I reassured them, "Don't worry, everyone. Let's invite the person in question over so we can get the facts straight." The maid at the door seemed a little surprised, but she remained quite calm. I said, "Go and call Chef Li over. The master and madam have something to ask her." The maid acknowledged and ran off.
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy as we sat in the flower hall, each lost in our own thoughts.
Just then, a young maid stumbled in from outside: "It's terrible, sir! Cook Li has died in the woodshed!"
7
Cook Li is dead.
Cook Li died in the woodshed, a smile still playing on her lips. My aunt fainted from fright at the sight, and my uncle followed her away. Dugu Han and I stood at the doorway. He asked, "Sister-in-law, aren't you afraid?" I smiled, "What's there to be afraid of in a corpse?" He pondered, "That makes sense, but you should be afraid, because no one knows if you'll be the next to die." I frowned, "Third Brother, why do you say that?"
Dugu Han stopped speaking. He approached the corpse and squatted down: "It was suicide."
"And it was suicide by poisoning." I sighed. I had been too careless. Cook Li had already realized that I suspected her, but I was too confident and lost the clue.
"My sister-in-law seems to have a great deal of knowledge in medicine."
I shook my head: "No, I do know quite a bit about poisons. My master is an old monk who spends all his free time researching all kinds of poisons and hidden weapons. He also has a particularly interesting friend from the Tang Clan who always gives him strange poisons to cure himself whenever he visits. So my master's expertise has deepened, and he has taught me some similar things as well."
Dugu Han smiled and followed me out of the woodshed, closing the door behind us. "Sister-in-law, you're so intelligent, don't you find some things strange?"
"Yes, I'm always puzzled."
Dugu Han seemed to be thinking about something. Not daring to disturb him, I followed him rashly. After walking for a while, he finally stopped and said, "Actually, Seventh Brother is already dead, right?"
I stood there, my throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.
He continued, "I knew about my seventh brother going to fetch his bride because I happened to pass by the flower hall and overheard my parents talking about it. But after my sister-in-law arrived, my parents told us that my seventh brother had gone out to meet friends, and I had a feeling that something bad had happened to him."
"Then, aren't you surprised?"
Dugu Han suddenly burst into laughter: "What's so strange about it? Everyone dies eventually, some deaths are heavier than Mount Tai, others lighter than a feather." His laughter was quite mournful.
I stood in front of him and said, "Third Brother, there are many things I don't understand."
"There's no need to understand, because even if you did, you'd be powerless. No one in the Dugu family can decide their own life or death. And in each generation, only one male descendant survives; this has been the case for generations. Death is nothing new to the Dugu family. Like Grandmother, she watched her sons die one by one, until only Father remained. As for us seven brothers, our eldest was killed by bandits while doing business, our second died of illness, our fourth brother is now insane, our fifth brother's remains were found in the garden after he disappeared for two years, and now our seventh brother is dead. Only my sixth brother and I are normal. But who will be next?"
Dugu Han clutched his head in anguish: "Look at Die'er, she's still so young, and she already has a full head of white hair. Women of the Dugu family always have white hair from a young age. It's a curse, left by our ancestors, and it can't be broken."
I suddenly felt a chill, as if the vengeful spirits of the Dugu family, cursed to death for generations, were standing behind me. What curse could have turned them into this?
8
When I woke up in the morning, I found that the sun was already high in the sky, and Cuiyi was spreading some books out on the table to dry. I got up and scolded her, "You naughty girl, you've made us late for paying our respects to the old lady."
Cuiyi wasn't embarrassed at all and said with a smile, "I noticed that Miss hasn't been sleeping well for the past few days, but she's sleeping so soundly today, so I didn't disturb her."
Why are you hanging these books out to dry?
"This morning I went to the Seventh Young Master's study to tidy up and clean, and I accidentally knocked over the teacup on the table. The tea soaked the books, so I brought it here to air dry."
I frowned: "You said it's a teacup? Where did you get a teacup?"
Cuiyi looked at me in confusion: "It's the teacup on the desk, Miss, are you still half asleep?"
I stopped talking, and Cuiyi brought me water to wash up. The books were spread out on the table, and I carefully flipped through them. I then noticed that Dugu Leng was truly a studious person; his handwriting was neat and elegant, which made me feel quite favorably towards him. Most of what he wrote was about medical knowledge, such as the considerable amount of information he recorded about saffron, a precious medicinal herb from Tibet.
