Chapter 30 Frosty Dawn "Master is here."
Wang pressed her fingertips gently against her burning temples, then beckoned to Ye Mu, "Fourth Sister, come here."
When the figure in white moved to the bedside, Madam Wang took her hand and led her to sit down on the embroidered stool. Only then could she see the dark circles under the young lady's eyes.
"You've kept vigil all night, you must be tired." Madam Wang gently stroked the girl's slender wrist with her fingertips. "I should have let you rest properly, but there's something on my mind that I need to ask about before I can feel at ease."
Ye Mu lowered her eyes, "Auntie has always been kind to her niece. Please feel free to speak if you have any instructions."
She pondered for a moment, fearing that her mother would ask about the details of serving medicine, and she wondered if Zhou had said anything to her aunt. She was prepared to refute her mother's claims.
Madam Wang slowly released her hand, picked up the ginseng tea cup on the table, and lightly touched her lips with the glazed rim of the cup. "This morning I heard from the nannies that your eldest brother stayed with you at the coffin until midnight last night?"
"yes."
"You two siblings have always had a good relationship." The tea swirls gently in the cup, reflecting Wang's thoughtful expression. "The maids outside are watching and saying you've been talking for a long time. Could you perhaps share what you've said with your aunt?"
So that's what happened.
Although Ye Mu was puzzled, wondering why her aunt had to take the time to ask about such a trivial matter, she knew that, apart from her grandmother, this aunt had been the one who had taken good care of the three branches of the family over the years. Since she regarded her as an elder, she naturally told her everything she knew. "My eldest brother told me that he is engaged to my cousin Su Yao."
“Your elder brother has never been secretive about you.” Madam Wang put down her teacup, the celadon saucer tapping softly on the rosewood table. She carefully observed the girl’s expression, but seeing no ripples on her beautiful face, she gently asked, “Then do you think this marriage is suitable?”
Ye Mu took it as a common inquiry from an elder and answered truthfully, "Big brother is exceptionally talented, and cousin Su Yao is gentle and virtuous. The two families are well-matched, and she is your cousin's niece. You know her well and they are a perfect match. However, cousin Su Yao..."
She paused, and Wang gestured for her to continue, "How is Sister Su Yao? Fourth Sister, please speak freely. It's just the two of us here."
"Aunt, Fourth Sister didn't mean to speak ill of her, it's just that Sister Su Yao's personality seems a little different from what she appears to be."
"Oh? How do you know?"
Ye Mu had always wanted to stop this marriage, and he already had a plan in mind. The marriage had already been arranged, and it would be difficult to change the decision without a sufficiently compelling reason. Since his aunt had asked about it today, it might be a golden opportunity.
However, how to say it and to what extent requires careful consideration.
"Does Aunt still remember the lion cat that used to be kept in the Yongchang Marquis's mansion?" Ye Mu asked. "It was like a snowball, with a pair of round, bright blue eyes. It was the most clever and adorable cat."
"Of course I remember. That cat was the apple of Lady Yongchang's eye, raised from a kitten. It's strange, though. It suddenly disappeared after the plum blossom viewing banquet last year, and the whole household searched for it for a long time without success. Why are you suddenly bringing it up?"
Ye Mu stared straight at her, "That cat wasn't lost; it was dealt with by my cousin Su Yao."
This was completely unexpected and unbelievable to Wang. "How did you know that?" she asked.
Ye Mu lowered her eyelashes slightly. It was quite a coincidence. The snowy afternoon in her previous life suddenly appeared before her eyes. At that time, she had just lost her child and dragged her sick body into Su Yao's courtyard, only to see Su Yao drawing her eyebrows in front of the mirror and slowly inserting a red gold hairpin into her hair.
"How cruel you are..." Ye Mu trembled all over, his voice filled with bloodlust, his teeth chattering, "Harming innocent children, aren't you afraid of dying a horrible death?"
The bronze mirror reflected Su Yao's rosy lips. "If evil deeds are bound to be punished, I should have died a thousand times over. Anyway, you're going to be exiled in ten days, so telling you won't hurt."
She turned around, picked up a jade hairpin from the table, and gently stroked it across Ye Mu's pale cheek. "Ever since I was fourteen and dealt with that maid who climbed into my mother's bed, I have never known what fear is."
"Then how has my Ling'er gotten in your way?" Ye Mu's eyes were bloodshot, almost bleeding.
