Chapter 1167: Chapter 1140: Cannon Fodder in the Demon Hunting Story (Part 4)

Anning asked Constable Geng about Mr. Ou before leaving.

After she left, Mrs. Luo began to discuss serious matters with Constable Geng.

"Does Zhang Ming have any trustworthy people who can handle things discreetly?"

Hearing Mrs. Luo’s inquiry, Constable Geng quickly stood up: "I do have a few reliable men under me, Madam. Is there something you need done?"

Mrs. Luo nodded: "I’ve been worrying about Qingqing. Yesterday, Ning’er had an ominous dream. I want you to send someone to thoroughly check how Qingqing is living. Are she and her husband affectionate? Has she suffered any grievances? It’s best to investigate quietly without contacting the Li Family or Qingqing. Once it’s clarified, I’ll be at ease."

Mrs. Luo’s maternal affection was clear to Constable Geng.

"Then I’ll arrange for someone to investigate. Coincidentally, a junior martial brother of mine came to visit recently. His skills are better than mine and he’s very meticulous. I’ll ask him to look into it."

Mrs. Luo was pleased to hear this: "I’m truly grateful."

She turned and handed a few silver ingots to Constable Geng: "Take these to cover your junior brother’s expenses on his journey."

Constable Geng knew that Mrs. Luo was well-off and wouldn’t spare a thought for a few ingots of silver, so he accepted them with a smile: "With this silver, I’ll treat my junior brother to a good meal."

Mrs. Luo smiled: "If you’re ever in trouble, come to the house and let us know. Don’t hold back and make your mother suffer with you."

"Madam, even if I put myself at a disadvantage, I wouldn’t let my mother suffer with me."

Constable Geng put away the silver: "Is there anything else you need, Madam?"

Mrs. Luo shook her head: "Just this matter. It must be handled with utmost caution, so no one notices."

She called out to the outside: "Sixi, bring some food for Zhang Ming to take home."

Sixi quickly came in with a large food box.

"It just so happens that dinner is ready, Constable Geng, please take it home for your Old Madam to try."

Constable Geng took the food box and bid farewell to Mrs. Luo.

After Constable Geng left, Anning peeked in from outside the door.

Mrs. Luo smiled and beckoned Anning inside: "Come in, don’t sneak around like a thief."

"Mother."

Anning entered without hesitation: "Mother is worried about Sister too, right? I think it was high time for Mother to find someone trustworthy to check on how Sister is really doing."

"You don’t need to worry. Geng Zhangming is always reliable. He says his junior brother is highly skilled and meticulous, so we should know for sure how your Sister is living this time."

Anning nodded.

She sat across from Mrs. Luo, twisting the hem of her clothes, looking as if she had more to say.

"Do you have something else to say?"

Mrs. Luo noticed Anning had something on her mind and asked with a smile.

Anning hesitantly replied: "Mother knows I like to listen to stories, often sneaking to the tea house to hear Wang Tiezui’s tales, and I’ve bought many strange storybooks to read. Recently, I’ve been reading all sorts of bizarre tales, and after reading one of them, I felt there’s something peculiar about Sister’s situation."

Mrs. Luo furrowed her brows: "How so?"

Anning spoke softly: "Let me first tell Mother about that storybook. It talks about a tribe in the Miao Region skilled in raising poisonous insects, particularly ’love poisons’. There are many types of ’love poison’, and one can cause the victim to fall hopelessly in love at first sight with a specific man or woman. Once poisoned, it doesn’t matter if you’re a boudoir lady or a chaste and heroic woman; you’ll be infatuated with one person to the point of madness, wanting no one else. Mother, you don’t know how that story scared me so much that I couldn’t sleep for days."

Mrs. Luo listened intently: "You mean your Sister might have been affected by a love poison?"

Anning nodded: "I never thought much about it, only that Sister was smitten by Brother-in-law’s talent and looks. But now I fear it’s not that simple. Think about our family, what kind of household we are? Father was the top scorer in the imperial examination in his day, and Sister was taught by him personally. She’s no less talented than today’s scholars. As for looks, Brother-in-law may be handsome, but back then in the Capital, Sister wasn’t short of handsome men to see. Not to mention, our cousins at home were no less handsome, yet Sister always upheld propriety, never easily moved by any man. Why did it happen that, just sheltering from the rain for a few days, Sister became willing to sacrifice everything for an unfamiliar man?"

At this point, Anning paused.

She carefully observed Mrs. Luo’s expression.

She noticed Mrs. Luo’s face was somber and thoughtful.

Anning continued: "Would anyone really abandon years of upbringing and not care about family reputation or her mother’s sadness, just for a man she barely met? I don’t think Sister would do something like that. Even I wouldn’t, and Sister and I shared the same mother and education. How could this be?"

Mrs. Luo placed a hand on the table, her fingers gripping the edge, veins bulging on the back of her hand, showing her turmoil.

Anning took a sip of water and waited for a while before continuing: "And then there’s Chunniang, who is quite odd. She wasn’t one of our family’s servants, yet of all the first and second-tier maids around Sister back then, many were born into our service. Their parents worked for our Luo Family. Despite this, Chunniang managed to squeeze everyone out. She must have used some means, not to mention how our family, with its strict rules and tight control over servants, had Chunniang acting cautiously in the Capital, never stepping out of line. How come she was suddenly so willing to help Brother-in-law during their days of seeking shelter from the rain? Not only helping them pass messages but also arranging meetings. Mother, without substantial benefits, would Chunniang do something so risky with her life?"

Mrs. Luo pondered for a moment: "What do you think?"

She was increasingly alarmed.

She realized that she had been too furious back then to think things through and hadn’t considered them over the years, possibly endangering her eldest daughter.

Additionally, she only now realized that her younger daughter, seemingly naive, sees things incredibly clearly, able to analyze what others might not even think of.

Mrs. Luo thought her younger daughter’s cunning surpassed her elder’s.

She considered this a good thing. With awareness, her daughter wouldn’t be easily deceived, unlike her elder daughter, who was raised a bit too innocent, easily manipulated.

"Mother, I think Chunniang might have known Brother-in-law long before, or even had an illicit affair. Perhaps they had planned it all, thinking marrying Sister would mean taking Chunniang as a concubine or something else."

Anning didn’t dare suggest that Chunniang would replace Anqing.

Such a notion was too shocking. She feared Mrs. Luo wouldn’t accept it, so she only mentioned a plausible reason.

Mrs. Luo nodded: "That little minx, Chunniang, must have lured your sister to secretly meet Li Pengcheng due to her own affair with him. Damn that little slut, I should’ve killed her back then."