CH 13

“Old Madam, this was found in the lower part of the rockery, hidden inside the crevisse of a rock“ Momo Gui lowered her head and presented her with a bundle wrapped in cloth.

Old Madam Ren cast a meaningful gaze at Fifth Madam and Ren Yaoyu’s faces and signaled Momo Gui to open it.

Momo Gui put the bundle on the kang table, turned her body and untied it when suddenly, her horrified gasp echoed in the room.

Old Madam Ren frowned and took a look. Her pupils abruptly shrank and her face turned pale.

Everyone was curious and looked at the small Kang table. What they saw on it was the autum coloured furoshiki spread out on the table and there, in its center, layed a white rag doll, the size of two adult fists. With messy characters scribbled all over it painted in red, it made for quite a ghastly sight. It is not surprising that Momo Gui, who had always been steadfast, suddenly gasped at this view.

All here could see this was a curse, a practice that existed among women in the backyard.

To make a cursed doll, one takes dried yin and yang bales of straw, wraps them in a white cloth to form a human shape, sews the date of birth of the cursed one, and finally draws the curse in dog blood.

Old Madam Ren’s cold and stern gaze fell upon the two maids who were already frightened witless. They immediately knelt down with a “plop” sound-, “You two have the gall to do this kind of dirty business in the estate!“

The two maids were shivering. Laying prone on the floor, they started pleading for clemency, “Old Madam is merciful, Old Madam is merciful...“

This kind of crooked means was quite taboo in big families, especially for those who are in charge of the household. It was an unforgivable act. If subordinates were found to be involved in it, they would be sent to the government office and there, sentenced to receive a hundred planks.

The yamen’s one hundred planks was tantamount to taking a person's life.

Eldest wife also bore an unsightly expression and said, “You both lost your mind! How could you do such a thing? Our Ren family will not tolerate servants who use such wretched and shameful means! You all... Ai...“

The maid with a mole on her face seemed to abruptly react. She suddenly turned her head to look at Ren Yaoyu’s ashen face. She shuffled forward on her knees and went up to her, “Eight Miss, help us…“

Fifth Madam was incensed. Upon seeing this, she kicked the servant girl in the stomach and cursed, “Shut up!“

Yet, the maid kept her wits about and still started shouting, “This thing belongs to Eight Miss! This servant was ordered to take it out and bury it; This servant didn’t know what it was meant for!“

The other maid, who had only been crying so far, also rushed in to add, sobbingly, “Old Madam, how could the servants dare to curse their master with this kind of thing? We servants were merely following the orders we were given.”

As long as Eight Miss was also pulled into the muddy waters, the Ren Family would not send them to the Yamen for fear of sullying their young miss’ reputation.

Old Madam Ren coldly looked at Ren Yaoyu, “Do you have anything to say?“

Ren Yaoyu's legs went soft and when asked, she bursted into tears, “Waa…“

Fifth Madam was outraged. She stepped forward and kicked the two maids to the ground, no longer caring about her own image and scolded them, “You dare bite the hand that feeds you and pour this kind of dirty water on your master! You’re tired of living!“

Ren Yaoyu was already so frightened by the atmosphere in the room that she nearly broke down and said, “I was just being playful, I...I...I didn’t use dog blood but cinnabar... Third sister, she won't die...“

This, in itself, was an admission of guilt.

Ren Yaohua, who was mentioned by name, looked stunned and reflexively glanced at the rag doll on the Kang table. You idiot! Fifth Madam was so aggrieved by her daughter's foolish behavior that if she could she would have slapped and cursed her but even then it was already too late.

Seeing that everyone in the room now looked at the both of them with mixed feelings, Fifth Madam forcefully contained her swelling anger. She turned her head to smile at Old Madam, “Mother, Yu’er is young and did not understand the gravity of the situation. It was originally nothing more than a bit of mischief between sisters, but she was unexpectedly drawn into such a thing. She was only pulled in by the instigations of the people below and didn't really understand what she was doing. Once again, it is your daughter-in-law who was not strict enough in her discipline. Please forgive me this time.“

In just a few words, she managed to turn the matter of the curse into just a small incident between sisters.

