Chapter 28 Like a Dream (Part 8) To Master.
Help! How could she say she'd give the colorful tassel to Mo Shang Wu Jun?!
Ye Mu suddenly realized why Wen Kong always looked fierce whenever she asked about it. Even Ye Mu herself found it strange when she heard about it. How could she give Cai Sui to a courtesan?
Upon reflection, she realized that this absurd affair could not be blamed on her third sister, Ye Qing. That girl was always timid and hesitant in front of outsiders, but she dared to say anything intimate in front of her, constantly nagging in her ear about how the chess master of Fuyao Pavilion had beautiful features and the zither master had a graceful demeanor, making her ears burn with desire.
Ironically, this deep sisterly bond actually began with a competition during the Dragon Boat Festival when they were seven years old.
At that time, Ye Qing had accidentally learned the exam questions and was filled with unease. On New Year's Eve, the two sisters huddled in the warm room peeling kumquats, and Ye Qing finally confessed the truth in a trembling voice. To her surprise, Ye Mu merely smiled faintly, picked up a pair of silver scissors, and trimmed the lamp wick. "I already knew. I'll tell you a secret too; I even went to your room specifically to look for the exam questions."
The candlelight crackled, illuminating the two sisters as they smiled at each other. From that moment on, the two sisters became very close and affectionate.
In his previous life, Ye Mu and Ye Qing, the third sister of the second wife, only maintained superficial politeness. They would nod to each other during morning and evening greetings and chat a few words during banquets, but they did not have a deep relationship.
Because she took over the household affairs too early, which affected the interests of the second branch of the family, her second aunt, Zhou, became increasingly harsh. However, Ye Mu was meticulous in her actions, and Zhou could not gain any advantage from her. Instead, after losing face several times, she vented all her anger on Ye Qing, scolding her all day long for being "dull and stupid" and "not knowing how to flatter." She also complained that she could not be as clever as Ye Mu in front of the old lady.
The more this happened, the more aggrieved Ye Qing felt. Once, Ye Mu caught her in the act and comforted her gently. After that, whenever she was punished, Ye Qing would always come to Ye Mu with red eyes to complain.
Ye Mu only realized in this life that this third sister was actually kind-hearted and pure-hearted. Although she was a bit timid, she was someone you could confide in.
On the day of the Qixi Festival this year, the five gentlemen of the inkstone parade took place, and the two sisters quietly slipped out of the mansion and squeezed into the crowd to watch the excitement.
The five gentlemen rode in their respective carriages. The musician played the strings like flowing water, the chess player moved his pieces like stars, the calligrapher wielded his brush like clouds and smoke, the painter splashed ink to create landscapes, and the wine connoisseur raised his cup to invite the bright moon. They were truly unparalleled in their elegance and talent.
Later, on Ye Qing's birthday, Ye Mu secretly booked a private room at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and spent a fortune to invite the Five Gentlemen to accompany her.
During the banquet, they played music and chess in harmony, exchanged calligraphy and paintings, and played drinking games. When the drinking games reached a wonderful point, the whole room was filled with laughter. The five gentlemen were all wonderful people. They were neither too intimate nor too insensitive. They made Ye Qing smile from ear to ear and drink several cups of osmanthus wine.
Thinking about it this way, handing the ribbon over to the Five Gentlemen wasn't so abrupt. Today it's the Qin Gentleman, tomorrow it's the Wu Gentleman. What woman wouldn't want a young, understanding man to accompany her every day? Ye Mu silently forgave her own fickleness in her heart.
That's only human nature.
But the monk in front of her certainly didn't understand. He was a monk, with only the path to enlightenment in his eyes and the Prajna Sutra in his heart. He could comprehend impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, but he certainly didn't understand that what a woman sometimes needed was just a little tenderness and care.
"Then why did you lie?" Ye Mu snapped out of her daze, raised an eyebrow and glared at Wen Kong, questioning him, "You monk are so dishonest. You clearly said it was for the Fifth Prince, but you lied and said it was for myself?"
It is said that monks do not lie, but she has discovered that he always lies to her. This is the second time. The previous incident involving the word "dusk" was not yet clear, and now there is another one. This monk lies to her without even changing his expression.
