Chapter 67 The Big Taboo: She Still Has Me.
Day 4.
The "Green Ghost" rumor has been debunked, but the truth behind the infant's death and the secrets hidden in the mint remain to be explored.
Unable to find a solution last night, Yue Yining got up early this morning and took Fu Yao and several guards out to drive to the homes of the three infant deaths, hoping to get more clues through questioning.
Before the morning bell has even ceased, the East Market is already bustling. Green flags flutter askew, apricot curtains beckon, foreign merchants unsaddle their camels, jasmine blossoms piled high on flower baskets, and rouge glows like rosy clouds beside the peddler's drum.
The peach blossoms filled the moat, coinciding with the City God Temple Fair. The princess's carriage passed under the colorful banners, leaving a trail of five-colored copper coins.
Despite it being such a lively day, the area in front of the Li family's house was eerily silent.
A girl, who looked only eleven or twelve years old, opened the door. Her round eyes stared at them: "Who are you looking for?"
Yue Yining explained her purpose, and the girl released her grip on the door, opening it wide: "Father has gone to work in the fields, only Mother is at home, please come in."
The peddler's drumbeat broke through the faded, peeling door panel; white cloth fluttered, and the window paper, yellowish and withered, looked like a dying cocoon. A longevity thread hanging above the door was stained with incense ash, and a half-finished paper-cut kylin bringing a child was pressed down by the cold stove.
Miss Li led Yue Yining and the others into the house. The house was sparsely furnished and dimly lit. A woman was sitting in the corner. Miss Li went over and called out, "Mother."
"A high-ranking official has arrived."
Sitting in the chair, Li's mother was pale, emaciated, and her eyes were lifeless. Anyone who saw her could tell that she was a mother who had lost her child and was still grieving.
Li's mother remained motionless, only reacting when Yue Yining mentioned the word "government," a glint of light suddenly appearing in her eyes: "Has Your Excellency captured that wicked green ghost?"
Seeing Yue Yining shake her head, Li's mother's gaze suddenly dimmed and turned ashen.
Yue Yining looked at her and said gently, "I understand your feelings, madam, but the case is complicated and we are still investigating. The reason I came to visit you today is to learn more about the details of the case so that we can find out the truth behind your son's death as soon as possible."
Li's mother stared intently at her without saying a word.
After an unknown amount of time, her lips moved for a moment before she finally uttered a sentence, word by word: "The people who came before said the same thing."
Yue Yining was stunned for a moment. Li's mother's expression changed drastically, and she suddenly roared and screamed: "I reported this to the authorities for more than a month! More than a month! Why haven't they found anything! All you know how to do is shirk responsibility and pass the buck. Who will take back my son's life!"
"Did you even bother to investigate?! I've had enough! Get out of here! Get out! Get out!"
"Miss, be careful." Seeing that Li's mother started pulling her hair, Fu Yao shouted and stepped forward to separate Yue Yining and Li's mother, her eyes fixed on the woman who was screaming wildly.
"Mother!" Miss Li immediately supported her mother's shoulder, her expression turning anxious. "Mother, why don't you go back to the inner room and sleep for a while longer, okay?"
Li's mother's roars gradually subsided, as if she had regained her senses. She glanced at the guards behind Yue Yining, then suddenly shrank back, lowered her head, and was helped into the inner room by Miss Li without saying a word.
"It seems your mother believes that the Green Ghost took your brother's life."
Miss Li paused as she closed the door, then turned to look at Yue Yining standing behind her.
She had met many high-ranking officials who came to question her, but this was the first time she had seen such a young and beautiful female official. Rather than her appearance, it was her overall demeanor that was more outstanding, like a pine breeze lifting wide sleeves, or a crescent moon hiding in her eyes.
Yue Yining looked at her and coaxed, "Do you think so too?"
Miss Li lowered her eyes and said, "I don't know what killed my brother."
“But my mother became like this not just because my brother died,” she said, “but because she couldn’t accept that her child had died without any reason.”
One second the child was lively and energetic, the next she was foaming at the mouth and collapsed on the bed, her eyes rolled back so wide that the pupils were no longer visible. Her mother immediately took the child to the nearest clinic, but the doctor there said he couldn't find the cause; perhaps it was just a case of congenital weakness, her fate.
What a tragic fate. If it were her, she wouldn't be able to rest in peace even in the afterlife.
Yue Yining: "I have read the case records. Your brother is a very healthy child."
