A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

Du Jia has been very happy these days.

Qin Yan said he would need her in the future, and from then on she cheered up, her body stopped hurting, and she felt energetic everywhere.

She discussed it with her sons and gave each of them one million silver dollars, and she would give all the remaining wealth to her sister.

The sons and daughters-in-law all agreed.

Five thousand silver dollars could buy a very nice little mansion in the south of the city, and one million silver dollars would be more than they could squander in a lifetime of eating, drinking and having fun.

According to tradition, a mother's dowry can be given to her sons, and it is perfectly legitimate for her to give it to her daughters as part of her dowry.

Du Jia needs to take good care of her health and manage her business well.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Qin Yan and Cheng Tianxun came over for lunch; they were to spend the evening with the warlord's wife.

Du Jia can understand.

In the evening, her three sons, daughters-in-law, and children had dinner with her as a family; the stewards successively gave her holiday gifts, which she reciprocated.

Lan Changming did not come.

However, after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lan Changming had to inspect the new training grounds on behalf of the military governor, so he made a special trip to her small mansion.

"The old house in Yicheng has been renovated. I'll take my mother and Muhe back in a few days," Lan Changming said.

Du Jia: "These are all your household chores."

"I'm informing you," Lan Changming said. "As for Ye Xianting, he doesn't need to go back. The governor has also given his approval."

Du Jia didn't want to hear about this person.

Both Ye Xianting and his wife are despicable. Although Ye Xianting didn't know about the child swap, his abuse of his daughter is unforgivable.

Lan Changming added, "I've set the date for August 20th. Third Brother will see them off. You don't need to show your face."

Du Jia nodded.

However, on August 20th, the third brother called Du Jia.

"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, something terrible has happened! Mother was pushed downstairs by Muhe. What should we do? She's covered in blood!" The third brother said anxiously on the phone.

Du Jia thought to himself, he was really tired of these tricks.

She said, "Take him to the hospital. Call your older brother."

"My eldest brother is at the base, and I can't get through to him on the phone." The third brother was very anxious.

Du Jia hung up the phone.

Then, the phone was called to Lanxiu.

Soon, Su Yuzhao arrived from her residence.

"Mom, Uncle San called Axiu and said that Grandmother is unconscious and her injuries are very serious. She has been sent to the military hospital. Muhe has been locked up at home," Su Yuzhao said.

Du Jia: "Let them do whatever they want."

Every time they say they're sending her off, they make a scene. The old lady might be playing along with Lan Muhe's act; it's not like she hasn't pretended to be sick before.

I'm too lazy to care anymore.

Su Yuzhao hesitated for a moment: "Mother, I am a junior. Should I go to the military hospital to have a look? Don't let Father find an excuse to blame you and Axiu."

Du Jia hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Take your second sister-in-law with you. You're always quick-witted; if anything happens, just make your second sister-in-law cry a couple of times, and don't agree to anything."

Su Yuzhao should be correct.

The two sisters-in-law immediately went to the military hospital.

Du Jia met with the managers and began processing the accounts he was in charge of.

Before she could finish her meeting, the phone rang again; it was Su Yuzhao calling her.

"Mom, this is bad. Grandmother might not wake up; she hit her head and cracked it," Su Yuzhao said.

Du Jia's heart skipped a beat.

"Didn't you say he fell down the stairs?"

"Mom, she fell down the stairs, not the stairs. Grandmother was pushed off the balcony by Muhe. She landed on the back of her head," Su Yuzhao said.

Du Jia was stunned.

The Lan family's houses are well-built, and Lan Muhe's building is especially beautiful, with a very high roof. Falling from the second floor, a distance of five or six meters, could be fatal.

Falling down the stairs is manageable. You might stumble and fall down one flight of stairs, sustaining minor injuries, or even a broken joint if you're older, but it's not necessarily a fatal injury.

It's hard to say what would happen if someone fell directly from the second-floor balcony.

Du Jia hurriedly changed his clothes, called his eldest daughter-in-law Qi Yan, and the two rushed to the military hospital.

All the Lan family members in the city had arrived, and Lan Xiu had also come from the Transportation Bureau.

He spotted Du Jia and quickly stepped forward to take her hand: "Mom, don't worry, speak slowly."