“There were other people present at the time,” Wen Kong said calmly. “Do you think making five tassels is something to be proud of?”
That's glorious.
Hoping to be served by five wonderful women in turn, without stealing or overstepping boundaries, what's shameful about such a simple thought? Ye Mu almost blurted it out.
Besides, who else could it be? It's just Zijing; his guard is too high.
But when he countered with his question, Ye Mu seemed to be in the wrong and was speechless for a moment. She could only pretend to be a rogue, "What's wrong? You allow men to have three wives and four concubines, but we girls haven't even done that yet, and we can't even think about it?"
Having said that, fearing he would bring up some Buddhist teachings to lecture her again, Ye Mu lifted her skirt and ran forward. The autumn wind blew her pale yellow sash, which fluttered among the rice paddies.
Wen Kong lowered his eyes. In fact, he only said half of what he wanted to say. That night, he couldn't help but ask, "Who are you going to give it to?"
He shouldn't have asked; who she gives it to or not is none of his business.
I just asked the question like that.
Ye Mu slept soundly, her cheeks flushed with the rosy glow of a spring slumber. In her dream, she heard him ask, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she murmured, "Naturally, it's for the Fifth Master of the Ink..."
Who is that?
"You don't even know this? You old fogey."
Wen Kong remained silent, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, unsure whether it was because she had called him old-fashioned or because she had said she would give the colorful tassel to Mo Shang Wu Jun.
He waited a while, and when she stopped talking, he was about to take a step away when he heard her murmur, "I need to make one more."
"to whom?"
The moonlight, pale and frost-like, gently caressed her disheveled hair, its clear light filling her robes. A faint smile played on Ye Mu's lips. "For Master, for Master Wen Kong."
Her murmured voice was soft and gentle, like the autumn night mist.
Wen Kong stopped and looked up, his gaze falling quietly on the cheerful figure on the edge of the field. He saw her sometimes bending down to pick a few pale purple wild chrysanthemums and tucking them into her hair, and sometimes squatting down to examine the newly formed rice ears.
Didn't she dislike doing factory work?
And wouldn't doing six be too tiring?
-
The two walked one after the other to Zhoujia Village. After asking around, they finally found Ah Hu's house at the end of the village. The wooden gate was ajar, the earthen walls were mottled, and the coarse cloth clothes hanging under the eaves were swaying gently in the wind.
The old woman next door, who was feeding the chickens, saw the strangers visiting and said shakily, leaning on her cane, "Ah Hu's mother went to help with the kitchen at the East Mountain Villa and won't be back until the lamps are lit."
Ye Mu and Wen Kong looked at each other in surprise.
"Has anyone else visited his home recently?" Ye Mu pressed.
The old woman squinted and thought for a moment, "I saw Sister Hu and Sister Xia come back a few days ago, carrying big bags and small bags, saying that they brought some tonics for me."
Ah Xia... Ah Xia...
Ye Mu suddenly stopped, pondering the peddler's words from earlier that morning: a maidservant who had accompanied the bride, who had married the accountant—wasn't that Sister Xia?!
Everything matches up! It must be her!
No wonder the pastries she ate this morning felt familiar; they were made by Sister Xia's mother! Yes, it tasted just like Sister Xia's, a direct descendant of her.
Sister Xia was my mother's maid when she was dowry. Later, she married Mr. Chen, the accountant, and settled down in the capital. Everything matches up!
That makes some sense.
“This matter is probably inseparable from Sister Xia.” Ye Mu turned to Wen Kong and briefly explained the connection between Sister Xia and the Marquis’s mansion. “But she has been with her mother since she was a child, and there has never been any mishap in their interactions over the years. If it really is her, what is she after?
Wen Kong's eyes flickered slightly, and he was about to speak when he suddenly heard the rumble of carriages at the village entrance. A blue-curtained carriage from the Marquis's mansion sped towards them, raising a cloud of dust. Zi Jing leaned half her body out of the carriage window, her jade hairpin dangling askew. "Miss! Miss! Miss, hurry back to the mansion! Someone from the mansion has come to report that the old lady... the old lady is probably not going to make it!"
