The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 773: Vengeful Spirit Seeking Vengeance (6)_1

Chapter 773: Chapter 773: Vengeful Spirit Seeking Vengeance (6)_1

"I didn’t see! I didn’t see!" Pei Wensheng cried out as he yelled, and as he shouted, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

"Faking a faint!? I have a surefire remedy for fakers, just jab a big steel needle into the temple, and I guarantee he’ll wake up right away!" Pei Qian immediately revealed.

"Wensheng! Wensheng!" Qian Wanxiu called out in tears twice, lifting her eyes filled with tears, "He’s just a child, and you’re pressing him like this!? Is there really no other way to conduct an interrogation!?"

At this moment, a Changsui came over and murmured a few words into Jiang Benxin’s ear.

Jiang Benxin frowned at once, his gaze sweeping over Qian Wanxiu and then turning to look at Pei Qin and Mo Heng.

Pei Qin pursed her lips coldly, "Since Sir Jiang has other matters, shall we postpone this case to another day?"

Jiang Benxin thought for a while, saw the hopeful look in Qian Wanxiu’s eyes, decided to delay the interrogation of the nursemaid and Lady Chen, and temporarily adjourned the court.

Qian Wanxiu hastily took Pei Wensheng home with the help of Pei Wenchen and Mother Qian.

Pei Qin returned to her own small courtyard with Mo Heng and Pei Qian.

Hong Xia and Huang Qiu had already finished cleaning, and the cook woman had prepared the meal. The nursemaid had also fed Jiujiu.

Pei Qian pulled a face, greatly dissatisfied with Jiang Benxin’s adjournment, "That Pei Wensheng was clearly faking his faint. The murderer is definitely that bitch Lady Qian! She is so sinister and vicious; she must have done all of it, and she definitely killed the person. She is trying to falsely blame us!"

"Don’t say more without evidence," Pei Qin chided her.

Pei Qian opened her mouth, thought of "The Book of Rites" she had been copying, and shut her mouth.

Outside, however, the word had already spread that Pei Wensheng had seen the murderer. Even if it wasn’t Qian Wanxiu, she must be the mastermind.

By the afternoon, rumors spread, was it Pei Wensheng who killed the person? He resented his newly born brother, so he smothered Pei Wenjie to death! Otherwise, everyone else had alibis: the nursemaid had gone to the kitchen to fetch water, Lady Chen had been in the privy, and he himself had said he had gone out, then later cried out that the nursemaid was the killer. It’s very likely that he was the murderer himself!

At this statement, an uproar ensued. Pei Wensheng was only twelve years old—how could he be the murderer!? What deep hatred could drive him to kill his brother who was just a few months old? Even if there were hatred, he was only twelve, how could he dare to do it!? That was a human life, smothering to death... So brutally heartless and utterly unrighteous.

The gossip spread far and wide: one told ten, ten told a hundred, and by evening the whole town was abuzz. It was Pei Wensheng who killed, how he smothered his younger brother, how Qian Wanxiu tried to save her son’s life by falsely blaming the nursemaid and Pei Qin—all came out, with many people adding details as if they had seen it themselves.

Qian Wanxiu was seething with anger but she couldn’t care about it now. The rumors were spreading wildly outside, certainly spread intentionally by that vile wretch. She now had to find a scapegoat as soon as possible! And this scapegoat wasn’t easy to find. The most likely candidate was Lady Chen, only she would make a convincing scapegoat.

But Lady Chen was absolutely unwilling to die, let alone take the blame. She would surely implicate Wensheng! The more Qian Wanxiu thought, the more the murderous intent boiled in her heart. Lady Chen would have to die sooner or later. If she died today, it would be considered suicide out of guilt, and then no one would ever know about Wensheng’s deed!

This matter had to be handled quickly, but it was not easy. The reason for Lady Chen committing murder was insufficient, and finding a way to make it look like suicide out of fear of punishment was also difficult.

At this time, Pei Zongli came to confront Qian Wanxiu, "Was it really you who ordered the killing of Wenjie?"

"You suspect me?" Qian Wanxiu burst out in rage.

Mother Qian came in, "Master! Madam!" she intervened, preventing them from rushing into a quarrel.

Soon, those who were drinking water, eating porridge, and supposed to rest, all settled down for the night.