Mermaids Weep (14)
Lin Fang's mansion was situated in a corner of the southwest of the Secret Sea. Its gate was painted a dark green, making it unremarkable from the outside. The interior was furnished with gray stone floors and blue-tiled roofs, initially giving the impression of a simple and frugal gentleman. However, closer inspection revealed intricate carvings on the eaves, between the bricks and windows, depicting birds and flowers in various shapes and complex patterns. Most importantly, no two carvings were alike. The gardens were filled with flowers and plants, and the mansion boasted a vast artificial lake, rockeries, waterfalls, and boats—all showcasing the owner's wealth. Even the servants' clothing was made of superior materials.
Yao Yao stroked the fabric she was wearing, marveling at its silky smoothness and the fineness of the stitching. Such beautiful clothes were only for servants! Although she felt a little sorry for the maid she had knocked unconscious, Yao Yao felt it was all worthwhile. Something important seemed to be happening in the manor today; the back gate was bustling with people, and servants were busy going in and out. Yao Yao seized the opportunity and easily slipped into the manor.
She walked for a while and noticed several maids who weren't working were chatting in a corner. One of them muttered under her breath, "What's she up to today? One minute she wants hot pastries, the next she wants new fabrics. Everyone in the mansion is vying for her attention. How many times has this happened already..."
"She got scolded by the master first thing this morning, and she's still furious. She finally made it this far, and was about to become the official wife, but the master publicly humiliated her today, and all the servants saw it. How could she not be angry?" another maid whispered. "I think her chances of becoming the official wife are slim..."
"The master is very shrewd. Every time it's just a game, has he ever seen a concubine rise to power?"
"Shh—don't speak too soon. After all, Aunt Zhang has been by the master's side the longest. Whether it will work out or not is still uncertain."
Yao Yao grinned and sneakily approached them: "Sisters, what are you doing?"
The group all looked at Yao Yao. Seeing that it was a smiling little girl who looked younger than them, they weren't too wary and said frankly, "What else can you do but slack off? I've been tormented by Aunt Zhang all morning. If I keep working like this, my feet will bleed."
"With the master not in the mansion, she dares to order anyone around."
The Lin family wasn't particularly strict with their servants. As long as they didn't offend Lin Fang, they generally wouldn't be severely punished. They were especially lenient with the maids, since Lin Fang was fond of beautiful women and his criteria for selecting maids was solely based on looks; diligence was irrelevant. Under these circumstances, it was common for maids to rise to the position of concubine; the aforementioned Concubine Zhang was a prime example. It was precisely because of this that the maids dared to so boldly discuss their masters.
This relaxed environment gave Yao Yao an opportunity. Although the group saw that Yao Yao was a stranger, they did not doubt her identity at all.
Just as Yao Yao was about to join in to ask for some information, a loud shout came from not far away: "What are you all chattering about!"
An old man with a white beard strode over, his tone stern: "How busy everyone in the manor is, yet you all have time to chat idly here!"
"Manager Qian." Several maids hurriedly bowed, and Yao Yao silently lowered her head and followed suit.
The white-bearded old man's sharp gaze swept over the group, his brows furrowing, his tone full of anger: "What did you all go about? Why are you all empty-handed?"
A maidservant quickly explained, "Steward, we went to deliver the newly made clothes to Aunt Zhang, but she glanced at them and kicked us out without saying a word..."
"We were afraid of upsetting her, so we came here..."
The group hunched over, looking pitifully at Manager Qian, trying to gain his sympathy.
Manager Qian stood silently to the side, his hands behind his back, glancing sideways at the group. The head maid immediately understood and slipped a few coins into the manager's hand. The old man clenched his fist, felt the weight of the coins, then relaxed his brow with satisfaction. He turned back and gave them a few perfunctory reprimands: "Go find some work to do, and don't let me see you all gathered together again."
The maids nodded and bowed in agreement, and after seeing the steward off, they started chattering again: "You're really something, you understood Steward Qian's meaning right away."
"Of course~ You'll get plenty of benefits from me when I become a concubine."
Yao Yao chimed in with a couple of words of agreement when suddenly a loud shout came from afar: "Master is back!"
The maids who had been slacking off just moments before immediately ran outside. Yao Yao wanted to follow, but they stopped her: "Little sister, you don't have a place to do the delicate work serving the master."
Yao Yao was momentarily dazed before realizing that the maids were going to serve Lin Fang. She waited for a moment, and when she saw that the maids had gone far away, she quietly followed the path they had taken.
As soon as Lin Fang arrived at the mansion, he went straight to the study. He walked very fast, and Steward Qian, who was standing next to him, had a hard time keeping up.
As Lin Fang walked, he suddenly noticed that the servants around him were rushing around, all seemingly heading in the same direction. He couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with that woman now?"
Manager Qian dared not delay and immediately replied, "Since you left this morning, Consort Zhang has instructed the servants to buy all sorts of things for her. Now most of the servants in the manor are delivering things to her..."
"Damn it! They're so arrogant spending my money, they really think they're the masters!" Lin Fang cursed angrily. "Tell them to stop right now, and anyone who sends anything to that woman's yard again should be dragged out and beaten to death!"
