Huo Xing’Er and Ji Youzhi looked at Ji Youcheng with helpless expressions of sympathy and sorrow.
"The night before last, didn’t he argue with you?" Ji Youzhi said to Zhu Xiuxiu. "That’s when the seeds of this disaster were sown!"
Zhu Xiuxiu widened her eyes and stared at Ji Youzhi. "Are you telling the truth?"
Ji Youzhi gave a bitter smile. "Do I have a reason to lie?"
Zhu Xiuxiu shook her head. "No!"
She slumped weakly into the chair, asking with a grief that left her almost tearless, "What did she say at that time?"
The corners of Huo Xing’Er’s mouth twitched, and she recounted what happened. "This whole thing, it really started with Third Brother. He made you angry, so Mother stood up for you and scolded him a bit. Suisui just made a casual remark after that, and then things escalated to this."
"What did Mother say?" Zhu Xiuxiu asked.
"Mother said Third Brother has his head stuck in money, that he doesn’t know what’s truly important in life," Huo Xing’Er replied.
"That... Mother said that?"
Huo Xing’Er nodded.
"And Suisui commented on it?"
Huo Xing’Er and Ji Youzhi nodded in unison.
"What did she say?"
Ji Youzhi coughed, glanced at Ji Youcheng, and mimicked Xiaosuisui’s tone from that time. "Well, if Third Uncle loses his silver, then he won’t be able to have his head stuck in money anymore, right?"
Once Ji Youzhi finished his imitation, Zhu Xiuxiu completely slumped. She stared at Xiaosuisui and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Amazing! You’re truly amazing! Just one sentence, and so many innocent people have been displaced! Who knows how many ships capsized at sea! And who knows how many lives were lost..."
"Third Sister-in-law!"
Ji Youzhi and Huo Xing’Er, hearing Zhu Xiuxiu’s words become increasingly off-track, cut her off in unison.
"Third Sister-in-law, Suisui did say that, but the tornado has nothing to do with her," Huo Xing’Er said urgently. "Perhaps Third Brother’s lost gold is related, and the cargo on the ships too. But the displacement of Yunhang’s people due to the tornado isn’t her fault!"
"That’s right," Ji Youzhi continued after Huo Xing’Er, explaining the situation at Yunhang Sea. "The incident there was likely a coincidence. Tornadoes in Yunhang are natural phenomena; they happen almost every year, just not at fixed times, and this year’s was simply stronger than usual. Besides, tornadoes of this intensity generally occur every few years. Third Brother’s cargo ship just happened to encounter one. It resulted in lost cargo, but thankfully, no lives were lost!"
Zhu Xiuxiu took a deep breath, looked first at Huo Xing’Er, then at Ji Youzhi. "Do you... do you really think so?"
Ji Youzhi said, "A few days ago, the National Master reported that Yunhang might face unrest. His Majesty intended to evacuate the residents, but we didn’t expect it to happen so quickly!"
Huo Xing’Er added, "As for Third Brother’s two boxes of gold, I’ve calculated it. It seems to be somewhat connected to his Second Brother’s ’Deficient Nine Fates’ issue!"
Zhu Xiuxiu’s lips twitched. "So, after all that, I’m the bad guy!"
"Wait, what are you all talking about? I don’t understand a thing!" Ji Youcheng, who had been listening in utter confusion, finally blurted out. "What does this have to do with Suisui?"
Everyone looked at him with sympathy, including Xiaosuisui.
"I... I caused trouble..." Xiaosuisui began, her voice small.
"You! Shut up!" Zhu Xiuxiu snapped instinctively the moment she heard Xiaosuisui speak.
Startled, Xiaosuisui stopped mid-sentence and quickly clapped her little hands over her mouth. Instantly, her eyes welled up, and large tears streamed down her cheeks...