Chapter 003: Doubt? Retribution?

She spoke as if it were only natural, but the weaver's anger had not yet subsided. Hearing such rebellious words, she clutched her chest and coughed incessantly, "You wretched child, do you... do you want to drive your mother to death?"

Aunt Lan recalled the foolish things that Mo Jiu had done, hesitating repeatedly before finally saying: "The Mo family's ancestors, I don't know from which generation it started, have had this strange affliction; each one is born with a beautiful appearance, but by the age of twenty-four, they... they..."

Aunt Lan: "... ... Has the young lady forgotten all of this?"

She looked around, lowered her head, and whispered mysteriously in her ear, "I heard people say that your ancestors were grave robbers, and this is the retribution, bringing disaster to their descendants..."

Mo Jiu furrowed her brows tightly, "Did Shen Laifu not tell you? Even if I want to marry, the Xiao family would not want me, right? Why should we go through the trouble of putting our warm faces against someone else's cold backside?"

Aunt Lan is at a loss for words, "... ..."

With just one glance, she nearly felt dizzy

A thousand miles to deliver a face... I need a reason

What does the young lady want to do

Mo Jiu glared at her: "Boil water for a bath. Since it is to be sold anyway, it must at least have a good appearance, right?"

A slap landed on the face, not painful, yet it surprised Mo Jiu somewhat

This elderly person's intelligence is truly abundant

Her strange way of speaking startled Aunt Lan, causing her to take a step back

Mo Jiu patted her on the back, "If you don't finish speaking, it is likely so"

I have not yet grown up. Mo Jiu was displeased by this statement. Reflecting on her body, which was that of a fifteen-year-old budding flower, she smiled contentedly. However, upon considering the possibility of truly having that illness, which would age her before the age of twenty-five, she felt a sense of unwillingness.

Mo Jiu did not possess particularly noble sentiments. For some inexplicable reason, she found herself in this situation, first pursued by Song Ao, then captured by Xiao Qian, and subsequently sent back to the Mo family. Now, having to deal with such a ghostly and eerie mother, she truly felt confused

Good news does not leave the door, while bad news travels a thousand miles. The matter concerning Mo Jiu has delighted the people of Xuyi, and many people are either sneering or playfully fighting at the entrance of the Mo family courtyard, peering in as if they were at a market.

This shock was even more soul-stirring than when she mistakenly thought Aunt Lan was her mother. No wonder Song Ao looked at her as if he were swatting flies, and no wonder that man surnamed Xiao looked at her as if he were eating excrement. Just how ugly is she?

Mo Jiu served the tea and said, "I told you not to eat so much for dinner"

Aunt Lan's problem of heavy breathing has recurred again

Mo Jiu: "I am only curious, how could she be so mature..."

Mother's body... cannot be sustained. Jiu'er, you must promise Mother

However, did she finally realize that she is more clever than her daughter? Mo Jiuxing was afraid that her intelligence would be exposed, leading others to consider her a monster and burn her, so she quickly shook her head, "The Xiao family does not seem to be lacking in silver, yet our family does not appear to be wealthy. But aside from silver, what else do we have to offer him?"

She put on her clothes and sat by the bed, perplexed by Mo Jiu'er’s plight and deeply worried about her own future. Aunt Lan entered the room, saw her in a daze, and took two clean towels to twist her hair. "Young lady, do not create more trouble. Your mother only... does not want you to follow in her footsteps"

Mo Jiu You coldly looked at her, "When have I ever borrowed money from you?"

However, Mo Jiu has always lacked a spirit of entertainment

Because she had not yet found the opportunity to leave, she was summoned

Mo Jiu feels somewhat wronged, yet has no place to appeal, so he can only keep silent and observe the changes.

Mo Jiu, fearing that her identity might raise their suspicions, refrained from asking further questions. She simply advised her to take good care of herself and turned to leave. "Aunt Lan, where is the kitchen?"

If one were to infuriate their own mother, that would indeed be a grave sin

Mo Jiu suddenly turned around and ran over to support the weaver who had fallen under the bed, "How can you say you bumped into me just like that? Aren't you forcing me?"

The weaver maiden wore a stiff expression, and Aunt Blue fell silent.

Does Aunt Lan know the reason

At the appropriate moment, she stopped speaking and handed the question over to Aunt Lan, but Aunt Lan hesitated several times, saying, "It is better not to ask, young lady. This matter is inauspicious. If I were to speak of it, I cannot guarantee that misfortune would not follow..."

