Wanjin Lady

Chapter 232: Evidence Search
The five or six-year-old child was so innocent that his mouth started watering at the sight of the candy. He tugged at his brother's sleeve and whispered, "Second brother, she's a good person! She's giving us candy!"

"Brother, you can't eat. You're still coughing. Big brother told you not to eat anything else."

The younger one pouted.

"By the way, do you have a brother named Gou Wa? He used to always call me Aunt Wan'er, and he loved the mutton-filled buns I made. He could eat ten in one sitting!"

"It just so happens that I came to Bozhou to do some things, so I followed the address your mother gave me and came here."

Sure enough, Wen Wan's just two or three words made the two children believe her without a doubt, and they immediately surrounded her and called her "Auntie Wan'er".

"Where's Gou Wa? Why isn't he at home?"

Wen Wan stuffed the winter melon candy into the mouth of the older child. The child's eyes brightened up immediately after seeing the sweet thing, and he was no longer wary of Wen Wan.

My brother said that since we gave them candy, they are definitely not bad people!
"My eldest brother went to work at the docks! He said that with our family's current situation, we can't just keep relying on others. We have to find a way out on our own!"

"Gou Wa is only twelve years old now, right? Such a young child..." Wen Wan deliberately complained, "Your mother is really something! If Bozhou is not going well, you can just come back to Jue County and seek refuge with me. Why would you let a child go out to work? Oh, by the way, why haven't I seen your mother——"

This cry immediately caused the two children to cry out, "Aunt Wan'er, my mother...my mother is dead...she was killed by that Wen!"

"Oh my, what's going on? She was fine...how could she just disappear like that? Tell Aunt Wan'er quickly, who the hell murdered your mother? I'll avenge her!"

A quarter of an hour later, Wen Wan finally managed to calm the two crying children down, and left under the pretext of "going out to find out" about the situation. Finally, she met Liu Yiyi under the locust tree on the main road.

Liu Yiyi had clearly made a new discovery, her eyes gleaming like unsheathed swords. As soon as they met, she pulled Wen Wan aside to report, "Miss, there's something fishy going on here! The landlord said... someone paid the rent for the three children and also paid her a large sum of money to take care of them. At first, she refused to reveal anything, but I later pried her open with a tael of silver. She said... a man named He San... visited the children every few days, leaving them money and food every time he came. Otherwise, the children would have starved to death!"

Wen Wan's eyes lit up. What Liu Yiyi had found out was exactly what she had guessed. "Though those three children are thin, their clothes are patched and they are healthy. Someone must be taking care of the children left behind by Widow Wang."

Liu Yiyi's chest heaved. "Could it be the one who framed the master? Did he threaten Widow Wang with the child and force her into submission?"

Wenwan frowned.

Not right.

Something's still wrong.

"But how did Widow Wang know that the person behind the scenes would keep his word and keep his promise to take care of her three children after her death?"

"Maybe... they know each other? Or maybe... Widow Wang has something on them?" Liu Yiyi felt confused as she spoke.

"Don't worry. Since the truth is slowly coming to light, let's follow the clues. Didn't the landlord mention a man named He San? Have you found any trace of him?"

Liu Yiyi had a strange smile on her face. She pointed to the row of small houses not far ahead and said, "He San lives not far ahead. If you go around the back, He San and Widow Wang are only separated by a wall."

"Let's go over and have a look."

The two rushed over, only to find nothing. In the He family courtyard, only He San's blind old mother remained. She was elderly, not only blind but also mentally impaired. Hearing they were looking for He San, she told them to look for him at the dock on the south side of the moat.

When Liu Yiyi came out of the He family's courtyard, her expression was off. "The wharf south of Bozhou is a hodgepodge of people. Actors, pimps, and prostitutes from Bozhou City are all over that area. It's a notorious gathering place for the lowest classes. Miss, let Master Tu investigate."

Wen Wan remained noncommittal and said, "Let's talk about it tonight."

After Hou Ji said goodbye to the Wen family, he circled in Bozhou City for two days and finally reunited with the main force according to the marks along the way.

Wei Zheng settled down in the old residence of an old official. It was in a secluded place with winding paths and many turns along the way, so it was really hard to find.

Hou Ji naturally had to report to Wei Zheng first. He told Wei Zheng about Wen Wan and her group's arrival in Bozhou, but it was obvious that Wei Zheng didn't take this junior sister's matter to heart. He was only concerned about Mr. Yao and his group. "Where are the teacher and his wife?"

"Although Mr. Yao didn't say it explicitly, it seems to me... Mr. Yao went to find Yan Shouli as soon as he entered the city."

This did not surprise Wei Zheng.

It seems that the teacher is very concerned about the affairs of Junior Sister Wen.

Hou Ji walked forward and saw a map of the streets and markets in Bozhou City on Wei Zheng's desk, but his eyes stayed on the southern pier.

"My Lord, have we caught the contact person of the accountant surnamed Liu?"

Wei Zheng sneered, "This Liu Guizhou is quite capable. He understands the principle of hiding in plain sight. As soon as he arrived in Bozhou, he hid in the dock area, using the pretext of visiting relatives to roam around the city. However... he finally revealed his true colors today and made an appointment with his contact at the dock."

Hou Ji smiled and said, "We've been chasing this smuggling case for several months, and now we finally have some clues! Lord Hou, what are we waiting for? Let's go to the dock and arrest the man now!"

"Just wait."

"What are you waiting for?"

Wei Zheng glanced at the sky outside the window and said, "Wait until it gets dark."

Chen Ma was quick to act. Although she didn't find a house, she brought back a plump, neatly dressed young woman. "My dear, this is Madam Li. She just gave birth to a baby girl and has plenty of milk. It's not easy to find a wet nurse with a clean background in Bozhou City. Why not let Madam Li try first?"

Madam Li was shy and reserved, and presumably had never worked as a wet nurse before. She immediately explained to Wen Wan, "Madam, I... I have children at home, so I can't do this for long, maybe a month or two at most... If you don't mind... I can take care of the young master and young lady right now."

Wen Wan thought that one or two months would be enough. She had been busy with work recently, and the two children could not be left alone for a moment, so it would be better to have a fixed source of milk.

Wen Wan scolded the nurse, "No matter how long you work here, as long as you're honest and hardworking, I won't treat you unfairly. But if you dare to have any other thoughts, I've killed bandits before, so I'll teach you a lesson!"

The wet nurse turned pale and looked terrified, obviously she had heard it.

After all, people’s hearts are hidden, so Wen Wan repeatedly told Hongmei and Liu Yiyi, “Be more careful and don’t let the two children be alone.”

Chen Ma naturally understood this. "My dear, we are unfamiliar with Bozhou and won't be able to find a satisfactory wet nurse anytime soon. Let's just make do with this one for now. I'll go find a long-term nurse in a few days. You can go about your business without worry. Hongmei and I are at home."