When he talked about the past, Ah Zhang's tone became gentle and full of emotions.
The world was unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, the tall building and prosperous family business had withered away.
The farmer's eyes flickered, and he sighed softly.
Ah Zhang said softly, "I still remember that day. The entire Herb Garden was decorated with lanterns and streamers. Our relatives from all over the place were waiting for us. Everyone in Lu Town came to see the Heavenly Yuan Heroine. She was the one who brought honor to the family. She had to leave her name in the genealogy and history books. Even the old master had to force a smile …"
Sun Lang did not lament about the rise and fall of the family. When he heard that, he said, "It's human nature. Country bumpkins are just ignorant."
"The family that had made the marriage proposal had shamelessly come knocking on the door, wanting to continue their relationship. However, before they could even meet the First Young Mistress, they were chased out of the door by a few young masters and thrown into the Xianhuan River. Everyone was discussing in private that the First Young Mistress was the only one who could decide on her marriage. The other young mistresses were extremely envious …"
The ranger exclaimed, "That's amazing. It's actually an annulment … Speaking of which, did you guys go and ask if that good-for-nothing picked up anything strange?"
"That was something that happened later."
Ah Zhang pointed back with one of his tentacles. "Their whole family has been hanging there for years."
"… Goodness, goodness. It's a sin, a sin."
Sun Lang was stunned for a moment, then he blushed and said, "I feel like it's my fault. I told her too many stories that I shouldn't have told her …"
Ah Zhang did not understand and continued, "Everyone is saying that Young Mistress has really become rich. Now that she's a female official, it's as if she's on a pedestal. Whenever she goes out, she'll be accompanied by a huge sedan chair. Let alone getting married, even if she doesn't get married for the rest of her life and keeps gigolos, no one will dare to stop her …"
Sun Lang was furious. "Bullsh * t. If she keeps gigolos, I'll drown her in a pig's cage!
She's rebelling! "
"…" Ah Chang waved his tentacles and said in resignation, "Can you listen to me first and not interrupt me?"
"Motherf * cker, what are you talking about? You're shameless!" Sun Lang said angrily. "Who interrupted you?"
Among the people at the back, Kong Zhongwu was a virgin that was about to expire, the farmer was inarticulate, and Fourth Sister-in-law Dan was shy and introverted, so she couldn't understand what he was saying. However, the Iron-Headed Ape and Xie Agui were essentially hooligans, so they naturally understood this dirty joke. They tried their best to hold back their laughter and turned their heads to the side. This lord, why did he always make very serious things so … funny?
Although Ah Chang didn't know what he was talking about, she knew that if she continued to pester him, she wouldn't be able to finish what she wanted to say for the rest of the day. She sighed and sped up. "Where was I?
Oh, that year when First Miss returned home, it was really lively … The three elders came to congratulate her, and the five parties celebrated. The officials in the county, the old master of Qian Hang Prefecture, and even the officials in Suizhou City all sent gifts … "
"The old master's mission in this life was to bring honor to the family. Unfortunately, this long-cherished wish was fulfilled by the daughter he never liked. It really made him have mixed feelings, but no matter what, he had to squeeze out a smile and talk with her peacefully. On the day First Miss came back, almost everyone was smiling at her. She was just like before, cold and didn't like to smile, but she was polite to everyone. Her answers and etiquette were all methodical and never out of shape …"
"Actually, everyone in the family was sweating. They were afraid that she would remember the discord in the past and give the family a hard time. At this time, when they saw that First Miss still cared about the past and smiled at the past, they slowly relaxed and became closer to her. They all praised First Miss for being sensible and promising at a young age. They all hoped that she would be able to achieve the Dao and that she would be able to benefit from the halo of Tianyuan Martial Merit …"
"But they were all wrong. They would never have thought that not only did First Miss, who had left home for many years, come back with a cruel and terrifying avenger. She brought anger and curses to the family …"
Speaking of this, her bloated and disgusting body kept trembling. Her fat lumps trembled as if she was recalling a terrible nightmare. "I was her nanny. I took care of her since she was a child. She used to be a naive and lively girl. Her thoughts were written all over her face. She was very cute. But later, when she grew up, the old master's control over her became tighter, so she became cold and alienated from me. But that time when she came back, she still asked me to take care of her. I was very happy and thought that she was nostalgic. But in fact, I was wrong, very wrong …"
"After she came back home, she lived in her embroidery building. It's funny. After she ran away from home, the angry old master said that he would cut off the relationship with her and ordered people to raze First Miss's embroidery building to the ground to show that he would never recognize her as his daughter. There was no place for her in the Lu family. But when the news that First Miss was in the army came back, the old master panicked and rebuilt the embroidery building as fast as he could. He also asked us, who had served First Miss, to recall the details and build it exactly the same so that First Miss would not notice any clues …"
"But how could it be built exactly the same?
