Chapter 86 They sent me to steal offerings from the dead.

Aunt Zhuang's voice was filled with disgust and impatience.

Zhuang Jingxuan's voice was equally loud:

"How did I ruin your relationship? What did I do to ruin it?"

“You’re my mother, can’t I come to your house? Besides, is this your house?”

"This manor was a first birthday gift from my maternal grandfather. When I just turned 18, I became the owner of this house!"

"You're keeping a lover in your daughter's house, and you want to kick me out?"

"Zhuang Ying, do you have any humanity at all?!"

Zhuang's mother was so angry that her voice trembled.

"Do I have no humanity? You're the one who has no humanity!"

"You're an adult now, and I've done my job. Can you please stay away from me?"

"Since you've already looked down on my behavior, why do you keep sticking to me?"

"I'm your mother, but just because I'm your mother, do I not have the freedom to date?"

"What freedom do you have to date?" Zhuang Jingxuan laughed at her mother's shamelessness. "You and Dad aren't divorced yet!"

"What you two are doing right now is called messing around, you know that's messing around!"

"Your relationship with that man was immoral and illegal from the start!"

"You still talk about freedom? Your shamelessness is an insult to the word 'freedom'!"

Chu Ci stood quietly behind the old housekeeper, listening intently to the argument between the mother and daughter in the living room.

The relationship between the mother and daughter was tense; there was absolutely no warmth between them, and they would say anything that came to mind.

The servants coming and going around them remained unfazed by the situation, clearly having become accustomed to it.

The old lady housekeeper's expression remained unchanged, but she didn't want Chu Ci, an outsider, to see her make a fool of herself.

He coughed lightly, interrupting the argument between the mother and daughter inside, and stepped aside, revealing Chu Ci behind him.

"Miss, young lady, Master Chu has arrived."

Upon seeing Chu Ci, Zhuang Jingxuan's eyes lit up, and she quickly ran over.

"Master, you've arrived!"

Chu Ci smiled and nodded as she watched her run up to her.

Zhuang Jingxuan glared at her own mother, "Do you think I wanted to come here to watch you and your little lover show off your love?"

"I feel like throwing up every time I see your little lover's face!"

"If the master hadn't said you were in danger, I wouldn't have bothered with you at all!"

Aunt Zhuang sneered, not believing Zhuang Jingxuan's words at all.

Her gaze fell on Chu Ci with a harsh and critical look, her smile forced and unsatisfying.

"The last time I argued with her was at your house. Where did you come from, you so-called master, to stir up trouble like this?"

She walked slowly over, supporting her lower back and showing off her increasingly large pregnant belly.

He looked Chu Ci up and down and noticed that the hem of her clothes was frayed from washing.

The mockery on his face grew more pronounced as he casually pulled a card from the cabinet and tossed it over.

“I’ve seen plenty of charlatans like you who swindle money. But you’re the first one I’ve seen who has such a big influence on Zhuang Jingxuan.”

The card hit Chu Ci's shoulder and then slid down his shoulder.

Aunt Zhuang waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away flies, "There's 100,000 in this card, enough for you to buy clothes for a lifetime."

"I'm pregnant and don't want to argue with you all."

She looked down at her pointed belly, and her eyes softened visibly.

“My son is growing up perfectly fine, and I don’t want your actions to affect his development.”

Zhuang Jingxuan saw the bank card slip off Chu Ci's shoulder and fall to the ground, and quickly picked it up.

Seeing her mother's nonchalant attitude, she felt a surge of anger rising within her.

She suddenly threw the bank card back, and it hit her mother right in the face.

"Zhuang Ying! Who do you think you are!"

"I only came here because I care about you. If you keep showing that smug look on your face, believe me, I'll kick you and that pretty boy out!"

The moment when Mrs. Zhuang was drinking tea was she interrupted by a bank card that was suddenly thrown at her face.

She hurriedly closed her eyes, and the bank card slipped down her face and into the teacup in her hand.

Looking at the bank card soaking in the water in the teacup, a slight pain belatedly came to my face.

She covered her face, staring at Zhuang Jingxuan in disbelief.

"Zhuang Jingxuan?! You're going to lay a hand on me?! I'm your mother!"

"Now you remember you're my mom?"