For treating various lumps and masses: Take one saffron flower each time, infused with hot water. Avoid oily and salty foods; a light porridge is recommended.
For treating typhoid fever with delirium, fright, and confusion: Take two parts of the powder, soak it in one cup of water overnight, and then take it.
For treating hematemesis: Take one saffron flower and one cup of ash-free wine. Put the flower into the wine, steam it in a double boiler, and drink the resulting liquid.
However, saffron is still quite rare in the Central Plains. I turned the page to continue reading, but found that the text had already blurred, and when I touched it, the ink smudged on my fingers. Cuiyi went out for a short while, and soon came running in in a panic, shouting, "Something terrible has happened, Miss! The Third Madam's daughter, Yuanyang, has committed suicide by jumping into the well."
Suicide? Another person has died.
Yuanyang's body was discovered that morning when the servants went to fetch water. The body had floated to the surface, turning somewhat whitish from being submerged. The Third Madam collapsed onto the body, weeping uncontrollably. The Old Madam had clearly learned of the incident; her maid, Xianglian, came over to offer a few words of comfort and then let it go. The Uncle calmly said to the stunned servants, "Bury the Second Miss in the ancestral graveyard." These servants all appeared dazed, but they remarkably calmly lifted the body and left.
The third wife fainted while crying.
My resentment grew stronger and stronger. My aunt felt sorry for me when she saw me like this. Just then, the town's temple fair happened to be on. She said, "Why don't you take the maid out for a walk to clear your head? You'll get used to this kind of thing after seeing it so many times."
That's fine, so Cuiyi followed me out the door.
Cuiyi was very excited the whole way, not taking the earlier incident to heart at all. She ran to buy sugar figurines one moment and watch acrobatics the next, having a great time. The midday sun was really scorching, so we found a teahouse to sit down. Cuiyi wiped my sweat while pouting apologetically, "It's all Cuiyi's fault for being so playful and tiring you out, Miss."
"Silly girl, I didn't blame you."
The waiter brought over a pot of tea, and upon seeing me, he paused for a moment before exclaiming, "May I ask if you are the newlywed seventh young mistress of the Dugu family?"
I was somewhat surprised: "Have you seen me before?"
The waiter scratched his head and smiled憨厚ly: "How could someone of my background like me have ever met someone as noble as Miss? I just heard that the seventh young master of the Dugu family married a girl who is as beautiful as a fairy. You see, the girls in this town are not even as good as the little maid next to you, let alone you."
Cuiyi was overjoyed upon hearing this and forgot her duty: "You little waiter do have some discerning eyes. Our young lady is none other than the seventh young mistress of the Dugu family."
The waiter shook his head unconsciously after hearing this, looking quite regretful. He respectfully poured the tea, said "Enjoy your tea" and was about to leave. I called out to him with some doubt, "Wait a minute, this waiter is really interesting. He seems to have something to say, but he's hesitant to speak."
"Seventh Young Mistress, my ears are easily offended, and I overheard some things I shouldn't have. Otherwise, if you blame me for spreading rumors, I can't bear that accusation."
"Speak freely, and our young lady won't blame you if you're wrong." Cuiyi smiled and poured him a cup of tea. "Sit down and tell me slowly."
Seeing that Cuiyi was flattered by his kindness, the waiter calmed down and said, "Seventh Young Mistress, you are new to this family and don't know. I feel it's a pity that such a beautiful woman like you is not being given away."
"What do you mean?" I gestured for Cuiyi to secretly look around to see if there were any suspicious people.
“I have a relative who works as a servant in the Dugu family. Once, when he was drunk, he accidentally revealed a shocking secret. It turns out that all the servants who work in the Dugu family have a common agreement: they must never tell anyone about any bad things that happen in the Dugu family, or they will die without a burial place.”
No wonder no one from the government came to investigate even though the Dugu family lost two lives. I nodded slightly, having made up my mind: "Go on."
“My relative said that all the descendants of the Dugu family are cursed because their ancestor Dugu Aoran killed his favorite concubine. When the concubine was dying, her hair suddenly turned snow-white. That August, the rain was particularly heavy and there was a flood.”
"Have the old folks in town never heard of these things?"
