Wife is hell

Chapter 14 Testing
Tang Jinxian's manipulative tactics ended with her uttering a few seemingly harmless but ultimately harsh words.

However, her initiative to visit him indirectly relieved a lot of pressure for Jiang Mu.

After all, there are many people watching from the shadows.

As a government official, Jiang Mu felt it inappropriate to take the initiative to fawn over this woman.

The fact that the other party took the initiative to find him would better demonstrate that he was not in control of his own destiny, and would also make people in the shadows think that Tang Jinxian could not hold on any longer, thus putting pressure on this fool.

The next day, Jiang Mu went to find Shi Baolu after breakfast.

As a result, this guy ran out early in the morning to look for his lost baby chick.

Jiang Mu was speechless.

Now I finally understand why Uncle An was reluctant to assign Shi Baolu a job in the yamen.

Taking care of one "idiot" is already exhausting; adding another one would be a real headache.

Helpless, Jiang Mu had no choice but to continue visiting the widow alone.

After removing the previously investigated companies from the list, Jiang Mu arrived at a rather simple farmhouse this time.

The widow we are visiting is named Huo Ling.

Her husband was a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, a man of high status. He was highly regarded by the late emperor for his participation in the compilation of the Wenyuandian, and she was thus granted the title of Yiren, a fifth-rank official.

Shortly after the late emperor's death, her husband also passed away due to illness, but she retained her status as an imperial consort.

Her husband did not leave behind a large fortune after his death, and she lived on a meager annual salary, not a wealthy woman.

Her son, named Wu, already held the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

He has a gentle personality, is extremely filial to his mother, and has an excellent reputation among his neighbors.

Madam Wu also has a cousin who works in the Imperial Patrol Office.

His name is Yan Qingshan.

Jiang Mu reviewed the information in his mind again and knocked on the courtyard gate.

An elderly woman with gray hair opened the door.

Upon seeing Jiang Mu's official uniform, she paused, a hint of wariness in her eyes: "Sir, is there something you need?"

Jiang Mu said gently:
“Mother-in-law, excuse me. Is Madam Wu at home? I work for the county government and would like to discuss some matters with Madam Wu.”

"Hold on."

The old woman hesitated for a moment, then turned and went into the house.

A short while later, she returned and opened the courtyard gate a crack: "Officer, please come in."

"Thank you."

Jiang Mu nodded slightly and stepped inside.

Led by the old nanny, Jiang Mu entered the main house.

Upon entering, a faint scent of sandalwood lingers in the air.

Inside the room, at the far end, was an incense table with a small Buddha statue on it, its eyes lowered in compassion. In front of it, three sticks of incense were burning in an incense burner, their smoke curling upwards.

A woman dressed in plain white was kneeling on a prayer mat, bowing to the Buddha statue, her fingers twirling a string of prayer beads.

The woman looked to be around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with fair skin.

Her features weren't particularly delicate, but they were dignified and pleasing to the eye, and her figure was quite plump.

Especially when paired with a white robe and the serene aura of being immersed in Buddhist practices, she possesses a unique charm.

Jiang Mu's gaze lingered on the woman for only two seconds before he naturally scanned the rest of the room.

His gaze sharpened quickly.

Beside a chair against the wall stood several thin brambles.

Vitex negundo?

Jiang Mu squinted, unconsciously recalling the marks on the victims' bodies.

A thick stack of books sat on the table next to the bramble.

There were also leaves mixed in.

It is evident that this Mrs. Wu must have been urging and testing her child's studies every day.

Madam Wu stood up, her eyes, as calm as autumn water, looking at Jiang Mu, her voice gentle yet tinged with coldness:

"May I ask what brings you here, sir? Has my son gotten into some trouble?"

Jiang Mu came to his senses and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Madam, you misunderstand. Yancheng has been quite unsettled lately, with several women going missing. The county magistrate has specifically ordered us to strengthen patrols in all areas and to keep a close eye on distinguished people like you, to protect you secretly and prevent you from being targeted by the murderer."

Jiang Mu used the same excuse he gave to Madam Yan.

Upon hearing that it had nothing to do with her son, Madam Wu's expression relaxed slightly, but she immediately frowned and said:
"Does Your Excellency mean that the women who went missing earlier bear some resemblance to me?"

This woman is very intelligent.

"Exactly."

Jiang Mu nodded. "That thug seems to specifically target women in situations similar to Madam's. Therefore, if Madam needs to go out, she must be extremely careful and it would be best if someone accompanied her. Of course, we will also increase our patrols and do our best to ensure Madam's safety."

"Thank you for coming to inform me, sir. I will remember it."

Madam Wu's tone softened, "I usually stay at home to worship Buddha and rarely go out. If I notice anything unusual, I will report it to the authorities immediately."

"It's best that you're so cautious, Madam."

Seeing that the other party did not intend for him to sit down and talk, Jiang Mu said a few things to note and prepared to take his leave.

As he left, his gaze drifted, seemingly unintentionally, to a calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall, and he casually asked:
"This calligraphy is truly excellent. I see your son's name in the signature; could it be the work of Young Master Wu?"

Madam Wu looked at the calligraphy and smiled, "It was indeed written by my son in his spare time. You flatter me, sir."

