Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Ruyi Cosmetic Shop
Yunxi shivered, tightening her grip on the lantern, then gritted her teeth and stepped inside.
Perhaps it was due to her fear, but unlike her usual visits to the ancestral hall, she now felt a chilling breeze, as if something might leap out from the darkness that the lantern's light could not reach.
Out of fear, Yunxi kept her breathing very low, while her heartbeat became increasingly pronounced in the silence of the dark.
Thump! Thump!
Yunxi raised the lantern; the dim red light could not penetrate deep into the hall, making the vast space seem even more shadowy. Familiar with the layout, she instinctively walked towards the candle holder without any conscious thought.
She hung the lantern aside, placed her left hand on her abdomen, and fixed her gaze on the candle holder. Then she grasped it with her right hand and turned it clockwise. However, nothing happened. Instead, Yunxi was startled into a cold sweat. After that scare, her tense emotions eased significantly. She exhaled deeply, gripped the candle holder again, and turned it half a circle counterclockwise.
Just as she heard a strange sound, an inexplicable chill washed over her again, followed by a voice.
"What do you want to do in the dead of night?"
Yunxi clutched her chest tightly and spun around. In her panic, she knocked over the lantern hanging nearby, but as it fell to the ground, she still caught sight of its light. Sitting vaguely on a chair beside the offering table was someone.
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
Yunxi finally recognized that this voice did not belong to any ghost in the hall; it was Lady Luo, the matriarch of the Luo Family—her mother-in-law.
The candle flames on the offering table flickered to life, but Yunxi did not know who had lit them because Lady Luo sat upright in that chair, hands crossed and resting steadily on her lap. It was as if she had been sitting there all along without moving at all.
Could it be that she had transformed into a ghost in this ancestral hall?
Yunxi thought for a moment and then looked up to meet Lady Luo's eyes. She wasn't sure if it was because the candlelight was too dim, but she felt that Lady Luo's eyes were pitch black, with no hint of white visible.
Yunxi had originally been afraid, but for some reason, after looking into Lady Luo's eyes, she found her fear dissipating. A voice in her mind kept telling her: What is there to be afraid of? Whether she is human or ghost, it ultimately amounts to death. It is easier than living in constant fear.
After thinking this, Yunxi gradually lowered her hand that had been clutching her chest. She straightened her back and steeled herself, speaking in a tone slightly lower than usual, but still very clear: "I just want to come to the ancestral hall and find out who Xi Er is."
"Xi Er? How do you know about Xi Er?"
"Someone told me!" Yunxi took a step forward. "Someone told me that Xi Er is a secret hidden within the Luo Family, a secret buried in your heart, and also the reason you are so determined to drive me out of the Luo Family."
The Daughter-in-law had originally thought that her mother-in-law disliked her because of her maternal family and their past that others feared. But so many years had passed, and even the court and the Empress no longer pursued matters concerning the Yun Family; why did her mother-in-law still harbor such fears?
Could it be that her mother-in-law truly believed that as long as she drove the Daughter-in-law out of the Luo Family, the court would let the Luo Family off the hook when they remembered to investigate?
The Daughter-in-law was not secretly brought into the Luo Family; she was formally married in with proper ceremonies and had paid respects at the Luo Family Ancestral Hall, acknowledging the ancestors of the Luo Family as a legitimate Daughter-in-law. According to how the Empress usually handled matters, if there were repercussions, it would not only involve her husband Luo Ping but also every servant and maid in the Luo Family.
How could such a shrewd person as her mother-in-law not understand this? From the moment the Daughter-in-law entered through the gates of the Luo Family, her fate was already intertwined with theirs. Was there really another reason behind her mother-in-law's harshness and difficulties?
Was it Xi Er? The person whose name sounded so similar to that of the Daughter-in-law? Could her mother-in-law tell her who this Xi Er really was? Why did this person provoke such anger from her mother-in-law towards the Daughter-in-law, even risking the bond between mother and son?
"Xi Er..." Lady Luo sighed first, then suddenly began to laugh darkly. "Do you really want to know who Xi Er is?"
Yunxi remained silent, standing still and staring at Lady Luo, fearing that at any moment she might leap from her chair and lunge at her. But Lady Luo showed no intention of getting up; she simply pointed toward a hidden door that had been opened behind Yunxi.
