The elder sister killed the whole family, and came back to be beaten to death

Early in the morning, Shen Tang woke up from a deep sleep and sat on the bed, stretching.

Ginkgo brought a copper basin into the room to help Shen Tang get up. After he finished washing up, the maid brought him breakfast. Shen Tang had a good appetite and ate a bowl of stomach-nourishing millet porridge and a meat bun.

After breakfast, Shen Tang went out. Ginkgo thought she would go to see Shen Xi this time, but Shen Tang walked directly out of the courtyard gate. Even the maids in Qinglan Garden looked at her sideways, but the maids didn't say anything. The eldest girl bribed the second girl's maid and framed the second girl. If the second girl was not angry, she could be compared with the Bodhisattva in the temple.

When they arrived at Songhe Hall, Shen Tang winked at Ginkgo, and she left. She entered the courtyard alone.

When Shen Tang paid his respects to the old lady yesterday, Shen Ran, Shen Luo and the others were not there. Today they were all there, chatting and laughing around the old lady.

The second and third wives were also there. When the second wife saw Shen Tang come in, her eyes turned cold instantly, but soon recovered.

Shen Tang stepped forward and bowed to the old lady. Before she could say anything, the second wife spoke first, "The doctor told the second young lady to rest. Did the second young lady have something to do yesterday that made her rush out of the house?"

The second wife is in charge of the household affairs, and nothing in the mansion, big or small, can be hidden from her.

Shen Tang didn't believe that the Second Wife didn't know that she had gone to the Jiang family yesterday.

The old lady didn't know that Shen Tang had left the house yesterday. She looked at Shen Tang and Shen Tang said, "I went to the Jiang family yesterday."

The old lady frowned slightly, "There's no need to be so anxious to go to the Jiang family."

After all, the Jiang family is Shen Tang's maternal grandparents' home, so the old lady can't say it too obviously if she doesn't want him to go.

Shen Tang said, "In my dream, my mother asked me to pay my respects to my grandparents on her behalf. I didn't dare to delay. Since my arm wasn't seriously injured, I quickly got it done."

The old lady guessed that it was also related to Jiang. Jiang had always been filial, but unfortunately she was not blessed enough. If Yan'er had not been lost, she would not have been so grief-stricken and died so early.

The old lady didn't say anything, so the second wife instigated, "The eldest sister-in-law dotes on the second young lady and cares deeply about the Jiang family, but she doesn't care for Xian'er. If it was Xian'er who sent the dream, the marriage between the Pingyuan Marquis' Mansion and the Jingyang Prince's Mansion would not be cancelled..."

I've seen people stirring up trouble among the living, but I've never seen anyone making trouble for a dead person.

Shen Tang would not indulge her. "It is said that whatever you think about during the day you will dream about at night. My eldest sister never thinks about mother. Even if mother wanted to send her a dream, I am afraid she would not be able to do so."

"If mother really appeared in my eldest sister's dream and asked her to marry the Prince of Jingyang, would Second Aunt persuade my eldest sister to obey mother, or would she suspect that mother would harm my eldest sister even after her death?"

The voice was clear, but with an aggressive tone.

The second wife was speechless when asked, and her silver teeth were not broken.

When did the second girl become so eloquent? I really underestimated her before.

Shen Tang sat down. She turned around to look for Ginkgo. A maid beside her saw her and asked, "Second Miss, do you have any instructions?"

Shen Luo asked, "Second sister came to pay her respects to Grandmother, why didn't you bring any maids with you?"

Shen Tang said, "I brought the maid with me, but when I got to the gate, I found that the gold hairpin was missing, so Ginkgo went back to help me find it."

The Second Wife served tea and said, "The golden hairpin is needed, but there is no maid with her. If guests come to the mansion and see it, they will think that the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Pingyuan Mansion does not have enough maids to serve her."

