Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 450 - 448: Poisoned

Just as Lin Wanwan sent a letter to Xiao Chong to report the case, several informed elders of the Lin Family Manor were planning to send their children and nephews to invite a witch from the neighboring village to perform a ritual.

The mass death of ducks and their daily egg-laying were both unusual events for the clan’s elders, easily linked to supernatural causes. It was not surprising that they thought of inviting a witch to perform a ritual.

After all, ritual performances were very popular during the Great Tang, and there was even a special class of witch doctors among physicians who performed such rituals to ward off evil.

Solving a poisoning case is not easy, especially one involving indiscriminate poisoning, which in modern times would rely on surveillance to solve.

Someone like Xiao Yixun, who could quickly identify the source of the poison, would be considered a master even today, with skills rivaling those in provincial laboratories.

Unfortunately, fish vine, a common pesticide in coastal farming households, did not provide any obvious leads for solving the case, leaving nothing to investigate.

When Xiao Chong received the "case report" note from the sea eagle, he had just finished a full day’s work. Analyzing the case on paper also served as a way to rest.

"Poisoning case," Xiao Chong murmured, handing the note to Xiao Ce beside him, "Shi Heng, what do you think?"

Xiao Ce took the note with his long arm, glanced at it, and frowned, saying, "It’s difficult. Fish vine poison is too common in rural areas. The pesticides used by farmers are mostly made of fish vine and rosin. It’s hard to catch the poisoner."

"It seems we have to visit the site and examine the footprints before making a conclusion." Xiao Chong rubbed his chin as he spoke.

In the countryside of the Great Tang, footprints were still quite useful. Without the interference of concrete surfaces, soft yellow mud could preserve footprints to the greatest extent, providing a lot of information.

Xiao Ce said, "But Xiao Mingfu, you probably don’t have time to leave, do you? Aren’t you scheduled to command at the Ta Mountain Dam site tomorrow? The project’s current phase is critical and can’t proceed without you."

Xiao Chong pondered without responding.

The Lin Family Manor was indeed quite remote, and even with a fast horse, it would take two hours to go there and back, which was a significant waste of time.

Generally speaking, rural poisoning cases wouldn’t be handled by the County Government unless it was a major case involving deaths. Villagers also usually don’t report to officials since it costs money and isn’t a simple matter of talk.

Xiao Ce’s tone did not agree with taking charge of this case himself, suggesting it could be delegated, without the need for his personal involvement.

The investigation should be conducted by County Magistrate Du Zhongshang with his men, as exploring cases is within the Magistrate’s duties.

However, having been in Mao County for a year, Xiao Chong knew exactly the capabilities of the Minor Mansion, Du Zhongshang. In terms of identifying footprints, Du was no different from an ordinary villager. Even if he visited the site, it would likely be in vain.

The Great Tang was not like the modern era, where footprints could be photographed and brought back. To observe them, Xiao Chong could only be on-site personally.

This is the so-called burden of the capable.

Meanwhile, at the Lin Family Manor, the gentlemen who went to the town’s medicine hall and nearby herb farmers to gather information had returned but brought no good news.

Lin Wanwan had called over Song Sulan, Rongrong, and several children who were herding on that beach that day, carefully questioning if they saw anyone nearby.

They all shook their heads, saying they saw no one, leaving Lin Wanwan quite helpless.

If the poisoner had a motive for profit, it would be easier to identify them. The most frustrating part is the current situation, where the poisoning was done aimlessly, harming others without benefiting oneself, making it difficult to judge.

The beach was remote, accessible not just for people from the Lin Family Manor but also from the Lu Family Manor and Dafeng Village. Due to poor visibility, there was no way to see clearly what happened there.

If it had been the usual beach where the Lin Family clan members gathered clams, it would be different. Any outsider entering would be noticed and immediately rumored throughout the village, making it hard to hide.

But this beach was also a place Lin Wanwan frequented for clam gathering. If everyone drove the ducks and geese here, Lin Wanwan would really be fed up with stepping into duck and goose excrement.

Before Lin Wanwan settled in the Lin Family Manor, poultry were mostly kept on this beach, as it was visible from the family doorstep. To accommodate Lin Wanwan’s hygiene habits, everyone switched to raising ducks and geese elsewhere.

Thinking of the sacrifices made for her sake, with ducks being poisoned, Lin Wanwan felt a great obligation to give everyone an explanation.

She was determined that if the County Government failed to uncover results, she would use a camera to take some photos on-site and seek help from the modern world.

She wasn’t worried about being exposed, as who would imagine the concept of time travel?

Even if she directly told someone, they would likely think she was insane.

In the middle of the night, Lin Wanwan, having just returned from the modern era to the Great Tang, was suddenly startled by cries.

The night watch girl, Hong Yan, had already lit the palace lanterns, and beneath them, she could hear the murmur of many people’s voices. Lin Wanwan opened the bedroom door, calling Yun Shang from the outer room to accompany little Qingyu, while she went downstairs: "Who’s crying at the door?"

Hong Yan, who hurried over, replied, "Madam, I just checked. It’s the fourth uncle’s wife from the clan, holding her eldest grandson at the door. I’ve arranged for them to sit at the drawing verandah."

"Do you know what happened?" Lin Wanwan asked as she walked.

Hong Yan shook her head, frowning, "The fourth uncle’s wife is just crying. It’s hard to get a clear answer from her, but she keeps pleading for your help, Madam. Her grandson in her arms has been vomiting continuously."

"It seems likely an acute condition. Go fetch my medical kit."

"Yes, Madam."

Lin Wanwan didn’t allow the fourth uncle’s wife to carry the child into the main hall again. Since the verandah was already lit with palace lanterns, it provided sufficient light.

Seeing Lin Wanwan, the fourth uncle’s wife clung to her like a lifeline: "Madam, save us! Save my dear child; he’s the last hope of our family!"

"Don’t worry, fourth aunt. Let me take his pulse." Lin Wanwan moved forward to check the child’s pulse.

This fourth aunt had a rather unfortunate life. Her husband died early, and her son also fell ill and passed away. Her daughter-in-law was taken back by her family, remarried, leaving behind a grandson less than three years old with her.

Because of her son’s death, the fourth aunt had cried so much that her eyes had problems. She couldn’t do the weaving work well and naturally couldn’t enter the workshop, and she hadn’t been allocated much farmland, so she barely survived thanks to the family.

Her grandson, being still very young, under three, was not yet eligible for school, so the tribal subsidies didn’t apply to her.

Seeing the ducks piled up dead on the beach today, she regretted her poor household not having much meat, so she couldn’t resist taking a duck back to stew for her grandson.

Lin Wanwan had told everyone those ducks had been poisoned and needed special disposal, warning the clan not to take them home to eat. Yet there were those who ignored the warnings.

The fourth aunt herself was fine, as she hadn’t eaten the duck meat and gave it all to her grandson, leaving her unharmed. The little grandson, however, started vomiting and diarrhea from the poison in the middle of the night, looking very unwell, teetering on the brink.