Chapter 207 Ji Hui

Chapter 207 Ji Hui

The woman before them was very young, with a slender figure and no adornments on her body, dressed in plain attire.

"Zhifei, I am the Sixth Sister of Ji Mansion, Ji Hui. When you were little, you often came to play at our house with Mingting. How could you have forgotten?"

"Sixth Sister!"

Xie Zhifei slapped his forehead and managed a signature smile with difficulty. "Why have you become so thin? No wonder I didn't recognize you."

Ji Hui's eyes welled up with tears.

With all that had happened in her family over these past few months, how could she not have lost weight?

At this moment, Xie Zhifei glanced at Zhu Qing behind him.

Zhu Qing immediately took out a money bag from his chest. "We've found her. The boss will treat everyone to drinks tonight. Let's disperse for now."

"Boss, should we take care of those two masked men..."

"Not yet."

Third Master, I'll handle it personally!

"Yes!"

The guards withdrew one by one.

Seeing the open front door, Ning knew it wasn't convenient to talk there. "Come, let's go to the back to talk."

"Hold on."

Xie Zhifei: "Is this shop Third Lady's?"

"It's my dowry."

"Then why is there a white banner on the horse?"

"Our Ninth Miss passed away in prison, and the funeral was simple then. Now that the Ji family is fine, we need to do something for her..."

Ning turned away, wiped her tears, and held Yan Sanhe's hand. "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Come."

"Third Lady, don't pull her!"

Xie Zhifei pulled Yan Sanhe's hand back protectively. "Yan Sanhe, watch your step."

Ning paused, turned around, and gave a meaningful smile.

What's with that smile?

Do you understand what it means to regain something lost?

With a buzz, Xie Zhifei opened his mouth slightly, his expression somewhat dazed.

Something isn't right!

Why did I think of the phrase 'regained something lost'?

Third Master Xie stared blankly at Yan Sanhe beside him, his heart suddenly boiling again.

Thump, thump, thump!

Thump, thump, thump!

His heart seemed to turn into a wild beast that had been quietly dozing for years. Today's scare woke it up.

So, it opened its bloody jaws, roaring to come out and hunt.

"Yan Sanhe."

He called out instinctively, wanting to remind her to be careful, as if the beast wanted to eat someone who seemed to be...

Her!

Yan Sanhe waited for Xie Zhifei to continue speaking.

After waiting for a long time, she didn't hear anything but saw a statue instead.

This person stood in the hallway, his eyes clear and bloodshot, staring at her without saying a word.

Was he bewitched?

Yan Sanhe raised her finger and tapped his forehead.

Xie Zhifei felt a coldness descend from the top of his head and shivered, coming back to his senses.

Yan Sanhe pushed him. "Let's go; everyone is waiting!"

Xie Zhifei looked up and realized Ning and Sixth Sister Ji were both staring at him.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Feeling guilty, he covered up by saying, "I was just thinking about the case."

"Oh, my dear Third Master!"

Ning couldn't care less anymore and grabbed Xie Zhifei's arm, pulling him forward forcefully. "There's something more important than the case right now."

Xie Zhifei was dragged along like a wooden puppet, but all his senses remained on Yan Sanhe behind him.

Little did he know that Yan Sanhe was also watching his back, lost in thought.

Ning led them to a room in the backyard.

This room was where the manager handled accounts and entertained important guests, fully equipped with tables, chairs, and benches.

Ning personally lit the lamp, served hot tea, and then could not wait to speak.

"Miss Yan, I didn't finish asking earlier—have you caught the tomb robbers who stole from our family's matriarch?"

Yan Sanhe glanced at Xie Zhifei indifferently, "Tell me first, what's the matter?"

Ning hurriedly signaled Ji Hui with her eyes, urging her to speak up.

Ji Hui wanted to speak but found herself at a loss for words, feeling flustered as she wiped away a tear and took a sip of tea...

Sweat broke out on Ning's forehead as she gritted her teeth and said, "Miss Yan, our fourth lady, my sister-in-law, is going to become a nun."

"Why?"

"Why?"

Yan Sanhe looked at Xie Zhifei, who had spoken simultaneously, and asked, "Is it because of the ninth miss?"

Ning sighed, "Actually, the ninth miss attempted suicide because of something the fourth lady said."

Yan Sanhe was shocked, "What did she say?"

At the mention of this, Ning's anger flared.

"No wonder they say women have long hair but short minds. Our fourth branch has always had conflicts, and in such a place, Miss Yan, think about it..."

The first branch blamed the second;

The second blamed the third and fourth;

The third and fourth blamed the first for ruining the Ji Mansion;

The first branch, in turn, cursed the third and fourth for their ingratitude...

"Miss Yan, you haven't seen how these usually gentle and virtuous ladies can be so vicious when they curse. Their words cut right through your heart."

Thinking about those three months in prison, Ning's eyes welled up with tears.

"The fourth lady, in her anger, vented on the ninth girl, saying—

'You're always chattering away, but now you're mute. Can't you even speak up for your mother? What good am I for bearing you? You're all just debt collectors, better off dead.'"

"My mother isn't usually like that,"

Ji Hui suddenly choked up, "The ninth sister is the youngest, and Mother loved her dearly. She was just pushed too far."

"Go on."

Yan Sanhe didn't blink an eye.

Ji Hui was taken aback, thinking this girl was so cold-hearted, showing no sympathy.

"Sister Six, go on."

Xie Zhifei glanced at Yan Sanhe, "Yan Sanhe and I have other matters to attend to; we don't have time to waste."

"Oh, oh!"

Ji Hui hurriedly continued, "My mother, after the ninth sister's incident, was so devastated that she stopped eating and drinking in prison. After two days at home, she decided to become a nun, refusing any persuasion."

"Then what?"

"We saw she was determined, so we thought letting her stay in a nunnery for a few months might help her calm down before bringing her back."

Ji Hui began choking up again.

"There are several nunneries in the outskirts of the capital, and we placed her in the Water Moon Nunnery in the west suburb. But the abbess said my mother wasn't pure enough and refused to accept her."

Yan Sanhe: "Then find another one."

"We can't, Miss Yan!"

Ning interjected, "Other nunneries are either within temples or nearby, which isn't proper. Only the Water Moon Nunnery is secluded and peaceful."

Yan Sanhe: "Go on."

Ji Hui: "My mother..."

"Sixth girl, let me continue. You're young, don't get involved in these strange matters."

Ning interrupted her urgently.

"The abbess wouldn't accept her, so we invoked Mingting's name, hoping he would influence her since he oversees the Buddhist Affairs Office. But the abbess wouldn't budge.

Later, we learned from a novice nun that something strange happened the night after we left."

Yan Sanhe: "What happened?"