Chapter 85: The Matron

Chapter 85: The Matron

Qiu Huanian and his family returned from their outing in the evening, only to see an anxious figure standing at their doorstep from afar.

"Old lady Jin? What brings you here? Is something wrong with Yiwan and the others?"

Old lady Jin was so frantic that her mouth was covered in blisters. "Oh ancestors, you all have finally returned! Please, I beg you, help us find our young mistress Ru Tang!"

"What happened to Ru Tang?" Qiu Huanian's heart skipped a beat.

"Young mistress Ru Tang has gone missing, it seems she was taken by traffickers!"

Qiu Huanian took a sharp breath. "What exactly happened? Come inside and tell us."

Old lady Jin wiped her tears and stumbled into the house. "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, but the master and mistress were busy with their business and left the young mistress alone at home. She was very well-behaved and didn't make a fuss, just sat for a while and then said she wanted to go eat rice dumplings with Mr. Yuan Jia."

"Before leaving, the mistress instructed that if the young mistress felt bored, she could go play at Mr. Yuan Jia's house. So I packed some rice dumplings and prepared to take her there."

"But just before we left, I suddenly had a stomachache and went to the outhouse. When I came back, the young mistress was gone. I searched all the nearby alleys, but couldn't find her anywhere."

"I remembered that the Township Lord had sent a message recently, saying that there have been cases of traffickers in Xiangping Prefecture. Knowing things were bad, I hurried to inform the master and mistress. They have already mobilized all their connections to look for the child, but as small merchants, our roots are too shallow, and we don't know any key influential people."

"The master and mistress sent me here to wait for you all to return, and to beg you to help us find young mistress Ru Tang."

Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian exchanged glances, their expressions grave.

"Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng, stay home and behave. Old lady Jin, keep an eye on the door. When Yuan Ling and Yun Cheng return, make sure they stay home. No one is allowed to go out," Qiu Huanian said sternly. "I will go to the Zhu family residence to ask Su Xinbai."

"I will visit Magistrate Si Jing," Du Yunse nodded.

Qiu Huanian barely stepped inside before heading out again, having Jin San drive the carriage to take him to the Zhu family residence.

In Xiangping Prefecture, he didn't know many powerful people. The closest connection he had was Su Xinbai, the eldest young mistress of the Zhu family, and the son of the Left Administration Commissioner.

When he arrived at the Zhu family residence, Su Xinbai and Zhu Jingcheng had just returned from their outing. After hearing Qiu Huanian's story, Zhu Jingcheng stood up and said, "Brother Hua, wait here. You all sit down, I'll go out and ask around."

Qiu Huanian sat down, and Su Xinbai had someone serve him tea. Qiu Huanian took a sip, moistening his dry throat.

"Is this the work of those traffickers who have been committing crimes recently?"

Su Xinbai nodded and then shook his head. Having two younger sisters, Zhu Xian and Su Xinyao, at home, he was somewhat aware of the situation.

"Those traffickers usually target young girls from wealthy merchant and official families. The young lady Ru Tang you mentioned is of a slightly lower status, so she shouldn't be on their target list."

Qiu Huanian sighed. If it were those traffickers, according to Wu Shen, the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office would at least have some leads. If not, it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

After a while, Zhu Jingcheng returned, his brows furrowed, clearly not having much success.

"What's wrong?"

"Zhu Lu's younger sister Zhu Xia from the second branch is also missing. She disappeared around the same time and place as Ru Tang. It seems they were both taken together."

Qiu Huanian was stunned, filled with worry.

Although Zhu Xia was brought up with a head full of feudal rules about virtue and propriety, and was jealous and somewhat petty, she was still just an eleven or twelve-year-old child who hadn't really done anything bad. Falling into the hands of traffickers was truly pitiful.

"The second branch has already sent a letter to the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office. They said they would report back as soon as they have any news."

Su Xinbai nodded. "I'll write a letter later too, asking them to pay more attention. Should we offer some money?"

Zhu Jingcheng smiled, "The Zhu family and the second branch have pooled twenty taels of silver to smooth things over, and I just chipped in another hundred taels, which should cover it."

Su Xinbai breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, did they say anything?"

