Our Mommy is the Best Investigator! - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Ingenious Thinking

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Just as Magistrate Hu and Elder Zhao had argued, whether it had been bandits or enemies, the Zhao mansion was closely guarded. It was not easy to kidnap a person from the mansion.

Since this goal could not be achieved, Chu Nanzhi could completely eliminate these two possibilities. That made her other hypothesis more probable:

He had been murdered in the mansion.

Firstly, Young Master Zhao had not left the mansion before his disappearance. According to the dossier, the boy had paid his respects to his stepmother before he went to bed. The maids had put him to bed.

Furthermore, just as she had seen, the courtyard of the Zhao mansion was surrounded by tall walls. It was not a place that outsiders could enter or leave casually, not to mention the many servants guarding it.

Furthermore, Lin Ruijia’s words when they entered the mansion had given her some inspiration.

Were there really no family conflicts in such a forbidding place?

The richer the family, the deeper the hidden grudges and entanglements.

In order to cover up the conflict, they exaggerated the illusion of harmony and peace.

She quietly looked at Elder Zhao’s weathered face and asked gently,

“I heard that this son is by your first wife?”

Sigh, wasn’t this too gossipy?

This damn love of gossip.

“No, he wasn’t by my first wife.”

Elder Zhao answered frankly.

Everyone was dumbfounded when he said that. Only Madam Yu remained calm.

Elder Zhao looked at their surprised expressions. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said slowly,

“I rarely mention this to anyone outside of my family. That’s why everyone believes that the county governor’s elder sister is my first wife.”

After that, he paused for a long time.

He narrowed his eyes slightly as if unwilling to talk about the past. However, he remembered that there was no news of his son so far, so it was best not to hold anything back. After thinking about it, he slowly recounted his past.

“Actually, before I married Madam Wu, I had already had two wives.”

Chu Nanzhi was sipping her tea slowly. When she heard this, she could not help spitting out her tea. She choked and coughed a few times but remained shocked.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect such a long back story.”

Then, she pretended to be calm.

In that case, the governor’s sister was his third wife.

Governor Hu and Deputy Sun also seemed to have heard a shocking secret. They gripped their teacups in shock.

Elder Zhao looked at everyone. He quietly smiled wryly.

“My first wife and I both came from Tong County, and we were childhood sweethearts. In our early years, we made many sea voyages with our young son for business. We encountered pirates at sea, and my first wife and son died in a shipwreck. Later, in order to continue my family line, I married a woman with the surname of Jiang from Tong County. We were married for five years, but had no children. Coincidentally, Wu Enrong, who was the county magistrate of Tong County at that time, wanted to form an alliance with me, so he persuaded my late mother to put aside Madam Jiang and bring his sister into the family instead.”

“I see.”

Chu Nanzhi nodded in acknowledgment.

He was probably an old scumbag.

He had lusted after a beauty, abandoned his wife for no reason, then deliberately put the blame on his late mother. He was pretty smart.

It seemed that the current Governor of Ping Ning County, Wu Enrong, had married his elder sister to Elder Zhou in order to advance.

“After one year of marriage, Madam Wu and I had a son, Zhao Yan. But within two years, she passed away from an illness. I had this son late in life and he is the prop of my old age. So I have always doted on him.”

After saying that, Elder Zhao turned and glanced at Madam Yu dotingly. He said approvingly.

“I married my current wife five years ago. I’m old now and my wife is gentle and virtuous. She takes care of the entire mansion and dotes on my only son. I’m very satisfied.”

Chu Nanzhi watched as they gazed at each other lovingly. She felt both disgusted and curious.

Madam Jiang and Madam Yu did not have any children even after five years of marriage. But Madam Wu had given birth to a fat baby within a year?

Hmm?

She should not over think it.

Chu Nanzhi tried her best to focus on the case.

However, on second thought, Madam Yu had been married for five years and the two of them were so loving. Why did she not have a child of her own?

It seemed that she had to think about that.

If there were no other hidden factors, it meant that there was something wrong with the old man’s health.

She looked around at County Magistrate Hu and Deputy Sun. The two of them were listening attentively and acting like spectators.

This was a problem for Chu Nanzhi.

Surely it should not be left to a woman like me to ask such private and heart-wrenching questions?

She glanced at Magistrate Hu.

Hu Maoxi lowered his head and unhurriedly picked up his teacup. He savored the tea carefully and said, “Good tea. Elder, the tea here is really of the best grade. I’m afraid even the imperial tea in the palace is not as good.”

She had no choice but to look at Deputy Sun.

However, the old man turned around and deliberately studied the scenery outside the hall.

“Grandpa Zhao, you and your wife have been married for five years. Why haven’t you considered having another child? My parents had me and my other three siblings within five years of marriage.”

Little Ruijia was also very curious.

In her world, married people should have children.

“Children like to babble. Elder, please don’t be offended.”

Chu Nanzhi’s looked extremely embarrassed.

If something was amiss with Elder Zhao’s health, Little Ruijia’s words would really sting.

She could not decide if bringing the child along today was a good thing or not.

But she was still happy that someone had raised this question.

But she could not be too obvious. Instead, she pretended to say sternly to Lin Ruijia, “Children should not interrupt.”

Little Ruijia lowered her head resentfully.

However, the child’s words had really hit a sore spot for this elderly man and his young wife.

Madam Yu’s face immediately darkened, but she could not reprimand a child in front of everyone.

Elder Zhao gripped the teacup. He struggled to hide his hurt.

After thinking for a moment, he pretended that nothing had happened and replied, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m content with Yan’er. I don’t dare to be too greedy.”

At this point, Chu Nanzhi had come to a rough conclusion.

However, if she wanted proof to back up her deduction, she would have to find Young Master Zhao’s body first.

Young Master Zhao had not left the mansion before the incident. Everyone in the mansion could attest to that.

If he had really been murdered, then Young Master Zhao’s body was probably still here.

However, she must not reveal her suspicions before she found concrete evidence. She asked Elder Zhaon

“I wonder if it’s convenient for you to summon a few servants from your son’s courtyard so that I can learm about his daily habits?”

After thinking about it, she simply said bluntly, “I would like to see your son’s room.”

“You’re a woman…”

Madam Yu felt that this was too irregular and wanted to stop her, but Elder Zhao hurriedly waved her aside and said,

“Madam Chu, since it’s for the investigation, I think it’s fine. I’ll instruct someone to lead you.”

He was actually resistant towards this woman, who had brought her child along, and who was investigating the case properly. Furthermore, she unsettled him.

However, when he remembered that there was no news of his son and how this woman was an extraordinary person who had solved the tax case, he still held out some hope.

He summoned two maids from his son’s courtyard and handed them over to Chu Nanzhi so that she could investigate the northwestern courtyard.