The sound was like a thunderclap. Ye Mu didn't have time to say anything more, and she lifted her skirt and ran towards the carriage, "Master, please keep an eye on the estate for me!"
Wen Kong watched her hasty retreating figure, swallowing back the words that were already on his lips. He had originally decided to tell Ye Mu about the affair between Zhou and Mr. Chen, but he was afraid that the rumors were related to this secret. However, it was too late.
Wen Kong glanced at the direction of the Marquis's residence in the distance. There were faint signs of rain in the sky. He lowered his eyes and lashed his eyelashes. "Amitabha."
-
As soon as the carriage came to a stop beside the stone lions in front of the Marquis's mansion, Ye Mu heard cries of grief coming from inside the mansion. The steward's desperate shouts and the hurried footsteps of the servants rushed towards her.
Ye Mu's heart tightened suddenly. Before she could even put her feet firmly on the footrest, she leaped off the carriage shaft, her skirt already brushing past the red gate and copper nails.
As we passed through the hanging flower gate, we saw that plain white lanterns had already been hung on the eaves, and the steward was directing the servants to hang white curtains. The maids were all tied with hemp ropes, and sobs rose and fell.
How could this be? How could this be?
In her past life, her grandmother was still in excellent health until her marriage; why is she so vigorous in this life...?
Inside the main hall, a dense mass of people knelt down.
Eight plain screens blocked out the light and shadow in the inner room. Madam Zhou stood in front of the screens, clutching a handkerchief and wiping away tears. "Today, my third sister-in-law served me the medicine, and Mother even had half a bowl of bird's nest soup this morning. Who knew that after taking the ginseng soup, she would become short of breath..."
She turned and pointed at Liu, who was kneeling on the blue brick floor, "It must be because you, you stupid woman, failed to serve the medicine properly!"
Ye Mu pushed through the crowd and saw his mother kneeling on the ground, her face as pale as paper, her fingers tightly twisting her sleeves, her lips moving but unable to utter a sound. Inside the brocade tent, shadowy figures were moving. Two old women were changing the old lady's burial clothes. A withered wrist hung down from the gap in the tent curtain, and the string of Canaan sandalwood prayer beads on the wrist swayed gently.
"Grandmother." Ye Mu lifted the curtain and entered, but no one would greet her with a smile and call her "Little Fourth Sister is here" anymore.
Tears instantly blurred my vision.
"Second Aunt, be careful what you say!" She wiped away her tears with her sleeve, quickly walked out of the inner room, and turned past the screen. Now was not the time to cry.
Ye Mu steadied himself and helped Liu Shi, who was standing on the ground, up. "Grandmother has passed away, and the whole family is grieving. Aren't you afraid that Grandmother's spirit in heaven will be heartbroken if you make such baseless accusations against Mother like this?"
"Fourth daughter, I'm not one to make empty promises." Madam Zhou pointed at the maids standing with their heads bowed. "Everyone in the room saw it clearly. Third sister-in-law had only been serving the medicine for a short while when the old lady fainted. She personally brought the medicine from the kitchen. Now that Mother has passed away so suddenly, can she say she has a clear conscience?"
The candlelight flickered suddenly, making Liu's pale face appear even more transparent. She opened her mouth, but only a sob escaped her throat.
"Could it be that now that you own several estates, you're already thinking about dividing the family property? Are you just waiting for the old lady to pass away so you can distribute the inheritance..."
"Second Aunt!" Ye Mu interrupted sharply, trembling all over. "Mother has always served Grandmother with utmost devotion; everyone in the household knows that. Your words of slander are far too harsh!"
"Quiet down, all of you," Madam Wang strolled in from outside the door, already dressed in white mourning clothes, with a white silver beaded flower tucked into her hair. "Mother has just passed away, and you're all making a ruckus by her bedside. What kind of behavior is this?"
The room fell silent as she instructed, "First, let Mother be laid to rest. Second son's wife, quickly draft the list of mourners and distribute it to each family to inform them of the death. Third son's wife..."
She glanced at Liu, who was slumped on the ground, and frowned as she turned to Ye Mu. "Fourth Sister, immediately send someone to find your father and bring him back to the manor. We'll discuss your mother's matter after the old lady is laid to rest."
