PROOFREAD BY AFREANA

Chapter 36.2

Lu Daniang asked a few more questions but got no answer. After getting the money for the vegetables, she left. The gatekeeper waited for Lu Daniang to leave. Then, he hurriedly closed the door and ran to report to Mrs. Tan.

During this whole day, many people were curious about the movements inside the An House, asking here and there or inquiring about who was affected, but the one who asked about the old nanny specifically was only Lu Daniang. Mrs. Tan waited for a day and finally confirmed her suspicions. She called An Ping and asked him to send someone to inquire about the activities of Lu Daniang. This woman once visited the Purple Cloud House and may have had contact with An Ruochen.

The next day An Ping asked around in the vegetable market. Lu Daniang has indeed just gotten the favor from the Purple Cloud House. She had to deliver fresh vegetables and meat every two days to the Purple Cloud House. When An Ping told An Zhifu about this, he lost his temper and wanted to replace Lu Daniang. Not only would they no longer use her service, he would let An Ping inform the families in the city who are good friends with him not to give Lu Daniang any business again. Mrs. Tan’s listened to this and raised objections. “Master, do not do this. Lu Daniang is a good pawn. Let her continue to send messages to that bitch An Ruochen. It will serve us well.”

An Zhifu was stunned. He understood Mrs. Tan’s intention, frowned and began to calculate.

Mrs. Tan said: “Lu Daniang’s actions and words are not related to us. The government cannot accuse us of anything. Moreover, we didn’t harm her. We won’t get into any trouble. It’s just leaving a backup. We can use her if we need. All the people in the first house are gone, and that bitch An Ruochen had her moment in the limelight. I think it’s time to meet her. I’ll let Xi’er write a request. Let’s see how that bitch reacts. How about that?”

An Zhifu thought about it and finally nodded his head. General Zong said if An Ruochen does not refuse, he would hand in their request and let them follow the usual rules. One can only enter the Purple Cloud House with a response card. If there was trouble, he could find him again.

Mrs. Tan was pleased with herself and summoned An Ruoxi after she returned to her room. She told her what had happened. “That Lu Daniang must be An Ruochen’s helper. With her assistance, it will be easier for you to deal with An Ruochen. If you tell An Ruochen something, An Ruochen will need to find someone to verify it, and we will pass some information to Lu Daniang. Then, she will report it to An Ruochen. That bitch will believe it. You see, God is helping us. You don’t have to be afraid of that bitch’s scolding! Just use the method I taught you! Use the marriage with Master Qian and complain to her. She will be interested. Endure your anger for a while. Later, we would get back at that bitch twofold.”

An Ruoxi bit her lips and mumbled an answer.

The next day, without her maid, An Ruoxi blocked Lu Daniang on her way home after delivering the vegetables.

Lu Daniang saw her and said hello as usual, without the slightest sign of difference. An Ruoxi hesitated for a while but finally made up her mind. She said she had a favor to ask her and invited her to go to a quiet place to talk. Lu Daniang looked surprised. She was about to refuse when An Ruoxi pulled her into the alley.

“I don’t know who else I can ask for help. Please listen to me carefully. I have dismissed the maids. I don’t have much time. It’s about Nanny Song. I beg you to help her.”

Lu Daniang was stunned. An Ruochen’s old nanny? Yesterday when she heard the old nanny had gone back to her hometown to retire, she felt strange. The old nanny had vowed to stay at the An House to scout for news for An Ruochen. Even if the old nanny had changed her mind, she should have come to tell her. Even if she refused to leave her a message, did she not even want to see An Ruochen for the last time?

Lu Daniang asked around but couldn’t find the old nanny’s traces. No one had seen her, nor did they see the old nanny looking for her. Lu Daniang felt strange, and now that she heard An Ruoxi say this, she asked, “What do you want, Second Miss?”

An Ruoxi looked outside the alley nervously, as if she was afraid of being seen, and pulled Lu Daniang further in. She lowered her voice and said, “Daniang, Nanny Song has died. My parents caught her while she was eavesdropping. My father punished her in a fit of rage. Nanny Song was too old to withstand the beating, so she died.”

Lu Daniang was horrified.

An Ruoxi concealed her share in this matter, only saying that after this incident, her father was afraid there were people in the residence spying for her eldest sister and reporting the news to her, so he dismissed all the servants in the first house. Because her father worried her eldest sister would retaliate if she knew the old nanny died like this, he transported the old nanny’s body out during the commotion to throw the body to the mass grave outside the city.

Lu Daniang’s eyes widened, shocked that An Zhifu could be that vicious.

An Ruoxi looked again at the alley’s entrance, took out a money bag from her bosom, and stuffed it into Lu Daniang’s hand.

“Daniang, although Nanny Song and I do not have any bond, at least we were once a family. She was the only family member of the eldest sister in the world. I cannot bear to think of her old nanny dying without a burial place. I ……”

An Ruoxi choked back her tears, looked at Lu Daniang, wiped away the tears, and continued: “Now all the servants do not dare to discuss this matter, let alone collect Nanny Song’s body. My parents punished several household servants severely for leaking the news. Everyone is trembling in fear, and I have no one to consult. Since I heard that Daniang had some friendship with Nanny Song, I dare to beg Daniang. It’s hard to say this, but this is all the money I have. Please, for the sake of the Eldest Sister and Nanny Song, take this money and ask someone to go to the mass grave and look for Nanny Song’s body. Buy a grave for her, and bury her properly.”

Lu Daniang locked her brows, staring at the money bag in her hand. She still hadn’t come out from the shock and anger.

An Ruoxi looked at her expression, held her hand, and shook it forcefully: “Daniang, please be kind. I have no other choice. I can’t trust anyone in the government, and if my parents find out that I have done this, they will punish me. Please help me! Please help Nanny Song! It is the last thing we can do for her.”

Lu Daniang took a deep breath and said, “I will make inquiries about this matter.”