Manager Qian accepted the order and immediately gave the instructions. Lin Fang was already furious about the Heart-Protecting Scale, and hearing this upsetting news after returning home only fueled his anger. If it weren't for the urgency, he would have definitely gone to that bitch's courtyard and slapped her a few times.
Ultimately, his life was more important. Lin Fang crossed the corridor bridge and rushed to the study. He didn't even have time to pay attention to the maids who were already waiting there. He shoved them all out and locked the door tightly. Then, he crawled under the desk, groping for the hidden mechanism inside. After finally finding the switch, he turned it, and a small opening slowly opened in the floor, revealing a square sandalwood box inside.
Lin Fang smiled smugly, took out the wooden box, and put the floor back on its original state. He got up from the floor and examined the wooden box closely in the sunlight streaming in from the window. The box had a simple design without any complicated patterns, but Lin Fang's eyes were full of greed as he looked at it. He turned left and right, almost scrutinizing the box until it was practically glowing.
Just as he was admiring the treasure in his hands, a frantic shout came from outside: "Master, something terrible has happened! Concubine Zhang has burned down your bedroom!"
"What?!" Lin Fang was shocked. He had hidden a lot of treasures in his bedroom. "That damned woman, why didn't she stop her?!"
"My aunt said she'd chop off the head of anyone who dared to stop her, and the servants couldn't stop her..."
"A bunch of useless trash, what use are you!" He roared, pushing open the door and about to rush out, but then suddenly remembered he was still holding the square box. He could only yell at Manager Qian, "Hurry up and put out the fire! I'll be there soon!"
After speaking, he closed the door and prepared to put the box back in its place. Just as he activated the mechanism, Lin Fang suddenly froze, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. He looked around and even scanned the surroundings with his divine sense, but found no trace of anyone else. Lin Fang hesitated for a moment, then stood up, moved the box to another spot, and only left the study after confirming that everything was back to normal.
After Lin Fang had walked away and there was no one around the study, ripples suddenly appeared on the calm lake surface. A small head slowly emerged from the water, its bright eyes blinking as it looked at the thick smoke billowing into the distance. The fire was raging, and the mansion was in complete chaos, filled with noise and commotion.
Yao Yao looked around again, making sure there was no one else, then surfaced and headed straight for the study. Lin Fang had clearly forgotten to lock the door in his haste. Yao Yao swaggered inside, examining the furnishings. The layout seemed ordinary, but since Lin Fang had come straight here, there must be some hidden meaning. Yao Yao knocked and stepped on everything, and searched the bookshelves thoroughly, but found nothing. Time was running out, and she didn't know when Lin Fang would return. Yao Yao grew increasingly anxious and, without thinking, began to frantically search every drawer and cabinet…
On the other side, Lin Fang organized people to put out the fire. Looking at the house, which was already more than half burned, with a pained expression, he thought of his precious treasures that were so fragile, treasures that he would occasionally take out and play with... Thinking of this, his anger flared up instantly. Lin Fang turned around, gritted his teeth, rushed to Aunt Zhang, and slapped her across the face, cursing, "Crazy woman! You're asking for it!"
The concubine was being held up by several servants, her disheveled hair a mess, looking extremely wretched, yet she still wouldn't back down: "Come on! If you've got the guts, just chop me down with one stroke! You dog!"
Those around them were startled by the concubine's imposing manner, secretly marveling at her audacity and complete disregard for the master. Lin Fang, veins bulging, kicked the woman in the stomach with such force that she coughed up blood and fainted.
"You bitch!" Lin Fang spat at the woman lying on the ground again before his anger subsided a little.
Seeing this, Manager Qian, sweating profusely, leaned close to Lin Fang and whispered, "Master, she was sent by the head of the gang after all. If word gets to him, how are we going to explain this..."
Lin Fang's temples throbbed, his eyebrows furrowed in fear. Looking at the lifeless woman on the ground, a chill ran down his spine. Although the woman was indeed a madwoman, she still had his elder brother's connection to him. He had not only lost the fish-shaped talisman but had also killed the person his brother had sent him in full view of everyone—wasn't this blatant provocation?
"No, no..." Lin Fang panicked. "Bury this woman immediately and say she was burned to death. We have to be quick!"
Now, Lin Xiaowen was the only one who could help him... Lin Fang hurriedly ran back to the study to retrieve the box, but as soon as he reached the door, he noticed a series of dark footprints on the floor. Lin Fang was shocked! He rushed into the room and, without saying a word, moved a recliner against the wall, then flipped a mechanism on the wall. The mechanism slowly unfolded—and there it was, the box was still intact in its original place.
Lin Fang breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the box, and touched its smooth surface, reluctant to put it down. But as he touched it, Lin Fang suddenly felt something was wrong. He weighed the box in his hand, then suddenly fiddled with the mechanism on the box and opened it, only to find that it was empty inside. The scales that should have been lying there were nowhere to be found.
Lin Fang's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the wet footprints on the ground. He roared at the arriving steward, "Seal off the entire mansion! If you can't catch the thief, you'll all be fed to the fish!"
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