"Zhu Lu didn’t trust that I’d help, thinking I was setting her up. I didn’t explain much," Zhu Jingcheng said indifferently. "After all, she’s just a young relative, and cracking the case would be a way for us to earn some good karma."

Zhu Jingcheng glanced at Su Xinbai's abdomen.

Su Xinbai stiffened slightly, his gaze shifting elsewhere.

Given how often they’ve been fooling around, a child was probably on the way this year, so it was indeed time to accumulate some good fortune.

Qiu Huanian sat for a bit, got a promise to be kept in the loop if the Provincial Judicial Commissioner’s Office had updates, and then got up to leave.

When he returned home, Du Yunse had also come back.

Si Jing, the prefect of Xiangping Prefecture, had been keeping a close eye on the trafficking cases in his area.

Du Yunse paid him a visit, laid out his reasons, and Si Jing, not wanting to blow off this up-and-comer, dug out the files and filled him in on the details.

"Currently, the Provincial Judicial Commissioner’s Office has some evidence, and the prefect also has some, but the prefect and the judicial commissioner don’t see eye to eye, so the specific plan hasn’t been finalized yet."

"The prefect can still have conflicts with others?"

Si Jing was famously good-natured and diplomatic, even Qiu Huanian had heard of his reputation.

"Precisely because it's Si Jing, it's just a minor conflict," Du Yunse replied. If it were someone else, it might be more serious.

Qiu Huanian sighed, "I just hope these office politics and the officials’ egos don’t mess up solving the case and harm countless innocent people."

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse relayed the information they had gathered to the Shu family. The parents, having lost their child, were beyond comfort, their faces hollow with grief.

Zheng Yiwan had pushed herself too hard when she was younger, wrecking her health, and after giving birth to Ru Tang, she could no longer conceive. Shu Huacai, deeply devoted to his wife, vowed never to remarry or take a concubine. Ru Tang was their only daughter, and her vanishing act hit them harder than most families.

Huang Daniang and Huang Erniang stuck by the couple, keeping up the frantic search for their child.

Qiu Huanian sighed, telling people to stay on top of any updates from the Zhu family, while also drilling Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng on safety.

The day after the Dragon Boat Festival, with no leads on the disappearances of Ru Tang and Zhu Xia, Qiu Huanian unexpectedly met Min Leyi again.

In the past, Min Leyi used to drop by Qiu Huanian’s place solo, easygoing and laid-back. This time, however, he showed up with a nanny, two lackeys, and two aunties.

After entering, instead of making a beeline for Cream Frost to hang out, he politely greeted the Township Lord.

Qiu Huanian was thrown off by the stiff greeting and reached out to steady him. When their eyes locked, Min Leyi gave a quick wink, pulling his leg.

Qiu Huanian, torn between laughing and groaning, played dumb and let it slide.

Qiu Huanian led him to the reception hall in the courtyard, and the attendants trailed behind, some posted at the door, ready for orders, others behind Min Leyi, while the nanny hovered nearby, keeping tabs on his every move.

Min Leyi sat down, about to prop his hand on the armrest, but after a quick look at the nanny, he dutifully clasped his hands in his lap.

Qiu Huanian, picking up on his vibe, automatically straightened up.

"What brings you here today, Leyi?"

"I remembered I’d borrowed a book from the Township Lord and never got around to returning it. It's been too long, so I came personally to apologize."

A servant behind Min Leyi produced a book. Qiu Huanian glanced at it; it wasn’t his book, but he didn’t call him out on it.

"I had almost forgotten. Thank you for making the trip to return it," Qiu Huanian said, trying to keep up the act.

They chatted a bit more, pretending to be somewhat familiar, before Qiu Huanian found a topic to steer the conversation.

"By the way, Leyi, I've made a few new outfits. Come inside with me, I'll try them on and you can help me pick the best one."

Min Leyi stood up immediately, barely containing his excitement.

Before the nanny could say anything, Qiu Huanian quickly added, "They're for a banquet in a few days, and I don't want too many people seeing them. Old lady Jin, please take good care of Leyi's people."

With the host having spoken, the palace nanny couldn't say much.

