Chapter 49 Discovery
Whatever the secret is, we have no choice but to keep investigating.
Gong Mingcheng asked bravely, "Miss Chang, do you have any other discoveries?"
Perhaps my father looked at these women's things for my mother's sake.
He comforted himself in this way.
Wei Qingyan looked around the study and said, "Let's go to Old Madam Gong's courtyard and take a look."
Even her two sons were kept in the dark. The only people in the Gong Mansion who knew Gong Changying's secret were probably the old housekeeper, Madam Gong, and her personal servants.
The reason why she was able to discover clues in the study yesterday was probably because Mrs. Gong didn't like reading and neglected the books on the bookshelf.
As for the rest of the places, I’m afraid that all traces have already been wiped out by Madam Gong.
Then let’s go and investigate Mrs. Gong’s secret first.
Why did Gong Changying, who originally didn't want to get married, give people the impression that his wife and he were in harmony after marriage? What kind of person was Mrs. Gong?
Unlike Gong Changying's courtyard, Mrs. Gong's courtyard is very luxurious.
The yard is full of flowers of various colors. Even though she has passed away, those flowers are still taken care of and grow beautifully.
It was just because of the thick resentment that the yard was filled with a gloomy atmosphere.
She walked around the mansion yesterday and didn't find any obsession with Old Madam Gong. She must have been eroded by Gong Changying's ghost resentment.
"From what you two said, Mr. Gong and Mrs. Gong were very loving when they were alive. What makes you feel this way?"
Wei Qingyan asked as he looked at the flowers all over the yard.
"They never quarreled. My father treated my mother very well. He used his private money to buy books and other things for her, such as clothes, jewelry, and rouge.
My mother's heart and eyes were always filled with my father. She sewed most of my father's clothes herself, until she got older and her eyesight wasn't as good as before, so she hired someone else to make them.
After Gong Mingcheng finished speaking, he asked, "Miss Chang, isn't this a good marriage?"
Wei Qingyan had never seen a truly loving couple.
My mother was my father's second wife and was much younger than him. As far as I can remember, although they never quarreled, they were always a bit polite and distant when they were together.
However, seeing how Gong Mingcheng and his elder sister got along gave her some insights.
Wei Qingyan didn't answer but asked, "How is the relationship between Lord Gong and Madam Gong? Do they ever argue?"
Gong Mingcheng's expression tightened.
He loved Shiran and his feelings for her had never changed after being married for many years.
However, the two of them couldn't avoid quarreling, because of their different opinions on educating children, because of their different living habits, and even occasionally when he was dragged out by his colleagues to listen to music or socialize, Shi Ran would get angry with him and drive him to the study to rest.
He believed that the relationship between him and Shi Ran was no worse than that between his father and mother.
But, as far as I can remember, my parents never had any conflicts.
He also remembered that his mother had always been in good health when she was young, but it took twelve years after she gave birth to him before she had her second brother.
Could it be that, privately, they weren't as close as they appeared to be?
Gong Mingcheng's expression cracked a little.
Perhaps, his father and mother are not as loving as he thought!
Gong Minglou's expression was not much better than his. They were both smart people and understood everything immediately.
It's just that I've never speculated about my parents like this before.
Wei Qingyan took in the expressions of the two men and already had the answer in his mind.
Even teeth and tongue can fight each other, so how can two people who live together all day long never have any quarrels?
Even though she and Shi Yu were once so close, they often quarreled over trivial matters.
However, she had never quarreled with Du Xueyi, because Du Xueyi had regarded her as the boss from the beginning and had no choice but to obey her.
Wei Qingyan was suddenly stunned. How could she compare the relationship between Shi Yu and her to that between husband and wife?
That's ridiculous.
She restrained her expression and walked into the house.
Wei Qingyan walked around the house and finally stopped at Madam Gong's bedroom.
The most eye-catching thing in the bedroom was a large wardrobe, which took up an entire wall. When Wei Qingyan opened it, he found two sets of clothes inside.
