Chapter 346: Equally Ugly

Translator: CokeZero      Editor: Rainystars

Officer Zhao thought over the fact that he had been unaware of the situation inside the district jail for these years. It might be that his trusted subordinates deceived him, causing him to be ignorant of the situation in Qinghe District.

Officer Zhao fell silent, and after a while, he said with a heavy heart, “This time, it’s my fault.”

After he finished speaking, he turned to Xie Yunjin and asked, “What do we do now?”

Lu Jiao thought of the hidden person in the Xu family and quickly spoke up, “I can go to the Xu family and help you investigate that hidden person. Maybe we can catch them and find out something from them.”

As soon as Lu Jiao said that, Xie Yunjin sternly stopped her, “I don’t agree with you taking risks. I have another idea.”

After Xie Yunjin finished speaking, he looked up at Lu Gui inside the room. Lu Gui immediately cleverly walked out. He understood that his brother-in-law wanted to have a confidential conversation and didn’t want him to hear.

He didn’t want to hear it anyway. He didn’t understand the things they were doing, and he couldn’t even make sense of what he heard.

After Lu Gui left, Xie Yunjin looked at officer Zhao and Lu Jiao, “Although the person was killed, we can deduce one thing from this: the Qinghe District jail is indeed controlled by assistant magistrate Yang and administrator Peng. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to kill an inmate so smoothly.

Controlling the prison and bribing everyone there required a large amount of money. Where does their money come from? Without any surprises, it’s given to them by the merchants and traders in Qinghe. Where do they hide that money? We just need to find the whereabouts of that money to establish their bribery charges. Over the years, the amount of money they’ve received is enough to sentence them to death.”

After Xie Yunjin finished speaking, officer Zhao’s eyes immediately lit up, “That’s right. As long as we find the money hidden by the Yang and Peng families, we’ll have a breakthrough. I suspect it’s not in the form of banknotes because banknotes can’t be exchanged at banks. Once they’re exchanged, it would expose their money-receiving activities. So the money given by the merchants to them is likely in the form of gold bars or silver.”

As Zhao finished speaking, Lu Jiao thought of Luo Xinwu’s death and quickly said, “Do you think Luo Xinwu might have discovered Yang and Peng’s money-making activities? Or maybe he knew where they hid the money, and used it to blackmail them?”

As soon as Lu Jiao finished speaking, Xie Yunjin and Officer Zhao exchanged a glance and nodded slightly, indicating that it was indeed a possibility.

The next morning, the four little ones started class and they were accompanied by their four little companions.

The originally quiet classroom suddenly became lively. Zhao Yuluo also came.

Not only did she come, but she also brought a little female companion. It was chosen for her overnight by her father. However, Zhao Yuluo was a particularly cunning little girl, and she deliberately chose a little maid who looked like a

bean sprout in order to exaggerate her own beauty.

Zhao Yuluo, like a little rooster, raised her head and walked back and forth in front of the four little ones with her little maid.

“See? What you have, I have too. This is my playmate, Dingding.”

The four little ones gave her a disdained look. She was used to being glared at by them, so she wasn’t angry. She asked the second born with great interest, “Second Born, do you think I’m more beautiful or Dingding is beautiful?” The Second Born glanced at her and replied, “You’re equally ugly.”

Little Zhao Yulo had a surprised expression on her face. She turned her head and examined Dingding closely. She couldn’t believe that she looked just as ugly as Dingding.

Zhao Yuluo couldn’t bear such shock and burst into tears. She turned around and ran to the backyard to complain to Lu Jiao.

Lu Jiao was lost in thought in the flower hall of the back courtyard. During breakfast, she had thought about who leaked the information about Xie Yunjin serving as Hu magistrate’s aide.

In addition, Lu Jiao remembered the strange incident of Xu Qingyin from the Xu family pestering Xie Yunjin. If these two things had happened separately, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. But now, two consecutive incidents occurred, and it was clear that both were targeting them.

