Li Man'er returned to the Li manor to find it draped in white.
Servants were already waiting for her at the side gate.
"Eldest Miss, quickly return to your courtyard to settle down and change into mourning clothes. The mourning hall is almost ready. Madam Wu in your chambers is very capable; she's overseeing everything in the courtyard."
"Alright, I understand." Li Man'er and Ziyan returned to Qingping Xuan.
The flowers and plants in the courtyard had been removed. Everyone was wearing plain clothes and hemp mourning attire.
Upon seeing Li Man'er, Madam Wu immediately paid her respects. "Miss, you're finally back. Hurry and change your clothes."
"Alright!"
Master and servants divided their tasks.
The ornaments in the room were removed and stored in the storeroom. Not a single brightly colored item was visible. Li Man'er sighed as she put on the mourning clothes. Her hair was also unbound, tied with hemp rope, and a mourning flower was affixed.
What a turn of events!
Madam Guo was dead. She would have loved to set off firecrackers to celebrate and ward off bad luck. Now, here she was, wearing mourning attire and a hemp sash for that woman!
During the ancient mourning period, it seemed one couldn't consume meat.
Li Man'er frowned. To mourn Madam Guo, she had to abstain from meat for three years? This was like asking for her life.
But thankfully, she had her space, so lack of food wouldn't be an issue.
After changing, she had to go to the mourning hall.
She truly wondered what ancient people were thinking, to treat a nominal stepmother as if she were their own mother and mourn her!
As Li Man'er entered the mourning hall, she felt a sharp gaze fall upon her. She looked up and saw that the person glaring at her was none other than Li Zhaor.
Oh, right. With Madam Guo's death, the Second Miss Li's house arrest should also be lifted. After all, Madam Guo was her birth mother; it made no sense to keep her confined even after her death.
Li Man'er had no experience with ancient funeral rites. It was only under Madam Wu's guidance that she learned she had to keep vigil in the mourning hall.
Seeing an empty seat beside Li Zhaor, Li Man'er calmly walked over and knelt on a pre-prepared prayer mat.
As for Madam Guo in the coffin, she couldn't be bothered to look.
"You still have the face to come?" Li Zhaor gritted her teeth and said, "Li Man'er, you are the one who deserves to die, not my mother."
There weren't many people in the mourning hall, but Li Zhaor didn't cause a scene. This indicated that she had matured considerably during her confinement. Perhaps it was also out of respect for Madam Guo; she was her birth mother, after all.
"Why wouldn't I have the face to come?" Li Man'er looked at Li Zhaor, whose face was pale, noticeably thinner, and whose eyes were red and swollen. A faint smile played on her lips. "From beginning to end, I haven't been the one harming others. My conscience is clear."
Li Zhaor dared not act out, and Li Man'er didn't intend to argue with her. The mourning hall was set up quite well, and Li Man'er found it rather grand. The large coffin was also impressive, coated in lacquer, likely intended to preserve it from decay. Such things were rarely seen in later generations; people were cremated and their ashes swept into small black urns.
Lost in thought...
Li Man'er refocused, lowered her gaze, preventing anyone from seeing her expression. She felt no sadness but had to feign it to show filial piety. Wasn't this making things difficult?
If only she had asked Ziyan to prepare some ginger slices earlier. A bit of ginger juice squeezed onto a handkerchief would have helped her eyes water. As it was, if she didn't restrain herself, she might burst out laughing.
The brazier was filled with paper money. According to local customs, the fire in this brazier must not be extinguished; someone had to tend to it constantly.
The Heir Apparent, Li Qingyun, as Madam Guo's eldest son, bore this responsibility.
Li Man'er offered to help by throwing some paper money into the brazier, but he responded coldly, "No need. I wouldn't dare trouble Eldest Miss."
Li Man'er merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing. However, she heard Li Zhaor let out a cold snort.
Presumably, Li Zhaor also felt that she was the pitiable one. Although Madam Guo was dead, Li Zhaor still had full brothers. Her brother was the Heir Apparent, who would eventually become the Marquis of Tiejian. If his title were not demoted, he would be the future Duke of Tiejian.
With a full brother, what was Li Man'er to fear!
Child, one must say, you are still too naive!
Li Man'er lowered her head, arranging the paper money. Madam Guo was dead, and how many days could Madam Cui live? Her revenge had just begun. Everyone would pay for Ning Shi's death. Everyone would pay for the original owner's death.
Death was sometimes the best release. Perhaps when Li Qingyun lost his position as Heir Apparent, Li Zhaor would understand how naive and ridiculous her cold snort was.
The position of Heir Apparent to the Marquis of Tiejian would not be passed down. She would personally destroy it all.
Invitations from the Li manor were sent out in batches. The weather was too hot, and the body could not be kept for long, so the mourning period was limited to three days.
Relatives and friends came to pay their respects, and naturally, the Guo family was among them.
Old Madam Guo also came. As an elder, she did not go to the mourning hall but directly to the rear quarters to speak with Madam Cui. She did not appear overly grief-stricken by her daughter's death, as she was not her birth daughter. However, Guo Yongzhang had not returned to the Guo family, and her eldest daughter-in-law, for reasons unknown, was constantly at odds with her, which greatly distressed Old Madam Guo. As she spoke, she began to weep.
"My unfortunate child, gone so young," she said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. She added, "A few days ago, Eldest Miss went to repossess the teahouse and beat all the clerks and the shopkeeper. She even had them thrown in jail. It was our Guo family that paid money to redeem them, giving the young and old men a chance to live."
Madam Cui's head ached from her incessant crying. She couldn't help but rub her forehead and ask, "What sort of person was that shopkeeper? Do you think I don't know? Man'er is the owner of the shop, after all. It's only natural for her to reclaim it. How could your family's wicked servants injure people!"
Madam Cui was fully aware of how this matter had unfolded.
"But Eldest Miss shouldn't have smashed the shop and injured people!"
"Smashed the shop and injured people? Then why did the authorities arrest your people and not her?"
Hearing the word "your people," Old Madam Guo immediately fell silent. In essence, the Guo family had acted wrongly in this matter. If it got out that they had usurped Li Man'er's mother's dowry, people would surely criticize them.
"In my opinion, let it go! The immediate concern is Yu Fei's funeral, which must be conducted with great honor," Madam Cui said. "You should not go to the front. Let the younger generation represent. Keep any grievances in your heart and speak of them after the burial."
Madam Guo dared not openly confront Madam Cui, so she said, "I'll listen to you. Poor Yu Fei, so young..."
Madam Cui sighed helplessly. Always the same phrase, did she know any other? If one were to speak of youth, Ning Shi was truly young back then.
As she was thinking this, Madam Wang hurried in. "Old Madam, an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager has arrived."
Madam Cui was startled. "Why would there be an imperial decree at this time?"
Old Madam Guo's eyes flickered. "Perhaps the Empress Dowager pities her? That child Yu Fei was quite favored by the Empress Dowager during her lifetime. Perhaps..."
"Silence!" Madam Cui's headache worsened.