Chapter 340 Following the Clues

Chapter 340 Following the Clues

The other guards tacitly surrounded them, so no matter which direction Li Tieniu turned his head, he could only see the densely packed heads of these guards, layer upon layer.

It wasn't until Xie Wanniang kicked the bucket containing the cabbage and tofu soup that one of the guards, who had been keeping an eye on her movements, raised his hand and gave Lao Qian a simple gesture.

Old Qian understood and happily led Li Tieniu out of the courtyard.

Li Tieniu was led out of the courtyard in a daze, and then Lao Qian stuffed a handful of copper coins into his hand as a thank you for providing information to his group.

"My lord, princess, according to this Li Tieniu, there are two cooks at this post station. The one who cooks for our group is a widow surnamed Wang, and her biological daughter assists her."

"Li Tieniu also said that the reason Liu Ertian came to deliver the food was because Liu Ertian had assigned him to go to the storeroom at the back of the post station to help Liu Ertian get things."

Li Tieniu was clumsy and simple-minded. Almost everyone at the post station could boss him around and point fingers at him. He was already used to it, so he didn't think there was anything wrong with Liu Ertian suddenly ordering him to help him carry the heavy and useless stone block.

However, Xie Wanniang and her group would not overlook such unusual behavior. Xie Wanniang looked at Jiang Yuan, who immediately instructed Lao Qian, "Lao Qian, pick a few people and secretly investigate all the suspects, including the postmaster, to see who is behind this. Also, strengthen security and protect everyone in our team."

"Yes, sir." Old Qian bowed and accepted the order, then began selecting people.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuan added, "Let's go after we finish eating, no need to rush."

The people behind the scenes wouldn't kill anyone to cover their tracks before the deed was done; they still had plenty of time to investigate.

After arranging the follow-up matters, Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang returned to the small courtyard where they were temporarily staying.

Sitting down at the table, Xie Wanniang asked Jiang Yuan while eating, "When do you plan to go to the garrison to take up your post?"

"Tomorrow." Jiang Yuan smiled slightly. "The more they try to stop me from taking office, the more I'll make them grit their teeth in anger."

Just like Xie Wanniang sometimes said when she pretended to be arrogant—he liked those rats in the gutter who couldn't stand him but couldn't do anything about him.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang got up one after the other.

The two practiced martial arts together, and after washing up and changing clothes separately, the cook brought them a delicious breakfast at the perfect temperature.

Xie Wanniang sat down at the table, just about to start eating, when Haitang walked in with light steps. "Miss, Lao Qian and a few other guards are waiting outside. They say they have important matters to report to the master and you."

Xie Wanniang looked up. "Let them in." It seems we won't be able to have breakfast for now.

Jiang Yuan sat down next to her, took a red bean and pumpkin roll and handed it to her, "Eat some if you're hungry."

Xie Wanniang smiled at him and quickly stuffed the small red bean and pumpkin roll into her mouth.

After she finished eating two red bean and pumpkin rolls, Haitang led Lao Qian and the others over.

Old Qian and the others did not enter the house, but stood on the veranda and bowed. Old Qian said, "My lord, princess, we have investigated all night and have finally made some progress."

Jiang Yuan nodded: "Tell me about it."

"Yes." Old Qian straightened up and reported in a steady and concise manner, "We first investigated Zhou Ming, the postmaster. He is a local of Dinghai County. He is usually cautious and tactful. He has no debt disputes and has not suddenly started to have frequent contact with anyone."

"We also did a rough check on the other members of his family, and without exception, they are all honest and law-abiding people."

"Most importantly, he wouldn't be involved in such trivial matters as cleaning the courtyard. He hadn't entered either of our two small courtyards before we moved in, and after we moved in, he was always within our sight and had no chance to touch the water tank. So we can rule him out as a suspect for now."

Xie Wanniang picked up the porridge bowl, her fingertips tracing the rim. "What about the cook, Wang Sao, and the courier, Liu Ertian?"

Old Qian's brows furrowed slightly involuntarily. "We also felt that these two were the most suspicious, so we focused our investigation on them."

"Let's start with Sister Wang. She is thirty-eight years old this year. Her husband died early, and she only has a son and a daughter by her side. Her daughter is the girl who works as her kitchen helper, and her son is controlled by her parents-in-law. She can only see her son briefly when she goes home to send money each month."

"I don't know if it was something her in-laws did or said, but her son has always been cold to her and her daughter."

"But just three days ago, this kid suddenly came to the post station and met with Sister Wang. No one knows what they talked about, but my subordinates found out that this kid has been going to the gambling dens in the west of the city recently, and he has most likely become addicted to gambling."

Becoming addicted to gambling means being completely obsessed and blinded by greed; such people are capable of anything.

People who pawn their houses and sell their land, or even mortgage their family and relatives to gambling dens to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates, are the easiest to manipulate when they are in dire straits.

Once we have him under control, it will be very easy to coerce his family into doing something.

Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang had clearly reached the same conclusion. He frowned slightly. "So, it's highly likely that Sister Wang was being blackmailed with her son's safety?"

Old Qian nodded, "That's probably true. As for Liu Ertian, my subordinates found out that about three months ago, he took a fancy to a widow in the alley next to his house. That widow is a formidable one. Although she has been flirting with Liu Ertian, she is the type who won't act until she gets something out of him. To win her favor, Liu Ertian has secretly borrowed a lot of money."

Fearing that Jiang Yuan and Xie Wanniang might not understand, he added succinctly, "Liu Ertian has older and younger brothers, and his parents are both alive. He doesn't manage the household finances and doesn't have much money."

Liu Ertian's parents raised four sons in total. He was neither the eldest nor the youngest son in the family, and was always in an awkward position of being ignored. Naturally, he could not ask his parents for money.

As for his wife, his job as a courier was actually found for him by his brother-in-law, so he dared not let his wife know that he had an affair.

Not wanting to lose his job, nor wanting to be scorned by others for being indiscriminate in his tastes and treating everything dirty and smelly as good, he naturally wanted to keep his affair with the widow a closely guarded secret.

As for the widow, she had no intention of marrying Liu Ertian at all. Just as Lao Qian found out, the widow was not one to suffer a loss.

When those filthy men saw that her husband had died, they all swarmed around her like sharks smelling blood, eager to take advantage of her.

There were even some heartless relatives who wanted to drive the widow and her children out of their home and seize their only place to live.