"You know I'm a fake Shen Suxin?"
“Although you and your cousin are both suffering from the cold poison, even your aunt hasn’t noticed anything unusual in the past year or so. But cousins always have some private things to talk about. If Ruyan hadn’t reminded me, I would never have thought of testing you, and of course, I wouldn’t have discovered your secret.”
"Suxin...aren't you seriously injured?" Madam Shen still refused to believe that the Shen Suxin before her was the real Shen Suxin. If Mei Ren'er could disguise herself as Shen Sujun, what else was impossible?
Shen Suxin raised her head smugly: "Auntie, if I hadn't been seriously injured, with your spies watching me all day, I wouldn't have been able to do anything properly. Actually, we didn't know at first that Cherry was sent by you. After we settled Cherry in the Shen family, we went to Li Family Village, which Cherry said she lived in. As expected, there was no one named Cherry in Li Family Village. There was only one person in the whole village named Xiao Tao who worked as a maid for Madam Shen in the Shen family. You had planned all of this very well, but you should have personally cut Cherry's arm. It was that cut that gave you away. Judging from the cut, if someone else had cut her arm, the outer side of the wound would have been deeper, but Cherry's wound was the opposite. You just wanted to keep Cherry by my side and monitor our actions."
"What a joke, why would I do that?"
"But having Cherry reveal what happened to the girls in the courtyard is just a cover-up. It shows that the girls' disappearance is indeed related to you. Aunt, have you forgotten? I came to Sangxiang Town to find those missing girls, and what you fear most is that I will find them. Because those girls are in the Shen family."
"You really did find them." Madam Shen sighed softly. "I didn't hurt those girls."
Mei Ren'er nodded in agreement: "Of course you didn't hurt those girls yourself. You kept making them pick mulberry leaves and raise ice silkworms to find a way to spin silk. They must have been poisoned by the cold poison."
Shen Suxin continued, "Last night, Ruyan and I bribed the doctor to pretend to be seriously injured. Today, as soon as Auntie went out, I went to the strange houses at the foot of the mountain to find out what was going on. Sure enough, I found the secret in the murals in the middle house. The reason why the houses at the foot of the mountain are so cool is that there is a huge ice cellar under the houses. There is a tunnel leading into the mountain. In the middle of a mountain cave with a relatively dangerous terrain, there is a courtyard with a large area of wild mulberry trees. The girls are locked in the mountain cave and spend their days picking mulberry leaves and raising silkworms."
"I just wanted to find a way to make the Ice Silkworm Garment," Madam Shen said. "For so many years, I have been raising those ice silkworms myself, but unfortunately, the cold poison in my body has become more and more severe, so I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure."
Shen Suxin shook her head: "I found several corpses in a room in the mountain cave. Their bodies were as hard as ice and could not decompose. It was really pitiful."
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen gently and indifferently lowered her eyelids.
Those poor girls suffered a relapse of their cold poison and froze to death in the mountain caves. And others will die from the cold poison itself. The Ice Silkworm Heavenly Robe may be destined to exist only once, destined to be fertilized with the blood of millions.
The wind is picking up outside; perhaps tomorrow this precious garment worn by Mei Ren'er will trigger another bloodbath.
The weather is dry; please be careful with fire.
It's past midnight.
(V) Heartbreaking Dream
1
Poof, poof, poof.
The sound grew closer, a dull thud like someone falling from a great height, followed by another. Countless people fell from the rooftops, swayed briefly before the moonlit window, and landed on the ground. Blood seeped in through the cracks in the door, wetting my lilac-embroidered shoes.
Please don't leave me alone.
The sound was faint, as if it were crawling out from a crack in the ground. The floorboards began to loosen, as if something was desperately trying to push its way out. A small head, fragmented features, and cold eyes filled with a mocking smile.
Please don't leave me alone.
It felt as if a pair of icy hands were reaching for my face, and fear surged from all directions. I finally couldn't help but scream. Those icy hands continued to roam over my face...
"Miss, wake up!" Cuiyi shook my shoulders vigorously. When I opened my frightened eyes, Cuiyi smiled and wiped the sweat from my forehead: "You had a nightmare."
"That nightmare felt so real." I leaned against the soft pillows, still shaken.
The precocious girl in green sighed, "Miss, you dreamt of that little girl again, didn't you?"
"Hmm." I lowered my head, my mind still filled with those cold eyes. Those eyes had been with me for so many years, and even now, thinking about them still sends shivers down my spine.
