Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 395 A Quiet Night
"A Zhao."

The guests and relatives went back to drink and eat, and the people in front of the door gradually dispersed, leaving behind a ground littered with firecrackers. A group of children were searching around, hoping to try their luck and find the dropped lucky money.

Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Zhou Zhao turned around and saw Chu You and Min Cangzhi.

"Sister Chu You, Min Wenshu."

Chu You looked a bit fuller than when I last saw her. Her clothes and jewelry were clearly in the style of Min Zangzhi. He himself was flamboyant, but when he dressed Chu You up, he was very elegant and lived up to the title of a dashing young master.

Chu You smiled and said, "I took Min Cangzhi to Shanming Villa to pay respects to Ayan. Although I felt a little embarrassed, I still wanted to come and see Awan off."

She used to be the eldest sister-in-law of the Zhou family, so she was very familiar with the other girls in the Zhou household.

Zhou Zhao shook her head upon hearing this, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. My brother in heaven would be happy. The past is the past, it's time to let it go."

Chu You was taken aback, then nodded.

Zhou Zhao felt a slight pang of sadness. She glanced at Min Zangzhi standing next to Chu You. Although he stood there quietly like a mere backdrop, Zhou Zhao felt that he was like a monkey on Mount Emei, ready to pounce and bare its claws at any moment.

If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, he could have done a somersault on the spot and flung the flower he was wearing in his hair right into Chang Zuoping's face.

Seeing his joyful expression, Zhou Zhao felt all the bitterness and sorrow in her heart disappear completely.

"We won't stay for the banquet. I'll take Ayou home. I'll send you your wedding invitations later."

Zhou Zhao nodded at Min Cangzhi, "Min Wenshu, your eyebrows are flying off! They're so big!"

Min Cangzhi chuckled and fanned himself with the feather fan in his hand. Zhou Zhao saw him open his mouth and knew he wouldn't say anything nice, so she immediately stopped him, "It's going to snow, stop fanning yourself. If you get diarrhea, even if you wear a whole garden on your head, it won't cover it up..."

Min Zangzhi's smile froze on her face.

He gave Zhou Zhao a look that said, "You're ruthless, there's always next time," and then looked at Chu You ingratiatingly, "Ayou, let me take you home."

Chu You felt a little uncomfortable at the Zhou family's house. She nodded and didn't say anything more before following Min Cangzhi into the carriage.

Zhou Zhao turned her head to look inside the Zhou family's gate. It was bustling with activity inside, and she could hear laughter and chatter from the doorway. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "The girl we've raised for over ten years is about to leave home and become someone else's slave. What's there to be happy about?"

Su Changying stood beside her, pondering how to respond to the conversation.

How could he bear to let Zhou Zhao be treated like a beast of burden? From childhood until now, he has always let Zhou Zhao ride like a horse.

He felt wronged and was about to argue when Zhou Zhao grabbed his wrist and led him into the market.

It was already sunset, and white smoke was beginning to rise from the chimneys of many houses.

Zhou Zhao and Su Changying stood side by side, walking towards the direction of the Court of Justice. After walking a few steps, they arrived at the entrance of the alley with persimmon trees. The alley was dark and unlit, but they could vaguely see a woman standing there crying.

Hearing footsteps, she turned her head to look.

Zhou Zhao looked closely and saw that the person was about forty or fifty years old, with many fine lines around her eyes. The moment Zhou Zhao looked over, she hurriedly wiped the corner of her eye, her eyes filled with panic and pleading.

Zhou Zhao withdrew his gaze, as if he hadn't recognized her, and continued walking forward with Su Changying.

Once they were some distance away, Su Changying asked, "Who was that person?"

Zhou Zhao sighed softly, “Zhou Cheng’an’s mother. My father had long intended to adopt a son, and all the men in the clan, regardless of age, wished they could be chosen. I heard that this aunt was also very happy to do so, but when the time came, she was saddened to see her son calling someone else ‘mother’.”

Zhou Zhao said this, and Su Changying didn't ask any further questions.

He flipped his wrist and took Zhou Zhao's hand in his palm. Her body hadn't fully recovered, and her hand was ice-cold. Thinking of this, Su Changying led her to a soup noodle shop by the roadside and specially ordered an extra plate of mutton.

He sensed the wind direction and sat upwind, completely blocking Zhou Zhao from view.

The old woman selling mutton soup saw the two of them and happily brought over some soup dumplings. "Young Master Zhou, General Su, we've all heard from Missing Tooth that when General Su pointed his finger at the sky, yellow sand filled the air, the earth shook, and a monster's gaping maw appeared out of thin air, sucking all the people from Grand Marshal Huo's mansion inside..."

How come that monster is so obedient, knowing to suck the enemy's blood but not its own?

If only I had a monster like that, I could suck the old man in when he misbehaves, lock him up for a few days, and then spit him out..."

Su Changying and the old man cooking mutton soup next to her both had very stiff smiles on their faces.

Zhou Zhao looked at it and burst out laughing.

She picked up the large bowl on the table, blew on it, took a big gulp, and instantly felt warm all over.

"Old woman, come quickly and bring the soup dumplings!"

Hearing the call, the old woman forgot all about gossip and happily went to fetch the soup dumplings.

Zhou Zhao glanced at Su Changying with a mocking look, "Little General Su, how majestic! You've become an immortal!"

Su Changying shook her head. "What's so great about being an immortal? It's not as carefree and unrestrained as being like Zhaozhao."

Zhou Zhao was taken aback, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

After the two had dinner, Su Changying paid the bill, then took Zhou Zhao's hand and slowly walked towards their own courtyard.

Today, Chang'an City is unusually quiet. There are no murders, not even a single thief.

"It's so peaceful it's unsettling," Zhou Zhao said, pushing open the door to the courtyard and sitting down on the veranda in front of the door. The little black cat, hearing its owner return, meowed and jumped into Zhou Zhao's arms. Zhou Zhao reached out and stroked the little black cat's back.

On the first day of the lunar new year, I raised this guy until his fur was shiny and smooth, like a new cat replacing an old one.

Su Changying sat down beside her. "Even a donkey needs a day of rest. Now that everything has settled down, you should take good care of yourself."

"Aren't you going to be the Minister of Justice? There are still many cases waiting for you to investigate, and all sorts of dangerous criminals waiting for you to arrest. If you don't take good care of yourself, how will you manage in the future?"

As he spoke, he touched the back of Zhou Zhao's hand and then looked behind him.

Seeing the two getting close, Chu Yi smiled and tiptoed over, carrying Zhou Zhao's cloak in his hand.

Su Changying took it and carefully draped it over Zhou Zhao, saying, "Sit for a while to aid digestion, then take your medicine and rest."

Zhou Zhao patted the cat. "Drink now. I need to go to the Court of Justice later. Ah Huang should have already examined Jiang Yan's body. I need to see if she hanged herself or if there's something else going on."

When I went in, she was still dancing on the thorns; when I came out, she was dead.

If she was murdered, it means that someone escaped the net yesterday.

Otherwise, given how much she resembled Princess Changyang, it was unclear whether it was natural or if someone had used a disguise technique.

Su Changying saw the sparkle in Zhou Zhao's eyes when he talked about the case and gave up.

He chuckled as he took the medicine that Chu Yi brought, stirred it with a spoon, tested the temperature, and then handed it to Zhou Zhao, saying, "Drink your medicine, Master Zhou."