Miss Li: "Yes, my mother said so too."
"Later, my mother went to the yamen to report the case. She didn't believe that my brother died because of his weak health. She said there must be a reason. Maybe it was the green ghost that everyone was talking about that killed her child. She wasn't without evidence. The child of the Wu family next door also died two months ago. It was because the Wu family saw the green ghost in those days. This must be the green ghost's revenge."
Yue Yining said thoughtfully, "If I remember correctly, you are the first family to report a case of sudden infant death syndrome. So, in fact, there have been cases of sudden infant death syndrome around you before, but those people did not report them."
Ms. Li said, "Perhaps they felt that reporting the case wouldn't necessarily lead to anything. If they didn't report it, the government would give them a sum of money, which, although not much, would be enough to give a child a proper burial."
"The officials said that the case might not be able to be investigated further. Since the child was already dead, they advised the mother to take a pension and give the child a proper burial. That's what Madam Wu chose."
"My mother said she didn't want anything; she just wanted her child to die knowing the truth."
A woman's sobs came from inside the room. The suppressed, broken cries, trembling beneath the covers, escaped through the dilapidated door.
Miss Li glanced behind her, then turned back, her dark eyes fixed on Yue Yining: "If you have nothing else to say, then leave. And don't come back again. My mother has already told me everything she can. I don't know much more, and there's nothing more to ask."
“You have been visiting us repeatedly, but the case has made no progress. My mother gets like this whenever she sees government officials. Her mental state is deteriorating.” Miss Li said with her head down. “Also, she was emotional just now. If she offended you in any way, I apologize on her behalf. Please don’t hold it against her.”
Although it was just a brief exchange, Yue Yining had already gained a lot of information she didn't know before. She glanced at Fu Yao, who understood immediately, took a small bag of coins from her waist, and handed it to Miss Li.
Yue Yining looked at her and said gently, "No, we are the ones who have bothered you. Please accept this money as a thank you for our visit."
Miss Li accepted the money pouch. Just a door away, the world was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums.
A guard stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, word has come from the government that the family involved in the second case moved away from Suyang a few days ago and returned to their hometown in the south."
Yue Yining frowned. "Did they just move out?"
"Yes."
Fu Yao said regretfully, "Perhaps it's because this place is a place of sorrow for them..."
This further reduced the already limited number of people who reported the crime by one household, making it even harder to obtain clues. Yue Yining sighed inwardly, knowing that it was something that couldn't be changed, and didn't feel too much regret. She simply instructed, "Next time, go directly to the third household."
After she finished speaking, she was about to get into the car when the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open from the inside. It was Miss Li.
She chased after him, her face filled with panic: "Please wait a moment!"
Yue Yining paused in her steps and turned back, only to see Miss Li standing in the sunlight, her coarse linen clothes making her appear even thinner and more forlorn. She held a small, dark red satin bag in her hands, and upon closer inspection, it seemed to have been opened.
Miss Li looked at Yue Yining and stammered, "This, this is too precious, I can't accept it."
"I thought they'd only accept a bag of copper coins, I never expected it to be..."
It was a whole bag full of loose silver.
Miss Li was clever from a young age. When she opened the bag of loose silver, she was stunned, because the amount of money was completely beyond her comprehension. She had never seen so much money before; this amount of silver was enough to support her family of five for six years.
Miss Li immediately understood the thought process behind the actions of this man from Yue.
If this were a bag of silver ingots, and a family like theirs took it out to use, they would definitely attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. But if they exchanged broken silver for copper coins, it wouldn't be too conspicuous, and they wouldn't risk being killed for money, thus bringing disaster upon themselves.
Yue Yining blinked as she looked at the embarrassed girl in front of her. She gestured for Fu Yao to get into the car first, then turned and walked to Miss Li, smiling at her: "Don't be afraid, keep it."
"Consider it compensation for the poor performance of the Suyang government," Yue Yining said. "Don't say anything about 'I can't accept it' anymore. Now that I've given it to you, I won't take it back. Just keep it."
Miss Li's heart was churning with emotions. She bit her lip to stop the slight trembling of her lips: "...I have no way to repay your kindness, sir."
Yue Yining looked at her, the smile in her eyes gradually fading, like a dried-up wet beach slowly returning to its white, calm state.
A familiar sound seemed to echo in her ears; someone was calling her name, distant and indistinct.
“Yining…Yining…”
"Yue Yining".
The deafening gongs and drums and the colorful banners faded and returned to silence.