"You wanted to know who Xi Er is, didn't you? You wanted to uncover the secrets hidden within the Luo Family? You've already opened that hidden door, haven't you? Go inside; the Xi Er you're looking for is right there, and so are the secrets of the Luo Family."
Yunxi watched Lady Luo warily, unable to believe that she had revealed so much so easily.
Lady Luo was also watching Yunxi. After many years as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, how could she not know what Yunxi was thinking and what she was wary of at this moment? After listening for a moment, she spoke again, her voice clearly showing signs of fatigue, even her tone was hoarse: "Go ahead! Go investigate! You can rest assured, I won't do anything. I promised Ping'er that I would ensure the safe birth of your child. I don't want to lose my only son because of you."
Yunxi had never seen Lady Luo like this.
From the moment she entered, what she saw was a strong-willed matriarch who rarely smiled, someone whose mere presence sent chills down one's spine. Even during the New Year Festival, a time for celebration, it was hard to find a hint of a smile on her face. Not only her husband but even Gulofu would show a hint of fear in his eyes when mentioning this mother.
However, just now, she clearly heard a hint of compromise in Lady Luo's words, a sense of helplessness, and a weariness that came quickly with age.
Suddenly feeling a lump in her chest, a thought slipped out without passing through her brain: "The daughter-in-law truly wanted to treat you as her own mother."
Upon hearing this, Lady Luo lifted her half-closed eyelids. A glimmer of light passed through her dim eyes before quickly fading away.
She looked at Yunxi and said, "A long time ago, when Ping'er was born, I never imagined I would become the mother and mother-in-law I am today. I know you are a good daughter-in-law. Over the years, although I have always been harsh on you and you have always been wary of me, you have never shown any discontent. Even when Ping'er is not around, you actively come to me to show filial piety, despite my never having treated you kindly.
Luo Fu also likes you very much because you are a qualified sister-in-law and because you give Luo Fu the tenderness and care that I have never given her.
I know I am not a good mother or a good mother-in-law, but I am the most qualified matriarch of the Luo Family. I have never regretted what I have done because I am thinking of the Luo Family and my two children. You are right; I dislike you and want to drive you out of the Luo Family not only because of your maternal family but also because of your face and your frightening birth chart."
"My face and my birth chart?"
Yunxi was taken aback. She had considered reasons why her mother-in-law disliked her, especially upon hearing the name Xi Er; she instinctively thought that her mother-in-law hated her simply because her name was Yunxi. But now she heard that the reasons for her mother-in-law's disdain and harsh treatment were due to her face and birth chart, leaving her momentarily stunned.
"Go ahead! Don't you want to see what is hidden behind that secret door? Once you've seen it, I'll tell you everything. I've hated you for so long; it's time you knew the reason."
Yunxi hesitated for a moment but chose to trust Lady Luo. She picked up the lantern that had fallen on the ground, lit it again, and then slowly walked step by step into the dark room.
The dark room seemed small; everything she touched felt very smooth, but there was an unpleasant smell lingering in the air.
She raised the lantern a bit, squinting to examine everything in the dark room. It was square-shaped, resembling a room, with simple tables and chairs inside. On the old table, she even saw some bowls and chopsticks.
Could this be the secret of the Luo Family that Moxuyou mentioned?
Yunxi shook her head and took a few more steps forward with the lantern. She saw a bed, and on it was something dark. As she got closer, she realized it was a quilt, which was bulging as if something was underneath it.
Could there be a person under that quilt?
As Yunxi thought this, her hand lifted the quilt. It wasn't so much lifting as it was tearing a piece off. The quilt had long since rotted, and with a gentle tug, it fell apart. But through the torn hole, Yunxi saw a face—specifically, a face that had been wind-dried. The face was frozen in a strange expression.
Yunxi couldn't help but let out a scream and then fell to the side, feeling a dull pain in her abdomen.
"You were looking for Xi Er, weren't you? She is Xi Er, lying here for over ten years."
Lady Luo entered at some point, and when she approached the bedside, she even leaned down to pull Yunxi up.
"You just asked me who Xi Er is, right? Now I’ll tell you—Xi Er is just a maid, a maid bought by the Luo Family from outside. She is also the only maid I have never acknowledged in the Luo Family."
Still shaken from the earlier fright, Yunxi had not yet regained her composure, but her ears were keenly capturing every word spoken by Lady Luo.
Comment 0 Comment Count