Chapter 9: The Country Girl Lady

Leng Yi faced them, watching as they entered the room on the right side of the three large rooms directly opposite. He knew that was the bedroom. He walked over to Master Dong, leaned in close to his ear, and whispered for quite a while. Master Dong nodded repeatedly, clasped his hands in agreement, and then took his leave.

Behind the front courtyard of the yamen is the second hall, separated by a ceremonial gate. Here, civil cases or cases involving secrets and private matters are adjudicated

He reacted quickly, maintaining a calm demeanor, smiled slightly, and said: "Since we are outside, in front of others, it would be better for Madam to show some respect."

Zhuo smiled and said, "I was just about to do the laundry when you returned."

"Washing clothes?" Cold Yi glanced at the maid and the old woman beside her, "Why not let them do the washing?"

The water in this pond is alive, flowing in from a small channel and out through another channel

Zhuo finally felt relieved, took a package of luggage from the hands of the servant, and looked at Leng Yi

Leng Yi did not speak rashly and glanced at Master Dong. Master Dong understood and quickly stepped forward with a smile, saying: "Madam, Mr. Dong this time needs to disguise himself as a monk for the investigation, so he cut his hair. However, he did not have a razor, so he used scissors temporarily, which is why it turned out like this. Hehe."

At this time, the sun was already setting in the west, casting golden rays of sunlight upon the dilapidated buildings of the yamen, evoking a sense of desolate beauty

Zhuo Qiaoniang still needed to fetch water, but Leng Yi took the bucket and said, "Let me do it."

"Let me do it!" said Tu Shuangyi.

Only one young married woman stood there, smiled shyly, and called out: "Sir!"

Zhuo's slender wrist gave a gentle shake, and the bucket obediently dove into the well.

Leng Yi began to draw water with the well rope. However, the well was quite deep, and he could not see inside. Moreover, Leng Yi had never had any experience drawing water from a well. The bucket floated on the surface of the water, and no matter how much Leng Yi shook the well rope, it would not sink into the water

Zhuo turned around and saw her, and only then did he manage a faint smile: "My lord!"

Leng Yi followed Master Dong into the corner gate, and the servant carrying the luggage was not allowed to enter. It was sufficient to hand over the belongings to the waiting maidservants in the inner courtyard.

Zhuo nodded busily and, together with the maidservants, carried the items away

Zhuo immediately noticed the unusual state of Leng Yi's hair, her small mouth forming a perfect circle as she gazed at him in astonishment

An old woman said softly: "We were going to wash, but the lady wouldn't let us."

Leng Yi felt somewhat anxious; he did not know how to face the wife of the county magistrate whose identity he had usurped. He was also curious about what kind of person she was. Perhaps this woman would be his companion for life, or at the very least, someone he would need to care for throughout his life. What kind of woman would he be living under the same roof with?

Zhuo held a wooden basin, walked to the side of the well, and set it down. He took out a wooden box containing soap pod powder and a book, placing them aside. He then rose and knelt on one leg on the bluestone surrounding the well, grasped the well rope, and lowered the bucket into the well.

Leng Yi wanted to say that he would do it, but seeing Zhuo Qiaoniang's actions, it seemed she did not care about the weight of the bucket of water. He watched as she pulled a bucket of water from the well and poured it into the wooden basin

This person should be the wife of the county magistrate, Zhuo, who has been impersonating herself.

On the left side of the second hall is the reception parlor, and on the right side is the signing room. This is the place where the county magistrate and the clerk conduct their work

Leng Yi said to Master Dong: "Sir, please accompany me to the inner residence!"

In the past, officials used to call me by my given name, Qiaoniang. Why are you being so polite today

Zhuo did not realize that Leng Yi was following her. Suddenly hearing a sound, she was so startled that her hand trembled, and the bucket fell into the well with a loud thud

Qiao Niang? Zhuo Qiao Niang? It turns out that the wife of the county magistrate I replaced is named Zhuo Qiao Niang

Oh. Zhuo Qiaoniang nodded, looked around, and did not see anyone; it was not in front of anyone either. However, she did not distinguish it, merely smiled charmingly and continued to swiftly draw water.

Has the master figured out this mystery

Zhuo looked at him strangely

Leng Yi forced a smile: "If I had figured it out, what am I still doing here? It's giving me a headache! Alright, that's enough for today. Tomorrow morning, we will set off for Kuli Village!"

The head constable Wu asked with a smile, "What insights do you have, my lord?"

