Under Xie Yinlou’s slightly puzzled gaze, Jiang Si’s expression remained unchanged.
She certainly couldn’t expose Er Niu, so she had no choice but to feign ignorance.
While Xie Qingyao might be easy to fool, Xie Yinlou was not someone who could be so easily deceived.
He furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze lingering on Jiang Si’s face.
Jiang Si lowered her eyes, feeling rather pressured.
“Elder Brother, why are you asking Sister Si about this? Of course, there are no spirits in my courtyard,” Xie Qingyao said, managing a rare smile. “There aren’t any in anyone’s courtyard.”
In the night, Xie Yinlou’s light brown eyes gleamed with an increasingly deep light, making his emotions unreadable.
His sister was right – how could there be spirits in this world?
When he questioned Fourth Miss Jiang, he wasn’t trying to discover any spirits. Since Fourth Miss Jiang was unwilling to admit anything, why should he make things difficult for someone who had helped him and his sister?
Xie Yinlou’s gaze softened, and he nodded gently to Jiang Si: “Thank you for tonight, Fourth Miss Jiang.”
Seeing that Xie Yinlou wouldn’t pursue the matter further, Jiang Si smiled gracefully: “Elder Brother Xie is too kind. I didn’t do anything.”
“It’s late now. You should rest. I’m going to the memorial hall.”
Seeing the increasingly dark shadows under her brother’s eyes, Xie Qingyao couldn’t help saying: “Elder Brother, you must take care of your health. If you fall ill from exhaustion, what would I do alone?”
Xie Yinlou gave Xie Qingyao a slight smile: “Don’t worry, I can handle it. I won’t leave you alone.”
Tears instantly welled up in Xie Qingyao’s eyes.
Without her brother, she truly wouldn’t have the courage to carry on. Now, having seen the true faces of those wolves and tigers, she couldn’t retreat and leave her brother to face them alone.
Xie Yinlou patted Xie Qingyao’s shoulder, nodded to Jiang Si, and turned to walk toward the courtyard gate. When he reached the entrance, he suddenly paused and glanced toward the banana grove.
Jiang Si maintained her composure, though her heart tensed.
Had Xie Yinlou discovered Er Niu?
Behind the banana grove, Er Niu, particularly sensitive to gazes, perked up its ears alertly.
Had this human discovered it? Should it run away quickly or bite him if he came closer?
Er Niu pondered – it wasn’t afraid of losing a fight, and running away would be too undignified. Perhaps a bite would be better.
But the mistress seemed to have a good relationship with this person.
Er Niu tilted its head, watching the young man at the gate, unusually hesitant.
Never mind, it would still bite him. Even if the mistress got angry, the master would probably be happy.
Having made up its mind, the large dog relaxed, calmly waiting to bite.
Xie Yinlou withdrew his gaze and pushed open the door.
Jiang Si quietly sighed in relief.
Whether or not Xie Yinlou had noticed anything unusual, as long as he didn’t expose it directly, that was fine. She was thick-skinned enough to deny everything as long as it wasn’t brought up openly.
Xie Yinlou was a man of quick action. Not only did he drive out Eighth Uncle and Eighth Aunt overnight, but he immediately wrote a letter, ordering the steward and a clan uncle to find the clan leader at the Xie family estate as soon as the city gates opened at dawn to report everything that had happened.
The steward and clan uncle rode out of the city at the first light of dawn. Meanwhile, the Eighth Uncle and Eighth Aunt, who had been driven out in the middle of the night, spent the night on the streets. They lay awake staring at the stars for the first half of the night, finally dozing off in the latter half, only to wake when the sun was high in the sky.
The two, without even wiping the sleep from their eyes, rushed out of the city in a disheveled state, hoping to reach the estate quickly and appeal to the clan leader’s sympathy first.
First impressions were crucial – the same story could have very different effects depending on who told it first.
