After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

Jiang Xiaoqi shielded his mother behind him, and his current height of nearly 1.65 meters was enough to cover Lin Yueniang.

"who?"

"who?"

Two voices sounded at the same time.

A person also dressed in black emerged from the shadows.

Jiang Xiaoqi glanced at it warily. Hmm? It looked somewhat familiar!

The other person was also taken aback. He took a few steps forward, ripped off his own mask, and then grabbed Jiang Xiaoqi's.

Jiang Xiaoqi could have dodged the other party's "clutches," but she didn't make a move after seeing the other party's face.

"It's you!"

Farmhouse outside the city

"Mingfei, I never expected to meet you and your aunt here!"

"Yes, where have you been all these years? We haven't seen each other for four or five years since you left the clan school."

"Sigh, I've been doing what you said, playing dumb at home, pretending to be stupid, but I never thought I'd actually find out the real cause of my mother's death..."

"Oh?"

Jiang Xiaoqi didn't know whether she should ask or not, since it was, after all, someone else's private matter.

"It's my dad! It's actually my dad! I always thought it was my stepmother or aunt, but I never imagined that the culprit was my own father!"

I used to think he was the one who was deceived and tricked, but now it seems I was really foolish to defend the murderer!

Once they started talking, the other person began to recount all their experiences and encounters over the years.

The two stopped talking when Lin Yueniang brought in two bowls of chicken noodles that had just been cooked with poria cocos.

"Mingfei, you and your... friend, why don't you grab something to eat first? You must be starving after all that running around."

"Oh, Mother, this is also my classmate from our clan school. Lin Xiao, this is my mother."

It wasn't appropriate to introduce things outside Yuanzhou City, but we'll have a proper chance to talk once we're back at the farmhouse where we're temporarily staying.

"Auntie, I'm sorry to bother you!"

"So you're Mingfei's classmate. It's fate that we meet again. Don't bother me. Come on, you two, eat your noodles while they're hot."

"Thank you so much, Auntie. You've gone to so much trouble."

Lin Xiao took the bowl and saw how much Jiang Xiaoqi was eating. He, who wasn't hungry at first, also felt a little hungry.

With a slurp, the large bowl of shredded chicken noodles was emptied.

The two put down their bowls and took a sip of the jasmine tea that Fuling had brought them. It was refreshing and delicate, just the right amount to cut through the richness of the tea.

"So what are your plans now? And why are you here outside Yuanzhou City today? Are you, like us, out for a study tour?"

When Jiang Xiaoqi asked this question, he gave the other party a suggested answer: if they didn't want to reveal the real reason for Yuan Zhou's visit, they could use "studying abroad" as an excuse.

To his surprise, Lin Xiao shook his head.

"I didn't come here for a study tour. I came to Yuanzhou to find something, something quite important to me, but..."

"But you also happened to be caught in the martial law in Yuanzhou Prefecture, where you were only allowed to enter but not leave?"

Lin Xiao nodded, "Exactly, that's why I wanted to find out what's going on in Yuanzhou tonight. However, my skills aren't up to par, and before I could even figure out how to get in, I ran into you and Auntie."

Lin Xiao felt quite embarrassed as he said this. He thought that with his years of hard training, climbing over the city wall would be a piece of cake. He never expected that Yuanzhou was so heavily guarded.

After wandering around for half an hour, they still couldn't find a good opportunity to throw the "Hook Strong" up!

“You’re not in a hurry to go to Yuanzhou City. My mother and I have found out some information today, and we’d like to tell you about it.”

"Oh? Brother Jiang, please proceed!"

Lin Xiao was somewhat shocked; he had actually bumped into Brother Jiang and his mother while they were leaving the city! He had initially assumed they had also failed to enter the city…

When did Mingfei start learning martial arts? How could he become so skilled in just a few years?

“We heard from the garrison commander of Yuanzhou that something important seemed to have been lost in the city, and the thieves who stole it were unable to leave the city in time.”

The prefect of Yuanzhou then ordered the city to be sealed off, allowing entry but not exit, and it is estimated that a thorough search will be conducted within the city for the next two days.

However, I'm not sure if this news is accurate; it might be deliberately leaked to mislead the public.

Lin Xiao pondered for a moment, "No matter what, I still want to go into the city to take a look. Actually, if I had your and Aunt's skills, I could just go and take what I'm looking for and leave."

Unfortunately, my skills are still lacking; I'll have to find another way.

"Brother Lin, may I ask what you're looking for in the city?"

"Actually, it's nothing special. It's worthless to others, but it's very important to me."

This is my mother's dowry list. The copy at the Lin family's house was destroyed. There were two other copies; one is with the original witness, and the other is at my maternal grandparents' house!

"You mean, that dowry list is in Yuanzhou City? And is this one from your mother's family?"

"This is from a witness. Although my mother's marriage was rushed, the dowry list was clearly listed."

Although my mother's family were merchants, they still wanted their daughter to marry well. Therefore, my maternal grandparents disregarded my uncles' objections and bought my mother a lot of valuable items.

I was afraid my daughter would suffer mistreatment if she married into an official's family. I thought the dowry would give my daughter confidence in her husband's family. Who would have thought... it would become my mother's death warrant!

Later, a misfortune befell my maternal grandfather's family, and my paternal grandparents passed away one after another. The dowry list that had been left in my maternal grandfather's family eventually ended up in someone else's hands.

As for the Lin family's share, it has always been kept by the old lady of the Lin family. I once tried to subtly ask my grandmother for it, but she either pretended to be confused or said that she had forgotten where she put it and that she had to look for it carefully.

How could we possibly find it? It was clearly my grandmother and my father who conspired to ruin the dowry list! They embezzled all of my mother's dowry!

Lin Xiao's eyes were red, as if tears could fall at any moment, and Jiang Xiaoqi handed him a handkerchief at the right time.

"My mother, such a beautiful woman, was slowly poisoned by them until she was no longer human!"

When they finally left, all that was left was skin and bones, like a skeleton! Wouldn't they be terrified awake in the middle of the night? Wouldn't they be restless and uneasy?!

Lin Xiao clenched his fist. "If I can't get my mother's dowry back from the Lin family, I think my mother will be restless in the afterlife."

Seeing those who took her life squandering her dowry, she probably won't be able to reincarnate in peace!

Jiang Xiaoqi patted Lin Xiao on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Brother Lin, I will go into the city with you."

Lin Xiao looked up in surprise, "Brother Jiang, this is too dangerous."

"It would be too risky for you to go alone; more people mean more help."

Lin Yueniang didn't know whether to agree or disagree. Entering and leaving Yuanzhou City wasn't too difficult for her and her son, but finding something was another matter.

However, when she heard Lin Xiao say that he was looking for an abandoned house, she felt much relieved.

I'm just looking for something, nothing should happen, right?