Hidden Shadow – CH 012

Chapter Twelve: The Curse of the Mei Clan

“Wen-Cui,” Mei Jiu, unsure what to do to make amends, could only ask obediently, “Is no one home at your cousin’s house?”

Wen-Cui looked at the frail girl before her, feeling a strange unease. In large families, it was perfectly normal for people to act one way in public and another in private. Mei Jiu’s lack of pretense in front of her should be a sign of complete trust, but Wen-Cui felt Mei Jiu’s duality was too extreme—one moment violent and outspoken, the next shy and cautious. Could two seemingly unrelated personalities truly coexist within one person?

Wen-Cui, though calculating in her heart, maintained her gentle demeanor. “I do not know. Lady Dan died in childbirth while giving birth to Young Master Mo. Her husband came from a family of physicians and was a royal physician in the Imperial Medical Bureau. Later, he was dismissed for some unknown offense. I heard that he felt ashamed to return home, left Bianjing, and committed suicide by poisoning himself at a pavilion in the suburbs.”

When the organization was not on missions, An Jiu sometimes took on outside jobs, and having had many contacts with such people, she immediately sensed that Mo Sigui’s father had not committed suicide upon hearing the details of this incident.

Mei Jiu had not thought that far ahead, only sighing, “How could he abandon his young son for the sake of face?”

“Yes!” Wen-Cui sighed. “The son-in-law’s family has only one son per generation for two generations, and this is the only remaining heir. How could the son-in-law bear to part with him? It’s a waste that Lady Dan risked her life to continue their family line.”

Mei Jiu asked curiously, “Did our family’s daughters not say they would not marry outside the family? How come Auntie can marry outside?”

“Not entirely,” Wen-Cui hesitated before saying. “Lady Dan is the Second Madam’s biological daughter, said to be an exceptionally beautiful woman. A hundred years ago, the Mei family was cursed, and none of their descendants would live past thirty. Therefore, they left a will that all Mei family children must practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies. Some who were truly unsuitable for martial arts had no choice but to marry out and become members of another family, thus avoiding the curse.”

Mei Jiu felt a chill run down her spine.

“Full of loopholes!” An Jiu scoffed. “It can only fool an idiot like Mei Jiu.”

Mei Jiu froze, thinking, “Some things are better left unsaid; why say them out loud?”

“My mouth is my own; I can say it or not. Your ears are yours; you can listen or not,” An Jiu said.

Mei Jiu was somewhat annoyed. “Do you not ever consider other people’s feelings?”

“Do you even know me? If you do not, do not make baseless accusations!” An Jiu’s voice was slightly cold.

Mei Jiu felt guilty for hurting her and said, “I am sorry.”

An Jiu was quite satisfied with Mei Jiu’s apologetic attitude. “Back then, I calculated for a long time what speed, angle, and distance to use and which part of the body the bullet would penetrate to minimize pain. Do you dare say I do not consider the target’s feelings?”

“You are too cruel!” Mei Jiu was already pale. She did not understand An Jiu’s words, but she understood the meaning.

Standing to the side, Wen-Cui could not hear the inner dialogue between the two souls. She only saw Mei Jiu’s face growing paler and paler and assumed the “curse” had frightened her. She quickly reassured her, “It’s all my fault for being so talkative! Young Lady, it’s just a rumor; nothing will happen.”

Mei Jiu suddenly snapped out of her daze, forcing a smile, her mind a complete blank. She did not know what to say to cover it up. “I am fine; it’s just… just that I feel so sorry for my cousin…”

She felt a deep pity and guilt.

Having been frightened for so long, Mei Jiu had gradually become a little bolder. Besides, she had a connection with An Jiu’s soul and could sense that she meant no harm.

“It’s all fate; it’s not your fault, Young Lady,” Wen-Cui comforted her.

“I want to be alone,” Mei Jiu said, sitting up and burying her face in her lap.

