Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Wang Heng had been away from his mother for more than a year, and Mrs. Ling's face felt better when she saw him come back.

Wang Heng asked his father which room Mr. Wang San was in so that he could go in and pay his respects. Ling smiled bitterly and said, "Your father has already hid out."

It turned out that before Mr. Wang San returned to his hometown, he sent all his barren aunts and wives back to their mother's house. Aunt Hong refused to leave, and Mr. Wang San was reluctant to leave them, so he left Aunt Hong alone.

A large family returned to Taicang without even a place to stay. Madam Zhu took them in to live in front of Wang Yamen for more than ten days, and then asked the housekeeper A Gen to find a house for them. There were also luxurious and spacious houses, but they couldn't live in them. Come on, it seems that I have chosen this house.

There were two entrances to the Yu family's house, which was very cramped. The servants like Menzi lived in the first room, the Ling family lived in the east wing in the second room, the eldest mistress lived in the west wing, and Wang Heng's other brothers and sisters lived in two or three. Aunt Hong lived in one room, in the wing room next to the east wing, which didn't even have a window.

I didn't see Aunt Hong this morning. The whole family ate rice porridge, but there was no sign of her.

Now that Master Wang San has resigned, his family is no longer as crowded with servants as before. Only Mrs. Ling and the eldest mistress have a maid. Mrs. Ling asked Miss Feng to call Aunt Hong.

Miss Feng called out several times at the door of the ear room, "Auntie Hong, Auntie Hong."

There was no reply from the room. Miss Feng knew that Aunt Hong was a bit coquettish on weekdays, so she didn't take it seriously and said, "Madam, I think Aunt Hong did her work late at night and couldn't get up in the morning."

Mrs. Ling was furious and immediately asked Miss Feng to wake up Mr. Hong and set a rule for her.

Miss Feng forced a smile and said, "Madam, why should I be the same as her?" After that, she walked away.

When Mrs. Ling saw that her maids didn't take her as a wife seriously, she had sinned against her. She was so angry that she was sure to get angry at Mrs. Hong. She rushed in and grabbed Mrs. Hong despite her identity. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the eldest mistress's maid and the little one. Cicada was peeling edamame on the side, then she walked over and said, "Xiao Cicada, go to Aunt Hong's room and wake her up."

Xiaochan was startled, and looked up to see that the eldest mistress was not in front of her. She had to wipe her hands, walked to Hong's penthouse, and pushed the door open. The door creaked and revealed a crack, but it was ajar.

Xiaochan entered the room and looked over. Aunt Hong was nowhere to be seen. Most of the furnishings in her room were missing. Several boxes and cages were placed in a mess. When she opened the boxes, they were already bottomless.

Xiao Chan turned around and came back, a little flustered, shouting all the way: "Aunt Hong has escaped, Aunt Hong has escaped."

Hearing Xiao Chan's shouting, the female relatives of the whole family gathered around. Aunt Hong was really missing, and they all started thinking after the fact.

Aunt Liu, the biological mother of the second sister, said: "Oh, I already knew that Hong could not stay here. She is not from Loudong."

Aunt Liu had poisonous eyes, staring at Miss Feng from above to her feet, and said: "Miss Feng, your clothes are so bright and tight, with a silver-red gauze shirt and a white Hangzhou silk skirt. This outfit was only fashionable in Hangzhou at the beginning of the year. , I saw that Aunt Hong was dressed like this, how did she get into your hands, ah, maybe you collected her things, stole my wife's keys, and let her go."

"Fuck your mother." Miss Feng was not easy to get along with. There was a quarrel between words, and the women were quarreling with each other.

Wang Heng and Xiaocai returned home at this time. "Seventh Young Master, you come to judge." Since Wang Heng moved into Helai's study room in front of Wang Yamen, he has gained the trust of Mrs. Gaoming. Everyone in the family thinks that he has some potential now. Miss Feng was originally the eldest maid of the Ling family. He claims to be somewhat decent in front of Wang Heng.

After Wang Heng listened to what they said one by one, he stopped them from making any noise. He walked around the house. The house was very small, with a total of two doors for entry and exit.

The main entrance faces south, and there is a guard guarding it. The gatekeeper asked, and the gatekeeper said that since the door opened early this morning, two people, Wang Heng and Xiaocai, have come in, and only Mr. Wang San has gone out. He has not seen Aunt Hong today, and even more so. He doesn't know how to buy and let Aunt Hong go. He is the disciple, and it is his responsibility to let people in and out. If he lets the master's concubine go, can he still keep his job?

The corner door opened in the west of the yard and was unguarded. During the day, it was only locked with a wooden latch. People inside could go out, but people outside could not come in.Close the door at night and drop the keys. There are two keys. One is held by Mrs. Ling, and the other is with the eldest mistress.

Wang Heng walked into Aunt Hong's room, looked at it carefully, and then asked Miss Feng, "Miss Feng, when was the last time you saw Aunt Hong?"

"After dinner yesterday, Aunt Hong and I did some sewing together. Aunt Hong gave me this dress," said Miss Feng.

Wang Heng nodded and said: "Aunt Hong was still here last night. She couldn't have gone out in the middle of the night. That would have violated the night ban. According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty, the evening drum is sounded at the first and third quarters of the morning to prohibit travel, and the morning drum is sounded at the third quarter of the fifth watch. The bell can open the door to pass, so Aunt Hong must leave after the bell rings at dawn in the morning."

Wang Heng asked Xiaochan: "Miss Xiaochan, when you opened the door and entered Aunt Hong's room, did you call her name?"

Xiao Chan blushed and said, "Nu Nu doesn't remember."

Aunt Liu interjected: "I was really watching from the side. Xiaochan just opened the door and went in."

Wang Heng said again: "Xiaochan, was it you who opened Aunt Hong's box?"

"I saw that Aunt Hong was missing and the boxes and cages were in a mess, so I opened it and took a look." Xiaochan said anxiously, looking at the eldest mistress with her eyes.

"Miss Xiaochan, the reason why you dare to open the door and go in without knocking is because you already knew that Aunt Hong has left. I have already gone in to see the room. There are not many furnishings and it is normal. There are still some clothes, but it’s not that the room has been emptied. Why did you conclude that Aunt Hong had escaped as soon as you saw her? Aunt Hong is an important person around the master who can talk to me. How dare you go through her boxes? It shows that you It’s a bluff, you really know she’s gone, then, Miss Xiaochan, you were the one who let her go with the eldest mistress’s key, right?”

"Slave, slave." Xiao Chan hesitated and knelt down.

"It's none of Xiaochan's business. I asked her to open the lock and let Aunt Hong go." The eldest mistress stood up and said, "Aunt Hong said that her family was in a difficult situation, and the master also agreed to let her go and let her find a way to make a living. But Because of face, I am not willing to release my concubine in public."

Wang Heng asked his disciples to come back to Mr. Wang San and asked him if he wanted to report to the government. Mr. Wang San and Wang Gu talked about him. Wang Heng knew that the eldest mistress was [-]% accurate, so he did not mention the matter.

Mother and son said their goodbyes and then separated. Xiaocai's parents were still working in the house. Because the Yu family's house was small and cramped, the couple rented two small cabins nearby to live in.

Ma Nong Street could not accommodate the two young men, so they returned to He Laitang.