Upon seeing the grandson who was her pride and joy, Old Madam’s intense gaze softened and she waved him over. “Sit down and accompany me for a chat. Those vexing matters can wait until your mother’s arrival.”
Yu Pin Yan smiled and sat across Old Madam, preparing a cup of tea for her.
Lin Shi arrived half an hour later. There was no adornment on her hair except for a white velvety flower clipped besides her temple. Her eyes were swollen with recently shed tears.
Old Madam did not look up as she took a sip of the tea. “Jun Jie had already been gone for ten years and you are still in mourning. To whom are you making this show? Bringing ill-fortune to the manor for no reason!”
Towards this daughter-in-law, Old Madam bore no fondness. When Old Madam’s son was still alive, she forbade him from having any concubines, resulting in the dwindling of the manor’s population. After his demise, she had practically abandoned her pair of children and shirked her duties, doing nothing but escaping reality and crying piteously.
Fortunately, Old Madam was still hale and hearty, and could still manage the family housekeeping duties. It was also fortunate that her grandson was competent in upholding the family’s honor, or else the Marquis Yongle manor would have long been swallowed by a bunch of jackals. Should that had happened, Lin Shi would not even have a place left for her to cry!
With these thoughts, Old Madam became somewhat irritable and slammed the teacup onto the table.
Lin Shi trembled and hurriedly bowed.
Yu Pin Yan fished out a handkerchief and helped Old Madam wipe away the hot tea which had carelessly splattered on the back of her hand. The corner of his mouth quirked into a faint smile, seemingly oblivious to his mother’s repeated probing gazes. For him, his mother had died when his father passed away. His current mother was just a temporary soul that stayed on earth simply waiting to reunite with his father someday. This was not a thought appropriate of a filial son, but his mother had been stressing this idea endlessly since he was five. Gradually, he no longer came to expect anything from her.
There was no space for anyone in her heart, other than her deceased husband. Even the ice cold memorial tablet seemed more important to her than her own flesh and blood, the children she had carried for ten months. Ah, no; there was a difference now. His long lost younger sister could now be compared with the memorial tablet.
His smile deepened, but a dark glint entered his eyes.
Feeling gratified, Old Madam patted his hand and softly spoke: “Sit and talk.”
Lin Shi held her tears and nodded. Seating herself beside Old Madam, she asked, “Pin Yu, have you found your younger sister?”
When the bloodied Xiang’er was brought back to the manor with both her legs injured, she did not spare a glance or even ask about her condition. If the one who had met that fate was him, would her reaction be any different? Would she even shed a tear for him?
Recalling that, Yu Pin Yan became disinterested with his mother’s question. He picked his teacup up and fiddled with it. “That year, mother only knew that their surname was Shen, with a southern accent, and was a merchant. The world is so vast, I’m afraid I couldn’t find more information in this short span of time. Please be patient, Mother. The orchid-like birthmark on her wrist, it’s not something easily spotted by anyone. Thus, it has become even more difficult for me to find her.”
“How long more must we wait?” Lin Shi pressed, staring at her son anxiously. “Even if I can wait, your younger sister can’t! She is the daughter of the Marquis and yet, taken away to an inferior merchant household. We don’t know how miserable and sad her livelihood must be. Pin Yan, she is your Di younger sister, do be more diligent.”
Yu Pin Yan raised an eyebrow and faintly replied, “Son is aware.”
“Aware, aware. You need to find her quickly. That Shen family must be black-hearted and wicked. They gave birth to a jinx and secretly swapped it into our house, that caused the death of your father and the suffering of your younger sister. Should they be found, I will definitely make them wish they were better off dead than alive!” Lin Shi gritted her teeth and scowled. “And that jinx, why did you bring her back? Send her away immediately! It’s her evil luck that brings misfortune to you and causes those bandits to attack! As soon as she gets sent away, only then our household will be peaceful!”
A few years ago, Lin Shi had engaged a roaming monk to predict Yu Xiang’s fortune. The monk had foretold that Yu Xiang bore the ill fortune of inflicting torture to her kin; a mourning star that had never been seen in a hundred years. Unceasing calamity would pursue any family that she set foot in. Lin Shi had believed this prediction without question. Since then, she had shunned Yu Xiang, going as far as hanging lots of peach-wood demon charms in Yu Xiang’s room in an attempt to ward off the evil spirits.
Influenced by the monk’s hearsay and as a devout Buddhist, Old Madam had come to loathe this granddaughter as well. As she hailed from a prominent family, she was unable to mistreat the Di granddaughter too harshly. Though she never fell short of anything a Di granddaughter should have, Old Madam had made sure to distance herself from her.
After listening to Lin Shi, Old Madam said nothing. She picked up the rosary from the table and silently recited.