Chapter 3, Scream

After a while, two old women came over, pushing on his shoulders, and called softly: "Young Master? Young Master?"

Casting a cold glance around, he said: "Listen, regarding matters here, anyone who dares to..."

Two old women chattered away as they left, and behind them, Ning Jiang opened his eyes, staring listlessly at the tent ceiling

The courtyard where Ning Xiaomeng resides in the Ning family mansion is called "Zhuluyuan"

Those people were already in a state of panic. As soon as the young lady spoke, the others hurried to comply. Although some realized that this was not a good idea, the arrival of these aunts and relatives would escalate even the most trivial matters, let alone the fact that this was already a significant issue. However, the young lady was so frightened that she just wanted to summon all the aunts she knew who could offer her advice. How could they dare to stop her?

Finally, someone discovered that this was not the voice of the young master of the Fen family, Cheng Shao. Quickly, they stopped the crowd, and as the crowd dispersed, someone held up a torch to illuminate the scene. They recognized that the bruised and battered youth, with his upper body bare and his trousers not even properly fastened, was indeed Ning Yicheng, the son of Lord Ji. For a moment, everyone exchanged glances in astonishment

However, Ning Ji no longer has the time to manage who called these aunts and uncles over, and can only sigh deeply...! ... It's over, it's over...! The arrival of these aunts and uncles will turn even trivial matters into a big deal, let alone what is already a significant issue...

"We must report this to the authorities!" an old woman exclaimed

... ...

Due to suffering from an incurable edema, Ning Li had already arranged everything for his child before his death. However, he never anticipated that this "honest person" whom he believed he could entrust with his affairs would turn against his child after his passing.

A lantern illuminated the area, followed by surprise, bewilderment, and then...

"There is also Lord Ji, who needs to be informed..." one of them said in a low voice

Upon this thought, their courage immediately grew significantly, and they rushed forward to unveil the tent.

"Yes, and report to the authorities, hurry and report to the authorities!" Ning Xiaomeng quickly called two people to rush to the county office to report to the authorities overnight

A shadow darted out from behind the rockery, silently slipping to the side of the courtyard gate. On the ground lay a small pile of gravel, with a fresh flower inserted into the stones. He picked the flower, thinking to himself that the maid indeed knew how to get things done. He gently pushed open the slightly ajar courtyard door, stepping on the cobblestone path, and stealthily made his way towards the elegant and beautiful boudoir ahead. Arriving at the door, he lightly knocked twice and called softly, "Xiao Meng? Sister Xiao Meng?" He gently pushed open the slightly ajar courtyard door, stepping on the cobblestone path, and stealthily made his way towards the elegant and beautiful boudoir ahead. Arriving at the door, he lightly knocked twice and called softly, "Xiao Meng? Sister Xiao Meng?"

Ning Ji shouted, "Shut up!" Looking around, he thought to himself: "No matter how weak Xiao Meng is, she is still the young lady of the family at this moment. If Cheng Er is found naked in her boudoir, with Miss Meng's maid lying on the bed, no explanation will suffice. The only course of action now is to suppress this matter forcefully. Kui Er was bought by the Ning family since childhood, without parents. Here, apart from the young lady, everyone else is from the Ning residence. As long as we threaten and entice them to keep quiet, we can fabricate a cause of death for Kui Er, whether it be sudden illness or an accidental fall into the river. As long as there is no one to stand up for her, naturally, there will be no issues...

What use is it to notify him? It is his son who has committed the crime. How did he treat the young master during the day? Can we still expect him to be fair?" another person said indignantly. The others immediately began to scold in unison.

However, at this moment, the news had already spread throughout the Ning residence, and Ning Ji, having caught wind of the situation, hurried over. As soon as he entered the Zhuolu Courtyard, he saw his son, bare-chested and bound, kneeling there. He immediately shouted, "What is going on? What are you doing?"

In the courtyard, Ning Xiaomeng wiped her tears with her sleeve: "You ask me, how would I know what to do? Hurry and call someone, Aunt San from Uncle Lu's family, Aunt Qi from Grandpa Duan's family, Sister La from Uncle Hua's family, and Grandma Qing Si... They are all capable people, quickly summon them and ask what we should do."

This loud cry exhausted all of its strength, and the piercing sound tore through the night sky

Indeed, it is a person! Pull him out and beat him! This person is actually wearing pants, could he be a lewd thief?

Lanterns and torches surged in, and the number of people in the courtyard increased. Everyone looked and saw their young women standing at the door, pointing into the pitch-black room: "Ghost! Ghost!"

"Who called them here?" Ning Ji said, exasperated, "Who told you to bring them here?"

The servants quickly said: "It must be the third aunt from the Duan family!" "That loud voice should belong to the seventh lady from the Lu family!" "Listening to this voice, the spicy girl from the Hua family has also arrived." "Don't look anymore, the one over there who is walking and cursing loudly must be the fourth grandmother from the Qing family." "And this one..."

Suddenly, flames surged from outside, accompanied by the approaching sounds of various voices. Ning Ji's expression changed: "Who is coming?"