Jiang Mu then offered a few more words of praise, saying:
"To be honest, Madam, when I was patrolling the neighborhood, I often heard the neighbors praising your son. He is not only well-educated but also a rare filial son. He is truly a man of both talent and virtue." Indeed, as long as someone praises another's child, parents will always lower their guard a little.

Madam Wu smiled, then sighed:
"It's true that my son is filial, but he's playful and lacks self-control. A while ago, he was almost taken to brothels by the third young master of the Yang family."

If I hadn't discovered it in time and punished him properly, he might have ruined his studies.

Seeing that Madam Wu was starting to talk, Jiang Mu was about to ask more questions when a voice suddenly came from the courtyard gate:
"Mom, I'm back."

Jiang Mu listened carefully to the voice, but it did not overlap with the voice of the man in black.

However, the man in black deliberately changed his voice and was wearing a mask, so even when he was furious, his voice remained low and hoarse, making it difficult to distinguish.

A young man stepped into the house.

He was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with handsome features.

Upon seeing the unfamiliar constables inside, she paused for a moment, then asked, "Mother, who is this...?"

Jiang Mu stared intently at the man's expression the moment he entered the room.

To his disappointment, the other party only showed the normal astonishment of seeing a stranger, without any sign of tension or fear.

He then examined the figure.

The other person was wearing a black robe at the time, and it was impossible to accurately determine their size.

But they are about the same height.

"Son, this is a constable from the county government..."

Madam Wu explained Jiang Mu's purpose for coming.

Upon hearing this, Wu quickly cupped his hands and said:

"So that's what it was about. I've heard about the recent case and have been worried about it. I was struggling to figure out how to persuade my mother to go out less. It's perfect that the officer came to our door to advise her today. It saves me a lot of trouble."

As he spoke, he took out a small piece of silver from his sleeve and handed it to the other person.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation for tea, please accept it, sir."

Jiang Mu accepted the silver coins and said with shame:
"Young Master Wu, you are too kind. Protecting the people is our duty. However, we have failed in our duty to capture that rampant villain, and we feel truly ashamed."

"We, the common people, have seen how hard the police officers work day and night."

As a scholar, Wu's humility and politeness towards an ordinary yamen runner, along with his words and actions, easily won people's favor. No wonder he had a good reputation among his neighbors.

Jiang Mu chatted with him for a few more minutes before getting up to say goodbye.

Wu personally escorted him to the door.

As he was about to leave, Jiang Mu suddenly asked, "Young Master Wu, what kind of person do you think the murderer is?"

Wu was taken aback upon hearing this, then shook his head with a wry smile:

"I am but a humble scholar, only knowing how to bury myself in the classics, and I know nothing about criminal law and case handling. How dare I make any comments?"

"It's alright, just consider it casual conversation."

Jiang Mu's voice suddenly turned cold, "I think the murderer must be a psychologically twisted, extremely arrogant yet cowardly incompetent person! Taking advantage of his abilities to bully vulnerable women, he is nothing but scum!"
"A mother who could raise such a beast must be a cruel, ungrateful old woman who can't distinguish right from wrong! Young Master Wu, don't you agree?"

Jiang Mu stared intently into the other person's eyes.

Wu merely frowned slightly, and smiled wryly again:

"I don't know, but what the murderer did was indeed a beastly act. I hope the authorities can arrest him as soon as possible."

Jiang Mu withdrew his gaze and smiled, "Don't worry, it definitely will."

After that, he turned around and left.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly turned his head and said, "Oh right, I dare not accept this, or the county magistrate will scold me."

He tossed the silver coin over.

But he deliberately threw it a little crooked.

Wu hurriedly caught the silver, and just as he was about to speak, Jiang Mu had already walked away.

……

Jiang Mu stopped as he turned the corner of the alley.

His face was calm. He leaned against the wall and stood silently for a moment before suddenly turning around and retracing his steps.

Wu was no longer at the entrance of the courtyard.

Jiang Mu crossed his arms, stroked his chin, and murmured:

"Wearing the mask, he's like a mad, mindless demon. Taking it off, he's as cunning as a fox... Is that so? His performance is too perfect, which only reveals his flaws."

He walked towards the Wu family's courtyard again.

When he was almost at the gate, he turned around and went behind the courtyard wall. Then he looked down at the mud that had been soaked by the rain, stepped on the grass next to him, and slowly observed it.

Soon, he found a series of footprints in the corner of the wall to the left of the courtyard gate.

The footprints led to the courtyard gate.

Jiang Mu searched for the other end of the footprints, but couldn't find it.

The footprints seemed to appear out of nowhere from the base of the wall.

Jiang Mu looked up at the wall, then closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and murmured:
"The timing of your appearance was perfect, interrupting my crucial question to Mrs. Wu. Could it be that you were at home the whole time, and saw me the moment I appeared?"

Jiang Mu rubbed his temples, annoyed, and said, "I was a bit too hasty in testing him just now. I'm afraid I've aroused his suspicion."

He shook his head, stopped lingering, and left the Wu family courtyard.

Not long after Jiang Mu left, Wu walked out of his own courtyard gate and came to the corner of the wall.

Looking at the trampled grass, he remained silent for a long time, then rubbed his face vigorously, let out a cold laugh, and cursed again:
"Wasn't he supposed to be an idiot? Damn it, what kind of idiot is that!"

(End of this chapter)