My wife has a secret

Chapter 16 The Oil Seller

……

The next day, it was dawn.

Ji Xiahou waited in front of the yard and knocked on the door.

Xiaohuan was awakened from her sweet dream by the sound. She didn't care that she was wearing a pink bellyband before going to bed last night. She hurriedly got up, put on her dress, and ran out in a panic.

During the time of changing clothes, Xu Qingchen had a feast for his eyes.

The melon is round and smooth, which is indescribable.

The courtyard door was slightly open, and Ji Xia couldn't help but complain, "Why is the door open so late? It's already this late, and no one in your courtyard has come to fetch water..."

Ji Xia stopped talking halfway through his words.

She was a careful person by nature, and she discovered the clues after taking a few more glances.

The door of the side room was tightly closed, and only the door of the main house was slightly open. Doesn't this mean that the girl did not sleep in the side room last night, but in the main house in the yard?

And seeing that the girl was blushing and didn't dare to look at him directly, it was estimated that the master and servant had done something bad.

really!

She knew that although Xu Qing had lost his memory, he was still a despicable and vulgar playboy.

He had only been recuperating for a few days when he attacked the maid in his own courtyard.

"Humph, she is really a good maidservant beside the young master."

Ji Xia looked at Xiao Huan arrogantly. She felt unhappy when she thought that no one cared about her young lady in the side yard.

Miss Lu is Xu Qingming's third concubine, and her parents also had a friendship and engagement with the Xu family. Why are the little maids in the yard more favored than her own lady?

Xiaohuan hung her head, her hands unconsciously twirling the corners of her clothes, not daring to say a word.

Although there was no further development last night, I at least slept in the same bed with the young master.

Ji Xia snorted, and without caring whether Xu Qing got up or not, he walked past the bewildered Xiao Huan and walked straight into the house and bowed.

"Master."

Xu Qing raised his head and glanced at the figure behind the screen, then asked calmly, "Ji Xia, what's going on so early in the morning?"

Ji Xia asked calmly, "Master, my young lady has been in the mansion for two years, but she has yet to return to visit her parents' home...Last night my young lady missed home again, so I wanted to ask you this morning if you can allow her to return to visit her family."

"Come back?"

Xu Qing knew that the ancients had the custom of visiting relatives after marriage, but this rule seemed to be carried out three days after the wedding, right?
Lu Wanhe, the third wife, has been married into the Xu family for two years. How come she has never visited her relatives even once?
At this time, Xiaohuan also came back from outside the house. When she heard Ji Xia talking about the third room's return, she took the opportunity of helping Xu Qing to dress to whisper what she had seen and heard.

"Master, the Third Young Madam has indeed never returned to visit her parents, and she hasn't even attended her parents' homecoming banquet. It was because you didn't want to see the Third Young Madam before, and didn't allow her to go back alone to tell on you that it has been delayed until now."

Ji Xia had a blank expression on his face, and his contempt for Xu Qing increased even more.

Everyone knew how her young lady was treated in the Xu Mansion. If she hadn't wanted to try her luck while Xu Qing was losing his memory, she would not have come to the young master's yard.

"Do I have the final say in this matter?"

Xu Qing originally thought that all family affairs had to be approved by the old lady, but he did not expect that Young Master Xu's status was much higher than he thought.

Xiao Huan nodded, "Yes, the old lady has said it a long time ago, this matter needs to be discussed between the young master and the young mistress themselves."

Xu Qing understood the whole story and said to Ji Xia, "If that's the case, let Wan He prepare to go back home. The date is set for tomorrow. I will go back with her."

Ji Xia didn't expect Xu Qing to answer so readily. According to her assumption, Xu Qing would definitely ask their third room to do more.

It seems that Xu Qing has become much more generous after losing his memory.

"Okay, then I will withdraw first."

Xu Qing saw Ji Xia leaving the yard, and hurriedly stopped Xiao Huan who was busy running around beside him, and ordered: "Close my door today, and tell anyone who comes that I am not feeling well and don't want to see guests."

"Master, you..."

Before Xiaohuan could finish her words, she was interrupted by Xu Qing's next sentence.

"Find me another set of servant clothes. I want to sneak out."

Although Xiaohuan didn't know what her young master wanted to do by sneaking out, she still agreed hesitantly under pressure from the young master's request.

Xu Qing changed into a servant's clothes, slipped out of the mansion's side door, and came to Tianshui Lane.

It was a late autumn morning and the sky was milky white.

