All Hail Cousin Brother

308 Without Arousing Suspicion

After Mu Jin was locked up in Windfall Courtyard, the servants gloated and mocked her—

She had sent someone to keep an eye on Windfall Courtyard. When she heard two old maids talking about Mu Jin, she secretly sent an old maid who used to be on good terms with her over to deliver something to her.

Old Madam locked Mu Jin up, but she did not forbid others from visiting her. Usually, it was fine to send some food over.

As soon as the old woman entered Windfall Courtyard, she heard a sarcastic remark. “She’s been locked up for so long. I wonder what kind of person she’ll be matched with. She was such a glorious person in the past. Tsk tsk, how pitiful…”

When the old woman heard this, she was furious. She raised her voice and shouted, “What are you talking about? Mu Jin was just discovered lazing around. That’s why Old Madam punished her. It’s been so long, but Old Madam hasn’t matched Mu Jin with anyone. Mu Jin is from the main courtyard after all, and she’s First Madam’s most capable maidservant. She’s served First Madam for more than ten years. Even if she hasn’t contributed much, she’s still worked hard. First Madam has always thought of Miss Mu Jin’s kindness and has mentioned her a lot recently.”

The next day, Mu Jin said that she wanted to meet her. It was obvious that she had taken her words to heart. She wanted to see her and plead with her. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to be matched with someone.

Mu Jin had been locked up for a few days. After leaving Windfall Courtyard, she definitely had to return to her room to wash up and eat something.

She arranged for someone to send the soup mixed with rat poison to Mu Jin.

Mu Jin ate it without realizing it. After taking her last breath, Nanny Li quietly went over to clean up the scene.

All of this was arranged so that no one knew.

Even Old Madam couldn’t find anything.

At this moment, Yu Youyao had finished talking to her grandmother. She turned to look at Madam Yang and said gently, “I know that Mother feels terrible. Mu Jin started when she was seven or eight years old and has been serving in Mother’s courtyard. She has a deep master-servant relationship with Mother. Previously, Mu Jin lazed around and made a mistake. Mother was also furious, so she agreed to drag Mu Jin out to be matched with someone. Who would have thought that Mu Jin was also a loyal maidservant? Before she died, she still missed Mother. She probably felt that she could no longer serve Mother in the future, so she took the medicine.”

That day, Mu Jin had disrupted her birthday banquet and lied that she had been lazy, taking all the responsibility on herself and taking the blame off Madam Yang.

Her grandmother accepted it and used it to matchmake Mu Jin.

Mu Jin was also stubborn and insisted that it was her fault.

Grandmother remembered that Mu Jin was Madam Yang’s eldest maidservant. It wasn’t appropriate for her to deal with her casually, so she asked Madam Yang for her opinion.

It was also Madam Yang who did not care about their master-servant relationship and said, “I don’t dare to have such a sly servant anymore, so I will follow Old Madam’s instructions.”

It would also cut off Mu Jin’s future prospects.

Today, before she died, Mu Jin had said that she wanted to meet First Madam. She had been sent to An Shou Hall using the words of the old maid from the Windfall Courtyard. Many people must have known about this.

Yu Youyao was right.

Yang Shuwan opened her mouth, afraid that she would make more mistakes if she said too much. She only said hoarsely, “How would I know? This girl is so stubborn. I regret it so much…”

Initially, it was also because the old maids were guarding the Windfall Courtyard that it was not convenient for them to make a move. That was why they had set up a trap and asked for Mu Jin to be released from the Windfall Courtyard.

Who would have thought that Yu Youyao, this scourge, would use this excuse and push Mu Jin’s death onto her? Although she did not say that it was her fault, she knew very well how Mu Jin had died. How could she feel comfortable?

Yu Youyao sighed slightly. “Mother, don’t be sad. I still have to rely on you to manage Mu Jin’s funeral. Only then will there be a master-servant relationship. Mother, you have to be there.”

This was all an insignificant matter in Madam Yang’s house. She did not want to interfere, nor did she want her grandmother to work hard over this matter. Madam Yang should handled it herself.

Old Madam Yu’s eyes darkened. “Yao Yao is right. After all, you and Mu Jin have been master and servant for more than ten years. You should be in charge of her funeral. You don’t have to come to An Shou Hall to set the rules these few days.”

Madam Yang lowered her head and couldn’t help but tighten her grip on her handkerchief.

Mu Jin was already dead, and she did not want to get involved in the matter of her death again. However, Yu Youyao and Old Madam were in cahoots, so she had no choice but to get involved.

Initially, she had said that she couldn’t just roll up a mat and have a mass burial.

Yang Shuwan thought about the cause of Mujin’s death, and also recalled that she was the one who finished the task with a broken mat. Now she had to come forward in person and her scalp was tingling anxiously.

Yu Youyao helped Old Madam Yu back to An Shou Hall.

Old Madam Yu tilted her head to look at her granddaughter. She had been silent the entire way and sighed softly. “Do you think this matter shouldn’t be let go so easily?”

In the end, she was still young and inexperienced. Her heart was soft.

She did not even think about it. All these years, Mu Jin had done a lot of evil by following Madam Yang.

In the past, there was a maidservant in the main courtyard who seemed to be called Cao’er. She seemed to have quarreled with Mu Jin for a while before she complained to Madam Yang, saying that Cao’er had seduced Eldest Master in the courtyard.

Coincidentally, Cao’er was slender and looked delicate. When Madam Yang found out about this, how could she let her off?

In a few days, Cao’er fell sick.

In the end, she even lost her life.

Mu Jin’s current outcome was not worth pitying.

Yu Youyao shook her head. “That’s how it should be handled.”

A life had been lost in the family. In order to prevent further complications, they had to resolve the matter quickly. Only then could the impact of the matter be minimized.

No one cared if an insignificant girl was dead or alive.

Whichever family in the capital had such a situation, it would be dealt with like this.

Moreover, since Madam Yang could do this, she was confident that she wouldn’t let anyone catch her red-handed. This concerned a human life, so she couldn’t say anything without evidence.

Even if Madam Yang was careless and someone caught her red-handed, so what?

Mu Jin’s indenture was in Madam Yang’s hands, and she was also a servant girl who had made a mistake. As the mistress, Madam Yang had the right to deal with her. It was also because her methods were too cruel that even the family had to help cover it up, in case word got out and the reputation of the residence was damaged.

Old Madam Yu patted her granddaughter’s hand and sighed softly. “Whoever has sinned, karma will get back at them. If you don’t want to bear the karma, don’t ever do such a shameful thing.”

“I understand, Grandmother.” Yu Youyao lowered her head. It wasn’t that she sympathized with Mu Jin, but she just didn’t agree with Madam Yang’s disregard for human lives and heartless actions.

Even so, she felt her teeth turn cold.

That afternoon, Yang Shuwan ordered someone to report the cause of Mu Jin’s death to the government office, and they sent someone over to remove her.

After that, the residence prepared a thin coffin and invited a few Daoists to hold a funeral. They asked Nanny Li to send Mu Jin back to her own family and asked her parents to bury her.

It was done quickly and did not take much effort.

Mu Jin was just a maidservant. It was inauspicious for her to die in the residence.