Chapter 331: Sausage and Bread

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the Chu Village.

Shen Ruyue knocked on the door. “Qingzhi, the ingredients for the mooncakes have been prepared according to your instructions.”

Chu Qingzhi put down the pen in her hand and walked to open the door. “Let’s go make mooncakes.”

The mooncakes were made in the courtyard of the old house. There was a shed there, and under the shed were five tables. After a while, everyone gathered around the tables to make mooncakes.

At this moment, the villagers who were helping to make the mooncakes were already in position. They were all women.

Chu Qingzhi walked over and smiled. “Thank you for coming to help.”

An auntie smiled and said, “Qingzhi, we should be the ones thanking you for letting us work.”

Chu Qingzhi chatted with everyone for a while before getting to the business…

She originally planned to make five different fillings, but two of the fillings were given to Tan Mengyang. Now, she only needed to make the other three. They were bean paste egg yolk filling, red bean filling, and lotus seed paste filling.

There were six people who prepared the fillings. Under Chu Qingzhi’s guidance, they quickly prepared three large basins of fillings.

In the filling, Chu Qingzhi did not add much sugar. She did not want to make the mooncake too sweet. If it was too sweet, it would cover up the taste of the other ingredients and it wouldn’t taste good.

There were ten people preparing the dough.

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This step was very important. Otherwise, the mooncakes would crack and collapse after coming out of the baking stove, affecting the appearance. Making mooncakes sounded easy, but in reality, it was much more difficult. Otherwise, wouldn’t everyone be able to make mooncakes and sell them?

After the dough was made, it was time to wrap the filling.

Before wrapping the filling, they had to ensure that the weight of each piece of dough was the same. There were ten people in charge of weighing the filling and the dough. After that, they could begin making it.

The next step was to put the wrapped dough into the mold and press it to create patterns. It was very important to smooth out the surface of the dough because no one wanted to buy something that looked ugly.

The wrapped dough was placed on a baking sheet. After applying a layer of clear water on the surface of the dough, it could be sent to the baking oven to be baked.

There was an hourglass timer here. After the mooncakes were baked for fifteen minutes, they would take them out and brush egg liquid on them. Then, they would put them back in to bake for another fifteen minutes.

The baked mooncakes were taken out and cooled. They were wrapped in oil paper one by one. At this point, it was considered a complete process.

There were special people in charge of every step, just like an assembly line.

The aunties were very agile. It only took an hour to make a batch of mooncakes.

Chu Qingzhi made a demonstration first, and then there was no need for her to do anything. The women in the village were all skilled in cooking, so they learned it very quickly.

Chu Qingzhi watched until they successfully made three batches before saying,

“Ruyue, I’ll leave the things here to you.”

“Alright, leave it to me.”

Chu Qingzhi came to the kitchen. There was no one in the kitchen now, so it was a good time for her to show off her culinary skills. She was going to make three things next: sausages, bread, and biscuits. With the baking oven, it was very easy to make biscuits.

She made bread first. The yeast was bought from the winery.

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There was also the problem of butter.

On her way back to the village from the capital last time, Chu Qingzhi saw a farm that raised cows. The cows here were all raised by the government and could not be slaughtered. They could only be sold to farmers to farm.

It was a huge farmstead with more than a thousand cows, big and small.

The people of this era did not have the habit of drinking milk. Milk was commonly used by noblewomen to bathe in. However, they did not use much. Most of the time, milk was wasted.

Chu Qingzhi spent one tael of silver to buy ten barrels of milk. They even sent it back to her.

The milk barrels were covered. No one knew what was inside.

No one would touch Chu Qingzhi’s things. The barrels were still placed neatly in the corner of the kitchen.

Chu Qingzhi kneaded the dough and fermented it. Then, she boiled the milk to make butter before adding the butter to the dough and letting it continue to ferment.

During this period of time, Chu Qingzhi prepared to make sausages.

The sausage casing was bought from a pork store and was repeatedly cleaned. The pork was chopped into meat paste. A bunch of seasonings were added, and the meat paste was poured into the sausage casing. It was dried and boiled. After that, it was time to roast the sausage.

It was simple to make, but there were many steps. Chu Qingzhi worked for two hours before she finished making the raw sausages. Next, she had to dry the water on the surface of the sausages. This required some time.

Taking advantage of this time, Chu Qingzhi applied egg liquid on the fermented dough and placed some butter on the baking tray before bringing it to the old house.

The baking tray was a custom-made iron plate from the blacksmith. There were a total of 25 custom-made plates.

When Wu Yaqing, who was helping to wrap the mooncakes, saw Chu Qingzhi coming over with an unknown dough, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Qingzhi, what’s in your hand?”

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Chu Qingzhi blinked at her mysteriously. “You’ll know in a while.” She walked towards the empty baking oven and pushed the baking tray in.

The baking oven that Chu Qingzhi had modified was very similar to a modern oven. There was a fireplace at the bottom and a baking space at the top.

Wu Yaqing was even more curious. “I know even if you don’t tell me. It must be delicious.”

“You guessed right,” Chu Qingzhi said cooperatively. At the same time, she turned the hourglass upside down to count the time. “Yaqing, when the sand runs out, take the baking tray out. I’ll go do something else.”

Wu Yaqing licked her lips like a hungry cat. “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

Then, she guarded the oven like she was protecting a treasure and looked at the hourglass attentively.

Chu Qingzhi returned to the kitchen to make biscuits.

She planned to make onion biscuits. This was the most classic.

Making onion biscuits was very similar to making cookies. First, she melted the butter, added sugar and salt, and stirred it evenly. Then, she added onion, flour, and stirred it. She kneaded it into a smooth dough and used a mold to make it look like a biscuit. Finally, she baked it for ten minutes.

During this time, the bread was ready. Wu Yaqing took it out. Immediately, the fragrance and appearance of the bread attracted everyone’s attention.

“It smells so good. It smells delicious.”

“Qingzhi is too amazing. She made another new thing. Does this have a name?”

“I really want to try it!”

Wu Yaqing held the baking tray and ran all the way to the new house. Her stomach was already growling at the smell of it.

When some children saw this, they quickly followed to see what it was. Of course, what they wanted to do the most was to try it.

“Qingzhi, it’s done,” Wu Yaqing shouted excitedly.

Chu Qingzhi was busy in the kitchen. “I’m here.”

Wu Yaqing rushed to the kitchen. “Qingzhi, what’s this called? It looks delicious.”

“This is called bread.” Chu Qingzhi used a kitchen knife to cut the bread into even cubes. Then, she picked up a piece and handed it to Wu Yaqing. “Try it.”

The bread smelled like rich roasted wheat. It looked golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside. When she took a bite, it was soft and tasty..n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chapter 332: Green Bean Ice Cream Bar

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Wu Yaqing took a bite first and quickly stuffed the bread into her mouth. Seeing how she enjoyed it, even Chu Qingzhi’s appetite was aroused.

“Delicious, delicious. Qingzhi, the bread is so delicious. It’s hands down the most delicious pastry I’ve tried.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled. “Then eat some more.”

“Okay.” Wu Yaqing immediately took another piece. It was really delicious. It was soft, sweet, and filled with the fragrance of wheat.

When Chu Qingzhi was talking to Wu Yaqing, she saw a group of children from the village sticking their heads into the kitchen and swallowing their saliva.

They couldn’t resist the smell.

Hence, Chu Qingzhi passed a piece to them. “Eat it.”

The children were overjoyed. “Thank you, Sister Qingzhi.”

Chu Junbao held the bread in his hand and shouted on the way back. As if he had won a battle, he ran to the cornfield to find his father. “Father, look at this.”

Junbao’s father had been a farmer all his life. He had never seen bread before. “I don’t know what this is. Where did you get it?”

“Sister Qingzhi gave it to me. It’s called bread.” Chu Junbao tore off a piece and walked over to give it to his father. “Dad, you’ve worked hard. Try it.”

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Junbao’s father was very touched. His son had always remembered to share good things with him.

