My wife has a secret

Chapter 4 Jiangnan Women
"Qing'er, how are you going to investigate this matter?"

The old lady opened her eyes and looked at Xu Qing with some concern.

In her impression, it was good enough that her grandson didn't get into trouble, so why would she investigate a case?
The poisoning incident was a serious matter. If the Xu family wasn't so famous now and had so many people watching them, she really wanted to go to the government office to report it.

There are undercurrents in the capital city. The Xu family's backyard lady is involved with many forces, and nothing can happen at this time.

"If you don't have any clues, why not ask Hai Dafu to write a letter and send it to the capital, and wait for your aunt to send someone to do it."

Xu Qing discovered a phenomenon.

The old lady and Hai Dafu always mentioned their aunt several times, intentionally or unintentionally.

This shows that this person should be a big shot in the capital, and may even be the pillar of the Xu family.

But in this ancient time when men were respected, how could a woman call the shots in the capital?

"Grandma, since you don't want outsiders to notice anything unusual happening in your house, it's best for me to investigate this matter. The suspects have been identified, so just let me ask a few more questions."

A look of surprise appeared on the old lady's weather-beaten face.

Didn't my grandson lose his memory? When did he become so sharp?
In the past, this little guy bullied the weak and feared the strong, and he never dared to provoke the ladies in the backyard. Has he changed his personality after losing his memory?
"Hai Dafu, was there any change in the people living in the backyard a month or two ago?"

Hai Dafu thought for a moment and replied seriously, "The eldest young lady Shen was recruited to the capital by your aunt a month ago. The only young ladies who live in Suzhou are the third young ladies Lu and the fourth young ladies Qin."

Xu Qing continued to ask: "Do they often go out together?"

"The Third Young Madam is quite talented and is often invited to participate in poetry and singing competitions, but she likes to be idle and only attends some more grand events. Her personal maid is named Ji Xia, and she often goes out to buy things. I have seen her twice, and they are all inkstones, brushes, paper and ink."

"What about Room Four?"

"Fourth Young Madam Qin spends the most time out and about. She is often the first to hear about new colored silk fabrics, rouge and powder on the market. In addition, Fourth Young Madam has a wide network of contacts and knows countless princes, nobles and dignitaries, so she doesn't spend much time at home."

At the end of the conversation, Hai Dafu felt a little embarrassed.

The old lady would often discuss women's affairs with the fourth young lady, but she simply wouldn't listen!

Xu Qing was also a little shocked. In ancient times, women were required to follow the three obediences and four virtues. This Qin was really a bit unusual.

After hearing this, he had a general impression of Qin Shuying and Lu Wanhe.

Both of them had the time to commit the crime and the opportunity to go out and buy drugs. It just depends on who has a better motive.

It would be great if we could find some more evidence.

"By the way, the Third Young Mistress and the Fourth Young Mistress heard that the Young Master was seriously ill, so they are waiting outside the courtyard gate today. Does the Young Master want to see them?"

"No need to see you."

When the old lady heard the names of the two people, she became furious.

Although Xu Qing was a little bit out of line, the Xu Mansion headed by the old lady had never treated these young ladies badly. I really don't know what their intentions were to murder Qing'er.

The real murderer has not been identified yet, and the old lady really doesn't want her grandson to be involved with the lady in the backyard.

"Grandma, you still have to see her."

Xu Qing elaborated on the pros and cons of the matter, and analyzed rationally: "Currently, only the three of us and Doctor Ning know about the poisoning. Now is a good opportunity to identify the real culprit."

"Chance?"

"Yes, the person who poisoned me chose Mandragora, which means she didn't want others to know that I was poisoned. She wanted me to go crazy without knowing it. If we avoid her now, it will confirm her suspicion and give her time and reason to destroy the evidence."

Seeing the old lady and Hai Dafu looking thoughtful, Xu Qing said calmly, "If she wants to come and investigate, why don't we take advantage of her? When we meet alone, she will definitely lower her guard because of my amnesia and reveal some flaws. I only need to get one or two key pieces of information, and then check with Chief Steward Hai to see who is the most suspicious."

"Master, is this the idea you came up with?"

Chief Steward Hai opened his mouth, and was so shocked that he couldn't close it.

His young master had always had everything he wanted since he was a child, but now the change before and after he lost his memory is so great that he feels like he is dreaming.

The old lady did not expect Xu Qing's thinking to be so clear. She hesitated for a moment and still felt that this matter was too risky.

"Grandson, you can't act rashly."