Before he had even begun his work, the door was suddenly pushed open with a loud "bang," startling him greatly. Instinctively, he looked outside the tent. The room was dark, but there was a bit of starlight at the entrance. He saw a petite figure standing at the door, facing his direction, with both hands tightly clenched and taking a deep breath, followed by:

The girl knew whether she could help her brother escape the suspicion of murder all depended on her scream, which she exerted with all her might, causing the heavens to collapse and the earth to shatter, making even ghosts and deities weep. In the vast Ning residence, although there were only a few masters, many maids, old servants, young girls, and young men lived there. Many of these individuals were either down-and-out relatives of the Ning family or relatives of those relatives, arranged to work in the Ning residence. On a hot summer night, everyone was already accustomed to staying up late, and when they suddenly heard the girl's piercing scream echoing throughout the entire residence, they rushed over in a hurry, not knowing what had happened.

There is someone on the bed! someone shouted

At this moment, the sky has darkened, the crescent moon is dim, and the stars in the night sky still shine brightly. Outside the Zhuolu Courtyard, beside an artificial hill, a small stream flows, and the sounds of insects on this summer night rise and fall among the flower beds in the distance

The events that transpired during the day were indeed sudden, and with the county magistrate supporting Lord Ji, these mere subordinates naturally did not dare to speak up. Some individuals even wished to immediately sever ties with the young master and curry favor with Lord Ji in advance, yet many others were filled with indignation but dared not voice their grievances. At this moment, no one would believe that Lord Ji could uphold justice.

Oh no, the young master has not yet woken up

Approaching the bedside, he lifted the canopy, revealing a person already lying on the bed. Emitting a lewd laugh, he burrowed into the blanket, feeling around in the tent, and discovered that the sleeping girl had been stripped of her clothing. He felt somewhat displeased, thinking that the maid was indeed meddlesome, depriving him of much of his enjoyment. Yet, he could not contain himself any longer, and stripped off his own clothes, pressing his entire body down upon her

One of the plump women, bolder than the others, exclaimed: "I fear it is not a ghost, but a thief!"

Perhaps we should ask the young lady and see what we should do

The people quietly looked towards their young lady, but the girl was so frightened that she curled up there, crying incessantly

The honorable young master of the branch family unexpectedly appears in the boudoir of the young lady of the main family, and dressed in this manner

Ning Jiang lay motionless on the bed, first hearing his sister's piercing scream coming from the direction of the courtyard. It was so shrill that even he was astonished by the energy contained within her petite frame. Soon, chaos erupted over there, and before long, there were collective exclamations of surprise from the crowd, along with his sister's cries.

Realizing that the intention was to assault their daughters, they immediately struck hard. The man shouted amidst the flurry of punches: "Stop, stop..."

If the girl had not shouted "ghost," they might not have been afraid. However, after the girl mentioned the presence of a ghost, something indeed happened in the room, and for a moment, they all felt a chill run down their spines

After waiting for a while and seeing no one respond, he pushed again, and the door was only slightly ajar, which made him even more certain. The girl, following his instructions, had finished her tasks and, fearing responsibility, had already run outside to chat with others. He entered the room, turned around to close the door, and, feeling his way in the dark, proceeded further inside.

The cry of Xiao Meng once again echoed through the Ning residence

Although he is the elder of a divided family, for these years, the entire Ning family's business has been managed by Ning Ji. His shout instilled some fear in those below. Ning Xiaomeng was completely at a loss; her brother only told her to scream once Cheng Tang entered, and to cry when they saw Kui'er’s body. He did not mention what to do afterward, leaving her utterly bewildered, as she sat beside an old woman, crying incessantly.

When others think about it, even if there were really ghosts, so many people would have already fled. It is more likely that it is not a ghost but a thief. One wonders which maid or servant sneaked into the young lady's room to steal something, only to accidentally be caught by the young lady in the room.

Surrounded by several maids, Xiao Meng cautiously approached and was taken aback upon seeing the young man being pulled from her bed. "Cheng Tang Ge? How, how could you be here?" Although she referred to him as 'Tang Ge' (cousin), it was merely a term of kinship; her father and Ning Yicheng's father belonged to the same generation, thus they could be considered cousins. However, when her father passed away, she and her brother were still young. Although they were the main family, the specific affairs of the entire clan were largely managed by their uncle Ning Ji. In fact, when her father was still alive, Ning Li often entrusted Ning Ji with overseeing various businesses, as he perceived Ning Ji, this cousin, to be "trustworthy."

Ning Ji arrived and immediately dominated the entire scene, leaving everyone too afraid to speak. With a stern expression, he entered the room, where a guard held a lantern, the candlelight spilling onto the bed. He looked at the maid on the bed, feeling a sense of unease. Outside, Ning Yicheng was bound there, crying out: "Father, it wasn't me who killed her, it truly wasn't me who killed her..."

At this moment, everyone is already aware of Lord Ji's intentions to usurp the position of the family head. Although some individuals have been bought off by Lord Ji in advance, the majority will not actually benefit. Once Lord Ji moves in, he will naturally employ his own people. The servants of the family, except for a few who are valued by Lord Ji, will mostly be relegated to menial tasks outside, resulting in a loss of actual benefits.

Ah

He naturally remains completely still

The girl is so young, and she has never stepped outside her door; what ideas could she possibly have

The young lady encountered a ghost in her room. The timid maid felt a chill in her heart, while the bolder housekeeper and old servant wondered where a ghost could possibly come from in such a room. Could it be that the young lady had misjudged the situation? Thus, they took up a lantern and a torch and rushed into the young lady's chamber, only to see a dark shadow moving within the curtains