He pushed Chu Junbao’s hand back. “You eat it. I’m not hungry.”

Chu Junbao was very insistent. “Father, try it.”

In the end, Junbao’s father accepted his son’s good intention. “This bread is so soft. It’s sweet and fragrant. It’s really delicious. Junbao, go and ask Sister Qingzhi if she wants to sell it. We’ll buy some for the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Chu Junbao replied crisply, “Alright, Father.”

Hence, Chu Junbao ran back quickly. “Sister Qingzhi, my father wants to buy the bread.”

Many people in the village had a bite of the bread their children brought back. After eating it, they couldn’t forget the taste and wanted to buy more.

The villagers were much richer now. Not only could many people afford meat, but they also had savings. The Mid-Autumn Festival was coming, so it was understandable that they wanted to buy something good to celebrate it.

Hence, before Chu Qingzhi had begun selling bread, she received many orders.

When Li Qingyu heard the villagers talking about bread, she walked back from the field. “Qingzhi, 1 heard everyone talking about bread. What is bread?”

Chu Qingzhi handed the bread on the plate to Li Qingyu. “Mother, this is bread.”

Li Qingyu looked at it curiously. Then, she tore a piece and tried it. Her eyes immediately lit up. “Qingzhi, this tastes great!”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Everyone thinks so. Many villagers asked me to make some for sale.”

“Qingzhi, teach me how to make it. I’ll do it.” Li Qingyu wanted to share some of her daughter’s burden.

“Sure.” The sausages were still being boiled in the pot. Chu Qingzhi called Chu Qingyan over to keep watch on the fire. Then she taught Li Qingyu how to make bread step by step.

On the other side, Chu Xuede saw a business opportunity. He hurriedly ran over to look for Chu Qingzhi. “Qingzhi, can you make more bread for us to sell in the county? It’s almost the Mid-Autumn Festival. Your bread is so good. It must be very easy to sell.” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Chu Qingzhi naturally wouldn’t say no to money. “Uncle Xuede, you can find five deft handed aunties. I’ll teach them to make it immediately. Tell them that they have to stay up late at night.”

Chu Xuede replied enthusiastically, “Alright, I’ll go immediately.”

Five aunties were quickly found by Chu Xuede. They did not waste any time and immediately devoted themselves to learning how to make bread.

Chu Qingzhi did not hide anything and explained in detail. As long as these people did not know how the butter came about, they would not be able to make bread on their own. There was no need to worry.

The first batch of bread was baked. There was only a baking tray that could be used to bake five kilos of bread at a time. Chu Qingzhi taught them step by step, and the taste was similar to what she made.

The cost of one kilo of bread was 30 copper coins, and the price for one kilo was set at 50 copper coins.

If it was in the past, the villagers would be discouraged by this price. It was impossible for them to spend so much on bread. Now, it was not a problem to buy a kilo or two.

Junbao’s father said loudly, “Qingzhi, give me a kilo.”

Chu Lianghong wanted to give his grandson a treat. He also ran over and shouted, “Qingzhi, weigh one kilo for me first.” There were so many people around. He was afraid that the bread would be sold out.

A villager squeezed Chu Lianghong to the back. “I came first. Qingzhi, give me first. I want a kilo too.”

“I was the one who came first. Go to the back and queue up.”

Li Qingyu called out, “There’s still a lot of bread being baked. Everyone, queue up and don’t push each other.”

Hearing this, the crowd calmed down.

Chu Qingzhi used a baking oven specially to bake bread. It could only bake five kilos at a time, but it only took fifteen minutes to bake a batch of bread.

The villagers were very supportive. As soon as a batch of bread was made, it was sold out. Soon, the entire village was filled with the fragrance of bread.

There was a new variety of ice cream bar today, green bean ice cream bar. However, it wasn’t yet being produced in mass quantities. They only made a thousand of it.

Therefore, Chu Xuhua did not go to discuss business today. Instead, he brought Li Zhangjie to the county city to set up a stall to sell the green bean ice cream bars to see how well people could accept it.

When they arrived at the county, Li Zhangjie said worriedly, “Brother Xuhua, the green bean ice cream bar is fifteen copper coins a piece. The other ice cream bars only cost five copper coins. Will anyone buy it?”

Chu Xuhua trusted his sister very much. “Don’t worry, I believe we will return today with an empty cart.”

Now that he had a lot of experience in selling things, he chose to set up a stall in a place where rich people frequented. For rich people, fifteen copper coins was nothing. Moreover, it was more likely to meet those big customers who ordered a great amount.

This was a crossroads. There was a jewelry shop and many high-end shops. The people coming in and out were all rich people.

The sun was very bright. The stall was shaded by a huge umbrella like a giant mushroom with a signboard that said, “Green Bean Ice cream bar”. It was very eye-catching.

This was an idea his Fifth Sister had told him. The first thing to do when setting up a stall was to attract attention. When one was curious, they would naturally come over to check out. This was how business came about.

Not long after they set up the stall, a young lady sent a servant girl over to buy ice cream bars.

At this point, almost everyone in the county had eaten ice cream bar. However, the green bean ice cream bar was a new product and no one had eaten it yet. That lady was a loyal fan of the ice cream bar. When she saw the new product, she immediately wanted to try it.

The servant girl smiled and said, “I’ve never seen green bean ice cream bar before.”

Chu Xuhua said, “This is our new product. It’s very delicious.”

The servant girl took a look. It was green and smelled like green beans. It should be good. “Give me five..”

Chapter 333: Complains

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Li Zhangjie was stunned when he saw a customer buying five ice cream bars. It seemed that it was really as Brother Xuhua had said. Rich people did not care about money.

As he thought about it, he quickly packed up five for her. “Miss, it’s a total of 75 copper coins. Take it.”

The servant girl paid and took the ice cream bars. She asked, “Are you still selling green bean ice cream bars tomorrow?”

Chu Xuhua said, “If it sells well today, we will continue to sell it tomorrow.”

The servant girl nodded. “1 hope your business is good. This green bean ice cream bar looks good.”

Chu Xuhua smiled and said, “Thank you.”

After the servant girl bought the ice cream bar, many servant girls and servants came to buy it one after another…

Looking at the people around the stall, Chu Xuhua took the opportunity to promote the product, “If you want a constant supply of ice cream bars, we can deliver it to your door.”

“Deliver?” A servant looked up, finding it novel. “The ice cream bars can be delivered?”

Chu Xuhua said tactfully, “It’s hot outside. We can deliver it so that you won’t have to come to the stall to buy it.”

The servant smiled. “Alright, I’ll go back and ask my young misses and young masters. If they agree, I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Chu Xuhua quickly agreed. “Thank you.”

After that, Chu Xuhua continued to promote the product to customers who came after. He felt that it was better to have a fixed customer base than to seek customers everyday. This way, he would not have to worry about the sales.

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A thousand ice cream bars were sold out very quickly. Li Zhangjie said in admiration, “Brother Xuhua, you’re also very good at doing business.”

Chu Xuhua puffed out his chest and said proudly, “Because I have a powerful sister.”

Li Zhangjie said, “That’s true. Sister Qingzhi is better than anyone.”

Chu Xuhua said, “Let’s go and buy what Fifth Sister told us to buy. We’ll go home after that.”

Li Zhangjie nodded. “Ok.”

“The biscuits are ready.” Wu Yaqing took out the baking tray from the oven. It was filled with the fragrance of onions and wheat, making people drool.

The children in the village were all playing at the entrance of Chu Qingzhi’s courtyard. When they heard about biscuits, they immediately turned into giraffes, craning their necks to peep.

Wu Yaqing walked past the children with a baking plate, leaving behind a trail of fragrance.

“What’s biscuit?”

“Whatever it is, it must be delicious.”

“I think I’m drooling…”

Chu Qingzhi was boiling butter in the kitchen. The milk could not be stored, so it was all boiled into butter to prevent it from going bad. At this moment, the kitchen was filled with the rich fragrance of milk.

Wu Yaqing walked into the kitchen excitedly and placed the baking tray on the stove. “Qingzhi, the biscuits are ready.”