In her memory, the lush bamboo forest and pine sea rippled in layers of mist on the mountaintop. She sat cross-legged in the pavilion, with a brand-new bronze plate and Bagua diagram in front of her. Her master, Qiu Wuzhu, stood beside her, his voice deep and serene.
“You must remember not to easily interfere with the cause and effect of others. The greater the fortune-telling, the heavier the price to be paid. If they cannot be offset, the fortune-teller will have to bear the cost of changing fate,” Qiu Wuzhu said. “Especially do not do good deeds to help people you have just met.”
"Don't feel sorry for them just because you see their tragic future, and try to change their fate. Remember, this is a major taboo for a Taoist master."
Yue Yining remembered it very clearly; even the image of the scenery flowing over Qiu Wuzhu's skirt that day was vividly etched in her memory. Therefore, it wasn't that she was forgetful, but rather that she had no intention of following her master's teachings. Understanding principles doesn't guarantee a lifetime without making mistakes; some people make mistakes simply because they cannot conform to the rules.
Yue Yining thought that her master's decision back then was correct. If her master hadn't expelled her from the sect, she would have definitely made him lose face.
She looked at Miss Li, smiled inwardly, and asked, "What's your name?"
“...My name is Li Daimei.”
“Li Daimei, what a lovely name,” Yue Yining said, her eyes crinkling. “I saw the books on your desk. I guess you’re studying at the free girls’ school in Suyang, right? Are you planning to participate in the literary anthology?”
The Li family was destitute and in dire straits. Both Li's parents were farmers who raised their children by doing farm work. Miss Li had obviously been doing chores for the family since she was a child, as her fingers were calloused.
Yue Yining noticed that there were mud stains that couldn't be wiped clean everywhere in the house, and the wooden table was almost impossible to see its original color and grain. However, the books on the table, the pages that were most likely to get dirty, were almost spotless and without any wrinkles, which was enough to show how much the owner cherished them.
Li Daimei was taken aback, not expecting that she had even noticed these details.
"...Yes. But after my brother died, the funeral expenses were a lot of money, and my mother's health gradually deteriorated. There was no extra money in the family to buy me books and pens. My father said that I could only go to girls' school until the end of April, and after that I would have to do farm work for my mother."
Yue Yining looked at her with a smile: "Now that you have this money, you can continue your studies."
“........” Li Daimei opened her round eyes and opened her mouth.
She seemed to suddenly understand the meaning behind Yue Yining's words. Her throat tightened, and she couldn't speak anymore. In the end, she could only lower her head and clench the money bag tightly in her hand. Only in this way could she prevent her tears from falling uncontrollably.
Yue Yining looked at her reddened eyes and said, "If you want to cry, then cry."
"...No. I have already sworn to protect my mother and this family from now on. I will not cry anymore."
Yue Yining smiled faintly, "That's fine then, I won't cry. Crying is a sign of relief, not crying is a sign of strength, both are good."
Li Daimei looked at her with reddened eyes, her voice low and hoarse, "Does Your Excellency wish for me to continue my studies?"
“I have no hope, nor any wish,” Yue Yining said. “I simply gave you the confidence to choose another path.”
“Many people have no choice when faced with a fork in the road, so they call the road ahead their destiny. But I don’t think that’s their true destiny.” Yue Yining gently rubbed her head. “As for how you choose, that’s your freedom.”
"Since you're asking me this, what are your own wishes?"
Li Daimei looked at the money pouch in her hand, recalling those days soaked in tears and the heart-wrenching cries of her loved ones. She was far from as calm as she appeared; sometimes, she would be vented on her mother's anger when she went mad.
Whenever she looked at her hysterical mother, she would wonder if her mother would be in the same pain if she were the one who died instead of her brother. Once this thought surfaced, it was unstoppable, like drinking a slow-acting poison that would burn through her body, with no antidote.
She replied softly, "...Yes."
“I hope my mother will gradually become happier in the future,” she said.
Li Daimei had told her mother about this "wish." Her mother murmured that she had never been happy since the day her younger brother died.
"...If she can't be happy, then it's better to forget the things that cause her pain."
Yue Yining said, "I see. You want her to forget her pain."
Li Daimei looked at Yue Yining: "Isn't it better to forget the pain? If you keep dwelling on the pain, you'll only live a more miserable life."
“I hope my mother can forget my brother’s death,” Li Daimei said. “Then she will slowly realize that she still has me.”
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