“Good son, don’t hurt anymore, mother will take you to see a doctor,” Wu’s wife said gently, then turned and cursed Ruan Ning, “You wretched girl, you caused this! I’ll beat you to death!”
Ruan Ning was too depressed to respond.
As dawn approached, they finally arrived at the next town.
Wu’s wife sent Zheng Yu to the medicine hall. When the doctor said he needed rest and couldn’t move, she hesitated, torn between her son’s well-being and the importance of the silver notes.
Ruan Ning, anxious about Meng Chi’s fate, said, “I wonder how my brother is doing. What if he’s convicted? What if the authorities find the silver notes? Then we can forget about everything.”
Determined, Wu’s wife decided to prioritize the money, believing her son would survive.
Leaving Zheng Yu in the clinic, Wu’s wife and Ruan Ning continued to the capital. By noon the next day, they arrived, and Ruan Ning pointed towards the Meng family, saying, “The silver notes are hidden in the courtyard where I used to live.”
Ruan Ning’s mention of the Meng family’s courtyard was a ploy. If Meng Chi was fine, Wu’s wife would be walking into danger; if he was in trouble, the Meng family still had neighbors and servants. Ruan Ning believed that Meng Chi, having lived on the streets for years, would have friends who could help her escape from Wu’s wife.
Wu’s wife didn’t believe Ruan Ning and immediately slapped her. Ruan Ning dodged, insisting, “I’m telling the truth. The items are in the Meng family. Believe it or not!”
Wu’s wife tried to intimidate her, saying, “Are you plotting something? I used to walk the streets of the capital. If you lie to me, I’ll break every bone in your body!”
“I’m not lying,” Ruan Ning replied. “There’s a well in the courtyard where I lived, surrounded by a circle of stones. The silver notes are hidden under one of those stones. I’ll tell you which stone when we get there.”
Her specificity convinced Wu’s wife, who then ordered a group to head to the Meng family.
