Chapter 3: Helpless

Mother Chen was buried halfway up the mountain, alongside Father Chen.

The mountain wind was cold and bleak, the new grave desolate, and the paper money burned into ash and scattered with the wind.

"Miss, let's go home." Fangzhou, her eyes rimmed with red, urged the young girl kneeling before the grave.

Qiu Heng stood up, but because she had been kneeling for too long, she stumbled and was caught by a pair of hands.

"Thank you, Mama Wang," Qiu Heng said to the woman who had steadied her.

Mama Wang looked at the young girl who thanked her in such a soft voice, a strange feeling rising in her heart.

For the past three days, this child had cried until her eyes were swollen, appearing completely listless, yet now she seemed to have regained her composure.

The villagers who had come to help had long since dispersed. Aside from Mama Wang and Steward Qiu, the only ones left on the mountain were the servants and coachmen they had brought. The group had only just reached the foot of the mountain when they were blocked.

"A-Heng, where is our Yunxiang?"

Qiu Heng’s eyes flickered as she recognized the woman who had rushed up to her—Aunt Xiu, Yunxiang’s aunt.

That day, Yunxiang had invited her to pick herbs. When she had bent down to wash her hands by the pond, she had been pushed into the water by Yunxiang.

"Yunxiang went out with you, so why have you returned alone?" Aunt Xiu demanded.

"Yunxiang... didn't come home?" Qiu Heng stared at Aunt Xiu, suppressing her scrutiny, her inner confusion deepening.

She and Yunxiang had grown up together; even now, she couldn't fathom why Yunxiang would want to harm her. Yunxiang’s disappearance was even more baffling—surely she hadn't jumped into the water herself after pushing her in?

"She never came home! Tell us clearly, where did Yunxiang go!"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Aunt Xiu’s tone grew agitated. "We thought it wouldn't be easy for you, losing your parents all of a sudden, so we waited until your mother was buried to ask. Do you think you can just brush us off with an 'I don't know'? Tell me, did you harm Yunxiang?"

Mama Wang could no longer listen. "My good woman, you mustn't speak nonsense. If you slander our young miss, we will have to report you to the authorities."

Aunt Xiu was stunned. She sat down on the ground, slapped her thighs, and began to wail: "Heavens! Yunxiang lost her parents when she was young; her uncle and I worked so hard to raise her, and now that she's missing, they actually want to send us to the authorities! Is there no justice left in this world..."

The man who had come with Aunt Xiu seemed afraid to offend them, his tone much milder: "My wife is just too heartbroken. She has always cherished Yunxiang like her own daughter."

Qiu Heng looked at the couple and understood their true motive—they had realized that the people who had come to fetch her were of high status and were looking for a handout.

That was it. If they were truly worried about Yunxiang, they wouldn't have waited until her mother was buried to ask. In reality, who in the village didn't know how mean Aunt Xiu was to Yunxiang?

Thinking of this, Qiu Heng did not mention that Yunxiang had tried to harm her.

When one is in the dark, speaking more only leads to more mistakes. Yunxiang had deep grievances against her aunt and uncle; it was unlikely they knew her true intentions.

"Our young miss is grieving the passing of her foster parents and is still in a daze. You two should go look elsewhere," Steward Qiu said politely, though his expression carried a warning as he pressed a few pieces of silver into the man's hand.

Having received the silver, the man’s face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly pulled Aunt Xiu away.

Mama Wang sneered, "So they were just here to extort money."

Steward Qiu said coldly, "Let's just head back first."

Once they entered the Chen residence, Steward Qiu said directly, "Sixth Miss, pack your things. We leave tomorrow."

Qiu Heng immediately caught the overbearing tone in his voice.

"I cannot leave until my parents' forty-ninth day memorial has passed."

Steward Qiu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Sixth Miss, the family is eagerly awaiting your return. You shouldn't keep your elders waiting."

The young girl lowered her eyes and repeated softly, "I cannot leave until my parents' forty-ninth day memorial has passed."