"Grandma, I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, the murderer would only dare to do it behind the scenes. If it were exposed, she would be the one who would hesitate."

After eliminating the old lady's last bit of concern, Xu Qing finally got permission to meet the two ladies.

……

It was already evening when the old lady and Chief Steward Hai finished deciding other matters.

The sky outside the window reflected the afterglow of the setting sun, as if it was covered with a layer of golden halo, forming a beautiful and magnificent picture.

Xu Qing never thought that the sky without industrial pollution could be so beautiful.

"Dong dong."

There were two crisp knocks on the door outside. After Xu Qing said "Come in", a woman pushed open the half-open door and slowly walked into the room.

The first thing Xu Qing saw was a pair of small and beautiful lotus feet.

The woman tiptoed into the threshold, revealing her exquisitely crafted satin embroidered shoes.

The instep of the embroidered shoes is white and smooth like snow. Even without stockings, it is as smooth and delicate as porcelain. Every detail highlights the feminine beauty.

She wore a red and white satin jacket on her upper body and a bright red pleated long skirt on her lower body, which made her petite figure look graceful and elegant, making her look more like a peony trying to bloom.

"You are... Lu Wanhe?"

Xu Qing looked at the other person's pretty face, and spoke with a little lack of confidence.

According to his inference, the reason why the original owner was unwilling to meet Lu Wanhe was probably because the other party was ugly.

Otherwise, why would he leave his beautiful wife at home and go out to visit other girls every day?

But when he saw her today, Xu Qing discovered that the Third Young Lady was full of the girlish aura of the Jiangnan water town, especially her big, misty and watery eyes, which made her look very lovable.

Judging from her appearance alone, she is not inferior to Qin of yesterday, the only difference is that one has a delicate beauty, while the other has a delicate beauty.

"The slave family is."

After the simple question, there was deathly silence.

Lu Wanhe was obviously not very good at dealing with such situations. Her cheeks flushed slightly and she only dared to glance elsewhere.

Finally, Xu Qing started the conversation, "Do you have anything to tell me?"

"I'm sorry... This is the first time I've met my husband since I got married. I'm a little... not used to it."

The woman in front of him bowed slightly and apologized to Xu Qing who was lying on the bed. Xu Qing could tell from her trembling shoulders that she was trying very hard to control her emotions.

Could such a weak woman who had never experienced the world of worldly things be the murderer who had the heart to poison someone to death?
"I heard from Chief Steward Hai that you like poetry and songs?"

Lu Wanhe raised her head, a hint of surprise appearing in her distinct black and white almond-shaped eyes.

She thought she was just there for formality, but who would have thought that the young master of the Xu family would actually start chatting with her about poetry.

What was the other party's intention? Did he find out about that?

"Miss Lu?"

Lu Wanhe was gently awakened by Xu Qing, and then she realized that her eyes were meeting his. She immediately looked away, her head trembling slightly.

"Ah."

She answered with a nasal voice, as soft as a kitten's, which made people's ears itch.

"I also like poetry and songs. Why don't you read some poems to me?"

Xu Qing found that Lu Wanhe was always unwilling to face himself, so he suggested that she recite some poems of this era to ease the atmosphere.

On the one hand, he could confirm whether the dynasty he belonged to was the same as the one in his memory of the previous life. On the other hand, he could observe Lu Wanhe more closely to see if she was weak in character or had something to hide.

Lu Wanhe stood there in a daze, feeling a little scared.

She knew Xu Qing very well. How could an uneducated and uncultured young man understand poetry and songs?
Is he playing a trick on himself?
"What? Can't you recite it?"

This sentence was extremely insulting. The woman in front of her felt that no matter how incompetent she was, she could not lose face in her beloved poetry and songs, so she forced herself to calm her mind and recited slowly.

"We meet under the moon while drinking among the flowers, the sound of green should be strong in the morning. I have never promised you a lifetime, and I miss you so much."

Judging from the rules of prosody and sentence structure, this poem is much better than the one in the painting, but it is still not the classical masterpiece in Xu Qing's memory.

To ensure that his judgment was correct, Xu Qing nodded and continued to ask, "Do you have any poems that you are good at?"

Seeing that Xu Qing's expression had not changed, Lu Wanhe concluded that he was still the same as before, not understanding the slightest bit of poetry and song.

After all, this poem has a great background. It is the Beichuan Travel Notes that has become popular all over the country this year and is a masterpiece worthy of being deified in the current poetry world.

"Yes, but can my husband understand it?"

Xu Qing raised his head and happened to see Lu Wanhe's clear eyes flashing with crystal light.

