ISOL Chapter 43
Su Xiao Pei met the mother-in-law first, the mother-in-law looked harsh and talked to Su Xiao Pei about how the daughter-in-law’s tea making skills was not good, she talked till Su Xiao Pei felt that her ears were about to fall off. Su Xiao Pei directed the conversation till the mother-in-law began to talk about the theft.
In fact, today was just a normal day, the sun was good, therefore, the mother-in-law asked the daughter-in-law to take the winter wear and winter bed quilt to wash and dry it. Once the laundry was done, she asked the daughter-in-law to give her a simple makeup and hairdo. In the afternoon, the mother-in-law took a nap, once she woke up, she inspected the room and found that her favorite jade pendant was missing.
She asked her daughter-in-law, but her daughter-in-law had only said she did not know. Both daughter-in-law and mother-in-law had overturned the house but still did not find the pendant. The mother-in-law did not believe that her daughter-in-law did not stole it, so she personally searched her daughter-in-law’s house and body, but she could not find it. At the end, both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had quarrel till they came to the Yamen.
The mother-in-law had spoken two sentences and curse the next, Su Xiao Pei controlled her temper and listened intensively to the story.
After getting the mother-in-law’s story, Su Xiao Pei met with the daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law had a ten years old child, the child went to school in the morning, came back home to eat lunch and took a nap before leaving for school again. After the child went out, her mother-in-law woke up. She walked around the courtyard and did some gardening, after returning, she checked if the clothes were neatly folded and sorted accordingly and placed properly in the cabinet. Next, she went to her jewelry box and to checked if it was cleaned properly. At this time, she found that she was missing one jade pendant.
“Did you clean the jade pendant today?”
The daughter-in-law nodded with tears streaming down her face, “I did clean it, because I know it was mother-in-law’s favorite pendant, and I was very careful with it. I remember it very clearly.”
“Where did you put it after cleaning it?”
“I just put it back into the box with the other jewelries, I did not take it.”
“Could it be that the child was naughty and took it?”
The daughter-in-law shook her head, “When I was cleaning the jewelries, my child was studying in school, and mother frequently tell me to be strict when parenting, my child would not dare to take it.”
“Are you sure you placed the pendant back in the box?”
The daughter-in-law burst into tears again and said, “I really remembered that I put it back in the box. Mother asked me a few times and I kept thinking about it, but I couldn’t remember the scene where I put it back. After cleaning it, everything is there. I would’ve have out it all into the box. Today, at noon, when my son came back home, he told me that he was punished by the teacher and did not want to go back to school. I was troubled by think and my thoughts kept drifting to this problem the whole afternoon, I was worried that he would skip school and went to play elsewhere. When I was cleaning the jewelry, mother asked me to keep the sheets, I quickly placed the jewelries into the box and went to do as she bid. There were no other people that went in, but the jade pendant went missing.”
“So, you are not sure if you put it back into the box?”
“I…” the daughter-in-law bit her lips and tears fell down from her eyes. Ultimately, she knelt down and cried out, “Ma’am, please ask the Magistrate to investigate, I am not a thief. My mother-in-law has always been dissatisfied with me, but I have always done her bidding and am seriously filial to her. I do not agree to divorce. My relationship with my husband is good. If I am guilty of this crime, how am I supposed to survive when I am sent back to my parent’s home?”
Su Xiao Pei was shocked and quickly helped her up. She can imagine how miserable this daughter-in-law will live once her reputation has been destroyed, her husband and son will be taken away from her as well. She thought about it and looked out the window. In the yard, outside the window, the man surnamed Ceng kept looking towards the house, he was waiting anxiously. His mother was standing beside him, angrily muttering. Su Xiao Pei changed direction of her glanced and saw Ran Fei Ze.
She was happy in her heart, and Ran Fei Ze was looking at her and nodded once.
Su Xiao Pei let the daughter-in-law wait in the room while she went out.
“Why did Soldier come?” As soon as she went out, Ran Fe Ze walked towards her.
“I heard that Miss took a case, so I came.”
Su Xiao Pei smiled and nodded, “It is a small case.”
Ran Fei Ze also smiled, “It looks like Miss is very confident.”
“There is a way to solve this case, what advice does Soldier have?”
Ran Fei Ze raised his eyebrows, he understood what Su Xiao Pei meant, and knew that her method would be weird.
“Miss, do not be rash, it is good to be cautious.”
Su Xiao Pei nodded her head.
Ran Fei Ze did not trust her, asked, “Does Miss understand what I mean?”
“I understand. What I have is the sword and the knowledge but not everyone does. I have to be careful of who I pass the sword to.”
“What Miss said is correct.”
The two looked at each other and started laughing.
Su Xiao Pei lowered her head and said, “Then I will go back to the find the Magistrate first.”
