Chapter 957: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 957: A Clean Sweep (2)
Zhao Shi, upon hearing this, felt a trace of doubt in her heart. However, being much wiser than her daughter Fan Meijiao, she didn’t show it immediately. With a quavering voice, she said, “Big Brother, let little sister go down first. You must find a way to rescue Jiaoniang—she’s the very lifeline of our sister!”
Zhao Fengnian rubbed his throbbing forehead and, somewhat irritably, waved his hand as he replied, “Big Sister, don’t worry. Jiaoniang is also Mother’s lifeline. As your legitimate niece, Big Brother will surely come up with a plan to rescue her from those villains. Now, please go on downstairs!”
Hearing this, Zhao Shi’s heart still ached for her daughter, yet she had to rely on her big brother to handle the situation. Seeing the uneasy expression on Zhao Fengnian’s face, she didn’t dare linger any longer. After a brief word with Old Madam Zhao, she left in a daze.
At that moment, Old Madam Zhao herself recovered and, with a tremor of anxiety, asked Zhao Fengnian, “My son, is there something wrong with the kidnappers? What could they possibly want?”
Beads of sweat dotted Zhao Fengnian’s forehead as he looked nervously and answered, “Mother, if those villains had taken Jiaoniang for money, they would have come to demand a ransom by now. But after an entire day, no one has delivered any message to the house. I suspect that these kidnappers might be our family’s enemies—perhaps even targeting me personally.”
It was no wonder he thought so; there had indeed been people who had tried to do him harm before. Although he had managed to suppress them then, even recalling those events now sent a shiver down his spine.
Old Madam Zhao, who was clearly in the know, was instantly terrified. In a panic, she cried out, “Who was it? Who could it have been? If they have taken Jiaoniang this time, won’t someone else from our family be next?”
Zhao Fengnian’s face went pale as he shook his head in confusion, “I truly don’t know…”
In truth, Zhao Fengnian had no idea who might wish him ill. It wasn’t that he had no misdeeds to account for or no suspects at all—the list was just so long he couldn’t pinpoint anyone.
Having served as an official for nearly twenty years, Zhao Fengnian had never shed a drop of blood himself. Yet many of his kinsmen, emboldened by his influence, had committed countless heinous acts in his name. They had secretly showered him with innumerable bribes—land, silver, antiques, calligraphy, paintings… so many things that the Zhao family’s storerooms were packed to the brim.
Most of these favors were ill-gotten gains, plundered from others by his own kin. Otherwise, with his meager official salary, how could he possibly support over a hundred people in the household?
Old Madam Zhao was fully aware of these matters. Among those who bullied others, many were even relatives from her own maiden family. She herself had received numerous benefits from her kin; otherwise, how could she have amassed such a substantial dowry over the years to present Fan Meijiao as a prize?
Now, with Fan Meijiao’s abduction shrouded in suspicion, both mother and son couldn’t help but suspect something was amiss in this whole affair. The more they thought about it, the more they feared that if Jiaoniang’s fate was sealed, the next tragedy might befall someone else in the family.
“Son, what are we to do now? What should we do?” Old Madam Zhao asked frantically, clutching Zhao Fengnian’s hand. Whether she was worrying about what fate awaited them or how they might rescue the niece safely, her anxiety was palpable.
Zhao Fengnian’s heart pounded in alarm. After so many years of climbing the bureaucratic ladder, he wasn’t completely without a plan. Forcing himself to regain composure, he said to Old Madam Zhao, “Mother, we must not let the abduction of Jiaoniang become public. For now, we must wait and observe while secretly searching for any trace of her. If the Mu family ever inquires, we’ll say that Jiaoniang, grateful for the fated match bestowed by Heaven, has taken it upon herself to perform a purification ritual at the family ancestral hall. Once her marriage is complete and her merit fulfilled, she will reappear.”
(End of Chapter)
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