"Why are all the daughters-in-w of the Gong family named Xue Lian?" Xue Lian asked.
"The young master is not in good health. A fortune teller said that he must marry someone with the name 'Xue Lian' to ensure a lifetime of safety and peace," Shen Ma replied.
"We've been busy all night, and we're all tired. Shen Ma, you should go back and rest," Xue Lian stood up and said respectfully.
"Why didn't you ask what illness the young master has?" Shen Ma was somewhat surprised by Xue Lian's reaction and couldn't help but ask.
"Since I am already a member of the Gong family, whatever illness my husband has, I will stay with him for life. There's no need to ask too much. Moreover, the Gong family has rules that forbid asking things that shouldn't be asked. Xue Lian has already asked too much, and I've made it difficult for you," Xue Lian slightly bowed to Shen Ma.
"Young madam, I am a servant; you cannot perform such a great courtesy." Shen Ma held Xue Lian up, a satisfied smile on her face. It seemed that she was starting to be somewhat pleased with Xue Lian.
Xue Lian smiled slightly and said, "Then please, Shen Ma, go ahead."
"Alright," Shen Ma still wore a smile on her face.
As Shen Ma turned around, a cold smile appeared on Xue Lian's face.
Shen Ma was lying to her. Xue Lian had seen the body, and although it only wore one shoe, it was definitely not a hanging death. If someone dies by hanging, their mouth would be open, and their tongue would be sticking out. But the body Xue Lian had seen had its mouth closed. She remembered it clearly because the corpse was missing a front tooth. The most crucial detail was... there were rge patches of blood outside the coffin. How could someone who died by hanging bleed so much and have blood spill onto the coffin? It seemed that Shen Ma didn't know that Xue Lian had already visited that secret passage earlier in the day.
If what Shen Ma said was true, and Ah Xiu had indeed died by hanging, then the body in the passage couldn't possibly be hers—it had to be someone else's! But who? And where was Ah Xiu's body? Or could it be that Ah Xiu was never dead at all?
Not dead! Then what is she doing now? Was the "ghost" I saw just now really a ghost? The most important thing is the white ntern has been restored. If Shen Ma didn't know I came here earlier, then who returned it? Where did the "ghost" just now go? Could it really have gone back into that coffin?
Ten, one hundred, one thousand... "trees."
Shen Ma said that the "ghost" was Ah Xiu, so it must be a woman. But the "ghost" was speaking in a man's voice—how strange! If it wasn't a "ghost," then why go to such lengths to scare her? Was it deliberately trying to frighten her? What was the purpose? Xue Lian couldn't figure it out. There were too many things she couldn't understand, but she didn't ask Shen Ma. Since Shen Ma wasn't telling the truth, there was no point in asking.
Shen Ma had already left, and the yard was silent. Xiao Dun'er had long fallen asleep beside the bed, as if everything that had happened in the Gong family had nothing to do with her. Though it was already te at night, Xue Lian was not the least bit tired. She stood in the yard, looking around, as if searching for an answer, but the yard was empty, with nothing but a well—a well that had been blocked by a stone. If one didn’t look closely, no one would even notice the well. Xue Lian stepped forward and tried to push the stone. It was lighter than she had imagined, and with one push, it rolled aside.
Xiao Dun'er had said that the first Xue Lian had died in the well. How could someone fall into a well for no reason? Xue Lian quietly went into the house, took a candle, and walked to the well, peering down…
The well, of course, had water in it, but Xue Lian didn't see any water, nor was there any moss. On one side of the well, there was a vine and many indents, like someone had climbed down using them. Could this be another secret passage? And if so, where did it lead?
Xue Lian had never imagined she could be so brave. Now, she was carefully stepping down the well, following the indentations…
To Jingsong Courtyard.
"Has she already gone back?" It was the voice of Old Old Madam Gong.
"Yes, she has. I think she's already asleep now and won't dare to cause any more trouble," Shen Ma stood in the yard, bowing her body, not daring to raise her head, speaking respectfully.
"Do you think she believes what you said?" the old dy asked.
"She should believe it, but she..." Shen Ma hesitated.
"Go on."
"She seemed too calm, unlike the other five." Shen Ma's voice was very soft, as if afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Old Madam Gong remained silent for a long time, and Shen Ma dared not move, standing there without a sound.
"Keep a close watch on her..." Old Madam Gong finally spoke again.
"Yes, Old Madam..." Shen Ma said, her face showing an uneasy expression. "It appeared again."
Old Madam Gong fell silent once more. After a while, she spoke again, her voice a bit heavy: "How many days has it been?"
"It's already the ninth day," Shen Ma gnced at the sky and replied.
"Only four days left..." Old Madam Gong's voice sounded somewhat dull.
At the bottom of the well.
As soon as Xue Lian reached the bottom of the well, she saw a door. It looked old and worn, perhaps due to the years of darkness at the bottom of the well, and the air was thick with a damp, musty smell.
Xue Lian gently pushed open the door, and an extremely foul stench immediately hit her face. The smell was so overpowering that she almost fainted, causing her to frown and cover her nose with her hand as she stepped inside.
Xue Lian was stunned. She never expected the bottom of the well to contain such a rge room... One tree, ten trees... There seemed to be at least a hundred trees inside the room. Their trunks were all lying across the ground, arranged neatly. The branches and leaves had been chopped off, leaving only the bare, exposed trunks. Each tree was as thick as a person, as tall as a person, and each trunk was covered with smaller branches as thick as arms.
