Chapter Twenty-Seven: Never Pay Back, Even If It Kills
Ruan Chongyue held her sister-in-law's hand, tears welling in her eyes, and pleaded, "Sister-in-law, I beg you, please return the bronze mirror. It's an ominous object. Awu grew up in a Taoist temple; she understands these mystical arts, sister-in-law..."
Mu Jing's expression darkened further. She didn't believe a word she was saying; she only felt that the person in front of her was going to take the bronze mirror away.
This is something she and her husband took out of an ancient tomb.
That day, she and her husband went up the mountain to chop firewood. When they passed by Lingshan, they saw a dark cave halfway up the mountain, with a few taels of silver at the entrance.
They went in to collect the items, and as they walked further in, they discovered that the cave was actually a tomb. Inside were two coffins and decaying offerings.
They were frightened and were about to turn and leave when they discovered a bronze mirror inlaid with gemstones on the ground.
Mu Jing saw that the bronze mirror was exquisitely carved and inlaid with gemstones, so she knew it was very valuable. She then asked her husband to put the bronze mirror in his bosom, cover it with his clothes, and bring it back.
When she got home, fearing that it would be too ostentatious and arouse jealousy, she removed the gemstone, wrapped it in an embroidered handkerchief, and put it in her dowry chest, planning to pawn it after the New Year.
She was so afraid of losing the bronze mirror that she put it under her pillow and slept with it every day.
This thing is worth at least several hundred taels of silver. With this money, you'll never have to worry about food or clothing again. Only a fool would return it.
Mu Jing's eyes swept over the girl, and seeing her youthful face, she became even more convinced that this person had come to steal the treasure and sell it for money.
The moment I put it away, she'd take it back and use it as money the next second.
Thinking this, she shook off her sister-in-law's hand, her tone turning cold: "You don't need to say anything more, I won't return the bronze mirror. If you say anything like that again, you can go back to your own home."
Hearing this, Ruan Chongyue felt a pang of sadness in her heart, her eyes reddened, and she opened her mouth as if to say something more, but Jingwu pulled her away.
"Awu, what should we do?"
Jingwu lowered her eyes, thinking of a solution. If it were anyone else, she would have left long ago.
Good advice is useless to those who refuse to listen to reason; she won't bother with them anymore.
However, seeing his aunt like this, he really couldn't bring himself to be cruel.
Ruan Chongyue calmed down, looked at the girl without saying a word, and suddenly thought of something, so she hurriedly walked into the neighboring courtyard.
After a while, he helped an older woman with graying temples into the room.
Looking at the kinship line between the two, Jingwu knew that the woman was his aunt's mother, Wang Qiuniang.
She followed the two inside and saw Wang Qiuniang standing in front of Mu Jing, speaking gently, "Jing'er, be good and return the bronze mirror."
She had been taking care of her son for the past few days, and seeing that his condition was getting worse and worse, she was so heartbroken that she fainted.
So I went back to my room to rest that night. Just now, my daughter suddenly burst in and told me everything that had happened.
Wang Qiuniang was old and believed in these superstitious beliefs, so she was even more convinced that it was this copper slab that had harmed her son.
So he quickly got up and rushed over.
Hearing this, Mu Jing frowned, her face full of displeasure: "Mother, we can't send it back! Don't you know how valuable this bronze mirror is! Did you hear something from someone else?"
Her eyes turned to Ruan Chongyue standing to the side, her words implying that she was sowing discord.
"A little girl who hasn't even grown her hair yet, trying to swindle and deceive like those Taoist priests. What could she possibly know at such a young age?"
Upon hearing this, Ruan Chongyue's face darkened completely: "Sister-in-law, your words are extremely rude!"
Upon hearing this, Jingwu sneered. She had black hair and was facing certain death, yet she still showed no remorse.
She didn't want to waste any more words arguing with her, and let her live or die as she pleased, since it's hard to persuade a damned person with kind words.
Just then, a gust of cold wind blew by, extinguishing the candles in the room and plunging it into complete darkness.
Looking at the pitch-black surroundings, fearing that the mother and daughter might take the bronze mirror, Mu Jing hurriedly groped for a tinderbox.
Just as she received the tinderbox, she looked up and saw a girl standing not far away with a small flame burning on her fingertip. She flicked the flame towards the candle, and the candle was lit.
She was stunned when she saw the light in the room come back on.
How could she...?
