Do you know that my grandfather was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

Chapter 12 The Case of the Murder of the Mother

After understanding all this, Che San Niang felt somewhat awkward, but not angry.

In ancient times, when class distinctions were clearly defined, this kind of thing was all too common.

Without signing a contract of indenture, what more could one ask for than to have Shi Tou follow a young master like Wang You?

She didn't tell her husband or Shi Tou about this, but only told Shi Tou to listen to Wang You and protect him well in the future.

……

Sheng Family

After seeing off Madam Feng and her son, Sheng Hong told Madam Wang to take her children home first, while he went to the government office.

March and April are the busy farming season, and Sheng Hong, the prefectural magistrate, had to keep a close eye on the spring planting progress.

After a busy day and finishing his official duties, Sheng Hong finally returned home in the evening.

After changing into his official robes at Wei Rui Xuan, he went to Shou An Tang to pay his respects to Old Madam Sheng before heading to Lin Xi Ge.

These past few days, because of Madam Feng's presence, Sheng Hong has been resting at Wei Rui Xuan.

I'm already fed up with listening to Madam Wang nagging about Hua Lan's marriage every day.

It wasn't that Sheng Hong didn't care about Hua Lan's marriage, but rather that Madam Wang looked down on this and that, which annoyed Sheng Hong.

Upon arriving at Linxi Pavilion, as soon as they entered the courtyard, Lin Xiaoniang, who had received the news, came out to greet them.

"master."

Lin Xiaoniang smiled and curtsied.

"Um."

Sheng Hong nodded with a smile, but then noticed that Lin Xiaoniang's eyes were a little red. He frowned and asked, "Have you been crying?"

Lin Xiaoniang looked a little awkward. She stepped forward and took Sheng Hong's arm, saying, "I just got dust in my eyes. Please come inside and talk, sir."

Sheng Hong entered the hall, sat down, and said, "Why are you weeping?"

"I have no..."

"I noticed you looked a little uneasy just now. What's wrong? Are neither of us willing to be honest with each other now?" Sheng Hong interrupted Lin Xiaoniang.

"The other day, Mo'er suddenly asked me why she didn't have an uncle, which reminded me of my father and brothers."

As Lin Xiaoniang spoke, tears streamed down her face.

"Ugh."

Sheng Hong sighed and said, "The deceased are gone. It's alright to remember them, but don't be too sad."

Lin Xiaoniang's family was originally an official family. When she was seven or eight years old, her father was investigated for corruption, and her father and brothers were exiled.

Because of the somewhat roundabout relationship between the Lin family and the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion, they sought help from the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion.

However, the old Marquis Yongyi had already passed away, and they were practically unrelated, so the Marquis Yongyi's mansion wouldn't care.

Finally, Lin Xiaoniang found the Sheng family, and the old lady of the Sheng family took pity on her and took her in.

After she followed Sheng Hong, he also had someone inquire about her and learned that Lin Xiaoniang's father had died during his exile.

Her brother did make it to the place of exile alive, but he also died of illness a couple of years ago.

Hearing Lin Xiaoniang reminisce about her father and brothers, Sheng Hong was also reminded of his deceased birth mother, and felt a pang of sadness. He changed the subject, saying, "Why would Mo'er bring this up out of the blue?"

"Madam Feng gave Rulan a hairpin, and Mo'er liked it. She asked me why she didn't have an uncle, and if she did, she could give it to her too," Lin Xiaoniang said, wiping away her tears.

Sheng Hong was taken aback upon hearing this, and said, "It's just a hairpin, isn't it? I'll have someone make one just like it for her later."

"No need, it's too much trouble," Lin Xiaoniang quickly shook her head.

"What's wrong with that? It's normal for a young woman to care about her appearance as she grows up," Sheng Hong waved his hand dismissively.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoniang no longer declined, but instead asked, "I heard that the second son of the Wang family is going to participate in the prodigy examination?"

"Yes, I tested his academic abilities, and they are very solid. He should have no problem with the first two rounds," Sheng Hong nodded.