The biscuits were perfectly baked. They were golden and the color was top-notch. There was a chrysanthemum pattern on the surface, looking very beautiful.

Chu Qingzhi picked up a piece and tried it. It was crispy and full of the fragrance of onions.

Wu Yaqing’s eyes lit up as she watched Chu Qingzhi eat. “Qingzhi, is it delicious?”

Chu Qingzhi pointed at the biscuits. “Try it.”

Wu Yaqing picked up a piece and took a small bite. She grew up in the palace and was very particular about table etiquette. Her every move was elegant and pleasing to the eye when she was eating biscuits.

“The biscuits are so fragrant. This is the first time I’ve eaten salty pastries. Qingzhi, you must be the reincarnation of the god of Cooking.” Wu Yaqing praised her.

It was not that she was the reincarnation of the god of Cooking. When she was in the cultivation world, there was a period of time when she reached a bottleneck in her cultivation and started to be frustrated.

At that time, she had a friend who was a spiritual chef who often visited her. That guy knew how to make all kinds of spiritual food. After knowing her situation, he told her not to be anxious and even asked her to learn how to make spiritual food.

Making spiritual food was indeed therapeutic and helpful for comprehension. After making spiritual food for three years, she suddenly had an enlightenment and broke through the bottleneck to another realm.

Therefore, every time she encountered bottlenecks, she would make spiritual food. After hundreds of years of accumulation, she became half a spiritual chef.

“Take it and let everyone try it. Wrap the rest in oiled paper. Otherwise, the biscuits will soften and won’t be crispy.”

“Okay.” Wu Yaqing took two steps and stopped. She turned around and asked, “Qingzhi, when are we going to the county?”

They were going to the county restaurant for dinner tonight. Wu Yaqing had already reserved a table two days ago. “We’ll go when Xuyuan and Xuyao come back.”

“Okay.”

An hour later, Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao returned. Chu Xuyao put down his schoolbag and ran to the kitchen to look for Chu Qingzhi with an aggrieved expression.

“Fifth Sister, Seventh Brother and 1 were bullied.”

Chu Qingzhi paused and turned to look at Chu Xuyao. “Who bullied you?”

Chu Xuyao told Chu Qingzhi what happened in the school. “Fifth Sister, Jiang Zhaoyong is too much.”

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The Best Way To Get Rich In 2 Weeks! This Technique Works! Chu Qingzhi patted Chu Xuyao’s shoulder. She quite liked this little brother of hers. “How do you want Fifth Sister to avenge you?”

This Martial Top Scorer seemed to be looking down on girls. She had to teach him a lesson.

Chu Xuyao clenched his fists. “Fifth Sister, what he’s most proud of is his martial arts. Just beat him up in front of everyone.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Tomorrow, I will avenge you and Xuyuan.”

Chu Xuyao said happily, “Fifth Sister, thank you.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “You’re welcome. It’s a small matter.”

Chu Xuyao looked up at Chu Qingzhi as if he was looking at an idol. “Fifth Sister, can you teach me and Xuyuan martial arts?”

Chu Qingzhi said. “You can’t learn my martial arts, but there is someone you can learn it from…”

Chu Xuyao reacted immediately. “Sister Lihua?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Yes, you can look for her.”

“Why are you looking for me?” Ge Lihua had just stepped into the house when she heard the two of them talking about her, so she walked over.

Chu Xuyao turned around and gently pulled Ge Lihua’s sleeve with both hands. He begged, “Sister Lihua, can you teach us martial arts?”

Ge Lihua was surprised. “Aren’t you guys studying? Why are you learning martial arts?”

“I don’t want to be bullied.” Chu Xuyao was very unhappy at the thought of Jiang Zhaoyong bullying him.

Ge Lihua frowned. “Who bullied you? Let’s go. 1’11 teach him a lesson.”

Chu Xuyao quickly pulled Ge Lihua back. “Fifth Sister has already promised me to teach him a lesson. Sister Lihua, you don’t have to go. Sister Lihua, can you teach us martial arts?”

Ge Lihua asked seriously, “Do you really want to learn?”

Chu Xuyao nodded heavily. “Yes, very much.” When he learned it, one day, he would beat Jiang Zhaoyong to the ground with his own fists.

Ge Lihua looked at Chu Qingzhi. “Qingzhi, what do you think?”

Chu Qingzhi agreed. “It won’t hurt to have more skills. They also need to be able to protect themselves.”

Ge Lihua nodded slowly. “I can teach you martial arts, but it’s very difficult to learn martial arts.. Can you persevere?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Chapter 334: Taking in Three Disciples

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chu Xuyao made up his mind to learn martial arts. “Sure, we’ll work hard.”

Chu Qingyan, who was adding firewood to the stove, said enthusiastically, “Sister Lihua, 1 want to learn too and become as powerful as you.”

Teaching two was not much different from teaching three. Ge Lihua agreed. She said solemnly, “In that case, we’ll start practicing after you guys finish homework tonight. We’ll practice for two hours a day.”

Chu Qingyan and Chu Xuyao said in unison, “Yes.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Lihua, let them acknowledge you as their master before teaching them.”

In this era, skills or martial arts were only passed down to one’s children or disciples. It was not passed down to outsiders.

As the saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for a life. When the master got old, the disciple had to be filial and take care of him.

Ge Lihua didn’t want the children to acknowledge her as their master. She stayed in the Chu family and everyone treated her so well. If she could repay them, she would. Her intention was very simple.

Chu Xuyao immediately bowed. “Master.”

Chu Qingyan also bowed. “Master.”

Chu Xuyuan was feeding the wolf cubs with Xu Songnian outside and did not know that he had a master.

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Ge Lihua thought about it. Taking them in as her disciples would make their relationship closer and better. It was a good thing. “Alright, then. Since you’ve called me Master, I’ll teach you martial arts from now on.”

In the county city.

As the sun set, the entire Chu Village was covered in a layer of gold. The mountains in the distance were covered with colorful hues, and the clouds in the sky, which were as white as cotton, turned fiery red.

The villagers who were working in the fields went home one after another. Shen Ruyue locked the door of the old house before meeting up with everyone. Then, they walked towards the county.

Chu Qingyue and Chu Qingshuang waited for everyone at the entrance of the county. Then, they walked towards Hongyan Restaurant together.

Shopkeeper Qian of the Hongyan Restaurant was very nervous since he woke up this morning…

He didn’t do as Madam Shen said and continued to sell rice dumplings. He was afraid that Madam Shen would find out and cause trouble for him.

However, when he received the news that Madam Shen was so angry with Master Shen for bringing a woman back that she had a high fever and was still unconscious, he felt relieved. He secretly hoped that Madam Shen would continue to be sick.

“Miss Chu, please come in. The food and wine have been prepared according to your orders.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded at Shopkeeper Qian and asked casually, “How’s business today, Shopkeeper Qian?”

Shopkeeper Qian chuckled and said, “Thanks to Miss Chu, the business is not affected at all.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “That’s good.”

In the private room, the table was already filled with sumptuous dishes.

Wu Yaqing looked at the food and was very satisfied. She called out, “Everyone, sit down and eat to your heart’s content. If it’s not enough, we’ll order more. Don’t stand on ceremony.”

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Chu Xuyuan smiled and said, “Sister Yaqing is so generous.”

Wu Yaqing waved her hand and said, “Haha, I definitely won’t be stingy with you guys. Whatever you want, feel free to tell me.”

Chu Qingzhi suddenly had an idea when she saw this scene.

She wanted to hold a food festival…

There were three county cities near the Chu Village, and ten more further away. Thirteen county cities working together to hold a food festival was enough.

A large-scale gathering required the approval of the county magistrate. Holding a food festival in Shuiyun County could drive the county’s economy. The county magistrate would not reject it.

The more Chu Qingzhi thought about it, the more she felt that it was feasible. If the food festival was successfully held, she could make some more new food. At that time, the business would definitely not be bad.

She was thinking about the plan in her mind, and dinner was slowly coming to an end.

