Chapter 66 Xiao Yan glanced around, and saw a servant…

Chapter 66 Xiao Yan glanced around, and saw a servant…

Xiao Yan glanced around and saw that among the things the servants were carrying were quite a few everyday decorative items and fragile ceramic objects such as cups, bowls and plates.

Speaking of the innermost courtyard of the Qin family mansion, which is almost completely isolated from the outside world yet still has a strong presence, we must mention Master Qin's sister. Xiao Yan should have addressed her as "Aunt" along with Qin Ji, but she had never seen this aunt since marrying into the Qin family.

The only brief contact she had was on her first day of marriage, after she had paid her respects to her parents-in-law and the rest of the Qin family. At that time, her parents-in-law specifically mentioned that there was an elder in the family who lived in seclusion for many years. Although that elder did not like to see people, she, as a junior, should still pay her respects.

Afterwards, Xiao Yan was led by her mother-in-law to pay her respects outside her courtyard. As expected, no one from inside showed up; they only presented a set of jewelry as a gift. This so-called meeting consisted of seeing only the gate to her courtyard.

At the time, Xiao Yan was somewhat curious about this aunt and asked Qin Ji about it. Qin Ji only said that she didn't like to see people and there was no need to contact her. His attitude was somewhat cold, and he seemed quite distant from this aunt.

However, when Xiao Yan Hui first married into the Qin family, besides learning about the temperament of everyone in the Qin family through Qin Ji, she naturally didn't forget to have her entourage inquire and verify the information. The results of their inquiries made this aunt seem rather mysterious, as the Qin family servants were quite secretive about her.

Even if she let slip a hint, she only said that she was Master Xiao's only biological sister, and that she had lived in that courtyard since returning home many years ago. However, she said that her mental state had never been very good, and that she didn't like going out or seeing people, which was consistent with Qin Ji's account.

But there were many ambiguities in those statements. For example, whether she returned home because she was a widow, divorced, or was dismissed, no one ever mentioned. Also, regarding her "not in good mental condition," did they mean she was physically unwell and appeared listless, or was she mentally unstable? No one revealed any information about that.

Later, Xiao Yan noticed that the courtyard was being furnished with new furniture from time to time, and guessed that her aunt, who had never been seen, was probably mentally unstable.

However, judging from the fact that everything the Qin family provided for that courtyard—food, clothing, and daily necessities—was of the highest quality, it seems that even though this aunt's mental state was somewhat unstable, Master Qin still took good care of his sister.

However, this instability seems to be intensifying recently.

So when Xiao Yan saw those servants moving things today, she hinted to Mao'er to inquire about it.

Receiving a signal from Xiao Yan Hui, Mao'er took a few steps back and walked towards the servants. Xiao Yan Hui and her group, however, continued walking slowly forward without stopping.

After entering the inner courtyard, walking east along the corridor, you'll pass a garden and a greenhouse. Further ahead is Cangyuan Tower, where she and Qin Ji reside. As she reached the garden, the cat who had gone to inquire about the situation quickly returned.

"Grandma?" The cat asked its master with its eyes whether it wanted to hear now or talk about it later in the room.

"Speak," Xiao Yan said, not thinking it was something that needed to be discussed in secret.

“Madam, I’ve inquired and found out that those things were indeed sent to the back courtyard. I heard that the young lady in that courtyard has been acting strangely these past few days, her mood has been fluctuating wildly. Not only have the things in her room been broken twice, but she’s also had several maids replaced.”

“We’ve never changed the maids before. What did they do?” Xiao Yan asked.

"I heard that the aunt had a nightmare last night, and kept shouting that there were ghosts, ghosts, and she threw things around in her room for half the night. That's why the servants brought these things today to make up for it."

As for replacing the maids, it seems to be the idea of ​​Granny Zhou in the aunt's courtyard. She said the aunt wasn't frightened by a nightmare, but rather by those cleaning maids who deliberately dressed up as ghosts to scare her, so she insisted that the steward kick them out and sell them off.

"How could a few young maids have such courage?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan Hui felt that Granny Zhou was making things up, probably to prevent rumors from spreading in the mansion that would be detrimental to the young lady.

After all, there is a difference between being startled awake by your own dream, shouting that there are ghosts, and smashing the room to pieces, and being frightened by someone with ulterior motives and acting rashly.

