Chapter 17 Another secret
"The Xue family has all settled in Xiyuan. Not to mention that Mrs. Xue is only interested in profit. Uncle Xue's three concubines also came with her. Last night, the aunt in the first house found out about her pulse. Mrs. Xue was stunned to find her stepmother. A century-old ginseng root."
As soon as the master and servant returned to the courtyard, Yi Cui whispered in Shen Hua's ear. The uncle Xue she mentioned was Xue Muliang's father.
"Such a big family eats and drinks from Shen's family, and they deliberately create trouble for you, Madam."
Shen Hua raised her eyes and glanced at the sky. Her tone revealed a sadness that shouldn't be felt at her age.
"If I remember correctly, at first, the Xue family intended to marry their second sister."
Although Shen Zhuang is a concubine, she is still Shen Wei's daughter, so the dowry will definitely be generous.
When Shen Xue mentioned this matter, Shen Wei refuted it.
In fact, Shen Zhen was too young, and Xue Muliang spent all day hanging out under women's skirts. No matter how little Shen Wei cared about Shen Wei, he would not push her into the fire pit.
"Yicui, please go there yourself and bring the second sister's wet nurse. I have something to ask."
"Yes, I will go find Mrs. Qiu right now."
Mrs. Qiu was also a poor person. She lost her husband in her early years. She could not bear the stimulation and gave birth to a stillborn child. She was so sad that she almost went blind from crying. Aunt Liu felt pity for her. Seeing that she was helpless, she begged Shen Chun to help her. She stayed, and because of this, she was the only loyal person around Aunt Liu.
In the previous life, when Shen Wei was still young, Lady Qiu once came to look for Shen Hua. But Mrs. Xu, who was so complacent, drove her away on the spot. I think Lady Qiu came here just because of Shen Huan.
But she never got her wish to see Shen Hua and asked her to make the decision.
After Aunt Liu died, Mrs. Qiu also followed her in a white silk ribbon.
All the people with good intentions in the Shen Mansion will not end well in the end. What awaits them is despair after giving up all hope.
"yes."
It was a cold day, and there was a charcoal fire burning in the house. As soon as I entered, a wave of hot air hit my face, accompanied by the light fragrance of the incense burner.
When smoked in the air, the subtle fragrance floats, like the fragrance of plum blossoms in spring in the snow.
This kind of incense is also made with extremely rigorous ingredients. It contains a little bit of the finest dipterocarp, which is as valuable as gold, and various spices are pounded into fine powder and mixed with honey.
Shen Hua likes this smell and smokes even her dress. She has done this for many years and has never changed.
Shen Hua narrowed her eyes comfortably.
She is used to enjoying herself, and all the various objects in the house, from her daughter's hairpin rings to the decorative vases placed in the corner, are all carefully selected.
Even the soft bells everywhere you look are made of jade. The luster is delicate and moderate, the shape of the bell is like a bell, but the small heart of the bell is exquisite and ingenious. A slight shake will make a crisp sound.
The jade used to make the bell was obtained by Shen Zhi all those years ago.
At that time, the girl's warm and bright eyes curled up into a smile.
——Brother, this jade is not very good, but it is also hard to find on the market. It is really unreasonable not to let Yangyang ruin it.
——Use it to make a bell. My curtain is made of gold thread, so naturally I can’t use cheap stuff that costs a few pennies on the street.
Shen Hua smiled lowly, but her expression became much lower.
Without someone to protect her, she would always experience all the pain and sourness in adversity. She also went from being pretentious and annoying to being a resentful girl.
Soon, Yi Cui led people inside.
Mrs. Qiu followed behind Yicui, her hands tightly clasped in her belly. She was lame and walked a few steps slower than ordinary people.
Shen Hua had an impression of her and she was trying her best to serve Shen Zheng. Her stepmother specially asked her mother-in-law to take care of her, so she could only abdicate and take care of Aunt Liu's daily life.
Since that day, Shen Zhen's body has not been so fresh and clean. Even his dressing has become perfunctory.
"Ms. Qiu, why are you so nervous? I can still eat you."
"No, in fact, this slave also wants to come here to find his wife. Please consider that you and the second wife are sisters, please make the decision for her." She knelt down with a plop, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Yicui, help her up."
Shen Hua was half leaning on the imperial concubine's couch, and her clear eyes searched: "As far as I know, the Dong family's son died five years ago. Although the Dong family and the Shen family are merchants, there is no business relationship between the two families."
The Dong family has a lot of secrets. Although they are rich, they have a very bad reputation.
Before Dong Hui was born, Taoist priests pointed out that his blessings were endless. As expected, after Mrs. Dong became pregnant, the Dong family's business grew bigger and bigger. However, after Dong Hui's death, the Dong family's fortune plummeted.
In just a few years, dozens of shops under his name closed down, and even no less than three river ships carrying porcelain to other places sank. The losses were heavy.
I would not get married in a secret way earlier, and I would not get married in a secret way later, but now I am thinking about it, fearing that there is something fishy about it.
"Please tell me in detail."
Mrs. Qiu's body was trembling with anger, but she seemed to have caught the duckweed in the waves. She didn't dare to hide anything, so she told everything.
"My lady is right, Dong Hui has indeed been dead for five years."
"Dong Hui had no wife or children during his lifetime, but his aunt took in a lot of money. After his death, they were all buried alive."
Many literati have criticized and left criticism.
Although it is cruel to bury a living person, there is a precedent in our dynasty.
The Dong family used money to settle the affairs of the aunt's family, but the incident was settled.
"Last year on the Ghost Festival, Mrs. Dong offered incense to pay homage, and she often had nightmares afterwards, and a Taoist priest gave her some advice. She said she was haunted by evil spirits. Her son died at the age of eighteen. He had no wife and was alone. After his death, there was no temple to offer sacrifices to. He was everywhere. Wandering, this is what dreams are made of."
"Mrs. Dong is the one who believes in ghosts and gods. That's why she came up with the plan of a secret marriage."
"Therefore, after the Dong family hired a wizard, they secretly inquired about the birth date of the girl who had died in the past three years. On the anniversary of her death, she also used portraits to see her bones."
Shen Hua was thoughtful and seemed to be smiling but not smiling.
"She knows how to choose a good day."
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival, is the most superstitious among the world. At this time of year, they say that the gates of ghosts are wide open and the yin energy is the strongest.
Mrs. Dong happened to go to Dong Hui's grave to offer incense on this day.
"The second wife has good horoscopes. The man from Ningyun Court agreed. Later, he sent the lady who was waiting beside him to tell our aunt. When my aunt found out, she had chest tightness and shortness of breath, and she vomited blood that night."
Mrs. Qiu took a deep breath and gritted her teeth and said, "But if this is really just a secret marriage, forget it."
Is this a hidden secret?
Shen Hua frowned and sat up slightly.
"After the Dong family settled on our second wife, they settled on seventeen more families, including a girl who had just died."
Shen Hua laughed angrily.
Is it possible that her family's apex has to be picked over by the Dong family's rags?
Just as he was about to make a sarcastic comment, he saw Mrs. Qiu bursting into tears.
Shen Hua paused.
Dong Hui died when he was eighteen years old.
Now we have to recruit eighteen more girls.
The incredible suspicion flashed through her mind and was firmly grasped by Shen Hua.
she asked in disbelief.
"So, under the guise of secret relatives, the Dong family gathered together eighteen girls who died within three years, cut off their chances of reincarnation, and used witchcraft to change the fate of the Dong family?"
Chapter completed!