Shao Mingyuan had long anticipated this speculation, so when he heard Qiao Zhao say this, his expression showed no surprise.

Yang Houcheng, however, couldn’t help asking: “How can you tell that?”

Chi Can silently looked at Qiao Zhao.

Having experienced the exhumation and autopsy of her parents and relatives during the day, Qiao Zhao was in poor spirits at the moment. Her entire person looked pale and haggard, with a fragile vulnerability that seemed as if she might collapse at any moment.

Yet her tone was calm: “To speculate about someone’s thoughts, one can make the most direct inference from their behavior. The timing of Tiezhu’s departure was very subtle.”

“Is there significance to that, too? Maybe he just got bored watching halfway through and left?” Yang Houcheng asked.

He knew Miss Li was very clever, but felt that inferring from this alone that Tiezhu knew the Tofu Beauty didn’t die by accident was somewhat far-fetched.

Qiao Zhao smiled: “From people’s natural love of watching excitement, Coroner Qian had just determined that Master Qiao died from… having his throat cut, which was precisely when people’s curiosity would be at its highest. There’s no reason he would find it boring and leave at that moment. Yet Tiezhu chose to leave at exactly that time, which shows that Coroner Qian’s conclusion had a great impact on him—an impact that completely overwhelmed a person’s instinctive curiosity.”

“Impact?” Yang Houcheng scratched his head. “This is getting more mysterious. Shixi, what do you think?”

Chi Can didn’t lift his eyelids, saying lazily: “If you’re stupid, just listen carefully.”

Yang Houcheng raised his hand, wanting to punch Chi Can, but then thought that this unfortunate fellow had his bride stolen by Tingquan and was quite pitiful, so he refrained.

“What kind of impact?” Qiao Zhao posed this question and quickly explained: “If we assume he knew the Tofu Beauty didn’t die by accident but was murdered, then it makes sense. Because Coroner Qian could determine that Master Qiao didn’t die by accident, he immediately realized that Coroner Qian was exactly the person who could clear the Tofu Beauty’s injustice.”

Yang Houcheng couldn’t help nodding: “That makes sense. But why did he run to the town school to find Shanzi?”

Chi Can rolled his eyes: “Idiot, Shanzi is the Tofu Beauty’s son. If Tiezhu discovered someone who could clear the Tofu Beauty’s injustice, of course, he’d go find the Tofu Beauty’s son to discuss it.”

Qiao Zhao nodded: “Brother Chi is right, that’s exactly how I speculated.”

Chi Can glanced at Shao Mingyuan: “When Tingquan asked about Shanzi’s attitude toward Tiezhu earlier, Chen Guang said they interacted naturally, which proves Shanzi and Tiezhu have a good relationship. So it’s perfectly reasonable that Tiezhu would go find Shanzi to discuss after making this discovery.”

He unconsciously tapped the old table surface as he spoke: “What I’m curious about now is the relationship between Tiezhu and the Tofu Beauty. Didn’t the village chief say Tiezhu only moved to the village a few years ago, and that the Tofu Beauty had always been a widow with her orphaned son? They certainly couldn’t be relatives…”

“Lovers.” Shao Mingyuan suddenly uttered these two words.

Chi Can was stunned, quite surprised: “You’re saying Tiezhu and the Tofu Beauty had an affair? That’s impossible!”

“Why impossible?” Shao Mingyuan asked in return.

Chi Can sneered: “Isn’t this obvious? If Tiezhu and the Tofu Beauty were lovers, would Shanzi have such a good relationship with Tiezhu?”

Yang Houcheng nodded repeatedly: “Shixi is right.”

What son would have a good relationship with such a wild man?

He thought for a moment, then said: “Perhaps Shanzi doesn’t know?”

“Shanzi knows,” Qiao Zhao interjected.

Chi Can’s face looked somewhat unpleasant: “Third Miss Li, you also think Tiezhu and the Tofu Beauty were lovers, and that Shanzi knew about it?”

Qiao Zhao nodded gently.

Chi Can smiled: “Then I can’t understand it.”

Qiao Zhao smiled: “Actually, it’s not that complicated. From common sense, this would indeed seem incredible, but the Tofu Beauty had been widowed for many years. Raising Shanzi under such difficult circumstances, even sending him to school, Shanzi’s feelings for his mother must be extraordinarily deep. If a decent man appeared who genuinely treated the Tofu Beauty well, over time, Shanzi might be able to accept it.”

“That’s pure speculation.”

“This isn’t pure speculation,” Shao Mingyuan picked up the conversation.

Yang Houcheng patted his forehead: “You two, stop being mysterious. Whichever of you, just explain things clearly!”

This husband-and-wife harmony was the most annoying thing, not considering the feelings of bachelors like them at all.

Qiao Zhao lowered her eyes and remained silent.

Shao Mingyuan explained: “Zhaozhao and I aren’t purely speculating about Tiezhu and the Tofu Beauty’s relationship, but making reasonable inferences based on this house. You went out exploring yesterday and should have noticed that the Tofu Beauty’s house is located at the very end of the village, with no neighbors front or back. If the Tofu Beauty didn’t die by accident but was murdered, considering she lived peacefully for years as a widow, the probability that the killer was a villager isn’t high. So the probability that her death was related to the Qiao family fire is very high. Because while the occurrence of an event may seem coincidental, from another angle, it’s often inevitable.”

Both Chi Can and Yang Houcheng nodded, agreeing with Shao Mingyuan’s words.

“The Tofu Beauty’s home could be considered an isolated house. In sudden situations, it would be hard to attract the villagers’ attention. So, how did Tiezhu discover that the Tofu Beauty’s death wasn’t accidental? He couldn’t possibly have Coroner Qian’s skills, right?”

“You mean Tiezhu likely encountered the murderer?” Chi Can thought briefly and understood the key point.

Shao Mingyuan nodded: “Though it’s only speculation, this is indeed the greatest possibility.”

“But that still doesn’t prove he and the Tofu Beauty were lovers. Maybe he just happened to encounter it?”

“General Shao just said that the Tofu Beauty’s home was an isolated house, making it difficult for villagers to notice what happened there. While Tiezhu could have accidentally stumbled upon it, the greater possibility is that he had been paying attention to the Tofu Beauty’s situation, which is how he discovered the truth so quickly,” Qiao Zhao continued. “Though these are all speculations, the one with the highest probability naturally becomes the first to be verified.”

“Yes, the master of this house should be returning soon,” Shao Mingyuan murmured.

Yang Houcheng shivered: “Tingquan, what do you mean by that?”

Suddenly, scaring people wasn’t right—could the Tofu Beauty come to cry for justice?

Shao Mingyuan was first startled, then chuckled softly.

Qiao Zhao said helplessly, “Brother Yang, General Shao means Shanzi might be coming back.”

Yang Houcheng’s face turned bright red as he scratched his head: “Misunderstood, misunderstood.”

Feeling embarrassed, he randomly changed the subject: “Miss Li, you call me Brother Yang, so why do you call Tingquan ‘General Shao’? It sounds so formal.”

Chi Can rolled his eyes hard.

Why did this fellow worry about so many things? Meddling in others’ business!

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, Ye Luo entered to report: “General, a young man named Shanzi wishes to see you. He says he’s the master of this house.”