Chapter 42
The revelation left Ji Yunshu feeling marvelous, as if the clouds shrouding her mind were finally dispersing.
The victim’s body didn’t show any injuries, so something soft must have been used as the murder weapon.
She should have thought of it earlier!
Luan’er had a more relaxed expression. Underneath her low eyebrows, her spirited eyes seemed to be covered with layers of fog that clouded her thoughts. “Miss, are you alright? Could it be that I said something wrong?” Luan’er asked.
“You didn’t say anything wrong. Rather, you reminded me.”
“I reminded you?”
Ji Yunshu nodded. She returned to ponder over it and continued mumbling. “If a person died a natural death, their flesh would turn rigid after two or three days. The same phenomena would happen to poison victims. However…”
She was hit by a sudden realization!
‘I understand! It was so obvious. Everything was all linked together!’
She clapped her hands and exclaimed happily, “As expected, the Heavens are still fair. The hand of justice is all-encompassing; the guilty shall not escape. They can’t escape from their fate!”
Not waiting for Luan’er to react, Ji Yunshu quickly strode out. She planned to go to the yamen to reverse the verdict. But after several steps, she remembered that she still hadn’t changed into male clothing.
Changing clothes several times a day was incredibly annoying! If she was in the modern times at this moment, she really wanted to travel to Thailand! She was about to return to her room when a small cuju ball1 rolled to her feet.
“Don’t touch my ball!” A high-pitched yell sounded out.
‘Fine, fine, fine. Your ball is your ball; just get lost with your ball!’ Ji Yunshu kicked the ball back, and the cuju ball tumbled through the air until it landed next to a decorative flower patch.
Lingzhi scuttled over just in time to see her cuju ball kicked away. She ferociously glared at Ji Yunshu before she went to pick it up from the ground.
She swung toward Ji Yunshu while pointing at her. “Why did you kick my ball? This is something Third Brother gave to me. If you break it, how are you going to compensate me?”
Ji Yunshu frowned. “That thing went into my courtyard. Don’t tell me I can’t kick that thing a bit when it landed in my courtyard?!”
‘Little one, do you believe that I can also kick you out if you argue with me again?’
Ji Lingzhi’s temper was set off by her sister’s response. She ruthlessly shouted, “Disgusting and shameless! This is obviously something Third Brother gave me. When did it become yours?”
So small and yet full of spirit, but that ruthless personality totally didn’t match her age.
‘How extremely unsightly!’
“I don’t feel like arguing with you. Hurry up, take your ball and go.”
‘Hurry up and get out!’ She turned away and walked to her house. She needed to hurry to the yamen to reverse the verdict first.
But how could Ji Lingzhi, the picture of childish stubborness, easily let this matter slide.
Her small body directly blocked Ji Yunshu’s path. She lifted her head and revealed a vengeful expression. “Earlier, you kicked my ball. I want you to apologize to me.”
“Get out of the way. I have no time for your nonsense.”
“Apologize to me, and I’ll let you go.”
Ji Yunshu simply tried to nudge her out of the way. But, she’d held back her strength for fear of hurting her half-sister. But Ji Lingzhi’s unmoving frame caused her to stumble, and with the slippery snow under her feet, she overbalanced.
She braced herself for the impact, but unexpectedly, someone held her waist and shoulder. Her body was on the verge of falling once again, but the support was firmly preventing that.
“Are you alright, Yunshu?” A voice that seemed as clear as a spring rang in Ji Yunshu’s ears. It was Ji Wanxin’s ever so pleasant voice.
Ji Yunshu waited until both of her legs were stable again before glancing sideways at Ji Wanxin’s delicate face. It was very close to her.
That woman seemed like a polished sculpture.
Several times, Ji Yunshu really wanted to peel off her skin and find out what was going on underneath.
At this moment, when Luan’er heard the commotion coming from outside, she peeked out for a look and became alarmed.
She’d witnessed her young miss, who was about to fall, being helped by Ji Wanxin. She dashed to her miss’ side to support her.