“He always cries and calls for his mother at night, which annoys me.”
Su Yao exerted a little force, and the jade hairpin drew a bloody mark on her cheek. "Don't you think he looks just like the cat in the Yongchang Marquis's mansion? No matter how I tease him, he doesn't recognize me. Every time he sees me, he bares his teeth and tries to scratch me. If you just greet him casually, he will run into your arms."
"So, you killed that lion cat too?"
"I just led it to the dry well in the backyard, how can you say I killed it?" Su Yao chuckled. "Speaking of which, your Ling'er is the same. I just found him annoying and covered his face with a small blanket. He couldn't remove it himself, how can you blame me for killing him?"
Even after so many years, the thought of this incident still caused Ye Mu's heart to ache terribly, as if a piece of flesh had been ripped out. She was even more certain that she must not let Su Yao marry her elder brother and become the future mistress of the Ye family, thus bringing disaster to the Marquis's mansion.
I almost lost my mind while keeping vigil last night.
Ye Mu looked at Madam Wang and carefully changed his words, "After the banquet that day, my niece went back to look for her lost hand warmer. She happened to see her cousin Su Yao behind the rockery in the back garden, ordering her personal maid to lure the lion cat into the abandoned well."
She hadn't actually gone back, but she couldn't say that she heard Su Yao say it herself in her previous life, so she could only lie. However, cause and effect are real, and Su Yao was reaping what she sowed.
Ye Mu said earnestly, "If Aunt doesn't believe me, she can ask a servant of the Yongchang Marquis's mansion to check the dry well in the backyard. The cat's remains must be down there."
Wang was shocked. After a long while, she looked puzzled and asked, "Why would she pick a fight with a cat?"
"It's all because that cat always scratches her. Auntie, do you still remember that day at the plum blossom banquet when Cousin Su Yao wanted to hug her, and the lion cat struggled in her arms? It not only snatched the jade pendant off her neck and knocked it to the ground, but also scratched several bloody marks on the side of her neck."
Wang nodded, "I do remember that. She smiled and said it was no problem, and everyone present praised her for her magnanimity."
“Yes, but then…” Ye Mu fell silent, then paused before continuing, “Big brother is so kind-hearted. If he really marries a woman like that, would Auntie really feel at ease?”
After pondering for a moment, Wang looked at Ye Mu and tentatively asked, "According to Fourth Sister, which girl is a good match for Brother Jian?"
“The third daughter of the Yongchang Marquis’s family.” Ye Mu answered frankly and without any hesitation. “My aunt has met more people than Fourth Sister, so she can probably tell that she is the most outstanding among our generation. She is upright, has her own opinions but is not arrogant, and is polite but not pedantic. Moreover, my grandmother mentioned her before she passed away, saying that she is capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of a mistress of the house.”
Madam Wang scrutinized Ye Mu closely, her gaze settling on his face, trying to find a trace of resentment in his delicate features. She had already made up her mind that if she detected even the slightest hint of lust, she would make sure the third branch of the family wouldn't get a single copper coin when the family divided their property.
No matter how closely Wang examined him, she couldn't see anything amiss. When Ye Mu talked about Jian Ge'er's marriage, his expression was open and generous, and he was truly doing his best to plan for his brother. His almond-shaped eyes were so clear that Wang was momentarily stunned.
It turns out she had misunderstood.
Seeing Jian Ge'er's distraught state earlier, she had assumed the girl had used some underhanded means to make her brother harbor such incestuous feelings for his sister. Now, upon closer inspection, she realized the girl was dignified in demeanor and spoke appropriately, clearly a sensible and good young lady.
Wang put down her cup and thought to herself: Why bother trying to provoke a woman of such character? Just standing there is enough to earn her respect.
It seems that it was just Jian Ge'er's wishful thinking. Wang Shi felt a little relieved, but couldn't help feeling regretful. "That third young lady is good, but if we're talking about the most outstanding among her peers, I still think it's only our fourth young lady. But with the old lady's passing, I'm afraid it will delay your marriage."
"Auntie, you flatter me."
But when the old lady was mentioned, Ye Mu couldn't help but shed tears again. "Fourth Sister, don't be in a hurry. Rather than getting married, I still want to help the family manage the estate for a few more years."