Du Jia nodded.

The director of the military hospital came over and explained the situation to Du Jia.

The old lady's pupils were dilated, and she had severe bleeding on the back of her head. If she is still unconscious tonight, she may pass away.

"My mother got her comeuppance," Uncle San cried uncontrollably. "She insisted on replacing that wicked woman, and as a result, she killed her."

He burst into tears.

No matter how bad his mother is, she is still his mother, and he has always been very filial to her.

Even if he criticizes his mother for doing absurd things, it doesn't stop him from loving and respecting her.

If the old lady falls ill and it drags on for several months or even a year or two, her sons seem to be going downhill, knowing that the old lady's lifespan is about to hit rock bottom, and they accept it in the process.

But the way she was murdered was like a sudden fall from grace; no one could react in time, and no one could bear it.

My third uncle wept bitterly, and my second uncle couldn't help but have tears welling up in his eyes as well.

No one spoke.

Du Jia is their backbone.

"Third brother, go to the military government now and have the warlord send a telegram to your eldest brother, saying that the old lady is critically ill. Your eldest brother has a telegraph officer with him," Du Jia said.

He then asked the second master, "How is Muhe doing?"

"After the incident, Sun Hui's family took control of her and locked the door. We sent people to guard her yard," the second uncle said.

How could they dare let Lan Muhe escape?

If she escapes, who will bear the blame? She is the murderer.

"Why did she push the old lady downstairs?" Du Jia asked again.

"Sister-in-law, you asked Sun Hui's wife; that woman is willing to surrender. We haven't had a chance to ask her yet," said the second uncle.

Du Jia then said, "You two stay here and call home if anything happens. Axiu and Yuzhao, you two come home with me."

In addition to sending a telegram to Lan Changming, it was also necessary to send telegrams to Lan Zheng and Lan Jun.

The car returned to the front gate of the Lan family's house.

As he got out of the car, Du Jia took out a pistol from under his seat.

She had also held this gun on the day of the standoff. Lanxiu and her husband knew she was trying to bolster her courage, and they also knew that people tend to be more docile in front of a gun.

They didn't stop her.

Sure enough, several armed adjutants stood outside Lan Muhe's courtyard; there were also quite a few people inside.

Sun Hui's wife was locked on the first floor.

When Du Jia arrived, she was brought before him. Upon seeing the Mauser pistol in Du Jia's hand, she knelt down with a thud.

"Madam, I am willing to atone for my sins through meritorious service. Please forgive me." She kowtowed to Du Jia.

She wasn't particularly afraid because she knew Du Jia's personality.

Du Jia would not kill innocent people indiscriminately, nor is he a person who makes trouble unreasonably.

"Take your time," Du Jia said, not sitting down but standing there instead.

Sun Hui's woman then told Du Jia everything.

She and her husband sought refuge with Lan Muhe, hoping to become part of the young lady's dowry in exchange for a better future.

Lan Muhe was difficult to please, but they persevered. The hardships they endured and the torment they suffered at Lan Muhe's hands were too numerous to recount.

Upon hearing that Lan Muhe was a fake, the manager, Sun Hui, broke down.

Their efforts and forbearance had all been in vain. They had no other options. By the time they went to the port city, the General Staff already knew they were Lan Muhe's confidants.

At this point, the only option was to remain silent, continue to be loyal, and wait for the Lan family to send them away.

Their future was ruined.

"The old lady only came to tell the young lady that they were about to return to Yicheng. The young lady then started screaming and said that the old lady was incompetent."

She tried to snatch the keys from the old lady, but the old lady wouldn't give them to her. So she tried to hide on the balcony, but the young lady accidentally pushed her off," said Sun Hui's family.

The old lady always carried a key with her; it belonged to her small storeroom.

She only showed it to Lan Muhe, and also took Lan Muhe to see it.

The old lady came from an ordinary background and didn't have much of a dowry; however, the Lan family was quite wealthy, and many valuable items were stored in the old lady's storeroom after her parents-in-law passed away; when she turned fifty and sixty, Du Jia gave her two sets of jewelry, one set of tourmaline and the other of sapphire, which were quite valuable.

Lan Muhe had intended to snatch it, which is why she accidentally pushed the old lady downstairs.