Things had come to this point, and Gong Mingcheng confessed everything he knew. "My mother loves to buy clothes and jewelry, but she also hates the clothes being folded in boxes and boxes, which makes them look ugly on her, so she ordered someone to make this big wardrobe.
When she died, she gave her jewelry to her daughters-in-law and granddaughters as a remembrance, and told us to burn her clothes, shoes and socks and take them away.
The remaining two sets were sent by Xiuyifang after her death. It was already the seventh day after her death, so I kept them as a remembrance."
Xiuyifang is a well-known shop in the capital, specializing in tailor-made clothes for wives of officials. Wei Qingyan is no stranger to it.
In the past, most of my mother and Wanyi’s clothes came from their family.
The reason why Xiuyifang is so popular is that in addition to its excellent craftsmanship and new styles, it is also fast and punctual.
“Why was it delivered only after the seventh day?”
As far as she knew, Mrs. Gong was ill for three months before she died. It was unlikely that she ordered someone to make clothes for her when she was seriously ill. In other words, she placed the order with Xiuyifang before she fell ill.
What kind of clothes would take several months to make? Wei Qingyan reached out and touched the dress.
Gong Mingcheng recalled, "This cloth is very rare. It was brought to Wei by Persian merchants. At that time, many ladies in the capital wanted it, so my father used his connections to buy it for my mother at a high price.
Not long after, my father passed away. My mother was so sad that she no longer had the heart to make new clothes. Later, Minglou's eldest son had an accident, and the fabric was kept in Xiuyifang.
"I remember this too. The manager of Xiuyifang even came to ask whether the fabric should be returned or whether the clothes should be made as agreed."
Gong Minglou added that he happened to be visiting his mother at the time, "My mother said that we should wait until she is about to die before making it according to her size.
Xiuyifang couldn't have been watching my mother all the time. We only started making this dress after she passed away. However, my mother originally requested it be Suzhou embroidery, but the embroiderer who was good at it happened to be ill, so the ceremony was delayed for a few days and didn't make it in time for the seventh day."
When he heard his mother's words, he felt unlucky and sad, so he was deeply impressed.
"Make it according to her size?" Wei Qingyan had already shaken out the clothes, and it was indeed made in the size of an ordinary woman.
When Xiuyifang accepts an order, the buyer's body measurements will be sent to Xiuyifang together with the fabric. Why did Mrs. Gong give such an extra reminder?
Looking at the material and style of the clothes, it really doesn't suit the old lady's age.
Also, Gong Changying passed away before the cloth could be used to make clothes. In other words, Gong Changying was about to die, but Madam Gong had the leisure to go to Xiuyifang to customize clothes?
A shadow gradually took shape in Wei Qingyan's mind.
Gong Minglou nodded, "That's what my mother said."
At this moment, he also realized that something was wrong.
Could it be that the size sent to me before was not my mother’s?
Gong Mingcheng was startled again and said hurriedly, "I'll ask Gong Jun to go to Xiuyifang right away."
There must be records in Xiuyifang.
While waiting for Gong Jun to come back, Wei Qingyan looked at every corner of Madam Gong's room again.
No other findings.
"Where are the old people who served the old lady now?"
Gong Minglou said, "The ones who served my mother personally were Madam Yu and Madam Wu. They were her maids when she was in her natal family and came with her as a dowry. Before she passed away, she returned their indentures to them.
About half a year after her mother's death, Nanny Yu also passed away due to illness, and Nanny Wu returned to her hometown with her son and daughter-in-law to live out her days."
Arrangements have been made for the person before he dies, will he be honored and raised or sent far away?
Wei Qingyan raised his eyes and asked, "How long is the journey to the capital?"
"About half a month."
It would take a month to go back and forth, and there wouldn’t be enough time.
Wei Qingyan found a chair and sat down.
Gong Changying had only an old butler who served her personally, and he died.
Of the two people who served Madam Gong, one died and the other left the capital.
The two sons have a close relationship with them, but they are unaware of their secret, which shows that they are deliberately concealing it. They will only be more defensive towards the other servants in the mansion.
If my guess is true, then why did they get married in the first place?
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