Chapter Seven: The Not-So-Simple Aunt Yun
Aunt Yun's Hibiscus Garden was secluded and quiet, located in the most desolate corner of the Song Mansion.
Outside the courtyard, layers upon layers of hibiscus flowers are in full bloom, filling the air with a subtle fragrance that grows stronger the deeper one goes.
Song Yiqiu pushed open the slightly old wooden door. The courtyard was very clean, but the furnishings were very simple.
Aunt Yun was leaning against the chaise longue by the window, dressed in a plain gray dress, without any makeup, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall, without any careful combing.
Her appearance was not stunning, but she possessed a refined and serene beauty that transcended worldly concerns.
Hearing the door open, she looked up and saw Song Yiqiu, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
When her gaze fell on Song Ziyu, who was standing next to Song Yiqiu with bruises on her face and dirty, tattered clothes, her surprise turned into worry.
She quickly got up and went out to greet them.
"Ziyu!"
He first gave a light rebuke, then bowed respectfully to Song Yiqiu with an extremely humble posture.
"This humble servant greets the young lady."
Song Yiqiu stepped forward and gently helped her up.
This was the first person to treat her with such respect and courtesy after she returned home.
"Aunt Yun, there's no need for such formalities."
Aunt Yun pulled her son aside, examined the wound on his face closely, and scolded him in a reproachful tone:
"Where have you been running off to again? You've gotten yourself all bruised and battered! Didn't I tell you not to go into your brother's yard? You never listen!"
Song Yiqiu's impression of this Aunt Yun was very vague.
In her past life, she was almost invisible, never showing up at any family banquets or gatherings, to the point that Song Yiqiu almost forgot that there was such a person in the mansion and her children.
She stood there, unsure how to begin explaining her purpose.
On the contrary, Aunt Yun, after comforting her son, looked up at her with a calm expression:
"If Miss doesn't mind, please come in and have a cup of tea."
As she spoke, she casually tied her long hair up with an ordinary jade hairpin, her every gesture exuding impeccable manners.
Song Yiqiu was very puzzled. How could such a person be willing to marry her father as a concubine?
She led Song Yiqiu to sit down at the stone table in the courtyard and poured her a cup of tea.
Song Yiqiu spent seven years in the army, where he became accustomed to drinking from large bowls and eating large chunks of meat. He picked up the exquisite teacup in front of him and subconsciously drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing this, Aunt Yun smiled faintly and said nothing, only silently refilling her cup.
"Aunt Yun, where are Sister Chun and Sister Ruoling?"
Song Yiqiu looked around the not-so-spacious courtyard, trying to find the figures of her other two half-sisters.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Aunt Yun's face. She lowered her eyes and whispered:
"They... went out."
Song Yiqiu understood and stopped asking questions.
It's ironic, really. She and her four brothers, and even her adopted daughter Song Sangyu, all have their own independent courtyards, while Aunt Yun and her three children are still crammed into this small, remote courtyard in the mansion.
"Young Miss has come today because..."
Aunt Yun asked, looking at her thoughtfully.
Song Yiqiu composed herself and decided to get straight to the point:
“Aunt Yun, to be honest, I’ve come here today to ask you about the Second Miss, Song Sangyu.”
She recounted the events of yesterday's homecoming banquet, in which she was drugged and nearly falsely accused of having an affair with the stable boy, omitting details of her self-defense and threats against the stable boy, only emphasizing that she discovered the theft.
She stared intently at Aunt Yun's reaction, trying to discern some clues.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Aunt Yun turned pale and suddenly reached out and tightly grasped Song Yiqiu's wrist.
She possesses a gentle strength that belies her frail appearance; she even resembles someone skilled in martial arts.
"Yiqiu! You...you're alright, aren't you?"
This reaction was unexpected by Song Yiqiu.
She withdrew her hand without making a sound:
"It's nothing. Thank you for your concern, Aunt. I just don't understand why my family has become like this after I've been away for seven years. How did Song Sangyu manage to win the favor of the whole family?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Yun looked at her with a complex expression for a moment, as if weighing something.
In the end, she didn't answer directly, but instead abruptly asked in a low voice:
"Young Miss... do you still remember Qingzhu?"
Green bamboo?!
Song Yiqiu frowned.
How could she not remember?
Qingzhu was a personal maid carefully chosen by her grandmother. They grew up together and were as close as sisters.
Seven years ago, she went to the frontier. Not wanting Qingzhu to suffer with her, she gave her a contract of indenture and left Qingzhu in the mansion to be cared for by her mother.
On the day she returned, she asked about Qingzhu, but her mother, Madam Song, coldly told her that Qingzhu was dishonest and had stolen things from the mansion, and had long been sold off.
She was disheartened at the time, and after searching in vain, she did not pursue the matter further.
"Qingzhu? She... Mother said she stole and was kicked out of the manor..."
Aunt Yun didn't speak again, but instead dipped her slender finger into the tea in her cup and slowly wrote three characters on the stone table:
Huanyun Garden!
After she finished writing, she immediately wiped the water stains away with her sleeve, as if nothing had happened.
He raised his eyes, looking intently at Song Yiqiu, his voice extremely low:
"If Miss really wants to know something, why not... go there and see for yourself?"
Huanyun Garden, that's my second brother Song Wenbin's courtyard.
Song Yiqiu felt a chill run up her spine to the top of her head, and her mind was in complete chaos.
She stood up abruptly, her tone urgent.
"Thank you for your advice, Aunt Yun. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now!"
Aunt Yun said no more, but gave her a meaningful smile and nodded slightly.
Song Yiqiu turned and quickly left Furong Garden, her mind filled with doubts.
This seemingly unassuming Aunt Yun is definitely not as simple as she appears. Is she friend or foe...?
...
When Song Yiqiu arrived at Huanyun Garden, it was already close to dusk. Faintly, sharp sounds of string and wind instruments and indistinct laughter of men and women could be heard from inside the courtyard walls, which were out of place in the rest of the mansion.
If it weren't for the three large characters "Huanyun Garden" on the gate, she would have thought she had come to a brothel in the capital.
She sneered inwardly and pushed open the slightly ajar courtyard gate.
The sight that came into view made her stomach churn.
The second brother, Song Wenbin, had his clothes half-undone, revealing a large expanse of fat on his chest. A bright red silk cloth was covering his eyes, and he was frantically scratching around in the yard like a headless fly.
There were four or five handsome young men dressed in light gauze clothes, with delicate and feminine features.
They giggled and dodged around, each with a slender figure, amorous eyes, and revealing clothes, almost indistinguishable from those in brothels and theaters.
"Little beauty~ Don't run away~ Let your big brother give you a kiss~"
Song Wenbin grinned lewdly and lunged in one direction.
Song Yiqiu suppressed the urge to cut down all the demons and monsters with a single sword strike and stood there expressionless.
Unfortunately, Song Wenbin, blindfolded, stumbled and lunged at her.
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