If the former continues to develop, it may only be one step away from madness.

"The aunt is still staying in her own courtyard," Xiao Yan asked in return.

“Yes, it’s in her own yard.” Cat nodded. “As you know, Auntie never comes out.”

“That’s true.” Xiao Yan nodded in agreement.

Ultimately, these are matters concerning the elders, so let's leave it at that. Sometimes, a proper sense of boundaries is still necessary. After all, Xiao Yan sent Mao'er to inquire about these things simply to make sure that nothing out of control had happened at the Qin family during her absence.

"Thud!" Just then, something suddenly flew out from the side and hit the hem of Xiao Yan Hui's skirt. It was only because Xiao Yan Hui reacted quickly and dodged that the thing didn't hit her directly.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a stone covered in moss.

"Who's there!" With the cat's shout, everyone present looked towards a rockery, from which the stone had been thrown.

"What happened?"

"Who's there? Come out!"

"Who's so audacious as to throw a rock at Grandma?"

This sudden turn of events threw Xiao Yan's maids into a flurry of activity. Some stood in front of her as if to protect her, others shouted rebukes, and still others strode towards the artificial hill, seemingly determined to find the person who threw the stone.

Just then, a pink skirt swayed behind the artificial hill, and a soft, charming female voice sang a beautiful and cheerful nursery rhyme.

"Wear a veil, count the plum blossoms, and catch the cat when you count to ten!"

Hiding under the bed? You're clever! Hiding in the stove? You'll get your face all scorched!

Hiding in the garden, I was swarmed by bees—my clothes were exposed, and they let me pluck them!

Hidden in a tree, the branches sway—if you fall on your bottom, don't yell!

A pile of stones, don't let a cat in, or it might smash its head and get a big bump!

"Hehehe, hide-and-seek, hide-and-seek! Come find me!"

The combination of the childlike peek-a-boo nursery rhyme and this melodious yet gentle voice creates an overwhelming sense of incongruity.

"Come out! You...you're a new maid who just entered the manor? Which older sister did you learn your manners from, daring to be so insolent in front of the Madam!" Zhu Yue reprimanded the artificial hill sternly, but there was a hint of insincerity in her words. Especially when the maid who had gone to grab someone from the artificial hill emerged, but shook her head to indicate that no one was inside.

If this weren't happening in a garden under the clear blue sky, the scene might have been quite eerie.

"Ah~ Let me go, let me go! I want to play hide-and-seek! I want to play hide-and-seek!"

Just as everyone was looking at each other, still confused about what was going on, the woman's voice came again from the corner of the corridor behind the artificial hill. This time, however, the voice was mixed with crying and fussing. When everyone looked over, they saw an old woman dressed in a light pink dress pulling a pink figure and quickly disappearing around the corner of the corridor.

"Cat, take two people and chase after them. Ask around if anyone saw who those two were and what happened," Xiao Yan said, frowning as she looked at the empty corner.

"Zhu Yue, let's go back first."

......

"I scolded Granny Zhou right then and there. Even if you were in a hurry to discipline the little maid, you shouldn't have been so rude. You didn't even greet the eldest mistress." Madam Yang slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair, seemingly very angry with Granny Zhou.

Looking back at Xiao Yan Hui, who was sitting at the lower end of the table, her face returned to a reassuring smile: "It was because your aunt needed people urgently, and the person in charge was negligent, so a newly bought girl who hadn't learned any manners was allowed into the backyard. She was a clueless little girl who was homesick and secretly ran to the garden to sing nursery rhymes from her hometown, but she didn't expect to startle you, Yan Hui."

"Daughter-in-law, you weren't scared, were you? I had the kitchen make you a calming soup. Drink a cup so you won't have trouble sleeping tonight." Madam Yang gestured for Zhu Yue to bring over the calming soup she had prepared.

"That sudden turn of events really startled me. Mainly because our girls are all grown up now, past the age of playing hide-and-seek. Suddenly hearing that nursery rhyme, and hearing the unfamiliar singing voice, coupled with their quick movements—they finished singing and vanished in a flash..."

At this point, Xiao Yan touched her chest a few times, as if the mention of it reminded her of the frightened scene: "Fortunately, the sun was high in the sky at the time, and I was accompanied by a string of maids, so I quickly recovered from the shock."