A few shaky leaves hung on the withered branches, swaying gently in the breeze.

Tianshui Lane is a small alley on Dongshi Street. Because hawkers and vegetable farmers from all over the country gather here, it has become a gathering place for morning market vendors.

The reason why Xu Qing didn't come to Tianshui Lane to find the oil seller yesterday was because of this reason.

The morning market was extremely lively. Xu Qing was shoulder to shoulder with passers-by and finally squeezed to the end of the alley. However, there was no oil seller here.

"No, that girl said it sincerely yesterday, and the madam agreed with her. It's unlikely that she made up a name to deceive me, right?"

Just when Xu Qing was wondering, a familiar face appeared in his sight.

The man's posture was as straight as a pine tree. Although he was wearing only a cloth robe, he was very conspicuous among the hunched vendors.

Especially the scar on his face that could not be concealed further revealed his identity.

"Old Jiao!"

When Jiao Tingzhang heard someone calling his surname, he subconsciously pricked up his ears and looked towards the source of the voice.

When he found out that the man in front of him who was dressed as a servant was Xu Qing, his face changed immediately and he wanted to retreat back.

But now is the busiest time in the morning market, with people crowding together. How can there be room for Chief Jiao to step back?
It didn't take Xu Qing much effort to come in front of Jiao Tingzhang and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Old Jiao, why are you hiding from me?"

The expression on Jiao Tingzhang's face became increasingly gloomy. In his opinion, having contact with someone like Xu Qing was a disgrace to the official robe he was wearing.

Of course, he didn't wear any today.

"Why are you here dressed like this?"

Jiao Tingzhang frowned and thought for a moment, then thought of a possibility, "Those people from Zuiyuan Pavilion also told you about the oil seller, so you came to investigate this matter?"

Xu Qing nodded and said bluntly, "Yes, I'm worried that this guy will run away and I have nowhere to find him. Please send some people over to help me catch him."

Jiao Tingzhang was so angry that his blood pressure rose, and he wished he could strangle this nosy dandy boy to death.

Can the bailiffs be deployed at will? Every time they are deployed, they need a warrant from the chief.

"Why are you, a rich kid, joining in the fun?"

Xu Qing ignored his words and looked behind Jiao Tingzhang. After finding out that Jiao Tingzhang came alone, he looked at him puzzledly, "Where is your little brother? How come you are alone?"

"Isn't it because of you?"

Seeing that Xu Qing was bringing up something irrelevant, Chief Jiao became even angrier. "Yesterday's case has been submitted to Prefect Xu. After knowing that Chun Shisan Niang has a deep connection with you, Prefect Xu ordered us to hastily close the case and stop the investigation." Xu Qing was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that his identity was so exaggerated.

Just because the people in the case had some relationship with him, those officials were unwilling to investigate further.

In this case, he has to give Chun Shisan Niang justice.

"So you don't have the government's investigation warrant, so you plan to investigate the case yourself?"

Jiao Tingzhang snorted and didn't want to answer.

He pretended to be on sick leave today because he wanted to secretly investigate the real cause of Chun Shisan Niang's death. Who would have thought that he would meet such an unlucky star.

However, given his current status, it is indeed not easy for him to make it public. It is impossible for a small pavilion chief like him to go against the prefect Xu.

"Okay, then you can be my assistant today and run errands for me and give me a shoulder massage or something."

Just as Jiao Tingzhang was about to get angry, Xu Qingxia's words silenced him.

"If you don't agree, I will shout here that Chief Jiao is here, and then go to the gate of your government office to file a complaint against you. I guarantee that you will be arrested and scolded in the government office, and this case will never be investigated again."

Seeing Jiao Tingzhang's unwilling but forced to give in, Xu Qing felt so happy.

The title of this dandy boy is very useful. If he were a well-known gentleman, he would really be unable to do anything to some people.

Xu Qing picked a few vegetable stalls at the back of Tianshui Lane and asked one by one.

"Father, do you know an oil seller named Fang?"

The old man in cloth who was fiddling with the vegetables in his hands didn't want to answer, but when he saw that Xu Qing was wearing the clothes of a servant in the Xu family, he swallowed his saliva.

"I know him. The oil seller surnamed Fang's full name is Fang Xiuyuan. He inherited his father's oil shop and is a familiar face in our alley. He is usually the first one to come and he is a very nice person."

"Does he have his own oil shop?"

"Yes, but the oil shop is located in a remote area, near the southeast corner of the city, on the edge of Baolin Street."

