Nanny Ming visited Mo Xuetong early the next morning. When she looked into Mo Xuetong’s eyes, which were very similar to her mistress’, Nanny Ming knelt down and cried.
Mo Xuetong had long ordered Mo Lan to hold the old woman and did not allow her to kneel. Mo Xuetong made a deep curtsy to her and lifted her head, greeting her, “Nanny Ming!” Then, she swallowed and could not speak anymore.
“Miss, don’t cry. If madam can see how beautiful, adorable and sensible you are, she will definitely be very happy.” Nanny Ming wiped her tears and said happily through her tears.
“Nanny Ming, please sit.” Mo Xuetong pursed her lips when she heard Nanny Ming mentioning her mother. She suppressed the pain she felt in her heart and pulled Nanny Ming to sit with her on the bed-stove. Nanny Ming refused profusely, but Mo Lan thought of a way to make it work in the end. She moved a stool over and Nanny Ming sat on it.
“Nanny Ming, do you remember what happened that night Mother passed away?” Mo Xuetong asked. This was something she wanted to know the most. Everything seemed to have started to change from that night on.
Mo Yu and Mo Lan left then. One of them sat outside while the other went out to supervise the other maids sweeping up the snow. She could occasionally hear Mo Yu talking to the maids. But the courtyard was very quiet otherwise. Only the sound of Mo Yu’s voice and brooms sweeping up snow could be heard.
“Miss, have you heard something?” Nanny Ming’s expression changed and she lowered her volume when she heard Mo Xuetong’s question.
“I didn’t hear anything. But after that day, Father left me behind in Cloud City and brought Eldest Sister and Fourth Sister to the capital. Then, he ignored me. Even though I wasn’t very likable in the past, but Father still doted on me a lot. Why did he start to treat me coldly after that night and even abandoned me in the end?” This was something that Mo Xuetong had never spoken about, and it was something that she felt much aggrieved about in both lives.
She had never told anyone about this, not even her two personal maids.
What happened that day was too odd. So what if she had drenched Auntie Fang with water that day? Her father and Auntie Fang had never been close, so why did everything change in just one day? She, who had been doted on by her mother, had fallen into an abyss from the clouds. Was this truly because of the rumors Auntie Fang spread?
“Miss, I do not know what happened then. I have always stayed beside Madam’s side. In the end, Madam wanted to see Old Sir and sent me to get someone to fetch him. Auntie Fang’s servants would not allow the servants to enter and said that Old Sir had ordered them to do it. He said that he did not want to see anyone then. That was why Madam died with hatred in her heart.
“It was all my fault. I was sad and angry at Old Sir’s heartlessness and said something like that to miss. That was why you hated Auntie Fang and drenched her in water. Auntie Fang had always been a sly one, and she must have said something to Old Sir.” Nanny Ming frowned as she recounted what happened and her deductions.
Her deductions were similar to Mo Xuetong’s. But there was something that did not make sense.
If it were true, her father would definitely make it up to her mother when he found out what happened later. Judging from the interactions she had with her father lately, her father still remembered her mother. There was a picture hidden surreptitiously in the corner of his desk in the study. It was a portrait of her mother. The portrait had been kept really well and there was no trace of dust on it. It was evident that someone had taken it out to look at especially. That corner had always been the spot her father left important official documents. Mo Xuetong had once seen her father caressing the edges of the painting while he was stowing away official documents. How could her father be heartless and cold?
It meant that it was her father who had stopped the maids from entering. Or one could say that her father had taken Auntie Fang’s suggestion to stop the maids from entering.
That was possible, but something was wrong about that too. Her father had loved her mother deeply, so how could he bear to let her leave the world alone? He was willing to bear the rumors saying that he was heartless and be misunderstood by his in-laws. So what was the reason for him to leave her alone with the Qin’s without even asking about her?
This was something that Mo Xuetong could not get over. It was something that had been on her heart that could not be explained all this while.