Chu Xuyuan burped and put down his chopsticks. “Sister Yaqing, thank you for treating us to a meal.”

Wu Yaqing said generously, “You’re welcome. We can come out for a meal regularly in the future.”

At this moment, hurried footsteps sounded, followed by the head constable’s voice. “Xujin, Miss Ge, something big has happened.”

Chu Xujin immediately went to open the door. The relaxed expression on his face disappeared and became solemn. “Head Constable, what happened?”

The head constable was very anxious. “I can’t explain it in a few words. Come with me.”

Chu Xujin nodded, then turned around and said to his family, “There should be a case. Lihua and I will go take a look.”

Li Qingyu was proud of her son and quickly said, “Go ahead. Don’t worry about us.”

The head constable saw Chu Qingzhi from the corner of his eyes and hesitated for a moment. He took a step into the private room and cupped his fists. “Can I ask Miss Chu for help as well?”

The case was probably very tricky. Otherwise, the head constable wouldn’t have invited her. If she didn’t go, Third Brother would be in trouble. Thinking of this, Chu Qingzhi agreed. “Okay.”

Wu Yaqing rushed over and asked with great interest, “Can I go with you?”

“Yaqing, go home. We don’t know the situation yet. It won’t be good if something happens,” Chu Qingzhi said.

Wu Yaqing had always been obedient to Chu Qingzhi. “Alright, be careful and come back early.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Okay.” Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The four of them left in a hurry.

Li Zhangjie tugged at Chu Xuhua’s sleeve and whispered, “Sister Qingzhi even knows how to solve cases?”

Chu Xuhua was extremely proud. “Sure. Fifth Sister is very powerful. She was the one who solved the serial murder case in the county last time. She also solved the old case that had been left unsolved for more than ten years.”

Li Zhangjie widened his eyes slightly. “Sister Qingzhi is a woman, but 1 feel like she’s more capable than most of the men.”

Everyone smiled but did not respond. However, they were all thinking in their hearts that a girl like Qingzhi was rare. Even the most powerful person in the Daling Dynasty could not compare to her.

The case happened at Hundred Flowers Tower. Chu Qingzhi stood at the entrance of Hundred Flowers Tower and thought to herself, What a coincidence. She came last night and came again tonight.

Now that the Hundred Flowers Tower was sealed, everyone was forced to stay in the building. The melodious tunes and intoxicating fragrance that often lingered in the building were now replaced by gloominess that made one feel suffocated.

The brothel madam stood in the corner with an ugly expression on her face. She stared at the constables, wanting to chase all of them out.

“We didn’t kill him. Why can’t you let us out?”

“That’s right. He died in the room. What does it have to do with us since we’re all outside the room at the time of the crime?”

“Hurry up and let us go. Otherwise, we’ll report you to the county magistrate..”

Chapter 335: Strange Case

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The head constable was tall, unsmiling, and very dignified. When he glared at those people, they immediately shut up.

“We haven’t caught the murderer yet. This means that everyone is suspicious. No one is allowed to leave. If anyone wants to force your way out, we’ll take it that you are guilty.”

“So you’re going to lock us up forever until you catch the murderer?”

The head constable didn’t answer. “You just have to cooperate. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”

“You’re just a head constable. What right do you have to talk to me like that?”

The head constable looked over and said in a deep voice, “Why are you in such a hurry to get out? Did you kill him?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. 1 haven’t left my seat the entire night. These people can testify for me.”

The head constable said coldly, “Everyone says that they didn’t kill him. Could it be done by a ghost?”

“How would I know if there’s a ghost? Anyway, 1 didn’t kill him.”

The head constable stopped talking to those people and instructed his subordinates behind him, “If anyone else makes a fuss, arrest them and lock them up.”

The constables behind him replied in unison, “Yes, head constable.”

Chu Xujin observed his surroundings and saw that there was nothing unusual. He said, “Brother head constable, let’s go to the crime scene.”

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The head constable nodded and brought them to an open room on the west side of the second floor.

There were two constables guarding the door, and faint cries came from inside…

Chu Qingzhi walked in with everyone. The room was decorated like a typical woman’s boudoir. It was mainly red and there were some tools and paintings that were meant to arouse one’s desire. It exuded a strong seductive vibe.

A man in his thirties lay flat on the ground. Blood kept flowing from the corner of his mouth until it formed a pool on the ground.

A woman with disheveled clothes was curled up in a corner, crying softly.

In the room, other than the messy bed, the rest of the room was very clean.

“Third Brother, what did you see?” Chu Qingzhi observed her surroundings and asked Chu Xujin.

“There are no signs of a fight in the room, and the victim’s body doesn’t have any external injuries. He didn’t die from a weapon,” Chu Xujin said as he observed.

“Looking at the black blood he spat out, 1 think he most likely died from poisoning…” Chu Xujin looked at the wine on the table. “Fifth Sister, is there poison in the wine?”

Chu Qingzhi walked over to take a look. “It’s not poisonous. There’s no poison in the wine, and the wine glass is not poisonous either.”

Chu Xujin frowned and said, “The man was obviously poisoned, but there’s only one pot of wine in this room and the wine is not poisonous…”

Chu Qingzhi continued, “That means he was fed something poisonous.”

Chu Xujin analyzed, “But if that’s the case, the man will definitely resist, but there are no signs of resistance at the scene…”

“That means he took the poison without knowing it,”

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“That’s strange…” Chu Xujin thought for a moment and said, “The only possibility is that the man didn’t know that it was poisonous when he ate it.”

Chu Qingzhi also found it strange. She squatted down and checked the victim. “His body is still warm. The time of his death was within two hours…”

She looked at the girl in the corner. “Tell me what you did after you entered the room with the victim.”

The girl was very afraid. She said in a trembling voice, “This is a brothel. Other than doing that, what else can we do?”

Chu Xujin walked over.

Chu Qingzhi said, “Third Brother, you do the questioning. I’ll look around at the scene.”

Chu Xujin nodded. “Okay.”

He sized up the girl. She was naked with only a piece of clothing to cover her private parts. Her exposed skin had these red marks. The marks were clearly new. The girl was not lying.

“I want to know everything that happened during the time you saw the victim and the time he died.”

The girl hugged her legs tightly with a terrified expression. She recalled for a while and said, “He’s my regular guest. He comes once every two months. This time, he’s no different from usual.”

“However, he seemed to be in a very good mood this time. As soon as he saw me, he hugged me and kissed me. After entering the room, we drank a glass of wine before going to bed.”

“Just as he finished taking off his clothes, his face suddenly turned pale. He grabbed his throat and wobbled. Then, he fell to the ground and died.”

Chu Xujin turned around and looked at the victim. He suddenly noticed that the man was not a local. From his clothes, he seemed to be from the eastern border.

People from the eastern border had a thin beard and small eyes. They liked to wear clothes embroidered with grain patterns. This was the style the victim was wearing. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

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At this moment, the head constable walked over. “Xujin, this person isn’t from Shuiyun County. He’s a traveling merchant from the eastern border. He comes every two months and stays at Yuelai Inn every time. He stays three nights at a time. One of the nights will be spent in the brothel.”

Chu Xujin instantly smelled a conspiracy going on. It was definitely not normal for a traveling merchant from the eastern border to be poisoned to death in a brothel. “What else did you find?”

The head constable said, “There are two people traveling with him. They’re missing now, but their luggage is still at Yuelai Inn.”

Chu Xujin thought for a moment and ordered, “Send people to find these two immediately.”

The head constable said, “Alright, I’ll give the order immediately.”

At the same time, Chu Qingzhi found out the poison that the victim had been poisoned with. “Third Brother, he was poisoned with snake poison. There’s basically no cure for this poison.”

Chu Xujin said thoughtfully, “Looks like it’s a premeditated murder.”

Chu Xujin analyzed, “There are normally three motives for killing. Killing for love, killing for benefits, and killing for vengeance. Which one can this case be?”

Chu Qingzhi frowned slightly. “We’re not clear about how he was poisoned in the first place.”

