Two bright white lanterns hung in the main courtyard, appearing eerie and chilling amidst the sobbing and wailing. Old Madam Xiang led Xiang Yunzhang as they stood outside, coldly observing for a moment. She snorted and strode inside.

As she walked, she didn’t forget to ask Xiang Yunzhang, “Didn’t you say the doctor said it was arsenic?”

The bitter pain filling Xiang Yunzhang’s heart was suddenly dispersed by these two words. Hearing this, he nodded heavily with some choking in his voice, “It was indeed arsenic.”

This sickly woman hadn’t died from her illness in the end, but from eating arsenic. Who knows who she was trying to harm. Old Madam Xiang’s brows furrowed together so tightly they seemed capable of crushing two flies. She sneered coldly, “Why would she eat arsenic? Was it because of Mingzi’s matter?”

She didn’t know what kind of upbringing this noble young lady from a high-ranking family had received. Not only had she failed to produce any offspring herself, but even when others helped her bear children, she didn’t know to adopt them into her name and raise them. She thought she could guard that money-losing daughter and actually make something bloom from it.

She should have thought about it—if Xiang Lian died, Xiang Mingzi, bearing the reputation of being a jinx, still wouldn’t gain anything good. The spittle of everyone under heaven could drown her, not to mention which family would dare risk extinction to propose marriage. Such a person who was already a jinx and disaster star—living in this world was worse than not living at all.

If she died, it could be exchanged for Xiang Lian’s life, and she could gain a good reputation. Perhaps in the next life, she could be reborn with better fortune.

Even she, a country peasant woman, could understand such logic. She didn’t know why this educated Song Linlang didn’t understand it.

Xiang Yunzhang now only felt a splitting headache. Why eat arsenic? Nanny Zheng said it was Concubine Bai’s doing, with the reason being that only Concubine Bai had been alone with Song Linlang, and Song Linlang had an incident right after they were together. But of course, Concubine Bai claimed she hadn’t done it, and in fact, Concubine Bai indeed didn’t seem like someone who would do such a thing.

But Song Linlang had no reason either—if she died, what would happen to her daughter? Her mother was about to arrive soon, and her backing was coming. Given her temperament, she would surely want to watch him suffer before being satisfied.

Old Madam Xiang had a very sturdy constitution. While speaking, she had already entered the room. The heavy smell of blood made her furrow her brows. She looked at Nanny Zheng who was putting burial clothes on Song Linlang, then glanced at Xiang Mingzi who was kneeling to the side, seemingly frightened senseless. She said sternly, “Mingzi! Come to your grandmother!”

Xiang Mingzi slightly raised her head to look at her. Her facial expression couldn’t be seen clearly in the constantly flickering candlelight, but she still knelt ramrod straight before Song Linlang’s bed without the slightest movement.

In a whole room full of people, there wasn’t even one who could speak or perform proper etiquette. Old Madam Xiang immediately became furious. It was one thing for Song Linlang to look down on her in daily life, but even the servants in her room had no sense of propriety and judged people with dog’s eyes!

But Xiang Yunzhang had already been stunned. He looked at Song Linlang lying on the bed with her eyes closed, motionless, her face pale as paper. All at once, he felt as if his heart had been hollowed out.

That vivid, charming young girl whose eyes had sparkled with delight when she turned around at the poetry gathering—she would never open her eyes to look at him again. Instinctively gripping the jade pendant at his waist, he moved forward two steps and called out somewhat sadly, “Linlang!”

But immediately after, it was as if he saw Song Linlang’s eyes, filled with disgust and coldness when looking at him, opening again. Frightened, he stumbled back several steps.

Old Madam Xiang looked at the person on the bed with disgust, then turned her head away. She reached out to pull Xiang Yunzhang and said in a low voice, “Quick, take Mingzi away!”

Song Linlang was already dead. When Old Madam Song arrived, she would definitely fiercely protect this granddaughter. By then, this disaster star would certainly be protected.

Then what about Xiang Lian? What about Xiang Yunzhang? The entire Xiang family would be cursed to death by this disaster star!

Xiang Yunzhang was brought back to his senses by his mother’s words. After coming to his senses, he quickly ordered someone to pull Xiang Mingzi away, “Take the young lady to the old madam’s room.”

This was also Old Madam Xiang’s idea. Although she found it inauspicious that Song Linlang had just died and that Xiang Mingzi was a disaster star, for the sake of her son and grandson, this old woman wasn’t afraid of being tainted by some bad luck. After all, she already had one foot in the coffin.

Nanny Zheng and Nanny Wang quickly positioned themselves protectively in front of Xiang Mingzi, assuming the stance of a mother hen protecting her chicks, watching the Xiang family mother and son warily.

Old Madam Xiang felt somewhat humiliated and angry at being looked at with such blatant guarding-against-thieves eyes. She sneered coldly, “What, are you going to have her start serving rice and breaking funeral pots already?”

Her tone when mentioning Song Linlang made Nanny Wang and Nanny Zheng choke with anger. The two women, heartbroken, nearly couldn’t help but burst into curses. It was Yun He who was much calmer. She knelt on the ground with her head lowered, neither servile nor overbearing, “To answer the old madam, the eldest young lady’s emotions are currently unstable. We fear if she cries in the middle of the night, it would disturb the old madam.”

Concubine Bai shrank behind Xiang Yunzhang, feeling both wronged and frightened by Song Linlang’s corpse laid out on the bed. For a moment, she didn’t dare speak before Song Linlang’s spirit.

Old Madam Xiang then laughed once herself. Her two slightly cloudy but still shrewd eyes stared tightly at Xiang Mingzi behind Yun He, saying, “If that’s what you’re worried about, then it’s completely unnecessary. I’m already half buried in the earth—where would I still fear such things?”

After speaking, she raised her eyebrows sharply and glanced at Xiang Yunzhang, almost harshly scolding him, “This is your daughter. Are you still waiting for me to help her up?!”

Xiang Yunzhang’s heart felt both sour and painful. He felt even breathing was difficult. During these years of cold war, he had often wished Song Linlang would die since she wasn’t much different from dead anyway. But now that Song Linlang had truly died and would never open her eyes again, he felt that there was probably nothing else in this world more saddening than this matter.

Now hearing his mother’s rebuke and turning back dazedly to see his mother’s eyes, he finally mustered his courage and steeled his heart, stepping forward to yank up Xiang Mingzi who was kneeling on the ground.

Only then did he realize that Xiang Mingzi wasn’t crying—compared to yesterday’s heart-wrenching sobs, today’s Xiang Mingzi was excessively quiet. Her face didn’t even show any expression.

Old Madam Xiang grabbed Xiang Mingzi in one motion and looked coldly at Nanny Zheng and the others who had all stood up. She sternly ordered, “Tonight, let her make do with me for one night. Tomorrow morning, set up the spirit hall. Let the body lie in state in the main hall!”

Having done farm work in her youth, her hands possessed frightening strength. Pulling Xiang Mingzi was like dragging a bundle of tied dry firewood. She walked outside swiftly as if her feet had grown wings.

“It’s too late today, so let her make do with me for one night. Tomorrow morning, you send someone to fetch her.” Old Madam Xiang glared at her distracted son. “I advise you to put away those spring sorrows and autumn griefs, and properly think about how to deal with your high-ranking and powerful in-laws. That’s what matters.”