The Double-Chapter 381 - 131 Auntie_4

But Maternal Aunt Hu’s calm demeanor was shattered.

She said, "Second Miss, watch your words, there are things that cannot be spoken of in this house."

"So, that’s why you have to pretend to have hysteria, feigning ignorance of the hidden truths, playing deaf and dumb, just to barely keep yourself alive. Yet you suffer the torment of a broken heart daily, unable to move on from your daughter’s death," she glanced at the items on the table inside the room.

Miss Jiang the Eldest passed away young and was not allowed into the Jiang Family Ancestral Hall. Maternal Aunt Hu therefore kept Miss Jiang the Eldest’s spiritual tablet in the house, offering prayers to it every day, and the space was always filled with the scent of incense candles. On the table were also some children’s toys, like rattle-drums, revealing that Maternal Aunt Hu still held on in her heart to this day.

After so many years, she should have let go. Holding onto the past with such insistence, unable to move on, filled with grief, unable to find closure—was it because her daughter’s death was surrounded by controversy, a truly wrongful death? She was not content, yet powerless, only able to live encased in suppressed fury and hatred.

But she dared not forget for even a moment.

Jiang Li watched her, gently beginning, "Maternal Aunt Hu, if my eldest sister were still alive, she would be getting married this year. She was older than me, she must have been very beautiful."

Maternal Aunt Hu slowly closed her eyes; Jiang Li saw her hand resting on the table, slowly clenching, then relaxing again. She looked at Jiang Li and said, "Second Miss, I know nothing."

Jiang Li quietly observed her for a while before saying, "Is that so? That’s a real pity." She stood up, seemingly nonchalantly brushing her clothes, and said, "I had thought that if there were indeed some hidden truths, perhaps I could be of some assistance. It’s not that I want to help Maternal Aunt Hu, I just feel it’s a shame for my eldest sister."

Maternal Aunt Hu’s lips moved, but she said nothing. Jiang Li signaled to Tonger and Bai Xue to leave, saying as they walked, "I have matters to attend to today, so I won’t stay here any longer. There’s no charcoal fire in Maternal Aunt Hu’s quarters, it’s quite too cold. If you have anything to tell me, you can always find me at Fangfei Garden. Fangfei Garden has enough charcoal fire, and it’s not cold. I think you should come to Fangfei Garden more often, Maternal Aunt Hu... After all, my mother and you used to be very close."

After these words, she did not look back and stepped out the door.

Maternal Aunt Hu did not look at her either, she just focused intently on her cup of tea. The tea leaves were coarse and of low quality, nevertheless dutifully preserved by the maidservants, only to be taken out when there were guests, which was a rare occurrence in this quarter. The tea had been sitting for too long; the dampness in the room had altered its flavor.

The maidservant said, "Maternal Aunt Hu..."

Maternal Aunt Hu sighed softly and said, "The Second Miss has grown up."

The maidservant was silent.

"If my daughter were still here..." she murmured, "she would have grown up too."

"Maternal Aunt Hu, what should we do now?" the maidservant asked quietly. "Second Miss coming here might be discovered by the mistress."

"Between the Second Miss and the mistress, it will be a fight to the death," Maternal Aunt Hu said calmly, lowering her eyes. "Now is the time."

After leaving Maternal Aunt Hu’s quarters, Tonger and Bai Xue seemed to come back to their senses. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"I hadn’t expected that Maternal Aunt Hu seems quite normal, showing no sign of hysteria," Tonger said. "When I first heard people in the mansion say Maternal Aunt Hu could no longer recognize anyone, today’s encounter proved they were clearly wrong."

"It seems strange to me too," Bai Xue interrupted. "Maternal Aunt Hu in person is nothing like what was said about her."

"In what way?" Jiang Li smiled and asked.

"I can’t quite put my finger on it, but somehow the Maternal Aunt Hu spoken of by others doesn’t seem to be the same one we met," Bai Xue whispered, looking around to ensure no one was listening, she leaned in closer to Jiang Li and whispered, "Miss, what did you mean earlier when you said there was more to Miss the Eldest’s death? Could it be that she was harmed by someone?"

Tonger also looked anxiously at Jiang Li.

They had heard of such happenings in grand families, though the Jiang Family, in comparison, seemed relatively simple in its internal affairs. No one had ever suspected such a thing within the family, at least not until the exchange between Jiang Li and Maternal Aunt Hu suggested something chilling to contemplate.

"It’s not certain yet, don’t talk nonsense," Jiang Li said. "Keep this to yourselves, and let’s see what happens next."

Bai Xue and Tonger quickly fell silent.

Yet, Jiang Li already had a rough guess in her heart. Since Maternal Aunt Hu had not denied it, it meant Miss Jiang the Eldest’s death was indeed no accident. And Maternal Aunt Hu’s warning confirmed that her silence was due to having to consider someone.

Putting aside the illegitimate son of the Jiang Family’s Third Branch for now, the Second Branch had no reason to harm a concubine from the First Branch; only the First Branch remained... and Miss Jiang the Eldest had met with misfortune after Ji Shuran entered the family. Based on what Jiang Li knew about Ji Shuran at this point, nothing Ji Shuran might do would surprise her.