CHAPTER 358: CHAPTER 0346: SERIOUSLY ILL (2)

"If I hear anyone gossiping about Lord County Magistrate outside, I’ll hand these two items over to him. You should know well how he would deal with you," Li Yuzhu sneered.

"Please spare us, Miss! We wouldn’t dare!"

"Miss, this matter was told to my husband by a relative, not because I wanted to know," the tall elderly woman wailed.

Li Yuzhu snorted, "That’s none of my business. If your family loves to gossip, warn them yourself. You can also tell them that the maid beside the County Magistrate’s Wife already knows about this matter and can complain to Lord County Magistrate anytime, so they’d better keep their mouths shut, even in dreams or when drunk!"

The tall elderly woman repeatedly promised, "Miss, don’t worry, I will definitely tell my husband."

"Then go quickly, maybe he’s still gossiping right now. If so, both of you are doomed!" Li Yuzhu sneered.

"Ah!" The tall elderly woman exclaimed in fear, quickly scrambled up from the ground, and ran away.

The short elder woman knelt and saluted Li Yuzhu and then followed in running away.

Li Yuzhu exhaled and left the place.

When heading back, Li Yuzhu did not look at the Zhao family’s maid.

She looked around again and realized this place was rarely visited.

Indeed, near the outhouse, who likes to linger?

So, it was good that nobody overheard her conversation with the two elderly women just now.

The route wasn’t complicated, just a ninety-degree turn. Li Yuzhu knew the way back and returned alone to the flower hall.

The banquet was still underway.

Chai Eying softly asked her, "Why did you take so long?"

Li Yuzhu smiled, "It’s warm inside. I stood outside and breathed for a bit. It’s much cooler out there." She touched her face, "My face is cool."

Late summer weather kept indoors stifling like midsummer; outside was already as cool as water in the night.

Chai Eying didn’t suspect her, continuing to tend to the two children.

She hardly ate, but when good dishes were served, she’d pick some to give to Li Jing.

Chun’er cared for Li Jing, while Chai Eying fed Guoguo.

After the banquet, people from outside the residence gradually returned home.

Only the Zhao family’s relatives stayed behind to stay in the guest rooms.

Sister-in-law Chai and Eldest Young Master Chai had residences in town, and after the banquet, Li Yuzhu would go with Chai Eying to her brother and sister-in-law’s place.

However, they didn’t return immediately but went to pay respects to Old Mrs. Zhao.

But they went at an inopportune time, as the old lady couldn’t endure fatigue, drank a bit with the County Magistrate couple, and had gone to sleep.

"It’s not too late to inquire tomorrow." Li Yuzhu whispered to Sister-in-law Chai.

"That sounds good. It’s getting late; let’s head back." Sister-in-law Chai nodded.

And so everyone returned to Chai’s Candle Shop.

The residence behind the shop was not cramped and had a small two-story building.

Downstairs were a hall and two wing rooms, and upstairs as well.

Downstairs accommodated servants and workers, while upstairs was the living quarters of Sister-in-law Chai and her husband.

She arranged Chai Eying’s family and the two children in another wing room, while they stayed in the other.

The County Magistrate’s Wife’s maid, Chun’er, also stayed the night with Li Yuzhu and Chai Eying in the same room.

The wing room was spacious and bright.

There was a bed by the southern window and a big bed by the northern window; Chai Eying and Li Yuzhu brought Guoguo to sleep on the big bed.

Li Jing slept on the small bed with Chun’er by the southern window.

After bathing and changing clothes, everyone retired for the night.

The next day, they had to get up early to go to the Zhao family for morning tea, so after a few words of idle chatter, they each closed their eyes and went to sleep.

The little ones, weary from half a day’s car ride, fell asleep quickly as soon as they hit the bed.

The next morning, Li Yuzhu woke as soon as dawn broke.

She heard Chun’er walking softly outside the bed curtain, so she raised the curtain and got up.

Seeing her, Chun’er smiled slightly, "Did I wake Miss Li?"

"Not really, I woke up earlier." Li Yuzhu yawned.

Chun’er said, "I’m going to the outhouse."

"I’ll go too," Li Yuzhu said.

The kids were still asleep, so the two quietly descended the stairs.

After visiting the outhouse outside the residence, Li Yuzhu and Chun’er stood by the well in the back yard, washing their hands. Remembering what she heard the previous night, Li Yuzhu glanced at Chun’er and said, "I heard Lord County Magistrate and the lady went to the Zhao family. If we go early, we might bump into them."

Chun’er said, "The lady mentioned she would go. When Mr. Lixing turned ten, the Zhao family sent gifts, so they’re returning the favor."

