Transmigrated into the Scumbag Ex-Wife of the Prime Minister - Chapter 24

“What, what happened at home?” Lu Hualin asked anxiously.

“Village Elder, Village Elder fell off the mountain!”

“What?!”

Hearing this, everyone was shocked, and immediately rushed home in a hurry.

At Village Elder Lu’s house, in the main room.

“Mom! Mom!” As soon as Lu Hualin stepped into the courtyard gate, he called out impatiently.

Yang Yulan heard the voice and quickly walked out of the room, holding a damp cloth in her hand.

“Yulan, Mom, Mom she, she, how, how is she?” Lu Hualin was so anxious that he stammered even more when he spoke.

He spoke to his wife while walking quickly inside.

Yang Yulan also looked extremely anxious, her voice filled with worry, “I don’t know yet, Doctor Ding is examining her.”

Lu Sheng and Qi Zhenshu followed them into the room, only to see Village Elder Lu lying on the bed with her eyes closed, looking lifeless.

Half of her face was covered in dried bloodstains and mud, her clothes were also full of mud, her hair was loose, and there was mud, water, and broken grass in her hair.

“Mom!” Lu Hualin shouted, walking quickly to the bedside.

“Doctor Ding, how, how is my mother?”

Doctor Ding withdrew his hand and sighed softly, shaking his head, “The Village Elder is low on vital energy and blood, her pulse is weak and sinking, I’m afraid it will be difficult for her to recover.”

“What?!”

When Lu Hualin heard this, his vision went black, and he almost couldn’t stand steadily.

“No, no way, no way,” Lu Hualin murmured a few words, then looked at Doctor Ding eagerly, “Doctor Ding, please, please think of another way!”

“There is one way,” Doctor Ding hesitated for a moment and said, “But the medicinal herbs are really expensive, and it is not guaranteed to be effective.”

“What way? As long as it can save my mother, I don’t care how expensive the medicine is!” Village Elder Lu turned from grief to joy, and said hurriedly.

“Top-grade Blood Ginseng, using top-grade Red Ginseng as a guide, and then brewing a decoction to replenish vital energy and blood, might be effective.”

“Top-grade Blood Ginseng?”

“The Baoji Hall in the county has it for sale, three hundred taels a piece.”

“Three hundred taels?!” Lu Hualin exclaimed in shock.

It was the first time he had heard of such expensive medicinal herbs, and most importantly, he didn’t have three hundred taels on him!

Most of the money from the wine sold by the winery a few days ago had been used by him to buy grain, and there was only less than a hundred taels left in the account.

Lu Hualin was sweating profusely with anxiety, then a flash of inspiration struck, and he remembered that he did have the three hundred taels.

The money Lu Sheng asked him to sell the wine recipe for this morning: five hundred taels from Boss Liao, and four hundred taels from the other four wineries.

However, when he had lunch with Village Elder Lu, she had specifically instructed that the recipe for distilled spirits was Lu Sheng’s idea, so the money from selling the recipe naturally belonged to her.

Lu Hualin was preoccupied with the new wine brewing, so he hadn’t had time to give her the silver notes.

He hurriedly walked up to Lu Sheng, took the silver notes from his chest, and looked at her eagerly, “A’Sheng, Mom said that, that the money from selling the wine recipe, the money belongs to you, but now, can, can you lend your eldest uncle three, three hundred taels first.”

“We are all family, what are you saying, Uncle, take this money first.”

Lu Sheng was not surprised that Village Elder Lu would give her the money from selling the wine recipe.

“Mm, mm.” Lu Hualin counted out three hundred taels and handed the remaining silver notes to her.

Lu Sheng took the money and gave him another hundred taels, “Keep this hundred taels for now, Grandmother will need more medicine later, it will be useful.”

“Ay, ay.” Lu Hualin showed a rare smile.

He tucked the money away and rushed out of the courtyard in a hurry.

“You keep this money.” Lu Sheng handed the remaining silver notes to Qi Zhenshu.

Qi Zhenshu’s pupils widened slightly, looking at her in surprise.

“You keep it first, if I keep it, it might be gone in a few days.” Lu Sheng said half-jokingly.

Qi Zhenshu’s eyes flickered, and he helplessly accepted the silver notes.

