When Xu Qinghuan came back from outside, he saw Cao Ruzhen sitting on the stone bench at the door, not knowing what he was thinking.

When they walked into the courtyard, Cao Ruzhen didn't notice it.

Feng Xiao said softly, "Is Miss Cao Jia asleep?" ”

Cao Ruzhen's face was gloomy, her eyes were confused, but her body was trembling.

"It's cold when you sit outside for a long time."

Cao Ruzhen felt a warm cloak fall on her shoulder, and she raised her head to see Xu Qinghuan's smile.

The smile was quiet, but it looked like the morning sun for a long time.

Cao Ruzhen explained: "I ...... I just think that the spring flowers here are beautiful, and I am fascinated by it. ”

As they spoke, the two of them walked into the house.

Feng Xiao brought tea, and Cao Ruzhen moistened her throat before she said again: "What are you doing here?" ”

Xu Qinghuan said: "Lord Wang Yun has officially taken office, I'll go and see the excitement." ”

"Is it lively?" Cao Ruzhen rarely stepped out of the house, and she didn't know much about everything outside.

"It's not as good as the capital," Feng Xiao interjected, "There are osmanthus candy, glutinous rice cakes, dragon whisker cakes, braised duck, and sauced goose in our market in Beijing...... It is also Tianxianglou, and the elbows are better than here. ”

Cao Ruzhen listened carefully, lowered her head and smiled: "It's so good, I want to go and see it too." ”

"Then together," Feng Xiao said, "Anyway, my wife and young lady will go back, Miss Cao lives in our house, our house is very large, many houses are empty, you can rest assured that every New Year's Festival, the imperial court gives the Hou Mansion a lot of rice, no matter how you eat, you can't eat it all." ”

Cao Ruzhen "poofed" and smiled: "It's better to be a phoenix," she paused as she spoke, "But there are some things, where is it so simple." ”

Xu Qinghuan looked at Cao Ruzhen: "Wait for the matter here, I will tell Mrs. Cao and bring you into the capital together." ”

Cao Ruzhen was a little surprised: "That...... How can that work......

"What's not to do," Xu Qinghuan took Cao Ruzhen's hand, "No matter how long the road is, one step is one step." ”

Cao Ruzhen seemed to want to say something, but finally lowered her head.

The two of them talked for a while, and Cao Ruzhen was just about to say goodbye, when someone from the Cao family came and said, "The carriage at home has come to pick up Miss." ”

Cao Ruzhen was a little surprised: "Didn't you say that you want me to stay in Xu's house for a few days?" ”

The housekeeper's mother glanced at Xu Qinghuan before saying, "There are some things at home, and the wives are too busy to come, please go back and take care of the old lady." ”

Cao Ruzhen nodded and said goodbye to Xu Qinghuan: "When my grandmother is better, I will come to see the eldest lady." ”

Seeing Cao Ruzhen's slender figure walking farther and farther.

"Ruzhen," Xu Qinghuan spoke, "Do you need my help with anything?" ”

Cao Ruzhen turned her head with a quiet smile on her face: "If there is something, I will let people know." ”

Cao Ruzhen's figure disappeared, and Xu Qinghuan walked back to the house.

"Is she really Mrs. Xu's daughter?" Xu Qingan didn't know when to sit down.

"Probably!"

Xu Qingan swallowed: "No wonder the Cao family snubbed her like this." ”

"So what do we do next?" Xu Qingan thought about Cao Ruzhen's appearance, and felt a little uneasy in his heart.

Xu Qinghuan said: "Go to the prefect and ask the yamen to mobilize people to find someone." ”

"You mean the murderer?"

Xu Qinghuan nodded: "At least on the surface, as for whether it is or not, someone will be arrested and interrogated." ”

Xu Qingan said: "The person who bought the murderer of the second wife Xu is dead, and the descendants of the Xu family have not tried anything, you just think that there must be such a person behind the scenes, but you don't know what he looks like, wouldn't it be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find it." ”

"Of course not," Xu Qinghuan said, "let's go find the prefect first." ”

Xu Qingan said softly: "Sister, do you think I'm stupid?" ”

"No, my brother has never seen such a case before, and it's common for me not to guess."

Xu Qingan had a smile on her face again, and she always felt that her sister's words were very heartwarming: "I will work hard in the future." ”

"It doesn't have to be too hard," Xu Qinghuan said, "Brother just needs to be by my side like this." ”

Xu Qingan was even more proud: "If only everyone thought like you, I would have no worries." ”

"I only wish my brother Antai.

There is no requirement for my brother's brain. ”

A fluttering word blew through the wind.