Chu Xujin wanted to say something but hesitated. “Fifth Sister, there were only the two of them in the room…”

“That girl is not the murderer.” Chu Qingzhi glanced at the girl. The fear and panic in the girl’s eyes were not fake. Moreover, this man often patronized her and there was no reason for her to kill him.

She suddenly walked towards the girl and reached out to lift her chin. Her lips were not poisonous.

She did not apply the poison to her lips in advance…

It was really strange.

Chu Qingzhi walked to the window. There was a thin layer of dust on the window. It was obvious that it had never been opened.

“Who reported the case?” Chu Qingzhi suddenly asked.

The girl said, “At that time, I was scared out of my wits and screamed loudly, attracting a guest who was passing by outside. It was the guest who reported it.”

Chu Qingzhi looked at the head constable and asked, “Where is the guest?”

“He’s outside.” The head constable walked out and brought him in. “Miss Chu, he’s the one who reported the case.”

Ge Lihua walked over and said, “I’ve already asked him. He said that he passed by the aisle and heard a miserable scream. He rushed into the room. When he came in, he happened to see the victim falling to the ground. He immediately reported it to a group of patrolling constables..”

Chapter 336: Smuggling Group

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chu Xujin rubbed his chin and thought. “What did you see when you rushed into the room? Tell me in detail.”

The guest recalled carefully. “When I heard the scream, 1 pushed the door open and rushed into the room. At that time, I saw the victim roll down from the bed and strangle himself tightly. Blood kept flowing out of his mouth and he seemed to be muttering something…”

He suddenly raised his head as if he remembered something. “Right, he was muttering, You’ll suffer retribution!”

Chu Xujin frowned and said, “Fifth Sister, if he said this, it means that he knows who the murderer is.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded and asked the head constable, “Where are the victim’s belongings?”

The head constable waved at the constable behind him. The constable immediately walked into the room with a tray. “Miss Chu, this is the victim’s personal belongings.”

There was a piece of white jade that the man usually wore on the tray. There was an ancient-looking dagger with a rice grain pattern engraved on it, a necklace carved from peach wood, and some silver ingots.

Chu Xujin said, “Fifth Sister, the people from the eastern border like to use grains as totems…”

Chu Qingzhi was not familiar with the customs of this era. “Is there a meaning behind it?”

Chu Xujin said, “The eastern border is vast but the land is barren. The grain pattern indicates their wish for a good harvest.”

Chu Qingzhi picked up the dagger and looked at it. The handle of the dagger was severely worn, meaning that it had been used for a long time. “In that case, this person is also from the eastern border?”

A man from the eastern border was poisoned in a brothel in Shuiyun County. What exactly was the story behind it?

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Chu Xujin nodded affirmatively. “Most likely.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Let’s go to the inn and see what goods he’s selling.”

Chu Xujin said, “Okay.”

The inn was also sealed. Now, the guests gathered in the lobby and were in a bad mood. However, facing the constables, they didn’t dare to complain.

The head constable led the way to a room on the third room.

Chu Xujin asked the shopkeeper behind him, “Do you still remember the guests who stayed in this room?”

The shopkeeper nodded. “I remember. They’re three people from the eastern border. They come here every two months and stay in my inn every time. It’s been many years.”

Chu Xujin asked, “What do you think is different about their visit this time?”

The shopkeeper thought about it carefully… Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“They seem to be especially happy this time. They even said that they had already made a fortune and would quit in two years because it’s too tiring to be traveling merchants.”

“Made a fortune?” When everyone heard this, they couldn’t help but wonder if the other two killed their companion for the sake of money.

However, this question could not be answered for the time being. They went to look at the goods that the victim had brought over to sell…

The goods were placed in a special place in the backyard. There were guards protecting it to prevent theft and fire.

The three of them brought a lot of goods from the eastern border, a total of ten large boxes.

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Chu Xujin patted the box and said, “Open it.”

The constables stepped forward and smashed open the keys with a hammer, then opened the boxes…

When they saw what was in the box, everyone was stunned.

Five large boxes were filled with snow-white salt. The salt was finer than the ones sold by the government, about 1,500 kilos of it.

Two large boxes were filled with jewelry. They were all real gold and silver jewelry. Every piece was worth a lot.

There were three boxes left. One contained all kinds of exquisite colored glaze, and the other two were precious silk. They were all valuable things.

Anyone could tell that something was wrong.

Chu Qingzhi turned around and looked at Chu Xujin. “Third Brother, what do you think?”

Chu Xujin frowned and said, “The eastern border is next to the sea. It’s the main place for salt production in the Daling Dynasty. Salt smuggling is prohibited. These salts should be smuggled salt.”

Salt in this era was strictly controlled by the government

Chu Xujin continued, “As for the jewelry, it’s obvious that it came from an illegitimate source…”

“Normally, for jewelry merchants, they would take the raw materials to their destination before finding jewelry masters to turn the raw materials into jewelry that meets the taste of the local people because every place has its own customs and everyone likes different styles.”

Chu Qingzhi reminded, “Third Brother, these jewels are contaminated with corpse aura.”

Chu Xujin was stunned. “These jewels were… obtained from tomb raiding?”

Big Dreams, Bigger Bank Account: AI Made Her Rich At 25! Living Paycheck To Paycheck In Quezon City? He Made ₱40M Overnight Chu Qingzhi said, “Yes, only burial items will be contaminated with corpse aura.”

Chu Xujin took a deep breath. “How many tombs did they have to raid to obtain so many…”

Chu Qingzhi said, “If it’s a tomb of a prince or a noble, one will be enough.”

Ge Lihua walked over and took out a golden jade bracelet from the box. She looked at it carefully and said, “The craftsmanship of this bracelet seems to be from another dynasty.”

She thought for a moment. “This should be the most popular style in the eastern border of the previous dynasty.”

Chu Xujin looked at Ge Lihua in admiration. “You know jewelry?”

Ge Lihua nodded slightly. Her family had also been in the jewelry business, so she knew a little. “A little.”

The head constable glanced at everyone and asked, “What about the colored glaze?”

Ge Lihua said, “The place that produces glaze is an affiliate country of the Daling Dynasty. It’s called the Chen’an Country. The glaze in the Daling Dynasty all comes from the Chen’an Country. It’s expensive and is usually bought by rich people.”

The head constable patted the box. “Then how about the silk?”

Silk was as precious as salt and iron. Those who could afford it were either from aristocratic families or rich businessmen. Ordinary families could not afford it.

Chu Qingzhi thought to herself, This is not a merchant group, but a smuggling gang!

Chu Xujin said, “Normally, merchants will only sell things used by commoners. They won’t sell such precious things.”

He turned around and asked the porters who traveled with the three merchants, “Where did you get these things?”

Those porters were already dumbfounded. They only reacted when they were questioned.

All of them knelt down and said in fear and trepidation, “We’re all poor people from the eastern border. We were hired to help transport the goods. We don’t know anything else.”

Chu Xujin asked, “Then where are you taking these goods?”

The porters were terrified. “We’re only responsible for transporting the goods.

We don’t know anything else..”

Chapter 337: A Clue

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ge Lihua said, “There are so many goods. I don’t think they are going to sell them. They should already have a customer who is waiting to pick up these goods.”

The only people who knew about this were the victim and his two companions. However, their whereabouts were still unknown. At the thought of this, everyone’s hearts sank. Could it be that they were also dead?

At this moment, a constable ran over. “Sir, we found them…”

There were two rivers running parallel to each other in the east and west of Shuiyun County. The river was not wide, only about three to four meters. The green grass on both sides of the river was dense, and a row of weeping willows fluttered in the wind.

The weeping willows had been there for as long as the county people could remember. Some of the willow branches were so long that they could touch the water.

At this moment, beside a willow tree, a group of constables were salvaging the two corpses…

Chu Qingzhi and the others also rushed over.

“Lay them down and see if they can be saved,” Chu Qingzhi said.

The constable immediately did as he was told.

