Chapter 821 It turns out the thief was crying "stop thief!"
Chapter 821 It turns out the thief was crying "stop thief!"
Jiang Shuxue shouted and screamed, appearing completely out of control.
"Shut up!" Old Master Jiang shouted angrily.
Jiang Shuxue shivered and dared not protest any longer, her face full of resentment.
“Second Miss, how can you be so sure that there’s something wrong with the Eldest Miss’s courtyard? You haven’t investigated thoroughly enough,” Qiao Dameng said.
Mr. Jiang's sharp gaze fell on Jiang Shuxue's face.
Recently, he heard that Jiang Shuxue's mental state had improved. He thought that if Jiang Shuxue didn't cause any trouble, he would just let her fend for herself in his own courtyard, providing her with food and drink.
But seeing her incredulous expression and eagerness to convict Jiang Shulan, he couldn't help but become suspicious.
Even if Jiang Shuxue wasn't entirely clear on the matter, she could tell that there was a trap in Qiao Dameng's words.
"I... I just felt that the investigation of the courtyard should be thorough, I didn't have any other thoughts."
Master Jiang sneered: "Then search me thoroughly."
The servants rushed into Jiang Shuxue's room and ransacked the place again.
Jiang Shuxue wasn't worried about her at all, but she couldn't understand why there was no news about Jiang Shulan.
She stared at Jiang Shulan, wanting to know what was wrong. Jiang Shulan looked at her with pity in her eyes, as if she were watching a joke.
"Second sister, don't be afraid. The innocent will clear themselves. The search is just a formality. You are alone in this courtyard, and there are guards. If you really had any contact with other men, how careful would you have to be? How many times would you have to climb over the wall and climb through the window? How could that be possible? I believe you have been cultivating your character, remembering Father's teachings, and reflecting on your past mistakes."
Jiang Shuxue felt uncomfortable hearing Jiang Shulan's words.
She swore, "If I have any improper dealings with anyone, may I be struck down by heaven and die a horrible death."
After she finished speaking, she noticed that Jiang Shulan's ambiguous smile gave her an uneasy feeling.
A servant rushed out of the room, carrying something in his hand.
"Reporting to the master, we found a man's handkerchief under the second young lady's pillow."
Everyone present changed their expressions, especially Mr. Jiang, whose face turned ashen.
He raised his hand and slapped Jiang Shuxue hard across the face.
"You bastard, tell me what's going on here."
With a powerful force and a crisp sound, Jiang Shuxue stumbled and fell to the ground.
She raised her face, and on one cheek were five obvious finger marks, while on the other cheek was a bloody gash from a pebble.
Upon seeing the handkerchief, which was clearly designed for men, her pupils dilated in disbelief and terror, and her whole body trembled.
This is something that should have been found from Jiang Shulan, so how did it end up here with her?
Where exactly did things go wrong? She's been staying in the yard, in her room the whole time.
How could anyone have done such a thing?
Her questioning gaze swept over the maids and nannies, but they too looked confused.
"It's none of our business. We're just doing our daily cleaning and sweeping."
"Yeah, I don't know how that thing ended up under my pillow."
Mr. Jiang's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Unexpectedly, those rumors were true; there really were women in the household having affairs with men outside the household.
And it's Jiang Shuxue, who's only just recovered and is already so restless.
"Who is that man?" Master Jiang asked quietly, a hint of murderous intent in his voice.
Even if Jiang Shuxue made a serious mistake in the past, she was still his daughter, a noblewoman of the Jiang family. If that outsider had no status, he should be beaten to death to prevent future troubles.
Otherwise, if word gets out, it will damage the reputation of the women in the Chiang family.
Jiang Shuxue knelt on the ground with a thud, shouting uncontrollably, "I didn't have an affair with any other man! Someone put this under my pillow to frame me! Father, you must find out the truth! I can't suffer this injustice!"
As he spoke, he reached out and tugged at Mr. Jiang's trouser leg.
Mr. Jiang kicked her away, his face full of disgust.
“Tell me, this isn’t over until you confess. Don’t force me to use family discipline.”
Upon hearing the words "family law," Jiang Shuxue shuddered. Family law usually refers to punishments such as whipping, beating with a board, and kneeling in the Buddhist hall, each of which is a form of torment.
She shook her head, her face pale: "I don't know, I really don't know. I've been staying in the courtyard the whole time, and there are guards at the gate. How could I have had the chance to have an affair with another man? If Father doesn't believe me, ask my servants. They know me best."
"I'm not too sure about that." A nanny gestured with her chin. "Besides the food delivery people, no one else comes in through the gate. But the eldest young lady said that we can climb over the wall or through the window. The second young lady doesn't like us getting close to her. She often shouts and screams and seems mentally unstable. We have to keep our distance from her. We don't dare to vouch for what she does in private."
"That's right. I think the second young lady was rejected by the Zhong family and also schemed against the eldest young lady. She might never be able to get married in the future. Maybe she really can't stand the loneliness and will secretly have an affair with another man," a maid said.
Although they were people from Jiang Shuxue's courtyard, Jiang Shuxue was no longer the noble young lady of the Jiang family she used to be. Instead, she was mentally unstable, and the once favored Madam Wei had been confined to her home. She was neither loved by her father nor cared for by her mother, and had no hope for the future. They usually couldn't be bothered to give her a kind look, and at times like this, they would certainly not speak up for her.
Seeing the attitude of the people in her courtyard, Jiang Shuxue was already annoyed. They usually fawned over the powerful and looked down on the weak, and didn't take her seriously. Now they were even secretly kicking her while she was down, as if they wished she had really done something shameful. What kind of logic was this?
She was so angry that she yelled and got up from the ground, slapped the maid across the face, and kicked the old woman in the stomach.
Pointing at the servants, he breathed heavily: "You traitorous dogs, how dare you slander me! You've all lost your conscience, I'll beat you to death!"
Then he unleashed another flurry of wild slaps—
The courtyard immediately descended into chaos.
Qiao Dameng stood in front of Jiang Shulan to prevent Jiang Shuxue from losing control and shifting her target to Jiang Shulan.
"Enough! Seize this wretched girl!" Seeing this, Master Jiang was furious.
Jiang Shuxue was restrained, but she was still kicking her servants and shouting and cursing at the top of her lungs, the sounds of which were extremely offensive.
She is now in a state of collapse, unable to understand how things could have turned out this way. It is bizarre and incomprehensible, and she has no way to break through the deadlock or find an answer.
A servant took the handkerchief and examined it carefully.
"This handkerchief looks familiar; I think I saw it just yesterday."
bestfiction