Lu Jiao felt that there was something more to this. It seemed that there was someone in the Xu family who was unfavorable to them.

No, she had to visit the Xu family and find out who this person was.

With her decision made, Lu Jiao turned around, intending to ask Feng Zhi and Ruan Zhu to accompany her to the Xu family.

Unexpectedly, outside the main hall, Zhao Yuluo rushed in like a little cannonball, crying.

“Aunt Lu, the Second Born bullied me.”

Lu Jiao felt a bit of a headache. This little girl caused trouble every day.

But Lu Jiao didn’t scold her right away. She gestured for Zhao Yuluo to come closer and asked, “How did he bully you?”

Zhao Yuluo immediately wiped her tears and pulled Dingding, who was behind her, over. “He said I’m as ugly as Dingding.”

Lu Jiao glanced at Dingding, who had a thin face without any flesh, looking malnourished and indeed not very attractive.

Zhao Yuluo was a very vain girl, so it’s no wonder she cried when the Second Born compare her to Dingding.

Lu Jiao pulled Zhao Yuluo over and comforted her, “Aunt Lu will tell you a secret. Little boys can’t tell the difference between beauty and ugliness. They only know who is nice to them, and that’s who they consider good-looking. As for whether someone is good-looking or not, they’re too young to understand. So if you want them to compliment you for being good-looking, you need to be on good terms with them.”

Zhao Yuluo blinked her eyes and looked at Lu Jiao, “Is that so?”

Lu Jiao nodded. In fact, she wasn’t wrong. Little boys at a young age don’t have a clear concept of beauty and ugliness. They only know who is nice to them and who is not.

However, the Third Born was an exception. This kid has always liked people and things that looked good.

Of course, Lu Jiao didn’t plan to tell Zhao Yuluo all of this to avoid her causing more trouble.

Upon hearing Lu Jiao’s words, Zhao Yuluo immediately shifted her attention.

“In that case, when they praise Xiaoxiao for being good-looking, it’s because Xiaoxiao is nice to them, not because she looks good. So I’m more good-looking than Xiaoxiao.”

After Zhao Yuluo finished speaking, she happily pulled Dingding away and left. Lu Jiao, with a black line on her face, watched Zhao Yuluo run away. What was going on?

Feng Zhi, on the side of the flower hall, chuckled and said, “Kids just do whatever they want.”

Ruan Zhu smiled and said, “But she does look pretty.”

Lu Jiao glanced at Ruan Zhu. Although she had just met Ruan Zhu, she already knew that Ruan Zhu was someone who cared about appearances, liked beautiful things, and loved to eat. Most importantly, Ruan Zhu had a particularly innocent and straightforward personality.

Dealing with such a person was effortless, and Lu Jiao quite liked her.

Thinking about it, Lu Jiao stood up and instructed Feng Zhi, “Go quietly and inform uncle Lin to bring the horse out from the west side gate. I’m going to visit the Xu family.”

Feng Zhi immediately disagreed, “Lady Lu, the master has already said that it’s not suitable for you and the four young masters to go out at this time.”

As soon as Feng Zhi finished speaking, Ruan Zhu immediately reached out and patted the soft sword at her waist, saying, “Don’t worry, I’m here. I guarantee the bad guys won’t come back if they dare to come.”

Lu Jiao glanced at Ruan Zhu. She still didn’t know how skilled this little girl was.

But since the Tian family had sent her over, this little girl’s skills should be quite good.

While thinking, Lu Jiao turned around and looked sternly at Feng Zhi, “Feng

Zhi, are you my personal maid or the master’s maid?”

Feng Zhi immediately understood that she had made a big mistake and lowered her head, apologizing, “Lady Lu, I was wrong.”

Lu Jiao looked at her and reprimanded her without reservation, “I hope you understand one thing. You are my senior maid, and you must obey my orders at all times. If you can’t do that, then I can’t use you. If you would rather obey the master’s orders, then go work by his side..”