Chapter Two: Shameful, Deserves to Die
Clang—
Aunt An, who was holding a soup bowl, was so startled by the thunderous shout that her hand trembled and the silver spoon fell onto the nanmu wooden table, making a series of piercing sounds.
The pearl hairpin at her temple swayed violently with her trembling, her carefully drawn eyebrows instantly furrowed, and the panic in her eyes could not be hidden.
"That little bitch is back?" Her voice trembled, her heart pounding. "Wasn't she locked up in the old house by the eldest son and his wife?"
She wrote to me a while ago saying she'd been bitten by a venomous snake and that there was no cure, she wouldn't live more than three days... How come she's suddenly back?
She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her fingertips damp with sweat—if this little wretch were really recognized by the master, wouldn't all the respect she had built up over the years and her status in the mansion be ruined?
The eldest son and his wife are so useless. They can't even handle this simple matter properly. All the benefits I've given them over the years have been wasted.
Aunt An secretly glanced at Qin Youming at the head of the table and saw that his face was so dark it looked like it was about to drip water. Her heart jumped into her throat.
Qin Youming's fingers tightened suddenly as he held the teacup, the lid clicking softly against the rim.
His brows furrowed into a knot, and his knuckles turned white from the force he exerted, clearly indicating that he was genuinely angry.
That beast is still alive? And he dares to cause trouble at the gate of the mansion? It's practically a slap in the face!
Some time ago, a cousin from Qin Family Village came to the yamen to report that the eldest daughter was suffering terribly in the old house and was about to die.
He ignored it at the time, wishing that this jinx would die soon so he wouldn't be an eyesore.
Now look what's happened! The person didn't die, but instead came to our door to make a fool of themselves!
"The household is becoming increasingly unruly." Qin Youming suppressed his anger, his tone full of impatience as he reprimanded her, his cold gaze sweeping over Aunt An, the implication couldn't be clearer.
"What second young lady is this? Get rid of those irrelevant people right now!" He paused, his voice as cold as ice.
"If they don't know what's good for them, drag them in through the back door and teach them a lesson. Daring to embarrass the county magistrate's office at the gate, they deserve to be beaten to death!"
Aunt An was in a state of turmoil, but she understood the meaning behind Magistrate Qin's words. She was secretly pleased with herself, but she smiled and admitted her mistake, saying, "Master, please don't be angry."
I was ill a while ago and couldn't take good care of the household, which has caused you trouble. I will order someone to beat that ignorant servant.
As for that one who impersonated the second young lady and caused trouble, we can simply bring her into the manor and give her a proper lesson, along with some food.
As long as we bring her to the manor, whether she is our second young lady or not is none of the business of outsiders.
As she spoke, Aunt An stood up and subtly gave Aunt Liu, who was standing to the side, a look, signaling her to find a way to appease the master. She then quickly left the flower hall.
As soon as she bumped into Zhang Er in the corridor, Aunt An's face darkened, and she cursed in a low voice, "Zhang Er, you scoundrel."
What kind of behavior is this, shouting and yelling? Do your parents have some urgent matter that requires such a disturbance to the master?
Zhang Er wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, knelt down with a thud, and said urgently, "Madam, it's...it's the Second Miss. She's outside the gate. I was in a moment of panic and bumped into you and Master."
"Is it really the Second Miss who's back?" Aunt An's heart skipped a beat, and she pressed on, "Are you sure you saw clearly? Is it really that wretched little wretch?"
Zhang Er's face turned even paler, and he said in a trembling voice, "It's...it's the second young lady who was sent to our ancestral home years ago. I saw her clearly. She...she's making a scene outside the mansion gate."
Upon hearing this, Aunt An's face turned ashen, and she gripped the handkerchief in her hand so tightly that it became deformed. Suppressing her anger, she turned to Granny Liu beside her and gave her instructions.
"Go, take a few people and drive that madman out. He's been biting our second young lady so hard that she's serving the old master and matriarch back in our ancestral home."
Hmph, he's perfectly fine at his ancestral home, how could he possibly be going back? This is clearly a fraudster impersonating him, get him out of here!
After driving her out of the city, secretly bring her back, taking care not to disturb the neighbors and ruin the master's reputation.
Zhang Er's throat bobbed, wanting to say something but ultimately not daring to utter a sound. He quietly retreated to the side and followed Granny Liu towards the mansion gate.
At this moment, at the entrance of the alley where the county magistrate's office was located, the cold wind swirled with snow, and passersby were attracted by the commotion in front of the door, stopping in their tracks to gather around.
The whispers pierced Qin Zhining's ears like fine needles.
"This little girl dares to cause trouble in front of the Qin County Magistrate's residence; she's really got some nerve."
"I heard that when Magistrate Qin's first wife passed away, he immediately made his concubine his official wife. His intentions are probably not simple."
Qin Zhining ignored the discussions, tied the hemp rope in her hand firmly to the copper ring of the vermilion gate, placed the long bench she had brought in a stable position, and stepped onto it.
When she stuck her head into the rope loop, the onlookers immediately erupted in chaos, shouting, "Oh dear! What is this girl doing? Get down!"
"Let's talk this out, don't try to kill yourself!"
"Little girl, come down quickly! There's always a solution, no matter how big the problem is!"
Inside the gate, Granny Liu led seven or eight servants and guards out menacingly, but they were still a step too late.
Qin Zhining was already standing on the stool, her head hanging in the noose, tears streaming down her cheeks, her voice filled with sorrow as she spoke.
"Dear uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters-in-law—I am Qin Zhining, the eldest daughter of the Qin County Magistrate's family, and I have escaped back!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Xiaoxiao knelt down next to the stool with a "plop," hugged her legs, and looked up, wailing loudly. The sight of her made one's heart ache.
Qin Zhining didn't expect Qin Xiaoxiao to be so clever. Seeing the sympathy on the faces of the onlookers, her accusations became even more poignant.
"I have been forced to do this today because I have no other choice but to expose my family's dirty laundry and tell everyone about the Qin family's sordid deeds!"
If I don't do this, and someone kills me one day, I'll have a bad reputation and I'll die with my eyes wide open in disbelief! Please don't laugh at me for not knowing the rules; I—I really have no other choice!
These words immediately caused an uproar at the alley entrance, with more and more people gathering to watch, pointing and discussing incessantly.
Qin Zhining wiped away her tears, her voice growing increasingly mournful. "When I was five years old, my mother had just passed away, and the white banner on the gate hadn't even been taken down yet, when Magistrate Qin and Aunt An carried me onto the carriage."
They coaxed me, saying, "A-Ning, go to our ancestral home to fulfill your filial duties to your father. He'll come to pick you up when he's done with his work." But as soon as the carriage entered Qin Family Village, our ancestral home, my aunt snatched the jade bracelet my mother had left me and stuffed me into the woodshed to be treated like a servant.
"I'm just a five-year-old child, thin and small, doing the work of teenagers. From the age of five to fourteen, I never had a full meal."
When I was eleven, they called me back to the mansion, and I learned that Magistrate Qin and Aunt An had long ago arranged to cancel the marriage between my mother and the He family's third son, which my mother had arranged for me when she was alive.
Not long after, it was heard that He Sanlang's betrothed was Qin Zhiyu, the illegitimate daughter of Concubine An.
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