Chen Sizhen's pale lips trembled a few times, but he didn't say a word.
Meng Zheng sized up Lady Qing while laying the matter bare. "Lady Qing, this is Consort Chen, Sizhen. He has been the consort of Princess Tijia for seven years."
"Consort?"
Lady Qing repeated the word in a murmur, as if something had shattered in her eyes. "So he's a consort."
Meng Zheng asked, "Do you know Consort Chen?"
He raised his eyebrows slightly, and his inquiring gaze rested on Chen Sizhen.
Lady Qing was invited to the mansion by his father to make pastries. Just now, his father had sent him over to help Lady Qing out of trouble and repeatedly told him that on his grandmother's birthday, there should be no commotion and everything should be done according to Lady Qing's wishes.
Now that Lady Qing was questioning Chen Sizhen at the birthday banquet, could there be some hidden story in between?
Lady Qing raised her head and wiped the tears from her face with her hand. "It's nothing. I just thought this gentleman looked very familiar, like an old acquaintance. My husband came to the capital for the imperial examination seven years ago and has been out of touch ever since. Now that I've met this Consort Chen, I thought he might know my husband."
"Really?" Meng Zheng's eyes fell on the cold sweat on Chen Sizhen's cheeks. "If that's the case, tell me your husband's name, and I'll help you check in the archives."
Lady Qing gave a bitter smile full of resentment. "No need."
She looked at Chen Sizhen. "My husband is a kind - hearted man. If he were alive, he definitely wouldn't have left us, a widow and orphans, to live on bran and vegetables at home. He wouldn't have left his mother at home either, with no money to buy a quilt, almost freezing to death on a cold night five years ago. For seven years, there was not a single cent or a single letter. I think he must be dead!"
After saying that, Lady Qing resolutely turned around and walked towards the back kitchen.
The other officials had witnessed the whole thing and had their own speculations in mind, but they all tactfully spared Chen Sizhen's face and didn't ask further.
Meng Zheng clasped his fists in apology and accompanied the guests in drinking three cups of wine. After the atmosphere became lively again, he left.
Yan Tongshu put a crispy sesame cake into her mouth, but her peripheral vision was constantly sizing up Chen Sizhen.
After Lady Qing left, Chen Sizhen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and some color returned to his face. He seemed to have become the elegant and noble consort again.
Yan Tongshu's gaze moved to the cold sweat on Chen Sizhen's temples.
With so much sweat on such a cold day and in such a cold wind, he was likely to catch a cold and have a splitting headache when he returned to the consort's mansion tonight.
Yan Tongshu chewed the crispy sesame cake in her mouth.
Based on her years of experience in watching cheesy dramas, she was a hundred percent sure that this was a story of an infatuated woman and a heartless man.
Coincidentally, Chen Sizhen also had the surname Chen.
The same surname as Chen Shimei.
Even his looks were as handsome as Chen Shimei's.
...
After the birthday banquet ended, Lady Qing silently received her payment and left through the back door of the Meng Mansion.
She had only taken a few steps when a choking voice came from behind her. "Qing Niang."
Lady Qing was stunned for a moment and then turned to look at Chen Sizhen.
By now, she had changed out of the uniform kitchen maid's clothes provided by the Meng Mansion and put on her own coarse - cloth clothes.
She had been wearing this coarse - cloth clothes for five years. It had been mended over and over again. The clothes had turned white, and the cuffs and hems were frayed with rough edges. The cotton inside was hard and cold, providing almost no warmth.
There were stains of all shades on the clothes. It wasn't that she didn't love cleanliness or wasn't diligent. It was just that no matter how many times she scrubbed, the dirt just wouldn't come off.
Lady Qing was holding the lantern that the Meng family had given her for the journey. The light was very dim and couldn't illuminate the path clearly, so she raised the lantern higher.
The weak light shone on Chen Sizhen's well - cared - for face.
His skin was fair and delicate, even more delicate than that of her two children.
And the clothes on Chen Sizhen were made of gorgeous and expensive fabrics, with bright and lively colors. The more vivid and bright the color, the more expensive it was. Not only a poor person like her, but even an ordinary family couldn't afford such clothes.
Tears welled up in Lady Qing's eyes, and she asked, "Consort, do you have something to say?"
Chen Sizhen's lips trembled, and he called out again, "Qing Niang~"
His eyes were red at the corners, and his voice was choked with sobs. "Qing Niang, how have you all been these years?"