On the first day, First Miss saw a clue. "
"That day, I was carrying her favorite tangerine and wanted to give it to her. Then, I saw …" Her tone was shaken. That memory must have left a deep impression on her. Even now, she still couldn't forget it.
"I saw First Miss, who was supposed to be distant, smiling, and dignified, like a little girl, lightly jumping, running, and even lying under the bed and rummaging around her room. When she heard my voice, she turned around and smiled at me. She asked me, 'Mother, where is my Classic of Mountains and Seas?'"
"I haven't seen that smile since she came of age … When she smiled, it was just like when she was at her most lively, adorable, and carefree age …"
"I accidentally knocked Fu Ju to the ground, but she acted as if she didn't see it. She was still smiling as she approached me and asked, 'Ah Ma, where is my Classic of Mountains and Seas? The Classic of Mountains and Seas that you bought for me, the one with the picture on it?'"
"How should I answer her?
The embroidery building that year has been razed to the ground. All the clothes and utensils of Eldest Miss since she was young, as well as the treasures she had accumulated, have all been burned by Master. Although he tried his best to restore them later, who would remember those things? "
"Later, everyone said that First Miss could not remember those things from when she was young, so it did not matter.
But First Miss still remembered. Even if she forgot everything from when she was young, she could not forget the three humming scriptures I bought for her. "
"I was just about to say a few words to fool her. She smiled and approached me. Her smile was so beautiful, but I broke out in a cold sweat. I don't know why, but my legs were shaking …"
"She said, 'Mother, you killed my hidden mouse. I hate you very much. Later, you bought me the Classic of Mountains and Seas. I used a lot of effort to forgive you. Now that the Classic of Mountains and Seas is gone, where is the hidden mouse?'"
"Sigh, the hidden mouse. I accidentally kicked her hidden mouse to death. This child thought that I did it on purpose because her father was disciplining her and did not allow her to play this and that. She must have thought that I was in cahoots with her father and killed her hidden mouse so that she could obediently study, learn needlework, and become a First Miss …"
"At that time, I did not think so much. I was scared. Although First Miss' smile was beautiful, I did not know why, but I was scared. She smiled and said to me …"
"She said, 'It's okay, Ah Zhang, I am a good child. If the Classic of Mountains and Seas is gone, I will make a new one. If the hidden mouse is dead, we will raise more hidden mice. Ah Zhang, what do you think?"
Everyone who had been quietly watching from the sidelines suddenly paled. They looked at Ah Zhang who was soaking in the pool, neither human nor ghost. Then, they thought of the shocking number of ferocious and wild Hidden Rats. How could they not guess what had happened?
Especially the farmer. His teeth were chattering, clattering up and down. It was obvious that he was terrified to the extreme.
He even changed from his previous silence and took the initiative to ask, but his voice was full of trembling. He asked fearfully, "Was it her … who turned you into this?"
Ah Zhang revealed a terrifying smile. That distorted face twisted any smile into a ferocious one. But the farmer could see that this smile was mixed with sorrow, pain, and a little bit of … pity.
She, who had turned into a monster, did not answer the farmer's question. She slowly said, "Soon, I realized that this person was not First Miss. I was scared to death, but I still dared to ask her, 'Who are you?'
