Chapter 109 - 108: Secrets in the Mansion (Second Update)

Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Secrets in the Mansion (Second Update)

Xu Jing looked at Xiao He, smiled unhurriedly, and said, "That’s a good question too. Just now I mentioned, the fatal wound on the deceased was a knife wound on the right side of the neck, right about here."

As Xu Jing spoke, she raised her hand and drew a line diagonally on the right side of her own neck to illustrate to everyone.

Pausing for a moment, Xu Jing looked at Wei Dadong and the two maids, Xinghua and Nianxia, and asked, "You two entered the crime scene and saw the deceased with your own eyes. Do you remember what the deceased looked like at that time?"

The few of them were taken aback. Wei Dadong was the first to react and said, "I remember... Wan’s hair wasn’t tied up and her makeup seemed only half done..."

As he spoke, he seemed to recall the tragic image of his wife’s death, and he began to choke up.

Xinghua glanced at him and quickly interjected, "The Lord is right. Madam usually likes to finish her makeup before tying her hair. Today, it just so happened that Nianxia, who’s in charge of it, went out to get medicine for Madam, so Madam had to do it herself and was a bit slow..."

There was quite a bit of information in these words. Xu Jing raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Get medicine? Is your Madam unwell?"

Nianxia, who was still crying, choked up and said, "Madam... Madam has had a bit of a cough and sore throat for some time. We called a doctor some days ago, and he prescribed a few medicines. Madam finished them yesterday and said she wouldn’t take more, but actually... actually, her illness isn’t cured. Last night, the cough worsened, so early this morning, she sent me to get some more medicine."

Xu Jing nodded and looked at Xinghua, "You said that without Nianxia, your Madam had to do her own hair and makeup. Aren’t you also a maid by her side? Could you not have helped her?"

Xinghua was taken aback, her face flushed slightly with embarrassment, and she said awkwardly, "I... I’m clumsy. Madam has always been dissatisfied with my skills, so she’s always had me do chores, which is why... why..."

As she spoke, Xu Jing noticed that Nianxia gave her a sidelong glance, full of obvious mockery.

It seems this family is hiding many secrets.

She subtly withdrew her gaze and continued with the previous topic, saying, "As Mr. Wei mentioned, when the deceased died, her long hair was down, and her fatal wound was on the right side of her neck.

The murderer likely attacked the victim from behind, and you can imagine what would happen when the murderer cut that wound on the victim’s neck?"

Zhao Jingming became so engrossed that he even momentarily overlooked the person guiding his thoughts, whom he usually disdained, Xu Siniang. Stumped, he suddenly had a flash of insight and said, "If the victim’s hair was down at the time, then cutting her like that, the murderer would certainly cut into her hair!"

"Exactly!"

Xu Jing looked at him, a slight smile at the corner of her mouth, and said, "In such a scenario, the victim’s hair would definitely be involved—some, if not a lot, would certainly be caught. However, when I examined the body just now, I found no cut hair near the wound—not a single strand!"

Even the County Magistrate of Jingning County couldn’t help but interject, "Impossible, right? If so, wouldn’t that suggest the murderer tied up the victim’s hair before killing her..."

Xu Jing nodded and said, "Yes, and also, the victim had no marks of restraint or suppression on her body, and looking at the victim’s still-open eyes, she was conscious when she was killed.

If a truly ruthless murderer had come in, tied up her hair, and then killed her, how could a normal person not resist at all, not even cry for help?"

At the time of the incident, although the deceased was alone in the bedroom, the Wei residence wasn’t large. If she had cried out loudly for help, there’s no way everyone in the household wouldn’t have noticed anything.

The thought of the scene gave everyone chills.

No wonder the lady said the murderer must be someone familiar to the deceased, at least someone who could get close without being repelled!

Xinghua suddenly looked at Nianxia and said, "Usually, you’re the one who ties Madam’s hair. If you approached Madam from behind to tie up her hair, Madam wouldn’t find it odd! But you..."

Nianxia, startled, immediately glared at her with teary eyes and said, "Don’t accuse people senselessly! Madam treated me so well; how could I commit such a heartless act? Besides, almost all of the servants Madam brought from her family were driven away by you, and Madam always said that in this house, the only person she could still rely on was me. I would never do anything to harm Madam..."

Xiao Yi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly looked at her and asked, "Why were all the servants your Madam brought from her family driven away?"

Nianxia bit her lip hard, her face full of indignation, but before she could say anything, Wei Dadong spoke with a pained expression, "This is all my fault, for making Wan suffer. Before my father passed away last year, he was always eager to revive the Xinghua Inn. Since my great-grandfather’s time, our Xinghua Inn was the best in Jingning County, but that title was lost in my father’s generation.

My father felt guilty to our ancestors and couldn’t rest in peace when he died. As his son, I couldn’t bear to let him leave with regret, so I’ve been planning to renovate the Xinghua Inn, hoping to reclaim the title of the best inn in Jingning County.

However, the cost of renovation is substantial, and in recent years, we have lost many guests at Xinghua Inn. To save for the renovation, I had to cut household expenses and release as many servants as possible, leaving only a few essential ones. Wan supported me in this, that’s why... that’s why she let go of the servants she brought over..."

As soon as Wei Dadong finished speaking, Xinghua gave Nianxia a glaring look and said, "As the Lord said, those servants were let go by Madam herself! The Lord said earlier that he didn’t want to wrong Madam, and he was thinking of other ways to save money when Madam insisted on supporting him by discreetly letting them go and even giving them quite a bit of money! And you talk about driving them away, who’s really falsely accusing whom?"

As Xinghua spoke, a slight pang of regret flashed across her face, as if the money Madam gave to those servants had come out of her own pocket.

Nianxia was instantly infuriated, her eyes burning with anger, and she gritted her teeth, "How dare you say that! The money Madam used to give those servants came from her own dowry, not a single copper coin from the Wei Family!

Moreover, Madam did this because she is virtuous and kind, and it was partly because the Old Madam secretly spoke with Madam for a long time about the Lord’s difficulties. That’s why Madam made up her mind to disperse those servants, including the nurse who had been with her from childhood! You have no idea how hoarse Madam was from crying when she let Qian Niang go!

You can say that all this was voluntary on Madam’s part and that she had no right to complain, but Madam sacrificed so much for the Lord and the Wei Family. And what about you?

The Old Madam arranged for you to be by the Lord’s side, and Madam knew this well. But before Madam married the Lord, he vowed never to take a concubine, which is why Madam agreed to marry him. Otherwise... otherwise, given Madam’s beauty and her brother’s accomplishment in passing the civil service exam, suitors were lining up at the Su Family’s door. Why did Madam choose the Lord?

The Old Madam also promised Madam that if she supported the Lord in renovating the Xinghua Inn, she would send you away so as not to be an eyesore to Madam. But after Madam let most of her people go, the Old Madam still didn’t keep her word and even gave you a valuable-looking hairpin!

Xinghua, people have feelings! Those servants weren’t driven away by you, but you tricked Madam into letting them go! Do you think Madam doesn’t feel the way you bully her? Madam simply cherishes the marital bond with the Lord and doesn’t want to disrupt the household by speaking up!"