How have you all been?
Where did he get the nerve to ask such a question?
Lady Qing put down the lantern in her hand, picked up a stone from the ground, rushed in front of Chen Sizhen, and hit him on the head with the stone. Chen Sizhen let out an "ouch" and covered his head.
Lady Qing was extremely angry. She picked up the stone and hit Chen Sizhen on the body.
After hitting him several times, because she used too much force, the stone fell to the ground. Then she used her hands and feet to punch and kick Chen Sizhen as hard as she could. Chen Sizhen gritted his teeth and let out stifled groans.
While hitting him, she cursed, "How have we been these years? What do you think? In the first year after you left, I had just given birth, and my mother was sick. I went to my natal family crying to borrow money. My two children, my mother, and I almost starved to death.
You didn't send a single letter or a single cent home. We didn't have enough to eat or wear warm clothes, and we worried about you every day. Five years ago, during the severe cold in winter, our family of four almost froze to death at home. For a little bit of food, Yingge went out on the street to sell herself. If it hadn't been for her uncle who found out in time and took pity on us and sent us some food, our whole family would have died long ago!
And you! What were you doing at that time? You were enjoying delicious food and drinks in your cozy little world! Chen Sizhen, you son of a bitch, you're really not a thing. I'll beat you to death! I'll beat you to death for my mother today!"
Lady Qing had been doing heavy manual labor all year round, so she had great strength in her hands. If she really wanted to beat him to death, Chen Sizhen wouldn't be able to bear it.
However, except for the first few blows which were a bit heavier, the punches and kicks she landed on Chen Sizhen later were not with all her strength.
Lady Qing cried while pounding on Chen Sizhen. "Chen Sizhen, do you think you're worthy of me, of my mother, of Yingge, and of Jiangge?"
Chen Sizhen was beaten black and blue. He lay on the ground, with tears in his eyes, and his lips trembled. "Qing Niang... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Lady Qing squatted down, grabbed his collar, and said, "Come on, Chen Sizhen! Come with me to see my mother!"
"No!"
Chen Sizhen, who had just been taking the beating submissively, suddenly struggled violently. He pushed Lady Qing away with one hand. "I won't go! I won't go to see your mother!"
Lady Qing's eyes were swollen from crying. "Now you know you're sorry for my mother? Then what on earth have you been doing all these years?"
Chen Sizhen took steps back, not daring to look at Lady Qing. "I... I..."
He took out two hundred - tael silver notes from his bosom and stuffed them into Lady Qing's hands. "Qing Niang, take this money. With this money, you'll have a secure life for the rest of your life."
Lady Qing stared at him in astonishment. "What do you mean?"
Don't tell her it was what she was thinking. Otherwise, she would definitely beat him to death.
Seeing that Lady Qing didn't say a word, Chen Sizhen looked up and met her sorrowful and disbelieving gaze. He quickly said, "If you think this money is not enough, I... I'll send money to you every year. I'll send a hundred taels each year. Then we'll all be able to live a good life. How about that?"
"Chen Sizhen!"
Lady Qing angrily threw the silver note in his face and shouted, "Why on earth have you become such a person?"
The light silver note fluttered to the ground, but it felt like a sharp slap on Chen Sizhen's face.
He clenched his fists and couldn't control his emotions any longer. He roared, "Because of poverty! It's poverty that has forced me to be like this. Is that enough?"
Lady Qing was stunned by his roar.
She had a fiery temper, but in fact, her toughness was just a survival instinct. She wasn't really such a person deep down.
It was the same when they were back at home. Most of the time, she made decisions about big and small matters, but once Chen Sizhen gave her the cold shoulder, she would be at a loss.
And now, it was still the same.
Chen Sizhen said in a sharp voice, "What's wrong with the current situation? I'm rich now. I'm living a good life, and I can also give you money so that you can live a good life too. I can afford to pay for mother's medical treatment and let her enjoy her old age in comfort. I can also send Yingge and Jiangge to school. Everyone will have a prosperous and comfortable future. What's wrong with that?"
Seeing that Lady Qing stood there motionless, Chen Sizhen thought he had convinced her. He stepped forward and grabbed her rough hands. "Qing Niang, stop being so naive. The world is a place where the winners take all. Those with power and money can do whatever they want. You've also tasted poverty. When we were poor, who cared about our lives? The lives of the common people are like weeds by the roadside.
