Chapter 138 The Warning from the Koi Fish
Ye Wanxi smiled slightly under the expectant gaze of Grandpa Bai: "There's nothing wrong with it. I just think these fish are strangely pretty and festive with their red and green colors."
Mr. Bai: “…”
housekeeper:"……"
Gao Min instinctively covered her face with her hands, unable to bear looking at her, fearing that the host would think Ye Wanxi was too unreliable and kick her out in a fit of anger.
"Have these fish been kept here for quite a while?"
When Old Master Bai heard Ye Wanxi ask this question, he immediately looked at the old butler. The old butler was taken aback for a moment, and then said truthfully, "These fish have been kept ever since the old master and madam moved into this house. It must have been more than ten years at most."
"So long?" Gao Min exclaimed in surprise, only realizing her lapse in composure when she noticed everyone staring at her. She chuckled awkwardly, "So these kinds of fish can live this long?"
"Like turtles, koi are long-lived creatures. If raised well, they can live for decades without any problem." Ye Wanxi paused, then asked casually, "In the ten or so years since we moved here, have any of the fish died?"
This time, without needing to be prompted by Old Master Bai, the old butler answered on his own initiative: "Yes. But not many, about five or six have died."
"It's taken more than ten years to raise only five or six to die, that's already a lot of effort," Gao Min muttered softly. "If these were served, five or six wouldn't be enough for me to eat in a day."
Gao Min deliberately lowered her voice, so only Ye Wanxi, who was closest to her, could hear her clearly.
Ye Wanxi chuckled: "Do you remember roughly when you died?"
"This..." The old butler glanced at the old man for his opinion, and seeing that he did not express anything, he thought for a moment and then told him the truth, "The most recent one was half a month ago, the others are a long time ago, and I can't remember them for the time being."
"Did he die suddenly, or was he already ill?"
"He died suddenly, without any warning, and there was no indication that he was sick."
Ye Wanxi pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked a question that made everyone present change their expressions: "Before Mr. Bai and Mrs. Bai's accident, were there any unusual movements in the koi in this pond?"
Upon hearing about his son and daughter-in-law's situation, Old Master Bai's expression changed slightly, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on his cane.
Upon further reflection on the meaning of Ye Wanxi's words, his expression grew increasingly gloomy: "Think carefully, is it really as Miss Ye said, that there is some unusual activity?"
The old butler wasn't stupid; he quickly realized the importance of the matter and frowned in thought. However, the more anxious he became, the less he could think of anything, and he even broke out in a sweat.
"Don't rush, think slowly, you'll remember eventually."
Ye Wanxi's gentle tone was mixed with the rustling of the bamboo forest not far away and the soft sound of the water flowing gently in the pond.
The old butler's feverish head gradually calmed down, and a flash of inspiration struck him. He excitedly exclaimed, "Yes! Yes!"
"Speak quickly."
"It was about a month before the accident happened, one morning, three fish suddenly floated to the surface of this pond. I don't know when they died, they just rolled over belly up. The cleaning lady saw them and quickly scooped them up and came to me, asking me what to do."
“I thought that koi are auspicious fish, and we shouldn’t eat them casually. Besides, it turned belly up for no reason, and who knows if it was sick or if it would be bad for people to eat it. So I asked the aunt to take it back and find a place to bury it, and I also changed all the water in the pond.”
Ye Wanxi's eyes narrowed slightly: "Are you sure it's three?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Two big ones and one small one."
Ye Wanxi glanced at Old Master Bai, who seemed to realize something and his face turned pale.
Gao Min, unaware of the cryptic conversation, nudged Ye Wanxi with her elbow and asked curiously, "Is there any connection between this koi fish and the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Bai?"
"It's not a connection, it's a warning."
"Warning?"
"Most people raise koi for good luck. The koi they choose are mostly brightly colored, which makes people feel happy at first glance. The koi in the Bai family's pond are mostly tricolor koi, which symbolize the intertwining of dragons and phoenixes, the dispelling of evil spirits, and the birth of auspiciousness. They can bring peace to the home, wealth, and safety."
"If such koi dies due to climate change, inability to adapt to the food, or other reasons, as long as they are removed as soon as possible after death and replaced with an equal number of new fry, there will be no problem. However, if they die suddenly without any reason, it is often accompanied by a warning to the owner. It warns the owner to be careful in everything they do in the next month, as it may result in financial loss or illness, or even... endanger their life."
Old Master Bai swayed, and the old butler quickly helped him up.
Ye Wanxi and the other woman were also startled: "Are you alright?"
"It's alright." Old Master Bai waved his hand, regretting, "It's my fault for harming them. If only I had been more careful back then..."
"It's none of your business. These koi in the pond can only serve as a warning. Whether you can avoid them, and how to avoid them, is not so easy. Besides, unless you have some knowledge of this, you won't really notice it."
Ye Wanxi glanced around thoughtfully as she spoke: "This house of yours must have been specially decorated, right?"
Old Master Bai paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "This house was sold to me by a friend. It's said that he hired the most famous master in the area to help with the decoration. If his family hadn't encountered some misfortunes, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to sell the house. Is there something wrong with the decoration?"
"No problem, your friend wasn't lying to you. This house is very well decorated. Whether it's the two stone lions outside the gate, the small bamboo grove in the southwest corner, or this courtyard with its flowing water into the pond, everything is quite nice. Every aspect is meticulously crafted, conforming to the principles of Yin and Yang and the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing continuous life. However..."
Old Master Bai's heart skipped a beat, and he asked somewhat nervously, "But what?"
"However, the bamboo grove is planted in the southwest corner because the southwest belongs to the fire element, which harmonizes with the yin energy of the bamboo, symbolizing continuous advancement. But one thing to note is that the bamboo should not be too tall, as it may block the view from the doorway, thus keeping wealth and good fortune out."
As soon as Ye Wanxi finished speaking, the old butler hurriedly said, "I'll have someone trim it right away, and I'll pay more attention to it in the future. Is there anything else I need to be careful about?"
"That's all for now. If it's convenient, shall we go and take a look at Young Master Bai's room?"
"Alright, this way please." Old Master Bai hurriedly made way for Ye Wanxi to walk ahead.
After crossing the wooden bridge beside the koi pond, Old Master Bai suddenly remembered something, and said to the butler with a livid face, "You just said that another fish in this pond died half a month ago, could it be..."
(End of this chapter)
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