After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

Fourth Sister didn't look at the dying Master Zhang anymore, and walked up to Lu Zhiyuan: "Madam, would you dare to come with me to a place?"

Lu Zhiyuan nodded, turned around, and walked out the door ahead of Fourth Sister.

Darkness enveloped the room once more, bringing with it the unknown and fear. Old Master Zhang strained to open his eyes, his slightly dilated pupils reflecting a narrow crack in the door. He saw no trace of his past, only his wife holding their young daughter, standing on the river.

His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to call his wife's name, but no sound came out.

He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief; that was the final period he drew in his life.

Fourth Sister led Lu Zhiyuan through the courtyard, passing through an inconspicuous little room into another courtyard. From that courtyard, they walked through a secluded alley and arrived at the inn where they were staying.

"The inn is mine. I bought it with the money the Zhang family gave me." Fourth Sister explained as she unlocked the door, "I don't think I did anything wrong. I was forced to have a child for the Zhang family, and they should compensate me. The gold and silver, the jewelry, they were all given to me voluntarily. I didn't steal or rob, so I don't feel indebted."

Lu Zhiyuan said, "It is indeed what Fourth Sister deserves."

Fourth Sister smiled and continued, "I originally took over this shop to provide for my daughter, but I never expected it to become my own place of refuge. Madam, you don't need to be wary of me. I know you are a good person, and I am not a bad person either. Everyone in the inn, including the manager, has lost a child. What we want is to expose the conspiracy of the whole town, so that those innocent children will no longer be sacrificed."

"Weren't those children meant to atone for the Liu family's sins? I heard that the whole town was involved in that incident back then."

"Does Madam believe it?" Fourth Sister stopped, turned around, and looked into Lu Zhiyuan's eyes: "He Niannian was indeed framed by the Liu family. All four major clans in the town were involved in bullying He Niannian. It's true that most people in the town went to watch the spectacle on the day He Niannian was thrown into the river, but it wasn't like what's being said outside, with everyone spitting. There are thousands of people in the town, how long would it take for everyone to spit? In fact, He Niannian was thrown into the river very quickly. Apart from the Liu clan patriarch and a few key figures, the rest didn't even see a trace of He Niannian."

Lu Zhiyuan believed Fourth Sister's words; a single spittle from each person wouldn't make a difference. Reality wasn't a storybook; it didn't need so many lines. According to the palace maids' descriptions of the drowning scenes, women who had made mistakes were often carried to the riverbank and thrown in before they could utter a single word. Those who came to watch the spectacle could at most see the process and hear the splashing water. Those who were far away could only hear vivid descriptions from others, descriptions that were mostly influenced by their own imaginations.

Fourth Sister knew what Lu Zhiyuan was thinking, lowered her eyes and smiled, her eyes filled with mockery.

"And that Butler He that the Zhang family mentioned, does Madam believe she is truly sincere towards He Niannian?"

Lu Zhiyuan: "Without knowing the full picture, it's impossible to make a judgment."

“Madam is cautious,” Fourth Sister said. “Women are pitiful, especially those who have fallen on hard times. They often take the outstretched hand as a means of support. Without discernment, they fall into the lies that the other party has deliberately fabricated.”

Lu Zhiyuan: "Does Fourth Sister know anything else?"

Fourth Sister lowered her head and led Lu Zhiyuan to the back hall: "It's still early, Madam, why don't you sit here with Fourth Sister for a while? Madam, rest assured, Fourth Sister has already led the way for that young master. No matter if it's Cui'er, or those dealings between the Zhang and Zhou families, they will all be exposed today."

Lu Zhiyuan was not in a hurry.

The Crown Prince is no mere figurehead, nor are Zuo Yi and his guards. Lu Yun was personally trained by her, and even if Fourth Sister harbors some conspiracy, she would never put herself in danger. As for her, although burdened by her weak body and her skills are not as good as before, she is still more than capable of dealing with Fourth Sister.

This is the inn where they are staying. The guards stationed here aren't blind; they've been under their watchful eyes since they entered. If Fourth Sister were to harm her, her fate would be the same as that servant in the Zhang household.

Fourth Sister knew who was in the inn, so she deliberately opened the window to let those watching know that Lu Zhiyuan was safe.

He dragged a stool over and sat down facing the window, speaking softly, "I've never met his wife, so I don't know how much I resemble her, but he seems to really think I am her. His wife knows who I'm talking about. Late at night, he told me many things he'd never told anyone else."

He Niannian, rescued from the brink of death, suffered from severe leukorrhea and postpartum complications in addition to her external injuries. Leukorrhea is an early sign of gynecological diseases and may be related to infection, inflammation, or other illnesses. He Niannian's leukorrhea likely stemmed from her husband, Liu, the bodyguard who was solely focused on using her to climb the social ladder, amass wealth, and change his social class. He was a husband who outwardly loved her but inwardly schemed against her at every turn.

The person next to you in bed knows you best. He Niannian may not be unaware of what her husband is planning. She just has expectations of him, hoping that the feelings he gives her are all fake, and hoping that he is a truly good husband.

To test her expectations of him, she became pregnant, but her husband aborted the child. Her husband only wanted the He family's assets, not He Niannian, and even less so, He Niannian's child. He was a son-in-law who had married into the family; once the child was born, the He family's assets would have nothing to do with him anymore.

He didn't want He Niannian's child, nor did he care whether He Niannian's health would collapse. The medicine he gave He Niannian was extremely strong, causing He Niannian to suffer from many health problems after her miscarriage.

Butler He, being the steward of the He household and harboring feelings for He Niannian, was certainly aware of what she had endured. After rescuing her, he only cared about her life or death, disregarding her external injuries and illness. The medicine he instructed the doctor to administer to He Niannian was extremely potent. Like drinking poison to quench thirst, while it could temporarily restore He Niannian's vitality, it also drained her life force.

Those drugs have a very obvious side effect: they can cause memory loss and even dementia.

Amnesia?

A common trope in novels, especially after experiencing many changes.

dementia?

That's something new.

Fourth Sister tilted her head to look at her fingers: "How could a man who deeply loves a woman bear to let her become a fool? Besides, He Niannian's illness isn't incurable, it's just that the course of the disease is longer. Butler He, like that live-in son-in-law, only wants the status of He Niannian's husband or bedmate, and he covets the He family's wealth. Compared to the live-in son-in-law, Butler He is more patient and his plans are more far-reaching. In other words, the He family's wealth and businesses may be more than what we know."

Lu Zhiyuan closed her eyes and sorted through the information that Fourth Sister had given her.

He Niannian was humiliated and murdered by her husband, and Butler He watched the whole thing until He Niannian was sent to the Liu family's old mansion. Butler He felt that his opportunity had come. He found Master Zhang, who was working as a beggar on the street, and asked him to keep an eye on He Niannian for him.