“Actually, Miss, you were just a six or seven-year-old child back then and couldn’t have stopped anything at all…” Cuiyi stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, as if waking from a dream, and slapped her forehead: “Oh no, the young master told Cuiyi to wake you up early this morning when he went out.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. A maid from the old lady's room came in and curtsied: "Seventh Young Mistress, the old lady and the ladies and young mistresses have been waiting in the ancestral hall for a long time."
Cuiyi twisted her handkerchief with a look of self-reproach: "The young master said that the old lady is going to announce the banquet in the middle of next month, so he asked Miss to go and pay her respects early."
I nodded and quickly got up: "Go tell the old lady that I will be there soon."
The maidservant took the message and left. Only then did I recall the old lady's words from a few days ago: she would hold a grand banquet for seven days to celebrate the Fourth Young Master's recovery and provide relief to the beggars in town for a month. At the time, I thought the old lady was just saying it casually on a whim, but I didn't expect her to actually do it. Although Dugu Manor was bestowed by the late emperor, Dugu Aoran was a military general who had made many heroes and, of course, many enemies. If a grand banquet were to be held, many prominent members of the royal family, martial arts figures, and the townspeople would be invited. Providing relief to the beggars is fine as a good deed, but if someone uses this as an excuse, it would be terrible if any of the many defenseless women in the manor were to make a mistake.
When I arrived at the ancestral hall, the old lady had already made the decision. My mother also nodded in agreement, saying that the mansion hadn't been this lively in a long time, so it would be good to have some good luck. The old lady was even happier to see that someone had agreed, and if I had tried to stop her, I would have only made her disappointed.
My slightly furrowed brows caught the attention of the absent-minded Xiaodie. She tugged at my sleeve and exclaimed, "Fairy Auntie, Mother said that many guests will be coming to our house in a few days. Many children my age will be coming to play. I'm so happy, aren't you?"
I was taken aback and met the old lady's probing gaze, so I quickly smiled and said, "Little Die'er, of course your aunt is happy. There will be many people coming to the manor, and I'm afraid there won't be enough farmhands and maids. Leave these matters to me. I'm also stuck at home all day. As long as Grandmother is happy, then Ruyan will be happy."
The old lady patted my hand with satisfaction: "Our Ruyan is so clever. Your mother is illiterate, your third aunt is a scatterbrain, and your third sister-in-law only knows how to do needlework. Only you can handle this matter. I have already sent Han'er to Fan Hua City to pick up Liang'er. They will arrive in about three days. Your third brother and fourth brother will be able to help you then."
"Ruyan remembers." I curtsied and took my leave. "Then, Grandmother, Ruyan will go and make the preparations now."
2
The next day, a notice was posted outside the gate of Dugu Manor, seeking short-term laborers, long-term laborers, maids, and a clerk to write the notices. Within half a day, the gate was filled with people coming to take the exams. To prevent unauthorized personnel from entering the manor, the old steward I had dismissed personally came to inspect the servants entering the manor.
“Miss, I have written the invitation you asked me to prepare and sent it by the messenger.” Cuiyi sat idly to the side grinding ink and said, “Why bother? The people who come to take the exam are all villagers from the town. You can just let the steward, Uncle Zhong, do it.”
"Are you trying to slack off again, you little brat?" I pretended to be angry and hit her on the head with a calligraphy brush. "Stop talking nonsense and call the next person to take the exam."
Cuiyi stuck out her tongue and called out, "Next."
The woman who came in was around forty years old, holding the hand of a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old. When she saw me, she paused for a moment and murmured, "Could this be a fairy descended from heaven?"
Cuiyi proudly puffed out her chest: "Our young lady is certainly not an ordinary person. What can you do? Our household is in dire need of cooks!"
The woman's expression immediately softened: "To be honest, Miss, it is not me who has come to take the exam, but my daughter."
The little girl looked about seven or eight years old, and was exceptionally thin and small. She looked at me calmly, with an air of neither servility nor arrogance. I chuckled softly, "This child is so young, what could she possibly do?"
“Our girl can do everything. There are many younger siblings in the family, and she does all the work. She is very diligent. If the family weren’t poor, we wouldn’t have the heart to sell her to a wealthy family to work. The Dugu family is large and powerful. I heard that the old lady is a kind-hearted person who eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures every day. I’m sure she won’t mistreat this child…” The woman pushed the little girl forward and pressed her to the ground to kowtow, whispering something to her. The little girl was still young and just gritted her teeth without saying anything. The woman frowned in annoyance.
