False evidence

Chapter 262: Better than a Monkey

"Looking for relatives?"

I suddenly had a strange feeling of unease: "Is your relative's surname Lü? Or Xie? What's their name?"

Xie Xiaohuan's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face. "I don't know! Mom told me to go to Cao Furui and beg them for forgiveness, but the Cao family wouldn't forgive us. Then she...she brought me here..."

The people at the table looked at each other, and finally all their eyes were on me.

I hesitated for a moment, still unable to make a decision. After thinking for a while, I asked:
"What do you want the Cao family to forgive you for?"

Jie Xiaohuan looked aggrieved: "It wasn't me, it was them who were asked to forgive my grandmother."

I was so anxious I was about to scratch the table! How could I have run into such a slowpoke who only speaks when I hit him with a stick?!
I reluctantly asked, "How did your grandmother offend the Cao family?"

Xie Xiaohuan wiped her eyes: "The diary says that my grandmother used to be a wife of the Cao family, but later... later she eloped with someone..."

I suddenly realized: "Your maternal grandmother's surname is Xie? She eloped with a man surnamed Lü?"

Xie Xiaohuan nodded.

I was speechless for a moment.

I haven't seen Cao Xinyun since I was discharged from the hospital last time. It's just that this guy has such a sharp tongue, and it's exhausting to be around him.

But I still remember a story Cao Jinxiu told me at the Cao family's shop last time, about 'me' and another person's past.

The story goes that I, as a major customer of Cao Furui, entrusted a sum of money to the shop. However, that very afternoon, not only did I retrieve the money, but I also abducted the wife of the shopkeeper (the eldest uncle of Cao Jinxiu and Cao Xinyun).

I remember this incident very clearly because—it was Lü Xin who abducted the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family!

I asked Jie Xiaohuan, "What's the name of the person who eloped with your grandmother?"

“I’ve never met him, but the diary says his name is Lü Xin… He’s my maternal grandfather.”

"call……"

I let out a long breath and slumped heavily into the chair.

Xie Xiaohuan came to visit relatives, and the relative she was looking for turned out to be Lü Xin!
Before her death, Xie Xiaohuan's mother sent her to find her relatives, most likely hoping she would find someone to rely on.

When the eldest grandmother eloped, it was as if she had nothing to do with the Cao family anymore. The Cao family was known for their sharp tongues, and people with sharp tongues are often narrow-minded, so how could they possibly forgive and accept her descendants?
The Cao family's eyes are like rulers; they have a keen eye for people...

So they just sent the person to me directly...

I instinctively exchanged a glance with Fang Ling and saw the hatred in her eyes. Realizing what was happening, I thought for a moment and then asked Xie Xiaohuan:
"Your maternal grandmother later got together with Lü Xin... and your maternal grandfather?"

Jie Xiaohuan shook her head: "No, it is said that less than a month after my maternal grandparents got married, my maternal grandfather went to join the army, and there has been no news of him since then."

"Heh." Fang Ling sneered.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Lu Xin was originally a con artist who specialized in swindling money and women. How could someone like that possibly join the army and fight a war?

It's obvious to anyone with a brain that the original matriarch of the Cao family, like Tong Jiawen, was discarded like an old piece of clothing after being exploited and played with.

As for the suggestion of joining the army, that's just a way to cover up the truth.

Perhaps because of their shared misfortune, Fang Ling's hatred lessened slightly, and she stammered as she asked Xiao Huan:
Are there any other people in your family?

Before Jie Xiaohuan could answer, I quickly interjected and asked her:

"You just said that Meng Chao would have an accident if he took the train tomorrow? What happened?"

Jie Xiaohuan glanced at Meng Chao, "I don't know how to say it... Anyway, that's what it says in the diary. If he takes the train tomorrow, he'll get involved in other people's business. Then he'll be accused... Even though it's just detention, he feels wronged... He can't get over it, and during the New Year..."

Xiao Shen patted my leg and whispered, "Have you figured out the key point?"

I nodded slightly, but my mind was filled with more and more questions.

Based on Jie Xiaohuan's intermittent replies, the general order can be summarized as follows:

Back then, Lü Xin abducted the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family;

After being abandoned, Cao's eldest wife gave birth to Lü Xin's daughter;
Xie Xiaohuan is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family and also the granddaughter of Lü Xin;
Before her mother passed away, she asked her to go to Cao Furui to beg for forgiveness on behalf of Cao's eldest daughter-in-law.

Years later, the Cao family disowned the marriage—in fact, after the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family eloped, she truly had no connection with the Cao family anymore. Then, Cao Jinxiu sent Xie Xiaohuan to stay with me…

Xie Xiaohuan mentioned 'diary' at least three times in her speech.

It's not hard to understand from her words that she learned about this story about her grandmother through her diary.

A diary is, by its very nature, a record of important events that occur each day.

If the diary was left by Jie Xiaohuan's maternal grandmother or her mother, then everything Jie Xiaohuan said earlier would make sense.

The diary mentions Meng Chao, and it even refers to something that happens tomorrow, which is illogical.

There are many ways to solve a problem, and it varies from person to person. I decided to use the most direct method.

However, before I could even speak, the monkey said, "Preserved Egg, hand me the chili oil."

Jie Xiaohuan seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at Pidan: "You're Pidan?"

"Yes, that's what everyone I know calls me."

Jie Xiaohuan covered her forehead, almost groaning, "God, the whole world has gone mad..."

My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively asked, "Why did the diary mention preserved eggs? What did it say?"

Xie Xiaohuan hesitated before saying, "The diary says that Pidan's mother will fall seriously ill today, and tonight... she and her mother will pass away one after the other..."

Meng Chao slammed his hand on the table and stood up, glaring at everyone. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

I pulled him back and glanced at the preserved egg.

Pidan understood immediately, "Mom's still at the mahjong parlor..."

I got up and walked out, saying, "You guys eat first!"

Pidan came out the door with me and asked, "Mom, is something really wrong?"

"Are you stupid? With me here, what could possibly happen to you?"

"This Xie Xiaohuan is really strange. She's actually... a member of Lü Xin's..."

"No matter who she is, since she said so, we still have to go and see."

……

Because it was lunchtime, there was only one table of elderly mahjong enthusiasts in the mahjong parlor.

Pidan's mom is one of them; she's the kind of person who'd neglect sleep and meals to play cards. Otherwise, she wouldn't be here while we're eating dumplings.

When I entered the room and saw her expression, my heart sank.

The images that flashed through my mind confirmed Xiao Huan's statement!
"Mom!" Pidan called out.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

Pidan's mom only asked one question before turning around to touch the cards.

Seeing that Pidan was looking at me, I tightened my grip on her hand. "Don't worry, I know what happened."

I walked over to Pidan's mom and nodded to her three mahjong partners.

A plump woman with permed hair said with a smile, "Yingchun (Pidan's mother's name), you are so lucky! Others marry off their daughters, but you not only gained a son-in-law, you also gained a son!"

Pidan's mom said with a focused expression, "They are quite blessed, mainly because Sanqi is such a good child."

The plump woman said somewhat exaggeratedly, "Sanqi has been living here for quite a while now, we all know him well. He's a good kid, but I just don't understand, why is his name Sanqi? Is his father's surname San?"

Pidan's mother frowned slightly and turned to a bald old man on her right: "It's your turn, hurry up and get ready?"

The plump woman laughed and said, "I wonder what kind of mischief he's up to now. Hey, my husband is smarter than a monkey when he gets involved with hair!"

I looked at the bald old man and sneered inwardly: You're fucking smarter than a monkey!

(End of this chapter)