"Everyone in the Xue family has settled down in the West Court. Putting aside the fact that Mrs. Xue is an opportunist, Uncle Xue's third concubine had also come. Last night, a concubine found out that she had a favorable pulse, and Mrs. Xue asked the stepmother for a hundred-year-old ginseng."
As soon as the master and servant returned to the courtyard, Yi Cui whispered into Shen Hua's ear. The Uncle Xue she was talking about was Xue Muliang's father.
"With such a big family, they're all eating up the Shen family's food. They're even deliberately causing trouble for you."
Shen Hua looked up at the sky. Her tone was filled with disappointment that she should not have at her age.
"If I remember correctly, the Xue family intended to marry Second Sister at first."
Although Shen Zhui was the daughter of a concubine, she was still Shen Wei's daughter. The dowry would definitely be generous.
When Madam Shen Xue raised this matter, Shen Wei rejected the idea.
Shen Zhui was too young, and Xue Muliang spent all his time with women. Even if Shen Wei did not care about Shen Zhui very much, he would not push her into a pit of fire.
"Yi Cui, go and bring Second Sister's wet nurse over. I have something to ask."
"Yes, I'll go look for Mrs. Qiu now."
Mrs. Qiu was also a pitiful person. She had lost her husband in her early years and could not handle the sorrow. She had already given birth to a stillbirth before that. She was so sorrowful that she almost cried her eyes away. Aunt Liu felt sorry for her. Seeing that she was alone and helpless, she begged Madam Shen Chun to keep her. Because of this, she was the only loyal person by Aunt Liu's side.
In her previous life, before Shen Wei passed away, Mrs. Qiu had once come to look for Shen Hua. However, she was chased away by the complacent Mrs. Xu on the spot. It seemed that Mrs. Qiu had come because of Shen Zhui.
However, she had never been able to see Shen Hua as she wished.
After Concubine Liu's death, Mrs. Qiu followed suit.
In the end, everyone in the Shen family who had good intentions did not have a happy ending. What awaited them was despair.
"Alright."
The weather was cold, and there was a charcoal fire burning in the room. As soon as she entered, a wave of hot air wafted over with the faint fragrance of the incense burner.
The smell was like the fragrance of spring plums in the snow.
The ingredients used for this incense were extremely meticulous. It contained a little of the high-grade dragon brain incense that was as expensive as gold. The various spices were mixed with fine powder, and refined honey, which were evenly distributed.
Shen Hua liked this smell. Even her dress had to be smoked with this. It had been like this for many years without changing.
Shen Hua narrowed her eyes comfortably.
She was used to enjoying herself. The various items in the house, from the accessories and hairpin rings to the decorative vases in the corners, were all carefully selected.
Even the soft bells were made of jade. They had a delicate luster and were shaped like small bells. With a slight shake, a crisp sound could be heard.
The jade used to make the bells was obtained from her brother, Shen Zhi, back then.
At that time, the girl's warm and bright eyes curved into a bright smile.
...
"Brother, this jade isn't great, but it's hard to find on the market. Let Yangyang have it."
"Use it to make bells. My curtain is made of golden threads, so I can't use cheap goods on the streets that only cost a few copper coins."
...
Shen Hua let out a low laugh, but her expression became a lot more downcast.
Without anyone to protect her, she could always taste the bitterness of adversity. She had also gone from being pretentious to being an annoying and resentful woman.
Soon, Yi Cui brought the people in.
Mrs. Qiu followed behind Yi Cui with her hands tightly placed on her abdomen. She was limping and walked rather slower than ordinary people.
Shen Hua had a decent impression of her. She had originally served Shen Zhui with all her might, but her stepmother had sent another woman over to take care of her. She could only abdicate and take care of Aunt Liu's daily life.
Ever since that day, Shen Zhui's body was no longer as clean and refined. Even her garments had become perfunctory.
"Mrs. Qiu, why are you so nervous? I won't eat you."
"No… In fact, I also want to look for you, mistress. Please help her, since you're her sister." She knelt down with a plop, tears flickering in her eyes.
"Yi Cui, help her up."
Shen Hua half-leaned on the chaise lounge and looked over with her clear eyes. "As far as I know, the Dong family lost their son five years ago. Although the Dong family and the Shen family are partners, the two families have no business dealings."
The Dong Family had a lot of shady dealings. Although they were rich, their reputation was extremely bad.
Before Dong Hui was born, the Taoist priest pointed out that his fortune was great. Sure enough, after Madam Dong became pregnant, the Dong family's business grew bigger and bigger. However, after Dong Hui died, the Dong family's luck plummeted.
In just a few years, dozens of shops under their name had closed down. Even the ships that were transported to other places filled with porcelain had sunk multiple times. They have suffered heavy losses.
The marriage could have been earlier or later. There was probably something fishy going on.
"Tell me in detail."
Madam Qiu was so angry that her body was trembling. However, she seemed to have grabbed onto a lifeline. She did not dare to hide anything and explained everything.
"You are right, mistress. Dong Hui died five years ago."
"Dong Hui had no wife or children when he was alive, but he had many concubines. After he died, they were all buried alive."
Many scholars and calligraphers began to reprimand him, leaving criticisms.
Although it was cruel to bury the living, there were precedents in the dynasty.
The Dong family used money to compensate those concubines' families, and this matter was left there.
"During the Zhongyuan Festival last year, Madam Dong offered incense as a sacrifice. After that, she often had nightmares and was reminded by Taoist priests. They said that she was plagued by ghosts. When her son died, he was 18 years old. He had no wife and was alone. After his death, he had no temple to enjoy the sacrifices and drifted around. That was why he came to visit her in her dreams."
"Madam Dong believes in ghosts and gods the most. That's why she has plans to have him married in secret."
"Therefore, after the Dong family hired a sorcerer, they secretly asked around about the mother who had passed away in the past three years. They asked about her birth date and characters. On her death anniversary, they even had to look at her bones through a portrait."
Shen Hua seemed to be deep in thought as she smiled faintly.
"She sure knows how to pick a good day."
The Zhongyuan Festival was also known as the Ghost Festival. The people of this part of the world were the most superstitious. Every year, at this time, it was said that the Ghost Gate was wide open and the Yin energy was the densest.
On this day, Madam Dong went to Dong Hui's grave to offer incense.
"Second Madam's birth characters are good, and the person from the Harmony Yard allowed it. Later, he sent the old woman serving him to inform our concubine. When she found out, her chest was heavy and she vomited blood that night."
Mrs. Qiu took a deep breath and gnashed her teeth, "But if this is such a shady marriage, then forget it."
Was there something else going on?
Shen Hua frowned and sat up straight.
"After the Dong family decided on our Second Mistress, they decided on another 17 families one after another. There was even a woman who had just died."
Shen Hua scoffed in anger.
Why did Ah Zhui have to be picked by trash like the Dong family?
Just as she was about to spit an insult, she saw Mrs. Qiu crying.
Shen Hua paused.
Dong Hui died when he was 18.
Now, he had to gather 18 women.
A wild guess flashed across her mind, but Shen Hua firmly grasped it.
She asked in disbelief, "So, the Dong family gathered 18 women who had died within three years under the guise of being illegitimate, cut off their luck of reincarnation, and used witchcraft to defy the heavens, all in order to change the Dong family's luck?"