Spring of the 23rd year of the Republic of China. Suzhou.
On the morning of the third month of spring, the continuous haze of a few days of drizzling rain had dissipated. The bright sun hung early on the branches.
The sound of birds chirping and the faint fragrance of flowers wafting through the air accompanied by the opening of the morning market with people and carriages going to and fro. Located near the center of Suzhou, in a boxy courtyard house that imitated the characteristics of the previous dynasty in Jingdou, the servants were already busy with the cleaning work at hand. Between them, rice and coriander wafted in from the large kitchen. A new day had begun.
Overlooking the famous "Su Embroidery Home" inside and outside Suzhou, the Su family residence, a few small courtyards were distributed in picturesque disorder. Between them was a small, winding path made of green bricks, interspersed with elegant and exquisite pavilions and lakes. On both sides were lush and neat shrubs. It had to be said that the person in charge of the Su family residence was someone who knew how to enjoy and appreciate things.
"Where is your young lady?" The eldest grandson of the Su family, Su Tingyi, ignored the servant girls and servants who greeted him with a good morning. He hurried into a small and exquisite courtyard and into a large and bright embroidery room facing the morning sun. He asked the two servant girls who were tidying up the embroidery.
Hearing this, the two servant girls looked at each other and felt it was strange. One of them, who was slightly taller, quickly lowered her eyebrows and replied, "Young master, the young lady got up early in the morning and took the large scale Su embroidery that was to be exhibited the day after tomorrow and went to the old master's courtyard. She said the young master sent someone to let her go." As she finished speaking, her tone lowered. Looking at the young master's expression, presumably someone else had used the young master's name to let the young lady go.
Su Tingyi's sword-like eyebrows rose. He immediately turned around and hurried out the door, heading toward the courtyard of the old master, who was currently the most senior member of the Su family.
Before he entered the courtyard, he heard waves of surprised cries from afar coming from the courtyard. Su Tingyi's brows furrowed. His footsteps became even faster.
"Ah Fen, quickly go and inform the old master and young master. I'll go and report to the madam."
"Ah!"
Following the sound of hurried footsteps, two servant girls with panicked expressions ran from the direction of the Old Master's main courtyard towards the courtyard door.
"What happened?" Su Tingyi called out to the two servant girls who were hurrying with their heads down and hadn't noticed who was coming.
"Ah! Young master! "The two servant girls seemed to have found their backbone and were almost crying tears of joy.
"What happened? Have you seen Eldest Miss? Or is the Old Master … "Su Tingyi didn't care about their rude actions of grabbing his sleeve and asked anxiously.
"Eldest Young Master, it's … it's Eldest Young Miss … Eldest Young Miss, she …" One of the maidservants had been frightened for a long time, while the other maidservant answered incoherently.
After Su Tingyi caught a few words, he didn't ask them anymore. He pushed the two of them aside and rushed to the old master's hospital. Damn it! He could only blame himself for not being aware of it. If, if Shuiche had any mishap because of this, he would definitely not let the mother and daughter off, regardless of how favored the second concubine was.
She thought resentfully all the way until the Old Master's main courtyard appeared in front of her. Su Tingyi pushed open the door to the main courtyard and walked in with large strides. He shouted anxiously, "Shuiche! Shuiche! "
She wasn't in the main hall, the side hall, or the left wing. Su Tingyi searched room by room until he arrived at the right wing where the curtains were half drawn. He smelled a fishy smell and quickly walked in. The curtains behind him were swaying, and the scene that appeared in front of him made him want to fall to the ground.
"Shuiche … Shuiche …" Su Tingyi's hands trembled as he took a few steps forward and suddenly knelt on the ground. He gently lifted the ground and bent his knees to lie down. Her head seemed to have hit the corner of the table and blood was flowing out from her bloody eye. It dyed her emerald blue clothes red and also made her small and delicate oval face pale.
"Shuiche, you'll be fine. Big brother will take you to the medical hall right now. You'll be fine." Su Tingyi's face instantly paled. He picked up the woman on the ground and muttered to himself as he hurriedly walked towards the door.
Along the way, he shouted, "Men, immediately prepare the carriage." His figure rushed out without stopping. He occasionally lowered his head to look at his pale and bloodless sister and frowned.
"Mother, do you think she will …" Su Tingyi ran all the way. When he passed by an exquisite artificial mountain, he heard the conversation of a mother and daughter.
"If it's true, then that's good. Let's see who will suppress you in the future." A middle-aged lady in luxurious clothes was the first to show her face. Her eyes were filled with hatred.
"But the old master won't ignore this matter. After all, it happened at his place." A young woman around sixteen or seventeen years old pouted. Her expression was slightly flustered.
"What are you afraid of? No matter how you investigate, this is still an accident. There are no witnesses or material evidence. Don't tell me you want to punish us for this accident? Besides, only with Su Shuiche's death will your talent be appreciated by the old master and your father. Without Su Shuiche, you will be the rightful chief of Su Xiu's family. They won't use this as a reason to punish you. " Madam Gui flicked her handkerchief and pointed her index finger at her daughter's forehead, who was still flustered. She exhorted, "When the time comes, if Old Master and your father ask about it, don't let it slip. Do you remember? As for the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival', quickly send it away and get rid of it. "
"I know, mother. But I'm afraid that Auntie and Big Brother … "Su Shuiyan couldn't help but tremble when she thought of her half-brother and Auntie, who didn't speak much but had a serious expression and seemed to be able to see through her thoughts at a glance — the current mistress of the Su family.
