Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 654 - 656: New Mansion (Part 3)
She shook her head, not wanting to think about the affairs of the Jiang Family; it was nothing to do with her anymore.
"As long as your mother-in-law treats you well, your husband is considerate, and the sisters-in-law in the house are harmonious, there’s nothing else to ask for." Xiqiu smiled and said, "This is also the blessed fate that you have, dear cousin."
Xiao Yanzheng smiled lightly, nodded, and said, "I also feel it’s my blessing." After speaking, her gaze became somewhat distant: "My husband is really good to me. When I married him, there were originally two concubines in his room. I didn’t really mind, since concubines are better than having a full-fledged wife. But the very next morning, my husband had mother give the two maids some silver, telling them to find their own paths. For those without a path, the mansion arranged a place for them... My husband also never indulges himself when his colleagues invite him out to drink..."
Xiqiu was finally relieved, and responded, "Since he treats you like this, you should also be good to him. But you have a good temperament and know your limits, so I’m not worried."
Xiao Yanzheng smiled silently, rested her head on Xiqiu’s shoulder, and after a long time, said, "Actually, among my brothers, the eldest brother is resolute and decisive; the second brother is gentle and considerate; the third brother is the most imaginative and humorous; the fourth brother talks little but is cold on the outside, warm on the inside, and the smartest, learning everything the fastest; the fifth brother is honest, a bit soft-hearted but very kind. In my eyes, they are the most outstanding men in the world. But now, it seems only the fourth brother has had the smoothest and best life."
Xiqiu’s eyes flickered, and she sighed softly. Xiao Yanzheng looked at Xiqiu and said with a smile, "It would be nice if they were all here. The house wouldn’t be so empty." She paused and then shook her head with difficulty, "But that’s not possible, the fourth brother and the third brother..."
Her words were unfinished but aroused Xiqiu’s curiosity. She asked, "Why isn’t the third brother home? I rarely hear you mention him. Also, what happened between him and Fourth Master?"
Xiao Yanzheng’s face darkened, and she sighed, "It was the second year after father passed away. Something unknown happened between the third brother and the fourth brother, and they suddenly started fighting. The fourth brother seemed to have gone mad... he... the third brother’s arm..."
Xiqiu’s body stiffened, her heart pounding, and she asked, "What happened?"
"... The third brother’s arm, it’s gone!"
Xiqiu felt a chill run through her body and clung to Xiao Yanzheng, asking, "How could this happen? Why would Fourth Master cut off the third brother’s arm?"
Xiao Yanzheng shook her head, her face full of frustration: "I don’t know either. They kept it from me and didn’t tell me. I only know that after that night, the third brother disappeared, and the next day, the fourth brother had a big fight with mother and moved out. You’ve heard about what happened afterward. The fourth brother was a mess for many years, indulging in drunken debauchery and not coming back to the mansion. It wasn’t until he married you that he finally settled down completely."
Xiqiu was increasingly puzzled about what really happened between Fourth Master Xiao and Xiao Yancheng. She recalled that she hadn’t seen Xiao Yancheng’s memorial tablet in the ancestral hall back then, confirming that Xiao Yancheng wasn’t dead, or perhaps they currently didn’t know if Xiao Yancheng was dead or alive.
Fourth Master Xiao, despite being cold and ruthless in his actions, was not known for impulsive decisions without considering the consequences. What could have possibly made him so furious?
No wonder last time in the other estate, he was reluctant to speak when the Third Master was mentioned.
"The third brother was very humorous, always telling jokes to make us happy. When father just passed away, it was as if the sky had fallen in at home; everyone didn’t want to talk, each preoccupied with their tasks. The eldest brother had to take care of the family, the second brother took care of us, the fourth brother practiced martial arts, and only the third brother stayed by mother’s side every day, comforting her and me with jokes... He even built a floral trellis in each courtyard for us, planting many flowers... The trellis in the fourth brother’s courtyard was built by the third and fourth brothers themselves, taking several days to construct, putting up plank after plank, but they are gone now!"
Xiqiu’s heart gradually sank and realized that Xiao Yancheng seemed to be a genuinely good person who got along well with the family... It seemed there was inevitably some hidden, unspeakable secret involved.
"Didn’t anyone in the mansion try to find the third brother? Was the third brother married before he left?" She hadn’t seen the third sister-in-law before.
Xiao Yanzheng shook her head and answered, "Before father passed, mother was preparing to arrange a marriage for the third brother. Later, as father’s health deteriorated, everything was delayed. The third brother did not marry before he left." She paused and continued, "I know the fourth brother has been searching for the third brother, sending many people to look for him. The eldest brother and the second brother too. But the third brother seemed to have vanished into thin air, never appearing again."
Xiqiu was increasingly curious and felt that this matter wouldn’t be simple.
Is Xiao Yancheng dead or alive? Will he return if he is alive? If he returns, what will happen with Fourth Master Xiao, and how will the brothers get along... She suddenly felt heartache. What secret is Fourth Master Xiao hiding that tortures him into such furious anger against his brother to the point of turning against him, unable to forgive and still holding resentment towards Xiao Yancheng?
And how about Xiao Yancheng? Does he harbor hatred against Fourth Master Xiao, seeking revenge, or has he become disillusioned and secluded himself from society?
She couldn’t predict, but felt as though a rock weighed heavy in her heart.
Xiao Yanzheng cried for a while and gradually fell asleep. However, Xiqiu couldn’t sleep, so she put on her clothes and went out. The door to the next room was ajar, and no one was inside, but the lamp in the Warm Pavilion was still on. She walked to the door, and through the thin gauze curtain, she saw piles of memorials stacked high on the table. Fourth Master Xiao sat behind the desk, furrowing his brows, holding a writing brush dipped in ink and writing something. He was wearing a deep blue home robe, his hair tied atop his head with a light silver crown, his sword-like eyebrows extended to his temples. His eyebrows were lightly furrowed, with faint signs of fatigue between them, long eyes slightly drooped, his nose high, lips thin and pressed into a hard, cold arc...
He meticulously read each memorial, frowning more tightly when dissatisfied and relaxing his brows when pleased, his eyebrows lifting in joy. Xiqiu watched quietly, her mood changing with his expressions, feeling his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness genuinely.
This was Fourth Master Xiao. Even in displeasure, he would only furrow his brows. To outsiders, he might seem impulsive, but Xiqiu knew that no matter what he did, it was always after careful consideration... She didn’t believe he would suddenly go mad and impulsive enough to hurt someone, especially his elder brother, whom he had grown up close with!
She sighed slightly, deciding not to question Fourth Master Xiao for answers. All this while, he had been open and candid with her, discussing even court matters. Yet, he never mentioned this issue, which meant he wasn’t willing to talk. If so, she wouldn’t ask. She would wait for the day he truly comes to terms with it and then tell her.
Xiqiu wrapped her clothes tighter, turned back lightly into the room, and carefully closed the door, turning around to show a startled expression. Xiao Yanzheng lay sprawled on the bed, her head at the foot of the bed and feet on the pillow. Though not snoring like thunder, the posture made Xiqiu unable to help but cover her forehead.
