Chapter 265: Chapter 104: Kill a Thousand Enemies at the Cost of Wounding Eight Hundred (Part 2)_2 Chapter 265: Chapter 104: Kill a Thousand Enemies at the Cost of Wounding Eight Hundred (Part 2)_2 Yueyao looked at Peng Chun’s expression. While others might have harbored a sliver of hope for the eldest uncle, they didn’t know that he was just as ruthless and unfeeling. Yueyao couldn’t really speak ill of the eldest uncle; she merely said, “Since ancient times, wealth has swayed people’s hearts, and given the things the Eldest Madam did in the past, you must have heard about them as well. I think the Lady family will definitely take action in the next few days. For now, just spread this piece of news, and we can add more details after a few days. Only then will people truly believe that all this is real.”
Peng Chun hesitated, taking a glance at Yueyao before nodding heavily, “Okay.” He used to often hear the Old Master lament that if the young lady were a son, she would certainly have been brilliant enough to be top of the class. Now, watching her pull the strings behind the scenes, he was beginning to believe the Old Master’s words.
It took a long while before Yueyao spoke again, “Peng Chun, do you think what I’m doing is disloyal to the Lian family? Would father be disappointed in me if he knew?” In fact, Yueyao was also struggling within. She wanted to vent her complex emotions.
Peng Chun turned cold. Looking up and seeing the sorrow at the bottom of the lady’s eyes, he also felt a bit heartache. When the Old Master was around, he cherished the young lady like a precious pearl, but now she had to sully herself to protect herself. Thinking of this, Peng Chun immediately said, “Miss, if the Old Master knew, he would be very heartbroken.”
Yueyao’s heart trembled, and she said bitterly, “No, if father knew, he would definitely say that I implicated the Lian family, and he would be displeased.”
Peng Chun asserted firmly, “No, miss, you should know that you were the one the Old Master cherished the most. Seeing you being forced into this predicament, the Old Master, if he knew from beyond, definitely wouldn’t rest easy and would never blame you.” Peng Chun, observing Yueyao’s expression and after some thought, said, “Miss, if the Old Master knew that you were driven to this point by the Lady family, I’m afraid he would have put an end to the Lady family.”
Hearing these words, Yueyao felt a slight warmth in her heart. Peng Chun was her father’s confidant and knew her father’s mind well. His words meant her father probably wouldn’t blame her.
Yueyao spoke softly, “Uncle Peng, thank you.” What she really needed was peace of mind, a reason to no longer struggle and be conflicted.
Peng Chun, on hearing this, felt even more bitter in his heart and said, “Miss, the Old Master and Madam’s spirits in heaven would be very comforted to see how sensible you are.”
Yueyao managed a light smile, but it was a smile uglier than crying.
Yueyao returned to Lanxi Courtyard and zoned out for a while, only to be jolted back to reality with a push from Hua Lei. Without a whine, she ran off to the Small Buddhist Hall to copy scriptures.
While copying scriptures, tears dripped down without her knowing why. Yueyao murmured softly, “Grandmother, it’s not that I want to tarnish the Lian family’s reputation, but I have no other choice. Grandmother, I want to live; I want to live a good life.” What she was doing would surely harm the Lian family, but if she were always worried about bringing trouble upon the family, she would end up like a fish on the chopping block at the mercy of the Lady family.
Nanny Hao was burning with anxiety. Not only were the rumors within Lian Mansion becoming more widespread, but they had also spread outside. Nanny Hao reported all this to Yueyao.
Yueyao said indifferently, “Wise people will not believe it, those who love me will not believe it, and what do I care about those who believe it but have nothing to do with me?” Yueyao, in her previous life, had become seriously ill because of such rumors, nearly costing her life. Now, hearing them again, she no longer felt anything; in her understanding, those who believed in you would still believe, and there was no need to care about those who didn’t believe or were irrelevant.
Nanny Hao stared blankly at Yueyao, not knowing quite how to feel. The miss was only nine years old, yet had such a thorough perspective on issues, a breadth of mind that even she, who had lived for over forty years, might not possess.
The Old Madam’s casket had been moved to the temple, to have forty-nine days of rituals performed, after which the coffin would be sent back to the hometown for burial.
Yueyao followed the Lady family to the temple, stayed for seven days, and then was sent back. What followed was a matter for the men.
At last, Yueyao could breathe a sigh of relief.
Once the Lady family had some free time, they immediately ordered the Old Madam’s room to be cleared out. Although many of the Old Madam’s belongings had been distributed, there were still many valuable items left in the room; the larger items and room decorations were mostly intact, all made of superior materials, many of carved nanmu wood, which when used, appeared very dignified. However, there were very few pieces of jewelry left.
The Old Madam had distributed all the valuable jewelry, leaving only those that were either cheap with old-fashioned styles, suitable for the elderly, or items that were not very valuable.