Farmer's Wife Has Magic Skills

Chu Qingzhi observed the man’s hands and noticed that the calluses on his left hand were more pronounced than those on his right, indicating he was left-handed. Left-handers tend to place things opposite to right-handers and in a manner convenient for themselves…

She looked around the room, deducing from a person’s habits, and approached the wardrobe, pulling out the luggage from the left side.

Opening the luggage, hidden amongst neatly folded clothes, was a delicate box with a lock on it.

The lock was a tricky mechanism that would permanently lock if not opened with a specific key.

However, there are always those who don’t play by the rules. With a light flick of her hand and a flash of light from her palm, the lock clicked open and shattered into pieces, scattering on the floor.

The box was now open.

“Hongjun, over here.”

Inside the box, on white silk, lay three hollow needles of varying sizes.

Yuan Hongjun looked at the hollow silver needles in amazement, “Master, how did you find them so quickly?”

“Observation is key,” Chu Qingzhi closed the box and placed it back, then went downstairs to inform Ren Buqing.

When the messenger found Ren Buqing, he had just entered the second inn. Hearing that the criminal had been found, Ren Buqing was stunned. How could it be so fast? Trusting that Chu Qingzhi wouldn’t make baseless claims, he immediately led his men to the scene.

“Miss Chu.”

Chu Qingzhi stood in the hallway, “The man is in the room, and the evidence is in the wardrobe. Wake him up and then arrest him. It’s crucial to have both the person and the evidence.”

Without seeing the hollow needles found in his luggage, he might claim he was framed.

“Understood.” Ren Buqing signaled, and his men rushed into the room…

Chu Qingzhi and Yuan Hongjun left the inn and headed home.

On their way back, Yuan Hongjun asked, “Master, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is heavily guarded. To kill the Third Prince, there must have been an inside accomplice. Who could it be?”

Chu Qingzhi replied, “The culprit didn’t need an inside accomplice. He was as confident in his lightness skills as he was in his medical skills.”

Yuan Hongjun recalled what Chu Qingzhi had said earlier. The culprit was arrogant, and seeking an accomplice would imply a lack of confidence, not fitting his character. “I understand, Master.”

“Master, I have another question.”

“What is it?”

“Why didn’t the culprit kill the Second Prince?”

“The murderer had two motives: to clear the way for a certain prince in Mobei Kingdom and to challenge the Daling Dynasty. 1 speculate he intended to kill, probably planning to do so tomorrow. But he wouldn’t have expected to be caught tonight.”

Yuan Hongjun couldn’t help but imagine the culprit’s reaction when captured, “He has to pay for his arrogance.”

If it were him, he would have kept a low profile, fleeing immediately after the murder. Why would he stay to watch?

Chu Qingzhi shifted the topic, “Hongjun, those needles are quite good.”

Yuan Hongjun blinked, “Once the case is closed, I’ll ask Lord Ren for them.”

A teachable student, Chu Qingzhi smiled.

Dawn broke.

Chu Rong carried two sets of new clothes into his two sons’ room. “These are clothes your mother specially prepared for you. Wear them later.”

Chu Xuyuan crawled out of his bed and took the clothes, “Got it, Dad.”

Chu Rong ruffled Chu Xuyuan’s hair, “Do well in the competition today, but don’t feel too pressured. Just do your best.”

Chu Xuyuan nodded with a smile, “Yeah.”

After a few more words of encouragement, Chu Rong left the room.

“Wake up.” Chu Xuyuan pulled Chu Xuyao out of bed, “If you don’t get up now, Mom will come to wake you up herself.”

Having practiced the guqin late into the night, Chu Xuyao found it hard to wake up, barely able to open his eyes. As soon as Chu Xuyuan let go of him, he fell back to sleep.

Chu Xuyuan pinched Chu Xuyao’s cheek, “I told you to sleep earlier. See, you can’t wake up now.”

Chu Xuyao didn’t respond.

Chu Xuyuan stopped calling him and got out of bed. He dressed and left the room.

A while later, he returned with a grass in hand, rubbed it, and held it under Chu Xuyao’s nose.

Chu Xuyao immediately sneezed several times, waking up. “Seventh Brother, you actually used stinky grass on me!”

“I had to, or you wouldn’t wake up.” Chu Xuyuan threw the grass away, then offered his palm for Chu Xuyao to smell.

Chu Xuyao grabbed his wrist, but his expression suddenly changed. “Seventh Brother, my… my hand can’t exert any strength…”

Chu Xuyuan immediately checked his brother’s hand, anxiously asking, “How can it suddenly lose strength?”

Chu Xuyao was close to tears, “Seventh Brother, if 1 can’t use my hand, I won’t be able to participate in the competition.”

“Don’t cry. Let’s ask Fifth Sister. She must have a way.” Chu Xuyuan hurriedly helped Chu Xuyao dress and went to find Chu Qingzhi.

Chu Qingzhi was passing by their courtyard and saw them rushing out. “What happened?”

Chu Xuyao ran to Chu Qingzhi, his face a picture of misery and helplessness. “Fifth Sister, my hand can’t exert any strength.”

“Let me see.” Chu Qingzhi examined Chu Xuyao’s hand. It felt limp and weak, as if his bones had softened.

“Fifth Sister, does this mean I can’t participate in the competition?” Chu Xuyao’s eyes were filled with a pitiful look.

“You can. I’ll massage it, and your hand will soon recover strength.” Chu Qingzhi straightened his arm and pressed a few acupoints starting from the head. “Try it now. Is your hand better?”

Chu Xuyao moved his arm, rotated his wrist, clenched his fist, and joyfully said, “Fifth Sister, it’s fine now.”

“Let’s go have breakfast.”

“Ok.”

The three siblings headed to the dining room together.

Chu Xuyuan curiously asked, “Fifth Sister, how did brother’s hand suddenly lose strength?”

“It was psychological,” Chu Qingzhi explained. “He subconsciously thought his hand had no strength, but actually, there was nothing wrong with it.”

Chu Xuyao felt a bit embarrassed and lowered his head.

Chu Qingzhi spoke earnestly, “Everyone’s life is full of tests, but these are all parts of our lives. Just try to solve these problems. As long as it’s nothing life-threatening, don’t take it too seriously.”

As long as you’re alive, there’s hope for the future.

Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao took her words to heart. “We understand, Fifth Sister.”

“Relax, we’ll all go with you to the Imperial College to watch the competition.”

“Ok.”

When they reached the dining room, the maids had already set the breakfast. “Good morning, Miss Chu, young masters.”

The maids arranged by Ning Yuting were all capable and honest. The little butler also managed the household well, saving Chu Qingzhi a lot of trouble..