TSWRLM -Chapter 170 Sister-in-law, Mother Said She Died Unjustly

“Are you sure they’re going to Wuyou Pavilion?”

Mo Yunwan clenched her palms, trying to control her excitement.

Earlier, at the promotion banquet, someone from Wuyou Pavilion had come to the Marquis’ residence. Shen Qingyu had investigated privately and found that Wuyou Pavilion was a male entertainment house that had only recently risen to prominence in Hanjing.

Besides some restless noblewomen, the Pavilion’s clientele included officials and elites with particular tastes.

Wuyou Pavilion maintained strict secrecy. Although everyone knew it was a place to display male charms, no guest’s identity had ever been revealed.

For an ordinary woman to go there was already scandalous, let alone a woman in mourning. If Cao Chun Xi were caught in Wuyou Pavilion during her filial period, she would be publicly humiliated—paraded and dunked in a pig cage—and no one could protect her!

Shen Jinhua shot Mo Yunwan a glare: “Of course I’m sure! I don’t know exactly what Wuyou Pavilion is, but it’s clearly not respectable. Otherwise, why would Madam Wei hide the note inside the pastries instead of delivering it openly?”

At the mention of “Madam Wei,” Mo Yunwan calmed slightly.

Even after leaving the capital for several years, she knew Xiao Qinghe was the epitome of a noble lady in Hanjing, and she had been childhood sweethearts with Wei Lingze, deeply in love.

Xiao Qinghe had only been newly married a few months—how could she have deliberately arranged for Chun Xi to go to Wuyou Pavilion?

Thinking this through, Mo Yunwan looked at Shen Jinhua: “You have no proof. Where’s the note?”

Shen Jinhua rolled her eyes: “Are you stupid? Something so secret, Chun Xi burned it after reading. Do you expect her to keep it?”

“If Chun Xi is so cautious, she would have read it in private. How do you know?”

“She’s still observing mourning—how could she eat such fine pastries? I ate them, and I discovered the note. I pretended I couldn’t read, and she lied that Wei’s family had sent the wrong pastries. It was a note secretly given by a Wei family maid to her lover, and she told me not to mention it, so as not to ruin the Wei family’s reputation. Do you think I’m easy to fool?”

Shen Jinhua spoke with pride and authority, and Mo Yunwan found herself believing a bit.

Bringing the Shen family back to the Marquis’ residence was just a way to use them to trouble Chun Xi over Xiao’s dowry. The main hall servants were their eyes and ears. Chun Xi had been eating only a bowl of watery porridge three times a day for days, constantly called around by Madam Wu and Shen Jinhua—she had lost weight.

Shen Jinhua grabbing pastries and uncovering the secret note made sense.

Mo Yunwan was still thinking when Shen Jinhua hurriedly said: “Where is Wuyou Pavilion? I’ll bring your second and third uncles to catch Cao Chun Xi red-handed. She won’t escape!”

Wuyou Pavilion wasn’t open to just anyone. If Shen Jinhua and her idiots made too much noise, they’d only alert Chun Xi and give her a chance to escape.

Mo Yunwan smiled faintly, linking arms with Shen Jinhua: “It’s impressive enough that you’ve learned such important information. No need for you and the uncles to catch her yourselves. You’ve just returned to the residence. If you make your brother suspicious, it’ll be bad. I’ll arrange for someone to capture her so she can’t deny anything.”

“Wan’er, you’re amazing! Our Third Young Master is truly lucky to marry you. Once Cao Chun Xi is expelled and Xiao’s dowry returned, the Shen family won’t shortchange you.”

Shen Jinhua beamed, already imagining all of Xiao’s dowry in her hands. Mo Yunwan found her ridiculous and was about to humbly respond when Shen Jinhua suddenly said: “Hey? That bracelet on your wrist is really pretty.”

Mo Yunwan was wearing a translucent white jade bracelet, smooth and high quality—Shen Qingyu had taken it from Madam Mo’s cosmetic box and given it to her.

“I didn’t hold a wedding ceremony with Third Brother, so this is all Aunt gave me,” she said softly, with a hint of grievance.

Shen Jinhua immediately said: “It’s already wonderful that you have such a beautiful bracelet. My husband never bought me a single piece of jewelry. Since you’re in mourning, it’s not proper to wear it. Why not lend it to me for a few days?”

Without waiting, Shen Jinhua grabbed the bracelet off her wrist.

Her movements were rough, leaving Mo Yunwan’s wrist red. Mo Yunwan could no longer suppress a smile and turned serious.

Shen Jinhua frowned: “I’m just borrowing it for a few days. When Cao Chun Xi returns Xiao’s dowry, there’ll be plenty of fine things. One bracelet is nothing. You’re now the mistress of the Marquis’ residence—shouldn’t your eyes be higher?”

Oblivious to her own greed, Shen Jinhua scolded away.

Mo Yunwan didn’t respond. Rubbing her wrist, she forced herself to speak gently: “You’re right, Little Aunt. If today’s information proves true, this bracelet is yours.”

Once Chun Xi was expelled and the residence under her control, the Shen family would be driven out. Then this bracelet would indeed be nothing.

After sending Shen Jinhua away with the bracelet, Mo Yunwan quickly sent a servant out of the residence.

At dinner, Shen Jinhua dismissed her maids and reported to Chun Xi: “I told that wretch everything you instructed. She immediately sent a servant out. On the surface, it looked like she went to buy tung oil, but she went into the back of the shop and spoke at length with the shopkeeper—surely plotting something against you.”

“Tung oil shop?”

Chun Xi probed: “Is that the Liu family tung oil shop?”

Shen Jinhua’s eyes flickered with slight regret: “How did you know it’s Liu’s?”

She had planned to hold back, extort Chun Xi like she did with Mo Yunwan.

Chun Xi smiled faintly: “I have a past with that shopkeeper. It’s normal for him to side with the Third Young Mistress against me.”

Shen Jinhua immediately asked: “Do you have a plan? Even if you don’t go with Madam Wei to Wuyou Pavilion, and they come up empty-handed, they’ll continue to harass you next time. This doesn’t solve anything.”

Chun Xi nodded: “Little Aunt is right. I’m turning their plan against them to expose the mastermind and prevent future trouble. Once the Third Young Master sees the true nature of the Third Young Mistress and divorces her, I’ll return my husband’s mother’s dowry to the Shen family.”

Shen Jinhua, seeing Chun Xi’s confidence, nodded: “Then we’ll wait for your good news.”

Three days later, before dawn, Chun Xi approached Mo Yunwan: “Last night I dreamt of my mother. She said she died unjustly and wants me to seek justice. Sister-in-law, have you dreamt of her?”

After several days of only drinking watery porridge, Chun Xi had lost some weight and energy. Under the gray morning sky, speaking of Madam Mo’s unfair death was startling.

Mo Yunwan shivered and said coldly: “They say what you think by day you dream by night. Perhaps you feel guilty toward your mother, which is why you dreamed this.”

Chun Xi shook her head: “I have no guilt toward my mother, but the dream felt so real. I want to visit Yunshan Temple and return before curfew. Sister-in-law, will you come with me?”

“There’s too much to do at the residence. I won’t go. You go alone.”

Mo Yunwan refused outright. Chun Xi didn’t insist and left by carriage.

As soon as Chun Xi left, Mo Yunwan sent someone to report to the Liu family tung oil shop.