“From now on, you can study with peace of mind, you don’t need to copy books to supplement the family income anymore.” Lu Sheng added in a whisper, and then quickly walked to the bedside to look at Village Elder Lu.

Seeing that Doctor Ding had finished the examination, Yang Yulan went to the courtyard to fetch water to wipe Village Elder Lu.

The fingers holding the silver notes paused, and that peculiar feeling surged up again in his heart. Qi Zhenshu looked at her back, the color in his eyes deepening.

The wound on Village Elder Lu’s forehead was particularly deep, with the broken skin and flesh turned outward, still oozing blood.

Yang Yulan was startled by the sight, and her hands holding the cloth could not stop trembling.

“Aunt, let me do it.” Lu Sheng reached out to take the cloth.

“Ay, ay.”

Yang Yulan handed the cloth to her, then turned around to look for a set of new clothes in the wardrobe.

Qi Zhenshu helped her change Village Elder Lu’s clothes.

After wiping Village Elder Lu and applying medicine, Lu Sheng asked, “Aunt, where did Grandmother get such a serious injury?”

Yang Yulan sighed, “After lunch, my second aunt and Yingzi came over and made a fuss about wanting the winery back again. Mom didn’t agree, and they argued for a long time.”

“After they left, Mom said she was going to the back mountain to have a look.”

“I saw she was sad, probably wanting to go to the back mountain to see my uncle and Erlang, so I didn’t follow.”

“I really should have gone with her.” Yang Yulan said with reddened eyes, wringing her hands in regret, “It’s my fault, Mom’s legs are not good, and it rained last night, I should have gone with her.”

“Why did I let her go up the mountain alone!”

Village Elder Lu had a kind nature and usually treated Yang Yulan like her own daughter. Yang Yulan was also gentle, and the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was exceptionally harmonious.

“Aunt, don’t blame yourself.” Lu Sheng patted her on the shoulder to comfort her.

When Lu Hualin returned, Lu Zheng and Zhuo You followed him. Zhuo Yu was on official duty and had left for Qingzhou the day before yesterday, so he didn’t come with them.

The sun was setting, and the sky began to darken.

After Village Elder Lu drank the medicine, her breathing had slightly improved, and the heavy hearts of the people present were somewhat relieved.

Qi Zhenshu looked at the darkening sky outside and quietly said to Lu Sheng, “The path on the back mountain is well maintained and flat. Grandmother goes there every few days and is very familiar with the mountain path, she shouldn’t have fallen down so carelessly.”

Most of the people in Luer Village who died are buried on the back mountain. In the early years, the village even raised money together to renovate it. The path is wide and the slope is gentle. As long as one walks close to the mountain side, it is impossible to fall.

“You suspect that Grandmother falling off the mountain slope was not an accident?” Lu Sheng was surprised.

“I don’t know yet.” Qi Zhenshu glanced at her, “I want to go to the back mountain to check, do you want to come along?”

It would be more careful if two people went together.

“Okay.” It was rare for Qi Zhenshu to actively invite her to do something together, so Lu Sheng naturally agreed happily.

“The matter is still uncertain, don’t tell Eldest Sister and the others yet, lest it adds to their worries.” Qi Zhenshu looked at the mother and daughter wiping away tears by the bed and instructed.

“Mm.”

The two quietly left the courtyard. Lu Sheng thought for a moment and asked, “If it really wasn’t an accident, do you think it could be someone from the second branch who did it?”

There had just been a conflict at noon, and Village Elder Lu suffered misfortune in the afternoon. It was very difficult not to be suspicious.

“I don’t know.” Qi Zhenshu frowned.

“Or maybe Boss Liao? I offended him this morning, could it be him?” Lu Sheng suddenly grabbed Qi Zhenshu’s arm, unable to contain her self-reproach, “You were right, I shouldn’t have been so rash.”

“If it really is Boss Liao, I, I…” Lu Sheng grew more and more frightened and self-reproaching.

Qi Zhenshu stopped, looking at the anxious and self-reproaching person in front of him, his eyes softened, and his tone was soothing, “Don’t overthink. It’s still uncertain if it was an accident, and even if it wasn’t, it might not necessarily be Boss Liao.”

“If it were him, he would settle the score with you, or us, or Lu Hualin, why would he take revenge on Grandmother?”

Lu Sheng was too concerned and flustered, momentarily taking all the blame upon herself.