Min Leyi followed Qiu Huanian through the hanging flower gate to the main courtyard. Only after entering the main room and closing the door did Min Leyi finally sigh, collapsing onto the recliner and stretching comfortably.

Qiu Huanian laughed, "Where did this monkey come from, showing its true colors?"

Cream Frost was in the main room, and Min Leyi scooped it up, burying his face in it for a few moments before finally feeling alive again.

"Brother Hua, you have no idea how tough it's been lately."

"I have to get up at dawn every day and can't sleep until late at night. I can't even leave the house, and meals are a nightmare! I'm only allowed to pick the dishes closest to me, and I can't take more than one bite each."

Qiu Huanian handed him a basket of popcorn, and Min Leyi grabbed a handful, chewing loudly.

"Is the nanny really that strict?"

Min Leyi nodded vigorously, "Yes, she even thinks my needlework is terrible and has a seamstress watching me practice every day."

"Look at my hands, they're covered in needle marks."

Min Leyi showed his fair, delicate hands, the pads of his fingers red and swollen, covered in needle pricks.

Qiu Huanian frowned, feeling a pang of sympathy.

"Why are you so obedient now? Who could ever discipline you like this? What does your father say?"

Min Leyi put down the popcorn and sighed, lowering his head.

"When the Yu family's matriarch came, I behaved for a few days, but I couldn't resist sneaking out to play. I almost got into trouble," Min Leyi didn't specify what kind of trouble.

"That day, I sneaked back and was stopped by my father. I thought he'd be furious, but he just looked at me for a long time without saying a word."

Min Leyi said sadly, "After my mother passed away, I've been living with my grandmother. That day, I realized my father, who I remembered as so elegant and carefree, now has many white hairs."

"I lost my birth mother, and I don't have a stepmother. There isn't even a concubine in my father's household to manage things. He has to personally handle my marriage amidst his busy schedule."

"If I cause trouble with the nanny, it reflects badly on him."

Min Leyi muttered, "I don't want to trouble him anymore."

Qiu Huanian patted his shoulder, "What exactly did the Yu family say? Why haven't they settled the engagement yet, and instead sent a nanny to teach you manners?"

"The Yu family's matriarch said Yu Min's marriage isn't something she can decide alone, and it's too rushed to settle now. Many rituals aren't complete, so it's better to wait until after Yu Min's provincial examination in the autumn."

"She said the Yu family values etiquette and is worried I might not adapt, so they sent a nanny to teach me in advance. This nanny was released from the palace of Consort Ying, the Third Prince's mother. It's not easy for ordinary people to get her, and she agreed to come out of respect for the Yu family."

Qiu Huanian nodded after hearing this, "So the Yu family's intention is to settle the engagement after the provincial examination?"

"That's what they said."

Min Leyi took a deep breath and clenched his fists to pump himself up.

"Only two more months left, I can do it, I can definitely pull through!"

Just as Qiu Huanian was about to say something, old lady Jin suddenly came knocking at the door.

"My Lord, someone from the Zhu family has come with news about the traffickers."

Qiu Huanian quickly opened the door and went out, with Min Leyi attentively following to listen.

The messenger from the Zhu family got straight to the point, "The eldest young master has specifically allocated a large sum to bribe the constables and runners under the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office. They've worked hard to investigate, finding witnesses and a drugged handkerchief. After cross-verification, it was confirmed that those who kidnapped Miss Ru Tang and Miss Zhu Xia are the same group that has been committing the most rampant crimes recently."

After listening for a while, Min Leyi understood what had happened and anxiously rolled up his sleeves, revealing his fair and tender forearms. "There's already evidence, why aren't they investigating and arresting people? Why the delay? These traffickers have committed so many crimes in Xiangping Prefecture and are still running rampant. Are corrupt officials protecting them for bribes?"

The palace nanny coughed sharply, making Min Leyi stiffen and quickly cover his hands with his sleeves, standing straight.

"The Township Lord has pressing matters; we'll take our leave. Please, young master Min, return to your residence and rest."

Min Leyi frowned, reluctantly saying goodbye to Qiu Huanian with just a look.

Qiu Huanian comforted him, "I'll send an invite soon for you to visit and chat."

Min Leyi perked up slightly and left, trailed by his entourage.

