Yu Pin Yan also picked up a string of rosary. Casually twiddling with it, he gently said, “I would have died or been seriously injured if Yu Xiang had not endured those two knife slashes. Moreover, Yu Xiang has been in our family for ten years, and our Yu manor has gradually forsaken regression and thrived. Where is this calamity we were to be subjected to? From my viewpoint, Xiang’er is not a jinx but my lucky star. She regards me as her Di older brother, and in kind I will also value her as my Di younger sister and safeguard her thoroughly. Even if one day, my younger sister is found, I will not send her away. Mother, don’t compel me to be an ungrateful and vile person.”
Lin Shi’s face contorted after hearing those words. Just as she was about to refute, Old Madam cut in, “Yan’er is right. One must not forget one’s gratitude. When Yu Xiang saved Yan’er, she saved the Marquis manor too. We will properly provide for her and even if she is unable to find a husband in the future, we will support her for the rest of her life. Marquis Yongle manor can afford an extra pair of chopsticks. What’s more, bringing back the wrong child was the wrongdoing of your wet nurse. We cannot blame the Shen. They have also been raising our Marquis Yongle manor’s daughter for the past ten years. When the time comes, we will compensate them to shut them up and must not provoke anymore trouble.”
Under Old Madam’s long standing dominion, Lin Shi dared not rebut. She could only gritted her teeth quietly and nodded.
Yu Pin Yan put down the rosary and smiled faintly. “Oh, right. Son still has some matters to trouble mother. Three days ago, Elder younger sister overheard the conversation between grandmother and you. She knew about Xiang’er’s true identity and told her maidservants. Son has locked up those maidservants and is awaiting for mother’s instructions to deal with them. Elder younger sister will also need some supervision.”
Lin Shi sneered indifferently. “So what if the maidservants know? She is precisely a bastard, and no one is to speak about it? Seizing my daughter’s venerate position, she ought to return it now! Release all of them, do not trouble me with such a small matter.” After blurting those words, she rose and started to walk away.
Unable to contain herself, Old Madam slammed the table and scolded, “Foolish woman. I was really blind to have settled on such a stupid woman like you in the first place! If you reckon that the news of your daughter’s unknown whereabouts to spread widely throughout the Capital, and the scandal of being raised in an inferior merchant household to be known by everyone, if you reckon your daughter should be ridiculed and deemed unacceptable by society while being unable to find a prominent match in the future and becoming miserable her whole life, you can just leave and hug your memorial tablet! Ma Momo, go and release all of them!”
The old maidservant in a green vest nodded and set foot to walk out.
The severity of the matter immediately struck Lin Shi. She hastily stopped Ma Momo and dashed to beg for Old Madam’s mercy. “Mother, I am in the wrong! I will go and deal with those people. Nothing will be revealed. Do rest assured.”
Old Madam closed her eyes and silently chanted some prayers, which helped quell her rage. “The Marquis manor gave birth to a pair of Di twin daughters. One of them was sickly and was entrusted for care at a profound old temple, and will return once she has reached marriageable age. Both were borne by you, not a bastard. Remember that!”
Lin Shi was unwilling to concede to those terms, but for the sake of her daughter’s reputation, she had to oblige. Eyes brimming with tears, she nodded. Once Old Madam waved her hand, she anxiously left.
Since father passed away ten years ago, this would be the first time his mother actually handled an affair of the manor and the first time she worried about anyone other than his father. The stranded, wandering younger sister had become the one emotional anchor left to keep her living. But then what about him? What was him to her? At least, compared with Xiang’er, he would be slightly better by a thread.
Yu Pin Yan raised the teacup to conceal a faint disheartened smile.
**********
Yu Si Yu lay down on a soft divan by the window, a little maidservant was applying some medication. Her eyes darted repeatedly to the window, stealing glances outside.
As it was the height of midsummer, the glittering sunlight seemed to blur the horizon, and the resounding chirping of cicadas from the dense foliage was particularly agitating to one’s frame of mind.
Yu Si Yu rolled over and closed her eyes, asking, “Zhu Yun and the rest still not back yet?”
Glancing out the window, the little maidservant shook her head. “Elder Young Miss, I still haven’t seen them.” The little maidservant then left the room to wash her hands. She saw Madam strode over leading a group of people. Unable to believe what she was seeing, she rubbed her eyes.
Madam had almost never gone anywhere. She had always stayed in her room reminiscing the late Marquis, except for the brief trips to the Old Madam’s courtyard. How was it possible that she was now in the west wing courtyard? Was she seeing things?
The little maidservant rubbed her eyes again, but instead of vanishing, the sight of Madam only got closer. Worriedly, she ignored the salve still staining her hands and rushed towards the soft divan to wake her dozing master. “Elder Young Miss, wake up. Madam is here!”
Though Madam was beautiful and carried herself with a seemingly gentle disposition, her temperament was actually fiery and unyielding. She had suppressed her husband from taking any concubines. When her husband died, she immediately sent the only concubine for penal servitude to a distant countryside without even bothering to give a reason. Although they did not often cross paths, Yu Si Yu truly feared this main mother. She quickly leapt up from the divan and straightened her clothes, knelt by the door in wait for her arrival.
Lin Shi did not bid her rise and sat directly on the main seat. With a command, Fang Momo, Zhu Yun and the rest were brought forward. “They have violated the offence of slander, which is intolerable in Yu manor. They will be sold off once fed with the mute drug. Do you have any opinions?”
With their mouths gagged and limbs bound, the group was unable to voice out any grievances. The maidservants could only stare at their master and frantically shake their heads.
Bracing herself, Yu Si Yu tried begging for leniency, “May I boldly ask Mother, what offence of slander have they actually committed that require them to be muted? My maidservants are all first-rate honest people. It would be unlikely of them to ever create trouble by starting rumors. I would like to request Mother for a clearer judgment.”
Create trouble by starting rumours? Once those words were mentioned, the pent-up anger within Lin Shi that had been suppressed earlier suddenly reignited with a vengeance. If she allowed these people to propagate the secret, how could her daughter continue to live once she returned? How could her daughter possibly establish herself in the circle of nobility or even get married? Her whole life would be ruined. And yet the originator of this mess still dared to raise this question!
After much deliberation, Lin Shi gritted her teeth with even more hatred. She grabbed a teacup and ruthlessly smashed it to the ground. “First-rate honest people? A good bunch of first rate honest people!” she proclaimed sternly. “They dare to scheme the Di young miss! Yu Si Yu, let me tell you; whatever you overhead that day in the main courtyard, you had better forget it completely. If I ever hear a bit of this outside, even if you carry the bloodline of Yu manor, I will mute you the same way and send you to the village for penal servitude! You are twelve this year? You had better think carefully about marrying into an influential and powerful family or a poor and humble family!” With those words, she beckoned to two of her pozi*.
The pozi extricated several small bottles from within their lapels. Uncorking them, they poured the brownish liquid into Zhu Yun and the others’ mouths. They immediately doubled over to the ground in extreme pain, opening their mouths but unable to utter a single word except for harsh ragged breaths. The scene was extremely terrifying.
Yu Si Yu had never been exposed to such a situation. Hugging her head, she cowered at a corner, trembling incessantly.
A few of them spewed out blood and looked to be on the verge of death itself. Several pozi grabbed a hold of them and dragged them out like forsaken dogs. Satisfied, Lin Shi then left the room with her group of people.