The matter was far beyond anyone’s expectations.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart felt heavy, unable to describe what she was feeling.

Ma Fushan, having heard his master’s family secrets, felt somewhat uneasy. He thought it better to wait and see what Zhou Shaojin would say before he chimed in.

For a moment, the room was utterly silent, without a sound.

The old beggar shifted his body uneasily. His shifty gaze landed on Ma Fushan for a moment, then on the main hall, then on the ground, his expression revealing a hint of cunning.

Watching him, Ma Fushan’s heart stirred.

How could he have forgotten about this fellow?

Regardless of whether what he said was true or false, Second Miss was still young and temporarily rattled by this fellow’s words. When she came to her senses later, who knew whether she’d be sad or happy—they certainly couldn’t let this fellow stay here to watch the spectacle, could they?

Thinking this, he shouted loudly: “According to what you say, the Cheng and Zhuang families were once betrothed—how come the neighbors all don’t know? I think you need a beating, daring to fabricate stories about Old Master Zhuang and Madam Zhuang…”

“Everything I said is true!” The old beggar immediately began crying with tears and snot running down his face. “At first Master Cheng Bai said the Old Madam was their family’s aunt, so Old Madam Cheng couldn’t say anything. Later Old Madam Cheng heard Miss Zhuang was a reincarnated fox spirit and was displeased. Then later when the two families broke the engagement, it was the Zhuang family who initiated it, so the Cheng family would mention it even less. The Gu family knows about this matter… and Master Zhou also knows… Originally Old Master Zhuang wanted to marry Miss Zhuang into the Gu family, but the Gu family had no sons of suitable age, so Miss Zhuang married Master Zhou…” He pointed to heaven and swore an oath. “Uncle Zhuang also knows… At the time he used this to demand silver from Miss Zhuang. Later it was Master Zhou who stepped forward, gave Uncle Zhuang silver, and sealed Uncle Zhuang’s mouth…”

The shrewd Ma Fushan immediately heard the underlying meaning. He said: “Then whose hush money did you receive?”

“Cheng… the Cheng family…” Caught off guard, the old beggar blurted it out.

The Cheng family?

Zhou Shaojin was dumbstruck.

Ma Fushan was left speechless.

“It’s true!” Seeing the matter exposed, the old beggar knew that even if he didn’t speak, the Zhou family could investigate and find out if they wished. He simply threw caution to the wind and said: “The Cheng family has always viewed this matter as a disgrace. Master Cheng Bai became determined because of this, earned his scholar’s degree, and later went into business. In just a few years, he amassed ten thousand strings of wealth… He never wanted to mention this matter again… so he gave this humble one a sum of silver and told me to leave Jinling City and do some small business… But I have no skills other than driving carriages. In a few years I squandered all the silver and had no other recourse, so I began begging…”

What kind of person was Ma Fushan? Hearing this, he laughed coldly: “You extorted Cheng Bai, and only then did Cheng Bai give you silver to do business, right? Otherwise, the Zhuang family was also a charitable family. Since you served Old Master Zhuang, even if the Zhuang family didn’t provide for you in your old age after Old Master Zhuang passed away, our Master has always respected Madam Zhuang. For Madam Zhuang’s sake, our Master would have provided for you. How would you have ended up on the streets becoming a beggar?”

Exposed, the old beggar turned deathly pale with shock.

Ma Fushan’s expression softened slightly as he said amiably: “Traveling a thousand li to be an official is for money. Why didn’t you say so earlier? Making me catch you by your weakness before you’d be honest. I won’t say anything else—when the Miss’s reward comes down, you must give me half.”

His alternating between clear and rainy weather, hot and cold, ground down the old beggar until he could no longer harbor other thoughts.

He clutched Ma Fushan’s leg and said loudly: “Chief Steward Sir, I’ll listen to everything you say! Everything! You have discerning eyes. I’ll tell you everything one by one… I originally served Old Master Zhuang. As the Zhuang household declined day by day, I had dishonest thoughts for a moment and stole one of Old Master Zhuang’s paintings to sell. Who knew Twelfth Master Gu would discover it? Old Master Zhuang gave me ten taels of silver and drove me out of the Zhuang household… I’ve been a traveling merchant, a groom, a coachman, and carried burdens for people… I have no wife or children… Life was truly unbearable… so I thought to borrow a few taels of silver from Miss Zhuang. If that didn’t work, borrowing a few taels from Uncle Zhuang would do… Who would have thought Miss Zhuang had already passed away, Master Cheng Bai had also died from illness, Madam Bai knew nothing about the matters between the Cheng and Zhuang families, and Uncle Zhuang had run off somewhere to avoid debts… I originally wanted to find the eldest Miss Zhou, but unexpectedly I ran into the Cheng family’s Master Lu…”

“What did you say?” Even someone as experienced as Ma Fushan couldn’t help but change expression greatly: “The one who gave you silver was the Cheng family’s Master Lu?”

“Yes!” The old beggar didn’t realize how shocking this statement was. He wiped his nose with his sleeve and said: “Master Lu said if this matter got out, it would harm Master Bai’s reputation. He told me not to speak of it under any circumstances. First he gave me twenty taels of silver, then later gave me another thirty taels… I originally wanted to get more silver, but then the household I used to work for as a groom came looking for me, so I didn’t dare stay in Jinling City any longer… If I hadn’t reached the end of my rope this time, and if I hadn’t heard that Second Miss treats well those servants who once served Madam Zhuang, I wouldn’t have come back…” At this point, he asked Ma Fushan worriedly: “Since I served Old Master Zhuang, shouldn’t that be more respectable than serving Madam Zhuang? Does that count as a loyal servant?”

