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墨書 Inktalez
The moon had already risen high, casting a silvery light over the land. The father and daughter continued to stroll in the courtyard, walking and stopping intermittently. Whenever they mentioned Yun You, there would be a moment of silence before they spoke again.
"Father, how are Third Uncle and Grandmother doing?" Yun Kexin gazed at the dim garden and suddenly felt downcast. "Ever since Second Uncle passed away, I've seen them even less."
"Losing a child in old age is one of life's three great sorrows," Yun Yang said without turning around, simply holding Yun Kexin's hand and sighing. "Mother has to bury her own child; how can that not be painful? As for Third Uncle," he paused slightly and shook his head, "everyone has their own fate..."
"Daughter has a question that remains unclear, and I hope Father will speak frankly," Yun Kexin couldn't help but voice the doubts that had been building up inside her. "Is there some kind of rift between Grandmother and Third Uncle?"
Yun Yang's brow furrowed deeper as he turned to look at Yun Kexin, sighing, "Third Uncle was a bit domineering and unreasonable when he was younger. He didn't respect his Sister-in-law and always found fault with her. How could strong-willed Mother not feel resentment? This poor relationship continued until your grandfather passed away without any improvement."
"Is Grandmother resentful just because of Third Uncle's arrogance and domineering nature?" Yun Kexin cautiously probed, eager to uncover the truth behind it all. "Could it be because of Fourth Uncle..."
"Who told you this?!" Yun Yang suddenly turned his face towards her, his tone unchanged but his gaze stern. "Don't listen to idle gossip."
However, Yun Kexin noticed that Yun Yang's eyes flickered slightly, realizing he was hiding something. If she could guide the conversation appropriately, he might reveal something. So she subtly mentioned what her grandmother had once hinted at regarding the conflict with Third Uncle due to Fourth Uncle. Indeed, Yun Yang's expression grew stranger as he hesitated before finally whispering, "Seventh Young Lady, you will understand when you grow up." He then spoke in a serious tone: "Some things are better left unknown; knowing too much won't do you any good."
Yun Kexin realized she wouldn't be able to extract more information and could only blame herself for being only nine years old. It was hard not to be seen as a child, and what significance did adult conflicts hold for someone who was still not yet grown? Even if she understood, she might not grasp the full meaning—if she were not a reincarnated person!
"Kexin, do you miss Second Uncle?" Yun Yang suddenly asked as he stopped by the rockery, gazing at the shimmering surface of the pond below.
Yun Kexin felt a sense of caution and pretended to be nonchalant as she replied, "Why do you ask this, Father?"
Yun Yang did not answer but stared into the dark pond water, his voice slightly choked as he said, "It's Father who misses Second Brother! Seventh Young Lady, do you know? I was very mischievous back then and didn't like school; it was Second Brother who forced me to go and urged me to read and write. Once we even fought over this matter, but in the end, I listened to Second Brother. Over time, I developed the habit of studying before playing. I owe my current self to Second Brother, yet I did something I deeply regret; I was foolish..." As he spoke, his eyes became moist.
Yun Kexin couldn't help but feel her own eyes warm with tears as she thought: Is Third Uncle referring to the matter of being adopted?
"Father, I know; I understand everything," she said gently while shaking her adoptive father's hand in comfort.
"No, you don't understand," Yun Yang closed his eyes, guilt and pain causing him to choke on his words several times. "It's all my fault. I knew people on the surface but not in their hearts. Why didn't I see through some people earlier? If I had just been a little more aware and vigilant, maybe Second Brother wouldn't..." Yun Yang suddenly stopped, unwilling to continue.
Yun Kexin was startled and, in a daze, recalled that in her previous life, Yun Yang's attitude towards Fu Lianyin had taken a sharp turn for the worse shortly after Yun You's passing—becoming cold and even hateful, rarely entering the room. As a result, Fu Lianyin's hopes of conceiving again were dashed time and again. At that time, she simply thought it was a temporary quarrel between husband and wife and didn't delve deeper into it.
Now that she thought about it carefully, could it be that in his past life, Yun Yang learned of Fu Lianyin's true intentions regarding the "adopted daughter" and that Father’s death was somehow connected to someone else? This might explain why he gradually began to loathe and distance himself from Fu Lianyin! And could it be that Third Uncle, who had always been in good health, passed away from illness when she was ten due to Fu Lianyin's "tricks"? Yun Kexin suddenly felt uneasy.
"Father, I understand your pain," Yun Kexin tightened her grip on Yun Yang's hand obediently. "But I have always believed that for things that have already happened, if they cannot be changed, we should accept them and then avoid making the same mistakes again."
Yun Yang lowered his head in surprise; he couldn't believe that his nine-year-old daughter would say such things. Suddenly, he smiled with relief: "Kexin has really grown up. She understands how to empathize with her father and knows these principles. It seems Lord Tong did not teach you in vain."