Cuiyi was also from a poor family. She was almost sold to a brothel as a maid when she was little. Luckily, my mother passed by the brothel and saw her crying so sadly, so she took pity on her and bought her to keep me company. Seeing children like her, sharing her fate, made her heart ache. She whispered in my ear, "Miss, this girl seems quite clever. We don't lack that little bit of food..."
“You seem to know quite a bit about our Dugu Manor.” I nodded and said, “Alright, how many taels of silver are you planning to sell this child for?”
"Seventh Young Madam, please give as much as you can. I just want the child to have a full meal." The woman lowered her head humbly.
“I’ll have my page take you to the accounting office to get fifty taels of silver. Go back and set up a small business. Don’t sell children anymore.” I smiled slightly at the child. “Don’t be afraid. Go with this sister in green to get something to eat and change into some pretty clothes. This mansion is a lot of fun.”
The child seemed to understand but could sense the kindness. She glanced at her mother and then at the smiling Cuiyi, before cleverly running to grab Cuiyi's hand.
The woman, perhaps surprised by the large sum of money, became flustered and said, "Thank you, Seventh Young Madam..." Upon hearing my words, the page hurriedly led the woman away.
3
The child was not very talkative, but after changing into clean clothes and combing her hair, she turned out to be a pretty little girl. She ate too many snacks and was so full that she vomited and had diarrhea. Cuiyi took meticulous care of the poor little thing, feeding her bite by bite. Xiaodie was overjoyed to hear that a child of her age had come to the manor. Usually, Dugu Han insisted on not letting his youngest daughter leave the manor for fear that she would encounter danger, so she had never seen a stranger since she was born.
The child had been resting in bed for several days but was still very weak. Little Die'er quietly knelt by the bedside and whispered to Cuiyi, "Sister Cuiyi, when will she wake up?"
"Young Miss, you go out and play with Alan first. Cuiyi will come to call you when she wakes up."
Upon hearing this, Die'er immediately pouted, "Alan is so clumsy, she always loses when we play shuttlecock." The child was probably bored out of her mind, and seeing her persistent pleading, Cuiyi had no choice but to look at me for help. I quickly pulled Die'er aside and made a shushing gesture, "If you wake that child up, she won't get better and will never be able to play with you again."
Xiao Die'er finally quieted down and lay quietly to one side, watching. Just then, the old steward, Uncle Zhong, arrived and handed over a large ledger as soon as he entered: "Seventh Young Madam, this is the cost of hiring servants this month. In addition, the invitations to the banquet have been written, including several members of the royal family and legitimate sects in the martial arts world, and have already been sent out by messengers. The Third Young Master and the Fourth Young Master have already returned to the mansion, and the Old Madam wants you to come over."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Die'er jumped up excitedly and asked, "Grandpa Zhong, is Dad really back?"
"Yes, Miss, we've returned." Uncle Zhong finally showed a hint of a smile when he saw Die'er's respectful expression.
"Then, Fairy Auntie, let's hurry and go to Great-Grandma's to find Daddy." Children will be children; in an instant, they forgot about their little friend lying in bed. I sighed; this was clearly just like me back then.
Dugu Han and Dugu Liang were having tea with the old lady in the ancestral hall. Dugu Leng had also returned from the cloth shop. The three brothers sitting together made the old lady so happy that she didn't know what to say. She just kept holding Dugu Liang's hand and didn't want to let go. Dugu Liang felt embarrassed by her gaze and said, "Grandmother, I'm all better now. I'm not crazy or stupid anymore. The matter in Sangxiang Town has also been resolved."
Dugu Han curled his lips in a mocking smile: "Fourth brother, have you really dealt with that girl named Mei Ren'er...?"
"Who is Mei Ren'er?" The old lady was completely confused. She hadn't gone to Sangxiang Town, and of course, we wouldn't tell her about such a thrilling experience.
“She’s a woman who likes Fourth Brother; she’s smart and virtuous,” I blurted out.
Dugu Liang glared at us helplessly. The old lady was indeed very happy: "Ruyan was right. Of the three brothers left, you are the only one who is not married. This matter needs to be handled as soon as possible, otherwise things may change."
Seeing this, Dugu Liang made an excuse, saying that the journey was too long and he was too tired, and said he wanted to rest. I told the old lady about the preparations, and then followed Dugu Han and Dugu Leng out of the ancestral hall.