Ran Fei Ze nodded but did not move, indicating that he is not going to follow her.
Su xiao Pei took a few steps before she looked back. She saw that Ran Fei Ze was turning back to look at her as well. Su Xiao Pei’s heart felt warm and she continued walking. She felt that she was going to an examination hall alone, and Ran Fei Ze was there to send her off, like a parent who sent their kids to the entrance exam of a university. Su Xiao Pei increased her pace and she saw Qin De Zheng was in front of the Magistrate hall.
“Miss Su.” Qin De Zheng greeted, “I heard that the Magistrate gave you a case.”
“It is a small case.” Su Xiao Pei replied.
Qin De Zheng listened, smiled and left.
Is he also worried about her?
Su Xiao Pei thought for a while and suddenly understood it. This is really an exam.
But she was not worried, this is really a small case, she can do it.
Su Xiao Pei went to see the Magistrate. When he saw her, he asked, “How is it?”
“Magistrate, the daughter-in-law was unable to remember where she placed the jewelry.”
“This official has already known.”
“I have a way to help her remember where she placed it or to tell if she is stealing. I am also able to get her to tell where she placed the item.”
“Sure?” The Magistrate frowned.
“Yes, I’m sure. I will not scold nor hit her. I will just talk to her. It is just that my method would require a quiet environment where nobody can disturb us. I just need Magistrate to approve.”
The Magistrate thought about it and nodded, he called a servant to come in and told him a few words. Next, the servant was leading the way with Su Xiao Pei in tow.
Su Xiao Pei returned to the house where the daughter-in-law was. The daughter-in-law was still there but she was talking to her husband who was on the other side of the window, she had tears running through her face.
The daughter-in-law panicked and looked at Su Xiao Pei.
Su Xiao Pei smiled at her, “Ma’am, please do not worry, because Ma’am does not remember where she placed the jade pendant, I asked the Magistrate to allow Ma’am a place to calm down and quietly think about it, so that the officials can give you a clear verdict.”
The daughter-in-law was surprised, “I did not lie, I thought about it carefully. I remember putting it back into the wooden box.”
“Ma’am is anxious.” Su Xiao Pei directed her to the chair, “Please sit.”
The daughter-in-law sat down.
“Ma’am, please believe me. I will be able to find the jade pendant for you.” Su Xiao Pei’s voice was soft but firm. The daughter-in-law listened and nodded involuntarily.
“Ma’am, listened carefully to me and think about the answer, is that okay?”
“Okay.” The daughter-in-law nodded again.
“the weather is very good today, the sun is warm, Ma’am dried her clothes and the winter blanket.”
“Yes.”
“Ma’am, please close your eyes.”
The daughter-in-law closed her eyes.
“Recall the felling of standing under the sun, the warm of the sun. Ma’am, please take a deep breath, exhale, inhale, exhale… very warm and a little hot.”
“Yes.”
Su Xiao Pei slowly guided and let the daughter-in-law relax completely, this took her some time but she confirmed that the daughter-in-law was relaxed and followed her instructions, then she said, “Now, Ma’am is standing in front of the clothes, the clothes are hanging out, you can see it clearly, just right before your eyes.”
The daughter-in-law listened to Su Xiao Pei’s voiced and saw the image in her mind, “Yes, I see it, all the clothes are dry, the clothes is in front of the blanket.”
“Now, how many pieces of clothing are hanging?”
“Ah…” The daughter-in-law was surprised by the question.
“You are able to see it; it is just in front of you.”
The daughter-in-law nodded her head, she could see it very clearly, she said out the number from left to right, the adults clothing to the child clothing.
“Good, now Ma’am is going back to the room, and Ma’am is going to pack the jewelry.” Su Xiao Pei said very slowly, “How did Ma’am clean it?”
“I took the thick blanket and went into mother courtyard and had to spread out the blanket to dissipate the heat and fold it. Then I sat on the chair by the bed and opened the wooden box on the low cabinet, after I cleaned each jewelry, I put it on **, once I cleaned all of them, I cleaned the box.”
“Which jewelry did Ma’am cleaned first?”
“A silver hairpin.” The daughter-in-law saw it very clearly, “I took all the things out, and cleaned the silver hairpin, the silver comb…”. She said out the order clearly.
Su Xiao Pei waited for her to finished listing one by one, without interrupting her.
After waiting a while, she said, “At this moment someone called you from outside, who is it?”
“It was mother. She said that the blanket was dried, she didn’t like to sun it for too long, saying that there is a smell if sun for too long.”
“What did you do next?”
“I quickly put the things back into the box and hurried out.”
“Okay, don’t panic, look carefully, one by one.”
