Chapter 472: Chapter 459: Clues

At this time, Zhuang Qingning’s words were far more effective than any spoken by Wen Shupo and his wife.

Zhuang Qingning gestured for them to calm down and thought for a moment, “If Aunt Wen wishes to return home, perhaps she could first come back with me.”

“After all, the new year is not far off…”

Indeed, it wasn’t even two months until the New Year. When the time came, they would have another reason to invite Mrs. Wen to stay with them.

In all things, patience is key; it’s best to progress gradually.

Previously, Mrs. Wen didn’t even show them a nice face. Now, living with them was a great improvement. It wasn’t reasonable to expect Mrs. Wen to completely accommodate to their wishes.

Even if they planned everything with consideration for Mrs. Wen, she might not be pleased.

Zhuang Yutian and Mrs. Meng glanced at each other. They both understood what was on each other’s minds.

“That might work. Since mother wants to go back, she can go first with Miss Zhuang. I’ll deliver you back tomorrow. Mother hasn’t been home for a while, and there must be a lot of things to tidy up. I’ll help when I go back.”

He could also bring some food, clothing, and other goods to his family, Mrs. Han, Zhou Daya, and also for Zhuang Qingning’s household.

Hearing Zhuang Yutian say this, Mrs. Wen immediately smiled, “Alright, you manage everything, just remember to pack my pillow.”

Mrs. Wen found it hard to sleep in unfamiliar places, so she brought her habitual pillow and quilt when she came to the county town. These items must be taken back when returning home.

Seeing Mrs. Wen so happy about going back home, Zhuang Yutian felt mixed emotions. He wasn’t sure if he should be happy for Mrs. Wen’s joy or feel upset because he wasn’t doing enough to make her happy.

However, overall, Mrs. Wen’s happiness was the most important thing. As for other aspects, he decided not to think too much about them for now.

Zhuang Yutian felt lighter. After seeing Zhuang Qingning and Mrs. Wen off, he started thinking about what to arrange for Mrs. Wen’s return trip the next day.

—-

The next day, Zhuang Qingning, as usual, came to treat Cheng Ruize.

Given her earlier treatment, Cheng Ruize and Fang Hou had become quite accustomed to her presence. Especially Fang Hou, who deftly helped with setting up the curtain to facilitate Zhuang Qingning’s acupuncture treatment.

The muscle injection went very smoothly.

“Manager Cheng looks much better today,” Zhuang Qingning said as she packed up her things and smiled, “How do you feel, Manager Cheng?”

“When I woke up this morning, I found that most of the sour pain in my body had dissipated, and my energy levels have increased. My appetite has also improved,” answered Cheng Ruize. “I am grateful for Manager Zhuang’s care.”

“Don’t be so formal, Manager Cheng.” Zhuang Qingning took out two small ceramic pots. “These contain the medicine for the next four days. Take it in the same dosage as before. I won’t be coming for the next few days. After finishing this medicine, start taking the tablets in this larger pot, three times a day, one at a time.”

“There are many tasks waiting for me in the shop and the workshop recently, so I may not be able to come in frequently to check on your condition. However, the pulse I just checked has stabilized. You only need to take the medicine on time, and you will be cured once you finish it.”

Zhuang Qingning also emphasized some precautions during the convalescence period, such as drinking more water, resting, and avoiding spicy food before bidding farewell to Cheng Ruize.

As Fang Hou escorted Zhuang Qingning out, he lowered his voice and said, “Yesterday, I found something unusual…”

Fang Hou elaborated on his suspicions about the incense burner he discovered and relayed it clearly to Zhuang Qingning.

“I immediately reported this matter to Master Ding. He instructed me to figure out who brought the incense before our Young Master fell ill, where it was from, and whether there was any residue left.”

“I turned the ancestral hall upside down and inquired about it. The current incense in the ancestral hall is newly proffered, with no issues. However, it is similar to the previous incense, which also came from the spice shop. The previous incense has been completely used up, even the ashes have been changed, making it impossible to determine if the incense was the issue.”

“However, I heard from Manager Fang of the spice shop that few days ago, one of the shop assistants resigned saying he needed to take care of his sick mother. That seemed like a mundane event, but I heard that before he left, he bought a lot of things in the county town and looked very pleased.”

“I felt something was off about this man, so I found out where he lives and informed Master Ding, suggesting that he should send someone to investigate, hoping to find out something.”

Zhuang Qingning nodded, “For now, this is indeed a clue. Let’s see what can be found from this lead. In the next few days, be alert to see if there’s anything else unusual.”

“Don’t worry, Manager Zhuang, I understand,” Fang Hou replied.

Given his concern for Cheng Ruize, Fang Hou devoted all his energy to the matter. He had made small talk and subtly inquired among the house servants many times, hoping to find some clues.

Undoubtedly Fang Hou was an asset for Cheng Ruize with his sharp mind, agility, meticulousness in handling things, and skilled fighting prowess.

Having Fang Hou as his subordinate was indeed a huge advantage for Cheng Ruize.

Zhuang Qingning affirmed Fang Hou’s resourcefulness and capabilities with a nod, showing a bit of envy.

After speaking with Fang Hou, Zhuang Qingning made a detour around the town after leaving Cheng family’s residence, bought some food, and headed to the County Government Office.

Before she reached the government office, she ran into Shi Bao and two other government officials patrolling the street.

“Miss Zhuang,” seeing Zhuang Qingning, Shi Bao hurried over. “It’s been a while since I last saw you, how have you been?”

“I’ve been fine.” Zhuang Qingning answered with a smile. “Is Master Ding in the county office?”

“Coincidentally, Master Ding isn’t at the office today. He went out to investigate a case with Zhang Lin and Brother Shen Quan. Do you have any business, Miss Zhuang? If so, feel free to tell me, and I will see if I can help.”

“If it’s a very urgent matter, you could also look for Mr. Xu.”

Shi Bao knew that Zhuang Qingning had helped the government office quite a bit in the past. Whether it was Master Ding or Mr. Xu, they all regarded Zhuang Qingning highly, both publicly and privately. If she needed help, either of them would definitely respond to her request.

“It’s not really a big issue,” Zhuang Qingning leaned a little closer to Shi Bao and lowered her voice, “It concerns the case of the Cheng family’s Third Young Master, Cheng Ruize. Do you know about it?”