Chapter 54 The Death of Xue Yi, the Praised Son-in-Law
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they emerged from the thick fog and found themselves at... the entrance of the shop?
Jiang Yuzhi glanced confidently at the thriving Bai Family Cloth Shop next door. Directly opposite them was a funeral clothing shop that couldn't be resold, but at this moment it was selling alcohol.
A banner with the word "wine" written on it fluttered in the wind above the shop.
Jiang Yuzhi looked up at Bu Fan and said, "This should be Xue Yi's memory. Mingze, stay close to me."
Bai Yan readily agreed, nodding and tightening their grip on each other's hands.
The streets were still ordinary stone-paved roads, not the renovated river channels of today.
Jiang Yuzhi, with her entourage, dared not make any rash moves. As if remembering something, she pulled out a dog leash that Diting had used from her small bag with one hand.
Chichi was still looking around, pondering what she could eat, when she suddenly felt a tightness around her neck. "Mwah?" The little lamb tilted its head and looked at Jiang Yuzhi in confusion.
"Chichi, be good. Don't run around or chew on anything. I'll find you whatever you want to eat when we get out." Jiang Yuzhi patted Chichi's head, then used yellow paper to extend the dog leash and tied it to Bai Yan's waist and her own waist respectively. "If you tie them together, they won't get separated."
Bai Yan was speechless for a moment.
Jiang Yuzhi learned this method from the Black and White Impermanence. When they used the Soul-Hooking Lock to bind souls, they tied the ghosts into a long line to make it easier to bring them back to the underworld.
The woman, wearing a red flower in her hair, beamed with joy and walked straight past them without blinking, entering the winery.
"Oh, Manager Xue, I've found the family you asked me to find! The man is good-looking, but his family is poor. They have five sons, and they can't afford to raise them all. I'm talking about their third son. He was originally going to be sold to a wealthy family to be a servant. But when I heard that your family was looking for a son-in-law, I rushed over to their house to take a look."
"Guess what? Deng Laosan is the most outstanding person in their village. He went to school for two years, and his character is impeccable. He's incredibly filial. Otherwise, why would he think of selling his own property to supplement his family's income? I've asked around among the neighbors, and they all say he's a good man. So, Manager Xue, how about it? Let's take a look?"
Manager Xue doted on her only daughter, so she naturally wouldn't agree so easily. "Thank you, Madam Hu. I'll discuss it with my wife and give you an answer tomorrow."
"Alright, then I'll wait for the manager's news." With that, Madam Hu swayed her hips as she walked out of the wine shop. Jiang Yuzhi frowned and clearly saw that the woman who had been smiling with wrinkles all over her face just now curled her lips in disdain, rolled her eyes, and disappeared into the crowd.
She seemed to have already guessed the origin of Xue Yi's tragedy.
Bai Yan clearly understood the general idea; Deng Laosan was definitely not as the matchmaker had described.
Unfortunately, they were in Xue Yi's illusion, and everything in the distance was blurry. Xue Yi's power was already at its limit in supporting this part of the street.
Jiang Yuzhi: "Let's go in and take a look."
Bai Yan: "Okay."
Three human-demon-sheep entangled together by ropes entered the winery one after the other.
They are now observers of the illusion, which is invisible to those within it.
Several tables and chairs were set up in the front hall for guests to use. Two or three guests would sit there, buy a couple of ounces of cloudy wine, and some snacks made by the winery owner's wife to go with the wine, chatting casually.
Manager Xue wiped the wine from his hands onto his apron. "Everyone, please enjoy your meal. If you'd like to order anything else, just let the waiter know."
"Manager Xue, you're too kind. Your daughter's marriage is of utmost importance."
"That's right, we're already very familiar with each other."
"Go ahead, go ahead."
Jiang Yuzhi and her group followed Manager Xue into the backyard, which was somewhat different from what they had seen that evening.
There was a meticulously maintained flowerbed with a swing set up next to it, and the ground was swept clean.
In the kitchen, Madam Xue was preparing the braised snacks to be sold tomorrow, while the plump young woman beside her, with a round face, was deftly helping her mother.