Min Leyi's words reminded Qiu Huanian of the traffickers' unchecked abductions, hinting at deeper corruption.

They couldn't fully depend on the Judicial Commissioner's Office; another approach was needed.

Qiu Huanian sent Jin San to fetch the Shu couple, joined by Huang Daniang and Huang Erniang. Both families had shut down their businesses since yesterday. Without biological heirs, Huang Daniang and Huang Erniang cherished Ru Tang dearly.

Qiu Huanian shared the updates and said to them, "It's confirmed Ru Tang was taken by traffickers targeting wealthy girls. Records show Ru Tang wasn't their usual target, making her abduction suspicious."

Though no expert, Qiu Huanian knew to start with the smallest oddities to crack the case.

"...This." The Shu couple's thoughts were tangled, leaving them unable to think clearly.

But Huang Daniang, wise and experienced, had a thought, "Forget the traffickers. Who would target Ru Tang, and why?"

The Shu couple exchanged blank looks, then gasped in unison.

"Have you thought of something?"

Shu Huacai gritted his teeth and said, "Ru Tang is my only child; I've never taken concubines or remarried. My parents want me to adopt my brother's son, eyeing our estate after we're gone."

"I kept refusing until I had enough and sent them packing back home, turning us into enemies."

"A month ago, my brother suddenly came knocking on the door drunk, saying he owed gambling debts and demanded twenty taels of silver. I ignored him. After that, Yiwan and I were careful for many days, and we didn't see him causing trouble again, so we gradually relaxed."

Zheng Yiwan covered her chest and took a few deep breaths. Having not slept all night, her old illness was faintly showing signs of relapse under the stress and anxiety.

"They kicked Huacai out barefoot; he fled to the city, met me, and we built this life together. Now that Huacai is successful, they shamelessly recognize him as family and want to take over our property, why don't they just die!"

Shu Huacai held Zheng Yiwan in his arms, supporting her, afraid she might faint from the excitement.

Qiu Huanian had Jin San go and fetch a doctor, let Zheng Yiwan lie down on the kang in the guest room for a while, and then went to the study.

He pondered for a moment, wrote down the matter, and instead of sending it to the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office, he sent a copy to Su Xinbai and another in Du Yunse's name to the prefect Si Jing.

...

Zhu Xia groggily came to, her head throbbing with pain, the sickening smell still stuck in her nose and throat. She tried to speak but it felt like her throat was tearing.

Her eyes struggled to adjust to the gloom, and she vaguely saw a figure beside her, making faint whimpering sounds.

The figure spoke, her voice also hoarse, "We've been snatched by traffickers, and now we’re lost."

Hearing Ru Tang's voice, Zhu Xia finally remembered what had happened before she lost consciousness, her entire body shaking.

The traffickers had shackled their feet with iron chains, but their hands were free, so they could sit up.

Ru Tang was propped up against a stack of old crates, "I woke up a little earlier than you. The traffickers came by earlier, left some food, water, and a chamber pot over there. They told us to manage on our own."

Zhu Xia lay still for a moment, then suddenly broke into tears and laughter.

Ru Tang was shaking too, her feelings a tangled mess, "The traffickers were after me. Why did you follow me and warn me?"

Zhu Xia remained silent.

Ru Tang asked cautiously, "Do you regret it? Want to patch things up with me?"

"Bullshit!" Zhu Xia snapped angrily, "I don’t regret it. I just don’t want to be friends with you anymore."

She took a deep breath and blurted out, "Who wants to be friends with you? Your home’s spotless, your parents are all lovey-dovey, you’re spoiled rotten, everyone adores you. Who wants to be friends with you!"

"You... didn't you say my parents were fake, and my father would eventually take a concubine?"

Zhu Xia sobbed and scolded, "You take everything I say at face value? Someone like you wouldn’t survive three days in my house! You can’t even listen right. Don’t I know how much your dad loves your mom? Don’t I know how devoted the Zhu family’s eldest young master is? Don’t I know how loving Du Quehan’s brother and his wife are?"

"I’m just jealous, okay?"

She cried out hoarsely, "I’m just jealous!"

"Just jealous of you!"