Xu Qing asked in confusion: "The corner of the city is quite far from here, why did he come to Tianshui Lane to sell oil?"

The old man looked at Xu Qing with a slightly strange look in his eyes. Jiao Tingzhang took two steps forward and leaned behind his ear to remind him, "There was a big fire in the southeast corner. Now it is a shelter for gangsters and refugees."

"understood."

"That guy hasn't been to Sweetwater Lane for two or three days. If you see him, ask him to return my three cents."

"Okay, wrap it up on me."

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he threw a silver coin into the old man's money bowl and left with Jiao Tingzhang.

Jiao Tingzhang followed behind Xu Qing and always felt that the person in front of him was a little strange.

He had met Xu Qing no less than ten times when he was on law enforcement patrols, and each time, this guy was domineering and tried to take advantage of others openly or secretly.

Why did you change your temper today and want to investigate the cause of Chun Shisan Niang's death?

"What are you going to do now?"

Hearing Jiao Tingzhang's question, Xu Qing said calmly: "Of course, I'll go to Fang Youlang's shop to see where he is and ask him something."

Jiao Tingzhang asked coldly: "Do you think he is the murderer of Chun Shisanniang?"

"The probability of a murder of passion is very low. Although the madam looked down on him, she did not prevent Hong Shisan Niang from contacting the oil seller. And the oil seller is famous for his honesty. How could he have the guts to kill someone and dig out his eyes?"

Although the most honest and repressed people would have terrifying thoughts when they burst out, Xu Qing did not think that the oil seller would be the real culprit behind the scenes.

Because he has no motive.

When Xu Qing arrived at Baolin Street, he saw a scene that was completely different from the East and West Markets.

On the black ruins full of broken walls, there are low tents covered with patches.

The refugees, wearing tattered clothes and walking barefoot, had stains all over their faces and glanced at Xu Qing with unfriendly expressions, but when they saw the ferocious-looking Jiao Tingzhang behind him, they lowered their heads obediently and dared not speak.

"Is this Pauline Street?"

"According to the diagram on the city defense, this should be Baolin Street."

Xu Qing looked around and found that there was no other unnecessary items here except the refugees' straw mats and the stale porridge cooked over the fire.

"No, I was wrong. There is something wrong with this oil seller."

Xu Qing originally wanted to find Fang Youlang to ask about the origin of the clothes, but he didn't expect that Baolin Street had been destroyed by a fire several years ago and no shops remained.

So, the identity of the oil seller is fake?

Why did he pretend to be an oil seller? What was his purpose in contacting Chun Shisan Niang?

While Xu Qing was lost in thought, several groups of refugees quietly moved and soon surrounded the two strangers.

"My tender young man, do you know where I am?"

When Xu Qing looked up, he was surprised to find that he and Jiao Tingzhang had been surrounded by a dozen young refugees. The leader had a sly smile on his face and was carrying a hoe for plowing the land in his hand.

When other refugees around saw this group of people, they hurriedly took their belongings and moved outside.

It seems that this group of people is already notorious here.

"Boss, are these two really rich?"

"Of course there is. Even though he is wearing a servant's uniform, there are no calluses on his hands, which means this guy is not a hard worker."

"But the guy next to him looks like he can fight."

"What's the point of fighting? Don't you see how many people we have here? If you want to have a good meal, just listen to me and kill these two guys!"

When the other people heard that they could have a full meal, they all showed fierceness in their eyes. Jiao Tingzhang also knew that Xu Qing must not let anything happen in such a place, so he stepped forward to protect him.

"Made, fight!"

After a stalemate, one of the refugees could no longer bear it and took the initiative to raise the kitchen knife in his hand and rushed towards Chief Jiao.

But this Jiao Tingzhang was obviously a serious martial artist. Before the man rushed to him, he had already locked his eyes on the path of his sword and suddenly struck out to break his jaw.

With a "crackling" sound, the man who started the attack instantly lost consciousness, dropped the knife handle and started screaming.

Jiao Tingzhang kicked him away and turned to deal with the next person who rushed up.

Xu Qing turned his head to look behind him and found that the refugees holding farm tools were also rushing towards him. He took the porridge that was being roasted by the fire and threw it on those people.

The boiling porridge splashed everywhere, causing everyone to howl in agony.

"Stinky boy!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, one person jumped out from the side.

But Xu Qing had already noticed the thief approaching stealthily, and when he raised his knife, he kicked him in the crotch.

(End of this chapter)