Seeing that Old Madam Ren remained unmoved and silent, Fifth Madam turned her gaze to Ren Yaohua, who wore a cold expression, and said in a gentle tone, “Yaohua, this time your younger sister was not sensible. As her elder sister, a grown-up, you should be magnanimous and ignore this. After all, she just has a childish temperament and really meant you no harm. Fifth Aunt will personally apologize to you.“

However, Ren Yaohua was not someone who would allow herself to be pushed around and so, with a mocking expression on her face she said, “Fifth Aunt, Yaohua doesn't understand. If I forgive Eighth Sister I’m a magnanimous but if I don’t, I am narrow-minded? And to not obey your words when you, an elder, personally apologized to me, a junior, will that not be considered disrespecting the elders? I’m afraid this hat is really too big for Yaohua's small head to wear.“

A trace of embarrassment and rage flashed in the eyes of Fifth Madam, but today it was her daughter who was first in the wrong. She had to hold back her emotions. Just as she was about to say a few more words to settle the situation, Momo Gui let out a sound of surprise. She had just pulled out from the back of the rag doll the strip of cloth on which the birth date was written and opened it. She seemed horrified by it and her gaze subconsciously shifted towards Old Madam.

Old Madam Ren noticed her movements and glanced at the piece of cloth in her hand. Her expression changed drastically.

She turned her head, pointed at Ren Yaoyu angrily and shouted, “Vile creature! Kneel!“

Ren Yaoyu had still been sobbing when she saw Old Madam Ren's sheer fury. She knelt at once on the ground, her body shaking in fright.

Fifth Madam who was originally still talking with Ren Yaohua was taken aback for a moment, then turned around, “Mother...“

“Don't call me mother! Look at what a good thing you raised!“ Old Madam, gasping for breath, picked up the doll and threw it at Fifth Madam, hitting her in the face.

Fifth Madam was first taken aback then felt humiliated and the rim of her eyes immediately turned red.

From the time she married into the Ren Family till now, never had Old Madam criticized her in such way.

When she was a young lady at home, she had been doted on by the elders in her family and never suffered any grievances. After marrying into the Ren Family, Old Madam Ren also treated her like her own daughter. Among the family’s daughters-in-law, she had always received her backing.

This time, she smashed her face in front of the Eldest wife and so many of the younger generation.

Fifth Madam felt so wronged that her tears started falling like golden beans. She raised her sleeves to wipe her tears. She was about to express her dissatisfaction when her eyes fell on the cursed doll. Her body then became stiff; she could not even utter a word.

Everyone also in the room also clearly saw the eight-character birth day marked on the cursed doll and a silence fell upon the room.

The eight character birth date written with cinnabar already made for a shocking sight, but even more shocking was that the birth date inscribe on it, was not Ren Yaohua’s.

Ren Yaohua was born on the sixth day of August in the Gengwu year at weishi (between 1-3pm). The time written on it was correct, but it was in the Geng Yin year.

In the Ren Family, it is no secret that the reason why Old Madam Ren doted on Third Miss Ren Yaohua was not only because she shared some resemblance with Old Madam Ren in her younger years, but also because Ren Yaohua was born on the same day and at the same time as her.

The eight characters birth date on the cursed puppet was quite obviously not Ren Yaohua but Old Madam Ren’s.

Ren Yaoqi, from start to finish, took it all in. She had been observing Fifth Madam, Ren Yaoyu and Ren Yaohua's facial expressions and the surprise reflected on there was genuine.

She now finally understood why Fifth Madam, in her past life, would categorically hold onto to belief that Ren Yaohua was the one who framed Ren Yaoyu.

Judging by Ren Yaoyu's behavior, this doll should have indeed been her handy work, but the birth date she wrote on it was Ren Yaohua's, yet it somehow ultimately became Old Madam Ren’s.

This incident was the source of Old Madam Ren's disgust towards Ren Yaoyu, and the reason why Ren Yaohua would be once again qualified to take residence in Ronghua Courtyard. Other than Ren Yaohua, who else could have a better motive to frame Ren Yaoyu ?