Chapter 20 18. The second tenth day of summer

Ying He Tie sat curled up alone, he looked a lot older, he looked like a sad and cowering old man, his face was full of misery and bewilderment. Xi Ni brought the food to him and coaxed him to eat. Eat, eat, Yinghe Tie, you must maintain your strength. Why is it necessary?What physical strength is needed?Eppie so strong, young and handsome and healthy, and now lying in salt water my son, my favorite son, my last son. No, no, Ying He Tie, you still have Ye Maxi, your good Ye Maxi. How long can you have it?No, he's gone too, we're all gone.What is wrong with us?How did I know that these things would happen when I brought a concubine in?That is something everyone can accept, correct and in line with the nature of men and the laws of the gods. I respect her very much.So why are these things happening to me?Is Ashait taking revenge on me?Is it because she doesn't forgive me?She did not answer my entreaties, and the bad news continued.

No, no, Ying He Tie, you shouldn't have said that.The bowl has only been enshrined for such a short time, and we also know how long it takes for this kind of justice to be done in this world.In this world or in the other, justice is justice, and no matter how slowly things go, justice is done in the end. Yinghe Tie shook his head suspiciously.Xi Ni continued: Besides, Yinghatie, you must remember that Api is not the son of Ashait, he is the son of your step-wife, Ubi.So, why did Ashait take drastic measures for him?But in the case of Ye Maxi, it is different.Ye Maxi recovered because Yashait managed to recover him.

I have to admit, Honey, I'm very pleased with what you said. You have a good point.That's right, Ye Maxi is recovering her strength day by day.He was a good and faithful son but, oh!My Eppy is so alive and handsome!Yinghe Tie sighed again. God!God!Xini wailed in sympathy.That damned girl and her beauty!I wish I had never seen her. Indeed, dear master.She must be the devil's daughter and know spells and spells, that's for sure. There was a sound of crutches hitting the ground, and Isa limped into the hall, and she snorted mockingly.Is there no one in this room sane?Don't you have better things to do here than curse an unfortunate girl you once had a crush on, wallowing in your petty femininity grudges, stimulated by your stupid daughter-in-law?

A petty grudge You call it a petty grudge, Isha?Two of my three sons are dead, and one is dying!My mother even said that to me! Since you cannot see the truth, it is necessary to let someone speak.Clear your mind of ridiculous superstitions, some girl's ghost is at work.It was a living person who drowned Epi in the lake, and it was a living person who poisoned the wine of Ye Maxi and Sobaka.You have an enemy, Yinghe Tie, an enemy in this house.Ever since you accepted Houli's advice, let Lian Lisang prepare Yemaxi's food by herself, or let her watch over the preparation of the slaves and send it to him in person, Yemaxi regains strength and becomes healthy day by day Get up, here's the proof.Don't be stupid anymore, Yinghe Tie, don't beat your chest and stamp your feet anymore, Xi Ni is very helpful in this aspect.

Oh Isa, you've got me wrong! Sydney fuels your self-pity.It's either because she's a fool too or something else May the Sun God forgive you, Isa, for being unkind to a poor lonely woman! Isa shook her cane violently and continued speaking like a gust of wind. Cheer up, Yinghe Tie, and think about it with your head.By the way, your lovely wife Yashait is not a fool. She may be able to exert her influence in another world for you, but you cannot expect her to do the thinking work for you in this world!We must act, Yinghe Iron, because if we do not, then there will be death. A living enemy?An enemy in this house?You really believe that, Isha?

Of course I do, because that's the only reasonable explanation.So we're all in danger? certainly.Not under the dangerous threat of spells, ghosts, but a living man who poisoned food and drink, sneaked up behind a boy as he came back from the village late at night and pressed his head into the lake to drown him people! Yinghe Tie said thoughtfully: That requires strength. On the face of it, yes, but that's not necessarily the case.Eppy drank a lot in the village, and he was in a haughty, pompous mood.Maybe he was almost drunk when he returned home, he walked unsteadily, was not wary of those who accompanied him, and lowered his head into the lake water to wash his face soberly, if this is the case, it doesn't take much effort.

