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Qiu Chan carried the food basket while accompanying Li Xia to the entrance. Li Xia boarded the carriage, and Qiu Chan placed the basket inside. Qiu Ling also joined them in the carriage, while Qiu Chan rode alongside the coachman.

On the way, Qiu Ling quietly informed Li Xia about a recent murder case that her brother Li Hui was investigating. This case marked Li Hui's first assignment after joining the Supreme Court to work on actual investigations, as the Ministry of Justice only reviewed cases without direct involvement.

The "Moat Body Disposal" case was Li Hui's inaugural case and a crucial step in establishing his position at the Supreme Court. Failure to solve it could significantly impact his career. However, the body had become severely decomposed and disfigured by the time it was discovered, making identification impossible. There were no witnesses or clues left on the victim, rendering the case extremely challenging.

Li Hui had spent several days away from home, tirelessly searching for leads with his team. Mrs. Lu and Li Xin were deeply concerned, to the point where Mrs. Lu developed a series of fever blisters on her lips, despite consuming copious amounts of herbal tea meant to reduce internal heat.

As Li Xia had been preoccupied with her mother's situation, she entrusted Qiu Ling to investigate the case. Since arriving in the Capital City, Li Xia had been secretly providing Qiu Ling with funds to gather information. Over the past year, Qiu Ling had proven adept at uncovering minor gossip, though unable to access more confidential details.

Through her inquiries, Qiu Ling learned from an elderly beggar that someone had thrown something into the river in the early hours five days before the body was discovered. The beggar's blurred vision prevented him from clearly identifying the person, but he overheard them mention "Qiuwu Street."

"Qiuwu Street is no ordinary place," Qiu Ling explained. "If Qingyue Street is where low-ranking officials reside, then Qiuwu Street is home to the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles. Any random residence there would belong to at least a fourth-rank official or higher, with many belonging to ministers, chancellors, and secretaries. If the culprit is one of them, it will be challenging for Li Hui to withstand the pressure and apprehend the true perpetrator."

"Miss, should I pass this information to the Young Master?" Qiu Ling inquired in a hushed tone.

"Organize it first, and let me review it before passing it along to my brother," Li Xia replied.

When the carriage arrived at the Xu Manor, the coachman dismounted to knock on the gate. Qiu Chan pulled back the curtain, and Qiu Ling exited first, followed by Li Xia. As Li Xia stepped out, she noticed Qiu Chan's incessant snacking and remarked, "Qiu Chan, although I don't mind the expense, you should exercise some restraint. Qiu Shui mentioned that all your clothes need to be replaced."

Qiu Chan grinned sheepishly, "Don't worry, Miss. I'll stop eating chestnuts after I finish this bag, at least until lunchtime."

Qiu Ling rolled her eyes, knowing that lunchtime was only about an hour away.

The Xu Manor had undergone reorganization under Xu Xinyue's supervision, reassigning personnel to ensure prompt responses to visitors. After inquiring about the visitor's identity, the gatekeeper said, "Please wait a moment," and closed the door to notify the main household.

Shortly after, Madam Jiang, Xu Yiyou, and Xu Xinyue arrived at the entrance. Xu Xinyue carefully examined Li Xia, relieved to see her in good condition. She felt both joy and sadness – joyful that Li Xia was thriving, but saddened by her inability to be by her daughter's side to care for her.

"Mother, your tears and laughter make you seem like a child," Li Xia remarked, inadvertently deflating the emotional atmosphere Xu Xinyue had built up.

"You'll never learn to speak properly," Xu Xinyue replied, unsure how to respond to her daughter's blunt comment.

"Sister-in-law, let's go inside," Xu Yiyou's clear voice interjected from the side.

"Ah, yes, let's go in," Xu Xinyue finally responded, leading Li Xia inside. The coachman returned to the Li Manor, as arranged to pick up Li Xia later that afternoon.

Along the way, Li Xia observed the layout of the Xu Manor, which looked different during the day compared to her nighttime visits. Once inside and seated, Madam Jiang instructed servants to serve tea and snacks.

Li Xia tasted one of the snacks, remarking, "It's different from the pastries in Liuzhou and the Capital City, but very delicious." She then ate two more pieces.

"I'm glad you like them," Madam Jiang said warmly. "These are pastries from the border regions that I made this morning. I prepared plenty for you to take some back with you."

"Thank you, Aunt," Li Xia politely expressed her gratitude, then glanced at Qiu Chan. Understanding the cue, Qiu Chan brought forward the food basket, saying, "Mother instructed me to bring these pastries from Liuzhou for you and my cousin to try."

A maid beside Madam Jiang received the basket, plated the pastries, and served them. The four of them sat together, enjoying the snacks. Madam Jiang and Xu Yiyou excused themselves, leaving mother and daughter alone to converse.

With only the two of them in the room, Li Xia studied Xu Xinyue and asked, "Mother, how have you been living at the Xu Manor?"

"I've been doing well," Xu Xinyue replied. The Xu Manor's residents had treated her kindly, fulfilling her long-held desire to be reunited with her family. Her only grievance was the inability to see Li Xia as often as she wished, causing her to miss her daughter dearly whenever she was alone.

"If you ever face any mistreatment, don't hide it from me," Li Xia said, grasping Xu Xinyue's hand.

"What mistreatment could I possibly face?" Xu Xinyue patted Li Xia's hand. "When is the Young Miss's coming-of-age ceremony scheduled?"

"Mother is finalizing the date. An invitation will be sent to you once it's confirmed."

"Perhaps it's not appropriate for me to attend," Xu Xinyue considered, worried that her presence might provoke idle gossip not only about herself but also about her daughter and the Li family.

"Why would it be inappropriate? You're no longer just Auntie Mei; you're the respected Lady of the Xu family. You should move about freely and openly from now on. If Mother is not occupied, you should visit her more often for conversation." As Li Ming was absent, Mrs. Lu rarely ventured out, resulting in fewer opportunities for conversation compared to when Auntie Mei resided at the Li Manor.

"Very well, I shall send an invitation to visit Qingyue Street soon," Xu Xinyue replied, thinking first of Li Xia and then Mrs. Lu when considering the Li Manor's residents.

"Speaking of the Young Miss's coming-of-age ceremony," Xu Xinyue continued, "what gift do you plan to give her?"

Li Xia intended to present a set of chess manuals she had acquired from a bookstore. "And you, Mother? What gift do you have in mind?"

"I'm in a dilemma. Something too valuable would be inappropriate, but something too cheap won't do either." The most important issue was that Xu Xinyue didn't have much money left. Li Xia naturally knew why Xu Xinyue said that. Most of Xu Xinyue's money had been spent on buying shops and properties.

Li Xia took out a purse from her pocket and handed it to Xu Xinyue.

Xu Xinyue didn't take it and looked at Li Xia instead. Li Xia opened the purse, revealing a roll of silver banknotes. She took out the banknotes and spread them out in front of Xu Xinyue. Xu Xinyue saw that the denomination of each banknote on the table was 1,000, and there were 20 of them, amounting to 20,000 taels of silver.

Xu Xinyue couldn't help but ask, "Where did you get so much money? Don't tell me you earned it from carving. No matter how much you earned, it's impossible to make this much in such a short time. Tell me, where did you really get it? Did you ask the young master for the money?"