Zhuang Jingxuan's eyes turned red with anger, and she forced a laugh through gritted teeth.

"If my grandfather were alive today, he would have slapped you awake with two slaps!"

"Who gave you the right to throw your card at someone else!"

Seeing that she still dared to talk back, Aunt Zhuang, holding her pointed belly, staggered in anger.

The old lady housekeeper's expression changed, and she quickly stepped forward to support the swaying Zhuang Ma, pleadingly looking at Zhuang Jingxuan.

"Miss, can we not talk about this today?"

She gestured for Zhuang Jingxuan to look at Zhuang's mother's belly.

“Your mother is an older mother, and she is now far along in her pregnancy. She can’t handle any stress.”

"If something happens to the child, your mother will also be in trouble."

"For your grandfather's sake, can you let your mother have her way?"

Zhuang Jingxuan pursed her lips and didn't say anything more, but Zhuang's mother seemed to have found an excuse and suddenly started making a fuss.

"Butler, why are you begging her! Let her drive me crazy!"

"Anyway, she never treated me like her mother, so it's good that she's angry to death. After I die, I'll go and complain to her grandfather."

"Let her maternal grandfather know what she looks like now!"

"Let her maternal grandfather know how she ruined her biological mother's and stepfather's relationship!"

Hearing her mother bring up her philandering stepfather again, Zhuang Jingxuan was so angry that her head was buzzing.

"Did I ruin your relationship?"

She pointed to her own nose, grinding her molars in anger.

"Do you need me to sabotage your relationship with that womanizing gigolo?"

"Zhuang Ying, don't tell me you don't know that pretty boy is using your money to seduce other women!"

"You go out to see your friends, and he finds someone to book a room at the hotel where your friends are staying!"

"You bought him so many cars, and he drives them around looking for young models!"

"He's so stupid, he can't even fake it properly, don't tell me you didn't notice!"

"you……"

Zhuang Ma was supported by the old housekeeper, but she couldn't think of a single word to refute her.

She cradled her large pregnant belly, her eyes red-rimmed, and stubbornly turned away.

"In the end, isn't it all for the inheritance left by your grandfather?!"

"Fine, this isn't my home, I'll move out!"

She dragged her weary body and stormed off.

The old housekeeper gave Zhuang Jingxuan a reproachful look and quickly chased after her.

"Miss, given your physical condition, you can't move; you need to rest!"

"Moreover, today is the Ghost Festival, the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which is not a suitable day to move!"

Zhuang Ma's roar was tinged with tears: "She's already trying to kick me out, but I'm not leaving. What am I supposed to do here?"

"Are you going to let that brat laugh at us?!"

She was too heavy to walk fast, and her angry curses reached Zhuang Jingxuan and Chu Ci's ears.

"Even if I were to encounter a ghost today, let alone today being the Ghost Festival, I still have to move out!"

"If anything happens to me or the baby in my belly and I die, it will be because she drove me to my death!"

"She drove her own mother and brother to their deaths. Let's see how she has the face to live in this world!"

"What have I ever done to her? All she thinks about is money; she doesn't care about me at all!"

As Aunt Zhuang's voice faded into the distance, Zhuang Jingxuan sat on the sofa, her eyes reddening with anger, but she forced back her tears.

After a long while, until Zhuang Ma's voice could no longer be heard, she gritted her teeth in resentment.

"I'm sorry, Master, I've dragged you into this today."

Her eyes were full of tears, and when she forced a smile, the muscles in her face twitched, and the tears in her eyes instantly burst forth.

"Feel sorry."

She turned away to wipe her tears, stomped her feet twice to vent her anger, and then turned back around.

"Master, you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I know a place that has really good breakfast. Let me take you there."

Chu Ci stood up with her. "I've already eaten. It's so late, haven't you eaten yet?"

"not yet."

Zhuang Jingxuan shook her head with her back to Chu Ci.

"I stayed with my mom all night, and accidentally fell asleep in the morning."

"She was unhappy that I came over to disturb her and her lover, so she didn't let the kitchen cook for me."

She scoffed, "My mom wasn't always this smart. It must have been her lover who instigated her!"

She had wiped away her tears, but her eyes were still very red.

"That's just how my mom is, I'm used to it, it's just that it's a burden on you."

"I'm so sorry, Master."

