Chapter 75 A Mistake

Chapter 75 A Mistake

Zhou Ningyue didn't think much of it and smiled, "I know. Father doesn't believe in these things either; if he heard about it, he would definitely scold me."

"Yes, men generally don't believe in such things." After instructing her daughter, Zhou's mother showed signs of fatigue, "Mother will rest for a while. You should go back to your room and sleep too."

After Zhou Ningyue left, the room fell silent, but Zhou's mother tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

On the way back to the Bookstore, Xin You walked part of the way with Ji Cailan and subtly inquired, "Zhou's younger sister's family just arrived from out of town. Will their Mid-Autumn Festival customs be different from the locals?"

Ji Cailan immediately became enthusiastic, "According to my cousin, there are some differences between the north and south. They eat meat-filled mooncakes in the south."

At this point, Ji Cailan couldn't help but show a look of disdain on her face.

Mooncakes should be filled with red bean paste, jujube paste, or five-spice mix. Meat-filled mooncakes are simply heretical!

"Meat-filled mooncakes?" Xin You feigned a strange expression.

Seeing her reaction, Ji Cailan felt she had found a kindred spirit, "Surprising, right?"

Xin You nodded, "Indeed, it's quite different from what we usually eat."

"Not only that! My cousin said they also eat salty zongzi and spring rolls in the south, yet they eat sweet douhua! Kou Mei, can you imagine sweet douhua?"

Xin You readily shook her head, "Hard to imagine."

In fact, she could not only imagine it but also enjoyed it immensely.

Of course, Aunt Xia's cooking was delicious no matter what she made, whether it was from the north or the south, fried, stir-fried, or steamed. So she was used to both sweet and salty flavors.

"Then during the Mid-Autumn Festival, will Zhou's younger sister be able to eat sweet mooncakes?"

"In the early years, when Uncle and his family were in the capital, they could certainly eat them. But over the years, they've gotten used to salty flavors. Meat-filled mooncakes would be even better. The other day, I told my cousin that there's a pastry shop not far from Auspicious Square that sells both common and meat-filled mooncakes every Mid-Autumn Festival. She said she would buy some then and didn't want me to mention it to Auntie, saying she wanted to surprise them."

Xin You wished she could give Ji Cailan a hug.

How could there be such a considerate girl?

She showed surprise on her face, "They sell meat-filled mooncakes in the capital as well?"

"Yes, the pastry shop is called Five Spice Room. Originally, they didn't sell meat-filled mooncakes, but the young master married a woman from the south, so they started selling them. Business has been surprisingly good, mostly catering to southerners."

Ji Cailan's obvious disdain when mentioning "good business" made Xin You smile.

When they reached the intersection to part ways, Ji Cailan held Xin You's hand, reluctant to let go, "Kou Mei, you'll be at the Bookstore, right? I'll come visit you later."

"I'm usually there unless it's a holiday, so Sister Cailan can come anytime."

Back at the Bookstore, Xin You instructed Mama Fang, "There's a pastry shop called Five Spice Room near Auspicious Square. Please find out its exact location."

With the shop name and approximate location, finding information was easy. Soon, Mama Fang reported back to Xin You.

"The shop is just two streets away from Auspicious Square, located on the roadside, and business is very brisk. They close early in the afternoon once all the pastries are sold."

Mama Fang's words confirmed Xin You's suspicion that the crime occurred in the morning.

That night, Xin You slept poorly, repeatedly planning her actions for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

She had roughly figured out the layout of the Zhou residence. Today, she visited Zhou's mother in the eastern room, which looked different from what she saw in her vision, leaving only the western room as the likely scene of the crime.

The main house had three rooms in total, with the western room connected to the central hall, where there was nowhere to hide. Hiding outside the window was also impractical, as Zhou Ningyue might spot her upon returning.

After much thought, the most suitable hiding place was the beam in the western room. It seemed she would have to become a "gentleman of the beams."

With this plan in mind, Xin You finally drifted off to sleep.

The next day, she stayed in the eastern courtyard. Shitou ran over from the front with something, which turned out to be pastries from Five Spice Room.

"It's from your friend, Miss Ji," Shitou said.

Seeing Xin You preparing to meet Ji Cailan, Shitou quickly added, "Miss Ji heard you were in the eastern courtyard, dropped off the pastries, and left, saying she happened to be passing by and brought them for you to try."

Xin You opened the pastry box and gave a few pieces to Shitou, "You and Liu Zhou should try them too."

For a child like Shitou, who struggled to make ends meet, pastries were a luxury even during the holidays.

"Thank you, Madam." The young boy happily took the pastries and left.

Xin You sat quietly for a moment, picked up a peach-shaped pastry, and slowly savored it.

The pastry was soft and sweet, tasting excellent, but it did not bring her any joy.

After finishing the pastry, Xin You sighed softly.

Even if she changed the outcome of Zhou's mother being killed, the couple's estrangement was inevitable. She wondered how Ji Cailan and Zhou Ningyue, the cousins, would get along then.

As for her friendship with the two, it was built on falsehoods. Thinking too much about it would only cause unnecessary trouble.

By the fourteenth day of the eighth month, Xin You went to the Bookstore and then headed towards Five Spice Room.

She needed to check the distance from the Zhou residence to the pastry shop beforehand.

As Ji Cailan had mentioned, Five Spice Room was indeed not far from Auspicious Square. Xin You walked slowly, and by the time she arrived, there was already a long queue.

This shop's pastries were truly popular—Xin You had just thought this when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Why was Zhou Ningyue in the queue?

Wearing a pale moon-colored blouse and lilac pleated skirt, carrying a small basket, Zhou Ningyue's attire matched exactly what Xin You had seen in her vision.

Xin You stared fixedly at the graceful girl standing in line, her heart suddenly sinking.

Wrong!

The time in that scene was not Mid-Autumn Day but the fourteenth of the eighth month!

Xin You didn't have time to feel regretful about her mistake and quickly walked towards Zhou Ningyue.

"Sister Kou?" Seeing Xin You, Zhou Ningyue was quite surprised. "You also know about this pastry shop?"

"That day, I heard Sister Ji say that this pastry shop has good flavors, so I thought of buying some pastries to take to my maternal grandparents' place for the festival." Xin You explained, taking Zhou Ningyue's hand. "But seeing Sister Zhou, I can't buy the pastries now."

"Why?" Zhou Ningyue was confused.

Xin You led Zhou Ningyue towards the Zhou family residence, lowering her voice. "I observed Sister Zhou's face, and it shows signs of imminent danger to your parents."

Realizing that "sì gù" referred to parents, Zhou Ningyue immediately recalled Xin You's words about her mother being in danger, and her expression changed: "My mother—"

Without needing Xin You to pull her, she lifted her skirt and ran home.

Xin You silently followed behind.

Worried about her parents, Zhou Ningyue ran as fast as she could, but it still took her a quarter of an hour to reach her house.

The front door of the Zhou residence was closed but not locked. Zhou Ningyue pushed it open and rushed inside, heading straight for the main hall.