The daughter-in-law breathed in and out, “I grabbed the hairpin and put it in, next is the silver hairpin, then the silver comb…” she listed one after the other, then, she slammed down on the table, “The pendant, the pendant was at ** I did not put it in, and ran out.”
“No worries.” Su Xiao Pei almost said, ‘no problem’ and quickly changed her words, carefully said, “The pendant is still there, no hurry, what did you do when you go out?”
“I kept the blanket.”
“Next?”
“I spread out the blanket.”
“What did you do next?”
“The wooden box was under the blanket, I searched for it with my hand and when I got it, I placed it on the table.”
“Next?”
“I folded the blanket and folded the thick quilt and kept both of them into the mother’s wooden chest.”
“What about the Jade Pendant?”
The daughter-in-law did not speak, and her breathing was clear and audible. After a while, she said, “I saw it. It was on the thick quilt and was folded by me along with the quilt.”
“Very good, no hurry, what did you do next?”
“I set the bed, took the clothes back and folded them, and put them into the mother’s clothes box according to the rules. I packed her room and went out of mother’s courtyard.”
“Good, now we are back outside, do you feel the warm sun?”
“Yes.”
“Where is the jade pendant?”
“In the quilt, I put it in the big wooden box in the corner of the room.”
“Very good, now you can feel at ease, you are very comfortable. You are in the yard, there is a breeze, do you like to be in the yard?”
The daughter-in-law did not speak. After a while, she said, “It is a but hot, I would like to go back to the house.”
“Okay, let’s go back to the house.”
After a while, Su Xiao Pei asked, “Are you back in the house?”
“Yes, I am sitting, the chair made by my husband is very comfortable.”
“Then, you will sit for a while, rest, then you will open your eyes and tell me, okay?”
“Okay.”
Su Xiao Pei waited for a while, confirming that she was alright and felt relieved. She patiently waited for the wife to blink, she waited for a long time and finally the daughter-in-law woke up and opened her eyes.
“Miss.” The daughter-in-law looked around and was very surprised and happy. “I remembered. I know where the jade pendant is.”
Su Xiao Pei nodded, “Yes. Ma’am thought about it very carefully and seriously.”
“I only rested for a while.” Therefore, she remembers everything. She remembers that Su Xiao Pei chatted with her. she remembered thinking about the details. She remembered that she had sat down for a while.
Su Xiao Pei smiled and nodded again. “It is good that rested, so that you can concentrate and think properly. Ma’am is doing well.”
The daughter-in-law could not sit still though, “I…I would like to speak to my husband, I would like to tell him that I remembered.”
Su Xiao Pei nodded again. She opened the door and went out to call a servant. Everybody rushed in and the daughter-in-law rushed over to her husband and told the matter carefully to him, while the mother-in-law was suspicious. Su Xiao Pei asked them to wait, while she went back to the Magistrate Hall to tell the Magistrate the result. The Magistrate listened to her and both, he and Su Xiao Pei, along with a servant went back to the family house. as a result, it was indeed in the thick quilt, in the big wooden box. The clear green jade pendant was discovered inside.
Su Xiao Pei, who heard the result and Ran Fei Ze who was beside her, said, “The last time I failed, this time I succeed.”
Ran Fei Ze replied, “This is a very good way of remembering, Miss is very good.”
The last time he asked her if she remember, he said there is a lot of methods of recalling. Su Xiao Pei blinked and realized.
The Magistrate asked what method Su Xiao Pei had used. Su Xiao Pei changed her hypnosis named. The Magistrate did not say much and let her go. After a few days, he asked Su Xiao Pei over again, asked about her method and asked if it was able to use it to make a criminal confess.
If it is in modern times, Su Xiao Pei will discuss with him the results are legally and technically enforceable, but since this is another world, and the only person she trusts is Ran Fei Ze. On the day she solved the case, he taught her that she must be careful of who she passed the sword to. Su Xiao Pei understands.
So, Su Xiao Pei replied to the Magistrate. This method is just to help others to think about something in a more relaxed situation. It is like calming the mind, listening to music or reading, just that the method is different. Therefore, the purpose of interrogating to get a confession, she was afraid that is it not able to.
However, the magistrate is not willing to give up on his idea. He called Su Xiao Pei from time to time to chat. Even Head Constable Qin and several scholars were pulled to discuss how this method can be used.
This incident made Ran Fei Ze frowned and sighed, “Miss, some people are born to find trouble, I think you are one of them.” Just because of this trouble, he is unable to leave, when is he able to leave, he does not want to leave. Whenever, he feels like leaving, he just doesn’t have the heart to leave. He sighed and poked Su Xiao Pei’s forehead.
Just when the people were keen to discuss the new method to confessed, Luo Kui, who had been sentenced to death, committed suicide by hanging himself in the prison in the middle of the night. The guards found him hanging off a beam with his belt around his neck