Chapter 155

Chapter 155: The Ugliness of Human Hearts (2)

Hearing this, Yin Yong realized his words had been too harsh, so he quickly softened his tone and said gently, “Sister-in-law, I didn’t mean to blame anyone. It’s just that the murderers haven’t been caught yet. I worry that Second Brother’s family might hold it against us.”

Tang Shi reacted strongly, slamming the table and shouting loudly, “Third Brother, what do you mean by this? It’s the constables’ job to catch murderers. We’re innocent! If anything, I’m worried those scoundrels who harmed Second Brother might target us next. Don’t go pouring dirty water on our heads!”

Yin Yong felt his eldest sister-in-law’s reaction was strange, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he changed the topic, asking carefully, “Eldest Sister-in-law, when you went to Second Brother’s house to collect their belongings, did you happen to see a copper mirror with cracks on its surface?”

Tang Shi waved dismissively, replying, “You shouldn’t be asking me; go ask the yamen runners. By the time we went there, the house had already been sealed. Anything valuable had already been looted by thieves. We only took back some empty trunks. If you want any of those, just take them.”

Not getting the answer he sought and unable to meet his eldest brother, Yin Yong realized his eldest sister-in-law clearly didn’t want him around. So, he quietly returned home.

Only after Second Brother’s family was buried did Yin Yong finally have the chance to talk privately with Eldest Brother. Eldest Brother appeared somewhat worn out but still composed.

Yin Shan lowered his voice as he explained to Yin Yong, “Second Brother’s family were all killed with a single strike each. The murderers were clearly after money, as anything valuable in the house was missing. As for that copper mirror you mentioned, I asked the yamen runners, and they didn’t see it either.”

Yin Yong nodded thoughtfully, but he didn’t continue his questioning. He had noticed Eldest Sister-in-law Tang Shi and his two nephews quietly watching their conversation from afar, as if afraid they might say too much. This planted seeds of doubt deep within his heart.

Even after Second Brother’s family was laid to rest, the murderers remained at large, as though they had vanished without a trace. In the end, only a reward was offered. As time passed, everyone slowly stopped mentioning it.

Another month passed when suddenly Eldest Brother discovered a large gold nugget buried in his own field, instantly becoming the talk of Peach Source Village. People flocked to his home, eager to share in his good fortune.

Yin Yong, however, was not among them. He couldn’t shake off his suspicions. Their fields had been farmed for over three years. How had no one discovered this gold before now? He believed someone must have deliberately buried it there. But Eldest Brother’s family was so happy, Yin Yong didn’t want to spoil their joy, so he said nothing.

With their newfound wealth, Eldest Brother Yin Shan’s family quickly grew prosperous. Their first step was renovating their house. With two sons and two daughters at home, Yin Shan spared no expense in planning a new brick-and-tile home.

To expedite construction, Eldest Brother’s family temporarily moved into the old family home. Yin Yong, as the younger brother, naturally lent a helping hand.

Due to his daily work—digging foundations, moving rocks and bricks—Yin Yong was usually exhausted, sleeping deeply each night after dinner.

One night, however, Yin Yong woke urgently needing to relieve himself. After finishing, he passed by his eldest nephew’s window on his way back to bed. Through the silence of night, he heard faint voices drifting from within.

Yin Yong had no interest in eavesdropping and was about to return to his room when he distinctly heard the words “copper mirror.” He instantly froze in place.

“Mother, is what you said true? Can that copper mirror really grant our wishes?”

“Of course! How else do you think your second uncle’s family suddenly became wealthy overnight?”

“But according to you, granting wishes comes at a cost. Little Aunt and her husband are already dead. Now Second Uncle’s family has also—”

“Quiet! Watch your tongue. Your second uncle’s family was killed by robbers. It’s their own fault for flaunting their wealth. What does that have to do with us?”

“But we took most of the silver from Second Uncle’s house. If Father and Little Uncle find out, won’t we get in trouble?”

“As long as we keep our mouths shut, who would know? As long as we sincerely offer tribute to the mirror, our wishes will be fulfilled.”

“But if it asks for another sacrifice—”

“Leave that to me. You don’t need to worry. Hurry up and sleep. We must finish building the new house quickly. We absolutely cannot let Little Uncle discover the mirror.”

“Alright.”

After that, silence returned, soon replaced by gentle snoring.

Meanwhile, Yin Yong’s legs had grown numb from squatting outside the window. He hardly remembered how he made it back to his bed. Now he was certain: Second Brother’s family’s deaths were no accident. His eldest nephew was surely involved.

As for how his eldest nephew knew about the copper mirror, it must have been something Eldest Brother mentioned casually. His nephew must have secretly taken the mirror from Second Brother’s home, made a dreadful wish, and exchanged Second Brother’s family’s lives for their current wealth. Just thinking of it filled Yin Yong’s heart with dread.

Unable to sleep, Yin Yong lay awake until dawn. After breakfast, he headed to the construction site as usual, but he deliberately arranged for a heavy stone block to crush his eldest nephew’s foot. Then he bribed a young child watching nearby to run home and alert Eldest Sister-in-law, exaggerating the injury to ensure a quick response.

Delighted by two candies as a reward, the child dashed off happily. As soon as Eldest Sister-in-law and her eldest daughter-in-law hurried to the construction site, Yin Yong circled back secretly to the old house.

He went straight to his eldest nephew’s room, rummaging through drawers and cabinets until he found the copper mirror wrapped in red cloth. Unwrapping it, Yin Yong noticed, with horror, that the cracks he’d first seen had become smaller. Suddenly the mirror burned hot in his hands, startling him into dropping it.

Clang!

The sound snapped Yin Yong back to his senses. Trembling, he swiftly picked up the mirror, wrapped it tightly in cloth, and rushed to the back hills behind Peach Source Village. There, he buried the copper mirror deep in the ground, placing a large stone over it before hastily returning home.

At the courtyard, his niece-in-law was loudly accusing someone of stealing her dowry. His eldest nephew stood beside her, face grim, hobbling around searching.

As Yin Yong approached, everyone turned to stare at him.

Feigning calm, Yin Yong said plainly, “Wasn’t it said Fan Si’s foot was badly broken?”

“Little Uncle, where were you just now?” Fan Si stared at Yin Yong with dark, accusing eyes.

“I had a stomachache, so I went to the outhouse. On my way back, I heard you were hurt, so I hurried home. But you don’t seem badly injured.”

“Little Uncle, my wife’s dowry was stolen,” Fan Si said coldly.

“Dowry? Which dowry item? When was it stolen?” Yin Yong asked calmly.

He knew very well the copper mirror wasn’t his niece-in-law’s dowry. When she married into the Yin family, her parents were still alive, and the family hadn’t split yet. Everyone knew clearly what she’d brought with her.

His straightforward questioning stumped the young couple. They couldn’t possibly claim it was the copper mirror, or it would expose them immediately. In the end, the niece-in-law awkwardly mumbled something about an embroidered pouch containing silver coins.

Yin Yong replied coldly, “Then report it to the authorities. Since the thief only entered your room, they must know about your hidden money. It has to be someone from the village or someone close to you.”

Now Fan Si balked. Without telling the truth, the copper mirror couldn’t be recovered. Reporting this would only draw suspicion back to them.