Chapter 67

Wait until she gets better, her whole temperament changes drastically…… toward the master, it seems she's come to hate him……

Within a few days she was crying and making a scene, quarreling with the master, and some even went mad—there were several times…… it's said she even beat the master until he was injured.

As Lou Shi spoke, her voice grew lower and lower.

As a concubine, to speak ill of the mistress and master invites a beating, which is hardly surprising.

She dared not continue, but Pei Lao Furen and Li Qingluo had already understood.

Zheng Shi used to live in the Mingyue Garden.

Later Zheng Shi and Lou Shi made mistakes and were both sent to an estate in Shu, but Zheng Shi disappeared en route, her fate unknown.

After Zheng Shi left, the Mingyue Garden and its adjoining courtyards began to be haunted.

And if one counts the child she never bore, Zheng Shi had two children, both of whom died in this Jiangjun Fu.

So, is Zheng Shi dead?

Otherwise, where does the weeping of the female ghost in the Mingyue Garden come from?

If Zheng Shi is already dead, is her death related to Qu Shi?

Just then Deng Mama knocked and said, "Old Lady, the mistress has come to pay her respects."

Pei Lao Furen's face was covered with cold frost: "What a vicious woman! Perfect, I also want to see her—let her in!"

Lou Shi was taken to the rear, and Qu Shi entered, her expression flustered as she scanned the whole room, not seeing the expected person, seeming still doubtful.

Li Qingluo and Pei Lao Furen both knew the truth in their hearts, but neither exposed it.

Li Qingluo rose to greet Qu Shi with a salute, and Qu Shi now deigned to look at her directly.

"'Luò'er, you also came to see your grandmother?'"

"'Mother, Luò'er hasn't disturbed you, has she?'"

"'How come I seem to have heard that someone came to gossip in front of Mother and Luò'er?'"

"'It's because the daughter-in-law hasn't disciplined the household properly, letting them come to slander before Mother. This is all the daughter-in-law's fault.'"

Li Qingluo shook her head secretly.

This Qu Shi is far more foolish than she had imagined.

Knowing her grandmother's temperament, she still dared to barge straight in to see her.

Not having caught anyone would have been bad enough, yet she dares to bring up these matters herself—isn't that just asking for a scolding?

It seems that back then she caused Zheng Shi such misery, and later managed to get both Zheng Shi and Lou Shi removed—clearly someone behind the scenes was directing her.

Who?

Li Qingzhu?

Or… someone else?

Li Qingluo was, of course, only thinking this to herself; she said nothing, but Pei Lao Furen had plenty to say.

"'What do you want to say? About Lou Shi? She begged in front of Luò'er, asking her to visit you more often, so that the Third Miss would suffer less of your blame.'"

"'I heard that back then you brought a concubine-born girl to her death?'"

"'How thick-skinned you are! Since you've already caused a death, how dare you bring another living person to harm?!'"

"'If I were you, I'd have to eat vegetarian and chant Buddha all my life to atone for my sins! You two black-hearted couple—you've already harmed one, and now you want to harm another?!'"

Qu Shi's face flushed red then turned pale under the scolding; even in front of Li Qingluo she felt as if her face were about to be lost.

"'Mother, what are you saying…… daughter-in-law doesn't understand……'"

Pei Lao Furen slammed her palm down: "Stop pretending ignorance with me! I'm not old yet—I know everything about this household! You tell me, I know every one of your sordid deeds!"

"'Qu Shi, what a vicious heart you have! The heirs of this Jiangjun Fu—including Li Qingzhu who burned herself to death, Chuan'er who met with an accident and broke his leg, and even Luò'er who was swapped at birth and cast out—are all the result of your own handiwork!'"

These words were, without doubt, a sharper and more vicious blade than any curse, piercing straight into Qu Shi's chest.

Qu Shi instantly collapsed, clutching her chest and wailing: "I didn't! I'm not! No, it wasn't me, it wasn't me——"

Qu Shi no longer observed propriety, turning and fleeing.