"Silly girl." Madam Wang couldn't bear it and wiped away her tears as well. She then asked about the situation on the estate, "Is the insect infestation on Dongji Mountain any better?"
"I'm feeling much better." Ye Mu gently wiped the corner of her eye with a handkerchief, her voice still slightly choked. "The pest infestation is basically under control, but the matter of spreading rumors hasn't been investigated yet. My niece found out about a farmer named Ah Hu..."
She shared her guess with Madam Wang, who frowned and asked, "Sister Xia? Is it the one who was matched with Mr. Chen?"
Seeing Ye Mu nod, Madam Wang pondered to herself. Years ago, she had caught a glimpse of Mr. Chen and Madam Zhou behaving intimately in Tuisizhai. Could it be that the two of them were indeed having an affair? Upon careful consideration, this made sense. If Sister Xia knew about this, why would she target the third branch's estate instead of directly reporting back to the second branch?
"We'll keep this quiet for now. After the old lady is laid to rest, I'll send someone to invite Sister Xia over to find out what happened. You should go and rest now."
After Ye Mu left, Madam Wang immediately summoned Granny Qian, who was eavesdropping in the inner room, and said, "Next month is the 70th birthday of the old lady of the Yongchang Marquis's mansion. I am in mourning and it is inconvenient for me to go in person. You take a generous gift with you and find an excuse to go and take a look at the dry well in the backyard of the mansion."
"Madam, if what Fourth Miss said is true..."
“Then this marriage is indeed inappropriate.” Madam Wang rubbed her temples. “So young and yet so ruthless, unable to even tolerate a cat. With such a narrow mind, who knows what kind of trouble she will cause in the future? Besides, there is such a precedent, which will leave room for gossip. Even if she is my niece, I cannot tolerate her.”
Granny Qian nodded in agreement and was about to help Madam Wang up when Lord Ye lifted the curtain and entered.
He poured himself a cup of tea, then noticed the tear stains at the corner of Wang's eyes and frowned, saying, "What kind of behavior is it to hide here and wipe away tears? The guests who came to pay their respects have all arrived. If you want to cry, you should go to the coffin to cry."
"It's just that Fourth Sister mentioned the old lady earlier, and she got a little sad. She was just about to go to the front."
The Marquis downed his tea in one gulp. "Fourth Sister? Has she come again to ask you to hire a coroner to examine the body?"
"Fourth Sister is very polite, how could she bring up such improper things again and again?" Wang walked to the door, turned around and saw a few specks of incense ash on his sleeve, thinking that he had come back to change his clothes, and said, "There is a black robe in the second drawer on the left."
"That one with the dark bamboo pattern? I don't like that pattern." As he spoke, the Marquis strode into the inner room, his voice coming from behind the carved screen, "Which catalpa wood compartment do I keep in that dark blue robe with cloud patterns that I often wear?"
Before Wang could answer, he shouted again, "Did you wash it? I didn't see it!"
Wang had no choice but to turn back, only to find him standing stiffly in front of the open rosewood wardrobe, his hands behind his back, looking nothing like he was looking for anything.
“You just stand there and watch every time. Do you think the clothes will just jump out by themselves?” Wang Shi couldn’t help but get angry. She walked past him to the cabinet, took out a neatly folded dark blue robe from the first shelf on the right, and stuffed it into his arms. “You don’t allow anyone to touch your own wardrobe, but you can never find anything. You just cause trouble.”
When the Marquis was still a young marquis, he had a stubborn temper and insisted that Wang Shi personally prepare his personal clothing.
When she was young, she thought it was just a romantic gesture between husband and wife. But now that she is older, she is annoyed to see him still ordering her around as if it were his right. Why does he insist on making her do all the work of the servants and maids in the house? What kind of problem is this?
The Marquis loosened his belt and turned to Wang Shi, "Third son's wife, what are your plans?"
“Let’s investigate thoroughly after the old lady is buried. She’s a proud woman and wouldn’t do anything outrageous. It’s the second branch of the family that’s making baseless accusations and spreading rumors.” Madam Wang paused, draping her robe over her arm. “It’s just that the old lady passed away so suddenly, and she was there serving her at the time, so it’s no wonder that others are gossiping.”
“But we can’t just let Fourth Sister call a coroner on a whim. You can’t let her do whatever she wants and have a coroner examine the body of an elder. What kind of noble family does that? If word gets out, people will laugh at our Ye family for not keeping its reputation high.”
