Ink Burns

Chapter 38: Funeral Spectators (3000-word chapter)
Huang Zhi was a fast runner and returned from the embroidery building in less than half an hour. She brought a bundle of clothes, shoes, socks, bamboo salt for rinsing the mouth, a ceramic cup, broken tea leaves, and dandelion hay for extinguishing fire for Shan Yue.
It's a huge burden and it's not a problem to survive in this small room for more than half a month.

Shan Yue: I am under house arrest here, not taking root here
Huang Zhi took out something while whispering, "I have explained everything to Second Miss. Second Miss said she will tell you right after lunch break. Don't worry. If He Yao Niang doesn't listen, she will pull that girl's ear and force the words into her."

Of course, the original words could not have been so elegant.

But Huang Zhi claimed to be an illiterate intellectual, and couldn't imagine how Wang Erniang could say shit, piss and fart in so many different ways.
Shan Yue nodded and thanked him again solemnly: "Thank you very much."

Huang Zhi waved her hands and pouted: "This time, I didn't ask for Second Lady's money."

Shanyue was a little confused. Is the simple money relationship no longer simple?
Huang Zhi said, "I've thought about it. I'll give you this message as a favor. But when you marry out of the Cheng family, I'll go with you as your concubine."

The Cheng family's crappy job doesn't last a single day!
I don’t want to collect that little bit of money for my life for even a single day!

In this damn place, two people died in seven days!

Is this going to work or visiting graves? !
This job is too risky. I don't feel safe doing it. I'm so cunning!

Huang Zhi decided to make a quick decision: It is better to choose this Miss He! She is smart! She has big fingers! She is pretty! She is not too bad! Although her expression is as cold as an iceberg sometimes, she pretends to be gentle most of the time. It is still a good way out!
"But you have to give me the same monthly salary as a maid in the Cheng Mansion! I also have to take a day off every ten days, and I have to get a monthly salary on my days off! Three meals a day, and I have to receive gift letters during the solar terms!"

When Huang Zhi opened his mouth, he didn't sound like he was here to apply for a job, but rather to get his salary.

"I can do the job of passing messages, but I won't do anything dangerous!" Huang Zhi scratched his head, thinking about what else he hadn't thought of.

The mountain moon was silent.

She herself is still alone and helpless.

Huang Zhi didn't even know whether his opponent's cards were good or bad, yet he dared to bet everything - what a bold and careful gambler!

Shan Yue didn't dare to respond, let alone make any promises to anyone, but he had promised Zhou Liniang yesterday, "I promise." Today, Shan Yue pursed his lips tightly, nodded slightly, and said thoughtfully, "I'll try my best."

I will try my best to provide you with such a generous job.
I also tried my best not to die.

Although she was determined to take revenge even at the cost of her life, she tried her best not to die.

Huang Zhi wanted to say something, but she heard Cheng Xinghe's voice outside the main hall, suppressing his anger: "Yueniang - Yueniang - come out first."

Shanyue stood up, rubbed her eyes quickly with the back of her hand until they turned red, and walked out with her skirt lifted.

Cheng Xinghe looked exhausted. He sat in the hall, sipped his tea, and pointed to a seat for Shanyue. Seeing Shanyue leaning over to look for someone, he said, "Mother has gone to settle things. I'm really tired, so I'll sit down and rest. I'll talk to you briefly."

Shan Yue lowered his head in panic, choking with sobs, "Yes."

Cheng Xinghe waved his hand nonchalantly: "Don't be afraid. If I wanted to punish you, I would have done it last night. I asked you to hide in the main hall to protect you. Don't think too much."

Cheng Xinghe raised his eyes to look at the mountain moon. The girl's eyes were red, and it was obvious that she had stayed up all night last night.

Cheng Xinghe sneered in his heart: Women are as brave as rabbits. How could they dare to set a trap for them? How could they have the energy to set a trap for them?

Cheng Xinghe waved his hand and asked Shanyue to sit down.