"No. The Dugu family rules are too strict; anyone who talks nonsense is dead." The waiter said, glancing around awkwardly, as if afraid that some ghost or something might come out and bite his neck.
Why did Dugu Aoran kill his concubine?
"I don't know about the younger one. This story is probably passed down from generation to generation, and by this generation it has been completely distorted."
I understood immediately and took out a silver ingot, placing it on the table: "This is a reward for you." The waiter happily accepted the silver and went to serve other customers.
9
It was quite late when I returned to the manor. The old steward, Uncle Zhong, was anxiously waiting for me at the door. Upon seeing me, the wrinkles on his face finally smoothed out. He said, "Seventh Young Mistress, if you hadn't returned soon, I would have sent the servants to look for you."
"Uncle Zhong, has Cuiyi returned yet?"
"I've been guarding the door the whole time, but I haven't seen any sign of that girl."
I inwardly cursed. Cuiyi had been with me for many years; though playful and greedy, she wasn't entirely unruly. I waited for her at the teahouse for a long time without seeing her, and only when it was getting dark did I rush back, clinging to a sliver of hope that she had already returned home. Hearing Uncle Zhong's words, my heart pounded like a cat on a hot tin roof; I feared that something terrible had happened to Cuiyi.
"Don't worry, Seventh Young Mistress. That girl might have been playing and came back a little late. I'll send a servant to look for her. The old lady has been nagging me all day about how you told me to go to her room as soon as you get back."
"I understand, Uncle Zhong, I'm leaving Cuiyi in your care."
"Young Madam, you're too kind. This is my duty," Uncle Zhong said, then gestured to a few servants and went out.
When I arrived at the ancestral hall, the old lady was kneeling before the Bodhisattva, chanting sutras. I gently called out, "Grandmother, Ruyan greets you." She opened her eyes and said to the maid Xianglian beside her, "I would like to speak with Ruyan alone." The maid responded and left the room, closing the door behind her. I helped the old lady up and sat her in the armchair.
"What brings Grandmother here today?"
"Ruyan, although you've officially entered the family, you and Leng'er haven't had a proper wedding ceremony. After much thought, I've decided to break the rules and remarry you to Qing'er. What do you think?"
I was taken aback and quickly declined, saying, "Grandmother is good to Ruyan, and Ruyan knows it in her heart. But I have already married the Seventh Young Master. I belong to him in life and in death. If anyone is to blame, it is Ruyan who is not blessed. Grandmother, please don't take this matter to heart."
"Ruyan, you are so sensible, and your grandmother likes you from the bottom of her heart, but it has really harmed you to join the Dugu family."
“Grandmother, what are you saying? My husband’s death was an accident. Cook Li atones for his sins with her death, while Yuanyang couldn’t think straight. Grandmother is old and burns incense every day. The eyes of the Bodhisattva are truly watching and will surely bring us peace.”
A rare smile finally appeared on the old woman's face: "You have such a clever tongue, you've managed to leave this old woman speechless. But their deaths were not accidental, they were all the result of sins committed by their ancestors."
I hesitated for a moment and said, "Grandmother, Ruyan has something to say, but I don't know if I should ask it."
"speak."
"I don't know what kind of sins my grandmother was referring to as the sins committed by our ancestors."
The old woman sighed, her prayer beads twirling in her hand again. "So much has happened, I really shouldn't have kept it from you. Back then, our ancestor, Dugu Aoran, was a favorite of the king. Everyone knew he retired and settled in Fulong Town. Later, he married a virtuous and kind woman who treated him with utmost respect. Then, while hunting in the mountains, Dugu Aoran rescued an injured woman. She was incredibly beautiful, and he quickly fell in love with her, taking her as his concubine—his third wife. The third wife was very favored, but one day, for some reason, she was in the first wife's soup..." Poisoned, the First Madam died with a smile in Dugu Aoran's arms. Heartbroken, he drew his sword and plunged it into the Third Madam's throat. Her hair instantly turned silver-white, and the sky changed dramatically with lightning and thunder. The cherry blossoms in the courtyard fell, and she died peacefully. Dugu Aoran also committed suicide. Strangely, after the Third Madam's death, it rained for two months straight, causing floods in the villages. From then on, every descendant of the Dugu family would die, leaving only a single heir, and in all sorts of bizarre ways. Every woman born with white hair would perish before marriage.