"Jing'er, the bronze mirror must be returned to that tomb. This is for your own good, and also to save Wenyi's life!" Wang Qiuniang said immediately when she saw the room bright again, "If you won't return it, I will!"
As he spoke, he stepped forward to take the bronze mirror.
Seeing this, Mu Jing immediately rushed forward and protected the bronze mirror in her arms.
She glared at the mother and daughter, her face contorted with rage, and shouted, "Wen Yi isn't dead yet, and you're already helping Ruan Chongyue bully me and steal our belongings! If he really dies, are you going to kick me out of the house?"
Hearing this, Wang Qiuniang felt a chill in her heart and pointed at her, speechless for a long time.
At this moment, Mu Jing was somewhat possessed, convinced that the old woman was biased towards her daughter and was helping her daughter snatch the bronze mirror.
The old woman, whose husband was on the verge of death, didn't want such a large sum of money to fall into her hands, so she helped her daughter to steal it.
Her eyes were slightly red, and she held the bronze mirror to her chest, not allowing anyone to get close.
"Sister-in-law! Didn't you hear A-Wu say that if you don't return it, this bronze mirror will kill both of you! Are you just going to watch your brother die?"
"I don't believe your nonsense! Even if it costs me my life, I will never return the bronze mirror unless I'm dead!"
Mu Jing immediately realized that these people were there to steal her bronze mirror, which was worth hundreds of taels of silver. Looking at them, she knew she couldn't stay there any longer.
She didn't even have time to think about her husband who was still in the hospital bed, so she hurriedly packed her things and rushed back to her parents' home.
Jingwu watched her hurried departure and couldn't help but sigh.
She turned to look at her aunt's worried face, then stepped forward and patted her hand.
“Aunt, it’s actually a good thing that she left with the bronze mirror. Tomorrow, you and your mother should take offerings to that tomb to pay your respects, and burn some more paper money as well. Since the bronze mirror is no longer here, the tomb owner might let your brother go.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiuniang and Ruan Chongyue were immediately delighted and readily agreed.
As long as there is even a glimmer of hope, they will try.
Jingwu walked to the bedside, quickly formed hand seals, and chanted an exorcism incantation.
Golden rays of light emanated from her body and entered Ruan Wenyi's body, dispelling the yin energy within him.
After a while, Jingwu withdrew his hand, flicked a talisman into the air, and chanted a spell in a low voice while making hand gestures.
The talisman spontaneously combusted in the air, turning into specks of ashes that scattered throughout the room, dispelling much of the lingering yin energy.
Jingwu took out another exorcism talisman and handed it to the person in front of him: "Aunt, put this talisman under his pillow."
Ruan Chongyue took it and immediately put it into practice.
Wang Qiuniang looked at the girl in front of her with a loving smile: "Child, I really have to thank you. Now that this matter is settled, I will come to thank you in person."
"You don't need to be so polite." Jingwu looked at the person in front of him with a smile, then thought of something: "However, after the matter is done, I will ask you for two coins as a reward."
She could tell that her aunt's family wasn't wealthy either, only slightly better off than the Shao family, so she didn't plan to charge more than that.
The money is only collected to donate half of it, thus offsetting the karmic consequences.
Upon hearing this, Wang Qiuniang immediately felt something was amiss. If her son had truly been rescued, how could she only give him two coins?
Just as she was about to speak, she heard the man on the bed cough twice.
Wang Qiuniang and Ruan Chongyue immediately surrounded him. When they saw him open his eyes, they were so excited that they were about to burst into tears.
"Mother, why are you crying?" Ruan Wenyi saw his mother's tears and immediately reached out to wipe them away. Then he saw that his younger sister's eyes were also red, so he smiled and comforted her, "A-Yue, don't cry, I'm fine."
Seeing that he spoke with strength and his complexion was much better than a few days ago, Wang Qiuniang immediately felt relieved.
"You bastard! You're over forty years old, and you still manage to do something so outrageous! Don't you know you can't just take things from the tomb? And you dared to hide it from me!"
As Wang Qiuniang spoke, she reached out and hit him hard several times through the blanket.
"Mother, Mother! Stop hitting her! How did you know? Did Jing'er tell you?" Ruan Wenyi didn't feel any pain, but seeing her mother's face turn red with anger, she was afraid that her mother would faint, so she spoke softly.
After these words were spoken, the room fell silent for a moment.
When Ruan Wenyi didn't see his wife, he asked, "Mother, where is Jing'er? Where did she go?"
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