Leng Yi raised his eyes to look, and saw that this woman was in her twenties, petite in stature, with slightly disheveled hair, likely busy with her tasks. Beads of sweat lingered on her forehead, and a strand of hair, dampened by sweat, clung to her cheek. Her appearance was dignified, delicate, and understated, though her skin was somewhat dark. When she smiled, two sharp little canine teeth were revealed. She wore a coarse cloth dress, and her hands fidgeted awkwardly with the hem of her clothing. Those hands were rough and slightly swollen, clearly having done a considerable amount of hard work. Her appearance was dignified, delicate, and understated, though her skin was somewhat dark. When she smiled, two sharp little canine teeth were revealed. She wore a coarse cloth dress, and her hands fidgeted awkwardly with the hem of her clothing. Those hands were rough and slightly swollen, clearly having done a considerable amount of hard work.

Just now, Leng Yi carefully observed Zhuo Qiaoniang's movements, imitating her actions. After much effort, he finally managed to draw up a bucket of water. He smiled proudly, glanced at Zhuo Qiaoniang, and poured the water into the wooden basin

The doorman and the maids handling the luggage greeted Leng Yi one by one, addressing him as "Sir".

Leng Yi cast a puzzled glance at them; from their expressions, they seemed somewhat indignant, which made her even more curious. She then waved her hand and said to the maidservants, "You may leave now"

Leng Yi was afraid that she would fall into the well, so he quickly grabbed her arm

Leng Yi nodded slightly, remaining silent in contemplation

Leng Yi said: "At present, I am more inclined to believe it was a homicide, as there are too many inconsistencies in the suicide theory that are difficult to reconcile. However, if it is a homicide, we only need to solve one mystery—how the murderer entered the locked room to commit the crime! All doubts can be easily resolved."

Captain Ding smiled and said, "I agree with Captain Song's opinion; no one could have entered, it must have been suicide. As for why she chose this method, related to the books, heh heh, I fear only she herself knows."

Leng Yi was very satisfied with Master Dong's explanation. He smiled and glanced at him, having now confirmed that this young woman was indeed the wife of the county magistrate. Only then did he smile and say to Zhuo: "It's nothing. Hair grows back quickly, so there's no need to worry"

Leng Yi turned to Captain Ding and asked, "What is your opinion?"

The maid has left

Leng Yi quickly climbed onto the beam, placing his suitcase and a bundle of blood-stained clothes in a concealed corner. He descended lightly, removed the bolt from the back window, and then stepped out briskly. From a distance, he saw the Zhuo family enter a small door beside the inner courtyard, so he followed them in. Inside was a back garden, featuring a rockery and a small pond. Some lotus leaves were planted, but now, in early winter, they had all turned yellow and were floating on the water's surface. A thin layer of ice had already formed along the edge of the pond.

Several people were busy agreeing

Leng Yi stated that they should not touch these pieces of luggage, so the Zhuo family did not move them. Holding a basin of clothes, they smiled at Leng Yi and then exited the room

A sudden jolt ran through Leng Yi's heart; how could this resemble the wife of a county magistrate? She was clearly a peasant woman engaged in hard labor in the countryside

Master Dong agreed, and he naturally understood what Leng Yi meant by asking him to follow.

Cold Yi, feeling helpless, had no choice but to hand the well rope to Zhuo.

Not far from the drainage ditch, there is a well. Next to the well, a washing platform is constructed with blue stone slabs. A small water channel connects to the pond's drainage ditch, allowing dirty water to be discharged outside the courtyard

Leng Yi guessed that she might be too timid to walk ahead of him, so he decided to go first. However, he was not at all familiar with this inner residence and had no idea where to go. His mind was quick, and he immediately came up with an idea. He said to Zhuo: "You take the luggage to our bedroom first; I still need to discuss something with Master Dong. Don't touch anything; I'll talk to you when I return"

Leng Yi took the well rope from her hand and began to draw water. Zhuo Shi looked at him with some surprise. She turned her head to glance at the back yard door and saw two women standing there, looking this way, which made her show an expression of embarrassment and unease. She reached out to take back the well rope but hesitated to do so.

Further ahead lies the inner residence, separated by tall walls, with two large gates that are usually locked. There is only a small side gate for entry and exit.

Leng Yi stepped into the bedroom, where items were scattered chaotically on the floor, and some clothes were haphazardly placed on the bed. Zhuo was busy putting the clothes into a wooden basin, while the maid and the old woman stood by, watching idly.

Leng Yi walked over and sat down on the chair. He could not directly ask why they were not allowed to wash; if they had discussed this issue before, it would easily raise suspicions. He watched her busy with her tasks, remaining silent.

Observing Leng Yi's clumsy movements, Zhuo's lips curled into a faint smile as she said, "My lord, allow me to assist you." After saying this, she extended her hand but did not dare to snatch the well rope from his grasp.

Leng Yi praised, "Madam, your hands are truly skillful"

Leng Yi instinctively felt that he had said something wrong, and he asked in confusion, "What happened?"

Leng Yi frowned and said, "What are you doing?"