Chapter 273: Chapter 273: Returning Home (Part 4)
Tong Shen Zhi did not speak. He looked at Xiqiu for a moment, and finally nodded, "Then as you wish, but when Father returns, you must come back to the mansion with me!" Xiqiu smiled and bowed to Tong Shen Zhi, "Thank you, big brother." Then she took Tong Xiyan’s hand and said, "Puji Temple has a new vegetarian chicken dish, and it tastes quite good. I’ll accompany you to try it!"
Tong Xiyan saw that she was so determined, even Tong Shen Zhi couldn’t persuade her. He could only sigh and follow Xiqiu out the door.
After Tong Xiyan and Tong Shen Zhi left, the Marquis Mansion heard the news and sent a maid to inquire about the situation. Xiqiu still said it was an accidental fire and did not elaborate further. The maid returned to report without suspicion. Grand Dowager sent some supplements, and Xiao Yanzheng also sent some separately. Xiqiu accepted them and asked the maid to take vegetarian dishes and pastries from Puji Temple back.
The "Ksitigarbha Sutra" that Xiqiu had copied did not survive the fire, so she rushed to rewrite the scriptures day and night in time for Tong Xihua’s anniversary, to burn them before the Buddha. During that time, Tong Shen Zhi visited her once, and Xiqiu’s complexion worsened by the day. Strangely, the wound on her neck showed no signs of healing even after more than half a month, whether due to physical weakness or incorrect medication. Worried, he visited her every other day, bringing various topical medicines, but they had no effect. Xiqiu became thinner and paler, with even a hint of bluish tinge, and the wound bled slightly with any movement.
He advised her several times, but Xiqiu stubbornly remained at Puji Temple. Lady also instructed Nanny to fetch Xiqiu, but Xiqiu stayed at Puji Temple, claiming the scriptures were not finished and Tong Xihua’s anniversary was not yet here. Even Master Puning tried to retain her. Lady was furious and slammed the table, "This dead girl only knows how to play such tricks!"
Nanny Fang frowned too. First Master was about to return, and according to the First Young Master, Sixth Miss seemed seriously ill. If she was just staying in the temple for mourning and scripture copying, it would be fine, but given her current condition, if Lady ignored her and left her in the temple, First Master would blame Lady even if Sixth Girl said nothing upon his return.
Moreover, the wounds on Sixth Girl... She couldn’t help but look at the concubine sipping tea, a look of reproach on her face!
Lady was also furious and pointed at the concubine, "Look at the mess you made. If you were going to act, you should have been decisive. Now the person isn’t dead but left with scars as evidence, becoming a huge hidden danger."
The concubine looked disdainful, covering her mouth with a handkerchief to cough for a long time, gasping to look at Lady, "Sister, you overthink. Her wounds have nothing to do with me. Without any proof, how can she accuse me of doing it?"
In truth, the concubine was secretly angry too. Those fools, after spending so much silver and ruining the task, they couldn’t even handle a little girl, and she got away without a trace. Truly infuriating!
Lady looked at the concubine, hating her failure to live up to expectations, "Even if she has no evidence to accuse you, how she went to the temple, don’t you have any responsibility? Now that Tianqing has burned the evidence, and both girls are dead, even if you and I pursued Sixth Girl and Tianqing’s clandestine exchange, would there be proof again?!"
The concubine was defiant, panting like a bellows, "Clearly Sixth Girl wanted to go to the temple to mourn for Xihua, so why is the blame on me now? Sister... don’t be so nervous. Even if Sixth Girl dies in the temple today, First Master won’t be able to trace any responsibility to either of us!"
Lady just squinted her eyes, refusing to look at the concubine in anger. How did she believe her words and commit such a foolish act? Why did she lose her mind and let Sixth Girl go to the temple to mourn... mourn... Now things have become like this. Last year, when First Master left, he was already resentful, and now with Madam Xia and Tong Minzhi traveling thousands of miles to find him, and Sixth Girl falling ill in the temple, even if she had no responsibility, First Master would not just let it go.
Moreover, there was also the marriage with Marquis Mansion... The thought of it made her foresee First Master’s expression when he saw her.
The concubine, seeing Lady like this, was also displeased. She thought of Xu Tianqing’s uncertain fate, and Tong Xiqiu was just a little sick in the temple; no one cared about her son, yet everyone was concerned about that dead girl’s fate. At this moment, she wished she would die immediately. Even if she were to consume her blood and crush her bones, it wouldn’t ease the hatred in her heart.
This is not over. If Xu Tianqing is fine, so be it, but if something really happens, she would risk her life and not spare this little bitch.
Lady had already lost interest in talking to the concubine. Frowning, she said, "Go rest. Why force yourself to get up every day if you’re unwell." The concubine thought for a moment, then stood up and looked at Lady, "Sister, you’ve been at Tong Mansion for so many years, raising his illegitimate children, managing the estate, handling everything in the mansion, every little thing you’ve managed meticulously. He wouldn’t dare do anything to you. You don’t have to worry about these things!"
"No need to say more. You may leave!" Lady finished, lowered her head, and drank her tea. Nanny Fang, worried about growing rift between the sisters, smiled and went to assist the concubine, "I’ll see you out." The concubine snorted coldly in her heart, gave a half bow to Lady, and turned around without looking back.
Once Nanny Fang had left, Nanny Qian lifted the curtain and entered. She leaned close to Lady and said, "Steward Liu from the field reports that Third Miss sent someone to visit Madam Wang and also brought a Mrs. to see the illness, leaving many medicinal herbs." Nanny Qian watched Lady’s expression cautiously, "Steward Liu dared not make the decision, so he sent his son to the mansion to seek Lady’s instruction... Should the medicine be kept or not?" Actually, this was not the first time. What Third Miss did was too obvious!
Lady angrily threw the quilt on the kang table and shouted, "Throw them all away. Tell him from now on, anyone visiting her without my consent should be chased away. Otherwise, pack his things and send him back to Baoding!" She wasn’t satisfied and added, "Hmph! Thinks marrying into the Marquis Mansion raises her above others, thinks I would give her such face?! Not a chance!"
Nanny Qian sighed silently. Third Miss was such a clever person, yet... She said nothing more, bowed, and retreated. At the door, she met Dongqing, who was left to watch the room by Madam Xia, and looked at her, "Lady is busy, what do you need?" Dongqing looked at Nanny Qian, and understanding her gesture immediately, whispered, "I heard from people in the mansion that First Master is due to return in the next few days. Manager Lai has already sent people to Tongzhou to pick him up. The servant thought to clean the room, get some incense back, to incense the room. It’s old and unused, and the servant is worried it might have a moldy smell that would bother Madam." She went to the estate warehouse to get it, but the stewardess there wouldn’t give it to her, so she had no choice but to come to Lady to request.