But her grandmother's passing was too sudden and too coincidental. Ye Mu remembered that when Wen Kong first came to the manor, he said he suspected there was something wrong with her grandmother's prescription and asked her to make a copy for him when she returned to the manor... Doubts were like vines, and if her grandmother were to be hastily put into the coffin at this moment, her mother would be wronged for eternity.
"Aunt, please wait." Ye Mu stood up, her eyes red-rimmed. "Aunt, Grandmother's passing is suspicious. Fourth Sister begs you to report this to the authorities for an autopsy!"
"Nonsense!" Lord Ye, the Marquis of Yong'an, strode in from outside. "What kind of status does your grandmother have? How could you allow a lowly coroner to desecrate her body! Are you trying to make my Yong'an Marquis's mansion a laughingstock in the entire capital?"
“The old lady values her reputation the most. It is extremely unfilial of you to prevent her from resting in peace after her death!” Zhou Shi echoed, adding a few sobs. “If your mother is truly innocent, why should she fear people’s gossip? Making such a scene will only ruin the reputation of the Marquis’s mansion.”
Ye Qing quietly moved behind Ye Mu, gently tugged at her sleeve, and cried, "Fourth sister, I know you feel sorry for Grandmother, please stop talking."
Ye Mu slowly shook his head, “Uncle and Aunt, it is precisely because of the glory of my grandmother’s life that we cannot let her die in an unclear way! We also cannot let my mother suffer an injustice! I implore you to immediately investigate my grandmother’s prescription and invite a coroner to the mansion to examine it.”
"How dare you!" Master Ye, who had invited the feng shui master through the door, shouted angrily upon hearing this, "You little brat, it's none of your business to interrupt here!"
Master Ye had long harbored resentment towards the third branch of the family.
Back then, Ye Xingwen failed to be promoted to the Shuaixing Hall, and later, Second Master Ye discovered that it was Ye Xingjian who had secretly reported him. He dared not offend the eldest branch of the family, and he also believed that if his third brother hadn't revealed the information, how would Ye Xingjian have known about the doctor's private acceptance of ancient books? This debt was entirely placed on the third branch's shoulders. Over the years, Madam Zhou had often complained about the third branch's shortcomings in bed, and new and old grudges piled up. Now, seeing Ye Mu dare to speak recklessly in front of the elders, the resentment that had been suppressed for many years suddenly surged into her heart.
"You have absolutely no respect for your elders and disregard all propriety!" Second Master Ye said sternly. "If you dare to spout nonsense again, you'll be kneeling in the ancestral hall and punished according to family rules!"
He then turned to Grandpa Ye, his tone softening, "Brother, the fortune teller has calculated that there are auspicious times in four or five days. If we wait any longer, it will be a month and a half later. Although four or five days is a bit rushed, fortunately the coffin has been prepared in advance, so it is still cheaper."
Undeterred, Ye Mu stood before Master Ye and said, "My Lord."
She changed her form of address, no longer calling him "elder uncle," and said, "My lord, my grandmother was able to eat half a bowl of bird's nest in the morning, but she suddenly passed away after taking a dose of ginseng soup. Isn't this strange? If we just leave her in this ambiguous state for her burial, won't the rumors and gossip only intensify in the future? Only by finding out the truth can we truly preserve the reputation of the Marquis's mansion and comfort my grandmother's spirit in heaven."
"How do you plan to investigate?" the Marquis asked impatiently. "It's a fact that the old lady has been suffering from chronic diarrhea for a long time. Do you want the whole capital to see that the old lady of my Yong'an Marquis's mansion is not at peace after her passing and has been disemboweled? Fourth Sister, your filial piety is commendable, but your method is truly absurd."
He looked at Ye Mu and said, "This matter concerns the family's traditions and is not something an unmarried girl like you can decide on your own. The arrangements for the encoffining have been made, so there's no need to discuss it further."
Yes, no matter how hard she argued, how could she possibly win against so many people? Ye Mu stood in the corner of the outer room and suddenly realized that without her grandmother, she and the entire third branch of the family were still insignificant in this intricate and deep mansion.
