After being tormented by the government officials all night, the Xu family, which usually looked very strong, now fell limp to the ground.
The head of the house, Mr. Xu Er, looked livid and sat on the chair in the main room without saying a word.
It wasn't until a soft voice came from the yard that the strange silence was broken.
"Miss, the Cao family obviously only has one chastity memorial arch, why did you just say there are two."
"That one too."
"Ah," Feng Chu was very surprised, "Isn't the chastity archway for women? Old Mrs. Cao turned out to be a woman."
Xu Qinghuan did not deny it: "It represents the chastity of the Cao family to the imperial court. With this arch, the Cao family is the meritorious official of Fengxiang County, and will be looked upon highly by others." Having that arch to show merit is equivalent to the imperial court's recognition.
Everything the Cao family did back then was right. The murderer killed Cao Ruwan in front of the memorial arch. In addition to insulting the Cao family's innocent reputation, it also questioned the Cao family's actions back then.
Feng Chu thought for a long time and seemed to come back to her senses: "Miss, what did you just say? If the old lady Cao is a woman, what about the old lady Cao's family?"
Xu Qinghuan replied seriously: "She is also a woman."
"Hello, woman," Feng Chu moistened her lips and did not dwell on the issue, "Miss, do you think there will be hens stewed in the big kitchen? Let's go over and start dinner!"
The voices of the master and the servant gradually faded away.
Mrs. Xu Er, who was standing aside, looked increasingly uglier. She pointed out the window and said, "Listen, they are mocking our Cao family like this."
Mrs. An Yihou raised her head, with a more majestic look on her face: "It was you who made the Cao family lose its reputation. It was you who had evil intentions to frame Brother An, and then killed Ruwan after the incident. The court and the
I can't control how the Cao family handles you, but the Xu family cannot tolerate a vicious woman like you."
Mrs. Xu Er's lips trembled: "I didn't..."
Mrs. An Yihou stood up and looked at Mr. Xu Er: "Our eldest brother doesn't come back to the clan very often. I shouldn't use my status as a married woman to suppress you, but after such a scandal, I have to stand up and take action."
This is an idea. The Yamen has already imprisoned Cao’s cronies. If we return all Cao’s dowry to the Cao family, the Cao family will have nothing to do with our Xu family.”
Mrs. Xu Er looked at Mrs. Anyihou in surprise. This woman who could only cry when things happened, saw that she had the upper hand and then added insult to injury: "Why do you make the decision for the Xu family? In these years, you have been rich and powerful in the capital, and you are the descendants of the clan.
Have you ever thought about my future? We are not our second roommates yet..."
"Okay," Mr. Xu Er interrupted Mrs. Xu Er, looked at Mrs. An Yihou respectfully, and his voice softened, "This case has not been investigated yet, and no one from the Yamen has come to ask questions. What can't be done?
To conclude, Mrs. Cao has been married into the Xu family for so many years, she has been filial to her elders, taken care of her husband, and given birth to children..."
"Which woman is not like this?" Mrs. An Yihou said, "But no one dares to pay for a murder. If the Yamen finds out that this case has nothing to do with the Cao family, I will personally go to the Cao family to apologize and invite the Cao family back to head the family.
.”
These few words were so resounding that Mr. Xu Er could not find the words to refute them for a moment.
Xu Qingshu stood in front of Mrs. Cao: "Madam, you can't do this to my mother. The prince is safe and sound, why are you so aggressive?"
"The people who came with the Yamen to arrest Qing'an that day are all here," Mrs. An Yihou smiled slightly, "If Qing'an is arrested, will you cry with me?"
At this moment, Mrs. Xu Er could not help crying.
As soon as the women came in, they wanted to grab Mrs. Xu Er.
"Okay," Mr. Cao stood up, "even if you don't say anything, I will take her back and ask her carefully."
"Brother," Mrs. Xu Er felt sad, "I... really didn't let anyone kill Ruwan. You have to believe me."
"Don't worry," Mr. Cao said, "if you really didn't make a mistake, our Cao family will not be charged with unwarranted charges. You are the daughter of the Cao family, and the Cao family will not abandon you until all the truth is revealed.
in spite of."
Mrs. Xu Er's heart was full of gratitude. She didn't expect that her brother did not lose his mind because of Ruwan's death and was willing to think about her.
"well!"
A faint sigh.
Mr. Cao was startled and looked over immediately, only to see a figure standing there outside the curtain.
She just looked at everything in the room quietly, as if all their thoughts had fallen into her eyes.
Mr. Cao was inexplicably panicked. He calmed down and said, "Second sister, you are here too. You just happen to go back with us."
"No," Mrs. Xu San said calmly outside the curtain, "Eldest sister is gone, and I still have to help her take care of the Xu family."
Mrs. Xu San opened the curtain as she spoke: "I just heard that the murderer died after taking poison. Before he died, he said something to his elder brother. No one else heard him. "Brother, what did he say? Can you tell me why he wanted to kill him?
Ruwan?"
