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Ruyi Rouge Shop
"The shopkeeper is indeed impressive! The one who was poisoned in the dark room is indeed the beloved concubine of the Lord of the Luo family. According to the Lord of the Luo family himself, the concubine has been missing for many years. He knows it was his wife’s doing, but he never considered that she and her child had been killed; he only thought that his wife was jealous and secretly hid the concubine elsewhere to prevent him from seeing her. For the sake of harmony in the inner residence, he has been secretly searching for the whereabouts of the concubine and her child, even going so far as to inquire with Luo Matriarch's maternal family several times, but to no avail. The Lord of the Luo family even wrote a promise with his wife, pledging that after a hundred years, all family assets would belong to their eldest son, Luo Ping, and that Luo Matriarch would need to inform him of the concubine and her child's whereabouts after Luo Ping had a child to inherit most of the family's property."
"This Lord of the Luo family seems to be quite a peculiar person. His beloved concubine went missing, yet he only searched for her in secret and signed such a strange promise with Luo Matriarch. It’s hard to tell whether he is deeply affectionate or just foolish."
"That's not surprising!" A Niu, a local from the Yun family, naturally knows more about the Luo family than Xing Ruyi: "This Lord of the Luo family was originally just a peddler. He was somewhat handsome and knew how to please people, plus he had ambition, which is why he caught Luo Matriarch's attention. The little wealth that the Luo family has now was all earned thanks to Luo Matriarch."
"In a situation where the woman is strong and the man is weak, and where the man has to rely on the woman's family for his livelihood, it's no wonder things are so awkward. But this Lord of the Luo family should know that everything depends on his wife; he should behave properly and be a considerate husband and father so as not to let down her support. Instead, he ended up with a beloved concubine who was even pregnant; it’s no wonder Luo Matriarch got angry."
"Exactly! According to calculations based on what Lord Luo did, when this concubine was pregnant, young master Luo Ping was only a little over one year old, and at that time, the Luo family had just begun to rise and did not have today's scale. To put it bluntly, this Lord of the Luo family is simply ungrateful; after being well-fed, he wants to dismantle the bridge after crossing it, yet he doesn’t even know how to cook himself. If he dismantles it, he lacks the courage. In the end, it seems like Luo Matriarch might feel somewhat cheated by having such a husband."
"The past affairs of others are none of our business. I'm just curious why Brother Chang was called over. Could it be that Luo Matriarch didn't commit suicide?"
"It's hard to say right now; according to what I've heard from Yard Officer brother, it seems that Luo Matriarch did commit suicide. As for why she did it, I suspect it’s because she was discovered by a servant in that dark room; fearing being implicated in old matters, she chose to end her life."
"Is there any evidence at the scene?"
"The Yard Officers found many chaotic footprints in the dark room—quite numerous—so it's possible that besides Luo Matriarch, there were other people present at the scene. In the main hall of the ancestral hall, they also found a burned lantern and some burnt cloth pieces nearby. Oh, and there was an earring too. After identification by a maid in the household, that earring belonged to a nurse who served beside Matriarch."
"When the Yard Officers came to investigate initially, they made some rough deductions about the case. The reason why Luo Matriarch loved visiting the ancestral hall over these years is because she knew its secrets and feared being discovered; hence she would occasionally go there for a look. That night, she might have been awakened by nightmares again or for some other reason; thus she went back to the ancestral hall. The nurse heard movement and followed her with a lantern only to discover Matriarch's secret hidden in that dark room. In panic, she ran towards the door with the lantern but was caught by Matriarch leading to an argument. In their confusion, they knocked over the lantern which ignited the nurse's sleeve. Then fearing this matter would spread out, Matriarch hanged herself in the ancestral hall."
"That doesn’t make sense; it’s illogical."
Xing Ruyi frowned and looked at A Niu.
"Anyone who has been around their master for a long time is someone they trust. Even if this nurse didn’t know anything beforehand and accidentally discovered Luo Matriarch's secret in that dark room, she absolutely wouldn’t report her. And as for Luo Matriarch—if she feared that the nurse might leak information—she only needed to deal with her; why would she choose to commit suicide? Isn’t that strange?"
"Have you found the old woman? And does she admit to having had a dispute with Matriarch Luo at night?"
"The strange thing is, the old woman next to Matriarch Luo is also dead," A Niu said, making a rather odd expression. "Moreover, the way she died is quite bizarre; she drowned herself in a basin while washing her face."
"Haha!"
Xing Ruyi could only let out such a laugh.
"If I remember correctly, the county magistrate here has some familial ties to the Luo family?"
"It seems that he is some sort of nephew to Matriarch Luo. He found this case suspicious, which is why he called Brother Chang over," A Niu said, glancing at the time. "It's been quite a while now; if the case were simple, Brother Chang should have returned by now."
"That means the case is not simple."