Her mother was gentle and mild-mannered, but she was always oblivious to important matters, and her father was nowhere to be found. Even though she had the wisdom of two lifetimes, in the eyes of the elders who held power in the family, she was ultimately just an unmarried woman who talked nonsense and caused trouble.
-
The mourning hall was quickly set up, and the white banners fluttered in the autumn wind, sounding like weeping and lamenting.
According to the custom of the Marquis's mansion, each branch of the family should take turns keeping vigil. Tonight, the eldest branch should have kept vigil for the first night, but unfortunately, Wang Shi was so exhausted from handling the funeral that she developed a headache. Zhou Shi from the second branch then declined, citing the need to "assist with the funeral arrangements for tomorrow." In the end, the steward came to report that the eldest master had instructed that the third branch of the family should keep vigil for the night.
Having witnessed the old lady's death, Liu was so frightened that she developed a high fever. Ye Sanye was still nowhere to be found. Only Ye Mu from the third branch of the family knelt on the prayer mat, facing the ever-burning lamp in front of the coffin. The flickering flame reflected the deep darkness in her eyes.
She pondered her argument that afternoon: the Marquis's mansion valued its reputation above all else; how could they allow the coroner to exhume the body for examination? She had been naive.
Ye Mu twisted the paper money, throwing it into the brazier one by one. The ashes rose like butterflies and then fell back down.
As night deepened, Ye Xingjian quietly entered, knelt down on the prayer mat beside her, and silently picked up a stack of paper money, throwing it into the brazier one by one.
The flames licked at the yellow paper, making a crackling sound, and the gold thread patterns on the hem of his official robe flickered. The brother and sister were silent for a moment, and only the mournful sound of the white banners fluttering in the wind outside the mourning hall made the silence even more heavy.
After a long silence, Ye Xingjian whispered, "Fourth Sister, I'm engaged."
Ye Mu was in a daze, feeling that these words sounded particularly absurd and eerie in the solemn mourning hall. His brother was already engaged after only a few days apart?
With whom?
"Su Yao".
Ye Mu's hand trembled, and the stack of paper money in her hand fell into the flames. The flames shot up high and the scorching heat hit her face. Only then did she realize that this was not a dream.
Ye Mu asked, "When did this happen?"
"Yesterday."
The candlelight flickered in the mourning hall, and the ashes of paper money swirled and drifted out into the deep night.
Ye Mu did not respond, her gaze falling on the ever-burning lamp in front of the coffin. In this life, she thought she could turn the tide with her prophecy, but she watched helplessly as the world ran wild like a runaway horse in an unknown direction.
She had only initially blocked the ancient book that had become evidence of her crimes in her past life, but who knew it would cause such a stir? Ye Xingwen failed to enter the Shuaixing Hall, the power of the second branch of the family declined, and the third branch unexpectedly gained power. She took advantage of this opportunity to reorganize the family affairs, but her grandmother's health deteriorated day by day. Later, her eldest brother Ye Xingjian was sent to a post outside the capital three years ahead of schedule, and even his encounter with Jiang Si was brought forward.
This series of unexpected events was interconnected, with fortune and misfortune intertwined. At this moment, even Ye Mu could not see where his future would lead.
Now that my grandmother has passed away suddenly, the Marquis's mansion is about to divide its assets.
The eldest aunt holds the reins of the household finances, and the second aunt is fiercely competitive; they will surely frame the grandmother for her death, implicating the mother. In these turbulent times, she can barely secure her own future, let alone have the energy to stop Su Yao from entering the family.
The date for the engagement was chosen by such coincidence that if it had been a day later, the grandmother would have passed away, and according to the custom, the engagement would have been impossible to arrange.
After a long pause, Ye Mu finally spoke in a very soft voice, which was slightly distorted by the wind, "Big brother, have you thought it through?"
Ye Xingjian turned his head to look at her. Half of her face was hidden in shadow, her long eyelashes drooping, casting a bluish-gray shadow under her eyes, making it difficult to see clearly.
He leaned closer to her, lowered his voice, and asked with a desperate, probing tone, the burning heat of the burning paper money mingling with his own, "Does Fourth Sister want me to marry her?"
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