What the hell are you trying to say, Isa?Said it was done by a woman?But this is impossible.This whole thing is impossible.I can't have an enemy in this house, if there is, we'll know, I'll know! The evil hidden in the heart may not be visible on the surface, Ying He Tie. You mean, one of our servants, or slaves Not a servant or a slave, Ying He Tie. Is it our own family?Or are you referring to Houli or Kameni?But Houli is one of our own.Facts have proved that he has always been faithful and reliable.And Kameni is right, he is a stranger, but he is also our blood relative, and it turns out that he has done things faithfully for me.Besides, he just came to me this morning and asked me to promise him to marry Lian Lisang.

Oh, is it?Isa looked interested.What did he say? He said that in his opinion, this is the time to talk about marriage, and he said that Lianli-sang is not safe in this house. I doubt it, said Isa.I very much doubt that she is not safe?I thought she was safe, and so did Houli.but now Ying He Tie continued to speak. Can a wedding be held together with a funeral?This is unseemly, and people in the entire county are discussing it. This is not the time to be in a rut, says Isha.Especially the people in the funeral home seem to be forever inseparable from us.This must have made the funeral home very happy, they made a lot of money.

Their charges have been increased by 10%!Yinghe Tie changed the subject for a moment.hateful!They say wages have gone up. They should give us a discount!Isha said the joke and smiled grimly. My dear mother, Yinghe Tie, looked at her with horror on her face.This is no joke. Life itself is a joke, Yinghe Tie, and Death is the last to laugh.Didn't you hear it at the banquet?Eat, drink, drink to your heart's content, for tomorrow you will die.This sentence is very true here for us, the question is only who will die tomorrow. What you say is terrible and terrible!what should we do? Don't trust anyone, Isha said.This is the most basic and most important thing.She repeated emphatically: Don't trust anyone.

Sydney began to sob. why are you looking at meI am sure that if anyone can be trusted, it is me.I have proven this over the years.Don't listen to her, Yinghe Tie. Well, well, my dear Hinny, of course I trust you, and I know your devotion very well. You don't understand anything, said Isa.We all know nothing, and that is our danger. You're accusing me, Sydney cried. I can't accuse, I don't know, I have no evidence, only suspicion. Yinghe Tie suddenly raised his head. Who do you suspect? Isa said slowly: I doubted it once, twice, and thrice, and I'll be honest: I doubted Api first but Api died, so the suspicion was incorrect.Then I doubted someone else However, on the day Eppy died, a third doubt popped into my head

