Chapter 315 Surveillance
The Cao family is not just that.
At noon, Chu Lin came back. She told Xia Zihan with a smile, "Humph, Mrs. Cao's reputation has been ruined. Now everyone in the capital knows that Mrs. Cao's son ruined the innocence of a girl selling tofu. , he didn’t admit it afterward, and actually asked the servant to pay off the debt.”
The servant pays off the debt?
Hearing these four words, Xia Zihan couldn't help laughing, "Did you spread the word?"
"Of course, people have bullied my little mistress. If I don't teach her a lesson, my name will not be Chu Lin."
She just ordered the little beggars and gave them ten coppers each. Within an hour, everyone in the capital knew about the scandal of the Cao family.
"Don't worry, I didn't say that this incident happened in the Xia family. I also deliberately mentioned the house that the Cao family currently rents."
Just relying on the people's ability to spread rumors, everyone would think that the incident happened in the house where the Cao family currently lives, and would not think of the Xia family.
Xia Zihan smiled and glanced at Chu Lin, "You are becoming more and more independent now."
Although it was a reprimand, it did not mean to blame at all.
Then he said, "You hang out with a bunch of little beggars all day long, and you are almost becoming the queen of beggars. Look at you recently, you are almost reluctant to go home."
Chu Lin hummed proudly, "They are now my right-hand assistants. They will automatically monitor those families without my instructions."
Chu Lin secretly took all the little beggars in the capital under her command, and specially collected information for her on those families that Xia Zihan was particularly concerned about.
Of course, Chu Lin also gave benefits to those little beggars. No one was paid ten cents a day, plus three meals.
Although these three meals consisted of steamed buns, pickles and the like, they were much better than the sour rice and leftover soup that they had to get in the past after groveling and kowtowing.
What's more, there is still ten cents of wages per day.
You know, a laborer who carries bags on the dock for a whole day can only earn twenty pence for a tiring day.
They do nothing but monitor the front and back doors of other people's houses every day. If they get some information from their concierge, they can easily get ten cents. This is simply a piece of pie in the sky.
Chu Lin sat down and drank a large pot of tea, then sat down to report on the recent situation of those houses.
"As the master expected, there was a problem between Crown Prince Song and Shi Wenting," she said.
Song Baiqing was disrespectful to Zeng at the funeral of little Zeng, and even forced his biological mother to death for a prostitute. He was disobedient and unfilial, and was impeached by the imperial censor. The emperor was so angry that he ordered Song Baiqing not to be allowed to serve as an official in the court anymore, and His salary was confiscated for five years.
In addition to the income from the property company, the Song family relied on Song Baiqing's salary. If his salary was gone, it would be even more difficult for the Song family to move up to the next level.
The Song family cannot make ends meet, and the income from the public property alone is far from enough to support the family. Shi Wenting does not want to use her private money to support the Song family, so she wants to reduce the Song family's income.
She first kicked out all the old, weak, sick and disabled people in the house, most of whom had been with the old man and little Zeng for decades.
These old people are old and can't do much. They are just idlers in the Song family. In the past, Xiao Zeng's property maintained the Song family's needs and could afford to support them.
But since the death of little Zeng, the Song family has been exhausted and can no longer support them. When they were kicked out by Shi Wenting, they all wanted to stay in the Song family and take care of themselves in the Song family, but... the Song family is not as good as before. The master of the house can hardly support himself, how can he support them?
In the end, they were persuaded to leave by Shi Wenting.
When leaving, Shi Wenting felt a little conscience and gave each of them ten taels of silver as severance pay.
Then, Shi Wenting closed all the unused courtyards of the Song family and sold those servants out, which could be regarded as replenishing the money she had spent on those old people.
Finally, she cut back on the food at home.
From four dishes and one soup, it was reduced to one meat, one vegetarian, two dishes and one soup, even the two patients, the old man of the Song family and Mr. Pei, were not exempted.
The servants' meals were reduced from two dishes and one soup to one dish and one soup, which caused dissatisfaction among many servants of the Song family.
What was even more outrageous in the end was that when the old man and Mr. Pei were not feeling well, she no longer asked the doctor, but directly ordered the maid to go to the pharmacy to buy medicinal materials according to the prescription left by the previous doctor.
"Moreover, she secretly ordered the maid to cross out the ginseng in the prescription and only buy some ordinary medicinal materials." Chu Lin curled her lips and said with disdain.
Unexpectedly, in this life, the Song family has reached such a level without the help of the Chu family.
It has fallen directly from a second-rate noble family to a fourth- or fifth-rate run-down noble family.
"Didn't Song Huai express anything?" Xia Zihan asked. In her impression, Song Huai was not a man who allowed himself to be manipulated by women.
Chu Lin made a strange expression, "Prince Song, he has been living in the front yard since little Zeng was buried, sleeping in a separate room with Shi Wenting. He said it was not suitable for the couple to share a room during the mourning period."