"Does Master think Feng'er has a chance?" Lin Xiaoniang asked.

"Although Feng'er's talent is decent, he cannot be considered a child prodigy."

Sheng Hong shook his head and said, "Besides, even if one passes the prodigy exam, their future prospects are generally mediocre."

"How will you know you won't pass if you don't try?"

Lin Xiaoniang said, "Why don't we let Feng'er give it a try?"

Sheng Hong waved his hand and said, "The prodigy test is not something you can just go to whenever you want. You have to be known as a prodigy in the local area, and you have to go through an assessment and screening process before you can be reported."

"I see." Lin Xiaoniang was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

……

The ship slowly docked at the pier. The servants who accompanied them disembarked and hired a carriage. After Madam Feng and Wang You disembarked and got into the carriage, they headed towards Shouzhou City.

Stone followed beside the carriage, glancing back from time to time, his eyes filled with reluctance.

On board

Che San Niang patted her husband, whose eyes were red, and said, "My dear husband, I've inquired about it. Grand Tutor Wang is an honest and upright official with strict family discipline. It's a blessing that Shi Tou can follow the young master of the Wang family."

Besides, didn't the young master of the Wang family say that he's going to Bianjing in a while and will hire our boat then?

"The journey from Shouzhou to Bianjing is more than a thousand miles; there will surely be a day when we meet again."

"I heard that wealthy families have very strict rules. Shi Tou is honest and simple-minded, and I'm afraid he might cause trouble," Shi Keng said.

"Now you know how to worry?"

Che San Niang rolled her eyes at her husband and said irritably, "You agreed without even consulting me in the first place, didn't you?"

Shi Keng smiled awkwardly and said, "I just saw that this was a rare opportunity and wanted to help Shi Tou make a good future."

As you know, Stone's temperament isn't suited for sailing.

As his older brother, I can't take care of him forever; he'll eventually have to go out and make his own way in the world.

"You, as the elder brother, know to consider your younger brother's feelings, so how could I, as the sister-in-law, not know?"

"I'm just angry that you agreed without checking the details properly," Che San Niang said irritably.

As one of the important cities in Jiangnan, Yangzhou attracted many merchants from both the north and south.

Even though they are hundreds of miles apart, you can still find some people who know about Shouzhou.

She inquired around at the Yangzhou docks and learned that the Wang family had a very good reputation.

Later, I went to Yangzhou to inquire about the Sheng family.

Both the Wang family and their in-law Sheng family have excellent family traditions, which put her at ease.

Otherwise, she would have run away with her husband long ago.

If they were truly leaving Yangzhou, the Wang family wouldn't bother them with something like this.

…………

The fiefdom of Liu An, the King of Huainan during the Western Han Dynasty, was Shouzhou. Legend has it that his royal palace was located in the area that is now Doufu Lane.

Because he invented tofu, the people named the area where the former royal residence used to be "Tofu Alley" in his honor.

Over time, the name stuck.

The carriage stopped in Tofu Lane, in front of the Wang Family Mansion.

Wang Youxian got off the carriage and helped his mother down.

"Xiaoman, take Shitou and settle him in first."

Wang You gave the order and entered the house with Madam Feng.

The first thing to do upon returning home was naturally to pay my respects to Old Mrs. Wang.

Grandma Wang inquired about the Sheng family's situation and was very happy to learn that her daughter was doing well and that she and her husband were getting along well.

Wang You lowered his head, suppressing a laugh. The relationship between Madam Wang and Sheng Hong was not bad, but it was definitely not harmonious.

However, Madam Wang would certainly not tell Madam Feng any of this.

"Oh, right, Mother."

Madam Feng asked, "When I disembarked at the dock, I vaguely heard people talking about murder. Has a murder occurred in Shouzhou?"

It's not Feng's gossip, but a murder case has occurred in the area, and even if it's solved, it will affect future performance evaluations.

If it wasn't broken, the impact would be even greater.

"Ugh."

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Wang sighed and said, "That eldest son of the Li family killed his stepmother."

"What?" Mrs. Feng was startled upon hearing this.