Shen Tang immediately looked at the old lady and said, "I have enough maids in my courtyard, but Doukou is dead, and the position of the head maid is vacant. The second-class maids each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it's almost impossible to promote them. I originally wanted to let Second Aunt choose for me, but this maid seems to suit my taste. Can you ask Grandmother to give her to me?"

The maid that Shen Tang wanted was the one who had just spoken.

She would not give the second wife another chance to put people around her. She wanted a trustworthy person from the old lady to help her manage the maids in the yard who were disloyal. The second wife didn't dare to say anything.

The old lady had not expected Shen Tang to ask her for a maid, so the Second Madam tried to stop her, saying, "Qiutong is used to being ordered around by the old lady, so don't worry about her. Later, Second Aunt will arrange for you to have some more smart and capable maids."

If the Second Madam doesn't allow it, then this maidservant will be the right one.

Shen Tang looked at the old lady eagerly, as if she didn't dare to speak again. The old lady had never seen Shen Tang show such an expression to her before, and she immediately laughed, "A maidservant, grandma won't be reluctant to let go."

"Qiutong, you will follow the second lady from now on."

Qiu Tong agreed.

Shen Tang said happily, "Thank you, Grandma."

The Second Wife looked at Shen Tang's shining eyes and suddenly felt that she was out of control. She must have been overthinking it. Even if the old lady gave her a maid, Mother Jiang had the final say in Qingyi Garden. Qiu Tong did not dare to openly oppose her and tell the old lady about her faults.

Thinking of this, the second wife felt relieved, but at this time Ginkgo came in.

Ginkgo came in with her face covered, tears in her eyes. Shen Tang stood up immediately when she saw her. She pulled down Ginkgo's hand, revealing the slap marks clearly visible. Shen Tang angrily asked, "Who hit you?!"

Ginkgo cried, "It was Madam Jiang who beat me. I was looking for a gold hairpin, and a little maid told me that she saw Madam Jiang picking up a gold hairpin on the path yesterday. She didn't know if it was the girl's lost one, so I went to ask Madam Jiang.

Mother Jiang denied it and asked me to tell her which maid saw her pick it up. She threatened to tear the maid's mouth. I didn't dare to tell her for fear of implicating the maid. Mother Jiang got angry and slapped me..."

Before Ginkgo could finish her words, Madam Jiang came in and said, "I knew that this little bitch would come to you to complain about me. I didn't find your gold hairpin. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to search my room."

Mother Jiang held her back straight, and anyone who saw her would believe that she did not pick up the gold hairpin. She was open and honest and was not afraid of having her house searched.

Shen Tang looked at Yin Xing, who said aggrievedly, "I didn't doubt Mother Jiang. It was really that little maid who said she saw Mother Jiang pick it up. The time she said matched the time when Mother Jiang helped the young lady to persuade the eldest young lady yesterday. That's why I didn't doubt it and went to find Mother Jiang to ask for the gold hairpin..."

Mother Jiang said, "Then please send someone to investigate and clear this servant's name."

Shen Tang frowned, turned to look at Qiu Tong and said, "Take someone to search."

Qiu Tong was stunned. Although the old lady had given her to the second young lady, she hadn't even entered Qingyi Garden yet. Wouldn't it be bad to bring people to search Mother Jiang's room?

But the second girl had already spoken, and she had no choice but to listen.

Qiu Tong bowed and went downstairs to take care of the matter.

Shen Tang sat down, and Ginkgo stood behind her with her face covered. Mother Jiang's hands were so strong that not only did they leave five finger marks, but they were also swollen.

Mother Jiang was also standing by. She looked calm, yet also angry as if she had been wronged.

Qiu Tong was the old lady's servant and was very efficient. She returned in just two cups of tea. Mother Wang asked, "Did you find the gold hairpin?"

Qiu Tong shook her head. "I brought people to search Madam Jiang's room several times, but we couldn't find the gold hairpin."

Mother Jiang immediately knelt down and said, "Ginkgo believed a little maid and suspected me of stealing the second young lady's gold hairpin. Please, old lady, help me."

