Huo Xi has been thinking about finding nanny Zhou for half a year.
In order to avoid disturbing the situation, I kept suppressing it. Even though I was extremely anxious, I didn't show any signs of it on my face. At night, I always thought of the scene when the wet nurse took her and Nian'er to escape that day, and I could still remember it vividly.
I dream about it every night, thinking about the nanny who doesn’t know whether she’s alive or dead, and I can’t fall asleep for a long time.
"My mother has a cousin who was working as a wet nurse for a wealthy family. We originally planned to take advantage of the situation, but unexpectedly the family said there was no such person. We heard that she made a mistake and was betrayed. We were sold because of certain reasons. I can’t tell the reason. Can you help us find it?”
Shen Qian nodded and agreed.
After asking about the situation, he glanced at Huo Xi and said, "If it is difficult to break through from her side, should we change someone? For example, what family members does she have, where is her place of origin, is there any old family in Beijing, etc."
Huo Xi thought for a while: "Her man's name is Wu Dayou. He used to be the shopkeeper of the Dianjing Embroidery Shop in Sanyuan Lane. But I went to see him and he was no longer there. He was about twenty-six or seventeen years old. He had a My son is half a year older than me. Can you find Wu Dayou through the old man from that embroidery shop, and then find the Zhou family through Wu Dayou?"
After hearing this, Shen Qianzhong nodded: "Okay, it's easy to handle if you have a name and a surname. There will always be some clues."
Huo Xi breathed a sigh of relief: "When you inquire, be more subtle. It's best not to let anyone know that you are looking for them."
"clear."
Shen Qianzhong received Huo Xi's entrustment and was very dedicated.
While discussing business in the inner city, I deliberately approached the embroidery shop and asked for news about Wu Dayou, pretending to be someone who came to discuss business.
After more than half a month, there was no useful information at all. From the shopkeeper to the waiter, no one in the store knew anyone named Wu Dayou.
Shen Qianzhong felt a little puzzled. One shopkeeper changed, maybe because the person in charge changed, but did all the waiters also change?
I asked the merchants who supplied the goods, but I didn't know the former shopkeeper Wu Dayou.
This is strange. If the person is changed, will the suppliers and all business partners also be changed?
What mistake did he make to have his marks wiped so cleanly? Shen Qianzhong became more cautious and cryptic when asking questions, for fear of getting his employer into trouble.
After wandering around Sanyuan Alley for a long time, I finally got some information from the shops surrounding the Dianjing Embroidery Shop.
There are several shops next door that have been around for many years. They are on the same street. You can usually see them without looking up. Everyone knows which shop sells what and what the shopkeeper’s name is. The new shopkeeper has only been here for half a year, and he is still there. Someone remembers Wu Dayou.
Then some people said that Wu Dayou left Beijing in a hurry with his son. It was said that he went back to his hometown.
Where is your hometown?
A shopkeeper thought about it for a long time and just said it was from Liuhe Town. As for which township or village it was from, he didn't know.
When Huo Xi got the news, he sat dumbly for a long time.
She was also quite angry with herself. The wet nurse was her mother's concubine. She had been married to Wu Dayou for so many years, and Wu Dayou helped her mother run the dowry shop. Why didn't she ask where his family was from?
Liuhe is so big, how do you find it?
"I went to various dental offices in Beijing and made inquiries. I stuffed a lot of money with them. I saw the records of the human trafficking office in the past six months, but I didn't see Zhou's name anywhere."
"None of them?"
The wet nurse was not caught by them at first, but escaped? Could it be that she and her wet nurse were living a stable life in the countryside of Liuhe?
Huo Xi immediately became happy.
After less than two breaths, he was tired again. When so many people in Zhuangzi came to chase him, but they didn't catch up with him, it must be that everyone was chasing the wet nurse. In that case, the wet nurse would be in danger. If she was caught, maybe it was not because of a sudden attack. Sell, but...
Huo Xi shuddered and did not dare to think deeply.
"Where's Zhuangzi? Have you ever made an unannounced visit?"
"Yes. But no one knows the wet nurse named Zhou."
Huo Xi's eyes darkened. Mrs. Wang's work was perfect, so everyone in Zhuangzi should have been replaced. She should have thought of it a long time ago.
Huo Xi usually looked energetic when he saw her, but now when he saw her alone, with her face full of sorrow, Shen Qianzhong couldn't bear it: "How about I go to Liuhe to make an unannounced visit?"
Huo Xi shook her head: "Liuhe Town is so big, and there are various townships and villages below it. It's easy to find someone there. There's no need to go there specially. If you usually go there, just pay more attention and ask around."
"Yes. Then I'll pay more attention to it and walk more to Sanyuan Lane. Maybe the neighbors can recall something else."
"Well, thank you for your hard work."
Shen Qianzhong went to Sanyuan Alley in the inner city more often. No matter how secretive and cautious he was, someone still reported it to Wu Youcai, who was overjoyed when he heard it.
Just as the money had been spent, I headed to the Marquis's Mansion in Xincheng. I entered the mansion without waiting for the gatekeeper to tell me.
Mrs. Wu was stunned after listening to his exaggerated remarks for a long time. After carefully asking about the situation, she felt relieved.
He was just looking for Wu Dayou, and he was a man. He might be an old business partner or an acquaintance. He didn't take it to heart.
Wu Youcai didn't take it easy. He just found an excuse to come to ask for some money.
Mrs. Wu got him two hundred taels of silver notes and sent him away.
After they left, she didn't worry about it. She was worried about the scolding in the letter from the Marquis.
I thought that the Marquis would return to Beijing to celebrate the New Year this year, but he didn't even send people to give New Year gifts.
I also heard from Mrs. Hou that the Marquis might be transferred back to Beijing this year, and I was very happy. She was a Mrs. Hou with no rank and no title, and her status was awkward in Beijing. There were big and small banquets in Beijing, and there were only a few ladies who could talk to her. .
If Lord Marquis comes back and she has someone to support her, no one in Beijing would dare to look down on her.
Besides, the Marquis is alone in the north, and there are several orioles sent by the dowager beside him. If a bunch of sons are born and raised in front of him, what will her son do?
I was so anxious that I could hardly wait for the Marquis to be transferred back to Beijing.
Unexpectedly, I heard from Mrs. Tai that the Marquis had accepted the order and was still in office in the north.
She was stunned when she heard it. She immediately wrote a loving letter and sent it to Beidi, saying that her daughter missed him and Jie'er missed him too.
She also complained about how hard it was for her and the Dowager to support Nuo Da's Hou Mansion. It would be great if she had a rank. If not, if Jie'er was granted the title of Crown Prince, she would be able to straighten her back when she went out.
It was a deeply affectionate and thick letter, with her tears of missing her still falling on the letter. She hoped that after reading the letter, Mr. Hou would take pity on her even a little bit.
Unexpectedly, I received a letter of reprimand from the Marquis.
He pretended not to see the explicit hints to her in the letter, and only asked her to raise her children with all her heart, saying that he knew what was going on.
Count, what number? Wu almost broke her back molar.
That person and her children are too dead to die, so they still miss her? She won't allow it!