Look at those powerful and wealthy people. They wear silk and satin, use fine cotton, and eat abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw. What about us in the past? We had a bag of white flour and only took a lick when we were really craving it. We wore the same cotton - padded clothes for several years, and several people took turns to wear them. Even if a woman was beaten to death by a man, it was just that. Were we even considered human? We were like stray dogs by the roadside. Now that we have a chance to live a good life, to have enough to eat and wear warm clothes, why not take it?"
Lady Qing recalled the poor days in the countryside.
The cold wind howled, and the cold and hard cotton in her clothes clung to her skin.
She remembered her mother - in - law's illness, Yingge going out to sell herself, and Jiangge almost being beaten to death by the landlord.
She remembered almost being raped by the landlord in the fields and then fleeing with her mother - in - law and two children overnight.
She remembered when they fled to a place near her natal village, having no land, no food, and no place to live. They had nothing and relied on the relief from her natal family. They went to the mountains to dig wild vegetables and set up small stalls to sell pancakes to make money. She remembered the shabby house that was rebuilt in the countryside and was shaky after experiencing the wind and frost.
Lady Qing staggered a bit and said, "But, you passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, didn't you?"
Hearing this, Chen Sizhen suddenly laughed. It started as a bitter smile, then turned into a loud laugh, and finally back to a bitter smile. "Jinshi? Qing Niang, don't be naive. Do you think I could pass the exam? Do you know how many people take the imperial examination every year, longing to become the students of the emperor?
Me? I'm just a poor boy from the countryside. I had to kowtow and beg for money to buy an ink stick or a book. How could I beat those wealthy young masters who have been reading the Four Books and Five Classics since childhood and have never lacked writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones? Qing Niang, don't you really think that I'm smarter than those young masters who have been studying since childhood?"
Lady Qing looked at him in disbelief. "You didn't pass the exam?"
Chen Sizhen smiled with a mix of grief, bitterness, and hatred. "Of course not. I didn't even have a teacher. How could I become a Jinshi? Those people have teachers to guide them, know the preferences of the examiners, and can study targeted. They can also attend lectures by famous scholars. What did I have? An old broken dress and two writing brushes?
What did I have? If I were a prodigy, a one - in - a - million genius, of course, I could rise from obscurity and catch the attention of those arrogant teachers. But I'm not. I'm just an ordinary person, a bit smarter than the average person."
Chen Sizhen looked at Lady Qing. "Qing Niang, I couldn't become a Jinshi. If the consort of Princess Tijia hadn't been found having a concubine outside and the princess hadn't divorced him and was heart - broken, if I hadn't happened to comfort the princess and was taken a fancy to by her, I would have starved to death in the capital long ago.
Yes, I admit that I didn't contact you all these years and didn't send you money. I'm a jerk. I deserve to die. But Qing Niang, it's not that I didn't miss you. I was just too afraid to see you. I didn't know how to face you!"
As he said this, Chen Sizhen started to cry. He picked up the two - hundred - tael silver note on the ground and stuffed it into Lady Qing's hand. "Qing Niang, you can hate me and blame me, but don't be stubborn about the money. Mother needs money for medical treatment. Yingge needs to save up for her dowry, or she'll have to be sold to a wealthy family as a maid. Jiangge also needs to study, and studying costs a lot of money. Qing Niang, take the money and go back to Jiangzhou. I'll send money to you every year through someone else. Let's live a good life together, okay?"
Chen Sizhen said a lot. Lady Qing was fiery - tempered but uneducated. She couldn't argue with Chen Sizhen. She felt that what Chen Sizhen said was right, but also seemed wrong. While it was wrong, it also made sense.
She was very confused and didn't know what to do.
Lady Qing stammered, "I still need to look for my younger brother. He came to the capital for the imperial examination a year ago. He said he would help me find you."
Chen Sizhen put his hand on Lady Qing's shoulder and grasped it tightly. "You go home. I'll help you look for him."
He lowered his head and thought for a while, then said, "Qing Niang, maybe your younger brother has also lived a good life and doesn't want you to find him, right?"
Lady Qing's mind became even more confused. "Really? Could it be?"
Chen Sizhen looked at her firmly. "Yes."