Shan Yue sat down tremblingly.

"What happened last night." Cheng Xing muttered.

"What happened last night?" Shan Yue was on pins and needles: "Last night, the master fell down and hit his head, and then he fainted. I was painting with my wife in the main hall at the time. I saw it with my own eyes. I was so scared that I fainted and didn't go back to the embroidery building."

Cheng Xingzu paused, then suddenly realized: "Yes, yes, that's it."

It seemed as if Shanyue had said all the words, and Cheng Xinghe was at a loss as to where to start.

Shan Yue's eyelashes trembled slightly: "Even for the sake of the young master, Yue Niang also knows what to say and what not to say."

Cheng Xinghe was completely relieved and breathed a sigh of relief: He really didn't want to kill He unless it was absolutely necessary. He had now built a bridge for the Cheng family to openly connect with Prefect Liu.
But He's reason didn't show any sign of lying.

"Since you know it all, there is no need for me to say more."

Cheng Xinghe turned his face halfway to reveal his left jaw and nose bridge. He knew that he looked best from this angle, with a clear jawline, a high nose bridge, and fragile and tired eyebrows - no girl could escape this.

"In a few hours, the main hall will be hung with white banners. You should go and show up then to prevent others from suspecting that you did not return home last night because of some secret." Cheng Xinghe showed a bit of brokenness at the right time: "Family disgrace should not be made public. I am also sad that you happened to encounter this evil thing last night. I am also miserable because I cannot recognize my relatives and cannot pass on my bloodline. What's more, Master Cheng beat my biological mother, wantonly abused servants, and humiliated my dignity as the eldest son. Outsiders may think that I am the glamorous eldest son of the Cheng family, but only I know the pain and hurt in my heart."

Shan Yue took a deep breath and silently said to herself that a lack of patience can ruin a great plan - not to mention the revenge for Chi Yan's matricide, just based on the man's shameless nonsense, she really wanted to stab him.

Cheng Xinghe barked a few more times, and then night fell. A loud cry was heard in the main hall, followed by the messenger running around. In just half an hour, the entire Cheng family was shrouded in intermittent crying.

The coffin was placed in the outer courtyard. Filial sons and grandsons, led by Cheng Xinghe, knelt in the courtyard and cried bitterly. The second master, whom the Cheng family had heard of so much, finally showed up. His figure was similar to that of the eldest master Cheng. He kowtowed and bowed his head three times with every step while crying and paying his respects.

Master Cheng II cried and flew to the side of the coffin, lying there motionless, mumbling mournful words like "Poor brother" and "You've worked so hard, brother".

He was followed by the second wife, Mrs. He, two young masters and a young girl, and finally by He Yaoniang, the phoenix-eyed lady who came out of the embroidery tower.

He Yaoniang unconsciously glanced at the mountain moon.

The second wife, Mrs. He, pulled her and whispered something in her ear. Only then did He Yaoniang look away.

Amid the crowd, Miss Wang Er hurriedly caught sight of Shan Yue, pulled her over, and looked her up and down before she breathed a sigh of relief: "Damn it, I was so worried that the Cheng family had built a wall to harm you, I almost asked that cat to go to the East City Silk Shop to report the news - Master Wu will definitely rescue you!"

That little cat is Zhou Liniang.

Although I can understand it, but when will Miss Wang Er stop her habit of giving people nicknames?
Shanyue pressed Miss Wang Er with one hand, signaling her not to panic.

Miss Wang Er glanced at He Yaoniang who was following the second wife and said, "They are not moving either."

Shan Yue said calmly: "The audience is not here yet, who are we going to perform for?"

He glanced at Master Cheng, who was clinging to the coffin and refused to let go. "Before the show, it is also important to confirm that the ticket stubs are correct."

The spectators arrived on the third day of the funeral.