“Miss, are you alright?”
Ji Yunshu shook her head.
“Second Sister, why did you protect her? This bastard should just fall and die.” Ji Lingzhi complained upon seeing Ji Wanxin helping Ji Yunshu.
Ji Wanxin’s slender and jade-like fingers released Ji Yunshu’s shoulder. She displayed a nondescript countenance as she walked toward Lingzhi.
Ji Lingzhi believed that her second big sister loved her the most and thought that Ji Wanxin wanted to stroke her head and comfort her.
But how could she have guessed that reality was far from her imagination.
Slap! The slap hung in the air. The hand had fallen firmly on Lingzhi’s tender face.
“Who taught you this kind of misbehavior? Yunshu is your big sister and your elder. How can you speak to her like that? Didn’t the teacher at school teach you that you can’t treat people in such a rude way?”
The rebuke and the slap had followed one after another!
The good-tempered Ji Wanxin could unexpectedly show such a severe and fierce face, scaring everyone present.
Ji Lingzhi covered her burning cheek, staring at her second sister in utter shock.
Ever since she could remember, her second sister loved her the most and would never hit or scold her. But today, had she eaten the wrong medicine? “Second Sister? Why did you hit me?” She didn’t understand; and thus, she grew enraged.
Ji Wanxin held her hands in front of her abdomen and returned to her usual appearance. “You have been pampered and spoiled since you were small. Your temper is becoming more and more unruly and wicked. Your birth mother died giving birth to you, and dad also didn’t teach you. As for grandmother, she wasn’t concerned about you. We send you to school, but now you refuse to go. Instead, you followed Third Brother all day long, causing trouble everywhere and only learning a bunch of evil tricks!”
Wow!
The words coming out from the normally serene Ji Wanxin were like strikes of lightning hitting Ji Yunshu. Why hadn’t she discovered that she had such an eloquent, well-rounded, and talented older sister!
Lingzhi’s anger was now causing her small body to shake. She absolutely couldn’t accept it. The more her anger grew, the bigger the pout on her face became, which altogether made her expression the more intense. She walked around Ji Wanxin and murderously looked at Ji Yunshu.
“It’s all your fault! I am going to kill you!”
The words had yet to echo before she lunged for Ji Yunshu.
Ji Yunshu quickly evaded while pulling Luan’er away, and Ji Lingzhi ended up with an armful of air.
Because the flagstones were now covered in snow, and the fact that Ji Lingzhi was wearing smooth flat purple embroidered shoes, she couldn’t stop herself in time as her body skidded out of control. Unexpectedly, she ended up crashing into a porcelain flower vase.
Crash!
The porcelain flower vase shattered on the ground, and Ji Lingzhi tumbled on top of it.
“Lingzhi!”
Ji Yunshu’s kindness surfaced, and she rushed forward to help Lingzhi up.
Behind Ji Yunshu, Ji Wanxin was scared frozen! Because of the broken porcelain, Ji Lingzhi’s two hands were now bleeding, dripping onto the ground.
As Ji Lingzhi let out a resounding cry, she didn’t forget to push Ji Yunshu away.
“I loathe you. I hate you. I forbid you from touching me. My hand…”
“Luan’er.” Ji Yunshu anxiously shouted. “Quickly take the fourth miss into the house for medicine.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Luan’er stepped forward, but Ji Lingzhi kicked her without holding back, landing her kick right on Luan’er tibia.
“Get lost!”
So much strength from such a small person! Unflinching, Ji Yunshu solemnly warned her, “If you want your hand to be impaired forever, then go ahead, continue…”
She didn’t care about anything else as she cried or shouted. “I’ll tell father! I’ll tell him that you bullied me. I will make father kill you! I hate you all!”
When she was done, she spread her bloody hands for all to see and ran out of the courtyard wailing.
‘Hey! You don’t want your cuju ball back?’
1. Cuju is the equivalent of soccer/football in ancient China