Chu Qingzhi went forward to check. One of them was completely hopeless, and the other was still breathing weakly. She slapped that person’s chest, and that person spat out a few mouthfuls of water and woke up.

As soon as he opened his eyes, the man shouted anxiously, “Tao Pengnan, Tao Pengnan…” After shouting this name, he died.

After a moment of silence, the head constable said, “Did he just call… Tao Pengnan?”

Chu Xujin said, “I also heard him calling Tao Pengnan.”

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Ge Lihua said, “I think so too.”

The head constable said, “Then I’m not hearing things.”

Chu Xujin asked the constable beside him, “How did you find them?”

The constable said, “A passerby came here for a walk and saw a few people sneaking around. He was afraid, so he walked back and bumped into us…”

Chu Xujin nodded and walked towards Chu Qingzhi. “Fifth Sister, how did they die?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Both of them had their heart meridians broken by someone using martial arts and were thrown into the river.”

The constable pulled the passerby over. “Tell us exactly what you saw.”

The passerby said fearfully, “I quarreled with my wife and stormed out. There are willow trees growing here, and the scenery is not bad. I wanted to come here to calm down. Unexpectedly, as soon as I walked over, I saw a masked person hitting the two people in front of him with both hands. The two of them were knocked down the river.”

The constable said, “His home is just over there.”

Chu Qingzhi observed the passerby. He did not have any martial arts skills and had the fragrance of medicinal herbs on him. He should be a small medicine seller. “Let him go back. This has nothing to do with him.”

The constable cupped his hands at Chu Qingzhi and brought the passersby away.

Chu Qingzhi stood up and took two steps back. “Search their bodies.”

After a body search, they found two jade pendants, a small knife, and a key, banknotes, and silver pieces.

Chu Qingzhi continued, “Take off their clothes and see if they have any tattoos on their bodies.”

These people were smugglers. She wondered if their bodies had a tattoo that represented their identity just like the secret guards of the An Huai Kingdom. If they did, she might be able to find some clues.

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Chu Qingzhi pulled Ge Lihua to the side to avoid seeing the naked body of these two men. At the same time, she took the opportunity to study the belongings of the two men.

The jade pendants were very ordinary and were only worth a few taels of silver.

The knife was a sharp carving knife. There were marks on the edge of the blade. Chu Qingzhi wondered what they were going to do with such a knife.

The key was very ordinary. It should be the key for the boxes.

There was nothing interesting about the banknotes and silver pieces. However, when Chu Qingzhi glanced at the banknotes, she actually found a word written on it.

She quickly unfolded a banknote. On it was the word, “Yun.”

Chu Qingzhi thought for a moment. “What’s the relationship between Tao Pengnan and Yun?”

Ge Lihua guessed, “Qingzhi, could Tao Pengnan be the recipient of those goods?”

Now that there were too few clues, there was no way to confirm anything. At this moment, Chu Xujin walked over. “Fifth Sister, as you expected, the two of them have the same tattoo on them. It’s a rice grain tattoo.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “When we go back, check if the first victim has any tattoos on him.”

Chu Xujin agreed. “Okay.”

Ge Lihua told Chu Xujin about her and Chu Qingzhi’s discovery.

Chu Xujin took the banknote and looked at it. Then, he said, “I think the recipient is probably this Tao Pengnan, but the Darling Dynasty is so big. Finding someone based on a name is like finding a needle in a haystack.”

Ge Lihua looked at Chu Xuhua. “If we know the meaning of ‘Yun’, it won’t be difficult to find it.”

Chu Xujin agreed, but the problem came again. “Does this ‘Yun’ represent a person? An object? Or a signal?”

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Everyone fell silent.

Chu Qingzhi suddenly thought of something. “Where is the final destination of these three merchants?”

“I think it’s Shuiyun County,” Ge Lihua analyzed. “Usually, traveling merchants are in a hurry to sell goods. When they pass by a place to rest, they usually only stay for one night but not three days. Moreover, traveling is tiring. They don’t even have time to rest. How can they have the energy to visit a brothel?”

Chu Xujin said, “If your analysis is correct, Tao Pengnan and Yun should be in Shuiyun County.”

Chu Qingzhi asked, “Is there anyone with the surname Tao in Shuiyun County?”

Chu Xujin thought for a moment and nodded. “Yes, I’ll bring you there immediately.”

The Tao family was about the same age as Chu Qingzhi’s adoptive family. They had dozens of people and were considered a middle-class family in the county. Their family was in the cloth and grain business. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

It was already very late, but the Tao family’s residence was still brightly lit.

The constable stepped forward and knocked on the door. It took a long time for someone to come and open the door. It was an old man. He said with obvious impatience, “It’s already late. What are you here for?”

The constable said expressionlessly, “We’re here to look for Tao Pengnan.”

The old man’s expression changed. “Why are you looking for him at this time? He’s already dead.”

Chu Qingzhi and the others looked at each other, clearly not expecting this to happen.

Chu Xujin put on the air of an official and said, “Tao Pengnan is related to the case we’re investigating. We need to go in and take a look.”

This was the experience he had summarized. To these families with some background, he needed to show an unyielding attitude to suppress them. Otherwise, they would think that he was afraid of them.

The old man was in a difficult position. “Wait for a moment. I’ll inform Master.”

Chu Xujin grabbed the old man. “There’s no need. We’ll go in directly.”

Who knew if there was something fishy going on inside the residence? What if they hid the things when they were informed?

The two constables behind him went forward to pull the old man while the others entered the Tao Mansion.

Ge Lihua led the constables to walk in front. Chu Qingzhi and Chu Xujin walked at the back. As they walked, they observed the Tao Mansion.

The decoration in the mansion was neither ostentatious nor low-key. There was nothing unusual.

At this moment, a flustered servant girl walked over. When she saw the few of them, she immediately lowered her head. She was afraid of looking people in the eye. This was a sign of someone being guilty..

Chapter 338: A Houseful of Concubines

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

It seemed that there was really something wrong with this family.

After the servant girl walked past, Chu Qingzhi whispered to Chu Xujin, “Third Brother, I’ll go and follow that servant girl to see what she is up to.”

Chu Xujin was worried. “Fifth Sister, don’t go. I’ll send someone to do it.”

“I don’t trust them. I’ll be back in a while.” In a flash, Chu Qingzhi had already gone to follow the servant girl.

Chu Qingzhi restrained her aura and followed the servant girl…

The servant girl made many turns and came to the rockery in the mansion. She looked like she had lost all hope. After entering the rockery, she walked to the center of the rockery and knelt down.

She was holding a medicine bowl in her hand. When she knelt down, the medicine bowl fell and shattered.

The servant girl was very sad and cried softly. “My son, 1 have avenged you. 1 killed him. Haha, I killed him…”

Chu Qingzhi’s gaze shifted to the small mound in front of the servant girl. Was her child buried there?

She thought for a moment, then stepped out. “Who did you kill?”

The servant girl did not seem surprised. She paused and said, “You followed me?”

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Chu Qingzhi sized up the servant girl. She was in her mid-twenties and looked weak. “You look like you are guilty.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve taken my revenge. It doesn’t matter anymore…” The servant girl looked like even if she was going to die the next second, she wouldn’t flinch. “Are you here to kill me?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “I don’t have any intention of killing you. I only came here to see what happened and if it has anything to do with the case we’re investigating.”

The servant girl did not speak.

Chu Qingzhi continued, “Who did you say you killed just now?”

The servant girl’s tone was relaxed and relieved. “I killed Tao Pengnan. Who else could it be?”

Dead? Then wouldn’t the clues be cut off again? Chu Qingzhi asked, “Why did you kill him?”

The servant girl turned her head slightly to look at Chu Qingzhi. Instead of answering, she asked, “Do you know what kind of place the Tao mansion is?” “I’ve never been to the Tao mansion, so I naturally don’t know.” Chu Qingzhi was a little curious. What secrets were the Tao family hiding?

Hatred and disgust appeared on the servant girl’s face. She gritted her teeth and said, “This Tao mansion is Tao Pengnan’s harem!!!”

