Actually, Lan Ya Mei already suspected something was amiss when the Third Madam spoke up to stop her. Having someone watch her meant the Third Madam wasn't as carefree as she appeared; Butterfly's departure must be related to her.
On the way, Lan Yamei asked casually, "Your name is Ling'er?"
The maid was quite cunning; she simply nodded without saying a word, her eyes darting around nervously.
Lan Yamei asked again, "Why did I only see the Second Madam and the Third Madam? Where is your First Madam?"
"The First Madam has passed away!" Ling'er didn't say much, her answer was very simple.
"Oh? Murong Bai and his mother were unfortunate; they're both gone." Lan Yamei feigned regret.
"Yes." Ling'er didn't say much, just silently followed not far away.
"By the way, what is your third wife's name? When did she enter the manor?"
Ling'er looked troubled, hesitated for a moment, and then told the truth, "The Third Madam was called Pei Feiyan before she entered the manor, and she has been in the manor for more than three years."
"Oh, whose daughter is she?" Lan Yamei continued to ask.
"This servant doesn't know. I've only been in the household for half a year, and I dare not inquire about the ladies' affairs," Miss Ling'er said, trying to end the topic quickly.
Lan Yamei took out a luminous pearl from her sleeve, placed it in her palm, and deliberately weighed it in front of Ling'er, saying, "Just now, among the box of treasures that the Second Madam rewarded me with, I immediately took a liking to this luminous pearl. Its quality is impeccable; it could fetch at least a thousand taels of silver." Then, she changed the subject and asked, "How much is your monthly salary when you work at the Murong residence, Miss?"
"Well, my family is poor, and I have many brothers and sisters. We really had no other way to make a living, so I was sold here. The second madam is very generous and gives me two taels of silver every month, which I send home. I hope my family can have enough to eat and survive." Ling'er became much more talkative when she mentioned her family.
"So that's how it is! Where is Miss Ling'er from?" Lan Yamei asked casually.
"Ziyun Town".
"Where, Ziyun Town? Is it Ziyun Town near Shura Mountain?" Bluetooth Girl was very familiar with this name, having just returned from there, and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Ling'er.
"Shopkeeper Lan has been there?" Hearing that the other party knew about her hometown, Ling'er felt much closer to him.
"I just came back from there. The soil there is severely desertified, the crop yields are very poor, and the people are living a very hard life," Lan Yamei said truthfully.
Hearing this stirred up my longing for home, and a wave of sadness washed over me. I couldn't help but shed two tears, which I quickly wiped away.
Lan Yamei comforted her, "Ling'er, don't be sad. Your hometown will get better. Before long, it will be back to its former glory, with lush pastures and herds of cattle and sheep. People who left their homes will be reunited with their wives and daughters, and the people will live in peace and prosperity. You will also return to your hometown and never be separated from your parents again."
"real?"
"Really! We'll see if you don't believe me! Don't forget, I can observe celestial phenomena and read feng shui," Lan Yamei said shamelessly, then stuffed the luminous pearl in her hand into Ling'er's hands.
"No, no, Manager Lan, this is too expensive, I can't accept it." Ling'er declined and quickly returned the luminous pearl to Lan Yamei.
Lan Yamei looked around warily and whispered, "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know." She then stuffed the luminous pearl into Ling'er's hand and said, "The poor in the world are all one family. There is no distinction between you and me. It is only right to help each other."
Ling'er's hand, clutching the luminous pearl, trembled slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Manager Lan, just ask whatever you want."
"Take me to the courtyard where the First Madam lives first," Lan Yamei said directly.
Although the Murong Mansion only has one main gate, there are nearly ten courtyards of various sizes inside. Each lady lives in one, each child lives in one, and there are still empty ones.
After several twists and turns, the two entered a dilapidated courtyard. Although the path, which was rarely used, was not covered with grass, it was covered with moss.
Lan Ya Mei walked into the courtyard, but the girl seemed a little scared.
Seeing that there were no spies around, Lan Yamei asked, "Does anyone usually come to this courtyard, Madam?"
“Almost no one comes.”
"Has the Third Madam been to this courtyard?"
“The Third Madam never comes. She prefers to stay in her own courtyard every day and rarely goes out,” Ling’er said in detail.
"Doesn't she feel bored staying indoors?" Lan Yamei was a little skeptical. Living a life of quiet solitude at such a young age didn't seem to match her alluring and charming features.
"Madam used to enjoy listening to operas, but she hasn't liked them for the past two months. She meditates for two hours every day and doesn't allow us to disturb her," Ling'er revealed.
"Meditating in her residence? With the doors and windows tightly shut?" Lan Yamei guessed.
"Manager Lan's guess was spot on."
"Hehe, by the way, whose daughter is she?" Lan Yamei felt that the woman Lord Murong could marry must be of a very high status.
Ling'er glanced around uneasily before leaning closer and whispering, "This is the Third Madam's secret. She's a girl from Hua Manlou. I don't know who gave her to the Master, but she later became the Third Madam. I don't know if the news is accurate or not; it's what the servants were saying in private, and I overheard it."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Thank you, Ling'er. If fate allows, I will definitely fulfill one of your wishes." Because Ling'er had given her important information, Lan Yamei promised.
Upon entering the First Madam's courtyard, the main house door was unlocked, and the doors and windows were spotless, indicating regular cleaning. However, the flowers and plants in the courtyard had all withered, standing out starkly from the other courtyards that were bursting with color.
The two did not go inside, but only looked out through the window.
Upon arriving at the backyard, the lotus pond was in a state of disrepair, with withered leaves covering the surface of the water, showing no signs of being tended to.
Before Lan Yamei could ask, Ling'er explained, "Master won't let me touch it, saying that this way I'll always remember the First Madam."
Lan Yamei chuckled, "I didn't expect your master to be such a romantic! Aren't the second and third wives jealous?"
"What's the use of being jealous? The First Madam is the legitimate daughter of the capital, so the Master must cherish her dearly." Ling'er said with a hint of admiration.
"And what about the Second Madam?" Lan Yamei asked, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the lake.
With a splash, it sank to the bottom of the pond; the water was quite deep.
“I heard from the servants that the Second Madam is actually the Master’s favorite. Even though the Master rarely goes to the Second Madam’s courtyard, he always gives her the best things first,” Ling’er said with emotion. “You don’t know, the Second Madam is a lady from a prominent family, and she is the beloved daughter of General Sima Luyao.”
“It seems that only the Third Madam has a weak background,” Lan Yamei said.
"Yes, but the Third Madam is very accommodating to Master, and Master likes her quite a bit too," Ling'er said, pouting.
"Alright, take me to see the Third Madam's courtyard." Having found out everything she needed to know, Lan Yamei felt she could investigate further.
“Alright, what a coincidence, the Third Madam’s courtyard is right next to the First Madam’s. Come with me.” Ling’er said without even thinking.
Sure enough, after leaving the First Madam's courtyard and passing through several lush bamboo groves, we came to a courtyard surrounded by blooming flowers and artificial hills.
"This is it," Ling'er said, leading the person inside. She then gave a few instructions to the old woman guarding the courtyard before showing Lan Ya Mei around.
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