Mother Wang looked at Qiu Tong and asked, "Is there anything else you haven't reported?"

Qiu Tong said, "I didn't find the gold hairpin in Madam Jiang's room, but I did find a pawn ticket..."

Mother Jiang knelt on the ground, her body stiffened, and she blurted out, "Pawn ticket? How could there be a pawn ticket in my house?!"

She threw the pawn ticket away as soon as she left the pawn shop.

Qiu Tong took out the wrinkled pawn ticket. Mother Jiang's face turned pale and she became frightened.

Mother Wang took the pawn ticket, glanced at it, and her face turned pale. She reported to the old lady, "The pawn ticket is for a gold hairpin, the one that the second young lady lost..."

Mother Jiang cried out, "Someone deliberately put the pawn ticket in my room. I am innocent!"

It was indeed not her who put the pawn ticket there, but no one wronged her.

Mother Jiang was cautious and did not dare to keep the gold hairpin she found. So as soon as she found it yesterday, she dragged her sprained waist to the street, pawned the hairpin, and exchanged it for twenty taels of silver. She bought a lot of things and also saw a doctor.

When Mother Jiang left the house, Ginkgo did not follow her, but he asked a servant from the front yard to watch her. Shen Tang knew exactly where Mother Jiang went and what she bought.

As soon as Mother Jiang threw the pawn ticket away, the servant picked it up.

Shen Tang looked at the pawn ticket, and Mother Wang handed it to her. Shen Tang glanced at it and said, "A maid saw you pick up a gold hairpin, and you just happened to have a pawn ticket for a gold hairpin in your room. This is too much of a coincidence. Do you want to confess yourself, or should I send someone to the pawn shop with the pawn ticket to ask?"

Mother Jiang's face was pale and she didn't say anything.

The evidence is so strong that there is no way to argue.

Shen Tang threw the pawn ticket to the ground in anger. "I've treated you well. If you need money, you can tell me. I won't be stingy. You've served me for ten years, so you must recognize that it's the gold hairpin I usually wear. And you just pawned it like that? If it falls into the hands of some young lady, it's fine. But if... you can't accuse me of giving it away privately!"

Shen Tang's eyes turned red with anger and he glanced away.

It was already a serious crime for the housekeeper to steal the master's things. When Shen Tang said this, the old lady's face turned very ugly. She ordered Madam Wang, "Take the pawn ticket and redeem the gold hairpin."

Mother Wang said, "This is a death trap..."

"Even death can redeem it!"

There is nothing that cannot be redeemed, it just costs a little more money.

Mother Wang quickly sent someone to take care of this matter.

Mother Jiang knew that the old lady was angry, and begged for mercy, "I was bewitched for a moment, I know I was wrong..."

The old lady said, "Drag him away and give him forty strokes of the cane, and then sell him off."

The blood drained from Mother Jiang's face. She begged for mercy repeatedly, and was dragged out by the two maids, still shouting, "Second Madam, save me!"

The second wife wanted to save her, but how could she save someone who picked up her master's things and didn't hand them over, but secretly left the house and sold them?

Mother Jiang was dragged out, and soon the sound of beatings could be heard.

Along with this, there was also the hysterical scream of Jiang's mother, "Second Miss, you plotted against me!"

"You planned..."

Before he could finish his words, his mouth was blocked.

Shen Tang sat on the chair with a cold expression.

It was indeed her who plotted against Mother Jiang, the housekeeper who had served her for ten years. Without solid evidence, she could not deal with her.

It was she who asked Ginkgo to drop the golden hairpin on the path leading to Qinglan Garden when Jiang Mama was going there, but she did not force Jiang Mama to give the hairpin to her, nor did she ask her to leave the house and pawn the hairpin for money.

Did she think that if she pawned the hairpin and threw away the pawn ticket, no one would notice? It was her mother Jiang's fault that she was sold today.