NOVPUB51: Chapter 35: Layers of Suspicion_2
51 -35: Layers of Suspicion_2
“Wife,” Sang Chen called out cautiously.
Ran Yan slightly raised her eyebrows to encourage him to continue.
She had come to understand Sang Chen somewhat by now.
Whenever he used that tone of voice, it usually meant nothing good.
“Today, a woman from the neighboring village, Mrs.
Wang, asked me to write a lawsuit for her.
She says her husband was harmed by someone.
I would like to ask for your…,” Sang Chen trailed off, feeling embarrassed to ask more of Ran Yan.
After all, she was of high birth and a wife, and he felt it inappropriate to keep asking her to face corpses.
Sang Chen’s shy demeanor didn’t disgust Ran Yan.
On the contrary, she found it far more appealing than when he acted foolishly.
“Last time was a transaction.
What about this time?
What do you plan to offer me in return?” For some reason, Ran Yan felt like teasing him when she saw him like this.
Sang Chen was momentarily lost for words.
As a poor tutor, what could he offer to repay her kindness?
After a moment of thought, all he could do was to say awkwardly, “I’ve been too presumptuous.
I’m penniless and have nothing to offer…”
Ran Yan had barely recovered her health recently and felt somewhat fatigued after the day’s events.
She slightly leaned on the armchair bed, her eyes downcast in thought.
Sang Chen was not a bookworm, and despite his foolish appearance, he was very efficient and did quality work in her eyes.
He seemed like someone she could trust, and he could be useful to her in the future.
Helping him a few times was not a big deal.
She only feared that he might make a habit of asking for her help…
“Wife, since the syringe is useful, I will send the rest over later,” Sang Chen said as he got up and awkwardly added, “Then I shall take my leave.”
When Ran Yan didn’t respond for a long time, Sang Chen worried that his request was overreaching and had upset her.
As he reached the threshold of the hall, he heard the cool voice from behind him say, “I will consider it.”
Sang Chen was momentarily stunned, then he joyfully bowed to Ran Yan, saying, “Thank you, Wife!”
“No need to thank me just yet; I haven’t agreed to anything,” Ran Yan said calmly.
Her words didn’t dampen Sang Chen’s spirits.
He didn’t even know why he had impulsively sought Ran Yan’s help.
He could have written the lawsuit on his own, after all—he had written many before.
Except for Han Shan’s case, there had never been a need to examine a corpse, and this time was no exception.
After Sang Chen left, Maid Xing came out of Wan Lu’s room and saw Ran Yan massaging her head, so she went over to help her.
“Thank you,” Ran Yan said habitually.
Maid Xing said with a smile, “There’s no need for formalities between you and this old servant, Wife.”
After a long silent massage, Maid Xing couldn’t help but say, “Wife, Mr.
Sang is so attentive; it’s likely he has feelings for you.
But you are already betrothed.
It’s best not to get too close to him.
If your future mother-in-law finds out, it may bring you trouble.”
Ran Yan was reminded by this that she still needed to visit the Ran Family to discuss her marriage arrangements.
However, considering that Qin Silang had just been implicated in an incident and the Qin Family was likely worried about him, the Ran Family would probably reconsider as well.
Therefore, there was no immediate need to visit them.
“Did Mrs.
Liu come?” Ran Yan asked.
Maid Xing looked admiring when she mentioned Mrs.
Liu, “Yes, she has good manners and her Suzhou embroidery is truly beautiful.
Would you like to see her, Wife?”
“Not right now.
You go and ask the Tutor to come have a look at Wan Lu’s injury,” Ran Yan said.
Maid Xing agreed and left the hall.
Ran Yan dragged her tired body to where the penicillin cultures were stored.
She took out the pieces of fruit and pasta covered with thick layers of mold, gently scraped it into the culture medium, and let it sit.
In seven days, she would be able to extract the penicillin.
Ran Yan had told Miaomiao that if her condition worsened, she could send someone to find her at the villa.
Several days had passed with no one coming to seek her out, indicating that the prescription she provided was effective and could likely hold off the disease for a while longer.
After finishing everything, Ran Yan lay down on the couch.
Half-asleep, thoughts of all the recent events that didn’t add up kept surfacing in her mind.
The deaths of Han Shan and Yin Miaomiao’s maid seemed like someone was intentionally targeting Qin Silang.
It was highly possible that the same person was behind both.
The attempt on Wan Lu’s life could also be related to this case.
First, there was Zi Xu, who showed indifference unlike that expected of a madam upon hearing of a death in Cai Xiu Hall.
She was more concerned with the courtesans’ attire than with their lives.
Then there was Cui Mei at Cai Xiu Hall, who insisted she was a virgin courtesan despite contracting syphilis.
The lesion was at the corner of her mouth, and judging by its appearance, the onset of her disease was no more than five days after Han Shan’s.
The likelihood of her contracting it from Han Shan was much lower than from Zi Xu.
Could it be a case of same-sex relations?
Or perhaps it was transmitted through objects like teacups?
If it was the latter, why did she hide it?
After that was the case at the Yin Family, where the maid from Jade Orchid Residence had been dead for over five hours.
Whoever killed her was either from the Yin Family or closely connected and had free access to their household.
The maid’s body showed no signs of livor mortis where exposed.
Without a detailed examination, it was hard to determine the exact time of death.
Then there was Yin Miaomiao.
Her maid had been missing for over five hours—didn’t she notice?
And during the tea party, she suggested playing hide and seek.
It’s conceivable that if Yin Miaomiao wasn’t the perpetrator, she was at least an accomplice.
Ran Meiyu had also been in the vicinity at that time, and Ran Yan recalled she was wearing red rouge…
As Ran Yan drifted off, these chaotic thoughts mingled in her mind, oblivious to the fact that her heroic performance that day had already become the talk of Suzhou City among the elite.
Especially the part where she brought Wan Lu “back from the dead.” 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Ran Wen quickly received news as well, and just as Ran Yan had anticipated, he started to have second thoughts, contemplating that his daughter might be suitable for an even more prestigious match.
Marrying her off to the Upper Assistant’s son seemed like a waste…
**
Tomorrow, I must travel a long distance to attend a friend’s wedding.
The update may come later.
As a perennial single lady, such occasions are particularly disheartening.
I hope you’ll forgive me this one time, for this reason.
