The Double-Chapter 380 - 131 Auntie_3

Jiang Li pondered deeply and then suddenly said, "Today’s sunshine is very good, and it seems quite close to Maternal Aunt Hu’s yard. Maternal Aunt Hu, may I come and sit in your place? You wouldn’t refuse, would you?"

Everyone was stunned.

Bai Xue and Tonger were puzzled. Jiang Li and Maternal Aunt Hu had no dealings with each other, and Maternal Aunt Hu was as invisible as a ghost in the Jiang Residence. Why would Jiang Li take the initiative to befriend Maternal Aunt Hu?

The maid beside Maternal Aunt Hu was also surprised. They must have been accustomed to being isolated in the Jiang Residence. Apart from the old madam, it seemed no one remembered them. It’s possible that even Jiang Yuanbai had forgotten that he once had such an aunt. Yet Jiang Li’s attitude was warm, with a smile on her lips that made it difficult to refuse.

Jiang Li just smiled and looked at Maternal Aunt Hu.

After a while, Maternal Aunt Hu softly said, "Alright."

Maternal Aunt Hu’s yard was even more secluded than Jiang Li’s "Fangfei Garden." At least after certain events, Ji Shuran wouldn’t dare to mistreat Fangfei Garden openly. But with Maternal Aunt Hu’s yard, Jiang Li could only say that if she didn’t know Maternal Aunt Hu, she might doubt whether this yard was for an aunt or for a servant.

Or perhaps, the personal maids of Ji Shuran and Jiang Youyao even had more comfortable living quarters than Maternal Aunt Hu. The yard was small, yet it did nothing to diminish the feeling of desolation. There was no place for decorations, and the house, with a bed, a table, and a few chairs, was all there was to her possessions.

Maternal Aunt Hu’s maid went to pour tea for Jiang Li, who noticed that there were only two tea cups in the room, and the tea pot was chipped. As for the pastries on the table, they were non-existent.

The maid felt somewhat embarrassed, but Maternal Aunt Hu seemed quite at ease, as if these shortcomings didn’t bother her. With a nonchalant expression, Jiang Li thought she looked more like a nun from the Green City Mountain’s Nunnery, free from desires, as if she might take flight on the breeze at any moment.

"Maternal Aunt Hu, it really is quite lonely here," Jiang Li said. "In the winter, why don’t you even light a brazier to warm up?"

The maid, as if she finally found someone who could take charge and speak for them, was on the verge of tears as she said, "We went to the kitchen for charcoal, but the charcoal they gave us was damp. Even if we dried it out, the charcoal in the room was of the lowest quality and made us cough non-stop... If the Second Miss pities our aunt, please say a word to the kitchen. Our aunt has been frostbitten several times this winter, and her knees are covered in old injuries."

Jiang Li said, "Why don’t you ask my mother? She holds all the domestic authority, and she would take your side in such a small matter."

The maid fell silent at once, and Maternal Aunt Hu said, "It’s nothing; I’m used to it. I’m not cold."

Her voice was also very soft, almost inaudible unless one listened intently. Jiang Li looked at her; this woman was definitely not suffering from hysteria. In front of her, she made no effort to conceal her sharp wits. The person she wanted to deceive was not herself; she wanted to be forthcoming with herself.

For what reason?

Jiang Li smiled and said, "I heard that when my mother gave birth to me, Maternal Aunt Hu often held me. So many years have passed, and I don’t remember much. Seeing Maternal Aunt Hu feels somewhat unfamiliar, yet also very familiar."

Of course, this was fabricated by Jiang Li; she wasn’t the true Miss Jiang the Second. Even if she were, she couldn’t possibly remember such things, given her tender age at that time.

Yet her words seemed to evoke long-forgotten memories in Maternal Aunt Hu. Her gaze turned distant as she slowly said, "Yes, back then... "

She didn’t continue.

Jiang Li said, "Back then, what exactly happened when elder sister fell from the rockery?"

All in the room were taken aback by the abrupt question.

Bai Xue and Tonger were too shocked to speak. Although Maternal Aunt Hu seemed nice enough now, bringing up the painful past in front of a mother, and if Maternal Aunt Hu had a breakdown and succumbed to hysteria again, what would they do?

However, Maternal Aunt Hu’s maid looked as if she had received terrible news, her body trembling slightly.

Maternal Aunt Hu’s gaze met Jiang Li’s, with something flashing quickly across her eyes. She asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I’m just inquiring whether there was a hidden story behind elder sister’s death. For instance, was she harmed by someone?"

She spoke boldly and without hesitation, with strikes after strikes. The maids didn’t know what facial expressions to make, but Jiang Li appeared calm, as if she were asking about a mundane matter.