Chapter 17: Perfect Crime
Qi yiniang’s illness was severe because she started coughing violently after a few simple words.
Li Wei Yang walked over and tightly held on to her hands. “Mom.”
Including the first lifetime and this lifetime, this was the first time she ever called Qi yiniang “mom”. It made Wei Yang both nervous and scared. She had been too calm before. If Da furen had decided to push for the murder to happen an hour earlier, there was a chance she would never be able to see her birth mother again.
The servant girl named Cui’er, despite being very frightened, she was not stupid either. Knowing the dire situation at hand, she immediately went out to look for a bag. Afterwards, along with Bai Zhi’s help, the two of them shoved Zhao mumu’s corpse into the bag and put in heavy rocks as well. Unfortunately, Zhao mumu was too heavy, not to mention the addition of the rocks’ weight, the two girls wasn’t able to lift the bag. Seeing this, Li Wei Yang decided to help the two girls lift the bag. It took a lot of energy, to the point of exhaustion, for all three of them to toss the heavy bag into the pond behind the windows. Upon hearing the big splash made by the bag, the three of them exchanged a look and sighed in relief.
“Be thorough about cleaning the blood stains in the room. Even that bowl of soup, take it all away. Your actions must be quick and efficient. Don’t let others notice,” Li Wei Yang instructed matter-of-factly.
Sitting on the side and watching, Qi yiniang slightly trembled. She would have never expected Wei Yang to save her at the critical moment. Not to mention, she was very decisive in her actions.
After everything was done, Qi yiniang held tightly on to Wei Yang’s hands. “Child, hurry and return to your chamber. Don’t stay here any longer, lest you get pulled into trouble as well.”
Looking at Qi yiniang’s face, Li Wei Yang stubbornly shook her head. “No, Wei Yang won’t go. Wei Yang wants to stay with mom.”
“Zhao mumu is Da furen’s people—” Qi yiniang suddenly coughed again.
Wei Yang scooted closer and gently smoothed her back. In a gentle voice, she said, “Mom, you mustn’t worry about Da furen or how she’s going to trouble me. I have my ways to deal with her.”
Qi yiniang shook her head. “No, Da furen isn’t someone you can easily deal with.”
Li Wei Yang nodded and caressed Qi yiniang’s face. She noticed Qi yiniang’s forehead was burning hot. She turned to Cui’er. “How is my mom’s illness?”
Cui’er’s eyes were wet but Qi yiniang was looking at her with a look that said to not say anything. In the end, Cui’er couldn’t keep it in any longer. “San xiaojie, Qi yiniang’s life has been difficult. At first it was only a cold but no one allowed her to see a doctor. Not to mention, the food had been halved. Without the needed care, yiniang’s health has become worse over time.”
Li Wei Yang pulled out five silvers and shoved it underneath Qi yiniang’s pillow. “Mom, take this. Let Cui’er turn it into smaller coins and use it to go out and buy medicine.”
Without thinking, Qi yiniang immediately refused. “No, it should be me who should be supporting you. How can I take your money?” After saying so, she took off the jade bangle on her wrist and gave it to Wei Yang.
Even if a person was made out of steel, they could nevertheless tell who was genuine to them. In Qi yiniang’s eyes, there was only care and affection that came from deep within the heart.
Wei Yang’s eyes began to burn as she shook her head. “Mom, lao furen really likes me. All of these silvers were given to me by lao furen. I’m living very well so you don’t have to worry.”
Qi yiniang nodded as she suppressed the urge to hug her daughter and cry. With unshed tears, she said, “Wei Yang, it’s all because of my uselessness.”
“Mom, the person who turned you into this state . . . someday, I will let that woman have a taste of her own bitter medicine!” Her voice was cold and vicious. It didn’t match someone of her age.
Qi yiniang panicked and covered Wei Yang’s mouth. Cui’er was her trustworthy confidante. Bai Zhi was able to be trusted as well but even so. . .
“You mustn’t speak such nonsense! I only want you to grow up, get married and live peacefully. It is the best outcome to wish for. Regarding revenge, don’t think about it anymore. The most important thing is to live a peaceful life.”
These were the words only your birth mother would tell you. Wei Yang felt a fierce emotion stirring inside of her but she couldn’t utter a word.
Qi yiniang was about to continue but was interrupted by a strange sound.
Plop!
The noise turned Qi yiniang pale and horrified, as if she couldn’t believe what she had heard. She held on tighter to Wei Yang. “Wei Yang, do you hear that?”