The Cheng family's hometown is Shewei Village in Taobao Town. It took exactly three days to go back and forth. The Cheng family is prosperous, and Cheng Daxing is the most promising heir of the Cheng family. When Cheng Daxing's death was announced, almost half of the village came, bringing their families to the mourning hall to cry. Seven or eight white-haired elders could not cry, because they were the older generation and were not supposed to attend the funeral of the younger generation, but they came anyway.

Master Cheng Er hurried into the mourning hall. When he saw the clan elders, he immediately knelt down and cried bitterly: "Brother! The person who will give you justice is finally here! Great uncle! Uncles and aunts! Brother, please open your eyes and look!"

The sounds of filial sons and grandchildren crying outside the hall suddenly stopped.

Shan Yue silently took half a step back.

Duan's head was wrapped in white linen, her eyes were red and swollen, and she pinched a handkerchief with one hand and cried and scolded Master Cheng Er: "Uncle, you, you, what nonsense are you talking about in the mourning hall! Your eldest brother is still lying in the coffin!"

Master Cheng Er turned over and stood up, pointing at Duan with one hand: "Let me ask you, how did my brother die?"

Mrs. Duan was shocked: "How did he die?! You still have the nerve to ask him how he died!? You dragged your brother to eat meat and wine every day, and his belly was bigger than a melon! Doctor Cao told him not to drink anymore and to eat vegetarian food, but you didn't listen! This time he's fine! Stroke! He had a stroke! He turned his head and fell to the ground, and he couldn't open his eyes again after he closed them!"

Duan also cried bitterly: "My poor husband passed away at such a young age before he could complete his career or raise any children or grandchildren—"

"You farted!"

Master Cheng Er shouted angrily, rushed to the coffin, and pulled away the white cloth covering the body: "I looked carefully, there are two bruises on your brother's forehead and next to his ears!

"As he spoke, he sat on the coffin and pulled up Master Cheng's body. He finally saw the back of his head: "There's a big hole on the back of your head! Can you tell me that you had a stroke and hit it on the ground? Where did you hit it to get three holes at once?"

Miss Wang Er swallowed her saliva and whispered to Shan Yue, "Damn it, even drug sellers can solve cases. The world has really changed."

Cats can swim, dogs can fly, and flowers chase bees.

Driven by interests, status, personal connections, or even boredom, what can't humans do?
Shan Yue blinked calmly, and his peripheral vision caught sight of Cheng Xinghe who was hurrying in from outside the yard.

Cheng Xinghe was furious and shouted: "Second Uncle, you are overstepping your authority! The dead are the greatest. Your behavior will make my father die with regrets!"

"My brother was murdered! If I don't find out the real murderer, he will die with his eyes open!" Master Cheng spoke in a high-pitched voice, and the blue veins on his forehead were trembling.

Duan started crying softly, then turned around and sobbed to the Cheng family elders, "My uncle is possessed by a demon. He fell, fell, and smashed. The injuries he caused were different. The master fell on the sharp corner of the Eight Immortals Table, and then fell to the ground. He also fell several times. Doctor Cao, who was invited to see the patient at the first time, can testify to this. When my uncle pointed at me and said this, wasn't he implying that I killed the eldest master?"

Duan covered her face and cried, "Why should I kill the master? How can I kill the master?"

Master Cheng Er sneered: "How can you kill the eldest brother?"

Master Cheng Er felt around on the corpse with one hand, from the waist that was thicker than a bucket to the swollen heels. The stench of the corpse that hit him almost made him faint - there was something strange about the corpse. Could it be that the girl in the embroidery building in the main hall that night had told him a lie?

and many more!

Master Cheng Er felt a hard object on the waist of the corpse!
It is hidden under the outer coat and pinned on the belt with a swastika pattern inlaid with gems!
Master Cheng II lifted up his outer coat and pulled out something suddenly. It turned out to be the birthday gift that Cheng Xingchu had bought for the eldest young lady that day, and also the murder weapon that killed Master Cheng Da - the square bronze dressing mirror with exquisite workmanship and solid texture!
　It’s really too late today, so I’ll have to finish at least 3,000 words.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)