Old Madam Lin’s eldest daughter, Lin Aomei, was the wife of the Changping Marquis Estate.
She was also squeezed into the crowd, continuously wiping her tears, crying as if her heart were breaking, in unbearable pain, nearly breathless. Her body kept swaying unsteadily, supported by two maids.
Beside her were two very beautiful daughters, also looking as if they were about to burst into tears.
They appeared well-behaved and sensible, evoking pity in anyone who saw them.
The mother and her two daughters had inherited the Lin family’s filthy bloodline, as well as their cruelty and selfishness.
In their previous life, they had colluded with the Lin family, relentlessly pursuing Lin Pianran and her maid, driving them into a corner step by step until they had nowhere to escape.
They were also a group of sinister, despicable, and inhuman villains.
Seeing these enemies from her past life, the hatred in Lin Pianran’s eyes nearly burst forth, her chilling killing intent almost impossible to conceal.
She blinked hard, her eyes slightly red, controlling her boiling emotions until she gradually calmed down.
She watched everything before her indifferently, observing the crowd coming and going.
Yet in her heart, she felt incomparably exhilarated.
As long as the Lin family suffered, she was happy!
Watching the Lin family in pain and distress, the corners of her lips held a captivating smile.
At that moment, Huanxue walked over.
Deliberately raising her voice, she said, “Miss, a Butterfly Golden hairpin was found in Old Madam Lin’s room.”
“It has now been confirmed to be the hairpin the eldest young lady liked the most. There is dried blood on it, confirmed to be Old Madam Lin’s blood. That golden hairpin has also been identified as the murder weapon used to kill the old madam.”
“However, when the officials questioned the eldest young lady earlier, she claimed that the hairpin was lost last night.”
“She also said that she has always respected and been filial to her grandmother, and her grandmother doted on her greatly. It was impossible for her to kill her own grandmother, and she had no motive for the crime. She consistently denied any connection to Old Madam Lin’s death.”
“Moreover, she claimed that she was bitten by a snake and couldn’t possibly have committed murder.”
“Currently, the authorities are still investigating and cannot fully confirm whether Old Madam Lin’s death is related to the eldest young lady.”
Many people standing near Lin Pianran pricked up their ears, listening intently to the conversation between the mistress and her maid, very interested in satisfying their gossipy hearts.
Lin Pianran showed a surprised expression and murmured softly, “Actually, Eldest Sister’s suspicion is quite high. For one, her golden hairpin is unique—no one else has one like it.”
“Secondly, it’s possible that she committed the murder first and then was poisoned by the snake.”
“Can’t the coroner determine the time of death? Compare it with the time Eldest Sister was bitten by the snake. If the sequence of events can be confirmed, it might reduce her suspicion.”
“Even if she was poisoned by the snake first, it doesn’t completely rule her out. Couldn’t she have ordered someone else to do it?”
“Another point: they could investigate the origin of those snakes. Perhaps they might find some clues. If she did it, she’s bound to have left some traces.”
Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for those around to hear clearly.
After speaking, she pretended as if she had misspoken and quickly covered her mouth.
Both mistress and maid were skilled actors. They hurriedly retreated to a corner, not daring to say another word, like two frightened rabbits.
However, their conversation spread like wildfire, quickly sweeping through every corner of the camp’s various residences and courtyards.
The officials naturally caught wind of it as well.
When the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review heard these rumors, his eyes sparkled with amusement as he smiled.
This adopted daughter is truly intriguing!
Although Lin Chuyao had been severely bitten by the venomous snake and couldn’t even get out of bed, the authorities still stationed two guards outside the side room, treating her as a suspect under strict surveillance.
This infuriated Lin Chuyao, who kept pounding her bed in rage to vent her frustration.
Though Lin Chuyao had regained consciousness and both types of snake venom had been neutralized, numerous wounds remained on her body.
One wound was on her cheek, another on her neck, with several more scattered across various parts of her body.
Even her thighs bore multiple bite marks.
Terrified of scarring on her face and neck, Lin Chuyao persistently begged the Lin family to procure scar-removal ointment for her.
Hearing that Lin Chuyao’s legs had suffered the worst snake bites, Lin Pianran covered her mouth and snickered.
It seemed the snakes she had slipped into Lin Chuyao’s bedding had been quite effective, living up to expectations.
But soon, another piece of news emerged.
Around Lin Pianran, several ladies gathered, whispering among themselves.
One of them, her face alight with gossipy excitement, said, “Did you know another major incident happened last night?”
Their curiosity piqued, the women asked in unison, “What happened?”
The lady cleared her throat and announced, “Last night, Huo Feng, the Sixth Young Master of Jing Wang Manor, was caught in an affair with his fiancée’s half-sister.”
She paused before continuing, “While they were passionately entangled, they accidentally knocked over an oil lamp, which started a fire that nearly burned down the entire courtyard.”
“Were anyone hurt? Did the fire reach them?” one lady eagerly inquired.
“When they were rescued, both had suffered burns!”
“Sixth Young Master Huo Feng’s injuries weren’t too severe—just one arm badly burned and a patch on his face.”
“But that young half-sister from the General’s Manor had half her body scorched, and her face was disfigured. They say it’s completely unrecognizable.”
“Ah, so young and once breathtakingly beautiful—what a pity!”
“What’s there to pity? She’s nothing but a shameless hussy who seduces men!” another lady retorted angrily.
“Knowing full well he was her own sister’s fiancé, she still threw herself at him. Don’t you think such a woman is despicable? I say she deserves no sympathy!”
“Would’ve been better if she’d burned to death!”
“Exactly! Living like this, she’ll face public scorn, her reputation ruined, her face disfigured. How could the General’s Manor ever tolerate her?” another lady chimed in.
“I suspect this girl now has only two paths: either execution or a lifetime confined to a nunnery with ancient Buddha statues.”
“Marrying? Absolutely impossible! Her life is utterly destroyed!”
“But if they were sleeping in the same bed, how did the girl get so much more severely injured?” one lady questioned.
“Perhaps Sixth Young Master Huo Feng just had better luck!”
“Better luck? I heard he was the first to notice the fire and heartlessly abandoned the girl, fleeing alone…”
“So you see! When a man tells you in bed how deep his feelings are for you and how much he cares, it’s all nonsense! You absolutely mustn’t take it seriously!”
“When danger comes, they run faster than rabbits. Such men are unreliable and absolutely not worth marrying! They’re just scumbags!”
“Yes, total scumbags! Scumbags are despicable!”
Then, the ladies spent quite some time happily and thoroughly denouncing scumbags and shameless women in low voices.
Only after slowly venting their emotions did they calm down.
Lin Pianran stood beside them, listening attentively. She found it refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable.
Then she pulled Huanxue and Tianzhu aside to a hidden, secluded corner and instructed them, “Quickly spread the news we just heard – and make sure to embellish it with extra details!”