Su Mingli's face was very serious, and even slightly pale.
He recalled everything from the past, each word seemingly squeezed out of his throat: "No wonder, no wonder Father was so grief-stricken after your mother died. I once saw him in his study, drunk and out of control, muttering to himself."
He said, "In the end, I still couldn't stop her. In the end, I still couldn't stop her."
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi's expression stiffened. She felt as if her heart had been gripped by a large hand, making it hard for her to breathe.
She spoke up eagerly: "This 'stopping' might mean stopping Mother from researching incense?!"
Su Mingli looked at her and nodded heavily, "I suppose so. Father keeps everything from me, and so does my elder brother."
Song Xizhi took a deep breath, her throat tightening with the suspicion in her heart: "So, Mother's death... is very likely not due to illness... but related to this incense?"
She never imagined that her mother's death might have other hidden reasons. In her previous life, her uncle died of illness early and her maternal grandfather committed suicide, so they didn't have time to tell her these things.
Su Mingli nodded again, his face tense, and slowly sat back down on the stool.
"That explains why Father didn't want you to continue researching incense because of your sister's death, and that's why he had a big argument with you."
Song Xizhi lowered his eyes, his mind racing. The veins on the back of his clenched fist stood out clearly: "Mother died because of incense? But what exactly was the matter with this incense?"
Now her maternal grandfather is hiding even more secrets from her, not only the tragedies that befell the Su family after her uncle's death in her previous life, but also her mother's death...
Song Xizhi thought with a troubled expression, and continued, "Uncle, I can guarantee that all the incense that Mother developed is non-toxic and will not cause any harm to the body."
As she spoke, she looked up and met Su Mingli's gaze, seeing the worry in his dark eyes:
“Since this incense is so dangerous, and even related to your mother’s death, you can no longer touch it.”
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi frowned immediately: "You won't let me touch it, but Uncle, you want to investigate it yourself, right?"
Su Mingli was speechless after hearing what she said: "That's my older sister. I can't just leave her alone. My father is unwilling to say anything, so I have to investigate myself."
Song Xizhi nodded, a warm feeling rising in her heart. She was extremely grateful that she had been reborn and had saved her uncle, her blood-related support.
He was the person closest to his mother.
“You can’t just leave this to chance, and she’s my mother, so I can’t just sit idly by. Besides, I think there are many other things that my maternal grandfather and my eldest uncle are hiding from me… and of course, from you too.”
Upon hearing the last sentence, Su Mingli paused, rubbed his temples, and remained silent.
Seeing his expression, Song Xizhi pressed on, "I don't know if you've noticed, but I have a feeling that these things are related to the future of the Su family."
She appealed to their emotions and reasoned with them, arguing that since her younger uncle was also kept in the dark, and her older uncle and maternal grandfather were unwilling to speak, then they should form an alliance.
With her uncle in the Su family, it would be easier for her to return to the Song residence and probe the situation.
Hearing Song Xizhi's words, Su Mingli finally relented: "I know you are intelligent and kind-hearted, and I don't want to stop you. I just ask that you be careful and discuss everything with me."
"As for what you call concealment, I don't know if my brother did or not, but my father certainly had many things that I didn't know. He didn't allow anyone into his study."
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi nervously grabbed Su Mingli's sleeve: "These things could very well affect the future and fate of the Su family."
Su Mingli sensed her emotional fluctuations and looked at her keenly: "What future and destiny? Zhizhi, I have a feeling that you're also hiding something from me?"
Song Xizhi licked his lips, thinking to himself that his uncle was a real shrewd person.
"This is just my intuition, because I just tested my grandfather, and his reaction was strange. But we have no clues or evidence, so let's investigate my mother's death first."
Song Xizhi was telling the truth; she still didn't know why her maternal grandfather and maternal uncle met their tragic ends in her previous life.
However, it is now certain that the mother's death was related to incense.
Su Mingli listened to Song Xizhi's words, his scrutinizing gaze lingering on her face for a moment before finally agreeing: "Alright, they have their secrets, and so do we."
"First, we need to investigate the truth behind my sister's death... But how exactly do we do that?"
Song Xizhi rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a moment: "You are responsible for finding clues from the Su residence, while I will look for them from the Song residence. I plan to start with the maids around Mother, and you... well, you'll have to use your own brain, Uncle."
After saying this, she turned her gaze to Granny Wu beside her: "Granny, you've been in the Song family for so many years, do you know anything about it?"
Granny Wu had just learned that there were other hidden reasons for Su Mingyue's death. Her face showed some sorrow and her expression was not good: "Miss, since you were born, I have been assigned by Miss Mingyue to take care of you."
"When I was by her side, I was still young and not a personal old nanny. I was a second-class nanny. I married into the Song family with Miss Mingyue, so I didn't know why Miss Mingyue was so persistent in making incense, nor did I know what had happened."
Song Xizhi felt a little regretful upon hearing this, but he also knew that it was impossible to find out so quickly something that even his uncle didn't know.
Then she asked, "What about the maids who came with Mother during her dowry? How are they doing now?"
Upon hearing Song Xizhi's question, Granny Wu shook her head, as if lost in a long memory: "Miss Mingyue had four maids who accompanied her in her dowry. One of them fell ill and died not long after Miss Mingyue married into the Song family."
"The other two, I heard, were meant to be left to you after Miss Mingyue passed away, but they were so loyal that they were overwhelmed with grief and followed her."
"There's one last one. She actually served you for a while. I don't know if you remember her. Her name is Xuexin. She chose to leave the manor to get married when you were three years old. I haven't seen her since, and I don't know how she is doing now."
Of the four dowry members her mother brought, three died, leaving only one person alive.
In fact, after that, Zhao Qianlan sent many maids to take care of Song Xizhi. Those who deliberately made Song Xizhi stupid when he was young, those who deliberately poisoned him, and those who were dishonest were all sent away by Wu Mama. Only some who seemed honest were left.
But these honest ones were nothing more than spies, so when Song Xizhi married into the Marquis's mansion, she couldn't wait to get rid of these spies and only kept Wu Mama by her side.
Song Xizhi recalled the past, but his memories of his mother were only a vague shadow.
She sighed and slowly got up from the stool: "In that case, let's go see Xuexin now, after all, she has been by Mother's side for so long."
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