"She didn't mention it when she came today, so she's probably given up on the idea. That child just wants to clear her mother's name." Seeing him spread his arms to let her help him change, Wang couldn't help but scold, "You really are a big shot! Can't you dress yourself?"
“You served her even better.” The Marquis saw her eyebrows furrowed. Now that she was in charge of the household affairs, she was always composed in front of the servants, and it was only in front of him that she would act so childishly. He let her straighten her clothes. “The old lady’s illness had been going on and off for many years. Although she passed away suddenly, everyone has their own destiny, and she didn’t suffer too much. You have worked hard taking care of her all these years. Now you can finally relax a bit.”
“With you by my side, I can’t relax.” Wang tied a coarse hemp sash around his waist and made a neat knot. “And your son, you two are enemies from a past life who came to collect debts.”
"Did Jian'er provoke you again?" The Marquis let her do as she pleased, lowered his head to smell her head fragrance, and his voice softened. "Now that the marriage is settled, the new bride will take care of you. You can relax and don't have to take on everything yourself."
“This marriage is likely to be in jeopardy.” Madam Wang pointed out Su Yao’s cat abuse in a few words. “The future mistress can be ruthless, but she must not be vicious. Although she is my niece, if what Ye Mu said is true, she is too cruel. Such a woman should not be allowed to enter the Ye family ancestral hall.”
“That makes sense.” The Marquis nodded slightly. “Jian’s daughter-in-law will be in charge of the household affairs in the future, so her character must be up to standard. She can be ruthless, but not vicious.”
He pinched her waist. "Find someone like you, and that will do."
"You mean I'm ruthless?" Madam Wang rolled her eyes at him, put a plain hemp mourning cap on his head, and sighed again when she thought of Ye Xingjian. "I'm afraid that breaking off this engagement will play right into his hands. After the old lady is put to the coffin, he will go to Suzhou Prefecture. The world is vast and he won't be able to care about me anymore. I don't know when he will be able to settle down."
"Why don't we choose a sensible maid to accompany him south?" the Marquis suggested. "She can also take care of Jian-ge'er's daily life, so we can rest assured. He is over twenty but still doesn't understand matters of the heart. He hasn't even had a concubine all these years. He still calls her 'Fourth Sister,' perhaps he is still clueless about romance and hasn't figured things out yet."
Wang opened her mouth but didn't speak. It wasn't that he was clueless; he had clearly opened his eyes to his fourth sister.
-
Ye Mu slept until the afternoon.
It was as if she had been having a long dream. One moment she was immersed in her grandmother's warm room talking to her, and the next she was pulled back to the snowy exiles of her past life. The scenes jumped back and forth, leaving her feeling exhausted and weak when she woke up.
The room was dimly lit, and the last ray of golden sunlight was quietly fading away deep within the curtains. The chanting and cymbal sounds from the outer hall's rituals drifted through several courtyards, faint and indistinct, making the room feel even more oppressively quiet.
Ye Mu slightly raised her eyelashes, vaguely recalling the time she overheard the maids gossiping in the corridor last night while keeping vigil. They said the ritual wasn't performed by someone from Baoxiang Temple, but by a monk from Jiyun Temple recommended by a feng shui master. The Marquis originally wanted to invite Master Wenkong from Baoxiang Temple, but Second Madam insisted on stopping him, saying that the Xie family would also be coming to pay their respects today, and if they saw Master Wenkong performing rituals in the mansion, what would that look like? It would cause so much trouble.
Ye Mu reached out from under the quilt, her fingertips slowly tracing the edge of the shadow on the wall. They had no idea that Wen Kong was not in the temple at all, but still on the estate, and they didn't know what was happening to him now.
The setting sun gradually faded from her fingers, like someone's hand slowly withdrawing. She remembered that when she was a child, the old lady held her hands and taught her to draw calligraphy. Now, those hands were gone, just like the setting sun.
It turns out that when she passed away, everything in the world became her last testament.
Ye Mu lay quietly, watching the plum tree branches stretch long against the wall outside the window. Suddenly, the sound of cymbals rose and fell heavily outside. There was a cacophony of voices, but the coffin was quiet. Her heart suddenly felt empty, and tears welled up without warning.
"Fourth Sister is awake?" Ye Xingjian slipped inside the screen, lay on her side on the couch, and unconsciously traced the outline of nothingness in the dim light on the wall with her slender fingers.