What a charming young lady! With her glossy black hair, sparkling face, and exquisitely sculpted figure, she resembles a freshly peeled bamboo shoot, pure and tender, untouched by the dust of the world, yet possessing a pair of enchanting eyes that seem to contain countless charms

Aunt Lan was overjoyed, "That's wonderful, since you understand now, let's settle the money you borrowed from me first, to avoid any issues later... heh heh."

You... the weaver almost fainted, her dry and peculiar face becoming even more twisted with anger, mumbling indistinctly, "Are you trying to drive me to death? Cough cough!"

The house where her mother lived had a door that was extremely narrow, requiring someone of Mo Jiu's stature to bend down to enter. It did not resemble a place where people lived, but rather like a prison cell

As the smell of chicken droppings wafted through the chaff, the entrance fell silent

One may make promises lightly, but one should never promise easily.

Damn it! The weaver was so furious that her body trembled, and she grabbed a pillow intending to hit her. However, she had little strength, and when Aunt Lan stopped her, she could only cough and scold, "What did your mother tell you when you left home? How could you do such a thing? Are you trying to sever the roots of the Mo family?"

The weaver girl avoided her daughter's sharp gaze, as if she could not catch her breath, and after panting for a while, she said, "Mother has her own ways"

Mo Jiu still felt it was strange, "But..."

You should first take care of your health before discussing anything else; there will be plenty of time for other matters in the future

The person who summoned her was indeed her stepmother

Perhaps I am Mo Jiu'er, and Mo Jiu'er is me

The Mo family in Xuyi has no relatives or friends, nor do they often interact with their neighbors. Mo Jiu's unconventional behavior is a complete inheritance of his predecessor, which instead did not raise any suspicions. Shen Laifeng and Aunt Lan merely sighed in silence after observing this.

Mo Jiu certainly would not sell herself casually, but as a newcomer, she only had a superficial understanding of everything and did not intend to take any drastic actions. Moreover, having taken over Mo Jiu'er’s body without reason, it would be inappropriate to leave when her biological mother was on the verge of death

The weaver gasped for breath, "Get down on your knees."

Are you leaving just like that? Why not stay for dinner instead

Aunt Lan's face turned pale: "Hic... Am I going to have bad luck?"

Waste of resources

Fortunately, she has encountered many strange occurrences, which makes her calmer than most people

Ah! Mo Jiu was surprised, it turns out that they are indeed related by blood.

She could not bring herself to utter the word "mother," nor was she accustomed to being too close to strangers. However, driven by a strong sense of curiosity, she still approached the person, whose breathing was marked by a "snoring" sound, and leaned down to ask, "Are you looking for me..."

Aunt Lan looked at her in a daze and said, "Miss, your mother is calling you"

She does not wish to marry into the Xiao family, so she cannot bring herself to speak of marriage

"Jiu'er... come here..."

The weaver girl felt dazed and confused, as if she were neither fully awake nor asleep, "Jiu'er... Mother does not wish to force you, but the hopes of the Mo family, passed down through generations, rest upon you... Mother is also left with no choice..."

The room was quiet and simple, with almost no furnishings apart from a bed. Mo Jiu stood by the door, illuminated by the flickering light of the oil lamp, gazing at the person inside the tent, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy

Aunt Lan noticed that she had been acting "abnormally" today and was afraid that she might do something foolish again

They will want it..." the weaver continued, her voice as delicate as a floating thread.

Forget it, if she wants to leave, let her go. A person like her, with good health and strength, won't starve no matter where she goes. I suppose without her, this cheap mother can live a little longer... Otherwise, I would eventually be driven to death by her... As I was thinking this, her foot had already stepped over the threshold.

What hope can there be in marrying a consumptive? Mo Jiu opened her mouth, but in the face of such a frail woman, she did not wish to argue any further

A loud bang echoed as a sound of crashing against the pillar came from behind.

Rest assured, I will not marry into the Xiao family, and I can still support you. Even if I cannot support you alone, I can still bring in ten or eight sons-in-law to our home

Mo Jiu did not understand, "Even if I have to marry, even if I ultimately have to live in widowhood, at least you should find me a healthy man, so I can enjoy a few more days, right?"