Chu Ci shook her head. "It's nothing. Just give me a discount on my rent."

"..."

Zhuang Jingxuan stopped in her tracks. "What?"

"Can you give me a discount on my rent?"

Chu Ci took out a bulging envelope and handed it to her.

"The rent for that shop you offered is quite expensive. I can't afford that much money all at once. Give me a huge discount."

Looking at the envelope containing money in her hand, Zhuang Jingxuan pursed her lips, her expression complicated.

"Master, you saved me, it's only right that the shop gives you that item."

No, you can't say that.

Chu Ci directly shoved the envelope containing the money into her hand.

"Since I ran into you, I will help you regardless of whether you have money or not."

“But I’m using your shop, so I definitely have to pay you.”

Zhuang Jingxuan: "..."

She looked at the envelope in her hand, lowering her eyes to conceal the complex emotions within.

After a long while, she managed a slight twitch of her lips.

"People like you, Master, are very rare these days."

She spoke very softly, and her tone was quite complex.

Chu Ci couldn't immediately tell whether she was praising or criticizing her.

"Since you insist on giving it to me, Master, then I will accept it."

Zhuang Jingxuan shook the envelope in her hand, and her smile returned to normal.

She continued to lead the way, and after getting into the car, the two soon arrived at a private restaurant.

Although it's called a restaurant, it's actually more like a tavern nestled against the mountains and by the water.

Unlike the upscale hotels in Hong Kong that imitate the Western style, the decor here is more ancient.

Sitting in the attic, you can see cargo ships in the distant harbor through the curtains that flutter in the wind.

Chu Ci sat opposite Zhuang Jingxuan, looking around with an air of naiveté.

As soon as they sat down, a waitress in a cheongsam brought them water to wash their hands.

Zhuang Jingxuan ordered the dishes according to her own preferences, and then let Chu Ci order.

Chu Ci glanced at the menu, and the average price of four figures made her teeth ache.

"I just had breakfast, so I won't eat anymore."

Zhuang Jingxuan didn't say anything, but when the food was served, she still asked Chu Ci for the exact same dish.

"Master, you saw my mother just now. When do you think something will happen to her?"

Having just had a fight with her mother, Zhuang Jingxuan ate her breakfast absentmindedly.

"Today is the Ghost Festival, and my mother is pregnant and has weak yang energy. Could what happened to her be related to the Ghost Festival?"

Chu Ci took a bite of the exquisite breakfast, which was served on a small plate with only one serving. He couldn't quite tell what it was, but it tasted exceptionally delicious.

She swallowed what was in her mouth and shook her head.

"It has nothing to do with Zhongyuan, but it has to do with your mother's little lover."

"Huh?" Zhuang Jingxuan frowned in confusion. "It has something to do with that pretty boy?"

That pretty boy eats his mother's food, drinks his mother's drinks, and lives in his mother's house.

Even the money she usually spends to go out and find young models comes from her mother.

It's safe to say that the person in the world who least wants anything to happen to her mother is that pretty boy.

How could it possibly be related to that pretty boy?

"Master, why do you say that?"

Chu Ci recalled Zhuang Ma's appearance.

"Your mother's forehead is reddish-black, which is generally a sign of impending bloodshed."

"In addition, your mother's genitals are also tinged with blackness."

"This suggests that your mother's misfortune may very well have stemmed from her romantic relationships."

"And your mom is dating your stepfather now, and your stepfather isn't a good person either..."

Without making eye contact with Aunt Zhuang, you can't see what happened to her.

Most things we can glean from facial features can only be inferred based on existing information.

Chu Ci paused for a moment, "Your mother's only current boyfriend is probably your stepfather, right?"

Zhuang Jingxuan was taken aback by the question and suddenly felt a little uncertain.

"This... there should only be one of him, right?"

There's only that pretty boy, and she's already made such a fuss over her own daughter.

Even if her mother has many lovers, she probably wouldn't dare let her know.

Zhuang Jingxuan put down her chopsticks, held her head, and sighed heavily.

"My mom is so old, and she still doesn't give me any peace of mind..."

Chu Ci took a sip of tea, his mouth filled with its delicate fragrance.

She glanced at Zhuang Jingxuan across from her, whose brows were furrowed, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Your mother is an adult and should learn to take responsibility for her own affairs."

