In the overly quiet courtyard, the low voice of the Marquis of Pingyang could be heard at this moment.
"Su Yuanyuan, if you're watching here and still recognize me as your father, then listen to me obediently and don't cause any more trouble."
"Our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents. You were too willful and reckless during your lifetime. You failed to fulfill your responsibilities as the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, and you didn't respect your parents well. The miserable end you met really couldn't be blamed on others."
As he spoke, a touch of helplessness crept into his originally serious and rigid voice.
"The dead are gone like a snuffed - out lamp. After your death, we didn't hold your past deeds against you anymore. But you shouldn't have come back to the Marquis's Mansion to cause chaos after death. Giving your mother such a tragic nightmare and torturing her like this."
"You're not a young girl anymore. If you were still alive, it would be time for you to get married. When will you ever be sensible? Don't scare your mother anymore. She's in poor health. If you keep torturing her like this, will she still have a chance to live?"
The flames were curling around the paper money in his hand. Seeing that the paper money was burning normally, the Marquis of Pingyang was even more convinced that it was that so - called Real Man Wenqing who was causing trouble.
"Be obedient and go for reincarnation."
The Marquis of Pingyang said so.
Just then, the paper money in his hand suddenly went out, leaving not even a spark. The Marquis of Pingyang stood there stunned, as if he couldn't believe his own eyes.
It was burning well just now. Why did it suddenly go out?
He immediately looked around and found that he was the only one in the courtyard. The plants in the yard didn't move at all, and there was no wind.
The Marquis of Pingyang didn't believe in ghosts and gods. He tried to light the paper money in his hand again, but this time, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't light it. It was as if the paper money had lost its function.
So what Zining said was true?
This unfilial daughter hated them so much that she wouldn't even let them light the paper money?
Or was she angry about what he had just said?
The Marquis of Pingyang couldn't help but look up at the dilapidated main house in front of him. Frowning tightly, he turned around and left with a flick of his sleeve.
Doing this much was already the biggest concession he could make. If lighting the long - burning lamp in Foxing Temple this time still couldn't solve the problem, then don't blame him for being ruthless. He would definitely find a Taoist priest to subdue her!
...
In the ancestral hall of the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion, two figures were kneeling at this moment. They were Su Zeqian and Su Qingyu.
Since Mrs. Tong fainted, they had been kneeling here, facing the memorial tablets of several ancestors of the Su family on the sacrificial altar, repenting for their mistakes. Once they knelt down, they never got up again.
Although Su Qingyu was kneeling quietly at this moment, she was actually suffering to the extreme.
In the Zhenxianlou, she was splashed with hot soup, stung by poisonous bees, and before she could even treat her wounds, she was slapped by the Marquis of Pingyang and ordered to kneel here as punishment.
It was the depth of winter. There was no heated kang in the ancestral hall. Kneeling on the cushion, she could feel the cold air seeping into her body from her knees. She shivered all over, and the pain intensified a bit more.
That was not all. Because of the Marquis of Pingyang's instructions, even though she was extremely tired, hungry, and suffering, she didn't dare to move a single bit. As long as she made the slightest movement, Su Zeqian would remind her to straighten her back, and his eyes were full of suspicion when looking at her.
Because of all the things that had happened one after another at the Queen's birthday banquet, his trust in her was no longer what it used to be.
In order to restore her image, Su Qingyu could only grit her teeth and persevere.
In the past in the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion, the one who was always punished to kneel was her annoying legitimate younger sister, Su Yuanyuan.
Who would have thought that in just half a year, the one punished to kneel here had become her.
But thanks to this punishment of kneeling, she finally managed to clear her mind a bit.
Thinking back, since the Queen's birthday banquet, she had been having bad luck. Moreover, she had become extremely impetuous, always only caring about the present moment, and thus making one mistake after another.
To put it bluntly, she was being stupid.
Was it the influence of the system malfunction?
If this continued, she would surely kill herself. It seemed that she had to plan things out more carefully.
...
The next day.
