Chapter 331 - 329: Miss Xu, Why Not Just Ask Me Directly (First Update)

Chapter 331: Chapter 329: Miss Xu, Why Not Just Ask Me Directly (First Update)

The location of the footprints was easy to identify, as it was not far from Jiang Yanxia’s body. Government officials of the Western Capital stood in two opposing lines, evidently protecting some traces in the middle. Beside them, an artist was lowering his head, carefully observing the ground, and conscientiously drawing something.

Xu Jing stepped forward. It had snowed yesterday morning—not heavily, but enough to leave about two knuckles’ thickness of snow on the ground.

Since few people had come here, the accumulated snow on the ground hadn’t been cleared at all, essentially remaining in its original state.

In contrast, this large snowy area had been trampled with countless messy footprints, except for the path under the protection of the officials, which remained clean and intact, clearly showing a neat line of small footprints leading toward the dock.

Not far away was a carriage, and the footprints started from there, moved forward to the edge of the dock, descended the steps, and finally disappeared at the slightly rippling riverside.

The size of the footprints looked indeed similar to the size of Jiang Yanxia’s feet.

Xu Jing recalled that Jiang Yanxia was barefoot and turned to ask Mr. Yao. But she was caught off guard and met a pair of slightly dim and mysterious fox-like eyes.

It was Jiang Yu, who had silently walked over with her!

Xu Jing blinked in slight surprise but quickly regained her composure. She shifted her gaze to Mr. Yao standing next to Jiang Yu and asked, "When Jiang San was rescued, was she not wearing shoes?"

Mr. Yao nodded and said, "Jiang San was wearing a pair of pink and green embroidered Cloud Head Shoes last night. One of them probably fell into the river, and the other one, we found by the river."

As he spoke, he gave a meaningful look to an official nearby, who immediately brought over a small, exquisite shoe and handed it to Xu Jing.

Xu Jing received the shoe, squatted down, and compared it carefully. The size matched perfectly, and the pattern on the sole was the same.

If Jiang San was murdered, regardless of how the murderer left this line of Jiang San’s footprints in the snow, it would be impossible for the murderer not to leave traces themselves. Snow, unlike solid ground, inevitably leaves marks wherever something passes over it.

Even if the murderer had backtracked on their own footprints, smoothing the snowy path as they went, the snow would surely show some unnatural signs, as naturally formed snow is not completely smooth. Trying to artificially create an undisturbed natural snow surface is almost impossible.

Although now, except for the small area with the suspected Jiang San’s footprints, the rest of the scene has been disturbed, the officials of the Western Capital would have carefully examined the scene after they arrived.

Suddenly, Xu Jing thought of something and asked, "I remember, isn’t your government’s Chief Fang very skilled in footprint analysis?"

Although this line of footprints indeed seems to be left by Jiang San, or at least by Jiang San’s shoes, they are not professional trace analysts. Perhaps professionals could see more in them.

Mr. Yao looked helpless, "Chief Fang’s hometown is not in the Western Capital. For previous investigations, he hadn’t gone home for the New Year in several years. This year, he took early leave and went back home.

This footprint analysis skill is a secret expertise of Chief Fang’s family, and no one else in our government can do it."

Who would have thought that such a major case would occur right after he left?

This does complicate things.

Xu Jing stared at the footprints for a while longer, thought it over, and then looked at the Jiang Family members nearby, saying, "I want to ask, after the Smiling Killer case, how was Jiang San’s emotional state?"

The faces of the Jiang Family members immediately turned very grim.

Obviously, the fact that their daughter had once married such an infamous murderer was a taboo in their family.

Jiang Yu suddenly gave Xu Jing an inscrutable glance and said indifferently, "I’m right here, why doesn’t Miss Xu ask me directly?"

Xu Jing’s eyebrow twitched slightly. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "My question is for all the Jiang Family. If Jiang Erlang knows the answer, just say it directly."

Jiang Yu paused for a moment and sighed deeply, saying, "When she first returned from the Jiang Family, Ah Jie was indeed very depressed. I didn’t quite understand what kind of man he was to make her so sad."

"Second Brother, you haven’t married yet, so naturally, you wouldn’t understand!"

A young woman in a charming, goose-yellow cape, with a round, fair face and red eyes in the Jiang Family suddenly exclaimed loudly, "Even if... even if that person was no good, he was still Third Sister’s husband! During the three years Third Sister married into the Marquis Huaiyin’s family, although many unpleasant things happened, that bastard really treated Third Sister well. How could she have known that the tenderness and gentleness of over three years were merely that bastard’s guise? After suddenly discovering all this, which woman could bear it? Besides, besides..."

She suddenly stammered, looking as if she had more to say but couldn’t.

Xu Jing fixed her eyes on her and asked, "Besides what?"

The young girl’s face grew more anguished, and a dignified, elegant-looking woman with a commanding presence walked up gently, patting her on the shoulder, and sighed, "I am Yanxia’s sister-in-law, although... Yanxia is already gone, but things following this concern Yanxia’s privacy. I hope to speak alone with Mrs. Xu."

The only person who could be called Jiang San’s sister-in-law is Mrs. Zhou, married to the Heir of Duke Xing, Jiang Dalang.

Xu Jing, who already had a vague suspicion, looked at Mrs. Zhou with a complicated expression and nodded, "Alright."

Mrs. Zhou took Xu Jing aside and said, with a sad expression, "Our Yanxia was a child of misfortune. I had heard Yanxia say before that Mrs. Xu once saved her life and helped expose Huamei’s previous plot to kill her. Since that’s the case, Mrs. Xu should have some understanding of Yanxia’s situation at Marquis Huaiyin’s residence.

Yanxia was married there for over three years, but... never had any children. Although the people at Marquis Huaiyin’s never dared say it outright, they were indeed dissatisfied with Yanxia about this, and Yanxia was always concerned about her lack of pregnancy, hoping each day she’d conceive soon.

Unexpectedly, the child she pined for came not sooner but precisely after the murderer’s true nature was revealed..."

Even though Xu Jing had anticipated it, her heart still sank heavily, "So it was like this, Jiang San must have been very distressed..."

"More than distressed... A child of such a murderous madman couldn’t possibly be kept. However, that was Yanxia’s own flesh and blood she’d longed for so long, and at that time, she still had feelings for that bastard... During that period, Yanxia was deeply pained and even spoke to us about whether it was some sin from her past life that led her to suffer so much this time."

Mrs. Zhou couldn’t help but well up with tears, taking out a handkerchief to dab at her eyes, "During that time, we didn’t dare persuade her to abort the child, even preparing for the possibility that Yanxia might not want to terminate the pregnancy.

After all, it was just a child; our Jiang Family could certainly afford to raise him. However, this child had a father like that, and upon birth would undoubtedly be subject to social scorn. Whether Yanxia chose to remarry or not, her life would definitely become much more challenging than before. Besides, who knew if he might inherit his father’s evil disposition...

Later, Yanxia thought it over and took the initiative to have the child aborted..."