"As for how you and the Hu family met," Zhong Li took a deep breath and said, "Nie Liuniang is your mother, wouldn't you have opportunities to meet?"
"Stop talking!" Lin Xiuxiu could no longer hold back, her breathing trembling.
Zhong Li ignored her and continued, "Later, the Hu family discovered the secret, and you two conspired together at some point. When the Hu family was divorced by Gu Qian and came to Anding County, you married a dying man you found casually in Anding County in order to be with her.
But as a woman, alone in Anding County, you were inevitably harassed. Huang San was your best means of concealment, wasn't it?
As for why you killed the Hu family, I suspect it was because she decided to marry Bi Chuan and break up with you. You threatened her repeatedly, and she had no choice but to pretend to leave Bi Chuan to appease you. Who knew you'd find out and kill her.
Why do I have this deduction? Bi Chuan once said that the Hu family did not return her betrothal gifts, is that right?"
Zhong Li's gaze fell upon Bi Chuan.
Bi Chuan nodded vigorously as if waking up.
Lin Xiuxiu remained silent, biting her lip and looking at Zhong Li.
Huang San stood in the crowd, looking at Lin Xiuxiu. Seeing that she did not argue or even react, he anxiously shouted, "Xiuxiu, say something!"
"Say what?" Lin Xiuxiu turned her head to look at Huang San, her sinister gaze startling Huang San into stammering.
"Say... say... say you are a woman, how did you conspire..."
"How you conspired with the Hu family, right?" Zhong Li stood up, her eyes chillingly fixed on Huang San.
Huang San swallowed.
Zhong Li's gaze fell on Lin Xiuxiu and she asked, "Lin Xiuxiu, do you dare to enter the inner hall with me for verification of your identity?"
As soon as she spoke, the crowd began to speculate.
"Lin Xiuxiu is a man?"
"That's not right, look at her chest, aren't those quite large?"
"Then... what's going on?"
"I heard that in the State of Yan, there was a person who was both yin and yang, a nun, who caused a whole nunnery to be in chaos. The then Dali Temple Minister, Master Puyang, discovered her and imprisoned her. Could it be..."
"Oh my! Huang San lived with Lin Xiuxiu for so long, didn't he notice?"
...
In an instant, all eyes fell on Huang San.
Huang San's cheeks flushed, and his hands instinctively covered his crotch.
Zhong Li noticed his movement and recalled Huang San being beaten in the carriage earlier, and she seized the opportunity to check his pulse, her thoughts becoming even more certain.
Huang San was impotent!
"Well, Lin Xiuxiu, do you dare?" Zhong Li asked again.
Lin Xiuxiu stared at Zhong Li. Before she could utter a word, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
"Scared to death?"
"No way? She must have fainted?"
...
The surrounding crowd began to stir.
Zhong Li calmly walked to Lin Xiuxiu's side, first checking her breath and then her pulse, and then loudly declared, "Citizens, since Lin Xiuxiu has fainted, many things will be easier to handle. I want to ask for your promise, that if you see anything later, do not tell Lin Xiuxiu after she wakes up.
Can you do that?"
"No problem, no problem!"
"Of course, Master Zhong!"
...
The citizens responded enthusiastically, all craning their necks to watch the spectacle.
Indeed, regardless of the era, people have a morbid curiosity.
"Alright, I'll need a helper. I'll take off Lin Xiuxiu's outer garment, and for her undergarments, this helper will need to assist."
As she finished speaking, Zhong Li's hand was already on Lin Xiuxiu's shoulder.
Instantly, Lin Xiuxiu's eyes snapped open. Like a startled bird, she sprang up from the ground and shook off Zhong Li's hand as if fleeing, retreating to a corner.
"Oh, weren't you fainted?" Zhong Li said playfully, looking at Lin Xiuxiu.
Lin Xiuxiu slowly came to her senses, then with a thud, she knelt on the ground and said, "Please, Master Zhong, spare this humble woman some dignity. Hu is the one I killed, I admit it all!"
Zhong Li slowly stood up, looking at Lin Xiuxiu, who was bowing her head and appearing timid, then at the surrounding crowd still waiting for entertainment. She gave County Magistrate Liu a meaningful look.
County Magistrate Liu beckoned a few constables to go to Lin Xiuxiu's side and escort her to the inner hall.
-------------------------------------
Zhong Li placed a prepared cup of clear tea opposite her.
Lin Xiuxiu picked up the cup and drank it in one gulp.
After a long while, she tremblingly set down the cup and began to speak of her own experiences: "When I was born, I didn't know about my abnormality. It wasn't until I was close to my coming-of-age ceremony that I was playing with a girl from a neighboring family and felt an unbearable itchiness and heat. When I opened my trousers, I discovered... a small bamboo that I had never seen before.
My mother, upon learning of this, fearing I would be shunned by others, took me to Liaocheng that very night."
"So my deductions were basically correct?" Zhong Li asked.
Lin Xiuxiu first nodded, then shook her head and said, "At first, I didn't want to admit my abnormality.
I also wanted to marry and have children like other women. But... after I met the Hu family, I couldn't control my impulses, I always wanted to..."
She paused here, finding it difficult to articulate.
Zhong Li remained silent, patiently waiting for her to compose herself.
Lin Xiuxiu gave a wry smile, "The Hu family was also pitiful. After she gave birth, her emotions were unstable, and she even attempted suicide several times. Especially Gu Qian, in order to pay off his debts, he would run out day and night, leaving no time to accompany her.
It was at that time that I got together with her, so it's not all my fault.
Since she chose to be with me, she should have stayed with me forever. I even followed her to Anding County and lived with that incompetent good-for-nothing Huang San to hide my identity. He's worse than a eunuch!
But the Hu family? She wanted to be with others, first Old Qiao, then Bi Chuan, it was all her, all her fault! Otherwise, I wouldn't have... mmm..."
"Slap." A crisp slap echoed in the inner hall.
Lin Xiuxiu's agitated emotions were suppressed, and she looked at Zhong Li opposite her with disbelief.
Zhong Li's eyes were dim, her gaze at Lin Xiuxiu sharp as a knife.
"You killed someone, and you still have excuses?" her voice was ice-cold.
Lin Xiuxiu seemed unconvinced and opened her red lips as if to argue further. Zhong Li delivered another heavy slap.
"What, that didn't wake you up?" she scoffed.
Lin Xiuxiu looked at Zhong Li as if seeing an enemy, her eyes filled with hatred and murderous intent.
Zhong Li sighed inwardly. It was said that even the gentlest person's disposition would change after committing murder. Seeing Lin Xiuxiu now, she believed this viewpoint implicitly.
According to the clues found, Nie Liuniang treated Lin Xiuxiu very well. Logically, even if Lin Xiuxiu had an illness, she wouldn't have grown up so heartless in a nurturing environment. It seemed that was not the case.
"Do you need me to tell you?" Zhong Li asked, looking at Lin Xiuxiu.
Lin Xiuxiu glared at her and, with a swollen red face, remained silent.
Zhong Li did not bother with her and said, "You said that the Hu family felt neglected by Gu Qian's constant busyness, which made her want to commit suicide, right?"
Lin Xiuxiu remained silent.
"If you and your mother had not cheated the Hu family out of their money, and had not forced Gu Qian to sell even his school, how do you think the Hu family would be now?"
Lin Xiuxiu froze and looked at Zhong Li, saying, "Are you saying I am the culprit?"