Free Web NovelChapter 401: Chapter 401: She Died
Ye Chutang gave a slight nod, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.
"Father, Mother, and our older brother didn’t leave much behind. I just kept this as a memento."
Ye Yunfeng’s expression was touched, as if he too was pulled back to that winter several years ago.
He had truly thought he was going to die back then. Who would have thought that his sister would manage to escape with them amidst the chaos?
That night, they nearly froze to death in the snow.
The heavy snow, which had fallen for days, finally stopped the next morning. The sky cleared for a rare moment. When the sunlight, devoid of warmth but piercingly bright, spilled down, he realized with a sense of disbelief—they were still alive.
Third Brother was the first to notice the bundle his sister was carrying on her back.
The bundle was actually just a piece of cloth she had haphazardly torn from the hem of her dress and tied into a knot.
But his sister had tied a very sturdy knot. The bundle hadn’t come apart even after a whole night of running.
He asked his sister what was inside.
His sister said it was things that had belonged to their father, mother, and older brother.
Among them was this small wooden box.
It was said that their father had specifically left it for their sister, telling her she must keep it safe.
Although Ye Yunfeng was a bit dense, he knew how critical the situation had been. His sister hadn’t even had time to grab warmer clothes or enough money to survive, yet she had held onto these items for dear life. They must have been incredibly important.
Neither he nor Third Brother asked any more questions. Years passed, and his sister never took those things out again.
’I wonder why today...’
Ye Chutang suddenly said,
"By the way, I heard Lord Master Feng Zhang hasn’t been to the Imperial College these past few days?"
Ye Yunfeng paused, then nodded.
"That’s right! Sis, why do you suddenly ask?"
Ye Chutang rested her cheek on one hand, the corner of her lips curling slightly. "It’s nothing, I just find it a little strange. Lord Master Feng Zhang has always been dedicated to his duties at the Imperial College. They say he sometimes doesn’t even return to his own residence, just resting at the College when he works late. For him to not show his face for several days in a row is truly rare."
Ye Yunfeng, however, didn’t think much of it.
"Hah, the Lord Master can come and go from the Imperial College as he pleases. It’s true he puts most of his energy into it, but it’s normal for him to be busy with other things occasionally!"
’Actually, I kind of suspect I annoyed the Lord Master before, and he’s staying away to avoid seeing me.’
’But on second thought, that seems impossible.’
’After all, when the Lord Master gets annoyed, he only ever chooses to deal with it head-on.’
’If reasoning doesn’t work, the Lord Master also knows a bit of fist-fighting. There’s no way he’d just swallow his anger.’
Ye Chutang didn’t continue the conversation, only nodding.
’True. It’s finally time to settle a score from many years ago. That will take some effort.’
Ye Chutang poured herself a cup of tea.
The refreshing, soul-soothing fragrance wafted through the air. The steam curled up gracefully, adding a touch of warmth to the autumn day, which had already grown a bit chilly.
A RUSTLING sound came from behind her. It was Xiao Wu, who had put away her abacus and was now running over on her short little legs.
Her eyes stared expectantly at the teacup—and the spot beside it.
It was completely empty.
The smile vanished from Xiao Wu’s chubby little face, which had been full of anticipation.
She stopped in her tracks, looking up at Ye Chutang with an expression of disbelief and misery.
’It was rare for Sis to brew her own tea, but when she was occasionally in the mood, she would prepare a plate of pastries.’
’Sis said that eating them this way, hmm... helps cut through the richness!’
’Although Xiao Wu had never found any pastry to be too rich, she was more than happy to get a tasty snack out of it.’
’So, the moment she saw her sister brewing tea, she had immediately scampered over, but—why was there nothing?’
Ye Chutang gave her an amused look.
’Her thoughts were written all over her face. All day long, all she thought about was tasty food.’
She poked Xiao Wu’s round little belly.
"Didn’t you just have a bowl of sweet osmanthus rice balls this morning? It’s only been a little while, and you’re already craving more?"
Xiao Wu’s face flushed. She grabbed her sister’s hand and shyly threw herself into her arms, nuzzling her with her little head.
It was the very picture of a child trying to act cute.
’She could feel it. Sis seemed to be in a very good mood today.’
’She didn’t know why, but... maybe if she acted cute, Sis would give her some extra food?’
Sure enough, Ye Chutang ruffled her soft hair and, as if by magic, pulled a dish of peanut and chestnut pastries from a drawer.
The moment it was placed on the table, a round little head peeked out from her embrace.
Xiao Wu sniffed, her big, dark eyes shining—they were still fresh!
’Sis is the best!’
Ye Yunfeng watched from the side, feeling a pang of jealousy.
’Xiao Wu gets whatever she wants to eat, whenever she wants. And me? I have to go a few rounds with the Lord Master just to trade for a new Military Book!’
’Sigh, what different fates for a brother and sister!’
Just as Ye Yunfeng was about to swipe a pastry, a maidservant suddenly hurried in.
"Second Miss!"
Ye Chutang looked up. "What is it?"
These newly hired maids and servants had improved a lot after some training, but when something happened, they were still prone to being clumsy and lacked composure.
The maidservant hurried forward and curtsied, a look of undisguised shock still on her face.
"Second Miss, Ye... Ye Shixian is dead!"
Ye Yunfeng was instantly stunned. "You mean Ye Shixian?! Isn’t she in jail? How could she be dead?"
Xiao Wu, who had just taken a bite of her pastry, crunched down on a peanut. She froze mid-chew, the half-eaten pastry in her hand, her eyes just as wide.
Though she was young, she also knew what those words meant.
The maidservant, too frantic to wipe the sweat from her forehead, quickly explained, "The news came from the government. They said she passed away this morning. It might be because of her previous miscarriage. The blow was too great, and she hasn’t been eating much these past few days. Her body was weak, and unexpectedly, she just—"
At this point, her expression became conflicted, and she cautiously glanced up at Ye Chutang.
"Be-because she no longer has any family, s-so... the news was delivered to our residence..."
Ye Chutang and she were, after all, cousins in name. Now that she was gone, no matter how deep the enmity between them had been, it was proper to inform her.
Ye Yunfeng came back to his senses, his sharp brows furrowing slightly. "I can’t believe... she actually ended up like this..."
Her case was supposed to be concluded tomorrow. For the crime of murdering Mrs. Gao, there was no other possibility besides the death penalty.
Who would have thought she couldn’t even make it through this last day and died in her cell.
Ye Chutang’s expression was calm, as if she wasn’t surprised by this at all.
’The conditions in jail aren’t something an ordinary person can endure. For Ye Shixian, it was a form of torture for both her body and her spirit.’
’But even so, she wouldn’t have gone so far as to refuse all food and drink.’
’Most likely... her days in jail were too harsh.’
’Killing one’s own mother is an act that even the most vicious criminals in jail would despise.’
’Ye Shixian had her schemes and tricks, but she’d never had any dealings with people like that. How could she have coped?’
’In a way, her death now has spared her a lot of suffering.’
’For Ye Shixian, it might not have been a bad thing to be released from it all.’
"A Feng, prepare some Silver Taels."
Ye Yunfeng’s brows knitted together. "Sis, you’re not actually planning to handle her funeral arrangements, are you?"