"Grandmother, what about the Second Madam?"
"Without the Second Madam, the Dugu family might have fallen apart. After Dugu Aoran died, she single-handedly built up the family business, which is why the Dugu family is what it is today. Unfortunately, the Second Madam's child died in the womb after the Third Madam's death."
I sighed; what a woman whose life has been full of twists and turns.
10
Cuiyi has disappeared. Uncle Zhong led a search party for several days, but each time they returned with disappointment. He comforted me, saying, "Good people are always protected by heaven, young mistress, don't worry too much." I began to carefully analyze the ins and outs of these events.
After Dugu Leng's death, I discovered that the plum blossom cakes made by Chef Li were poisoned, but the plum blossom cakes eaten by others were not poisoned. This indicates that the poisoning was targeted at Dugu Leng. It turns out that Dugu Leng had suffered a serious illness two years prior, and according to Yuanyang's description of the situation at the time, it was indeed a manifestation of the lingering effects of poisoning. He wasn't killed two years ago, but rather died suddenly on his way to his wedding two years later. According to the books he read, he later realized he had been poisoned. If he died from poisoning, then all his research on medicine and toxicology seems utterly useless.
Cook Li committed suicide out of guilt. She didn't need to do this; she could have used that time to slip out of the manor under the pretext of buying groceries and never returned. But she had no grudge against the Seventh Young Master, so why would she harm him?
Yuanyang seems to be a gentle person, so it must have been difficult for her to decide to commit suicide. But how did she fall into the well? Or rather, what happened that made her decide to jump?
I was being followed in the garden, and Cuiyi's disappearance at the temple fair confirmed my suspicions. Someone with martial arts skills far superior to mine was secretly monitoring my every move. Could I be the next victim? I increasingly realized that things were more than just a curse.
The next day, I woke up to find the sun high in the sky. Lately, I've been getting increasingly sleepy, and my mood has been getting more and more depressed. I went to the garden to play games with Xiaodie. I blindfolded myself, and Xiaodie ran around shouting, "Here! Catch me! Catch me!" I deliberately grabbed her in the wrong direction, which made Xiaodie giggle.
Suddenly, my waist was grabbed, and a malicious hand held me tightly, saying mockingly, "Gotcha, gotcha."
I took off my blindfold and saw Dugu Liang hugging me shamelessly, and I couldn't push him away no matter what I did. Xiao Die'er clapped her hands and laughed happily: "Great, great, Fourth Uncle is playing the game too."
In my haste, I was about to press his pressure points when he suddenly reached out and blocked my fingers, saying seriously, "You have excellent skills, young lady."
Driven by my competitive spirit, I launched a flying kick and found myself sparring with him. Although Dugu Liang was eccentric, his martial arts skills were formidable. If he were wielding a sword, given his speed, ruthlessness, and accuracy, I certainly wouldn't last ten moves against him. However, in terms of technique and agility, I was no less skilled than him.
That strange feeling of being watched returned. One moment of carelessness and Dugu Liang caught me off guard. He pulled me into his arms and teased, "How about you become my wife, young lady?" This guy is insane! I couldn't take it anymore and wanted to retaliate when suddenly a cry came from afar: "Fourth Young Master, your father is here! Quickly let go of your sister-in-law!" Upon hearing the word "father," Dugu Liang hurriedly released me and ran away shouting.
The Third Madam came over and checked me over from head to toe: "Are you alright? Fourth Young Master is quite skilled. I never expected Ruyan to know martial arts as well."
I smiled sheepishly, then glanced up and saw a delicate sachet hanging from the Third Madam's waist. I couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beautiful sachet!"
"This was made for me by Yuanyang herself." The Third Madam wiped her eyes. "Seeing you reminds me of our Yuanyang. What a pitiful child, how could she be so heartless?"
"Third Sister, please accept my condolences. Was there anything wrong with Yuanyang that night?"
“That day it was raining. Yuanyang was delivering shoe patterns to Fifth Madam, and nothing seemed amiss. But when she didn’t return for a long time, I went to Fifth Madam’s to ask. She said that Yuanyang had already gone back. I didn’t go to Yuanyang’s room to check. The next day, the servants pulled her body out of the well.” Third Madam was in a very low mood. Beside her was a maid who looked about my age. She seemed very shy and kept her head down.