Then he picked up the lantern on the ground and stuffed it into Lady Qing's hand. "Now, take the money and take mother and the children back to Jiangzhou. Let's live a good life together."
Lady Qing always felt that it was wrong to do so. "But..."
Chen Sizhen pushed Lady Qing forward. "There's no 'but'. Concepts like propriety, righteousness, integrity, and morality are just used to deceive the poor. For us common people at the bottom, the most important thing is to live a good life ourselves."
Lady Qing's mind was in a complete mess. She could only walk forward like a puppet without a soul.
As soon as Lady Qing left, Chen Sizhen wiped the blood off his face and called his personal servant, Wei Bao. He ordered, "Keep an eye on this woman."
Wei Bao replied, "Yes."
Lady Qing returned home in a daze. Mother Chen, Chen Yingge, and Chen Jiangge were anxiously sitting at the door waiting for her.
This house was just a shed that they temporarily built on a piece of land lent to them by someone who took pity on them.
It was drafty everywhere, and the four of them had to huddle together at night to keep a bit warm.
Houses in Bianjing were expensive, and so were inns. They simply couldn't afford to live in them.
Looking at her mother - in - law and children shivering in the cold wind, Lady Qing's eyes welled up with tears.
Yes, being poor was really, really hard.
She opened her mouth, wanting to tell Mrs. Chen about Chen Sizhen's matter, but it was as if something was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't make a sound no matter what.
...
The next day, after the court session, Yan Tongshu went to the Ma family again.
As long as the elopement case remained unsolved, she couldn't feel at ease for a single day.
This time, Yan Tongshu found a pornographic album in a hidden place behind the cabinet by Ma Tianci's window.
Yan Tongshu flipped through the album, and it was still at the level of basic sexual experience education.
At the end of the album, there were a few poems left by Ma Tianci. When translated, they read: "In dreams, the Xiang girl is so full of affection. I don't know what the world is all about. When I wake up, I'm too shy to speak, afraid that my beloved will know and think I'm vulgar."
Looking at the signature, it was just a few days before the elopement.
The maid beside her blushed with shame.
Yan Tongshu asked, "Is this Ma Tianci's?"
The maid lowered her head and said shyly, "This servant doesn't know. Maybe the young master brought it back from somewhere."
Yan Tongshu nodded and asked, "Then, does your young master have a concubine-in-waiting?"
The maid's face turned even redder. "There was one. Half a year ago, a girl was specially bought for him, and a nanny was invited to teach her. But the young master was too shy and sent the girl away. Before she left, he also gave the girl some silver."
Yan Tongshu asked, "How much monthly allowance does Ma Tianci get?"
The maid replied, "Five taels of silver."
Yan Tongshu put away the pornographic album and went to the Qiao family.
Qiao Qingqing's room had been kept as it was according to the government's request. Yan Tongshu checked everything one by one. When leaving, Yan Tongshu specially paid a visit to Mrs. Qiao. "Mrs. Qiao, how much monthly allowance does Qiao Qingqing usually get?"
Mrs. Qiao looked haggard and said, "The Qiao family only has one shop, but there are three children. We can't just dote on Qingqing. So Qingqing's monthly allowance is less compared to girls from similar families. She only gets three taels a month. However, the income from the paintings she sells is all given to her."
Yan Tongshu said, "Okay, I understand."
After saying that, Yan Tongshu left Qiao Mansion.
After leaving Qiao Mansion and getting into the carriage, Pearl couldn't wait to ask, "Young master, did you find anything?"
Yan Tongshu shook her head. "It still depends on the news from Taohong."
Pearl sighed.
After much thought, Yan Tongshu went to the crime scene in Bitaixiang Lane in the west of the city.
She walked around the house and then came out. Standing in front of the narrow door that only allowed one person to pass through, she stared at the house in deep thought.
What was the alibi all about?
Qiao Qingqing died on the eighth. Four days later, Ma Tianci died, which was the twelfth.
On the left and right sides of the crime scene house, the house on the right had been locked up since someone died in it, and there was no one there. So Yan Tongshu had to knock on the door of the neighbor on the left. Soon, the door was opened.
This family's house was a bit bigger than Ma Tianci's, but it only had one more room. However, there were four adults and six children living in it.
The man who opened the door, who was missing an arm, saw that Yan Tongshu was well - dressed and asked, "Who are you?"
Yan Tongshu stated her purpose, and the man said, "You're asking about the family next door where someone died?"