Just as Xing Ruyi finished speaking, a gurgling sound came from her stomach. She immediately blushed and shouted towards the kitchen, "Deer Lady, Fox Demon is really going to starve to death!"
While Xing Ruyi was eating, A Niu ran out again to see how Chang Tai's case was progressing and when he might return. In truth, Xing Ruyi knew he was just going to watch the excitement. Not only did he go, but even Yin Yuan and Old Beggar followed along for the fun.
Xing Ruyi swallowed an osmanthus dumpling, her cheeks puffed up, but she gently elbowed the fox beside her and remarked at Old Beggar's retreating figure, "How can this dignified Lord Pixiu act like a child, rushing over to watch such excitement?"
"I think Pixiu isn't just there for the fun," the fox replied, picking up a spoon from Xing Ruyi's bowl and scooping some soup to bring to her lips. "Usually in places like this, there are business opportunities."
Xing Ruyi widened her eyes, suddenly realizing that she was far from meeting the standards of a successful merchant; she didn't even have the knack for seizing business opportunities like Pixiu did.
Knowing what Xing Ruyi was thinking, the fox chuckled softly. He poked at Fox Demon’s still puffed cheeks and said, "Choked? Didn't I tell you to drink sweet soup before eating dumplings? You never listen. Be good; swallow the dumpling first and then drink the soup. After you finish eating, take a nap. I promise that when you wake up, there will be even more exciting stories to hear."
The fox was not feeling well, but Xing Ruyi felt a bit tired.
After eating the glutinous rice balls, Xing Ruyi followed the fox's instructions and went to her room to rest. The fox, feeling uneasy, used her spiritual sense to check on Xing Ruyi's condition while she was asleep. She noticed that the previously chaotic ghostly energy, demonic energy, and human energy within her were now mixed together and gradually merging, which eased her worries slightly. She sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, quietly waiting.
When Xing Ruyi finally woke up from her nap, it was already late at night, but the Rouge shop was still lively.
In the Rouge shop, besides Xing Ruyi, Chang Tai, and the assistant A Niu, everyone else belonged to non-human races. In their eyes, there was no real difference between black and white nights. Unlike mortals who preferred the light, these demons and gods favored the darkness.
"Brother Chang is back?"
As Xing Ruyi yawned and pulled at her large cloak, she didn't care about her messy hair and directly nestled by the stove.
"How did things go with the Luo family? Did that Luo Matriarch really commit suicide?"
"And you? Is your health any better?"
Chang Tai's gaze had not left Xing Ruyi since she came out of her room.
"When I saw Yin Yuan and Beggar Uncle, I knew you were back. But no matter how much I asked them, they wouldn't tell me anything. Now, Fox Demon, can you tell Brother Chang if you're alright? Are you better? Will we no longer have to worry about you from now on?"
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Chang! You can see how gossipy I am now; that means I'm doing well. Don't worry, I'm fine!"
"That's good to hear!"
Chang Tai still looked uneasy as his gaze shifted to the fox's face. Seeing the fox nod in response finally put his worried heart at ease.
"Alright, I've finished reporting my matters. How is the situation with the Luo Family being handled? The people at the Government Office have asked for you to come over; it must be because there are some peculiarities in the case, and since you, Brother Chang, have returned, it means those peculiarities have already been resolved."
"There are indeed peculiarities in the case, but they have not been resolved," Chang Tai said, shifting his gaze to Xing Ruyi. "The reason I rushed back is that I saw Yin Yuan and Beggar Uncle."
Xing Ruyi let out a soft sound, avoiding Chang Tai's gaze and steering the conversation back to the Luo Family case.
"Just how many peculiarities are there in this case that even you, Brother Chang, cannot resolve them quickly?"
"I know you enjoy studying these matters, so I had someone draw a diagram of the scene. It's just right for you to take a look together."
There were three drawings in total. The first one depicted Lady Luo hanging in the ancestral hall. Just a glance was enough for Xing Ruyi to sense something was off.
"Lady Luo did not commit suicide!" Xing Ruyi concluded, pointing at the drawing for Chang Tai to see. "In this ancestral hall, aside from an offering table, there are only these two round chairs. An ancestral hall is not a parlor, and these two chairs are not ones that would be occupied all the time. Therefore, considering whether they fit the current environment of the ancestral hall does not require them to be comfortable. Moreover, since the ancestral hall is dedicated to ancestors, even if someone were to sit, they would sit lower to avoid displeasing the ancestors and being seen as unfilial. However, the beams in this ancestral hall are of normal height. Given Lady Luo's height and the distance of her feet from the ground, it is clear that she could not have hanged herself unless someone helped her."
"That's right! I also conducted comparisons and measurements at the scene; Lady Luo absolutely could not have hanged herself. Furthermore, even the rope used by Lady Luo to hang herself is not something found in this ancestral hall in Central Plains."
"A rope?"
Xing Ruyi examined the drawing closely.
"But why do I feel that what is depicted in this drawing is not a rope but rather something like a belt?"
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