"Shi Wenting is very good at showing off. Although she reduced the money for the Song family and even deducted the monthly payment from Pei and the old lady, the monthly payment for the Song Crown Prince was quite a lot. Sometimes the Song Crown Prince wanted to use money and asked Shi Wenting, as long as Not much, Shi Wenting will give it.”
So, Song Huai and Shi Wenting are both playing tricks?
It seems that Shi Wenting does not love Song Huai as much as she showed before and would do anything for Song Huai.
A woman who cares about money, a woman who values money more than anything else, how could she have true love in her heart?
However, Shi Wenting is smarter than her.
In her previous life, she gave everything to Song Huai because of her love for him. Even though she knew that Song Huai had cheated on her, she easily forgave him, but in the end, she did not end up with a tragic death. Therefore, Shi Wenting is smarter than her.
At least Shi Wenting knows how to protect her money.
"Master, Song Huai went to find Mudan a few days ago and gave Mudan two hundred taels of silver."
"Oh." Xia Zihan suddenly became interested, "How many times have Song Huai been there?"
"Just this time." Chu Lin said, "However, Song Baiqing has been there many times. Song Baiqing stole the key to Pei's warehouse, took a lot of Pei's dowry and gave it to Peony, and even the profits from Pei's village and shop. , were all in Song Boqing’s hands.”
Mr. Pei was crippled and half-dead. He was now like a living dead. He was probably not far from death.
Song Baiqing was fined for five years and his salary was forfeited. His money was tight. The Song family had a lot of property, and he couldn't use it arbitrarily. Otherwise, the Song family would really be doomed. The only thing he dared to make plans now was the Pei family's dowry.
And if you want to raise peonies in an outer room, you really can't afford it if you don't have any money.
Xia Zihan tapped his fingers on the table, his face lost in thought.
Chu Lin shut up and did not disturb her. After half a cup of tea, she heard Xia Zihan order her, "Find a way to tell Duke Pei about Pei's current situation."
Mr. Pei, you have to live a little longer.
She cannot die before the time comes.
Haha, the punishment from the Song family is still not enough.
Unfortunately, Xia Ziying is still a little small.
He's only ten years old, he'll be fine in another two years.
Chu Lin responded with a yes, and then said, "Pei Yajing has been ill recently. I heard that it is quite serious. Duke Pei and Mrs. Pei went to the Duke Lu's mansion to visit. I am afraid that Duke Pei cannot take much care of the Song family."
"What's the reason?" Xia Zihan frowned.
Pei Yajing was always in good health when she was a girl at home. Why did she always get sick after getting married?
Could it be that someone in the Lu family doesn't want to see Pei Yajing feel better?
"It is said that Pei Yajing was pregnant a while ago and was pushed by Prince Lu's concubine, which caused Pei Yajing to have a miscarriage. The concubine was beaten to death by Mrs. Lu in front of Mrs. Pei. It can be regarded as a gift to Pei from the Lu family. Let’s give it to everyone.”
"Pei Yajing has lost half her life since her miscarriage, and her health has not been well maintained. She is said to have suffered from gynecological diseases."
That means the body has never been clean.
This disease is really difficult to take care of, and you can't serve your husband, and it's even harder to get pregnant.
No wonder Mrs. Pei was in a hurry to visit her daughter at Duke Lu's Mansion.
Xia Zihan frowned and tapped his fingers on the table, "Keep an eye on Prince Lu carefully. I always feel that this matter is not that simple."
"Yes, Master, do you want to send a few secret guards who are good at light skills to monitor every move of Duke Lu's mansion?" Chu Lin suggested.
Although her little beggars were clever and courageous, they did not dare to sneak into the Lu family's mansion and could only peek outside.
She figured out many things by herself based on the reports of the little beggars, but she always arrived at the same conclusion.
"How about letting the flower snake go?"
Hua Snake's Qinggong is the best among the secret guards, so it is very suitable to send him there.
Xia Zihan hummed and called Hua Snake. Hua Snake smiled and said, "That's fine. I just want to go out for a walk in the past two days."
When he said he was taking a walk, he was actually going to spy on those families that were hostile to the Chu family. Once he found out something, he could report it to Chu Jingqi at any time, so that Chu Jingqi could know those families at any time even though they were thousands of miles away. Every move of the family.
As for Lu Guogong's mansion, it was the first one that Hua She wanted to take a peek at.
That night, Hua She went.
Not to mention, he spent half the night lying on the roof of Lu Guogong's library, and he actually found out something big.
In the morning, it was just dawn. Xia Zihan was used to getting up early. She asked Si Cao to put her hair into a nun's bun, tied it with a green ribbon, and wore a green dress and blue trousers. After being properly dressed, she was about to practice her martial arts. The flower snake flew in.
"Master..." He bowed and saluted.
When Xia Zihan saw his serious expression and knew that he went to the Lu family last night, he knew that he must have something important to report.
She left Chu Fei and Nuan Yu behind, and sent the others out to watch. Only then did Hua Snake report all the news she had heard.
(End of chapter)