After washing their hands, the two went upstairs to get their toiletries.

There was no one on the stairs. With the early hour, the upper and lower floors were very quiet.

Li Yuzhu glanced at Chun’er, intending to speak, but reconsidered and held back.

They returned to the wing room, where Chai Eying had also gotten up with Guoguo.

Li Yuzhu gently woke Li Jing. After everyone freshened up together, they helped the two children wash and then went downstairs together.

Sister-in-law Chai and Eldest Young Master Chai also carried Chai Tianlang downstairs.

The three children, upon meeting, immediately started chattering away.

Sister-in-law Chai laughed, "Didn’t you have enough talking yesterday?"

"No!" Guoguo replied first.

With more children around, her chatting skills immediately showed. Where previously she’d speak one or two words, saying three words posed a challenge, and even four was rare.

But yesterday, after arguing and talking with the two brothers, she could spit out three words swiftly from her mouth.

Eldest Young Master Chai arranged for staff to look after the shop, while he took his wife and child in a carriage, and Chai Eying, Li Yuzhu, Chun’er, and the two kids rode in a mule cart.

They headed to the Zhao family again.

The matters from yesterday weren’t yet inquired about, and Li Yuzhu reminded Chai Eying to find an opportunity to ask.

They arrived at the Zhao family’s.

They followed the housekeeper woman to the back courtyard to meet Old Mrs. Zhao.

Just as they reached the courtyard entrance, Li Yuzhu saw the housekeeper woman whispering about something and rushed over.

Her expression was panicked.

Moreover, the other servants also didn’t look well.

On what was meant to be a joyous day, all the courtyard’s servants were visibly upset, which was unusual.

Li Yuzhu softly said to Sister-in-law Chai, "Is something wrong? Why does everyone look upset?"

She thought of the atypical red envelope gifts received yesterday.

The housekeeper woman leading them seemed hesitant, unsure if she should continue to guide them to the main house.

At that moment, a senior maid hurried out from the main house.

Seeing Sister-in-law Chai, the senior maid greeted her and then said to the housekeeper woman, "The old lady caught a cold breeze last night and has a headache now. Please take the guests to rest elsewhere first, and when she’s feeling better, we’ll invite them for their greetings."

Sister-in-law Chai chuckled, "It’s understandable that Great-aunt needs more rest at her age, so we’ll go to another room for tea and wait."

The leading housekeeper woman breathed a sigh of relief.

She smiled at Sister-in-law Chai and her husband, "Miss Cousin, Mr. Cousin, let’s go to the Lotus Pavilion to rest meanwhile."

"Sounds good," Sister-in-law Chai nodded.

So, everyone followed the housekeeper woman to a cool pavilion to rest.

Li Yuzhu sat for a while and pretended she needed to go to the outhouse. She followed her memory to Old Mrs. Zhao’s courtyard.

However, she didn’t enter, instead standing by a nearby tree, quietly eavesdropping on the maids’ conversations.

She heard someone say, "Today, with so many people here, to have such a thing happen, what can be done?"

"Indeed, reporting to the officials is out of the question. If word spreads, the family’s reputation will be tarnished," another said.

"Several hundred taels in silver notes, a piece of gold leaf, and silver ingots and bracelets, all gone." The first speaker sighed, "Luckily, we weren’t on duty in the old lady’s room yesterday; otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to cleanse ourselves, even if we jumped into the Yellow River."

The two maids whispered to each other and walked away.

Li Yuzhu furrowed her brow in thought; Zhao family servants mentioned missing money, while they all received large red envelopes. Did Old Mrs. Zhao not inform her maids? Who packaged those red envelopes?

Could it be Old Mrs. Zhao herself packaged them?

But she didn’t mention it?

Old Mrs. Zhao’s behavior seemed very odd.

Li Yuzhu stood in place a bit longer, the information overheard all similarly unsettling.

In the old lady’s room, a sum of money went missing; Mrs. Zhao was furious and secretly searched.

Because of guests, the issue couldn’t be made public.

Having heard nothing further of value, Li Yuzhu returned to the cool pavilion.

She saw Chun’er with the three children playing on a bamboo-lined path beside the cool pavilion.

It was shady there, with some breeze.

Li Yuzhu didn’t call for Chun’er but went straight into the cool pavilion.

She relayed the surprising news to Chai Eying and her siblings-in-law, "I suspect the old lady packaged the money into red envelopes but didn’t disclose it."

Chai Eying exclaimed in shock, "Then the housekeeper in charge of the old lady’s finances found the money missing and started searching, but everyone says they don’t know?"

"No wonder the whole courtyard of people looks worried, afraid of suspicion." Sister-in-law Chai shook her head.