Chapter 2057: Shu Yu's Guidance

Chapter 2057: Shu Yu's Guidance

According to Ruan Chengqian, Cao Jiang was similar to Ruan Kewei in terms of being unruly. However, he didn't have Ruan Kewei's privileged background. Cao Jiang's family had given up on him, even considering severing ties with him. Despite this, Cao Jiang didn't care. He would occasionally go out to drink, gamble, and when he ran out of money, he'd steal from his parents. If there was nothing left to steal, he would cause trouble for others.

He often stayed away from home for three to five days at a time. His family was relieved when he was gone, but chaos ensued when he returned.

Ruan Chengqian said, "Cao Jiang is from the neighboring village. A few days ago, when I went to the neighboring village to visit a friend, I heard him mention that Cao Jiang had been missing from home for about half a month. He speculated that Cao Jiang might have run away due to gambling debts. Running away was good, as it would save the village from his mischief. As far as I know, he's the only one who has been missing for such a long time in the past half month."

Shu Yu nodded thoughtfully and then looked at Lou Shi, "When Ruan Kewei mentioned that he killed someone and buried the body, do you think he did it alone, or did someone help him?"

Lou Shi was unsure, "I don't know."

"I've heard that Ruan Kewei is well-favored by Ruan Hai, and after that incident, he even had nightmares during the night, showing signs of fear. Typically, someone like him, who may be committing such a crime for the first time, is unlikely to handle it alone without drawing suspicion."

Ruan Chengqian exclaimed, "County Princess suspects this, and Ruan Hai knows about it. Did Ruan Hai help him bury the body?"

"I'm just speculating. After all, Ruan Kewei doesn't seem to have the cunning to handle this alone. If he killed someone, he likely sought help immediately. The only person available to help him would be Ruan Hai. Lou, think carefully. On that day, apart from Ruan Kewei acting abnormally, did Ruan Hai show any suspicious behavior? Did he go out with Ruan Kewei when he returned?"

Lou Shi widened her eyes; she hadn't thought about this possibility before. Shu Yu guided her step by step, helping her recall the details from half a month ago.

With a furrowed brow, Lou Shi said with uncertainty, "On that day, when Ruan Kewei came back... Yes, he returned twice that day. The first time was just after dusk. I was preparing to wash the dishes and had poured water into the yard. I saw him rushing in, looking very flustered. Shortly after, I heard a commotion inside the house, and then my father-in-law went out with him. The second time he returned was in the early morning, and I was already asleep. He immediately hid under the blanket."

So, was it possible that they both participated in burying the body?

"Is there anything else unusual?"

Lou Shi contemplated for a while before saying, "Yes, there is something strange. In the past, I used to wash the clothes at home, but the next day, when I was about to wash them by the river, my mother-in-law had already washed all the clothes."

"Do you know where they buried the body?"

Lou Shi genuinely had no idea. Ruan Kewei had only revealed that one sentence, and she couldn't extract any more detailed information.

However, Shu Yu felt that even with Ruan Hai's cautious nature, there would still be traces left behind if he was involved.

She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, suddenly realizing something. "You mentioned earlier that Ruan Kewei said, 'I'll let you taste what it's like to be hit with a hoe.' This suggests that if he indeed committed murder, the weapon used was a hoe. Do you have a shortage of hoes at home, or is there anything unusual about them?"

Lou immediately raised her head, excitedly saying, "Yes, there's something strange."