Mama Chen was around sixty years old. Her hair was combed without a strand out of place, her face full of wrinkles. Possibly because she’d lost teeth, her mouth caved in somewhat.

Though her expression was bewildered, she wasn’t tense, and her posture was proper.

Having lived all these years, Mama Chen had never seen a young lady dare to scrutinize her so brazenly. She couldn’t help but feel frightened.

“Young Master Biao?”

“Don’t be afraid, Mama Chen.”

Young Master Biao Pei struggled to lift his upper body. “Miss Yan just needs to ask some things about the old madam. After asking, you can go back.”

Mama Chen had watched Pei Xiao grow up since childhood. With his reassurance, she felt somewhat at ease.

After finishing one cup of tea, Yan Sanhe suddenly spoke.

“Mama Chen, did the old madam ever mention a black dog to you during her lifetime?”

When these words fell, not only Mama Chen was shocked—even Xie Zhifei and the others were secretly surprised.

Going straight to the point!

Indeed, Yan Sanhe wanted to go straight to the point.

Mama Chen had accompanied the old madam for many years. The master and servant were together day and night. If even she hadn’t heard about that black dog, this matter would be difficult to handle.

“If you can’t think of it immediately, then consider whether the old madam mentioned to you why she forbade the Ji manor from keeping dogs.”

Speaking of this, Mama Chen slapped her thigh—clearly she remembered very well.

“The old madam said being a dog is pitiful. After watching the gate for people their whole lives, the result is either being killed or ending up in someone’s belly. Better not to keep them.”

Everyone’s eyes in the room brightened.

Seems promising!

Xie Zhifei even felt his heart being gripped.

He looked at Yan Sanhe, but her face showed nothing—still calm and composed as ever.

Just when everyone thought Yan Sanhe would continue questioning, she suddenly turned her head.

“Third Master Xie?”

“Ah?” Xie Zhifei jumped in surprise.

Yan Sanhe: “Does the Xie manor keep dogs?”

Xie Zhifei: “Yes.”

Yan Sanhe: “Do you kill dogs?”

Xie Zhifei: “Yes!”

Yan Sanhe: “Do you eat dog meat?”

Xie Zhifei froze.

“Let me put it this way: in the capital, nine out of ten households keep dogs. There are many types with three uses.”

Xie Zhifei knew Yan Sanhe didn’t speak uselessly, so he answered as thoroughly as possible.

“Hunting dogs have long muzzles and are good at hunting. Princes, nobles, high officials, and wealthy families keep them mostly for use when hunting—dogs usually lead the way.

Barking dogs have short muzzles and are good at guarding. Common families keep them to watch the house and courtyard.

Meat dogs are fat-bodied and meant for eating. Poor families raise them to supplement their diet.”

Yan Sanhe: “So capital nobility never eat dog meat.”

Xie Zhifei: “Extremely rarely.”

Yan Sanhe: “So those who kill and eat dogs at the Ji manor are servants?”

Xie Zhifei: “Mostly servants and guards.”

If a person couldn’t bear to see others kill and eat dogs, there was only one explanation—

She had kept a dog before.

And this dog-keeping could only have occurred before the old madam married into the Ji family.

“Mama Chen!”

Yan Sanhe smiled slightly at her.

“Though you weren’t brought from the old madam’s natal family, you served her for so long—more or less you should have heard her mention some past matters. Can you tell me about them?”

“…The old madam’s past matters?”

“Correct.”

Yan Sanhe said gently, “No rush. Think slowly. Say whatever comes to mind.”

Mama Chen’s hands twisted together tightly as she lowered her head in silence.

“Did the old madam rarely speak of the past?”

Mama Chen blurted out, “How did Miss know?”

Yan Sanhe: “The old madam’s natal family wasn’t prominent, and she rose from concubine to wife. Some past matters she could mention when she was a concubine, but mentioning them again after becoming the managing matriarch would lose face.”

“Miss’s assessment is exactly right.”

Mama Chen finally sighed. “It’s not that this old woman doesn’t want to say—truly the old madam rarely mentioned past matters. When masters don’t speak, how dare we servants ask more?”

With this statement, the brightness in Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao’s eyes dimmed instantly.

Finished!

Seemed this Mama Chen couldn’t reveal anything either.

Yan Sanhe also slowly furrowed her brows. After a moment of silence, she changed topics. “Mama Chen, what did the old madam most like to eat?”

Speaking of this, Mama Chen became more talkative.

“The old madam loved sweet foods. Every year on the fifteenth of the first month when eating tangyuan, she’d say the filling wasn’t sweet enough. When she was young, she loved gnawing sugarcane most. When she got older and couldn’t chew it, she’d have us juice the sugarcane for her to drink.”

Yan Sanhe asked again, “What was the old madam’s temper like? Were her thoughts heavy?”

“Miss Yan, who can have no temper at all? Others all said the old madam had a good temper and soft nature, but actually the old madam kept her temper restrained.”

Speaking here, Mama Chen sighed heavily.

“Restraining and restraining, it became a habit. Gradually she had no temper. As for her thoughts…”

She eased her tone. “The old madam’s thoughts were truly deep. Even though I served her all these years, I couldn’t fathom or see through them.”

These words contained some falsehood.

No matter how heavy a person’s thoughts, if they can’t be seen through in one or two days, one or two years, surely after ten or eight years some glimpse would emerge?

Yan Sanhe’s voice turned slightly cold. “Where was her depth?”

This question stumped Mama Chen. Her two eyebrows knotted together and didn’t separate for a long while.

“Is it hard to say, or can’t you articulate it?”

Mama Chen’s chest rose and fell, her eyes growing moist. “Miss, this question—how can this old woman answer?”

“Mama Chen.”

Pei Xiao beside her suddenly interjected. “I don’t believe you couldn’t grasp the old madam’s thoughts at all.”

Mama Chen’s expression suddenly changed.

“We rushed here through day and night—there must be important matters.”

Thinking of the Ji manor’s current tragic state, Pei Xiao said, “You shouldn’t conceal anything. Speak truthfully!”

Mama Chen turned away and wiped tears. “The old madam’s thoughts actually had two focal points—one was the former mistress, one was the eldest and second masters.”

So it was difficult to speak of!

Yan Sanhe asked, “What thoughts about the former mistress? What thoughts about the eldest and second masters?”

“The old madam often said she couldn’t compare to the former mistress. As for the eldest and second masters…”

Mama Chen slowly shook her head. “The old madam said she regretted it.”

“Regretted?”

Yan Sanhe’s eyes brightened. “Regretted what?”

“The old madam only revealed a hint. I privately pondered—the two masters weren’t close to the old madam. She most likely regretted having the children registered under the former mistress’s name.”

“Mama Chen, to what degree were the two masters not close to the old madam?”

“Not that they weren’t close, but it always seemed there was a layer between them. Mother and sons were polite and courteous, unlike with Third and Fourth Masters whom the old madam would often scold pointing at their noses.”

“Of course she couldn’t scold others’ children. Not only couldn’t scold them—she had to show respect.”

“Miss speaks truly.”

Mama Chen sighed. “I often advised the old madam to think openly—children and grandchildren have their own blessings.”

“The old madam couldn’t think openly because she wasn’t close to the eldest and second masters?”

Yan Sanhe immediately caught the flaw in her words.

Mama Chen was startled and quickly shook her head.

Yan Sanhe’s gaze darkened. “Then why couldn’t she think openly?”