Eighth Aunt rubbed her swollen face and sneered, “How would I know how to fix this?”
Eighth Uncle glared at her. “You foolish woman, do you want to miss this chance when such a fat piece of meat as the Earl’s mansion is left unprotected?”
“But things have already come to this point—how could we force the Young Master to marry now?”
Eighth Uncle stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming with greed. “If one path is blocked, we’ll find another way. You women are full of schemes, aren’t you? Old woman, if you can take charge of the Earl’s household during this time, would you still worry about our sons not finding good wives?”
Eighth Aunt plopped down and gulped several mouthfuls of cold tea, casting her earlier fears to the wind. “Let me think.”
How could they interfere in the Earl’s household affairs? The old man was right—she’d regret it for life if they missed such a golden opportunity.
Eighth Aunt’s eyes darted about as she wracked her brains for ideas.
Eighth Uncle, knowing his wife’s craftiness in such matters, silently drank his tea while staring at her slightly swollen face with some regret.
He should have hit her more gently.
Suddenly, Eighth Aunt slapped her thigh. “I’ve got it!”
“What?” Eighth Uncle perked up, setting his nearly empty teacup on the table.
The delicate white porcelain teacup—just one such set cost quite a sum. The Earl’s mansion’s luxuries were incomparable to their country estate, truly living like immortals.
Thinking of this made Eighth Uncle’s heart burn with desire.
The Yongchang Earl’s lineage had always been thin, with only single heirs for generations. By now, they had few close relatives within the clan, and Eighth Uncle’s family was several branches removed.
Fortunately, Earl Yongchang had been generous, taking good care of the clan over the years by allocating funds to the clan school and ancestral hall. Whenever any clan member faced disaster or misfortune, he would provide aid if approached.
But greed knows no bounds. Seeing money flow freely from the Earl’s mansion year after year, people like Eighth Uncle and Aunt only saw it as a mountain of gold and silver, forgetting the Earl and his wife’s kindness.
In their view, the Earl’s mansion was wealthy, so caring for clan members was expected—they even thought too little was given. Now that the household heads had passed away, how could such a vast estate be left to a child who hadn’t even come of age to squander?
Eighth Aunt peered outside, closed the open window, and lowered her voice. “I’ve observed that the Young Master is quite shrewd. We need to target that girl instead.”
“What good plan have you thought of?” Eighth Uncle shook his head, recalling Xie Qingyao’s forceful behavior in the funeral hall. “That girl is even more troublesome.”
Eighth Aunt sneered, “You men don’t understand—the dogs that bite don’t bark, and those who make the most noise are usually all show.”
“Fine, just tell me your plan.”
“If that girl falls ill, with no elders managing the household, wouldn’t she likely go to her maternal grandparents’ home to recuperate?”
“That Maternal Aunt might stay to take care of her.”
Eighth Aunt smiled dismissively. “So what if she stays? Though they have a say in the Young Master’s marriage, as long as they can’t get their daughter in, how can outsiders manage the household? That wouldn’t be proper anywhere. If the girl falls ill, we’re her clan members, and with the Clan Leader’s backing, wouldn’t it be perfectly reasonable for us to manage the inner household? After all, the Young Master is male—how could he handle all the trivial domestic matters?”
Eighth Uncle nodded as he listened.
“Once we get our hands on managing the household, even if that girl recovers later, could she drive us out? It’s easier to invite gods in than to send them away. Before the mansion welcomes a proper mistress, we can be in charge. Even when the Young Master eventually marries, we’ll have already sorted out all the household relationships by then—it won’t be easy to move against us. Old man, isn’t that right?”
“That’s true, but though the girl is grieving, she still seems quite spirited.”
Eighth Aunt gave him a look of disdain. “I’m old enough to know—if I could be frightened into hysteria in the funeral hall, wouldn’t a delicate young girl fall ill if she encounters something… unclean?”
Eighth Uncle’s eyes lit up. “You mean—pretend to be a ghost?”
Eighth Aunt grinned, quite pleased with herself. “Exactly. At night, we’ll have a woman with disheveled hair appear before that girl—see if it doesn’t frighten her half to death.”
Eighth Uncle felt he was more meticulous than his wife in this matter and suggested, “If we’re going to pretend to be a ghost, we need to succeed in one try. Just disheveled hair isn’t enough. I say we should paint the face white, best if the features can’t be made out…”
The couple enthusiastically discussed the ghost-playing details, finally exchanging knowing smiles.
“It’s settled then.” Eighth Uncle poured himself another cup of tea, caressing the smooth white porcelain cup.
This teacup felt so pleasant—all due to money.
Eighth Aunt’s eyes flickered. “But who will play the ghost?”
Eighth Uncle was stunned by the question.
Eighth Aunt continued, “We can’t trust the people we brought, and it’s too late to bribe someone from the mansion…”
Her eyes met Eighth Uncle’s, reading his intention. “Old man, you’re not thinking of having me do it?”
Eighth Uncle smiled. “Old woman, you’re most suitable. Like you said, we can’t trust others—we have to do it ourselves.”
Eighth Aunt opened her mouth, suddenly remembering the ice-cold hands and the near-missing lightning from the funeral hall. She shuddered. “I won’t do it!”
“Why not?” Eighth Uncle glared.
Eighth Aunt glared back defiantly. “Why don’t you do it?”
“I’m a man—wouldn’t I be easily discovered sneaking into a girl’s quarters?” Eighth Uncle instinctively resisted anything involving ghosts and spirits.
“Wouldn’t a woman dressed as a ghost be even more conspicuous if someone sees her?”
Eighth Uncle was speechless.
“Most servants are busy at the funeral tent now, they’ll be exhausted after a full day’s work and will sleep soundly at night. Besides, if anyone sees a female ghost, they’ll be too scared to come closer.” Eighth Aunt pinched Eighth Uncle. “I don’t care, I’m not going alone!”
Eighth Uncle had no choice but to agree to go together.
By nightfall, the rain had stopped. A cool breeze blew through the window, making the bed curtains sway back and forth.
“Ah Si, aren’t you going to sleep?” Xie Qingyao asked, noticing Jiang Si had been standing by the window for a while.
Jiang Si took one last look outside before closing the window and returning to Xie Qingyao’s side. “Yes, I’ll sleep.”
Er Niu must have left this area—she couldn’t smell its scent.
However, today’s heavy rain and strong winds might affect her judgment.
If Er Niu were still here, it would go hungry.
As its mistress worried about its empty stomach, Er Niu was carrying a fat chicken through the garden toward Xie Qingyao’s courtyard. It stopped at the courtyard entrance and ducked behind some flowers and trees.
Better finish the fat chicken before going in.