Xu Qingan felt that he was completely cold, but he still couldn't help but argue: "If you don't ask for it, it's more demanding, right?" It's not that there is a good saying, only if you let it grow, it will grow bigger. ”

"Lord Shizi," Meng Lingyun leaned over and stretched out his hand to compare, "That's talking about raising pigs." ”

……

Cao Ruzhen saluted Mrs. Xu San: "Then I'll go back first!" ”

Mrs. Xu San nodded, and a trace of happiness flashed on her withered face.

The eldest sister was interrogated by the Yamen, although she had not yet passed the court, but she was temporarily imprisoned in the Cao clan, and the reputation of the Cao clan plummeted, and it is conceivable that the eldest sister would live "comfortably" in the clan.

These days, many virgins in Fengxiang County came to see Mrs. Cao, the meaning is obvious, Mrs. Cao must set an example and punish her own daughter, otherwise it will be a loss to the two archways.

The fame of the year has finally become a drag now, no matter whether the eldest sister can still live or not, the Cao family's court will not be as glorious as before.

Mrs. Xu San thought of this, and suddenly heard Ruzhen's voice from behind: "Mother." ”

Mrs. Xu San stiffened, her lips trembled, and she clutched her handkerchief tightly, unable to control herself for a long time.

Cao Ruzhen said softly: "Grandmother said that I was born small, such a statement can stop outsiders' speculation but can't deceive me, no matter how you calculate, I can't be the daughter of the fourth master, but why am I raised in the Cao family, I can't see anyone, but I can come to see you twice a month, and every time I go back, my grandmother will ask me carefully, what did you say to me."

The answer is already obvious, it's just that you don't want to recognize me, I have long regarded you as a mother in my heart. ”

Mrs. Xusan's tears fell on the back of her hand, but she still didn't say anything.

Cao Ruzhen continued: "What happened back then, if you don't say it, I can probably guess a thing or two, even if my father is not the enemy of the Cao family, he is not happy for the Cao family, and my appearance must be very similar to my father, otherwise the eldest lady will not show a look of disgust when she sees me." ”

Mrs. Xu San trembled even more.

Seeing Mrs. Xu San like this, Cao Ruzhen's eyes were red, and tears were about to flow out.

"Wiping your tears," Mrs. Xu San seemed to have eyes behind her back, and she commanded in a cold voice, "Don't let them see the clues, otherwise we will all die." ”

Cao Ruzhen nodded softly.

Mrs. Xu San continued: "Your grandmother is sick, you go back to serve first, I will also go back to visit her, your grandmother has an old illness, she must go to seek medical treatment when she is sick, the old gentleman has been paralyzed in bed for several years and can't move, the Cao family will take your grandmother out of the city, and we will follow along." ”

Mrs. Xu's eyes were cold: "What your grandmother means is to let us leave the Cao family and never come back." ”

Cao Ruzhen's eyes revealed a bit of hope: "Mother, then let's listen to our grandmother's words, let's leave together, go away from home, and never come back." ”

"Let's go," Mrs. Xu San said suddenly, "Where are you going?" Do you really think they're going to let us go? I won't make the same mistake again. ”

Mrs. Xu San turned her head, her whole face became distorted: "You never know how bad these evil ghosts really are, if you want to let them go, they may not be able to let you go, even if you escape, they will try to get rid of you, and then they will clean everything up, as if you never appeared." ”

That's how they treated Zhao Shan back then, although they didn't kill her, they imprisoned her until all the evidence was destroyed.

So she couldn't be wrong again this time.

"I'll do what I do," said Mrs. Xu San, "and kill them halfway." ”

After saying this, Mrs. Xu San's expression was like a bodhisattva on the Buddhist shrine, probably too excited, she suddenly bent down and coughed.

Cao Ruzhen was about to step forward to help.

"Let's go," Mrs. Xu San turned around and said coldly, "Do what you have to do, don't spoil my big thing, otherwise I will never recognize you." ”

……

Wang Yun looked at the county chronicle in his hand, raised his head and looked at Xu Qinghuan: "You mean that the murderer is going to shoot again recently?" ”

Xu Qinghuan said: "So we have to catch him first to avoid the tragedy from happening again." ”

"But that person," Wang Yun frowned, "where to start." ”

"Master Xu San," Xu Qinghuan said, "He knows more than we thought, maybe your lord can find the tax money that was lost many years ago through this case." ”

Wang Yun was surprised: "You also found out the whereabouts of the tax silver?" ”

Wang Yun's voice just fell.

Sun Chong lifted the curtain and brought Li Xu into the house.