Chu Qingzhi was speechless…

She thought that there was a huge secret, but the result was a little disappointing.

The servant girl said slowly, “Tao Pengnan and his father took a fancy to a woman from a brothel at the same time. They fought tooth and nail for this woman. In the end, this disgusting father and son even reached an agreement.” Chu Qingzhi frowned slightly as she listened.

“The father and son actually agreed to sleep with the woman each for a night.”

“At first, this woman didn’t know that they were father and son, nor did she know that they had reached such an agreement. Until one day, this woman was pregnant.” Nôv(el)B\\jnn

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“The woman told the father and son the news at the same time. In the end, the father said that he wanted to bring the woman home. The son had a wife at home, so he was naturally unwilling. However, this woman still became Tao Pengnan’s stepmother.”

Chu Qingzhi touched her chest, feeling a little uncomfortable.

“The woman only found out the truth after entering the Tao mansion. But now that she has a child, she just wants to live in peace.”

“Unexpectedly, Tao Pengnan wouldn’t let her have an easy time. While his father went out to inspect the shops, he snuck into the woman’s room and forced her.”

“The woman struggled with all her might and had a miscarriage in the end, unfortunately.”

“After Tao Pengnan’s father came back and found out about the matter, not only did he not blame Tao Pengnan, he even blamed the woman for deliberately seducing his son.”

“Not long after, Tao Pengnan’s father died suddenly. His death was extremely tragic.”

“Do you know?”

“1 drugged him, tied up his limbs, and cut off his precious thing. I felt extremely satisfied when I saw the blood flowing out of his body. I took delight in looking at his pale face and painful expression.”

“Now it’s Tao Pengnan’s turn.”

“This Tao Pengnan is even more disgusting. Not only does he not feel that he did anything wrong, but he also has a twisted mind when he forces me.”

“He liked to force women. All the servant girls in the mansion became his targets. Even his father’s concubines could not escape it…”

“Just now, he said that he wanted to take a pill. I don’t know who gave him that pill, but he said that after taking it, he could fake his death.”

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“He told me to dig him out of the grave after he faked his death and held a funeral for him. I agreed readily.”

“Hahaha, hahaha…” The servant girl laughed madly. “I’ve already swapped that pill. He’s already dead.”

Chu Qingzhi was speechless…

This was bad. Not that Tao Pengnan was really dead, this case would be much harder to solve.

“Miss, do you know why he wanted to fake his death?”

The servant girl stopped laughing and started crying again. After a while, she calmed down. “How would I know why he wanted to fake his death? However, there are often people flying in and out of the house. You can go to his study to take a look.”

This was a clue. Chu Qingzhi said, “If you want to leave, go. 1 won’t tell anyone what you said just now.”

The servant girl was stunned and extremely surprised. “Thank you, Miss, but I won’t leave. My son is still here.”

“Take care.” With that, Chu Qingzhi left.

Not long after she left, the servant girl committed suicide.

On the other side, Ge Lihua had the Tao family under control with the constables.

In the main hall, women were kneeling on the ground. Almost half of the women were pregnant, and the women who were not pregnant were kneeling with one or two children. Under the night sky, this scene was extremely strange.

Ge Lihua looked around and asked, “Is everyone in the Tao mansion here?”

The group of women were trembling in fear. No one dared to answer.

The old man kneeling at the back answered, “Yes.”

Ge Lihua’s expression was very dark. She was already cold, and now, she looked even colder. “Why are there so many women in the mansion?”

The old man replied softly, “They’re all Young Master’s concubines.”

Ge Lihua was furious and kicked the old man. “Nonsense. There are so many women. How is that possible?”

The old man was already in his fifties or sixties. It took him a while to recover from the kick. “Sir, I’m telling the truth..”

Chapter 339: Huge Conspiracy

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ge Lihua did not believe it at all. There were at least forty to fifty girls, and most of them were at their best age. How could they all be ruined by a beast? n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

She calmed herself down and squatted down, asking a girl beside her, “Little girl, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. Tell me, is what he said true?”

The little girl, who was pregnant, cried when she heard that. “Yes, what he said is true. Sister, can you save us?”

“Of course I have to save you. Can you tell me what happened?” Ge Lihua helped the little girl up and let everyone get up.

The little girl’s tears fell like broken beads. “Tao Pengnan knows the human traffickers. He got them to leave him those good-looking girls who are unyielding by nature. Once there is such girls, he will buy them home and rape them.”

“Not only did he rape them, but he also gave them to his subordinates. He is an extremely twisted person. He likes to watch men force women. As long as he is in the mansion, he will watch it every day…”

After hearing this, Ge Lihua patted her chest. Her stomach churned and she felt like vomiting.

Chu Xujin couldn’t stand it anymore and left. It was better to leave this group of girls to Lihua for questioning. He would investigate something else.

As soon as he left the hall, he bumped into the head constable. “Xujin, we found Tao Pengnan’s corpse.”

Tao Pengnan told two people about him wanting to fake his death. One was the old man who opened the door, and the other was a servant girl.

The old man took so long to open the door just now because he went to deal with the corpse.

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He did not trust the servant girl. After Tao Pengnan took the pill, the old man sent the servant girl away and went to hide Tao Pengnan. Then, he planned to take the corpse he had prepared in advance to replace Tao Pengnan.

However, just as he hid Tao Pengnan, the officials came.

This was all the old man’s own idea. Tao Pengnan didn’t let him do it.

There was another secret… This old man was actually Tao Pengnan’s biological father. No one knew this secret, including Tao Pengnan’s mother.

He was afraid that his son would suffocate to death if buried underground, so he thought of finding a corpse to replace him.

Tao Pengnan’s body was hidden in the barrel in the kitchen.

The old man was quite smart, but he didn’t know that Tao Pengnan had been poisoned to death by the servant girl from the beginning.

The constable moved Tao Pengnan’s body out of the barrel and laid it on the ground. The body was still warm, so it was obvious that he had not been dead for long.

Chu Qingzhi rushed to the kitchen first. She checked Tao Pengnan’s corpse. “He died of poison. There are no external injuries. Take a look and see if there are any tattoos on his body.”

After checking, they found out that Tao Pengnan also had a rice grain tattoo on his body.

Chu Qingzhi’s expression turned serious. “Looks like he’s really the recipient. Let’s go to the study to take a look.”

Chu Qingzhi met Chu Xujin halfway. “Third Brother, Tao Pengnan has a rice grain tattoo on him. Even if he’s not the recipient, he must have a deep relationship with those three merchants.”

She suddenly felt that there might be another reason as to why that merchant called Tao Pengnan’s name before he died.

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Chu Xujin frowned and said, “The clues are cut off!”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Let’s go to the study to take a look.”

The group walked towards the study.

The study was very clean and simple. It was brand new, as if no one had used it.

Chu Qingzhi walked in front. “There must be a secret room in this study. Everyone, look for it.”

Then, she told Chu Xujin the methods to find secret rooms. After that, she asked Chu Xujin to find it.

There were many cases like this. She couldn’t help with everything. All she could do was tell Chu Xujin her experience and let him grow.

Chu Xujin was quick on the uptake. After hearing Chu Qingzhi’s words, he found the mechanism to the secret room quickly.

As soon as the mechanism was activated, the huge painting on the wall rolled up, revealing a round stone door.

Chu Xujin was about to go forward to open the stone door when Chu Qingzhi stopped him. “Everyone, step back!” Then, she threw a brush at the stone door.

When the brush hit the stone door, sharp arrows immediately shot out from the wall. The entire door was covered by arrows. Even if the person who opened the door was an expert among experts, it was inevitable that he would be injured.

Chu Xujin and the constables immediately broke out in cold sweat. They looked at Chu Qingzhi with even more admiration. If not for her, they might not have died tonight.

Chu Qingzhi walked forward and pushed open the stone door.

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Holy sh*t!!!

Chu Qingzhi narrowed her eyes. There was a wall made of gold bricks inside the stone door. The two lamps shone brightly, illuminating the entire room. The people behind her were petrified. Was this gold?