"But I didn’t really want you dead, are you happy now?!"

"You!" Ru Tang was a bit angry, but there was also an indescribable sour feeling in her heart, "How can you say such things so shamelessly? 'Jealousy' and all that, you say it so righteously."

Zhu Xia gave a bitter laugh and also sat up, "I'm about to die, what's there to be ashamed of?"

"What?"

"Ru Tang, what day is it today?"

Ru Tang was stunned for a moment, instinctively replying, "The day after the Dragon Boat Festival, your... twelfth birthday."

Zhu Xia laughed again. In the dim light, Ru Tang could only see her vague shadow. She vaguely felt Zhu Xia raising her hands and reaching into her own throat.

Her whole body shook like a sieve, her fingers clawing at her throat, trying to pull out her tongue, but failing. Large tears continuously streamed from her eyes.

Ru Tang finally realized something was wrong and hurriedly struggled forward, knocking her to the ground. Zhu Xia was pinned under Ru Tang, unable to move, and sobbed.

"What were you doing just now? What were you doing?" Ru Tang guessed a terrifying possibility.

Zhu Xia's face pressed against the ground, dust mixed with tears staining her pretty face, "Suicide. I'm a coward, I don't dare. In a couple of days, I should be brave enough."

Feeling her death approaching, she spoke with utmost frankness, which choked Ru Tang's chest with pain.

"Why? For that damned chastity reputation? What is more important than life?" Ru Tang couldn't believe it.

Influenced by the separation of Huang Daniang and Huang Erniang, Ru Tang looked down on such matters and never paid excessive attention to them.

Zhu Xia did not answer directly, "We were abducted by traffickers. Do you know the fate of people like us? The best outcome is being sold into servitude, the worst... don't blame me for not warning you, it's better to die cleanly beforehand."

Ru Tang, feeling stifled, changed the subject, "Where did you learn that? Pulling out your tongue—can you really kill yourself that way?"

"I saw it myself, and it was someone you knew."

"How could that be? Who?"

Zhu Xia said maliciously, "Hong Luo, do you remember her?"

"Your family's servant girl, before your family became wealthy, there were only her and Auntie Qiao as the only servants. Wasn't she sent back to her hometown three or four years ago?"

"Sent back home? That's a lie. No one checks where a servant bought from a private dealer with no family ends up."

"Four years ago, my father somehow managed to connect with the second branch of the Zhu family and married my sister into it. Since then, the Zhu family prospered, my father expanded the family estate, and brought in concubines one after another."

"My mother was very angry at the time and considered a separation. She was illiterate and asked Hong Luo to secretly find a scholar to draft a document for her. Hong Luo was called out, and I saw with my own eyes that my father's newly acquired servant yanked out her tongue, root and all, and she died instantly."

Zhu Xia's voice grew lower and lower. She originally wanted to scare Ru Tang, but she couldn't continue herself.

Ru Tang's hands and feet were cold, pressed against Zhu Xia, both of their bodies trembling, never stopping.

She recalled Hong Luo, a girl who liked to wear her hair in two shiny braids, with a western accent and a mole at the corner of her mouth. Back when the Zhu family had not yet prospered, Hong Luo often held little Zhu Xia's hand and came to the big banyan tree in the alley to referee their sandbag games.

"What happened next?" Ru Tang asked in a trembling voice.

"Later, I fainted from fright, made some noise, and was dragged out. My father locked me and my mother up. My sister came back from the Zhu family to persuade my mother, and my mother never mentioned separation again. Hong Luo... I didn't see her, but my mother later quietly told me that she spent money to buy a coffin and gave Hong Luo a proper burial."

Ru Tang's voice trembled, "I didn't know, I didn't know."

Such a terrible thing had happened in the family of her childhood friend who lived next door! Now that she thought about it, it seemed that after that time, Zhu Xia gradually became less close to her.

"There are many things in this world that you don't know," Zhu Xia laughed, her voice suddenly turning cold, like a ghost crawling out of hell. "You see, if you obediently follow men's orders, you can live peacefully and enjoy wealth and honor; if you don't listen to men, they can easily take your life."

"Guess why I kept learning to be virtuous and gentle?"

"Guess why I envy you."