The Plough

e ladies laugh at her.
There used to be another girl in the Yuan family named Ah Qing who was literate and quick-witted.
The madam always took her along when she went out.
But later on, the Yuan family declined day by day and the master lost all his money on gambling.
Ah Qing was a free servant, so she left the Yuan family.”

The old butler was indeed getting on in years, and once he started talking, he tended to go off on tangents.
Ling Shu had to remind him, “You haven't said when the madam will bring Ah Lan with her.”

The old butler replied, “Sometimes when the madam goes out to buy things and needs someone to help carry them, like when she goes to the department store or meets up with friends, she will bring Ah Lan along.”

Ling Shu asked, “Do you remember which friend she met up with?”

The old butler replied, “I dare not inquire about these things, but one time when she had a fight with the master, he said some very hurtful things.
He said she didn't have any real friends and that it was just an excuse to go see her lover.”

Ling Shu asked, “How did your madam respond to that?”

The old butler smiled bitterly, “Madam said that the master is unkind, so she doesn't have to remain faithful.
Even if she has an affair, it's because the master forced her to.
But in my opinion, these are just angry words.
The master still cherishes the madam deep down.
Otherwise, all these years, there wouldn't have been so many outside temptations, yet the master never thought of taking a new wife.
It's just the master's temperament…sigh! I can't explain it.
If the old master were still alive, the master would have restrained himself more and wouldn't have ended up like this!”

Yue Dingtang said calmly, “Even when your old master was alive, he couldn't control him.
Even if he were still alive, he's old and frail, what could he do? When he was young, he was the only son, so he was inevitably spoiled.
Even if he made some small mistakes, they could be tolerated.
Over time, small mistakes turned into big ones, and the tolerance level increased.
In the end, he harmed himself and others.”

Yuan Bingdao was not a good person.
During his time in Sichuan, he never did anything good for the people there.
Instead, he used his power to plunder the wealth of the region.

Even when the gold fell from the sky, he never thought to use it for good.
He only gave a small portion to his subordinates and kept the rest for himself.
It's no wonder that he ended up in such a tragic state, with his family destroyed and himself dead.

However, Yue Dingtang didn't say these unfinished words when facing the old butler.

The butler understood this in his heart, but he didn't want to admit it.
He was just facing reality.

As the two of them faced each other in silence, Ling Shu broke the silence.

’

“When was the last time your lady took Ah Lan out? Do you remember?”

The butler pondered for a moment and replied unsurely, “It seems like it was on the 23rd.”

Ling Shu said, “Don't be unsure, think carefully.”

The butler replied, “I remember now, it was indeed on the 23rd.
That day, Ah Lan came to me and said she wanted to buy some things for the New Year while Madam was out, so she asked for a day off and came back later.
She hasn't bought anything for herself during the New Year for so many years, and I felt sorry for her, so I agreed.”

It was January 23rd, two days before New Year's Eve.

That day was the last time Ling Shu and Du Yunning met.

But he didn't see Ah Lan.

Perhaps Ah Lan had already taken a day off and left, or maybe Du Yunning didn't want her around and made an excuse to send her away.

There are many coincidences in this world.
If all the coincidences happen to be true, then it's not a coincidence, but rather inevitable.

As they were talking, Shen Renjie came back.
He handed a floral-patterned revolver to Yue Dingtang.

This is the most commonly used police pistol nowadays, officially named Browning 1910.
Although it is slightly larger than a Heart Thunder, it is also more practical.

“The bullets inside are all loaded, I just tested it.
Don't worry! I have called two other brothers to come with us.
They will be guarding outside the Yuan Manor.
Once there is any movement, we will shout inside and they will rush over immediately.”

Shen Renjie was very thoughtful and had everything planned out.

Yue Dingtang nodded and put the gun and holster under his coat.

Ling Shu smiled ambiguously, “Old Yue, you're a teacher, but you handle the gun so skillfully, without any hesitation!”

Yue Dingtang asked in surprise, “Didn't you do the same thing?”

Ling Shu replied, “I am a police officer.” Yue Dingtang nodded, “The learning ability of a genius is always stronger than that of a cop who just eats and waits to die, don't you agree?”

Ling Shu: …

Yue Dingtang patted his shoulder, “Don't be jealous.
If you want to learn to be as suave as me, come back and I'll teach you the secret.”

Ling Shu twitched his mouth and really wanted to chop off his hand.
He thought to himself, “Don't get caught by me later, or I'll definitely make you regret it!”

…

’

Yuan Manor.

The two small buildings that were once thriving were now pitch black and quiet in the thick night.

The houses in this area were already expensive, and even the neighbors who used to live next door had moved out after several consecutive violent incidents.
Those who couldn't move out had gone to stay with relatives and friends, waiting for the storm to pass before returning.
The servants of the Yuan family were once locked up in the back building.
Even after nightfall, there were still some lights on, but after they were taken away and imprisoned, the place became even more lifeless and eerie, enough to scare anyone.

“Before the banquet, I had someone come back to keep watch.
How come there's not a single person here?” Yue Dingtang frowned.

Shen Renjie could hear the dissatisfaction in his tone and quickly laughed, “They must be slacking off.
I'll make sure to report to their superiors and punish these people severely.
You don't need to lower yourself to their level!”

Yue Dingtang remained silent.

Ling Shu noticed that he had his hands in his pockets, right where his gun holster was.

The old butler led them into the small building in front.

Ling Shu noticed that he was walking towards the room where Ah Lan's formerly lived.

“The entrance to the cellar is here?”

“Yes, it's right under the bed,” the butler pointed to the bed where Ah Lan used to sleep.
“If you lift the bed, you'll find the entrance to the cellar.”

Ling Shu asked Shen Renjie, “Has anyone searched here before?”

“Yes, everyone has searched here.
The cellar is not a secret, and there are many pickled vegetables stored down there.
But we didn't find the entrance to the lower level,” Shen Renjie replied.

“The Yuan family has a cook, but Ah Lan was the one who took care of the pickled vegetables.
The entrance is conveniently located in her room, but the entrance to the secret vault is well hidden.
She couldn't have found it,” the old butler added.

Ling Shu didn't believe the old butler's words.
After all, he was old and could easily lose his judgment.
Alone and friendless in the Yuan household, Ah Lan poured all her energy into the repetitive task of pickling vegetables.
The monotony of her work left her with plenty of time to explore every nook and cranny of the cellar, and she had long since discovered the entrance to a secret chamber.

But what was impossible for the old butler was merely a matter of limited knowledge.
Ling Shu was still recovering from his injuries and couldn't do the heavy lifting, so Shen Renjie stepped forward and lifted the wooden boards covering the entrance.
Sure enough, a flight of stone steps was revealed.

“I've been down there once before, following the butler.
You guys go last, and the butler can lead the way,” he said.

The old butler hobbled ahead with his cane, muttering to himself as they descended.
“I haven't been down here for a long time.
In the past, it was Ah Lan who brought out the pickled vegetables and sent them directly to the kitchen…”

Shen Renjie's lamp in his hand swayed with his footsteps, slowly moving forward in the darkness.

To Ling Shu, the darkness below seemed more like a giant monster, ready to devour the only remaining light at any moment.

The author has something to say:

In order to comfort the single people, Ling Shu, who is single on Singles' Day, has a good heart and is not showing off his love.
Instead, he is preparing to tease each other in the main text →_→