"Useless!" The lady, who was also the second concubine of the old master of the Su family, Deng Yun, glared at her daughter and crumpled the handkerchief in her hand into a ball. "Go back. I don't think the house will be peaceful for the next two days. Stay in the embroidery room and practice. The old master will definitely let you go to the international competition the day after tomorrow. Don't make your mother lose face. " Deng Yun glanced at her daughter. If it weren't for the fact that she wanted her to find a good husband in the future instead of being a concubine like her, she wouldn't be able to raise her head. Would she have to spend so much effort to plan for her?
Su Shuiyan lowered her head and answered softly. But she was also uneasy. Even if her eldest sister, who was better than her in every aspect, was lucky enough to survive, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to participate in the international competition the day after tomorrow. Well, mother was right. She had to prepare well. If she became famous in the international competition, wouldn't it be easy to get the first place of the "Su Embroidery House"? As for the young master of the Wang family, he would definitely choose her instead of Su Shuiche. After all, the Wang family chose Su Shuiche because of her outstanding embroidery! Su Shuiyan was full of confidence, which made her arrogant again. She followed her mother back to her small courtyard.
…
In the big study of the Su family's main courtyard.
"Pa!" There was a loud noise on the table, and the blue and white porcelain cup was instantly shattered. The Old Master of the Su family was glaring angrily from the main seat.
"Who spread the nonsense? Let Shuiche go to my courtyard? Although the eldest son is in charge of this family, I'm not dead yet! "Although the Old Master was over eighty years old, he was still full of energy when he scolded.
"Father, please calm down!" The head of the Su family, who was also the eldest son of the Old Master, Su Fanghua, quickly stood up from the left side of the Old Master and bowed to beg for forgiveness, "I was busy preparing for the international competition the day after tomorrow. I really didn't know that Shuiche had an accident. According to my thorough investigation, Tingyi's chief maid went to Shuiche's courtyard that day and said that Tingyi was here. Shuiche went to father's courtyard, but she didn't see Tingyi and father. She just didn't know why she bumped into the corner of the table and kept bleeding. As for … this, I haven't found out yet. "
Su Fanghua told the truth that he had found out to the Old Master, but he still had some doubts in his heart. According to Shui Yong's usual calm temperament, she would not leave in a hurry without a servant girl. Moreover, according to the statement of Shuiche's two maids, when Shuiche went out, she also brought the large-scale Su embroidery that was prepared for the exhibition. But after the incident, according to the two maids on duty in the Old Master's courtyard and his eldest son Su Tingyi, they didn't find this large-scale Su embroidery. This matter was probably not an accident, but a deliberate plot. But now …
"What about Tingyi's maid?" The Old Master also thought of the twists and turns in the story and immediately asked.
"When I sent people to find that maid, she had already … already fallen into the lake and was no longer breathing."
"Bastard!" The Old Master angrily slammed the table and stood up, "How is this an accident? It's obviously a murder! Shuiche, that girl … Sigh … Hurry up and send more people. Find out the reason behind this at all costs. " The Old Master frowned and ordered his eldest son. In the end, he added, "The day after tomorrow, the competition … Let that girl Shuiche prepare well. No matter what, the Su family can't have no one going."
"Yes. I'll go and warn her right away. "Su Fanghua lowered his head and answered.
… …
"What did the doctor say?" In the waiting room outside the medical center's operating room, a rich madam around forty years old grabbed Su Tingyi's hand and asked anxiously. This was the current Madam of the Su family — Su Fanghua's wife, Li Ruxi. At this moment, she didn't have the usual calm and quiet appearance of a Madam. Her face and eyes were full of anxiety for her daughter, whose life or death was unknown.
"Mother." Su Tingyi tightly grasped Li Ruxi's ice-cold hand and called out softly. However, he couldn't continue and just shook his head.
"Yi 'er, what do you mean by this?" Li Ruxi couldn't hold it in any longer and tears fell from her eyes. The servant girl beside her also looked nervously at her Young Master, hoping that the result wouldn't make the madam despair.
"The doctor said …" Su Tingyi organized the words the doctor had just said and picked some words that wouldn't make people faint. "The doctor said that, my sister injured her head. Before the extravasated blood dissipates, she might be unconscious for a few days." This was only one of the possibilities, and the possibility was very small. The biggest possibility was that … she would become a living dead person. If she didn't get better in half a year, then … When Su Tingyi thought of this possibility, he couldn't help but swing his fist at the cement wall beside him.
"Young Master!" Li Ruxi's servant girl cried out in alarm when she saw this.
Li Ruxi looked at her son and heard his words. Her mood eased a lot. Seeing her son like this, she thought that he was angry at those people who hurt Shuiche. She comforted her son, "It's good that her life isn't in danger. As for the rest, I think we can't sit still and wait for death. The servant girl who sent the message died strangely. There's no need to guess who the master behind it is, it's that slut. I'll go back to your maternal grandfather's house tomorrow. I heard that the two good-for-nothing sons of the Deng family joined some organization and were raising money everywhere … Hmph, I don't believe that I can't get hold of that slut's weakness. I'll let their family bite each other's tails. "Li Ruxi coldly snorted. Her eyes were filled with frost and swords. They dared to hurt her daughter, they were tired of living!
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