But now, that vibrant person had been poisoned, her vital organs injured.
Even if saved, she would be bedridden with illness, without a single day of peace.
"Fourth Miss, please beg the master to let me stay at the manor to recuperate, would that be alright?" Aunt Cui said softly.
But it seemed as if she had used all her strength and was panting heavily.
"But the manor lacks medical resources and doesn’t have the facilities of the residence..." Yun Jinnian began, then suddenly understood why Aunt Cui had made this request.
She wanted to leave this family, to be far away so that Yun Zihan and the Yun Family would gradually cut ties, and from then on, she could live her carefree life.
She didn’t want the Yun Family to drag Yun Zihan down.
With her at the Yun Family, Yun Zihan would never truly be at ease about her.
Aunt Cui pursed her lips and remained silent.
Yun Jinnian sighed, "Aunt Cui, you doing this will not make Second Sister happy!"
"I, I..." Aunt Cui started to speak but then began to cough.
Yun Jinnian quickly took a porcelain bottle from her sleeve, ready to pour out a pill to feed her, but Aunt Cui shook her head slightly, "Fourth Miss, don’t waste such precious elixir on a servant like me. I know my days are numbered. Please promise me, after I’m gone, to look after Second Miss for me, will you?"
Aunt Cui looked at Yun Jinnian with hope.
Yun Jinnian, looking at her, ultimately nodded her head.
In fact, Yun Zihan didn’t need her care now; Liao Shijie was capable and would surely have a boundless future.
Aunt Cui smiled, reached out to grasp Yun Jinnian’s hand, and with difficulty, her dim eyes scanned the room before she wrote the character ’康’ in Yun Jinnian’s palm.
Yun Jinnian didn’t know what it meant, and thought in her heart that Aunt Cui wished for her well-being.
To show she understood.
Aunt Cui smiled faintly, "Fourth Miss, I’m tired. You can go back now!"
Yun Jinnian left Aunt Cui’s courtyard and immediately sent someone to the Liao Residence to call for Yun Zihan.
Aunt Cui had no will to live and was deeply poisoned, her vital organs already injured. Had she ingested the poison herself, or had someone else poisoned her? Yun Jinnian didn’t know, so she wanted Yun Zihan to come back to see Aunt Cui, to persuade her to try to counteract the poison.
Death is like the snuffing of a lamp; only while alive is there hope.
Hemei personally made this trip.
Yun Jinnian, accompanied by Henuan, prepared to return to Niannian Garden. Aunt Cui’s poison was very potent, unavailable at common pharmacies. Being an aunt who didn’t step outside the main gate nor the second, where had she obtained this poisonous medicine?
A frail figure ran over, knelt in front of Yun Jinnian, her voice hoarse and helpless, "Fourth Sister, I beg you, please save my aunt, will you? I will kowtow to you, I will kowtow, please save my aunt!"
Yun Jinnian took a few steps back and looked carefully before recognizing her; it was Yun Zuomo.
The daughter of Aunt Su.
Her half-sister by the concubine, who was twelve years old this year.
Looking at Yun Zuomo, Yun Jinnian went from initial shock to quickly settling down.
"If you have any requests, go find Great Aunt, or go to Father, Great Uncle, or Grandmother. I can’t help you!" Yun Jinnian said, and turned to leave.
Because of Aunt Su and Aunt Hua, there had been a rift between her mother and father, causing a wound that would never heal.
And she was the most direct victim.
In earlier years, her father and mother ignored her, but Aunt Su, Aunt Hua, Yun Zuomo, Yun Qingzhi, and Yun Qingqing lived much better lives than her, the legitimate daughter. The Old Madam favored Xu Xinmo and treated all the Yun girls equally.
Now that the Old Madam was alive, Yun Zuomo did not seek her help but came to her instead...