The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 788: Death Is Not Far Away (3)_1

Chapter 788: Chapter 788: Death Is Not Far Away (3)_1

And so, people from The Yamen Government Office still came over to inquire about the death—was it Zhou Cai who killed the man, or was it Pei Wensheng who suffocated him to death? They even wanted to question Lady Chen again.

Stuffed with silver by Pei Zongli, they were temporarily sent away.

The monks residing in the household also gathered their belongings and returned to the temple to continue the water and land rituals.

Pei Zongli said he would also perform the rituals for Pei Wenjie and, having been given silver, managed to assuage Zhao Liniang.

Pei Wensheng’s body lay in state at home.

The Silk Shopkeeper who went to Runing Prefecture to send the message returned quickly, bringing Old Master Qian and Pei Wenchen with him.

Qian Wanxiu held Pei Wenchen in her arms and wept bitterly.

Old Master Qian opened the coffin, took a look at Pei Wensheng, then asked for the coffin lid to be closed again. Seeing Qian Wanxiu weeping bitterly, his eyes reddened slightly, and he let out a heavy sigh.

Pei Wensheng was to be buried in the Pei family ancestral grave at Old Pei’s House, and after Old Pei thought it over and over, and everyone agreed, no words of objection were spoken.

After laying in state at home for seven days, Pei Wensheng’s coffin was taken back to Back Mountain Village, ready to be laid to rest.

The Peis of the village gathered a group to protest, "...Pei Wensheng is a murderer who suffocated his own brother to death; he did not die a good death, nor did he come of age, he is not allowed to be buried in the Pei Family Ancestral Grave!"

Lady Zhu, furious, immediately started arguing with them, "Slandering people without evidence, we will take this to the Government Office and beat you to death!"

"Beat to death whom? You dare to frame and shield the guilty, but you are the ones who got flogged! We are not slandering; it’s being talked about everywhere. Lady Chen herself said she saw Pei Wensheng suffocate the man and flee the house with her own eyes! Go and try it at The Yamen Government Office!"

Go to the Government Office? Now they still want to overturn the case, to come and inquire, and they still want to summon Lady Chen.

Pei Lizheng stepped forward, indicating he was helpless in this matter. It wasn’t just one family’s affair and was not something he could control. If the Peis in the village disagreed, they would bring the matter before the Government Office. He suggested they buy a different place to bury Pei Wensheng.

Crowds gathered outside the gate of Old Pei’s House, intending to cause a commotion.

Left with no choice, Old Pei decided to pick a spot a little farther away on Mass Grave Mountain to bury Pei Wensheng.

After seeing Pei Wensheng’s coffin, Lady Chen was so frightened that she went mute and could no longer speak. Lady Chen was terribly scared, unable to so much as shout.

The villagers said she had been scared mute, but she was perfectly fine; it was impossible to see clearly, to expect that seeing Pei Wensheng’s coffin would scare her speechless! Surely it must be Qian Wanxiu, that vile woman, starting to harm her! Her son died, but she didn’t blame her; it was Pei Wenjie’s wronged spirit seeking vengeance, yet she blamed her instead. Now that she had gone mute, unable to speak, would they next move on to kill her?

This was even more terrifying to Lady Chen than Pei Wenjie seeking revenge, because she hadn’t been the one to end his life; at most, she had only shielded Pei Wensheng. Even if he was seeking vengeance, it would have been for Pei Wensheng’s life. But Qian Wanxiu was genuine in her malice, and now with her father, Old Master Qian here, acting against her, making her die would be even easier, wouldn’t it?

She opened her mouth to scream for help, but only harsh, ugly noises came out; not a single word was heard. Lady Chen cried bitterly, filled with hatred and fear. Never before had she so hoped for Pei Qin and the others to come knocking on her door. Let Pei Qin battle it out with Qian Wanxiu, those two despicable women, and leave her out of it! And her son Wenli, he should have already received the letter she sent by now! Why hadn’t he written back to fetch her yet?

Now, even if she wished to find them with the silver in hand, she couldn’t. With only a few strands of hair left, her eyesight unclear, and her voice gone, she couldn’t speak.

Regarding Lady Chen’s sudden muteness, the people of Back Mountain Village speculated maliciously in private that it was the work of Qian Wanxiu! And if not her, it could have been Old Master Qian. Otherwise, why did it happen that the moment they returned, Lady Chen overnight became mute? She would never be able to speak again, and hence, she would never be able to testify that it was Pei Wensheng who suffocated his brother to death. Even when the Government Office’s men came, nothing could be asked of her!