It seems this young lady is Xue Yi. Jiang Yuzhi openly sized her up.
Xue Yi, who was busy working, paused for a fleeting moment, almost imperceptibly.
Shopkeeper Xue squatted down next to Madam Xue, helping his wife clean up while telling them what the matchmaker had said.
Madam Xue: "Would Xiao Yi like to see him?"
Xue Yi's round face flushed slightly pink, and she said in a soft voice, "It's fine as long as Father and Mother decide."
Judging from her reaction, Madam Xue knew that her daughter was currently satisfied.
Xiao Yi is their only daughter, and she is very capable and hardworking. She is also good at brewing wine and cooking. She and her husband are reluctant to let Xiao Yi marry out of the family, so they want to find a son-in-law to help manage their meager family business and provide for them after they pass away.
Before Jiang Yuzhi's eyes, she found herself on the day of the Xue family's matchmaking.
Her first instinct was to check if the person and sheep at the other end of the rope were still there.
Chichi: "Meow."
Bai Yan stepped forward and naturally took Jiang Yuzhi's hand: "I'm here."
"Does Young Master Deng know that my family is looking for a son-in-law to live with us? I can give you a sum of money to settle your parents and relatives as a betrothal gift. After the marriage, you will be considered a member of the Xue family, and your children will also bear the surname Xue." Manager Xue explained the terms as clearly as possible.
"Uncle Xue, Madam Hu has made things clear to me. My family is poor and doesn't need another son. My younger brothers are at the age where they need to grow up. I hope Uncle Xue can give me this betrothal gift..." Deng Laosan spoke frankly, though he was actually a little embarrassed. But for the sake of his family's livelihood, he couldn't care less about that.
The Xue couple were quite satisfied with his straightforwardness. It was better to have a request than to scheme in secret. Unless it was an excessive condition, or a half-grown boy who would eat his father out of house and home, they didn't mind giving him more. So they agreed.
Deng Laosan was indeed quite good-looking, and he had probably studied for two years. His gray robe, washed until it was almost white, gave him an air of scholarly refinement.
Jiang Yuzhi and the others were hiding behind the door with Xue Yi, peeking. Xue Yi silently sized up Deng Laosan, while Jiang Yuzhi stared at him in a daze. This man might be one of the culprits who would kill Xue Yi in the near future.
Bai Yan squeezed the hand that was still warm from his body in his palm, and asked softly with an ambiguous meaning, "What does Yu Zhi think of Deng Laosan's appearance?"
Jiang Yuzhi answered him seriously, "It's really nice, the kind of look that an ordinary young lady would like." You could tell from the way Xue Yi couldn't take her eyes off him.
Bai Yan's lips curled into a stiff smile. "Really? Then what do you think of me?"
Jiang Yuzhi then turned around and glanced at him curiously, "You? Why did you suddenly think of asking this?"
Bai Yan: "It's nothing," he said casually. "My mother is helping me with the betrothal arrangements, and I want to know what kind of young ladies these days like."
Jiang Yuzhi's doubts vanished, and she suddenly didn't know what expression to make. Her lifeless heart felt as if it had been squeezed by an invisible hand. "Is it alright? Doesn't Luo Yundou like you a lot, Your Highness Xiao?" After saying that, she turned her head blankly.
Bai Yan realized he had gone too far and provoked Yu Zhi... I didn't...
Jiang Yuzhi knew what she was angry about, but she had no grounds to stand on, and the timing was wrong. "Alright, now is not the time to talk about this."
Bai Yan shut up completely.
On the other side, Xue Yi sat down opposite Deng Laosan and, under the watchful eyes of Xue's parents, talked with Deng Laosan.
Jiang Yuzhi did not miss the fleeting look of surprise in Deng Laosan's eyes.
The scene before me vanished like smoke.
They witnessed Xue Yi and Deng Laosan's wedding. Xue Yi taught Deng Laosan how to brew wine. Until the Xue couple both passed away due to illness, Xue Yi, comforted by Deng Laosan, ran the winery with her husband like a parent. Unfortunately, Xue Yi could never conceive.
