jingzhou Prefecture, sold the residence, and taken Xinlan back to Jingzhou Prefecture.
“After that, she never saw Xinlan again.”
Zhou Chujin was silent for a moment. She said to Ma Fushan’s wife, “In her current state, she’s probably still harboring false hope, thinking that since I know about Xinlan’s matter, I’ll definitely ferret Xinlan out and won’t take her life. Go in now and tell her I don’t believe her words at all, and that I want you to sever her foot tendons…”
Having one’s foot tendons severed meant spending one’s entire life bedridden.
Ma Fushan’s wife said in alarm, “Really, really sever her foot tendons?”
Zhou Chujin said angrily, “Don’t you understand playing good cop and bad cop?”
Ma Fushan’s wife immediately understood, her face flushing red as she repeatedly acknowledged the order.
Zhou Chujin said, “You need to make her believe that the only reason I haven’t forced muting medicine down her throat is because that medicine is hard to find and hasn’t been delivered yet. If she still won’t tell the truth, once a bowl of muting medicine is poured down, even if she wants to speak, she won’t be able to. Although Jinling Prefecture has physicians who can reconnect tendons, if she’s not treated in time, even summoning a physician won’t help… You need to make her believe I don’t trust her words at all—what basis does she have for suspecting Madam was killed by Cheng Bai? That Xinlan merely helped a junior maid carry a pot of water inside, and Cheng Bai merely had an ambiguous relationship with Xinlan. Perhaps Xinlan did nothing at all, perhaps Cheng Bai coincidentally encountered Xinlan and the two became entangled… You need to persuade her that if she wants to live, she must properly tell everything she knows. Even if she doesn’t speak, I know Xinlan is in Jingzhou Prefecture. I can easily have the Cheng family send people to investigate. Unless she’s speaking nonsense, an outsider household that moved there ten years ago will be very easy to track down.”
Ma Fushan’s wife repeatedly responded “Yes,” thought for a moment, and entered the main hall.
Zhou Shaojin was still somewhat worried and said, “What if she doesn’t believe it? We can’t really sever her foot and hand tendons, can we?”
“If it really comes to that step,” Zhou Chujin said thoughtfully, “that’s all we can do.”
Zhou Shaojin sighed and accompanied her sister to the main room to await news.
After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Ma Fushan’s wife came over.
“Miss,” her expression was somewhat embarrassed. She said, “Lanting says that after Madam passed away, Master wanted to free them all. To gain Master’s trust, she thought of a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets she’d once seen in the silver shop, similar to those Madam had secretly given to Uncle Zhuang’s household. But she had no money to buy them, so she ultimately set her sights on Cheng Bai. But Cheng Bai completely ignored her. Having no other option, she boldly wrote a note saying ‘You and Xinlan conspired to kill Madam’ and sent it to Cheng Bai. Cheng Bai surprisingly obediently left two hundred taels of silver at the big tree by the City God Temple as she instructed. When she discovered this, she was scared half to death, afraid of Cheng Bai’s retaliation, and didn’t dare take it. After that, Cheng Bai fell ill… As for Xinlan, she truly doesn’t know where she specifically lives. She only knows that seeing Cheng Bai was seriously ill, even if she entered the Cheng family, she wouldn’t have good days ahead. When her husband came looking for her, she returned to Jingzhou Prefecture with her husband.”
So the so-called dying wish Mother had supposedly entrusted to her about caring for her younger sister might also be false!
Zhou Shaojin was dumbstruck.
Zhou Chujin covered her chest as if having difficulty breathing, and only after a long while said, “For now, spare her miserable life. Once I’ve found that Xinlan and notified Father to come question them, the truth of the situation will become crystal clear!”
Ma Fushan’s wife lowered her head in acknowledgment.
Zhou Chujin instructed her, “You must keep a close watch on her. If she takes silver to bribe you all, just accept it. Even if she asks you to quietly find a physician to reconnect her tendons, find someone for her. Don’t let her feel hopeless and recklessly seek death. I’m counting on her and Xinlan turning on each other!”
Ma Fushan’s wife hastily patted her chest in guarantee.
Sister is using hope to keep Lanting alive!
Only now did Zhou Shaojin truly realize how formidable Zhou Chujin was.
She was very envious, but even more than that, she felt admiration.
So on the way back, when Zhou Chujin asked her “What have you learned from all this,” she smiled and shook her head, saying, “Sister, I’d better just hide behind you and Father and peacefully live my simple days.”
Zhou Chujin shook her head, disappointed at her lack of ambition.
Zhou Shaojin just held her arm and smiled.
Zhou Chujin sighed helplessly, thinking of what Grandmother had said about “every blade of grass has its dewdrop.”
For her younger sister, the path she herself was taking might not be suitable. On the contrary, her path lay beneath her own feet. She need only walk her own path well to find happiness… Perhaps she would be even happier!
Zhou Chujin felt relieved and gently patted her sister’s head.
Zhou Shaojin asked her sister, “How shall we investigate Xinlan’s matter?”