"It's good that there's nothing seriously wrong." While telling Xiao Yan to quickly drink the calming soup, Madam Yang took out a box and opened it to reveal a pair of exquisite mutton fat jade bracelets.

"Everyone says that jade can calm the mind. Your aunt heard that the maids and Granny Zhou in her courtyard had frightened you, and she was very distressed. She took these bracelets and asked me to bring them to you so that Yan Hui could put them under your pillow when you sleep."

"Aunt is too kind. It's such a small matter. These bracelets are too valuable. I can't accept them." Xiao Yan was startled again when her eyes fell on the bracelets.

These bracelets are of such excellent quality.

It is no exaggeration to say that they are like solidified cream and fresh snow, warm and lustrous. Such high-quality mutton fat jade is not only rare and hard to come by in wealthy families like the Qin and Xiao families, but it is also a fine piece that can be passed down through generations in those aristocratic families.

But for such a trivial matter, such a bracelet was actually used as a gift to apologize and calm one's nerves. This behavior is quite illogical.

"Today's matter is just a pretext. The main reason I want to give it to you is because your aunt likes you. Your aunt also said that she has no daughter, so this bracelet is most suitable for you. This is the elder's good intention. It would be inappropriate for you to refuse any longer, daughter-in-law." Although Yang was delivering the gift on behalf of someone else, her attitude was very firm, completely ignoring Xiao Yan Hui's refusal.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. You've just returned from your parents' home today; you must be tired from the long journey, so please get some rest." Madam Yang got up to leave.

"I'll see Mother out." Xiao Yan also quickly got up to see her off.

......

"Why is Master frowning and looking so worried when he sees such fine bracelets?" In the night, the pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets appeared even more lustrous and flawless under the candlelight, but the person handling the bracelets showed no joy. Cat, always quite curious, couldn't help but ask when she saw her master's expression.

"Cat, when you chased after them today, everyone along the way said that it was Granny Zhou and a little maid who went past?" Xiao Yan turned to Cat to confirm again.

"Yes, they said they heard Granny Zhou cursing that girl, but that girl is very bold because of her looks and kept arguing with Granny Zhou." Cat said, pursing her lips: "Even if she has good looks, it's a waste if she enters the young lady's courtyard."

At this point, Cat suddenly seemed to realize something: "Master, do you think it's possible that the maid knew about the mistress's usual practice of staying in the courtyard, which is why she caused this scene today? If she is really beautiful, then deliberately doing something wrong and being punished and kicked out of the courtyard might be better than being locked up there all the time."

"You can leave now," Xiao Yan suddenly said.

"Huh?" The cat didn't understand. Why did its master suddenly want to kick it out while they were talking?

"Silly cat, I feel like if I listen to you any longer, you'll lead me astray. Let's go, let me think about this by myself." Xiao Yan waved her hand impatiently.

Although the cat's idea made some sense, Xiao Yanhui felt that the truth of the matter was what first came to mind when her fingers gently caressed the jade bracelet in her hand.

The pink figure singing nursery rhymes that I bumped into in the garden today was not a little maid at all. There is a very high chance that she is the aunt I have never met before.

Moreover, her mental state may be more worrying than imagined.

"Sigh!" Xiao Yan sighed again, rubbing her forehead. Lately, the Qin family had given her the feeling that they were hiding some great secret.

I don't know exactly when Qin Ji will be able to return. As for the discord in the Qin family, is it just that I'm being too suspicious, or is there really some unknown truth being hidden? If there really is something hidden, does Qin Ji know about it?

As the son most favored by Master Qin, surely he would know if the Qin family had any secrets?

So, is Qin Ji also hiding a lot from me?

......

"How many more days until the journey?" Standing at the bow of the boat, feeling the cold wind and looking at the dark river at night, Qin Ji asked his subordinate in charge of navigation.

"My lord, we are sailing at top speed. If all goes well by sea, we should arrive at the Jiangzuo Wharf in about ten days."

Qin Ji nodded and instructed Wei Sa: "Send a message to the three of them to come to Jiangzuo City to see me this year. The time... let's say twenty days from now."

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Author's Note: Congratulations to someone who has set up a countdown to the upcoming bombshell! Hooray!