So what is the reason for this? Is there really no one who can cure this illness

Blood dripped onto the back of her hand, and Mo Jiu was both startled and anxious, quickly asking Shen Laifu to summon Lang Zhong. However, she had no silver on her person, and there were no savings at home. Reluctantly, she had to borrow money from Aunt Lan.

Finally, the doubts in Mo Jiu's heart were addressed. She slightly narrowed her eyes, and a knowing smile appeared at the corners of her lips, "What is the dowry they want you to add?"

Mo Jiu turned his head slightly to look at her, very calmly, "No."

She stared at her face as if she did not recognize Mo Jiu, not blinking at all, "Jiu'er, are you my Jiu'er? Could it be that you have been possessed?"

If it were someone else, they would surely be scared to the point of fainting

Her ancestors had also engaged in such activities. By the time of her grandfather, the family's antique shop contained quite a few dubious items. Although she herself did not partake in this, she studied archaeology, which inevitably involved dealing with ancient tombs. Just before her unexpected journey, she was conducting archaeological research with her professor in a newly discovered ancient royal tomb in the Yin Mountains. However, as soon as they descended into the tomb passage, she unexpectedly found that the mechanisms in the ancient royal tomb were strikingly similar to those passed down from her ancestors. She was overjoyed, but little did she expect to encounter misfortune, becoming separated from her professor and getting injured by the mechanisms. When she regained consciousness, she had transformed into this state.

This must be considered a natural beauty, but unfortunately...

The weaver could not answer her. Her body was already very weak, and that last desperate collision had nearly exhausted all her strength; now she could hardly catch her breath

This matter is rather strange, as if there is an unseen connection at play

She instructed Shen Laifu to place the broken windmill from the corner against the courtyard gate, and also asked Aunt Lan to carry a scoop of chicken manure mixed with chaff into the feed bin. Then, she tied a thin string to the axle, sat against the wall, and the windmill began to turn slowly.

Mo Jiu chuckled, "If you don't speak now, you will be in trouble."

Mo Jiu lazily glanced at her and asked, "Aunt Lan, how old is my mother now?"

The room she lived in was not large, but it was kept very tidy by Aunt Lan. Mo Jiu was particularly pleased with the half-height bronze mirror on one wall. After peeling off her dirty clothes, she comfortably washed for more than half an hour in the bucket, scrubbing off all the old mud. Without bothering to put on any clothes, she stood barefoot and wet in front of the mirror.

Young lady, do not frighten me; you are not having another episode, are you

Frequent anger accelerates aging

She leisurely leaned back against the edge of the bed, brushing her waist-length hair aside, signaling Aunt Lan to continue wringing it out. Meanwhile, she pulled up the blanket, closed her eyes contentedly, and pondered how her cheap mother planned to deal with Xiao Qian

Aunt Lan shuddered slightly, glancing at her serious face, and continued: "You have also seen your mother's appearance, with white hair and wrinkled skin, resembling an old woman... In fact, your mother was extremely beautiful in the past, more graceful than Miss Jiu..."

The person had long, white hair that was fluffy and disheveled, thin as a stick of firewood, with a face covered in pockmarked wrinkles resembling worms crawling on dried, salted meat, so old that it was almost impossible to discern their gender

The weaver's frail body suddenly stiffened in shock

The weaver cast off the hand that was resting on her, a wave of sickly sweet breath surged up her throat, "... you leave, I will pretend you were never born."

Aunt Lan went over with concern to support the weaver, "My dear, please do not get angry, just talk nicely with the girl... The girl already knows her mistake, look, hasn't she come back?"

Upon careful consideration, she felt a sense of unease. However, as a member of the Mohist school studying archaeology, her spirit of inquiry was certainly no less than that of others. Almost instinctively, she decided to stay and uncover the origins of the matter. In other words, she chose to embrace her new identity as Mo Jiu'er

"Mother is tired!" The weaver mother waved her hand to interrupt her, closed her eyes, and said, "You should go back to your room and rest; we need to set off for Chuzhou tomorrow."

Mo Jiu was momentarily taken aback, yet she showed no intention of kneeling. She was a child without a mother, unable to endure such maternal affection, and did not understand how to interact with a mother. After a brief moment of contemplation, she simply squatted in front of the weaver's couch, steeling herself to comfort her.

With a soft "Oh," Mo Jiu slowly moved forward

Mo Jiu has temporarily settled down