Chapter 126: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 126 The Real Culprit (1)
After much deliberation, Mo Yan finally decided to tell Li Zhong about this matter.
If that person was really Li Xiu, she naturally couldn't just stand by and watch her fall into the mud. If it wasn't her, it might not necessarily be a bad thing. After all, in the eyes of the world, whether a woman falls into the dust voluntarily or is forced, it's a big deal that tarnishes the family's reputation. Once exposed, the Li family might not be able to bear it.
Therefore, for the sake of Grandpa Li's face, this matter couldn't be openly discussed. It needed some planning.
In the evening, Li Zhong returned exhausted from outside. After dinner, Mo Yan sent Xin'er to help Li Yan tidy up the dishes and then brewed a pot of tea and took it to the room.
Seeing Li Zhong sitting at the bedside, sighing as he held a silver hairpin that, although old-fashioned, was very exquisite, Mo Yan felt a pang in her heart. She knew that this silver hairpin was specially crafted by a skilled silversmith when Li Xiu came of age, and it was given to her as a coming-of-age gift by her father.
Later, when Li Xiu was divorced by the Zhang family and driven out, this silver hairpin was left behind at the Zhang family's residence. After Li Zhong recovered from his illness, he went to the Zhang family's house again. He didn't ask for anything else, just brought back this silver hairpin, as a keepsake.
Seeing Mo Yan, Li Zhong quickly put away the silver hairpin, wrapped it carefully in layers of fine cotton, and placed it in a wooden box before asking, "Yan'er, do you need something from Grandpa?"
Mo Yan placed the tray on the table, poured two cups of tea, and placed one in front of Li Zhong with a smile, saying, "This is the good tea Sister Liu brought over this morning. Knowing that Grandpa Li loves this, I made a pot of it myself. Please enjoy it, Grandpa Li."
Upon hearing this, a loving smile filled Li Zhong's aged face. "The tea brewed by Yan'er is naturally good. Grandpa Li is fortunate."
Li Zhong picked up the teacup, used the lid to brush aside the tea leaves, took a sip, savored it carefully, and praised, "The fragrance is refreshing, with a lingering aftertaste! Yan'er's tea brewing skills are getting better and better."
Mo Yan smiled modestly and said a few humble words. Seeing Li Grandpa finishing a cup of tea, seemingly in a better mood, she tentatively asked, "Grandpa Li, you've been searching for so long, have you heard any news about Aunt Li?"
Li Zhong put down the teacup, his mood low as he shook his head. "Some people claimed to have seen her, but every time I went to inquire, there was no further information."
Mo Yan poured him another cup of tea and took the opportunity to say, "Grandpa Li, you could invite more people to help keep an eye out. With so many people out there, how could you possibly search on your own?"
Li Zhong sighed. How could he not want to? However, he was short on funds. The three hundred taels of silver he had previously received had been mostly spent over the past few months. How could he afford to hire more people to help inquire about the news?
If he asked, the Mo family would surely lend them some, but they already owed the Mo family a lot. How could they continue to freeload off them? How could he have the face to ask for more silver?
Seeing this, Mo Yan changed the subject and tentatively proposed her plan, "Grandpa Li, I have an idea. Let me see if it's feasible."
Mo Yan was worried about her family's affairs, and Li Zhong naturally appreciated her, saying, "Yan, tell me!"
Mo Yan smiled and explained her plan that she had thought of in the afternoon, "There are many beggars and wanderers in the northern city. These people are on the streets all day, and they must have seen a lot of things. Maybe someone has seen Aunt Li. As long as they can provide useful information, you can verify it and then give them some reward. This method is more effective than you searching alone, and it won't cost much silver."
Later, she would bribe a few beggars, gradually passing the information to Grandpa Li's ears. If that woman really was Li Xiu, when Grandpa Li quietly brought her back home for a reunion, he wouldn't feel like he lost face.
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