A loyal servant? Clearly just a scoundrel!

Ma Fushan was speechless and placated him perfunctorily: “It should count! I’ll go ask Second Miss and then we’ll know.”

The old beggar was delighted and said with a fawning smile: “Then, Chief Steward Sir, when can Second Miss’s silver reward come down? You see my situation—a single coin can stump a hero. Could you lend me a few coins first? When Second Miss’s reward comes down, I’ll return it to you…”

“Easily done, easily done.” As Ma Fushan spoke, he saw Shi Xiang come around from behind the main hall and hand him a note.

He glanced at it hastily and asked the beggar: “What you’ve said needs witnesses. You say the Gu family knows—who else in the Gu family knows? When Master Lu gave you silver, who can testify to that?”

The beggar thought for a long time and said: “Twelfth Master Gu… passed away several years ago. Who else in the Gu family knows… I can’t say clearly… But Master Zhou should know… Master Lu didn’t give me the silver himself—it was someone surnamed Zhao beside him who gave it to me…”

Surnamed Zhao?

Zhao Dahai!

Zhou Shaojin’s fingertips trembled.

Zhao Dahai was Cheng Lu’s attendant.

A hereditary servant of the Cheng family.

The person Cheng Lu trusted most.

Most of the things Cheng Lu had given her had passed through Zhao Dahai’s hands to reach her.

No need to verify further—Zhou Shaojin was already certain that the one who gave this beggar hush money was Cheng Lu.

Cheng Lu clearly knew about the grievances between the two families, so why did he still seek to marry her? No, wait—Cheng Lu hadn’t sought to marry her. He sought to marry Wu Baozhang! He merely made Grandmother and Uncle Mian think that he was interested in her, that he wanted to marry her…

Zhou Shaojin felt chilled all over.

She supported herself on the armrest of the chair, barely managing not to collapse.

“Shi Xiang.” She heard her own hoarse voice. “Go ask when this happened.”

Shi Xiang’s expression was panicked. She responded softly with “Yes” and turned to leave the rear hall.

“It was two years ago.” The old beggar said. “I remember clearly—the first time it was wrapped in kraft paper. Silver ingots, ten pieces in total…”

Two years ago, she was ten years old.

It was from that time on that Cheng Lu began appearing before her eyes.

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes reddened. She covered her face and said: “Reward that old beggar thirty taels of silver and send him away!”

Shi Xiang curtsied.

The room quickly quieted down.

Zhou Shaojin sat dazedly in the chair. Feeling the light in the room gradually dim, she finally stood up and said in a heavy voice: “Let’s go back!”

Shi Xiang acknowledged and helped Zhou Shaojin exit through the back door, boarding the sedan chair that had been waiting there all along. They returned to Wanxiang Residence.

Zhou Chujin was anxiously standing under the eaves waiting for Zhou Shaojin.

Seeing them return, she hurried forward and said urgently: “Why are you only coming back now? Grandmother just asked about you. Did you buy what you mentioned?”

Zhou Shaojin had used the excuse of preparing a birthday gift for Old Madam Guan to coax Mian’s wife into letting her go out.

But at this moment, she couldn’t even manage a reassuring smile for her sister.

“Fortunately I bought things early on.” Zhou Shaojin said wearily. “When the time comes, I’ll just present them to Grandmother.”

She stumbled into the inner chamber and threw herself onto the bed.

Zhou Chujin followed after her.

“What’s wrong?” She sat on the edge of the bed, asking worriedly.

“I don’t know how to tell you yet.” Zhou Shaojin buried her face in the pillow. “Once I’ve figured it out, I’ll tell Sister.”

Zhou Chujin didn’t press her. She gently stroked her shoulder and quietly walked out.

Zhou Shaojin slept heavily. When she woke, the moon was already above the willow branches.

She thought for a moment, then went to her sister Zhou Chujin’s quarters.

Zhou Chujin was making decorative knots.

Hearing the movement, she looked up and smiled: “I figured you’d be waking up about now. Good. I’ll have Dong Wan brew some tea, and you can tell me all about it properly.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and sat beside her sister, working on decorative knots together with her.

“Mother was originally betrothed to Cheng Lu’s father, Cheng Bai…” She related the story in detail, and Zhou Chujin listened with shock and alarm.

The lamplight on the side table flickered in the wind, and the room alternated between bright and dark.

“So what are your plans?” Zhou Chujin gripped Zhou Shaojin’s hand tightly. “Don’t listen to idle gossip. Even if Mother broke her engagement with Cheng Bai, it was because Cheng Bai was too frivolous—it had nothing to do with Mother. Even if you don’t believe me, you should believe Father. Otherwise, with Mother having been dead for so many years, Father couldn’t possibly have continued to respect her this way.”

Sister was afraid she would doubt Mother’s character, wasn’t she?

Zhou Shaojin said: “I also feel this matter had nothing to do with Mother. If Cheng Bai held a grudge against Mother because of this, it only shows his narrow-mindedness and bitter resentment toward the world. Grandfather not marrying Mother to him was absolutely right. I just can’t forgive Cheng Lu. How could he so despicably set me up…”

Zhou Chujin was afraid Zhou Shaojin would seek revenge on Cheng Lu because of this. She advised her sister: “Now that you know about this matter, we just won’t deal with him anymore. It’s not worth delaying your own future for him.”

But sometimes, even when you don’t provoke him, he won’t let you go.

Like in the previous life.

She had already hidden away at the estate in Daxing, barely clinging to life while waiting to die, yet Cheng Lu still chased after her to coax her into eloping with him… What kind of enmity required not just killing someone, but casting them into the eighteenth level of hell before being satisfied!