Since he loved her mother so deeply, why had he behaved like this? She could see her father’s obvious love for her, so why had he treated her like so?
She picked up a small pouch that was hanging on a wicker case beside her. She wrapped her fingers around it, and then loosened it, and then wrapped it around again, and loosened it…
“Nanny Ming, did Father behave oddly after that?” Mo Xuetong asked with a frown. “That night after mother passed away?”
That night was the key!
“That night, Old Sir chased all the maids away and stayed by Madam’s side quietly. I was worried and waited outside. Then, I was tired and dozed off. Then, I was startled awake by the sound of someone rifling through something. Because the sound came from inside the room, I did not dare to say anything. The sound only stopped about ten minutes later. After that, I heard the sound of Old Sir crying.” Nanny Ming recounted.
She had hated Old Sir then, which was why she was worried about leaving Old Sir inside the room. She had waited outside especially since she had served her mistress all her life. Then, she had leaned against the wall and fell asleep. She did not know what Old Sir was looking for in the room, and she did not expect to hear his bitter cries after a while.
When did the calm Old Sir look like he would sob like a child? Nanny Ming was stunned. She could hear the pained and bitter cries of Mo Huawen in the quiet night. Nanny Ming cried together with him outside. Old Sir only left the room with red eyes at dawn the next day.
Other than this, nothing odd had happened!
What was her father looking for in her mother’s room after she had died? Mo Xuetong sat up straight and her eyes glowed. What was it that made her father ignore her mother’s death, and to search through her material possessions? And what was it that made him cry so bitterly? Was it because of her mother’s passing?
“Nanny Ming, where did all of Mother’s other maids go? Why do I not see a single one of them now?” Something flashed through Mo Xuetong’s eyes, and they grew grave.
“After what happened to the four senior maids, someone said that there was something bad in Madam’s courtyard. The maids and servants all asked to be sent to other courtyards. Furthermore, Auntie Fang was in charge of the inner courtyard after that. The servants all left for other places and no one knows where they went.” Nanny Ming sighed, unable to make heads or tails of the situation either.
Everything she said had fit with Mo Xuetong’s own deductions. Other than that trace of suspicion regarding her father’s actions, there was no progress in anything else.
After Nanny Ming left, Mo Xuetong sat on the stove-bed quietly. She remained deep in thought, her brows furrow. She felt as if she was forgetting something. Everything was linked and when one thought about it carefully there was something very wrong. Why had her father not sensed anything? Or could it be that he was aware of it but chose not to do anything?
The old madam had come to the manor. Even though she was not Mo Huawen’s birth mother, she was still an elder and was unlike the other concubines. It was already late when Mo Xuetong went to greet her because she had taken the time to speak with Nanny Ming.
She only realized when she entered the room that not only Mo Xueyan was around. Mo Xuemin and Mo Xueqiong were there too.
After greeting the old madam, the old madam said lightly, “There’s no need to be so polite. Sit down.”
She had only just sat down when Mo Xueqiong spoke. “Third Sister, you woke up so early today. Grandmother just mentioned you and was asking why you still weren’t up at this time. I said that you’ve been like this since you entered the Mo Manor. Anyway, you are the most important person in this manor.”
She was blaming Mo Xuetong for not waking up earlier to greet the old madam. But beneath that, she was saying that Mo Xuetong had no respect for her elders.
“Many thanks for your thoughts Grandmother. Father sent someone to me regarding something earlier which was why I came late.” Mo Xuetong explained with a gentle smile.
“Father truly loves Third Sister a lot. Eldest Sister is not yet well but he did not send anyone to ask about her. However, he frequents Qingwei Garden a lot. This…is indeed different.” Mo Xueqiong glanced at Mo Xuemin, whose face was pale, meaningfully with a smile.
“Third Sister is feeling poorly as well and she has always been far from Father. It is normal for Father to pay more attention to her now.” Mo Xuemin looked up with a slight smile when the conversation shifted to her.
