CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 56: HIDDEN NEEDLES IN THE SHOES

Ruan Mian subconsciously took another look, then grabbed the shoes and inspected them carefully.

Perhaps it was intuition, or maybe just a habit, but she always meticulously examined anything handed by others before using them until she was sure there was nothing wrong.

They were not lacking in anything, actually.

And just through this inspection, trouble arose.

Ruan Mian felt that the sole of the shoe seemed uneven. She stuffed the bun she was holding into it and took it out again, discovering several extra pinholes.

And some places were ripped by the needles. It was imaginable that if Rui really wore these shoes, his feet might be ruined.

Mrs. Chen was shocked!

She immediately took the shoes and cut them open, only to find several needles standing upright on the sole, with only the tips exposed. Without a closer look, one would never notice them.

If Rui put them on, his little feet would likely be pierced through thousands of times.

"Mianmian!!"

Ruan Mian furrowed her brows slightly and raised her voice to call Nanny Zhang over, throwing the shoes in front of her: "Nanny Zhang, are these the shoes you prepared for Rui?"

Nanny Zhang took one look and turned pale with fright!

Her body trembling, she quickly knelt down: "Miss Ruan, please judge wisely. We...we would never harm Rui. Granny Zhou is our lady’s nursemaid and has been with her for many years. She would never harm a child without a reason. Our lady truly appreciates you, these needles...needles..."

She didn’t know how this had happened, and was terrified, unsure of how to explain.

Ruan Mian, seeing her like this, calmly helped her up: "Nanny Zhang, please go and call Granny Zhou over."

Nanny Zhang dared not disobey and immediately brought Granny Zhou to them. Ruan Mian specifically found a secluded corner to question her.

As soon as Granny Zhou saw her, she knelt down and explained: "Miss Ruan, I dare swear to the heaven, I really didn’t meddle with the shoes. I didn’t! It wasn’t me who did this."

"If it wasn’t you, then think carefully. When you were making the shoes, who was near you, who had the most opportunity to tamper with your work?"

As she finished speaking, Granny Zhou suddenly remembered!

"Aunt Ruan..."

Only Aunt Ruan had approached her. Aunt Ruan had asked her to pour tea for the old lady, and besides her, no one else had come close.

She had been alone all night making the shoes.

Ruan Mian helped her up, comforting her: "Since that’s the case, Granny Zhou, you should know how to report this to your lady, right?"

To dare use the matriarch as a pawn, Ruan Jiao’s courage was growing increasingly bold.

In that case, Ruan Mian didn’t want to dirty her own hands. She patted Granny Zhou’s shoulder: "I know your lady’s good intention, but someone deliberately wants to frame your lady. I hope Granny Zhou will make a wise decision on this matter."

Granny Zhou had now cursed Ruan Jiao thoroughly in her heart!!

Usually, the lady was extremely tolerant of them, knowing that she was deliberately currying favor with the old lady, the lady never said a word.

A mere concubine dared target the lady’s authority!

Trying to use someone else’s hand to do the dirty work, intending for the lady to be targeted by Miss Ruan, what a cunning plan.

Granny Zhou, with a face full of anger, went to Mrs. Wang, truthfully telling her about the needles hidden in the shoes.

Seeing the lady’s eyebrows slightly furrow, Granny Zhou had also reached the limit of her patience.

"Madam, that damned Aunt Ruan dared to frame her own family by pretending to use your hand; she’s worse than a beast!! This time she cannot be pardoned! She must see who is really in charge of this Uncle’s Mansion."

Even to make the usually gentle Granny Zhou so enraged, it was evident Ruan Jiao was indeed unscrupulous.

"Thanks to Miss Ruan’s clarity in right and wrong, she didn’t let the blame fall on us."

Mrs. Wang put down the tool in her hand and headed towards the house: "Where is Ruan Jiao now?"

As for Ruan Jiao’s whereabouts, Granny Zhou was unsure, so the two went into the house to inquire, only to learn that Ruan Jiao had been taken by the government officer along with the main group to dig the road.

"Once she returns, Nanny Zhang, you shall keep an eye outside."

When Ruan Mian, along with Cui Zhu, went out to offer medical consultations, they saw Nanny Zhang.

"Miss, I see that Nanny Zhang must be waiting for Third Young Lady to come back. Third Young Lady even planned to harm Rui, she’s inhumane! We should tell the eldest young master, no, we should tell everyone in the mansion!"

Ruan Mian unconcernedly curled her lips.

"These matters don’t require us to speak much. Naturally, someone will make it known to everyone, just wait and watch the show."

Not long after she left, Mrs. Chen also packed a few things, taking a small heater and some dry food to Ruan Qingsong.

Earlier in the morning, he had left in a hurry without bringing anything, and she was concerned her husband might catch a cold outside.

So she brought a maid with her to find Ruan Qingsong.

When Ruan Qingsong saw Mrs. Chen, he was taken aback and quickly came over to look her up and down with concern: "It’s still snowing! Why did you come out?"

"Asong, I’m fine. I can take care of myself. Are you cold? I brought you a heater and lots of food. Rest a bit and replenish your energy."

Mrs. Chen considerately took out a small heater and dry food from the bundle, smiling as she handed it to him.

She and Ruan Qingsong had been betrothed since they were children, growing up together as childhood sweethearts, each being the most important person to the other.

Mrs. Chen was gentle and beautiful, with many young suitors knocking on her door for marriage, but none could surpass Ruan Qingsong.

In the vast expanse of white snow, this charming woman looked as if she were a celestial being, standing out among the crowd of people covered in dust and grime.

She was well-protected by the Ruan Mansion, with tender skin and gentle eyes. Her thoughtful manner towards Ruan Qingsong was enough to make anyone envious.

Especially Li Mao.

How had he never noticed that Ruan Mansion had such a delightful person as Chen? She had simply grown into his heart!

That Ruan Qingsong was half-dead; how could he be worthy of such a beauty?

Thinking of his own wife, Mrs. Yao, with her perpetually unattractive face and foul temper, never stopping her complaints, how could she compare to Mrs. Chen’s gentleness and charm?

If he were Ruan Qingsong, Li Mao couldn’t imagine how blissful he would be.

The loneliness along this journey seemed to be dispersed by Mrs. Chen, reigniting a certain flame in his heart. His gaze towards Mrs. Chen became filled with deeper meaning.

He spat a few times on his hands, firmly gripping the shovel as he vigorously shoveled snow, his mind swirling with various thoughts.

Upon returning, the first thing he did was seek out Ruan Jiao.

Originally, Nanny Zhang was to take Ruan Jiao to see Mrs. Wang, but Li Mao got to her first!

Nanny Zhang, seeing Ruan Jiao being taken away by Li Mao, was slightly surprised and quickly hid herself, secretly following them.

Ruan Jiao looked around, quickly withdrew her hand, and put some distance between herself and Li Mao.

"Second Master, what matters do you have with me?"

This Li Mao was Li Shen’s second uncle, so in terms of propriety, Ruan Jiao had to maintain some distance from him.

She didn’t want to end up like Aunt Jiao Chen, being accused of adultery and then abandoned in the wild by the old lady.

Li Mao noticed her deliberate distance, snorting: "What are you afraid of?"