Seeking Happiness

Chapter 182 Locked up in the dungeon

The bailiff had been stirred up after listening to that. The way he looked at Shu Huan and Shang Xin became a bit fierce.

Shu Yue clapped and said, “I heard my brother-in-law mention that there was still a small part of the dungeon that has not collapsed. Why don’t you lock them up there? You have to watch carefully over them and don’t let my brother-in-law see them.”

That bailiff was stunned and asked puzzled, “Isn’t it better to take them to young master Gu and inquire about your big sister’s whereabouts?”

Shu Yue turned her face, sniffed and said with sorrow, “In order to find my big sister these few days, my brother-in-law hasn’t eaten for a long time. He had just gathered up his spirit to make plans for the prefectural magistrate. If we truly let him get the news about my big sister’s death from these two maids, he…he would be so heartbroken…even I don’t dare to ask…if I don’t ask, I can still take it that my big sister is still alive. If I ask…”

She choked and didn’t continue. That bailiff also sobbed after hearing that.

Shu Yue pretended to be sad for a while and then said, “The affairs of the family is not more important than the affairs of the country. Help me keep this secret, so my brother-in-law can put all his mind on doing things for the citizens of the whole city. After these victims are settled, if we can still not find my big sister, we can take them for an interrogation then.”

That bailiff was moved to tears by her “sublime” thoughts. He comforted her, but he still hesitated at the thought of bringing people to the dangerous dungeon. He said, “This matter…like what young master Shu said, there is no evidence. It’s just speculation. It doesn’t seem appropriate to lock them up like this.”

“Hey! You are so long-winded!” Shu Yue turned, looked twice behind her back and complained impatiently. When she looked at that bailiff again, her expression wasn’t great. She quickly said, “You forced me! You can’t make fun of me if I cry later when we confirm my big sister’s death!”

As she talked, she fumbled inside of Shu Huan’s clothes. Originally, she just wanted to see whether she could find something to frame Shu Huan. She didn’t expect that she would find a silver hairpin and bracelet.

Shu Yue held those silver hairpin and bracelet. After she stabilized her emotions and blinked, two tears rolled out. She suppressed her voice as she said, “Look, look! This is my big sister’s belonging. This is the dowry my mother secretly gave her before she had married. Why is it on this maid?! Big sister…were you really killed by these two vicious maids? This is truly a great injustice…”

Her play was enough to be considered botched and very insidious. Shu Huan was so angry that she laughed. Her heart felt fed up and disgusted. It happened that she couldn’t speak, otherwise she would’ve exposed her (SY) lies.

Shang Xin was also so angry that she rolled her eyes. It happened that she was unable to move, otherwise, she would’ve spit on this lying Shu Yue’s face.

“I can’t help but cry! I don’t want to see them again! What are you still waiting for? First, they tried to steal the grains. Now, evidence that they had harmed my big sister had been found by me. Those who kills their owners should be executed. It is the right thing to do by imprisoning them like this! Quickly bring them there!” Shu Yue shouted hysterically. Of course, her voice was very low and from time to time, she would turn her head to look at the movements near the barrows of grains. She was afraid that the moment she turns her head, Gu Xiran would discover what was happening here.

“This…,” The bailiff had no idea at all about her plans. He originally wanted to say there was no name or anything engraved on this silver hairpin and bracelet and could not prove anything. However, after being shouted at by her, his head spun and somehow, he grabbed Shu Huan and Shang Xin’s arms.

Shu Yue reminded him again, “The big picture is the most important! Do you want to cause my brother-in-law to die from sadness? Are you not afraid that you would be punished by the prefectural magistrate because of this?”

After this was said, the bailiff didn’t dare to delay anymore. He dragged Shu Huan and Shang Xin to inside of the city. They didn’t cooperate and tried to struggle. However, they had been tied up and their mouths were blocked. They were somewhat breathless. No matter how they struggled, they couldn’t win from the much stronger bailiff. After, he bend them at their knees and twisted their arms, they felt pain for a while and their strengths also lessened.

This truly was…

F***!

Shu Huan cursed in her heart and suppressed the emotions that were about to burst. She decided to not focus anymore on the little sister of the original owner who was more vicious than her mother. Instead, she needed to focus on how to escape and go find Gu Xiran or find a way to get that damned cloth out of her mouth and yell.

Shang Xin didn’t give up and continued to look back, trying to let Gu Xiran see them. Obviously, such movements were meaningless. Since Shu Yue had used underhanded ways to prevent Gu Xiran from discovering them by sending them away, naturally she would be wary for failing at the end. Therefore, she saw Shu Yue ran to Gu Xiran and said something to him, making him look twice in the opposite direction. Then, he left and went farther and farther away from them.

Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!

Shang Xin cursed in her heart and hated Shu Yue so much that her teeth ached. However, no matter how much hatred she felt, she was helpless. She was still dragged to the dungeon by the bailiff.

—

The entrance of the dungeon seemed to have been cleaned up and a road was opened. There were still collapsed gravels around it. The floor tiles on the road were also broken and tilted up. The road was high and low and extremely unstable.

The deeper they got inside, the narrower the road was. The candlesticks on the wall were also ruined. Naturally, there was no light. Only the fire of the bailiff illuminated here.

No matter how you looked at this kind of place, it was eerie and frightening. Especially, when the aftershocks occurred from time to time which made people fear that they would be buried alive. Not only did Shu Huan and Shang Xin feel uncomfortable, that bailiff also seemed very uncomfortable. The weather wasn’t hot, but on this whole way, he was sweating constantly.

Finally, they had arrived to where the cells were. On the narrow passage, they only saw a flame-like oil lamp. Shu Huan looked inside, but because the light wasn’t bright, it was truly impossible to see what was inside. Perhaps, it may had collapsed and blocked. Where her eyes could see, there were only three to four cells. A cell was only about ten square meters. Inside them, were seven to eight filthy and unkept people. She didn’t know whether they were former prisoners of those victims who caused trouble. Of course, they were all males.

When they saw them coming in, all the prisoners stood up and made all kinds of screams. Some shouted that they wanted to get out and some cursed. It was very chaotic.

Shu Huan frowned, turned and glared angrily at the bailiff who dragged them here. Even if she couldn’t speak, she tried her best to use her eyes to question him…

He actually wanted to lock her and Shang Xin in such a place?!

That bailiff wasn’t bad and understood her. He turned his head a bit awkwardly away and muttered, “Who told you to do such a heinous thing? There is no female dungeon. Put up with it. Anyway, these people had been locked with manacles and leg-irons. They can’t do anything to you.”

Shu Huan turned her head and looked again at those prisoners.

That was right! Every one of them had manacles and leg-irons, but the ancient leg-irons had a long chain. Even if it was inconvenient to move, it wasn’t to the point where they couldn’t move their hands and feet at all. If he locks them inside like this, wasn’t it the same as sending a lamb into a tiger’s den?

• A lamb in a tiger’s den: to tread dangerous ground.

Shu Huan’s feeling could no longer be described with anger. She turned once again and stared like that at the bailiff. This time, there was no anger in her eyes. They were calm like a sharp edge of a blade, making an inexplicable shudder arose deep inside people’s heart.