Little Butterfly hadn't seen her father for over a month, and was naturally so excited that she couldn't stop talking about her sick friend in bed. Only then did she stop smiling and sigh like a little adult, saying, "I wonder when we can play together again."
The three adults were amused by her appearance when the steward, Uncle Zhong, rushed over with a look of panic on his face. Seeing us all there, he hurriedly said, "My lords, our gardener went to the back of the mansion to dig some soil for planting flowers, and he actually dug up a corpse in the soil."
"A corpse?" Dugu Leng frowned. "Take us to see it quickly."
4
The body had been dug up, emitting a nauseating stench under the sunlight. The gardener was terrified, and two strong men supported his limp, lifeless body.
The corpse's face was already decomposed. Judging from her clothes and the roughness of her hands, she should be an ordinary peasant woman with no social status and a poor family background. Dugu Leng went up and looked at her for a long time, only saying, "She was strangled to death. This person must have profound internal strength, otherwise even the strongest ordinary person who has never practiced martial arts would not leave such dark purple handprints."
Two farmhands, following the cruel orders, were to carry the body to the county government office for identification. Just as they lifted it, a small cloth money bag fell from her sleeve. The accountant gasped in shock, exclaiming, "Isn't that her?"
"You recognize this woman?" Dugu Leng frowned.
The accountant, his face pale, shook his head: "I don't recognize this woman, but I do recognize this money pouch. A few days ago, when we hired servants, the Seventh Young Master's page brought her to collect fifty taels of silver, saying that the Seventh Young Master's wife had bought her daughter. Because our family rarely spends so much money to buy servants, I have a vague recollection of her. Moreover, fifty taels of silver is not a small amount, and I was afraid she would lose it, so I put it in a money pouch and gave it to her."
"Could it be that someone coveted the woman's wealth and murdered her?" Dugu Han tried to analyze.
Dugu Leng smiled slightly and shook his head: "If it was for money, why is the money bag still on the corpse? Besides, with this finger strength, he is considered a master with superior martial arts skills in the martial arts world. I'm afraid neither you nor I are his match."
It turned out to be the child's mother.
Things didn't seem so simple. Murder wasn't for money, so what connection could a mere woman have with people from the martial arts world? The servants dragged the body onto the carriage and transported it to the county government office. When I returned to Lengyan Xiaozhu, Cuiyi exclaimed in surprise, "She's awake, Miss! That girl is awake!"
The child had recovered remarkably well in just a few days, her face regaining its rosy hue, her large eyes clear and bright. Upon seeing me, she obediently knelt down and kowtowed, saying nothing more. I felt an inexplicable pity and was unable to tell her that her mother had died tragically.
"What's your name?" I then realized I had forgotten to ask him his name.
The child shook her head, and Cuiyi quickly said, "Her mother calls her 'girl,' so that must be what she's called."
“This child has a lowly life and a lowly name. I’d better give her a new name and let her stay at Dugu Manor from now on. Let her study and learn to read with Die’er. I’ll be her godmother.”
“Miss…” Cuiyi’s eyes were full of tears: “That’s what Madam said back then. She said that calling her Xiaohua was too weak and that she needed to be given a proper name so that she could have a better future.”
"Yes, let's name this child Feng'er. I hope she can rise from the ashes." I stroked her head and asked, "Feng'er, what do you think?"
The child stared blankly at me, and Cuiyi quickly and happily pulled her down to kneel: "Aren't you going to thank your godmother..."
"Mother?" The child looked at me timidly. "Are you my mother?"
"Yes, child, I am your mother." I held her tiny body, and tears fell like beads from a broken string. The events of more than ten years ago are still vivid in my mind. Even now, when I think of her, that thin, innocent child is still as lifelike as ever in my mind.
I was only seven years old that year. My two older sisters were always doing needlework, and I got bored, so I would sneak out to play when the housekeeper wasn't looking. I got so engrossed in playing that I forgot the way home when it got dark. That night was really dark, and I sat on a strange street, crying from hunger. Just then, an uncle came along. He kindly asked me if I was hungry and then took me to his home.
The man led me to a very simple house on the mountain. As the night grew darker, I became increasingly frightened. If I slowed down even slightly, the man started cursing at me. At that time, I didn't know what a human trafficker was.
There was a small child in that room. He threw me in, gave me some dry food, locked the door, and left.
I sat on the ground and cried for a long time until my voice was hoarse, while the child just sat quietly in the corner watching me.
After crying myself to sleep, I finally noticed her ask, "Who are you?"