章 7: It Was You, Ma San?

Yang Jiang was also quite surprised when he heard Yang Yiting's words. He always thought that the fire was an accident, so why did someone deliberately commit arson? He looked at Yang Yiting suspiciously and said, "Yiting, but did you have any evidence to support this?"

"Yes, father." Yang Yiting nodded and replied. "Yesterday, I went to the yard to pack some things, and found something by accident. Something which proves that the fire was not an accident, but a deliberate one."

"Hm." Yang Jiang turned around and looked at Sister Ning and asked, "Are you sent by my mother?"

"Yes."

After receiving confirmation nod, Yang Jiang said. "Since my mother sent Sister Ning over, I have to believe you. With her support, you can show your evidence. If it is true, then I will act accordingly on your behalf."

"Thank you, father." After Yang Yiting thanked him, she turned and made an hand signal.

Lu Zhu received the information and shouted to the person behind her. "Ma San, come out."

At first, there was no sound below. Then after a long while, a man in his thirties limped out. The man was of medium build and looked very ordinary and honest, not like a treacherous person. Yang Yiting was a little surprised by this pretentious act.

The man saluted everyone and said in a trembling voice. "Little Ma San pays respect to the master, the lady, and the young lady."

It looked and sounded casual much to Yang Yiting's irritation. She looked cold at the man, and said sharply. "Ma San, are you ready to confess?"

Ma San shook all over, knelt on the ground with a plop, and said repeatedly. "Miss, little... I don't know what crime I've committed. Please, I want the eldest to make my offense clear."

Yang Yiting sneered, "I ask you, where were you on the day of the fire?"

Ma San replied. "I...I slept in the room that day, and only woke up after hearing the noise, so I rushed to put out the fire with the others."

"Really?" Yang Yiting said, "So, you have never been near the courtyard before, have you?"

"Never." Ma San insisted.

Yang Yiting nodded and said calmly, "In that case, I found a few footprints outside the small courtyard house yesterday. I managed to transfer it to a piece of white cloth, so they were preserved. Lu Zhu, let him take off his shoes and fit them with the footprints on the cloth. See if they are a match."

Lu Zhu came forward and took out a piece of white gauze with a large footprint on it. Ma San froze for a while, seeing that there was no way to get out. He knew he had to take off his shoes and let the Lu Zhu compare.

"Miss, the size is exactly the same." Lu Zhu reported to Yang Yiting with a loud voice.

"Ma San, how do you explain?" Yang Yiting asked.

"How can a footprint on the cloth prove that this is my footprint, eldest lady. I am being wronged here. I never did what you're accusing me of. How is this fair?" Ma San desperately knocked his head, and soon he brought out blood on his forehead.

With a sigh of respite, several timid maids turned their heads, not daring to look at the bloody man again. The others on the side were also murmuring, and many did not believe that Ma San, who was usually honest and friendly, would do such a thing.

Yang Yiting's expression remained unchanged. She took a piece of bamboo pipe from Lu Zhu's hand, played with it, and said calmly. "Ma San, you don't have to be like this. Can you recognize this piece of bamboo pipe? This was just found in your room. Yes, there are still some white powder left in it. I have already asked the doctor to examine it. The white powder I found on the windowsill of the small courtyard is the same material of this scented incense. How do you explain this?"

Ma San looked up at the small bamboo tube in Yang Yiting's hand, and collapsed on the ground with a sad expression, regretting his decisions in his heart. He had known this before now, that he should have thrown this bamboo tube away. He could only blame himself for being careless.

It hadn't been long since he came to the mansion, and he really couldn't understand how he got it wrong. Everyone said that this eldest lady was stupid and foolish, but she was so shrewd at the first sight today. Where did it all go wrong?

Yang Jiang saw Ma San collapsing on the ground without saying anything. Well, he had clearly admitted doing it. So, he became furious. A servant in his family's mansion actually dared to set fire in the courtyard of his eldest daughter? He asked angrily. "You dog trash, why did you want to murder my daughter? Why?"

Ma San kowtowed desperately, begging for mercy in a loud voice. "I beg the master for mercy, I beg the master for mercy..."