The Double-Chapter 379 - 131 Aunt_2

She was determined to uncover their secrets.

...

The night passed in several courtyards of the Jiang Residence, each person lost in their own speculations. When Jiang Li awoke, Yanjing’s winter day was graced with the rare appearance of the sun.

The snow in the courtyard was yet to melt. Looking up at the snow, it reflected a warm-colored gleam that made one’s heart feel warm. As usual, Jiang Li planned to visit Xue Huaiyuan after breakfast. Emperor Hongxiao had said that they would recruit divine physicians from all over the world to treat Xue Huaiyuan in hopes of restoring his consciousness.

In recent days, doctors streamed endlessly to the Ye Residence, including the imperial physicians personally dispatched by Emperor Hongxiao. But after examining Xue Huaiyuan, they all shook their heads indicating that treatment was not possible.

Initially, Jiang Li felt disappointed, but Ye Mingyu comforted her by saying that as long as Xue Huaiyuan was still alive, it was good news; life meant hope. Moreover, the current Xue Huaiyuan didn’t need to remember the horrific events he experienced in prison, nor did he need to know about the tragic deaths of his children. Living like this, he might be a bit happier. Once he regained his senses and accepted the severe blow that fate had dealt him, he would realize how precious these days of remembering nothing were.

Hearing Ye Mingyu say this, Jiang Li felt a complex emotion within. On the one hand, she hoped her father would recover, so that in this life, she could recognize him as her own. On the other hand, she thought that reminding her father of the injustices would be too cruel; she couldn’t treat a pitiful old man that way.

No matter what, she still had to visit Xue Huaiyuan every day.

Jiang Yuanbai watched her every move with a cold eye. Jiang Li knew her actions displeased him, but she didn’t care about that right now; she couldn’t just ignore her biological father.

On her way to the Ye Residence, in the corridor, Jiang Li encountered a strange woman.

This woman was no longer young. In her features, one could vaguely discern the charm of her youth. She was dressed neither like a servant nor in luxury, accompanied only by a single maid. Her expression was exceedingly calm, as tranquil as a pond that had been still for many years, unable to stir the slightest ripple.

They met on the corridor, and the woman’s maid called out "Second Miss," bowing to Jiang Li. Only then did the woman slowly turn to look at Jiang Li and softly say, "Second Miss."

Jiang Li scrutinized her closely; the woman’s expression still did not show any sign of turmoil, as if she had been without sorrow or joy for thousands of years, with nothing left in the world to concern her. Jiang Li said, "Maternal Aunt Hu."

Maternal Aunt Hu was the only concubine in the main branch of the Jiang Residence. Although the Jiang Family was extensive and affluent, their internal relations were not as harmonious as they appeared. However, Jiang Li thought at least one thing was positive: Jiang Yuanbai, Jiang Yuanping, and the illegitimate son, Jiang Yuanxing, all only had legitimate children from their principal wives. Even if they had concubines, none bore children. It was said that Lord Jiang the Elder doted on his concubine and fathered Jiang Yuanxing, which led to many foolish acts. The old madam detested this concubine and by extension disfavored Jiang Yuanxing. Furthermore, she maintained the family’s decorum by not allowing her sons to have offspring with their concubines.

But Maternal Aunt Hu was the only concubine in the entire Jiang Residence to have given birth.

Originally, Maternal Aunt Hu was a chambermaid close to Madam Jiang the Elder. Madam Jiang the Elder hosted her to open her face to Jiang Yuanbai, but after Ye Zhenzhen married into the family and remained childless for three years, it was the chambermaid who became pregnant with a child first. Initially, Madam Jiang the Elder wanted to give the chambermaid a medicine that would prevent the birth, but Ye Zhenzhen, out of kindness, pleaded on behalf of the chambermaid and allowed the child to be born.

The child was a daughter, the eldest miss of the Jiang Family, and not long after, Jiang Li was born. That chambermaid thus conveniently became a concubine. People said that Maternal Aunt Hu was unaggressive and kind, getting along well with Ye Zhenzhen. Shortly after giving birth to Jiang Li, Ye Zhenzhen fell ill and passed away, plunging Maternal Aunt Hu into deep grief for a while.

Latterly, when Ji Shuran entered the family and Jiang Li was two years old, the eldest miss of the Jiang Family was playing in the garden and accidentally fell from a rockery, leading to her death. Since then, Maternal Aunt Hu spent her days and nights in sorrow, nearly succumbing to hysteria, constantly cuddling a pillow in the courtyard singing lullabies, almost never appearing in public again. Out of many years of loyalty, the old madam still arranged for maids to serve her, reasoning that the Jiang Family could afford the extra expenditure, seeing it as just one more pair of chopsticks at the table, causing no real trouble.

Maternal Aunt Hu looked at Jiang Li, and softly lowered her head.

A flicker of doubt crossed Jiang Li’s heart. Everyone said that Maternal Aunt Hu suffered from mild hysteria, and Jiang Li had only seen her from a distance at a family banquet once. But now, looking closely, although Maternal Aunt Hu’s expression was serene, her eyes were not the clouded ones of insanity. Unlike Xue Huaiyuan, she seemed absent, but she was lucid.