"Thief! What do you want to do!"
On the carved bed with layers of veils, Su Yuanyuan let out a scream and suddenly sat up from the bed.
Her memory was still stuck at the moment when she suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. Her heart involuntarily started beating faster. She gasped slightly and opened her round eyes like a frightened rabbit, looking around. But she found that there was no one in sight, and it was already broad daylight outside.
Hearing the noise, someone knocked on the door. Chunxiao pushed the door open and walked in.
Lifting the veil, Chunxiao smiled and said, "Miss is awake? This servant will help you wash and dress up."
Her gaze was attracted by something. Chunxiao's eyes fell on the side of Su Yuanyuan's pillow and she let out a questioning sound.
"What's this..."
Su Yuanyuan followed her gaze and saw the cloud - patterned token that had been placed there at some unknown time.
The memories of last night gradually came back with Chunxiao's question. Su Yuanyuan then remembered that the man had said to her that he would leave the Duke's Mansion after she took the antidote last night.
So he had left, and this was what he left behind?
Involuntarily, she tightly held the cloud - patterned token in her hand. Su Yuanyuan said crisply to Chunxiao, "It's Yuanbao's!"
Chunxiao was amused by her. She thought that Su Yuanyuan had picked it up somewhere and didn't ask about the origin of the token anymore. She pulled Su Yuanyuan up and began to help her wash and dress up.
When changing clothes, Su Yuanyuan found that the wooden rabbit that her third brother, Su Huaisheng, had given her was strung on a red string and hanging steadily around her neck.
Touching the knot, she was a bit stunned.
She remembered that before she went to bed, the wooden rabbit was still placed beside her pillow. When did it end up around her neck?
Could it be that Yun Jian had done this too?
So when she found him sitting in front of her bed last night, he actually wasn't planning to do anything improper to her, but was doing this?
Who would have thought that this person had to leave some traces before leaving. He was really strange.
Xialu also noticed the wooden rabbit. She said in surprise, "Hey, the red string around Miss's neck is quite unique. Sister Chunxiao, come and take a look."
Chunxiao looked and said, "It's really very unique. It doesn't seem like an ordinary thing. I guess that when we went out of the mansion yesterday, Madam bought it for Miss in that Jinxinfang."
Seeing that no one else found it strange, Su Yuanyuan felt relieved. She smiled and said to the two maids,
"Is Yuanbao good - looking?"
The maids said with a smile, "Good - looking. Miss is the most beautiful."
After changing clothes, the red string and the wooden rabbit were hidden deep inside the layers of clothes. Su Yuanyuan specifically took a look and found that she could hardly feel the wooden rabbit, so she felt at ease.
Perhaps it was because she had severely defeated Su Qingyu yesterday. Su Yuanyuan felt especially refreshed today.
When she came to Madam Mo's courtyard, her steps became a bit lighter.
"Mother!" Su Yuanyuan trotted into the room. When she saw Madam Mo, she threw herself into her arms and acted coquettishly.
"Yuanbao, be good. Mother has a lot of things to do. You go and play with Xialu over there, okay?"
Maids and servants were coming and going in Madam Mo's room, carrying things inside. Su Yuanyuan took a look. They were the offerings such as incense candles, fruits, and melons needed for going up the mountain to pay respects to the Buddha tomorrow, as well as the dry rations to eat on the way and the warm clothes.
Right, tomorrow was the fifteenth day. They were going to Foxing Temple to pray for blessings. And Foxing Temple was on Mingcui Mountain, twenty miles outside Shengjing City. They had to set off from Shengjing City early so that they could return to Shengjing on the same day. Therefore, they had to make preparations in advance.
Seeing that Madam Mo was so busy that she didn't have time to pay attention to her, Su Yuanyuan stayed in Madam Mo's room for a while and then left sensibly.
Remembering that tomorrow was the day when Su Huaiyuan was going to have a duel with someone, after leaving Madam Mo's courtyard, Su Yuanyuan followed her memory and walked towards Su Huaiyuan's place.