Pei Lao Furen immediately ordered someone to follow her.

"'We must find out who else is behind her!'"

Pei Lao Furen lashed out harshly at Qu Shi, hoping to force Qu Shi to reveal the person behind her who had been giving her advice.

She wanted to know who else in this Jiangjun Fu dared to point and meddle, throwing the household into such chaos!

Li Qingluo also felt that the sordid secrets in this residence were growing ever more numerous.

She turned and knelt before Pei Lao Furen, saying, "Grandmother, Luò'er intends to keep the appointment at Huiyi Villa in ten days."

Pei Lao Furen was about to say not to rush, that Shen He would come shortly and then she could ask her directly.

Zhang Mama then hurried in to report: "Old Lady, Miss, something has happened!"

"'I rushed to Shen He's home and only then learned that the true Shen He had returned to her hometown three months ago!'"

Pei Lao Furen rose to her feet: "'What do you mean? You're saying that the female martial instructor who has been teaching Luò'er these past three months isn't the real Shen He? How could you have messed up like this?!'"

The person who originally selected women from the old troops' families to teach Li Qingluo martial arts was precisely Zhang Mama.

At this moment Zhang Mama's face also turned pale: "'Old Lady, this is my carelessness. I went to Shen Xiaowei's home and only then learned that her sister has never liked martial arts, always preferring embroidery, so she certainly couldn't teach the Miss.'"

"'Back then I let the rumor out, so the person I bumped into at the Shen household gate was a false Shen He.'"

"'I saw that her appearance somewhat resembled the old Shen Xiaowei, and she came forward on her own saying she was Shen He… that's how I was deceived!'"

"'Fortunately the Miss came to no harm; otherwise I would be guilty beyond redemption, even ten thousand deaths could not atone.'"

Zhang Mama knelt on the ground, tears streaming from her eyes.

Li Qingluo hurried forward to help her up: "'Mama, if the haunting of Mingyue Garden is also this person's doing, even if she hadn't pretended to be Shen He to teach me martial arts, wouldn't she still appear in some other way?'"

"'Moreover, I can sense that she bears me no ill will.'"

"'Otherwise, last night, with her skill, she could have already killed me!'"

After Li Qingluo said that, Pei Lao Furen also finally calmed down completely.

She glared fiercely at Zhang Mama several times, saying she would deduct half a year's wages from her, before letting Zhang Mama get up.

She then tightly grabbed Li Qingluo, saying, "Luo'er, tell Grandma, what exactly are you thinking? Do you really dare to attend this false sinking lotus gathering by yourself? What if she has some other motive…"

Li Qingluo laughed and shook her head, saying, "Grandma, I just want to know why she's pretending to be mysterious and coming near me—what exactly is she up to?"

"Just let Luo'er go!"

Pei Lao Furen, seeing her so obstinate and knowing she always had her own mind, realized that if she didn't let her go she would surely sneak off anyway, so she could only let out a deep sigh.

"Then Deng Mama and the others must come along!"

Li Qingluo thought: With that person's skill, I'm afraid that even ten Deng Mamas wouldn't be enough to keep from being confused.

Li Qingluo is now very interested in the false sinking lotus.

So she truly isn't afraid.

Naturally, she agreed to Pei Lao Furen's request: "All right, Grandma."

This afternoon, I heard that the Qu family's side also returned without causing any trouble.

However, they had the third young lady sent back to Luoxiayuan.

The next day, Li Chao Jing went to Luoxiayuan, where I heard he personally slapped Lou Shi.

Lou Shi didn't even dare to cry, because Li Chao Jing said he would call in a matchmaker to have her personally sold!

Just then, Deng Mama came in again and said: "Miss, Liu Sui'er says she has made up her mind. She is willing to enter the manor; you can have her do anything you wish, and she will bear any consequences without complaint."