Chapter 147: Chapter 79 Marshal Captures the Culprit_1
The day was particularly excruciating.
Perhaps it was because she had sothing on her mind, Xia Rongrong felt restless all day. Du Changqing had co to check on her a few tis, but Xia Rongrong only claid she was tired and would be fine after so rest.
By nightfall, Du Changqing and Ah Cheng had gone ho, leaving only her and Lu Tong, the master and servant, in the shop. Xiang Cao lit the candles and secured the door. When she turned around, she saw Xia Rongrong curled up on the couch, her hand still tightly clutching a pair of silver scissors.
"Miss, you don’t need to be so nervous," Xiang Cao said.
"She lives right next door," Xia Rongrong whispered, "just seeing her face today made
shiver. Xiang Cao, what if she suspects that we discovered what she did and decides to silence us?"
Xiang Cao was helpless.
Her mistress was good in every way, except that she was too timid, scaring herself at the slightest disturbance. Hoping to change the subject and distract Xia Rongrong, Xiang Cao pointed to the jade bracelet on Xia Rongrong’s wrist and smiled.
"Miss, don’t worry. Shopkeeper Bai already said that everything will be fine. Look at this jade bracelet Lady Bai gave you, it’s of such fine quality, it’s worth at least a hundred taels of silver. Their generous gift shows they intend to do business and they won’t abandon you," she reassured.
Upon hearing this, Xia Rongrong complained, "Don’t ntion it. If I had known, I would have moved out of the dical hall with you first thing this morning. I shouldn’t have gone to Bai Shouyi, nor should I have agreed to keep an eye on Lu Tong."
Although she said this, her fingertips caressed the bracelet around her wrist. The jade was cool and smooth, emitting a soft glow in the light, making it hard for her to look away.
The decision to join forces with Bai Shouyi to drive away Lu Tong was made so ti ago.
Indeed, it also had to do with Lu Tong.
One night, Xia Rongrong went to the kitchen for water and happened to see Lu Tong staring blankly at a dead rabbit. Although Lu Tong claid the rabbit had eaten poisonous weeds by mistake, Xia Rongrong suspected that Lu Tong had intentionally poisoned it.
Thinking that Du Changqing trusted Lu Tong and might not believe her, his cousin, Xia Rongrong took Xiang Cao’s advice and wrote to Bai Shouyi, the shopkeeper of Xinglin Hall, about the incident.
Unexpectedly, Bai Shouyi sent Wen You to pass along a ssage to her.
Wen You said that Bai Shouyi was aware of the situation but poisoning a rabbit wasn’t such a grave offense. However, he fully understood Xia Rongrong’s shock and fear at the ti. Bai Shouyi advised Xia Rongrong to keep it from Du Changqing for now so as not to startle the culprit and instead to observe for a few more days. If she noticed any other suspicious behavior from Lu Tong, she could still have soone from the Bai family bring word, and he would be more than willing to help.
After Wen You finished speaking, he slipped a silver note into Xia Rongrong’s hand.
Thanks to that hundred-tael silver note, when Xia Rongrong saw Lu Tong covered in blood last night, she panicked and instantly sent soone to Xinglin Hall with the news.
Xia Rongrong intended to inform Bai Shouyi of the matter and then move out of the dical hall quickly to hide for a few days, but unexpectedly, Bai Shouyi ca to her this ti.
Bai Shouyi stood before her, his face kind and benevolent, fiddling with the colored silk ribbon at his waist, his tone uncharacteristically solemn, "Miss Xia, do you suspect that Doctor Lu is a murderer, and do you have evidence?"
"What about that blood-stained garnt, and her going out late at night, can’t these be considered evidence?" she asked.
"They can, but they are not enough," he said.
"Not enough?"
Bai Shouyi pondered, "Miss Xia, I have an irregular request, and I hope you can help."
Her lips faltered, "What is it?"
Bai Shouyi wanted her to stay in the dical hall.
"If Lu Tong really has killed soone, there are bound to be traces left behind. With Du Changqing coming ho every evening, only you, Miss Xia, at the dical hall can keep a close watch on her. Could you stay at the dical hall and, should you notice anything amiss, imdiately send word to ? Once we have both testimonies and evidence, the matter will be much easier to deal with," he explained.
Xia Rongrong instinctively wanted to refuse, "I can’t..."
Bai Shouyi took her hand, startling her, and then he slipped a mutton-fat jade bracelet onto her wrist.
"Miss Xia," he sighed deeply, "this is not just for Bai’s personal reasons but also for Young Master Du’s sake. You surely cannot stand idly by while Young Master Du unknowingly harbors a murderer at his side, can you?"
Xia Rongrong’s gaze fixed on the beautiful bracelet, and the words of refusal she had were swallowed back.
The light flickered in the room, pulling her thoughts back with the cool sensation of the jade bracelet.
Rubbing her temples, Xia Rongrong admitted to herself that it wasn’t for Du Changqing’s Renxin dical Hall, nor for Bai Shouyi’s sweet talk, but rather for the beautiful and expensive bracelet that had drawn her in.
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