Chapter 89

In this world, isn't there any daughter who doesn't love her mother?

I too was once briefly loved by my mother.

But the look of hatred she gave me when I was nine is still vivid in my memory.

I also always remember the rules my grandmother said when my nursemaid handed me over to her as if I were dead.

The mistake I made at nine, I won't repeat at eighteen.

I spoke matter-of-factly, without sentiment, and it left her stunned for a moment.

Immediately, she lowered her head, rubbed her hands, and said, "Tongtong, we've moved house, to the town next to Wufu Town; Xin Xin and A Bao will soon transfer to study there as well, they keep mentioning sister, and your father also said the new house brings joy, we should be reunited as a family, so today I came to pick you up and bring you home—your room is ready in the new house."

As she spoke she reached to take my hand, but I dodged away.

I still said the same thing: "I'm Xiao Jiu, the manager of the pawnshop; our main business is pawning and trading, and I also run a funeral shop with a full range of funeral supplies—do you need anything?"

Her face turned pale, she glanced at the funeral shop, then instinctively shifted a bit toward me, looking quite taboo.

In the front hall of the funeral shop stood two paper horses, all snow‑white except for a red paper affixed to their foreheads; catching sight of them unexpectedly can indeed give one a start.

Those were the ones I just made a few days ago.

Business for ordering paper figurines and paper horses at the funeral shop is usually urgent—some need them right away—so when I have free time I often make a couple in advance to have on hand.

She steadied herself and then said, "Tongtong, I know you resent Mother for not being able to protect you back then, but your fate is indeed too fierce; I… I really had no choice."

I really wanted to say, Master Huìquán checked my fate for me and said it isn't that fierce.

I also wanted to ask, back then you all avoided me like the plague—now you're not afraid of me?

But in the end I said nothing.

Since I don't intend to have any further ties with the Jiang family, what's the point of dwelling on this?

It just adds worry.

"Since there's no business to discuss, I won't keep you company." Having said that, I went to the back to eat breakfast.

Li Qingying helped me get the person out.

I don't know when she left; when I finished breakfast and came back, the fruit and the princess dress on the tea table were gone.

Li Qingying looked at me warily: "Xiao Jiu, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I smiled at her, then sat behind the counter to scroll on my phone.

I was just absent‑minded—at first I was annoyed, then the more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

How many years have passed, and they still avoid me like snakes and scorpions.

After finally making life a bit easier, why would they suddenly think of me now?

Just coming to see me would have been enough, but they actually plan to take me back and have prepared a separate room for me?

I couldn't help but feel a little worried.

But after thinking it over, I felt relieved again.

If they truly still cared about me and wanted to acknowledge me, they would have done their homework beforehand; even if they secretly came to Wufu Town and just glanced at me from afar, they wouldn't have bought such a princess dress for me.

I shook my head, forced myself to stop wandering thoughts, scrolled my phone for a while, and saw a news item about Huicheng: the Song and Tang families there seem to have locked horns lately, with Tang Ao several times on the appraisal show throwing shade at the Song family, and the Song family not lacking in tripping up the Tang family.

I quickly took a screenshot and sent it to Tang Tang.

Tang Tang quickly replied: "No problem, it's just a small matter—just the Song family; my dad can handle it."

Immediately she placed a video call.

As soon as I answered, Tang Tang said, "Hey, little junior sister, I happen to have something I want to tell you."

I asked, "What is it?"

Tang Tang waved her phone a bit behind her.

Behind her, Song Ruoqing sat before a huge floor‑to‑ceiling window, with a drawing board in front of her, intently painting.

She straightened the phone, then turned it toward Tang Tang herself.

She said, "It seems something happened over at the Song family—they invited Uncle Huo over yesterday, and that annoying fellow went along too."

"Annoying fellow?" I puzzled for a moment, then realized, "Bai Jingmo?"

Tang Tang nodded: "Yes, that's him."

"Why would the Song family suddenly request those two?" I asked, "Could it be to inquire about Song Ruoqing's situation?"

"Uncle Huo keeps a tight seal, don't worry." Tang Tang said, "I'm actually more inclined to think someone in the Song family is ill, and not just an ordinary illness; otherwise they wouldn't have bothered to invite Uncle Huo."

I thought it over and then had an epiphany: "The Song family originally intended to sacrifice Song Ruoqing to Wangting Mountain, but we interfered, the sacrifice failed, and now they're suffering retribution?"

"Or maybe we should just say Xiao Jiu is smart." Tang Tang laughed, "I think the same—if nothing unexpected happens, the Song family might be in for a big run of bad luck."

I quickly winked at her and pointed behind her.

Without even trying to avoid it, hearing that, Song Ruoqing inevitably felt uncomfortable in her heart.

Tang Tang giggled twice, lowered her voice, and said, "It's fine—after going through life and death, what's there to get hung up on? Hey, Xiao Jiu, why don't I bring Qingqing to stay at your place for a few days? Let your family's person treat us to a meal and some singing."

"Does Miss Song not need to take the medicinal bath anymore?" I asked.

Tang Tang slapped her forehead, vexed: "Right, she still needs to soak for another four or five days, so for now she really can't come."

I laughed, "There will be plenty of chances later."

After chatting a bit more with Tang Tang, my mood improved considerably.

After hanging up the video call, I was about to exit the page when I saw Jin Wuya had also sent me a message.

"Jianghu emergency, Manager Xiao Jiu, help me check what this is."

Below the message is a picture.

The picture shows a section of bone, like a bony protrusion on a vertebra, but not human—it appears to belong to some animal.

I zoomed in and looked several times before noticing that something seemed to be hidden inside that bony lump.

I immediately replied to Jin Wuya: "What is stuffed inside the bony lump?"

That reply came back quickly: it seemed to be a piece of paper, with writing on it, but after a long time it had stuck inside the bone, couldn't be taken out, and couldn't be read clearly.

I turned the phone screen to maximum brightness, enlarged the picture to the largest size, and examined it carefully several times.

Before I could figure it out, a voice suddenly sounded from behind: 'If I'm not mistaken, this is a cat bone, and the writing inside……is it a sutra?'

I was startled.

I turned around and came face to face with Liu Junyan.

He didn't know when he had arrived; now he was bent over, his cheek almost touching mine, but his eyes were intently fixed on the phone screen.

He was wearing a white everyday robe today, the collar slightly open, and I saw a bloodstain about half a finger long on his neck, very fresh.

I instinctively pulled open his collar, leaned in for a closer look, and realized there was more than one.

I counted them—there were six in total, evenly spaced from right to left, but possibly due to the angle of the attacker's strike, the wounds varied from deep to shallow, not uniform.

These marks clearly aren't scratches; they resemble the trace of some special weapon.

What could it be?

I opened my mouth to ask, but I saw Liu Junyan's lips turn up, his eyes full of a smile as he looked at me.

That gaze, filled with joy, seemed to carry a hint……of pride?