Jiang Yuzhi could only stay by Xue Yi's side and learn about the development of events from her perspective, but she could also detect something was wrong. Deng Laosan would get up in the middle of the night from time to time, saying that he was afraid that rats would get into the distillery and that he had to go and check.
As time went on, Xue Yi also became suspicious.
She quietly followed him out.
Deng Laosan did indeed go to the warehouse where the wine jars were stored, but he wasn't alone. Xue Yi hid by the warehouse window and, through a small hole in the window, witnessed her husband kissing a woman she didn't know, doing the most intimate thing between husband and wife. The sound of the two talking came from the window.
"Sanlang... be gentle, um... when are you going to take care of that fat woman?"
"What's the rush? Those two old geezers are dead, the family business will be mine sooner or later, hmm..."
"Sanlang... um... let me have your child..."
"Okay...okay..."
The ambiguous panting and intermittent water sounds completely snapped the string in Xue Yi's mind. Helpless, she collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.
The man and woman inside immediately noticed.
Deng Laosan pulled up his pants and was about to come out when he said, "You go out the back door first."
The woman nodded, straightened her clothes, and obediently left the warehouse.
Xue Yi also realized that she couldn't stay here. She struggled to get up from the ground and staggered back to the inner room.
"Wife, why are you out so late instead of sleeping?" The usually gentle voice sounded like a vengeful ghost to Xue Yi.
She tried to remain calm, stopped, and turned around naturally. "I... I drank too much water before bed."
Her trembling voice and unconsciously reddened eyes had already betrayed her, and the pale moonlight shone on Xue Yi's face.
Deng Laosan didn't expose her. Like the most considerate husband, he helped his wife up and said, "Is that so? It's getting late. Let's go back inside."
"Okay...okay."
The two of them went back to their room.
The truth was laid bare before them, and the three onlookers no longer cared about their embarrassment.
The scene that followed changed rapidly.
Xue Yi was first poisoned by a cup of tea and became mute, unable to seek justice for her parents and herself. Not long after, she was paralyzed in bed for some reason, silently collapsing and weeping. Deng Laosan never stopped caring for her and even played the role of a good husband, taking good care of her until Xue Yi cried until she went blind, unable to see or speak, and refused to eat the food Deng Laosan fed her. She starved to death in bed.
Her ghost left her body and stood with Jiang Yuzhi.
“My benefactor, look, this is how I died.”
Do you hate them?
"I should hate them, but I don't think I feel that way anymore..."
"there is none left?"
Upon hearing this, Chi Chi turned her face away guiltily.
The illusion is not over yet.
The woman who had slept with Deng Laosan that day brought a sorcerer to Xue Yi's funeral.
After seeing off the guests who praised him as a good husband, Deng Laosan led the two men in from the back.
With just a few words, Jiang Yuzhi learned that the tea that poisoned Xue Yi was obtained by Deng Laosan from a woman. The woman wanted to rise in rank, so she secretly found a sorcerer and asked Deng Laosan for Xue Yi's birth date and time. She then used silver needles to prick a cloth doll, causing Xue Yi to become paralyzed.
Fearing that Xue Yi would become a ghost and seek revenge, the adulterous couple asked a sorcerer to find a way to seal Xue Yi's soul inside a rag doll. They spent a lot of money to buy the sorcerer's lightning-struck peach wood box and locked the rag doll inside the box.
Before putting the box on, for some reason, Deng Laosan insisted on wrapping the doll in a white cloth before locking it.
The woman, seemingly jealous, asked him if he had been pretending for too long and had taken the act for real.
Deng Laosan then smiled disdainfully, put his arm around the woman's slender waist, and declared that he had never liked fat women, because they were so fat that they didn't inspire any desire in anyone.
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Author's note: Bai Yan: Who is more beautiful, me or Deng San?
Jiang Yuzhi: You're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful!
I checked for updates late at night and realized I'd forgotten to post what I'd saved in my drafts folder. [newbie]
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