Qi Zhenshu’s expression remained calm, but his words were full of heartwarming comfort, and Lu Sheng’s panicked heart immediately calmed down.

Thump, thump, thump.

A warm current flowed from her heart to her face. Lu Sheng lowered her slightly flushed face and said softly, “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Qi Zhenshu did not notice her unusual reaction. She looked at the slope. “Let’s hurry up the mountain, it’s getting dark.”

The two walked up the mountain path, carefully checking the sides of the road, but found nothing unusual along the way.

The back mountain was not high; the two reached the cemetery on the hillside in less than fifteen minutes.

Because it had rained last night, the mountain path in front of the graves was a bit muddy and covered with footprints of various sizes.

Lu Guangming and his son’s graves were located in the southwestern corner of the hillside, a relatively secluded spot, right next to a steep, pathless slope.

Yesterday was the twenty-eighth day (the fourth ‘seven-day period’) since Lu Huacheng’s death. There were still ashes on his grave that had not been blown away—the ashes Lu Sheng and the others had burned when they went up the mountain.

The two searched around the grave, and Qi Zhenshu found something unusual between the tombstone and the grave mound.

“Lu Sheng.”

“Qi Zhenshu.”

They spoke at the same time, then looked at each other.

Qi Zhenshu was standing behind the tombstone, while Lu Sheng was standing by the steep slope.

Qi Zhenshu first walked to Lu Sheng’s side. Lu Sheng pointed to a spot below the slope, where the vegetation was pressed down, suggesting a slide all the way to the bottom of the mountain.

“Grandmother must have fallen from here,” Lu Sheng said, her expression grave.

Qi Zhenshu also frowned instinctively, her voice low. “This place is right next to the steep slope, and it’s some distance from the front of the grave. Grandmother shouldn’t have walked over here.”

“I also found something unusual.”

Lu Sheng followed her to the back of Lu Huacheng’s tombstone and found a pair of footprints on the ground behind it. Some of the mud in the prints hadn’t dried, meaning they must have been made recently that afternoon.

The footprints were about eight cun (inches) long, likely left by a very tall person.

Moreover, judging by the position and direction of the footprints, someone must have been hiding behind the tombstone at the time.

Lu Huacheng’s grave was a double burial plot for the couple. The tombstone was a fan-shaped monument made of three panels. If a person crouched behind the tombstone, they would not be visible from the front.

Qi Zhenshu knelt down and carefully examined the footprints. The imprint of the left foot was shallower, and the right foot imprint was slightly deeper, but the difference was not significant.

Combining the two anomalies led to only one conclusion: Grandmother falling down the slope was not an accident.

The sun was setting low, and dark clouds were gathering in the sky. A strong wind swept through the woods, bringing an endless chill. The leaves rustled, signaling the imminent heavy rain.

If they had gone up the mountain with a shred of suspicion and hope, now only heavy doubt remained in their hearts.

“The person who left the footprints should be a man over seven chi tall. Boss Liao is not tall enough,” Qi Zhenshu analyzed.

“Second Uncle is not that tall either.”

“Ding Laizi is even shorter.”

Lu Sheng took a deep breath. “Then could Boss Liao have hired someone else?”

“Don’t get fixated on one idea,” Qi Zhenshu looked at her and repeated.

“Mm,” Lu Sheng replied softly.

But aside from the second branch and Boss Liao, Lu Sheng truly could not think of anyone else who would harm Grandmother.

Grandmother was kind-hearted, and she handled village affairs fairly and justly, never showing favoritism or seeking profit for herself.

Qi Zhenshu mentally went through all the tall men in the village but couldn’t find anyone suspicious.

It seemed they would have to question Niu Liang again.

When Grandmother fell down the slope, Niu Liang was returning from hunting on the other side of the mountain forest, which was why he was able to find her immediately.

Otherwise, given the severity of Grandmother’s injuries, another half an hour’s delay would have resulted in death from excessive blood loss.

After descending the mountain, the two went directly to the Niu family’s house. While questioning Niu Liang, they could also pick up Tangtang.

Unfortunately, Niu Liang had rushed to save the Village Elder as soon as he saw her tumble down the slope and hadn’t noticed anything unusual around them.

After eating dinner, they took Tangtang and went to Village Elder Lu’s house.

As they left, a flash of inspiration struck Lu Sheng, and she suddenly remembered something.

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