A trace of sorrowful smile crossed Yun Kexin's lips: when did Teacher Tong ever teach her these things? They were all lessons learned at the cost of her previous life, but she couldn't reveal that.
"Thank you, Father," Yun Kexin's mood suddenly dropped; her interest in the conversation faded as she wanted to leave. "I’ve talked enough with you today. It's getting late, and I'm feeling a bit tired. I want to go back to my room to rest."
"That's fine; you've been worn out enough these past few days because of your Second Uncle," Yun Yang gently patted Yun Kexin's head. "Go rest; I also need to attend the morning court early."
"Yes, Father. Let me see you off." Yun Kexin took Yun Yang's hand as they walked back.
When they reached the front of the bedroom, the father and daughter bid farewell. The three sisters who had been accompanying them followed Yun Kexin into her room to prepare her bed and tidy up the bedding. Just as they were about to leave, Yun Kexin called out to them: "Shanling, Shining, Shan Yue, wait a moment before you go."
"What else does our master wish to say?" Shanling asked as she paused her steps.
"It's nothing; I just want to chat with you," Yun Kexin said while sitting on the edge of the bed, propping herself up with her arms and smiling gently. "Don't be nervous."
Shan Yue smiled and asked, "What does our master want to know?"
"You are the 'Three Sisters'?" Yun Kexin asked calmly.
Shining also smiled and replied, "Sister, do you see any resemblance among us three in terms of appearance?"
Yun Kexin shook her head with a smile, "No, that's why I'm curious. So, you are indeed not biological sisters."
"But we are closer than real sisters," Shan Yue said with a smile. "Sisters Shanling and Shining treat me very well, and I like both of them."
"Then you were really saved by Young Lord when he saw injustice and drew his sword to help?" Yun Kexin's eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes reflected a penetrating light, yet there was no anger.
Upon hearing this, the three sisters' expressions changed slightly. Shan Yue hurriedly lowered her head, while Shining's mouth moved but ultimately remained silent, as if afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Shanling, being the most composed and steady, took a few steps forward and asked, "May I dare to ask why you inquire so? Do you not believe in Young Lord?"
"It's not that; it's just that you don't seem like those who were rescued. If I'm not mistaken," Yun Kexin tilted her head slightly, pausing for a moment, her expression revealing some cunning and playfulness as her voice became soft and crisp. "You should originally be three maidservants from Duke of Yan's Residence, but for some reason, you were driven out of the Duke's Residence?"
Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue all looked up in shock, exchanging glances. Even the calmest Shanling showed a hint of panic on her face. After a moment, they all knelt down together.
"Sister, please see clearly," Shining said as she bowed three times to Yun Kexin, her voice trembling as she asked, "May I dare to ask how you figured it out?"
Yun Kexin smiled: "So it really is!"
"First tell me about the circumstances!" Yun Kexin revealed a triumphant smile. "Just keep your composure... Get up now; don't be afraid."
"Thank you, Sister," Shining said as she got up in a daze, not daring to meet Yun Kexin's gaze. Her eyes fell on their clasped hands as she whispered, "We were indeed maidservants at Duke of Yan's Residence; we were just later driven out by Jiangyin Marquis."
Jiangyin Marquis? Yun Kexin felt a jolt in her heart: was it Feng Hongwen, the Uncle who had beheaded her in her previous life and fed her to the dogs in public?!
"Why were you all driven out of the residence?" She calmed her emotions, trying hard not to let her past life disturb her mind.
The three sisters all showed embarrassment, and finally, Shanling mustered the courage to speak, "We were originally 'offered' to Young Lord as Concubine Maids, but he outright rejected us. The Marquis lost face, so he had no use for us and sent us away..."
"If Young Lord finds out about this, knowing we are all orphans with no home to return to and that we are women," Shan Yue continued, no longer looking frightened, but smiling instead, "he asked if we wanted to learn some martial arts, which could help us protect ourselves and perhaps even make a living. We agreed."
"But later on, after thinking it over, we still hoped to join the military," Shanling also stood up, affirming, "because we have seen through the bullying and infighting in the big house; our hearts have grown cold."
"Rather than die in humiliation in that big house, it is better to die honorably on the battlefield," Shining added. "Our names were also given to us by Young Lord."
Yun Kexin then understood why the three of them were so resistant to being maids in a wealthy household: "Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of rope." She empathized deeply! She silently nodded without voicing an opinion.
Seeing Yun Kexin sitting at the top with an expressionless look as if she were in a daze, Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue grew anxious, thinking: Oh no, they had been honest and straightforward, but what about Young Lord? Is Seventh Sister blaming him for his "deception"?
"Sister, please don't blame Young Lord. He didn't mean to hide our previous identities from you," Shan Yue hurriedly sought clarification.
"It's fine; I don't blame him. I just wanted to confirm," Yun Kexin smiled. "Based on your accounts, it does indeed count as Young Lord 'saving' 'three women'."
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