"She said, 'I am Lu Shu-jen.'
"I did not believe her. So she told me everything that happened when I was young. From my bad sleeping posture to the stories I told her, everything was accurate. But the more she told me, the more scared I was. Because she was not First Miss, but a demon that had taken over First Miss' body and memories …"
Sun Lang pondered for a moment. "Do you remember the year she came back?"
Ah Zhang carefully thought back. "It should be around the 14th year of Wu De …"
Sun Lang pinched his fingers and calculated. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he pondered. He pondered for a moment and looked up at Ah Zhang. "You realized that there was something wrong with her and wanted to tell on her, but there was no way out, right?"
Ah Chang sighed. "That's right. After she returned home, although Old Master pretended to be happy, he was actually a little unhappy. However, Young Mistress and Old Master had a conversation in the secret chamber. I don't know what Young Mistress promised, but Old Master's attitude changed drastically. He would grant her every request with a smile on his face. He treated Young Mistress as if she was his ancestor. If I were to tell Old Master that Young Mistress is a fake, wouldn't he slap me across the face?"
Sun Lang said calmly, "But you still did not give up?"
"Yes."
Ah Zhang was silent for a moment. "I have an adopted son who was adopted by my husband. I also have a daughter who already has a family. I'm a servant of the Lu family and will be staying in the Lu family for the rest of my life. I've watched the First Missy grow up. How can I let her disappear for no reason and let an imposter replace her?"
The ranger shook his head. "But you ended up like this."
"That's right. I'm just an ignorant peasant woman. I have no knowledge and no ability. I know that the First Miss is fake, but no one is willing to believe me. Master and Madam are also ignorant. Even if I tell them, they won't believe me.
So I can only deal with this imposter first … I think she must be plotting something against the Lu family since she replaced First Miss. If I can get the evidence, I might be able to make Master and the rest believe me … "
Speaking of this, Ah Zhang smiled bitterly. Her ten tentacles waved restlessly, as if reflecting her sad mood. The result of this courageous but reckless action was obvious.
Sun Lang said in a low voice, "With your knowledge, you can only guess that this imposter covets the Lu family's property or wants to murder your master. But you obviously saw something more terrible, right?"
"Exactly …" Ah Zhang sighed. "You must have been to the back garden of the Herb Garden.
That was First Miss's playground when she was young. She liked to walk and play there until Master sent her to the girls' school. When she came back that time, she asked Master for this garden and specially set aside a piece of land. She ordered the servants not to get close to it. She stayed there all day and didn't allow anyone to come in … "
The ranger said calmly, "Then, what shocking thing did you find in it that caused you to end up like this?
Even if that person is filled with hatred and anger, she shouldn't be so heavy-handed to you. After all, from your description, the relationship between the two of you isn't bad. If she wants to take revenge, there should be more people she can punish, such as her father or something … "
"Her father …" Ah Zhang smiled bitterly. "Her father was also there at that time. He wanted to kill me."
"Oh?
I smell a conspiracy. "
Sun Lang said playfully, "It seems that First Miss Lu returned to her hometown with great wealth. She wanted to show off her relatives and friends. Did you bump into their secret gathering?"
"How did you know?"
Ah Zhang looked at Sun Lang in surprise, then shook his head and said, "Sigh, that's what happened. I paid attention to her movements, paid attention to her every move. I wanted to find evidence, I wanted to report her. So one night, I secretly snuck into the garden. I thought that Young Miss had already fallen asleep. Who would have thought that I would break into a stone room and overhear their conversation …"
"Who?"
"First Miss, Master, and a few masters from the main family and side branches … They gathered together and seemed to be discussing something important. I heard a few words and was discovered …"
"What did you hear?"
"They seemed to be making something … something I don't know. I heard the name of the thing but I don't know what it is. But I remember the name and will never forget it …"
Ah Zhang's eyes flashed with pain and struggle. It was a memory she did not want to recall. But she still stared at Sun Lang's eyes and said word by word, "The name of that thing is …"
"Ji Du."