He stepped forward, his tone soft and gentle, "You were asleep when I came at noon and didn't eat a single grain of rice. I warmed some porridge for you, would you like to get up and have some?"
Ye Mu didn't speak, but Ye Xingjian tilted his head and saw that she was crying.
He silently placed the food box on the table, lifted his robe and sat down on the edge of the couch, calling out, "Fourth Sister."
Ye Xingjian said, "The dead cannot be brought back to life. This will happen all the time. Don't be too sad. Your grandmother would definitely want you to eat well."
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Mu suddenly turned around, threw herself into his arms, hugged him tightly, and finally broke down in tears, "Big brother, Grandmother is gone just like that, I'm so useless."
Ye Xingjian gently patted her back, just like he used to coax her when she was a child, "Grandmother is old and her lifespan is up to fate. This is not your fault."
"Brother, it's my fault." Ye Mu buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled.
Only she knew where this self-blame came from. In her previous life, her grandmother should have been in good health at this time. If it weren't for her rebirth, which changed so many things, disrupted the order of yin and yang, and shortened her grandmother's lifespan, she would be guilty.
Ye Xingjian continued to pat her back gently with his large, kind hand, his voice soft and gentle, "Nonsense, Grandmother loves you the most. How could she be at peace over there if she heard you say such things?"
Ye Mu just shook his head, his tears flowing even more fiercely.
Ye Xingjian stopped asking questions and simply put his arm around her, letting her cry.
The sound of cymbals outside had stopped sometime ago, and the room had become pitch black. There were only the two of them here, and in this world, only the two of them.
"It's not Fourth Sister's fault," Ye Xingjian said softly, as if he were advising her, and also as if he were reminding himself that it was not Fourth Sister's fault that he fell in love with her.
After a long while, Ye Xingjian said softly, "Fourth Sister, why don't you get up and eat something?"
He helped her sit up straight, gently pushed her away, and held up the lamp; her eyes were red.
Ye Xingjian brought over some lukewarm porridge, scooped up a spoonful and held it to her lips, then changed the subject, "We've found Granny Li."
"Brother, I can do it myself." Ye Mu took the porcelain spoon, sniffed, and asked, "Did you find her?"
"We haven't seen her yet, but we've sent people to inquire about her relatives in the city. It's said that this old woman has been borrowing money from all over the place to pay off her son's gambling debts a few months ago, but this month she suddenly bought a house in Qinghe County and is going to move there."
"Where would a mere medicine-brewing woman get the money to buy property?" Ye Xingjian pondered. "I have already sent people to Qinghe County to investigate, and they will send word back as soon as they have any news."
Ye Mu's heart sank. She looked up at her brother and said, "Brother, this matter must be investigated secretly."
"Don't worry, I've already given the order. Just say they're looking for a runaway slave from your household, and we won't alert them."
“There’s one more thing,” Ye Mu recalled his conversation with Wang Shi during the day, “I’ve already informed my aunt about the rumors circulating on the estate, and she said she would personally inquire about Sister Xia in a few days.”
Ye Xingjian raised an eyebrow slightly, then understood, "It is indeed more appropriate for Mother to step in. She has been in charge of the household affairs for many years, and it is perfectly legitimate for her to investigate a maid who was sent away as part of her dowry and her family."
"Yes, that's what I think too." Ye Mu took a few small sips of porridge, then gently put the porcelain spoon down. When she looked up, her eyes were still wet with tears. "After Grandmother's burial, Brother will be heading to Suzhou Prefecture, right? By the time you come back next time, I'm afraid this family will have already split up."
Ye Xingjian took the bowl of porridge she put down. "That's no different from now. It's the same house but separate courtyards. You just have to go through a few more gates."
The so-called "shared residence with separate courtyards" means that they are still in the same residence, with halls and gardens separated by flower walls, but each has its own kitchen and household, and each room has its own entrance and exit.
He spoke lightly, but Ye Mu knew in her heart that the second branch of the family would not give up easily. If the cause of her grandmother's death remained unclear, the third branch of the family would forever bear this burden and be subjected to this controversy. She would definitely not be able to stay here any longer.
Just as she was pondering, Zijing's voice came from outside. Ye Mu listened carefully and heard a deep and pleasant male voice mixed in.
Ye Mu's eyes lit up immediately, "Master is here."
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