Zhou Chujin smiled and asked in return, “How do you think we should investigate?”
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and said, “I think Ma Fushan would be most suitable, but I’m afraid Ma Fushan’s wife won’t have time.”
“Mm!” Zhou Chujin agreed. “He’s indeed not very suitable. After the Cold Clothing Festival comes the Beginning of Winter. We need to prepare the New Year holiday gifts. Many court officials are from the Jiangnan region—they prefer lotus seeds from Hangzhou and salted duck eggs from Gaoyou. Ma Fushan must help prepare all these things. He can’t get away.”
Zhou Shaojin thought of someone.
Ma Fushan’s cousin Ma Ci.
In her previous life, when Sister was getting married and needed to select attendants from the Zhou household’s hereditary servants, Ma Ci had entered the household through Ma Fushan’s recommendation. He was not only hardworking and capable of enduring hardship, but also shrewd, competent, and utterly loyal. Not long after following Zhou Chujin to the Liao family, he distinguished himself and became one of Zhou Chujin’s most trusted people. Later, when she herself married and had no suitable person to help manage her dowry, Sister asked her and then entrusted her dowry to Ma Ci’s management. In just a few years, her personal savings had doubled. Right up until her rebirth, Ma Ci had been helping both sisters with their affairs.
She clasped her hands tightly together and said, “Sister, I once heard that Ma Fushan has a cousin who is very capable, seems to be called Ma Ci or something. Why don’t you ask Ma Fushan if his cousin could run some errands for us!”
Zhou Chujin was very surprised.
She wasn’t surprised that Zhou Shaojin had suddenly mentioned Ma Fushan’s cousin. She was surprised that Zhou Shaojin had suddenly thought of a way to overcome her bad habit of wringing her fingers when nervous.
“When did you think of this idea?” Zhou Chujin pointed at her hands and said, “But relax a bit more. That way it will look more natural.”
Zhou Shaojin, too embarrassed to say it was Cheng Chi who had told her, said “Oh,” adjusted her posture, and pressed her sister, “Do you think my idea is good or not?”
Zhou Chujin didn’t believe at all that Zhou Shaojin had coincidentally heard Ma Ci’s name. In her view, Ma Fushan’s wife must have asked Zhou Shaojin to arrange a position for her cousin. If it were any other matter, she would have agreed immediately, but this time it involved investigating Xinlan’s whereabouts. She said, “Have him come see me! If he’s suitable, I’ll let him go.”
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief and cheerfully agreed. Upon returning to Wanxiang Residence, she had Shi Xiang relay a message to Ma Fushan’s wife, asking Ma Ci to go see Zhou Chujin.
Ma Fushan knew his nephew had always wanted to work in the Zhou household. It was just that Zhou Zhen served as an official elsewhere, and the two young misses lived at the Cheng residence for extended periods, so there were truly no vacancies at Pingqiao Street, which was why he’d remained idle. Hearing that Zhou Chujin wanted to see Ma Ci, he assumed Ma Ci had found some other connection and didn’t ask many questions. After instructing him on a few things to pay attention to, he sent him to Jiuru Lane.
Ma Ci was only sixteen, but had already grown tall and sturdy, very steady.
After Zhou Chujin questioned him, she was very satisfied and promised him two hundred taels of silver to make a trip to Jingzhou Prefecture.
When Zhou Shaojin heard about this, she was stunned for quite a while.
Sister had sent Ma Ci to Jingzhou Prefecture and only given him two hundred taels of silver… She had sent Fan Qi to the capital and given him five hundred taels of silver…
She hastily had Shi Xiang check her personal savings.
Shi Xiang kept accounts of every income and expenditure and periodically took inventory to ensure the accounts matched the actual amounts.
When Zhou Shaojin asked, she replied immediately, “You still have sixteen taels and three qian of personal silver.”
Zhou Shaojin immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
She had promised Fan Qi two hundred taels of silver plus ten mu of prime paddy fields as a reward upon success…
When Fan Qi returned, what silver would she use to reward him?
She paced anxiously around the room and asked Shi Xiang, “When I withdrew the silver, why didn’t you tell me I only had five hundred-some taels of silver?”
Shi Xiang said in surprise, “You said you wanted to take the silver to buy land… I thought buying land was a hundred-year plan… Besides, you don’t have anywhere else you need to spend silver. When New Year comes, Old Madam, Great Madam, Great Master, and the others will all bestow rewards…”
Zhou Shaojin said, “But those are all silver ingots. Can silver ingots be exchanged for cash?”
Shi Xiang widened her eyes and said, “Of course silver ingots can be exchanged for cash. Otherwise, where would Second Master Yi and the others get their gambling money?”
“Oh, right!” Zhou Shaojin responded, but in her heart she thought she’d have Shi Xiang gather together all the silver ingots she’d received over the years to see if she could scrape together two hundred taels of silver… If that really didn’t work, she’d write Father asking for money… But what excuse should she use? She couldn’t very well say she needed to reward Fan Qi, could she?