Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!

Chapter 567 - 566: Red Jade Fragrance

"Goddess, my name is He Min, and I live on a farm outside the city walls." The man cried instantly when Zhu Yu asked, his voice choking with emotion, "I was originally a straightforward teacher, teaching the children of farmers to read and write in the village, with no grudge against the Headdress and Shoes Workshop in the Capital.

But their monstrous fabric killed my daughter. I went to seek justice from them, initially they ignored me, and afterward, they inflicted harm upon me... I thought my life would be in their hands, but Heaven had mercy on me and let me meet the Goddess who rescued me..."

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, he indeed looked quite aggrieved.

"Why are you crying? What kind of monster is in that Headdress and Shoes Workshop? Why did it kill your daughter?" Zhu Yu asked with some puzzlement.

He Min sniffled and sobbed, "My wife passed away shortly after giving birth to our child, and I raised my daughter by myself.

In the spring, a marriage proposal was made for our family, the other family is a well-off household, and the suitor is their eldest son who is studying at the local college, full of knowledge and quite talented. I’ve heard people are willing to recommend him to the Imperial College, and if he could get into the Imperial College, his future would be boundless.

The family wanted a bride from a reputable background, preferably someone literate, who could be a worthy companion to their son.

My daughter was always by my side, influenced by my teachings, she had memorized everything I taught other children at school. Although she couldn’t compare with the talented daughters of large households, she was already remarkable compared to ordinary girls.

I thought it was a good match, and my daughter was very pleased, so we agreed.

Later on, rumors began to circulate. Initially, others congratulated us, saying my daughter had a good match and was truly fortunate, but after a while, things started to go awry.

Privately, someone began saying my daughter was plain-looking and her family background was not good enough, implying she was not suitable for the eldest son of that family and that marrying into it might not be luck. They suggested maybe one or two years later, once the suitor became successful, he would divorce her to marry again, or marry more beautiful concubines, leaving my daughter aside.

I didn’t mind these sayings, but my daughter was terribly troubled by them. She couldn’t eat or sleep properly, visibly becoming more haggard by the day. We were all anxious, afraid she would wear herself out before even getting married.

No matter how much evidence I cited to persuade her, she wouldn’t listen. Just as I was at my wit’s end, my daughter went out and came back saying she heard of a fabric workshop in the Capital, which had a miraculous material that could enhance the complexion of the wearer, making them more beautiful.

I didn’t believe these claims at first, thinking that the appearance of a person is granted by their parents, and their looks are determined by heaven the moment they are born. There’s no way wearing a piece of clothing could change that.

But my daughter’s constant worry was not ideal, so I took money and accompanied her to the city to the Headdress and Shoes Workshop to get her measurements for new clothes made from that fabric."

When Zhu Yu heard this, her heart jumped. She felt that the situation encountered by He Min seemed related to that piece of red fabric Gu Lingyun had forcibly kept her away from in the Headdress and Shoes Workshop earlier.

"What is the name of that fabric? What are its special features?" Lu Qing also seemed to recall the event, so she asked He Min.

He Min wiped his tears and said, "The fabric is bright red, it doesn’t appear particularly special, just thicker than usual fabrics, but nothing else.

It’s called... I think it’s called Red Jade Fragrance.

At first, after the clothes were tailored and brought home, my daughter wore them without noticing anything unusual. I thought as long as it reassures her heart, I didn’t care about anything else.

But after a while, I noticed her complexion indeed improved, her face looked better than before, and with her improved complexion, she appeared especially beautiful.

We were very happy, my daughter believed that the expensive fabric indeed had magical effects. I assumed it was because she had a psychological anchor, so her complexion improved, and I didn’t say anything.

However, the happy days did not last long. Approximately one month later, I noticed my daughter’s face starting to look pale. When I asked if she was unwell, she felt nothing wrong, but over time she grew increasingly haggard.

I urged her to see a doctor at the medical hall, but she refused, saying the clothes hadn’t been worn long enough, she seemed possessed, lost interest in food and drink, insisting on wrapping herself in the garment continuously, wearing it even while sleeping at night. She said that the shopkeeper of the Headdress and Shoes Workshop told her as long as she wore it longer, the fabric would nourish her, making her beautiful.

Soon her complexion and health deteriorated day after day. When I couldn’t bear it any longer, I asked her to take the garment off and let me take her to see a doctor. She was in a trance-like state, pushing me away, locking the door from the inside. When I found a way to reopen the door, she was already lying on the ground, unwell."

He Min sobbed heavily, took a breath, and continued, "When I called the doctor to come to our house, my daughter was on her last breath. The doctor checked her pulse and said she was severely deficient in both qi and blood, her body was like that of an ancient elderly, extremely feeble.

Even though the doctor prescribed medicine afterward, my daughter was too weak to take it, and within days she passed away.

I believe the clothes and the fabric must have had something bizarre happening, otherwise, it’s impossible for someone otherwise healthy to deteriorate so severely in a short time, to the point of losing her life.

So I went to the Headdress and Shoes Workshop to demand an explanation. Initially, they ignored me and accused me of making groundless accusations. I told them my daughter’s body was still in the corpse room not buried, and I kept the clothes too. Suddenly, the female shopkeeper met me, saying if I brought the tailored clothes to her, she would give me an explanation.

When I went again, they led me in, locked me up in a room, asked me to hand over the clothes, then began beating me. I was locked up for who knows how long, without water or rice, beaten and abused every day, till I couldn’t hold on anymore, unaware of anything..."

"So the clothes were taken by them?" Zhu Yu’s eyes shone when she heard He Min mention his daughter’s body was still in the corpse room, then hurriedly asked.

He Min shook his head, "I didn’t trust them, so I randomly took a red dress, the one my wife wore when she married me, and went there instead."