Steward Qiu’s face darkened. "Sixth Miss, you had better think this through."

The young girl simply remained silent.

Seeing the atmosphere turn rigid, Mama Wang hurriedly pulled Steward Qiu outside and lowered her voice to plead: "As you said earlier, the Sixth Miss has just lost her foster parents and is in great pain..."

"Does she really expect us to wait for her foster parents' forty-ninth day? If the Old Count and the Old Madam blame us, who will take the responsibility?"

Mama Wang lowered her posture further. "The Old Count and Old Madam are benevolent; they will surely understand. You should be understanding as well. The most important thing is to bring the Sixth Miss back safely, don't you agree?"

"Hmph." Steward Qiu sneered and returned to the city with his entourage.

Yunfeng Village was not far from the city. For the past two days, the people from the Qiu family had helped manage the funeral during the day and returned to an inn in the city at night, leaving only Mama Wang to stay at the Chen house.

At night, Mama Wang couldn't sleep, sighing as she listened to the wind outside the window.

The days ahead for the young miss at the Count's manor would likely be difficult.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Qiu Heng rose. After washing, she instructed Fangzhou: "When Mama Wang wakes up and asks for me, tell her I've gone up the mountain to keep my parents company."

"Don't worry, Miss."

Qiu Heng went to the house nearest to her own.

A boy of fifteen or sixteen was carrying firewood into the house. The moment he caught sight of the young girl standing quietly, the firewood scattered all over the ground.

"A-Heng, you... why are you here?" The boy was somewhat flustered.

"Brother Xiaoshan, do you know who it was that hit my father?"

The boy named Xiaoshan had grown up with Qiu Heng. Last year, he had gone to the city to work as an apprentice in a spice shop. That day, he had been rushing home after receiving news that his mother was ill, and he had happened to see Father Chen struck by a speeding horse. It was he who had called for help to bring Father Chen back.

Facing Qiu Heng’s question, the boy instinctively looked away. "Those people were riding too fast; I didn't see clearly..."

Qiu Heng’s eyelids trembled, and tears rolled down. "After my mother's forty-ninth day, I am going to the capital. Brother Xiaoshan, if you saw anything, I beg you to tell me. I don't want to live in ignorance..."

"A-Heng, are you really a young lady from a wealthy family?" Hearing that Qiu Heng was leaving, Xiaoshan’s expression shifted.

"They say I am."

"Once you go to the capital, will you never come back?"

"Yes."

Xiaoshan was stunned for a moment. After a struggle appeared on his face, he reached into his clothes and pulled out an object, stuffing it into Qiu Heng’s hand.

It felt cool to the touch—it was a jade pendant with exquisite carvings.

"The person riding in the front didn't even dismount after hitting Uncle Chen... I recognized Uncle Chen and went to help him, and I found this pendant that had fallen on the ground..."

Qiu Heng stared silently at the pendant in her hand, not blinking once.

The young girl’s silence was like a giant boulder, pressing heavily on the boy’s heart.

Xiaoshan gritted his teeth, his voice so low it was almost inaudible: "There was one person I saw who looked like the young master of the Fuhai Restaurant; he was following at the very back... A-Heng, I've told you everything I know. You must not think about reporting this to the authorities. For Uncle and Aunt Chen’s sake, your living a good life in the future is worth more than anything..."

By the end, the boy felt a bit of regret.

"Don't worry, Brother Xiaoshan, I won't report it to the authorities." Qiu Heng gripped the pendant tightly, her eyes reddening. "So many people have come from the capital to fetch me; they wouldn't let me report it anyway. I am content just knowing a little more about what happened to my father that day..."

A few days later, in the capital, the Yongqing Count's manor received a letter from Steward Qiu.

The Countess of Yongqing read it, her brows furrowed tightly. "It has been confirmed. It is the sixth girl who went missing all those years ago."

The Count of Yongqing sipped his tea, his tone casual. "It's a good thing she was found."

"Both her foster parents died in such a short time; I think this girl is a jinx," the Countess said in a low voice, her disdain undisguised.