In the middle of the secret room was a wide table. On the table were stacks of letters.

Without waiting for Chu Qingzhi to instruct them, everyone immediately opened the letter and read it.

Chu Qingzhi also picked up a letter and opened it. There was only one sentence on it. “Bring the salt to the black market. Someone will buy it.”

Black market? Where was the black market?

She showed the letter to the head constable. The head constable had worked for more than ten years and already knew some jargon.

After the head constable read the letter, his expression changed slightly. “The black market is in the capital. I don’t know the exact location. If you want to go to the black market, you have to get someone’s permission.”

Chu Qingzhi asked, “Who?”

The head constable didn’t hide anything. “He’s someone known as ‘Third Master Lu’. He wears a mask all the time. No one knows his true identity.”

Chu Qingzhi thought for a while and really didn’t have any clues. “Read all the letters and look for clues.”

There were a total of 150 letters, and all of them were very vague and hard to decipher. However, one conclusion was that someone was plotting a huge conspiracy that involved the eastern border and the Imperial Court.

Chu Xujin said, “Everyone, go back and rest first.”

It was already midnight and everyone was exhausted.

“Okay.”

In the hall, Ge Lihua listened to all the girls’ complaints alone and felt a headache coming on. “Now that Tao Pengnan is dead, what are your plans?”

The little girl burst into tears again. “We’re all women he bought. Other than this place, there’s no place for us. We don’t know what to do.”

Ge Lihua sympathized with these girls. If they weren’t settled properly, their life in the future would be very miserable. “Let me think about what to do..”

Chapter 340: Beautician

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chu Qingzhi walked over. “You’re all Tao Pengnan’s family. You should split his assets and leave to start your life over.”

A lady asked Chu Qingzhi, “Miss, we don’t want to leave. If we split the assets, can we continue to live in this house?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Of course. You’re all his family. There’s no reason for family members to not be able to stay when the head of the family is dead. If you don’t want to leave, stay for as long as you want.”

Ge Lihua looked at Chu Qingzhi with admiration. If it were her, she wouldn’t be able to say that with confidence.

When the girls heard Chu Qingzhi’s confident tone, they believed her for no reason. They calmed down and bowed to her in unison. “Thank you, Miss.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Everyone, go back and rest first. I’ll give you an explanation after the case is settled. During this period, don’t leave the mansion casually.”

“Yes, we’ll listen to you.” The group of girls bowed and left.

Chu Qingzhi left the rest to the constables and went home.

At the General’s residence in the capital. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

In the study, Tang Jinghong was restless. He had sent Chu Qingzhi more than 20 messages, but Chu Qingzhi still hadn’t replied.

He clenched his fists on the desk, and his heart was in a mess. He had never looked so serious. He couldn’t help but want to fly back to the Chu Village immediately.

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“Qingzhi, what happened?”

If Qingzhi didn’t reply by midnight, he would leave for the Chu Village immediately.

When Chu Qingzhi returned home, she immediately returned to her room and locked the door. With a wave of her hand, she summoned the phoenix. There were a total of 25 messages, each more anxious than the last.

She quickly replied, “Jinghong, I’m fine. There was a murder case in the county today. 1 went to help Third Brother investigate the case. 1 just came back home. Don’t worry.”

Tang Jinghong had never felt like a second could be as long as a year. Just as he was about to get up and return to the Chu Village, Chu Qingzhi sent a message. “Jinghong…”

When Tang Jinghong heard Chu Qingzhi’s voice, his tense body immediately relaxed.

He sat back in his chair and suddenly realized that Qingzhi’s place in his heart was far more important than he had imagined.

He asked with concern, “Qingzhi, what happened?”

Chu Qingzhi roughly told Tang Jinghong about the case and asked about the black market and Third Master Lu.

When Tang Jinghong heard this, he was silent for a moment before saying, “The black market is in a valley in the suburbs of the capital. I know where it is. Third Master Lu is my… good friend.”

Chu Qingzhi dumbfounded.

Jinghong really had a lot of friends!

Back to the topic, Chu Qingzhi asked, “Jinghong, do you know what ‘Yun’ means?”

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Tang Jinghong was slightly stunned. “Yun? You found Yun too?”

Chu Qingzhi asked in confusion, “What do you mean? Are you investigating a case too?”

Tang Jinghong said, “I’m investigating the matter of the Minister of War selling official positions. 1 thought it was very simple, but as I investigated, 1 realized that the matter is getting more and more complicated. It seems like a conspiracy is slowly brewing.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “I have the same feeling. Moreover, this conspiracy involves the eastern border…”

Tang Jinghong had a bad feeling. “Something might happen in the eastern border.”

Chu Qingzhi said with concern, “Jinghong, the eastern border is too far away. There is only so much we can do. You’re in the capital now. You have to be careful.”

Tang Jinghong’s heart warmed. He smiled and said, “I know. You too. By the way, Qingzhi, I’ve already bought a mansion.”

So fast? Chu Qingzhi was happy. “Jinghong, 1’11 get the eagle to bring you some food tomorrow. Thank you.” Jinghong must have gone to help her handle this matter immediately after she told him.

“Okay.” Tang Jinghong couldn’t help but look forward to it. He paused and said, “Qingzhi, it’s very late. Go to sleep first. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“I’ll sleep right away. You should rest too.” Chu Qingzhi’s heart ached for Tang Jinghong, who had waited for her for so long. She immediately agreed.

“Okay.”

Chu Qingzhi did not sleep. She sat on the chair and took a pen and paper to write the plan for the Food Festival.

She had to solve the case, but she also had to do the business. They would not affect each other or delay each other.

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In the morning.

Chu Qingzhi prepared a Western breakfast for everyone. It was sausages, sandwiches, milk, and biscuits.

Everyone gathered around the table and looked at the exquisite breakfast. They were curious and did not know how to eat.

Wu Yaqing reached out to take it, but then pulled back, afraid that she would make a fool of herself. “Qingzhi, tell us how to eat it. We’ll learn. We’ve never had this kind of breakfast before.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and picked up the sandwich to take a bite. Then, she picked up the sausage and took a bite. Finally, she took a sip of milk.

“This is milk. It’s good for people of all ages. If you’re really not used to it, eat porridge. There’s some in the kitchen.”

Chu Qingzhi thought to herself, This is pure milk. Be it nutrition or taste, it’s better than pasteurized milk.

Chu Xuyao was the first to pick it up and drink it. The milk had a sweet flavor to it and slided down his throat like silk. “Fifth Sister, it’s delicious.”

Chu Xuyuan also picked it up and drank it. “It smells so good. Father, Mother, quickly try it.”

Li Qingyu and Chu Rong had never thought that humans could drink milk. This was for cattle. However, Qingzhi had prepared it for them. No matter what, they had to give it a try.

On the other hand, Grandpa Chu and Granny Chu didn’t find it unacceptable. Their birthplace was once stricken by drought, forcing them to escape here. The reason why this village had people with different surnames was because it was built up by people who were escaping the drought.

Along the way, they ate tree bark, grass roots, and yellow mud. Naturally, they had also drunk milk.

Wu Yaqing trusted Chu Qingzhi very much. Seeing that Chu Qingzhi had drunk it, she also took a sip.

In her impression, milk was for people to bathe in. She did not think it was drinkable, but after taking a sip, she was immediately conquered. It was fragrant and sweet. “I didn’t expect milk to be so delicious.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Milk can make your face glow. It’s better for girls.”

When Chu Qingyan heard that it could make girls prettier, she immediately drank half a bowl. “Fifth Sister can’t be wrong. In the future, 1’11 drink a bowl of milk every day.”

Chu Qingzhi stroked Chu Qingyan’s head. “Since you have such a deep love for beauty, you can learn to make rouge and become a makeup artist. With your obsession with beauty, you will definitely be able to make a name for yourself.”

Chu Qingyan was very interested when she heard that.. “Fifth Sister, I know rouge, but what’s a makeup artist? Can it make people beautiful?”