She pauses. Are Houli and Kameni in the house?Send for them.By the way, get Lianli-san from the kitchen too.And Kaida and Yemasi.I have something to say, and the whole room deserves to hear it. Isa looked around at the gathered crowd.She met Ye Maxi's solemn and gentle eyes, saw Kameni's smile on her face, Lian Lisang's frightened and inquiring eyes, Kaida's calm and calm eyes and Hou Li's deep and calm gaze, Ying He Tie's face was distorted, anxious, and frightened, while Xi Ni's eyes were eager, curious, and yes, joyful. Their faces don't tell me anything, she thought, they only show outward emotion.However, if I'm right, one of them must be a traitor. she said aloud: I have something to say to all of you.But first, I'm going to tell Sydney I'm here, in front of all of you. Xi Ni's expression changed.The eagerness, the joy, was gone, she looked frightened, her voice was harsh, she protested: You doubt me, Isa, I know it!You will accuse me, and how can I, a poor woman without much wisdom, defend myself?I would be found guilty, convicted without anyone listening to me. No one will listen to you. Isha said sarcastically, seeing Houli smile at the same time. Sydney went on, her voice becoming more and more hysterical: I didn't do anything I'm innocent Ying He Tie my dearest master save me She knelt down suddenly and hugged his knees.Ying He Tie started to spit in anger and patted Xi Ni on the head at the same time.Really, Isa.I protest, it's shameful Isa interrupted him. I am not accusing anyone, I will not accuse without evidence, I just want Xi Ni here to explain to us some of the things she said. I didn't say anything, I didn't say anything Oh no, you did, said Isa.Here are some words I have heard with my own ears and my ears are clear, though my vision is dim.You say you know something about Houli.Tell us what do you know about Houli? Yes, Honey, said Houli.what do you know about meTell us about it. Xi Ni sat down and wiped her tears.She looked gloomy and detached. I don't know anything, she said.What should I know? That's what we're waiting for you to tell us, Houli said. Sydney shrugged. I'm just talking, I don't mean anything. isa says: I repeat to you what you said yourself.You say we all look down on you, but you know a lot of things in this room and you see more than a lot of smart people.Then you say that whenever Houli meets you, he treats you as if you don't exist, as if he's looking at something behind you that isn't there. He's always been like that, Sydney said grimly, and he looks at me as if I were some insignificant thing like an insect. Isa said slowly: That phrase stayed in my head: something behind, something that wasn't there.Xi Ni said: He should take good care of me.Then she went on to Satipi.yes, talking about satipi, how smart satipi is, but where is satipi nowadays Isa looked around. Does this mean nothing to any of you?Think of Sati Pi, dead Sati Pi and should look at a person instead of looking at something that isn't there There was a dead silence, and then Sydney screamed.It was a high-pitched, limp scream, what seemed to be a scream of sheer terror.She cried out incoherently: I didn't save me, master, don't let her I said nothing, nothing. Yinghe Tie's backlog of anger burst out. This is unforgivable, he growled.I will not let the poor woman be accused.She was terrified.What evidence do you have against her?That's just what you think, that's all. Uncharacteristically timid, Ye Maxi joined in: Father is right, if you have evidence against Xi Ni, show it. I didn't accuse her, Isa said slowly. She was leaning on crutches, her body seemed to have shrunk, and she spoke slowly and heavily. Ye Maxi turned to Xi Ni with authority. Isa isn't accusing you of causing all that shit, but if I hear you right, she thinks you're hiding something.So, Honey, if you know anything about Houli or anyone else, now is the time for you to speak up.Right here, in front of everyone.Say, what do you know? Xi Ni shook her head.Nothing at all. You have to be very sure of your words, Honey.Know what is a dangerous thing. I know nothing, I swear, I swear to Nine Pillars, Goddess Maat, Sun God Ray. Xi Ni was trembling, her voice no longer had the usual sweet and pitiful cry, it sounded very fearful and sincere.Isa sighed deeply, and with a breath, her body leaned forward.She murmured: Help me back to the room. Hou Li and Lian Lisang quickly went to meet her. isa says: You don't have to, Lian Lisang, I want Hou Li to help me. Leaning against him, she walked to her own room.Looking up, she saw his resolute, sullen face. She murmured: How is it, Houli? It is very unwise of you to do this, Isa, very unwise. I had to. Yes.But you're taking a big risk. I get it, so you think the same? I've been speculating like this for some time, but there's no evidence, not the slightest bit of evidence.Even now, Isha, you have no proof, it's all just going around in your head. It is enough for me to know. Maybe I know too much. What do you mean?Oh yes, of course. Protect yourself, Isha.From now on, you are in danger. We must try to act quickly. Yes.But what can we do?There must be evidence. I know. They couldn't go on talking.Isa's little maid ran towards her mistress.Houli handed her over to the girl's care and turned to leave.His face was grave and confused. The little maid babbled beside Isa, but Isa barely noticed what she was saying.She felt old, sick, and cold, and the faces listening to her reappeared before her eyes. Only one expression is a momentary flash of fear and understanding.Could she be wrong?How sure was she of what she saw?After all, her vision has blurred Yes, she is sure.That wasn't really an expression, it was just the sudden tension, stiffness, and stiffness of the whole body.Her rambling words meant something to someone, someone in particular.This is an unmistakable fact.