Chapter 53: I Demand a Divorce

When the constables arrived to investigate, no one in the inn was permitted to leave. Hua Qinci glanced at Chief Zhao, nodded in greeting, and then returned to her room.

Later, others came to make inquiries as well, but in the end, the matter was left unresolved.

Chief Zhao claimed it was a vendetta. According to the husband of the deceased woman, he had been discussing business with friends at the Fragrant Pavilion that night, drinking until dawn. When he returned home in the morning, he found his wife dead in bed.

The case was suppressed, the woman's husband was comforted, and so the restrictions at the Auspicious Inn were lifted.

Since Chief Zhao needed to continue pursuing the real culprit, he did not stay.

Yet, when Hua Qinci heard that the woman's husband had been drinking all night at the Fragrant Pavilion, she felt a headache coming on.

This Shang Jinxiu was truly audacious. Was she trying to challenge her?

Such thoughts circled in Hua Qinci’s mind, but she could not help but feel that, though Shang Jinxiu was shrewd, she was not cruel. Otherwise, why would she go to such lengths to invite her to treat Master Qian’s illness?

Moreover, she was to cure him without his knowledge. If Shang Jinxiu were truly ruthless, she could simply detain her, or hold her family hostage, to force her compliance.

Shang Jinxiu was the lawful wife of the wealthiest man in town—young, beautiful, clever, and the head of a powerful merchant family. According to her, she had long known of the intrigues that plagued the Qian household.

If she had truly intended to kill, she would have done so at the outset, dispatching the concubine and child in one fell swoop. Why go to such trouble now?

If it was not Shang Jinxiu, then it must be her enemy.

To act with such ruthlessness, and to investigate so thoroughly, left little room for doubt. Most likely, it was someone who had borne an illegitimate child and, fearing exposure, had struck first.

It seemed that there was no longer a place for her in Liuli City.

Hua Qinci packed her belongings simply and returned to Xiaoxi Village with Qin Youtian.

As soon as they arrived home, the Qin household was thrown into an uproar. Several families came together to offer their heartfelt thanks, bringing gifts—eggs, chickens, ducks, fish, fruits, millet, even chicks.

But Hua Qinci’s heart was heavy. She could not stay here; if she did, she might endanger even more people.

She forced a smile, exchanging idle pleasantries with the visitors.

Qin Mingyue was overjoyed, while Liu Bingbing sat alone, clearly disgruntled.

Qin Youtian paid her little mind, which only increased her discontent.

As night fell and the courtyard emptied of guests, Qin Mingyue brought out a large table laden with delicious food, determined to get along well with Hua Qinci, her future daughter-in-law, and hoping she would soon give the family a chubby grandson.

“Qinci, eat more,” Qin Mingyue said, heaping Hua Qinci’s bowl high with food, the pile growing ever taller. In the past, she had always doted on her son, Qin Youtian.

But Hua Qinci had no appetite. She could not afford to offend either Shang Jinxiu or the Qian household, yet she knew the concubines there would never let her go.

If she stayed, more trouble would follow. From the beginning, she had planned to part ways with Qin Youtian—better to do it now than later.

She had prepared paper, ink, and brush for her return, but did not know how to find the words.

With a bowl piled high before her, she could not swallow a single bite. The Qin family had treated her so kindly—if she stayed any longer, she feared she would be unable to leave.

With this in mind, she set down her chopsticks and retreated to her room.

“Qinci? What’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking?” Qin Mingyue followed her in, anxious.

Hua Qinci took out her writing brush and ink, wrote something on a sheet of paper, pressed her fingerprint upon it, blew it dry, then grabbed her bundle and turned to leave.

“Qinci? What’s the matter? Are you still angry with me?” Qin Mingyue trailed behind, bewildered.

Hua Qinci handed the paper to Qin Youtian.

“A letter of divorce. I want to end this marriage!”