Although she was afraid to look into his eyes, she still tried to look at him, with a hint of grievance and stubbornness in her expression.

"Throughout the ages, there have been countless poems written by talented men of letters. How long do you want me to memorize them?"

Xu Qing heard Lu Wanhe's reluctance and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I was so abrupt. After I lost my memory, I suddenly found the rhythm of poetry interesting, so I wanted to discuss it with you... I didn't expect to make you unhappy."

Lu Wanhe had already prepared herself to fall out with Xu Qing, but she didn't expect that the young master of the Xu family, who was usually very easily angered, did not have the slightest complaint, but instead took the initiative to apologize to her.

Is this the same person as rumored?
No, when her family was discussing marriage with the Xu family, she had taken Ji Xia to spy on Xu Qing through the well on the second floor.

At that time, Xu Qing couldn't see his own face, so he acted recklessly in the pavilion.

In the end, it was an ugly maid in the house who protected him from the disaster. Only when this guy saw it did he give up his interest.

Now, he probably saw that his true appearance was beautiful and deliberately restrained his original nature.

Thinking of this, Lu Wanhe remained silent, just hoping that this meeting would end quickly.

Xu Qing also felt that the Third Young Lady had no intention of staying any longer, so he took the initiative to say, "It's getting late, you should go back to the courtyard earlier."

"Thank you for your consideration, my husband. Since you are not seriously ill, I will take my leave now."

Even though she had some prejudice against Xu Qing in her heart, Lu Wanhe still observed the etiquette and rules to save face, thus winning some favor from Xu Qing.

When Lu Wanhe walked briskly out of the inner room and opened the door, Xu Qing called her.

"It should be the sound of green in the morning, and the sound of insects in the morning is very meaningful. It doesn't go well with drinking wine among flowers. It's better to try the scene of a lonely boat on a moonlit night. For example, last night the moon was hidden and the wind was blowing. There were only empty fishing fires on the river. I lay on the boat and said goodbye to the rain and listened to the chirping of insects. It should be the sound of green in the morning, and the sound of insects in the morning is very vivid."

Lu Wanhe stood there in a daze.

She only remembered the breeze that night, which blew the sunlight in the sky.

……

Lu Wanhe returned to the courtyard with a dazed look on his face. He repeated the last poem Xu Qing recited and wrote it on rice paper.

Seeing her young lady's distraught look, Ji Xia initially thought that she was bullied in the room, but after seeing the poem on the paper, she immediately understood the reason.

Through the influence of her surroundings, she has a certain understanding of poetry.

"Didn't Ma Tanhua write this sentence in the North Mountain of Beijing? When did someone change it to "fishing boats at night?"

Ji Xia read it several times and suddenly realized that the sentence had more artistic conception and visual sense after the revision. She could even imagine the night scene of fishing boats and sparse lights in her mind.

"Miss, is this the poem you revised? It's really good, better than that Ma Tanhua... If the imperial examination allowed women to take the exam, my lady would definitely have a place on the list."

The more Ji Xia praised her, the more uncomfortable Lu Wanhe felt.

She had never expected that Xu Qing, who knew nothing about poetry, could produce such a masterpiece.

In fact, men of letters, talented men and beautiful women, strive to make achievements in poetry and songs, in order to leave their names in history and be remembered forever.

Popular poems and essays are often a recognition of their life achievements.

Why is it that I have spent so much time writing poetry but still can't get a satisfactory work, but Xu Qing can casually recite it?

"It's not me, it's Xu Qing."

"Master? You must be kidding, right?"

When Ji Xia heard the young lady's answer, she immediately shook her head and denied it, "Young lady, please don't joke with me. When he came to our house to pick up the bride, you wrote the four words spring, summer, autumn and winter in front of the room. You said that as long as Xu Qing could answer any poem, you would be willing to get on the sedan chair."

"In the end, Xu Qing not only threw away the red flower on his chest, but also said that he hated writing poems and lyrics the most in his life. Then he ran to the Red Mandarin Duck Pavilion and hugged women left and right, listening to operas and singing songs... Have you forgotten all that?"

Lu Wanhe was silent for a while, then replied slowly, "I haven't forgotten."

"Yes, young lady, you cried for half the night, your heart was broken. If it weren't for the old man's last wish and the marriage certificate, the threshold of our Lu Mansion would have been trampled by people proposing marriage, how could he have gotten his turn?"

Ji Xia said with disdain: "He can't even recite a poem about the four seasons, how can he come up with a poem like this?"

(End of this chapter)