Yan Tongshu replied, "Yes."
The man thought for a while and said, "That family was very mysterious. On the first day they moved in, the woman got sick. The man was very withdrawn and didn't talk to anyone. Every day when he came out, he either went to buy food or medicine. He also wore a cloak. He was very mysterious."
Yan Tongshu asked again, "Did you see him on the eighth?"
The man shook his head.
Yan Tongshu asked, "What about the twelfth?"
The man continued to shake his head.
This was consistent with the information the yamen runners from Kaifeng Prefecture had gathered.
Because it was an elopement, Ma Tianci was very cautious. He went out less and talked less, so fewer people had seen them.
Yan Tongshu was extremely helpless. She thanked the man and walked out.
Pearl was also a bit discouraged.
The two sat on the steps. Pearl took out two dried persimmons from her bag. "Young master, don't be discouraged. Eat something sweet. Eating something sweet will make you feel better."
Yan Tongshu took one and took a bite.
The persimmon was sweet. Sure enough, when the delicious food entered her mouth, she felt much better.
Yan Tongshu showed a bright smile. "Pearl, I'm so lucky to have you."
Pearl proudly raised her head. "Of course."
"Selling tofu pudding, tofu pudding... Come and have some tofu pudding... Smooth and tender tofu pudding."
There was tofu pudding!
Yan Tongshu and Pearl looked at each other tacitly, then quickly got up from the ground and rushed towards the tofu pudding.
Yan Tongshu shouted, "Boss, two bowls!"
"Coming right up," the boss replied.
The boss put down the carrying poles with buckets and took out two bowls, and scooped a bowl for each of them.
Yan Tongshu and Pearl carried the bowls and sat on a nearby rock to eat.
The passers - by who saw them eating so deliciously were attracted. The boss's business suddenly picked up. "Old Liu, you're here to sell tofu pudding again today?"
The boss smiled while scooping the tofu pudding. "There's not much carpentry work recently. I come out to sell tofu pudding when I'm free. I can earn a little more this way."
Yan Tongshu put down her spoon. "Again?"
She looked at the boss, quickly finished the tofu pudding in her bowl. After the crowd dispersed, she handed the bowl to the boss. "Boss, do you often come here to sell tofu pudding?"
The boss took the bowl with a smile and rinsed it in the clear water in the other bucket. "Every once in a while."
Yan Tongshu asked, "Always at this time?"
The boss said, "Well, tofu pudding is usually eaten in the morning. Who eats it in the afternoon?"
Yan Tongshu frowned slightly. "Then have you seen Ma Tianci?"
After much gesturing and description, Yan Tongshu finally made the boss remember. "Oh, I remember. You're talking about that mysterious young man. That young fellow was really good - looking."
Yan Tongshu and Pearl glanced at each other and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that's him."
The boss asked, "Young man, why are you asking about him? I heard he died."
Yan Tongshu hurriedly asked, "Did you see him on the eighth and twelfth of this month?"
"The eighth and twelfth?" The boss scratched his head. He was a peddler who walked around the streets, so how could he remember so clearly? The boss tried hard to recall. "Oh - I remember. I didn't come here on the eighth or twelfth."
Yan Tongshu was instantly deflated.
Pearl also drooped her head listlessly.
"However -" the boss scratched his head again. "I came here on the eleventh and saw him. He seemed to be in a good mood. He came over with a bowl to buy tofu pudding. As usual, he bought two bowls. And he even said something to me."
"What did he say?" Yan Tongshu asked eagerly.
The boss said, "He said my tofu pudding was the best he'd ever eaten and that he'd buy more next time."
Yan Tongshu pondered for a moment, then suddenly grabbed the boss's hand and said excitedly, "Boss, you've helped a great deal!"
The boss was startled by Yan Tongshu's excited attitude. "Really? What help have I provided?"
Yan Tongshu pulled Pearl away. "Anyway, it's a great help."
Yan Tongshu pulled Pearl back to the crime scene house and ran to the kitchen.
She remembered that there was half a bowl of leftover food in the kitchen that had gone moldy. Yan Tongshu used a chopstick to stir it, and sure enough, it was tofu pudding.
Besides the tofu pudding, there were also two sets of leftover medicine on the cabinet beside the stove.
It was the medicine Ma Tianci had bought for Qiao Qingqing to treat her illness.
