The middle-aged woman wore dull-colored hemp clothing, with a head wrap of the most common blue cloth with small floral patterns, bearing an obvious grease stain that looked filthy. Her hands were rough, yet her face was smeared with cheap rouge. Her eyes turned up at the corners, and her lips were rather thin—someone who was sharp-tongued and formidable.

This type of person, when they started cursing, could go from dawn to dusk without stopping for breath.

Just as the middle-aged woman was spitting and cursing loudly, Shao Mingyuan calmly walked over, pulled out a piece of broken silver, and handed it to her, his tone gentle: “Sister-in-law, we’d like to inquire about something.”

The woman’s shouting stopped abruptly.

She lowered her head, staring fixedly at the broken silver Shao Mingyuan offered, licking her cracked lips: “This… this is silver?”

Shao Mingyuan smiled at the corners of his mouth: “Yes, we just disturbed your family’s pig’s meal. Our apologies.”

Qiao Zhao lowered her head and pressed her lips together, suppressing the smile at the corners of her mouth.

This person was so earnest, even when being sarcastic—it truly surprised her.

The middle-aged woman couldn’t detect any sarcasm; silver was what mattered most. She snatched it away, first wiping it on her apron, then biting it with her teeth.

Confirming it was genuine silver without doubt, the middle-aged woman revealed a sincere smile: “Ask whatever you want, you two. Would you like to come inside for some water?”

“No need for water. We’d like to ask if the master of this house is home?”

“Eh, you’re asking about Coroner Qian?” The middle-aged woman glanced at the door across from hers.

Shao Mingyuan looked at Qiao Zhao with laughter in his eyes.

They hadn’t found the wrong place.

Qiao Zhao naturally understood the meaning of his glance and nodded lightly.

Well, she should encourage him a bit.

Shao Mingyuan withdrew his gaze and nodded to the middle-aged woman: “Sister-in-law is correct, we’re looking for Coroner Qian.”

Like the old woman at the alley entrance, the middle-aged woman looked Shao Mingyuan up and down.

Shao Mingyuan shifted his body sideways, blocking most of Qiao Zhao’s form.

Unexpectedly, the middle-aged woman who had been obtuse just moments ago now became perceptive. Seeing Shao Mingyuan’s movement, she pursed her lips and laughed: “Young man, you’re so protective of your little wife! I’m not a man!”

Shao Mingyuan: “…”

“Does sister-in-law know Coroner Qian’s situation?” Shao Mingyuan decided to pretend he hadn’t heard.

“How could I not know? Everyone in the neighborhood knows. I say, young man, I can see you’re both refined people—how could you be dealing with that kind of person?” The middle-aged woman’s expression was full of disgust.

“What’s wrong with Coroner Qian? Please enlighten us, sister-in-law.” Shao Mingyuan’s attitude remained unhurried and calm.

The middle-aged woman enjoyed sharing gossip, especially with the incentive of silver, and poured out the whole story: “The Coroner Qian you’re looking for is a heartless, deranged demon—he cut out and ate the heart and liver of his dead wife!”

This statement was too sensational. Qiao Zhao and Shao Mingyuan couldn’t help but look at each other.

The middle-aged woman continued on her own: “It happened at the beginning of the year. There was also an old man who came looking for him. That old man didn’t seem human—the neighbors all said he was a fox spirit in disguise. When he came, it was just when Aunt Qian had died, and the two of them drank wine while cutting out Aunt Qian’s heart and liver to go with their drinks…”

Qiao Zhao’s heart suddenly stirred.

Could the fox spirit this sister-in-law mentioned be Grandfather Li?

At the beginning of the year, she had just become the young girl Li Zhao. After falling ill, she had stopped at Taishui Dock to find a doctor, and Elder Brother Yang had brought Grandfather Li over. Thinking about it now, there weren’t so many coincidences in the world—it must have been when Grandfather Li came to visit Coroner Qian again that he encountered Yang Houcheng.

When Grandfather Li had brought her to visit Coroner Qian years ago, she was still small and didn’t understand Coroner Qian well, but she could be certain that Grandfather Li would never eat human hearts and livers.

The woman’s chattering voice continued in her ears: “Oh my, what a sin it was! That old beast, Coroner Qian, was eating Aunt Qian’s heart and liver, and his daughter-in-law happened to catch them. His daughter-in-law was over a month pregnant at the time, and she was so frightened that she lost the child. Tell me, isn’t that a terrible sin…”

“Sister-in-law, what happened after that?” Letting the woman talk, who knew when she’d finish, so Shao Mingyuan interrupted.

“Later, Coroner Qian’s son drove Coroner Qian away, so Coroner Qian isn’t here anymore.”

“Coroner Qian’s son doesn’t live here anymore either?”

“They’re still here, but they’re not home at this time.”

“Do you know where they are now?”

“Well now—” The middle-aged woman’s eyes darted around as she rubbed her hands together.

Shao Mingyuan pulled out another piece of broken silver.

The middle-aged woman’s eyes lit up at the sight of silver, and she reached out to take it.

Shao Mingyuan pulled his hand back, smiling faintly: “Sister-in-law, you haven’t said where they are now.”

He had seen many people as greedy as this woman during his time in the Northern Territories. If he gave the silver directly, she’d cause trouble again later. He didn’t lack silver, but he couldn’t waste it like this—he still needed to save silver to pay Miss Li’s consultation fees.

Thinking of this, the young general secretly glanced at the girl standing quietly beside him.

The middle-aged woman stared fixedly at the silver in Shao Mingyuan’s hand, clearing her throat: “Their son is now working as an accountant at a tavern called Xilaifu, and the daughter-in-law went out to do domestic work.”

Shao Mingyuan asked about Xilaifu’s specific location and what time Coroner Qian’s daughter-in-law returned home each day, then gave the silver to the woman.

The woman happily put it away, and having gotten into a talkative mood, continued endlessly: “Coroner Qian’s son is promising—he’s excellent with the abacus, and his wife is also hardworking. The couple works so hard because they want to move house. Tsk tsk, having such a father, they can’t continue living here…”

Shao Mingyuan quickly said, “Thank you, sister-in-law. We’ll take our leave now.”

The two almost fled from the suffocating alley.

The autumn sunlight carried a bright and cheerful flavor, and the gentle breeze blew away the oppressive feeling in their hearts.

Both exhaled simultaneously, and when their eyes met, they couldn’t help but laugh.

“General Shao, why don’t I wait here for Coroner Qian’s daughter-in-law while you go to Xilaifu tavern—”

“No.” Shao Mingyuan directly refused. “We’ll go to Xilaifu tavern together.”

Leaving her alone here was absolutely out of the question for him.

Qiao Zhao didn’t insist: “Alright then, let’s hurry so we don’t delay boarding the boat.”

Taishui wasn’t a large town—all the taverns worth mentioning were on one street.

The two quickly found the place.

Shops lined both sides of the street with flags flying, creating a dazzling sight at first glance.

“That should be the one.” Shao Mingyuan pointed to a wine shop not far away.

The wine shop was in a somewhat remote location, with a blue wine flag planted at the entrance bearing the character “Xi” (Joy).

“Let’s go over there.”

The two walked shoulder to shoulder toward Xilaifu.

Several dozen zhang away on the second floor of a wine house, Chi Can, who was casually looking out the window, focused his gaze: “Yang Er, look over there—aren’t those Tingquan and the other one?”