This was the first time Mo Xuetong had seen Mo Xuemin since the incident at the palace. Her face was too pale. She was still recuperating from her serious illness. Her warm and gentle gaze landed on Mo Xuetong. There was a dark flash, and then, her eyes were calm and gentle again.
Her eyes were even more gentle that they had been when they first met!
However, Mo Xuetong knew that Mo Xuemin was harder to deal with like this!
The old madam watched the three sisters quietly. Then she harrumphed coldly and put down the heated stove in her hands and said with unhappily with furrowed brows. “You are all sisters, why are you fighting about this. If you have time, you had all better read more of the “Classics for Women”. This manor is lacking a mistress, and even the young misses of the manor fight when they meet. Such ill-breeding.”
She was talking about all of them. Both Mo Xuemin and Mo Xueqiong looked somewhat upset about it.
“Grandmother, the sisters are just joking. If you are worried, you can help Uncle pick out another noble lady. Then, you can help Eldest, Third and Fourth Sisters to pick out a good husband.” Mo Xueyan was the second oldest among them all and was only a few months younger than Mo Xuemin. She smiled sweetly and peeked out from behind the old madam.
This pleased the old madam greatly and she reached out to pat the girl’s head.” This is indeed something to discuss. Your Uncle doesn’t have a proper mistress in his manor. Look at how chaotic it is.” She swept her hand, gesturing to the three.
The old madam was most satisfied with her own granddaughter. She felt rather dissatisfied with her eldest son’s daughters. She did not like any of them. She had already decided that she had to find him a gentle and gracious wife. Mo Huawen had gone against her will back then and was insistent on marrying Luo Xia. She disliked Mo Xuetong when she saw her eyes, which were similar to Luo Xia’s.
She spoke with Mo Xueyan as if they were the only two present. Then, she waved her hand and dismissed the rest, only getting Mo Xueyan to stay behind to speak with her.
The three of them exited according to their age.
When they left the courtyard, Mo Xueqiong who had been standing at the very back suddenly took several steps in front. Mo Xuetong had just lifted her foot to cross the threshold when she squeezed beside Mo Xuetong. Mo Xuetong did not have time to react. She wanted to stand with both legs but tripped on her skirt. She stumbled and then knocked into the door frame. Mo Ye, who was standing by the side had realized what was happening. She reached out to catch Mo Xuetong, but it was too late.
“Miss, how are you feeling?” Mo Yu and Mo Ye hurried to help her up. If Mo Ye had not held on to her, she would have fallen to the ground.
“Third Sister, I’m so sorry. I suddenly realized that I have something on back in my courtyard, so I walked faster.” Mo Xueqiong stood on one side and dusted down her skirts. She did not look apologetic at all.
Mo Yu opened her mouth angrily to argue with Mo Xueqiong, but Mo Xuetong reached out to stop her.
“It’s alright. Since Fourth Sister is in such a rush, then you should go.” She said lightly, holding her handkerchief to her head. She knew that it was swollen.
Mo Xueqiong was already prepared to fight. She was just waiting for Mo Xuetong to grow angry at her. However, when she saw Mo Xuetong’s cool behavior and how she had not said anything, she felt as if she was punching cotton and lost all interest. She glanced at Mo Xuetong cooly and left without even bidding her goodbye.
“Third Sister, how is your head? I have a bottle of medicine. I will send a maid to bring it to you.” Mo Xuemin hid the satisfied look in her eyes and went up to her in fake concern.
“I didn’t break anything, it just hurts a little. I will be fine in a while. Eldest Sister, you had best keep the medicine for yourself!” Mo Xuetong’s face was pale with pain and she forced a smile on her face. She was not in the mood to say anything. Then, she left holding on to Mo Ye and the others.
“Mo Xiu, Third Miss’ injuries seem serious. Get someone to send her the medicine.” Mo Xuemin said gently.
“Yes.”
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