When they returned to the estate, walking home under the strange gazes of their clansmen, someone spat behind them: “Pah, what a disgrace!”
Eighth Aunt, who had always been proud due to her father-in-law being the clan leader, had never suffered such humiliation. Upon hearing this, she immediately turned around, hands on her hips, demanding: “Who are you talking about?”
The woman sneered: “Those who are guilty know who they are! Fifth Brother’s body isn’t even cold yet, and some people are already eyeing his substantial estate. Aren’t they afraid of heaven’s punishment?”
Eighth Aunt trembled at the mention of “heaven’s punishment.”
She couldn’t bear to hear those words now!
“What is heaven’s punishment? My, I didn’t know you were so close to Fifth Brother. Still, trying to curry favor even after he’s dead? Too bad you’re casting pearls before swine…”
Little did she know that the estate’s steward had arrived earlier and revealed everything about their misdeeds, with the clan uncle as a witness. The clan members now knew of their shameful actions and were furious.
Some people might forget kindness easily, but others still maintain their conscience.
The woman who had spoken earlier had received help from the Marquis’s estate before. Hearing Eighth Aunt’s vile words, she spat directly in her face: “Pah! What filth are you spewing? When my husband died, our five children were nearly starving to death. It was the Fifth Brother and his wife who gave us money to survive. Fifth Brother even paid for my second son’s education when he saw the boy was clever. Some ungrateful wretches might forget Fifth Brother and his wife’s kindness, but I remember it well. Come on, let’s go to the clan leader! If the clan leader doesn’t drive you two black-hearted vermin out today, I’ll bash my head against his doorway. At least I’ll have repaid Fifth Brother and his wife’s kindness!”
The clan members were incensed, pushing and shoving the Eighth Uncle and Aunt to the clan leader’s house.
In such circumstances, even if the clan leader wanted to show favoritism, he couldn’t. Moreover, to be a clan leader required one to be of high moral standing, and such people valued reputation above all. To quell the public outrage, he directly expelled Eighth Uncle and Aunt from the estate.
People of that era placed great importance on clan relationships, with clan authority often superseding the law. For instance, when a clan dealt with one of its members, government officials would not interfere, and those who lost clan protection would face a harsh fate.
Despite Eighth Uncle and Aunt’s desperate pleas, the clan leader wouldn’t revoke his decision. They disappeared from view for a long time afterward.
Xie Yinlou knelt in the memorial hall, his expression unchanging as he listened to the steward’s whispered report. His lips curved slightly as he gazed at the white silk flowers on the coffins, silently vowing: “Father, Mother, please rest assured. Your son will uphold the Marquis’s estate and take good care of his sister…”
Soon, the first seven days of mourning for the Marquis and his wife passed. Seeing that Xie Qingyao’s spirits had improved, Jiang Si proposed returning home.
Though Xie Qingyao was reluctant to part, she understood it wasn’t proper to keep guests too long.
At this moment, she glanced at her brother, thinking how nice it would be if he could form a marriage alliance with Si’er – then they could be together every day.
After all, it was her brother’s fault for not being more proactive.
The girl’s reproachful look made Xie Yinlou inexplicably uncomfortable. He quickly said to Jiang Si: “Fourth Miss Jiang, let me escort you out.”
Xie Qingyao’s lips twitched.
Her brother was so eager to send her away, no wonder he wasn’t well-liked.
“The two estates are so close, there’s no need to trouble Elder Brother Xie.”
Xie Yinlou insisted: “Fourth Miss Jiang has kept Qingyao company for so long, seeing you off is only proper.”
Jiang Si wasn’t a coy person. Seeing Xie Yinlou’s insistence, she no longer declined.
People loved to watch spectacles, especially those involving weddings and funerals. The Marquis and his wife’s passing had brought in dozens of Buddhist monks and Taoist priests for religious ceremonies, with the daily music and rituals drawing countless onlookers.
Yu Jin was one of those who never missed watching such events.