"You too, your mother is no longer a child. You can keep an eye on her for a while, but not forever."

Zhuang Jingxuan: "..."

She stared at the grain of the wooden tabletop for a long while before nodding.

"Yes, I'm an adult now, and I shouldn't have bothered with her a long time ago."

Or rather, she shouldn't have interfered with her mother's choices in the first place.

The mother and daughter had a shallow relationship; in her mother's eyes, any of her lovers were better than her daughter.

Now that she's an adult, she should face reality, distance herself from her mother, and become just an ordinary relative.

But she just couldn't do it.

She felt wronged, resentful, and entangled by the once close mother-daughter relationship.

I can't pick it up, and I can't put it down.

"never mind."

Zhuang Jingxuan took a sip of tea and stood up, barely touching the breakfast on the table.

“I’ll intervene one last time. After this, we’ll just be ordinary relatives.”

As she finished speaking, the originally bright red vertical line between her eyebrows was covered with layers of black mist.

Her appearance was even worse than her mother's.

Chu Ci: "..."

She glanced at the dark aura between Zhuang Jingxuan's brows and subconsciously put down her chopsticks.

His tone turned serious: "Zhuang Jingxuan, you can no longer get involved in this matter."

"If you get involved in this matter again, you'll get yourself into trouble."

Zhuang Jingxuan's resolute expression froze, and she looked at Chu Ci with a puzzled expression.

"ah?"

What happened? Why the sudden change of heart?!

She couldn't help but sit down again. "Master, what about my mother..."

Chu Ci shook her head to interrupt her, "Stop meddling. If you keep meddling, you won't even be able to protect yourself, let alone your mother."

She stood up. "Let's go back to the shop. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

“But Master,” Zhuang Jingxuan didn’t move, looking troubled, “today is the Ghost Festival.”

She covered her forehead and sighed, "I have to wait until tonight to burn paper money for my grandfather."

With her mother around, these things wouldn't have been her responsibility as a granddaughter.

But her mother resented that her maternal grandfather had left her 90% of his money, and no matter how much the housekeeper tried to persuade her, she refused to pay respects to her maternal grandfather.

Therefore, the responsibility for the worship ceremony fell to her.

"It's okay if you don't come back to the store with me, it's alright."

Chu Ci gave her a serious warning.

"But remember, no matter what your mother says today, don't go near her."

"Even if you can't escape, try not to get close to her. If anything happens, let the bodyguards handle it."

Chu Ci pursed his lips and told her the truth:

"Your current misfortune is related to your mother; it's very likely that you're trying to protect her from harm."

"So remember what I said: when you go back, don't go out, and especially don't go near your mother."

Did you hear that?

"..."

Upon hearing that she was to protect her mother from disaster, Zhuang Jingxuan's expression twisted for a moment before she nodded emphatically.

"Don't worry, Master, I value my life very much."

She clenched her fists. "I finally managed to turn back into a human from a wandering ghost. I won't risk my life."

Seeing how serious she was, Chu Ci nodded, but before leaving, he couldn't help but remind her twice more.

"Remember this: stay away from your mother at all times."

Zhuang Jingxuan nodded emphatically with a serious expression.

"Master, don't worry, I'll go home now and stay here for the next couple of days. I absolutely won't go out!"

After watching her car leave, Chu Ci returned to the shop.

Through the glass door of the shop, a short, small figure could be seen running around inside.

Grandma would say a few words every now and then, and then that little figure would run around again.

She was busy pouring Grandma a glass of water one minute and getting her something the next.

Chu Ci pressed her face against the glass door and looked closely before realizing that she recognized the small figure.

She is the daughter of Master Qiu's younger brother, the little girl named Didi.

Grandma looked up and saw someone pressing their face against the glass door, their face so distorted from the pressure.

Adding to the fact that it was the Ghost Festival, she was so frightened that her heart skipped a beat.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that it was Chu Ci.

"Aci!!"

Grandma picked up the broom beside her. "You naughty girl! What are you doing peering out the door instead of coming in?"

Chu Ci nimbly dodged Grandma's attack and squeezed into the shop.

Didi stood in the shop holding a water cup, looking up and smiling as she called to her.

"Master Sister!"

It seems that Didi has grown quite a bit taller since we last saw her.

