Chapter 213 - 212: Harvest
Jin Ling lowered her head and bit her lower lip, her fingers entwined in the handkerchief, her heart pounding incessantly.
Thinking of Yun Qi, she couldn’t ignore the fear and grievance of that day.
Because her father passed away early, her mother raised her and her brother alone. Jin Ling had suffered a lot since childhood. Before entering the Du Mansion, she had been beaten and scolded, but those experiences were nothing like that evening.
The twisted smiles and obscene remarks of the two thugs made her wish she could smash her head and end it all. It was indeed a terrifying experience.
If it weren’t for Yun Qi’s rescue, she definitely wouldn’t be alive now.
"Miss..." the old woman noticed Jin Ling’s stunned expression and called her name.
Jin Ling shivered and came back to her senses, asking, "Did he say what his name is?"
The old woman shook her head, then her eyes lit up and said, "It’s the young man who delivered the horse to our Fifth Miss last time. I’ve seen him before, I won’t mistake him."
Jin Ling pressed her lips. It was Yun Qi then.
Since Yun Qi mentioned it was important, Jin Ling wasted no time and turned to enter the private room, leaned close to Du Yunluo’s ear, and whispered.
Du Yunluo found it a bit strange yet worrisome. What was Yan Qi looking for her for? Or perhaps, had something happened to Mu Lianxiao in Lingxi?
Mrs. Zhen observed her daughter’s every move.
She had a very good impression of Mu Lianxiao, and thought that his servant was not someone who would cause trouble without reason. Mrs. Zhen felt somewhat reassured and said, "Your father likes the fish slice porridge from the teahouse across the street."
Du Yunluo nodded and replied, "Then I’ll go over and take a look first."
Jin Ling supported Du Yunluo out of the jewelry store and over to the teahouse opposite, where they ordered a private room. Just as they sat down, Yun Qi came in.
Yun Qi respectfully greeted them.
Du Yunluo asked him, "What is the urgent matter?"
Yun Qi, who had his head lowered, suddenly looked up, glanced at Jin Ling hastily, and then lowered his gaze again.
Jin Ling found it inexplicable. Was it possible that what Yun Qi wanted to say to Du Yunluo was something she couldn’t hear? How could that be? Even if Mu Lianxiao had messages for Du Yunluo, anything Yun Qi knew, she ought to know too.
Seeing that Jin Ling didn’t move, and Du Yunluo didn’t ask her to leave, Yun Qi sighed quietly and said, "Before the Young Master left for Lingxi, he instructed me to keep an eye on Ma Dehai, and I’ve found some things."
Du Yunluo’s eyes narrowed.
Some "findings," meaning Ma Dehai indeed had problems?
The day at the hunting ground, he saw someone attack Snow Clothes and didn’t speak up, was it not just a case of protecting himself?
Yun Qi continued, "Ma Dehai is now forty-two, which means he entered the palace twenty years ago. He’s from Yanzi Mountain Village in the suburb, and was childhood sweethearts with the wife of a former shop manager at your mansion."
Du Yunluo’s brow furrowed.
Forty-two years old, entering the palace at twenty-two, that was considered old for a eunuch.
"Which wife?" Du Yunluo pursued.
Yun Qi touched the tip of his nose, "It used to be the Clothing Shop, her husband’s surname is Zhao, Manager Zhao has a brother who works at the household department."
Du Yunluo was taken aback, and Jin Ling beside her gasped.
"Do you mean..." Du Yunluo tentatively asked. Since Yun Qi brought up Manager Zhao’s wife, he must have known quite a bit about the Zhao family’s affairs.
"I went to inquire at Yanzi Mountain Village; Ma Dehai’s parents died early, and things between him and Zhao’s wife were always ambiguous. But he had no money, so her parents did not agree. Later, she ended up marrying Manager Zhao by pulling some strings, which devastated Ma Dehai and drove him to enter the palace. Qingming, Ma Dehai went back to the village to pay respects to his parents’ graves, rumoring that he met Zhao’s wife, presumably this led him to bear ill feelings towards Miss Du," Yun Qi explained.
With Yun Qi’s explanation, Du Yunluo understood.
Back then, the Zhao family tried to marry Jin Ling to their eldest nephew. When it didn’t happen, they spread rumors. Du Yunluo already detested the Zhao family and found an excuse for the Miao family to reprimand them.
In her past life, Jin Ling died tragically. But as long as the Zhao family knew their place and behaved, Du Yunluo wouldn’t deal with the entire family harshly.
However, Zhao’s little nephew caused trouble, had a gambling addiction and collaborated with troublemakers to extort money, which led to a conflict with Madam Miao.
Madam Miao isn’t the kind to let things slide; she made a tremendous uproar, making the Miao family’s hearts ache. How could the Zhao family continue to exist in peace?
No matter how many generations of old servants they were, they had to be dealt with.
The gambling addict lost his life, and Housekeeper Zhao’s two brothers were sent to the estate, merely a temporary measure, eventually to be dismissed, though Miao still did things with decorum, providing some severance silver.
By reason, it’s the nephew’s financial plotting and near assault, but in the mouths of Zhao’s two sisters-in-law...
Du Yunluo knew too well that the Zhao family would play both sides, talking behind backs without sincerity. As for Manager Zhao’s wife, there’s nothing but venomous words and shamelessness, having given Jin Ling not a few problems in the past life.
She surely blamed the Du family and Du Yunluo for their misfortune and her son’s death. Her eldest son was so good in every way, how could Du Yunluo not allow Jin Ling to marry him? That was the sin!
If the marriage between Jin Ling and her eldest son had succeeded, none of the subsequent problems would have occurred.
Du Yunluo understood that this is exactly how Manager Zhao’s wife would think.
Ma Dehai had become so bitterly heartbroken because of this woman that he castrated himself to enter the palace. Listening to her words while watching her decline, it’s no wonder he hated Du Yunluo.
In this way, his inaction at the hunting ground made perfect sense.
"Did Ma Dehai say anything about who attacked Snow Clothes?" Du Yunluo asked.
"I was afraid of alerting the enemy, so I haven’t approached Ma Dehai yet, waiting for the Young Master to decide," Yun Qi paused, then quickly glanced at Jin Ling, lowered his eyes, and added, "Actually, the issue with Miss Jin Ling that day also involved Ma Dehai."
Jin Ling staggered, almost falling if she hadn’t grabbed the edge of the table.
Du Yunluo gestured for Jin Ling to sit down, gently patting her back, then turned to Yun Qi, "What happened?"
"I found out from the thugs that someone sent them to put their hands on Miss Jin Ling. They described him as a man in his forties or fifties, speaking in a peculiar tone clearly showing he’s a eunuch, and he smelled of horse dung. He was generous, giving them silver to carry out the act," Yun Qi explained quietly, watching Jin Ling’s face grow even paler.
These words were spoken with great difficulty. In hindsight, Yun Qi wished he had insisted that Miss Du ask Miss Jin Ling to step out earlier.
Now, seeing this vibrant girl become pitiful, it made anyone feel sorry.
This thought brought Yun Qi back to the day he rescued Jin Ling...