Mrs. Xu Er's eyes lit up. If the murderer confesses, at least she has not committed murder. This is the best chance to clear her name: "Brother, brother, what did he say?"
Mr. Cao shook his head: "I didn't hear anything."
Mrs. Xu Er looked at Mr. Cao in surprise. No one else heard, why didn't the elder brother say something for her? Even if he just said that the murderer committed the murder on his own initiative, it would be of great help to her.
The eldest brother would actually say this. Could it be that he still refuses to believe her?
Mrs. Xu Er felt her heart become cold and murmured in disappointment: "How could I not hear anything?"
Mrs. Xu San raised her lips: "Brother, you have thought about it carefully. Once you say these words, you will never regret it."
There were beads of sweat on Mr. Cao's forehead. He stared at Mrs. Xu San and said in an extremely clear voice, "I told you, I didn't hear anything."
The smile on Mrs. Xu San's face became deeper. In the eyes of Mrs. Xu Second, she looked like a fierce ghost with its teeth and claws coming to demand her life.
The Cao family helped Mrs. Xu away, and Xu Qingshu was worried and followed her to the Cao family.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Mr. Cao walked quickly to the hall, where Mrs. Xu San was standing.
"Is it you?" Mr. Cao whispered, "Ruwan is so innocent."
Mrs. Xu San looked into Mr. Cao's red eyes, with only a sarcastic look on her face: "Brother, if you doubt me, you can take me to court."
"You clearly know that I will help you cover up. I just pretended not to hear what the murderer in the prison said," Mr. Cao continued: "One life is worth one, so you should stop."
Mrs. Xu San raised her chin, with a trace of confusion on her face: "Who are you covering up for? What did the murderer say? That's what you did back then, blaming all the sins on us, which ruined my family. Now you are doing the same thing again."
Give?"
Mr. Cao frowned: "Even now, you still refuse to tell the truth."
Mrs. Xu San said calmly: "Ruwan's matter has nothing to do with me. I am very pleased to see you all so panicked. In these years, you have become rich and glorious, with children around your knees. What about me? I just huddle in the nunnery. You
If you truly repent, you should return everything that belongs to me."
Mr. Cao's eyes were a little darker.
Mrs. Xu San stretched out her hand to face the sun that had just risen. Her skinny hands were spread apart, and twisted scars were faintly visible between her fingers: "How did you torture me? Do you still remember?"
After speaking, she walked forward.
"I had no choice but to do so," Mr. Cao quickly walked a few steps to catch up with Mrs. Xu San. "You know, at that time, the court was tracing the tax money everywhere, and everyone said that someone had colluded with the rebels to hide the tax money. If
If people know that the money is in our home, it will be a disaster..."
Mrs. Xu San finally stopped: "Brother said so nicely, it's not like the money was not handed over to the court in the end. After you killed people and silenced them, you melted down the tax money to pave the way for your own wealth and prosperity. All these years have passed.
Comfortable days.
Brother really wanted to make it up to me, so he gave me the money."
"What?" Mr. Cao almost thought he heard wrongly.
Mrs. Xu San’s eyes were bright: “I want that money.”
…
Qing Huan had a dreamless sleep, and when she woke up, she found two people sitting at the Eight Immortals Table.
One is a phoenix chick holding a bird, and the other is Cao Ruzhen.
Cao Ruzhen was carefully sewing the clothes in her hands. When she saw her waking up, she smiled and said, "You have been sleeping for several hours, and it is almost dark."
"Miss, miss," Feng Chu put down the bird in her hand and came to serve her, "Miss Cao is helping me sew clothes."
Xu Qinghuan walked over, and Cao Ruzhen had just finished sewing the last stitch, and a beautiful hibiscus flower bloomed on the skirt of her clothes.
Cao Ruzhen's face was filled with a gentle smile: "I saw a hole in Feng Chu's dress. It would be ugly to sew it up casually. It would be a pity to throw it away. I had nothing to do, so I embroidered flowers on it.
.”
Needlework is the most troublesome thing for Qing Huan, so for Feng Chu, a girl who has never seen the world, it is simply unimaginable that a young lady can do such good embroidery. So Feng Chutian shamelessly begged Cao Ruzhen: "This hibiscus flower is beautiful.
, Miss, can you embroider all the slaves’ clothes with hibiscus flowers?”
Cao Ruzhen nodded without thinking: "Okay."
Xu Qinghuan looked at Cao Ruzhen's stretched eyebrows. There was always a sense of stability around Cao Ruzhen. Perhaps it was this quietness and beauty that attracted his brother's attention and caused trouble for Cao Ruzhen.
I hope Cao Ruzhen can live freely in this life.
Xu Qinghuan poured a cup of tea and handed it to Cao Ruzhen: "Why are you here at Xu's house?"
Cao Ruzhen shook her head: "Grandma told me to come here often to accompany my second aunt." At this point, she raised her head with a happy smile on her face, "You don't know, I rarely go out. Sometimes I
I often wonder if it’s because my hands and feet are too clumsy that my grandmother and eldest wife don’t dare to let me out, for fear that I will cause trouble for the Cao family.”
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