The clothes she was wearing were obviously too small, revealing her wrists and ankles, and the clothes were tightly stretched to her body.

However, compared to before, she had many more scars on her wrists and ankles.

Noticing that Chu Ci was looking at the scars on her wrist, Didi tucked her hands and feet further into her clothes.

He handed her the water glass he was holding, "Master Sister, would you like some water?"

Chu Ci picked up the water glass but didn't drink from it, instead casually placing it on a nearby cabinet.

He crouched down to be at eye level with Didi and carefully examined the injuries on her face.

Seeing that she hadn't drunk any water, Didi twisted her hands together.

She assumed that Chu Ci was unhappy about her uninvited arrival.

He lowered his head, his small voice filled with unease.

“You said that if Mom and Dad force me to do something I don’t want to do, I can come to you…”

She quickly looked up at Chu Ci's expression, then quickly looked down again.

She twisted her little hands tighter and tighter, pursing her lips to suppress her grievances.

"Do those words still stand...?"

Grandma returned angrily with a broom, but seeing Chu Ci squatting in front of Didi, she momentarily forgot to settle the score with Chu Ci.

He said angrily, "These little girl's parents are really inhuman! Look at the child's face!"

"Such a lovely child, so beautiful, how could you bear to hit her in the face!"

On Didi's tender face, a long mark stretched from her left forehead to her right cheek.

It runs through the bridge of the nose and close to the right eye.

If the wound had been even slightly off-center, Didi's right eye would have been ruined.

Grandma: "They beat the child like this and didn't even give him any medicine!"

"Knowing that you were injured last time, you should still have some gentian violet left, so I'm planning to use it on the child..."

Chu Ci's brow twitched.

Gentian violet was a common household disinfectant in those days, but its use was later restricted because its main ingredient, gentian violet, contains carcinogenic components.

But this stuff can't be applied to the face, especially with such a large wound like Didi's.

If there is pigmentation, the child will have to live with an uneven skin tone for the rest of their life.

She picked up Didi and said, "Grandma, you can't use that on your face."

"I'm taking her to the hospital, I'll be right back!"

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Grandma didn't understand what pigmentation was; she only heard that the medicine shouldn't be used on her face.

As they left the store, he reminded Chu Ci.

"When you pass by a stall, buy some more incense, candles, and paper money!"

"good!"

Chu Ci took Didi to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, the wound was not deep and did not require stitches.

The little girl didn't cry or fuss when the medicine was applied, which made even the doctors and nurses feel sorry for her.

"What were you parents thinking? Your child has such a long wound on their face. What if it leaves a scar?"

Didi quickly explained for Chu Ci, "This was done by my mother, it has nothing to do with Master Sister."

The doctor choked for a moment, glancing at Chu Ci's face. For some reason, she looked vaguely familiar.

After leaving the hospital, Chu Ci bought incense and paper money, and then took Didi's hand and walked home.

When they came across a shop on the way, she bought a bag of milk candy for Didi and told her to put it in her pocket and eat it slowly.

Didi's steps became much lighter as she ate the milk candy.

Seeing that she was in a good mood, Chu Ci took the opportunity to ask:

Why did your mother hit you?

Didi was used to being beaten, but she was still a little nervous when Chu Ci asked her.

He quickly explained, "I didn't do anything wrong..."

She chewed the candy in her mouth, lowered her eyes, and spoke with a disappointed tone.

"If we fight, we fight. We don't need a reason to be beaten."

Chu Ci: "..."

She sighed inwardly and patted Didi's head.

"Parents need a reason to hit their children."

Didi pursed her lips, remaining noncommittal on the question.

She looked up at Chu Ci, not wanting to continue the topic.

Aren't you going to ask me why I came to see you?

Chu Ci saw through her little scheme and asked her, "Then tell me, why did you come to find me?"

Didi pouted and hummed twice.

"Because my parents made me steal things."

She twisted the hem of her clothes with her hand, "Today is the Ghost Festival, and we need to pay respects to our ancestors."

“My parents said it was meaningless, but my grandmother gave them money and insisted that they buy incense, paper money, and offerings.”

"They felt that buying these things was no different from burning money directly, so they embezzled the money and made me go to the cemetery to steal offerings from the dead."

"They said this would save them some money..."