“Zhao mumu has resurrected?!” Cui’er exclaimed in shocked horror.
Li Wei Yang stood up from the bed. “Let me go take a look.” She quickened her steps towards the window and stared out at the lily pond. She noticed behind the rockeries there was the shadow of a person. Small stones were falling into the pond, creating theplop plop sound. Turning around, she smiled at Qi yiniang. “Mom, don’t worry. It’s the rockeries that haven’t been tended to. Small stones are chipping off of it and falling into the water.”
After one glimpse, Li Wei Yang was certain there was a person behind the rockeries. But who could it be? When they tossed Zhao mumu into the pond, she wondered if that person had seen what happened.
Coming to this thought, Wei Yang held Qi yiniang’s hands and said, “It’s time for me to go. I will come back and visit you again.”
Knowing Wei Yang couldn’t stay for long, Qi yiniang didn’t want to part with her but had to as she reminded, “You must be careful.”
Li Wei Yang knew that Da furen was going to bring Li Xiao Ran over. For this reason, she had to prepare for the next act but she didn’t want to disclose this to Qi yiniang.
Leaving Nan Yuan, Wei Yang told Cui’er to show her the way. Then she took Bai Zhi with her and walked past the lily pond towards the rockeries which was made out of stones from Taihu Lake. From this standpoint to where Nan Yuan was, all one could see was a field of weeds and gra.s.s that had grown tall enough to reach a person’s waist. Anything else was but a blur. Therefore, it was impossible to have seen Zhao mumu being tossed into the water. She sighed in relief knowing the secret was safe.
About to leave, she suddenly heard a stifled moan.
Their gazes followed to the other side where they saw a small boy, approximately 8-9 years old, captured by two indistinguishable mumus. One of the two mumus was viciously choking his neck causing the boy to struggle violently. His porcelain like skin quickly turned white. His jet black hair was a mess. His arms and legs were flailing in the air.
Li Wei Yang was taken aback. Then Bai Zhi whispered into her ears, “Xiaojie, that’s San shaoye!”
She was horrified upon hearing that. San shaoye, Li Min De, was the adopted son of third aunt Zhou shi. 7 years ago, third uncle, Li Xiao He, pa.s.sed away due to poor health. They didn’t have an heir so news of Zhou shi looking for an adopted child quickly spread. Back then, Da furen had thought about sending over a child from the Li’s bloodline in order to control Zhou shi. The plan was for the child to inherit the large amount of dowry from Zhou shi as well as all of Li Xiao He’s wealth. Second aunt, Wen shi, had the same idea in mind. As a result, Da furen and Wen shi had fought over this for a while. However, even though Zhou shi may be gentle and kind, she was not a coward. With Lao furen’s help, she brought over Zhou Min De, who was the child of a distant relative, and made him into the adopted son. Due to this incident, she had angered Da furen and Wen shi. In other words, this Li Min De was a thorn in Da furen’s eyes.
There was a flicker of terror in Bai Zhi’s eyes. Li Wei Yang was hesitant. How could she save him? There was those two mumus. She wasn’t that stupid to think she could take them both on.
A few moments later, the boy was no longer struggling. His head was tilted to one side, looking like a dead crane.
One of the mumus laughed coldly. “Throw him into the pond. We’ll say he lost balance, fell into the water and drowned himself.”
Witnessing all of this, Li Wei Yang finally understood everything. So this was how the poor child had died in the previous lifetime. No wonder when she returned to the Li’s estate, Zhou shi had distanced herself from everyone and became anti-social. She must have been traumatized by the unfortunate incident.
The still body of the boy was thrown into the water. His red silk clothing could be seen floating on the surface before slowly sinking down. The two mumus stayed and watched until his body had already sunk down. One of the mumus even looked around the area to make sure no one was around to witness their act. They left only when they were sure it was a perfect crime.
When the two mumus finally disappeared, Bai Zhi grabbed Wei Yang’s hands in a panic. “Xiaojie, what should we do now?”
Qi yiniang, Li Min De, these two people were consecutively murdered. It was as if these two incidents had something related to her! Li Wei Yang suddenly stood up and without a single word, took off her shoes and jumped into the freezing water.
Bai Zhi was shocked, unable to react fast enough to stop Wei Yang. All she could do was stand and watch as the long black hair gradually disappeared underneath the water until there was nothing left. . .