The Ace Bigshot Becomes A Farmgirl

The strange thing Ms. Lou mentioned wasn’t Shu Yu guessing that they were missing a hoe from their home, but rather...

”On the morning after that incident, Ruan Jinqian came running to our house from the village entrance, looking for my father-in-law to act as a judge, saying his hoe had been stolen and wanting my father-in-law to help him find it.”

A hoe is a metal farming tool. Although metal tools these days can’t compare to gold, silver, or jade, for ordinary farming households, it’s still an asset. Losing it like that, of course they wouldn’t accept it, especially since the hoe was relatively new.

According to Ruan Jinqian, that evening he went to plow the field. Halfway through, he got tired and placed the hoe on the ridge, went under the shade to drink some water and took a short rest.

In just that while, when he returned to the field, the hoe was gone.

He thought he remembered wrong, so he searched the plot of land thoroughly, but even by nightfall, he hadn’t found it. He suspected it was stolen. In fact, he had run to Ruan Hai’s house back then, but Ms. Lou was inside and didn’t see him, though she might have heard some noise. However, Ruan Hai was not home since he and Ruan Kewei were out, so Ruan Jinqian left.

He came back the next day.

Ruan Chengqian looked up in surprise after hearing this, ”So that means Ruan Kewei took Ruan Jinqian’s hoe to kill someone?”

”If the premise of the murder is true, then judging by Ruan Kewei’s behavior, it would be a crime of passion. Without a plan, the weapon would generally be something grabbed on the spot. The crime scene may be near Ruan Jinqian’s plot of land.”

Shu Yu said while standing up, ”In any case, we need to go see the scene first. Do you know where Ruan Jinqian’s land is?”

Ruan Chengqian said, ”I do know his land, but I’m not sure which plot he was tilling that day.”

”I know, it’s the plot at the foot of the mountain,” Ms. Lou said, ”I overheard a bit back then, and my father-in-law pretended to go with Ruan Jinqian to the foot of the mountain, but they didn’t find anything.”

”Then let’s go check out that plot at the foot of the mountain.”

Ruan Chengqian was surprised as he saw her about to head out, ”Going now? But it’s the middle of the night; even if there are clues, we can’t see them clearly.”

”I know, it’s just that since we are already out, it would be a waste not to take a trip. Let’s check out the terrain first.”

Ruan Chengqian nodded, ”Alright, I’ll take you.”

Ms. Lou was also about to leave with them, but Shu Yu noticed she was injured, limping as she walked, so she suggested she stay home for now.

”We’ll go, you stay home and rest. We’ll look for clues, and we won’t come again tonight. Try not to return to the Ruan family in the next couple of days. If they come looking for you, just...” Shu Yu thought for a moment and then said in a low voice, ”just pretend you’ve been beaten so badly that you’re bedridden. Ask the Ruan family for money to go see a doctor in the county town. If they don’t pay, you should go yourself. It will help you avoid this storm.”

Shu Yu was worried that before things were settled with the Ruan Hai family, they might harm Ms. Lou again.

She gave Ms. Lou the address of the clinic Zhao Xi owned in the county town, ”That’s my brother-in-law’s clinic. In my opinion, even if you don’t pretend to be gravely ill, you should see a doctor given how you’ve been beaten. Discuss it with your parents, so you don’t end up with any long-term issues.”

Ms. Lou noted it down, ”Thank you, thank you, county magistrate.”

”Don’t worry, if Ruan Kewei really did kill someone, we won’t let him off. Even if he didn’t, we will bring down Ruan Hai, help you get a divorce, so hang in there a little longer.”