All Hail Cousin Brother

306 Mu Jin’s Death

At this point, Yu Shansi looked up at his sister. “Sister, I don’t like Teacher Li. Tell Father to change me to a new teacher, okay?”

Yu Jianjia sighed softly. “Fourth Brother, although Teacher Li is a rigid person, he’s very knowledgeable. Even if Mother asks, he can’t be changed.”

If she could, her mother would have changed his teacher long ago. How could she let Fourth Brother be punished every day?

Yu Shansi looked disappointed and said nothing with a dark expression.

Yu Jianjia looked helpless. “Fourth Brother, you’re not young anymore. You should know some things. Learn from the teacher. Things are different now. It was a little inappropriate for you to be like this in front of Teacher Li. In the past, you had a mother who took care of the family and covered for you, so Father wouldn’t look for you.”

These words stunned Yu Shansi. “Doesn’t Mother manage the household now?”

Yu Jianjia nodded sadly. “Eldest Sister’s reputation was almost ruined at the Flower Festival in the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence, so he vented his anger on Mother and asked her to hand over the right to manage the household. From now on, the family will be managed by Grandmother and Eldest Sister.”

During this period of time, Yu Shansi had heard many servants in the residence say that Yu Youyao had received rewards and praise from the Empress Dowager just because she had participated in a flower festival.

Although he was young, he was not a fool.

Yu Youyao had benefited. Bot only had her sister, who had also participated in the flower festival, sprained her ankle, but she had also been punished by her father to copy many teachings.

Her mother was also angry with her father. Every day, she had to go to her grandmother’s house to set the rules. She even handed over the butler’s key.

He often heard his mother hiding in her room and scolding Yu Youyao, saying that she was the one who had caused all of this.

He couldn’t help but hate Yu Youyao.

Yu Jianjia coughed lightly and looked helpless. “I shouldn’t have said this to you in the first place, but you’re not young anymore. You should know the severity of the matter. If word gets out that you’re not learning well and disrespecting your teacher, no one will help cover it up. If Grandmother finds out, Father will definitely hear about it. At that time, he’ll definitely be angry.”

When Yu Shanyan heard this, he instantly understood.

After harming his mother and sister, Yu Youyao was going to harm him. He immediately looked angry. “Mother is right. Yu Youyao is clearly a scourge.”

Yu Jianjia was shocked and quickly said, “Fourth Brother, how can you say that? Eldest Sister is the eldest daughter of the first wife. You should respect her. You shouldn’t call her by her name. If Father hears this, he’ll definitely reprimand you.”

Every word and sentence was said earnestly, and she was thinking for her younger brother. However, Yu Shansi was furious when he heard this. “I’m Father’s only legitimate son. I’m not afraid of her. If Father finds out, he can let Yu Youyao see who Father sides with and see if she dares to harm us in the future.”

Yu Jianjia’s scalp went numb when she heard this. She covered her mouth and coughed until her face turned red. “Fourth Brother, how can you think that way? In a while, you will move to the Songtao Courtyard in the front courtyard. How can Mother and I be at ease with you living alone?”

At the mention of moving into the courtyard, Yu Shansi was even angrier. He had originally found it strange that his father had suddenly asked him to move into the front courtyard when he was living well in the main courtyard.

Only then did he suddenly understand that this was definitely Yu Youyao’s scheme to harm him.

Yu Shansi was furious. As his sister coughed, she said, “There’s order in seniority. Eldest Sister is the eldest, and we’re younger siblings. As siblings, we should respect her. If you quarrel with her, no matter how much Father dotes on you, he’ll still be angry with you. Grandmother dotes on Eldest Sister, so you’ll definitely be the one at a disadvantage. Now that Father is angry with Mother and has punished me, no one will help you. Are you trying to anger me to death?”

When Yu Shansi heard that his sister had finished speaking, he started coughing violently again. He immediately panicked. “Sister, don’t be angry. I-I’ll listen to you and not cause trouble with you…”

When Yu Jianjia heard this, her coughing eased a little, and a gratified expression appeared on her face. “Fourth Brother has grown up. He knows how to dote on Sister…”

Unknowingly, it was May.

The roses and roses in the corner of the Jade Courtyard bloomed brightly.

The parasol tree was as green as jade, and its green cover was like a cloud. There were yellow and green trumpet flowers blooming between the branches. Long stamens fell from the leaves, but they were beautiful and swaying.

The weather became hotter day by day. In her spare time, Yu Youyao made medicinal tea and medicinal fragrance to relieve the heat. She even sent some to the second branch.

The cooling bracelet was also being made.

However, the cooling medicinal fragrance beads were not easier to make than the wood rhinoceros incense beads. Previously, the process was also simple, and it was easy to make. It only took three to five days.

The making of the medicinal fragrance beads was complicated to begin with, and the Cooling Beads were even more so. There were more than 30 types of medicinal herbs alone, including more than 20 expensive medicinal herbs. In addition, they also needed to be mixed with medicinal herbs, spices, and so on. The process of making them included washing, steaming, simmering, soaking, baking, frying, boiling, and dozens of other types.

The agarwood had to be soaked in rose juice;

Sandalwood needed to be dipped in wine and stir-fried on the stove;

Rhubarb and Ligusticum striatum needed to be steamed.

The most troublesome ones were still dried Chrysanthemums, Chinese goldthread, Forsythia, Simpleleaf chastetree, Angelica dahurica, Phellodendron amurense, and so on. They needed to be fried and boiled three times to make paste.

Not only that, but she also had to pay special attention to the fire strength. If there was even the slightest mistake, all her previous efforts would be wasted.

This was the first time Yu Youyao had made such a complicated medicinal fragrance bead. It would take more than three to five days to make it, so she wasn’t in a hurry.

At this moment, Liu’er came over. “Young Miss, Miss Mu Jin is gone.”

“Gone?” Yu Youyao was stunned when she heard this. Then, she realized what Liu’er meant by “gone.” “What happened?”

How could a perfectly fine person disappear just like that?

Liu’er said, “Miss Mu Jin had made a mistake previously and was punished by Old Madam, so she has been locked up in the Windfall Courtyard to wait to be assigned. During this period of time, there were too many things to do at home, so no one cared about this matter. Perhaps it was because she had been locked up for too long and had let her imagination run wild, so she took it too hard and had the intention to die. Today, she begged the old maid guarding the gate of the Windfall Courtyard to visit First Madam. The old maid guarding the gate received Old Madam’s permission and let Miss Mu Jin out. Unexpectedly, when Miss Mu Jin returned to her room, she swallowed rat poison. When she was discovered, she was already dead.”

Yu Youyao’s breathing tightened. “Where did she get the rat poison?”

Mu Jin used to be Madam Yang’s most capable maidservant, and her temperament and methods were also powerful. She did not seem to be someone who would end her own life.

Liu’er explained, “Every once in a while, the residence has to use rat poison. This medicine is also always available, and ordinary servants can’t come into contact with it. However, Miss Mu Jin used to be First Madam’s eldest maidservant, so she definitely has it.”