Wen-Cui rose, reminding her before leaving, “Alright, Young Lady, do not blame yourself. According to custom, you must stay at Tingsong Courtyard for the next three nights. The apprenticeship ceremony will be held early tomorrow morning, and the ancestral hall will be opened the day after tomorrow for ancestral worship. I will come and call you at dinnertime.”

“Mm,” Mei Jiu replied.

After Wen-Cui left, Mei Jiu said quietly, “Is there no way to remedy this?”

An Jiu said, “I’ve already said this is not one person’s fault. What’s there to remedy? With his frivolous and dissolute nature, he will stumble on women sooner or later. It’s good to give him a heads-up. Besides, do you think being included in the Mei family genealogy is a good thing? I doubt it.”

Mei Jiu’s expression changed drastically. “You just said ‘full of loopholes.’ Were you referring to Wen-Cui lying? That curse…”

“If the Mei family is truly cursed, to ensure the continuation of the family line, they should just have their sons learn martial arts. After all, their daughters will belong to other families sooner or later; as long as they marry, their lives are safe. Yet the Mei family kept all their talented daughters! Why?” An Jiu asked.

Mei Jiu thought for a moment and sighed, “Yes, it’s really strange! I cannot figure it out.”

“I can only think of one answer for now,” An Jiu said, drawing on the information she’d gathered over the past few days. “That is, the Mei family’s requirement for their children to practice martial arts can only reduce the early death rate of their descendants, not completely prevent it. Because so many children die, if they do not keep their daughters as well, the family might decline!”

So, in such a large family, the head of the household only had about sixty members, and that did not even include the sons-in-law who married into the family! That was why Mei Yanran took Mei Jiu and fled! That’s why Mei Yanran’s behavior upon returning home was so abnormal!

As for why those black-clad men chased Mei Jiu that night, An Jiu still could not understand.

Mei Jiu’s mouth hung open, filled with fear. Everything was normal in Meihua Lane, unlike the terrifying description An Jiu had given her, but she could not find any reason to refute it and subconsciously believed An Jiu’s words.

“If you do not believe me, go find your mother now,” An Jiu said.

Mei Jiu asked, “Why?”

“If I am not mistaken, your mother definitely opposes your inclusion in the family register, so she’s under house arrest. Otherwise, why would she not show her face regarding something so important?”

“I’ve been eating with her these past two days…” Mei Jiu had experienced too much these past few days, too preoccupied with her own affairs to think about anything else. Besides, Mei Yanran was always a mother of actions, more than words; their relationship was good, but communication was not close.

An Jiu said indifferently, “Then let’s give it a try?”

Mei Jiu paused, then got out of bed, tidied herself up, and called Wen-Cui in.

“Come with me to see my mother.” Mei Jiu stared at her.

Wen-Cui’s expression was the same as usual, her smile still so kind and gentle. “Yanran has gone to talk to the Old Madam; she will probably have to stay for dinner.”

“I really want to see her,” Mei Jiu insisted.

“It’s still early; we should have enough time to go to Bixiang Residence,” Wen-Cui said without refusing. “This servant will first send someone to check if there are any empty boats at the ferry and have someone inform the Old Madam in advance so as not to disturb her.”

“Alright,” Mei Jiu said.

“What do you think? I am warning you, my tolerance for idiots has its limits; do not keep pushing your luck!” An Jiu warned.

Mei Jiu silently shook her head. “Going to Grandmother’s place, there are so many maids and servants; I am afraid I will not be able to have a proper talk with Mother.”

“That’s more like it.” An Jiu was fairly satisfied with her answer. “Hmm, you’ve finally progressed from an idiot to a complete fool. Although it seems there’s no difference, I admire your physical and mental disability and your persistent efforts.”

Mei Jiu said, “Do not say that’s a compliment.”

An Jiu said, “It’s obvious, can you not tell?”

“If you say so, then so be it.” Mei Jiu was not in the mood to argue with her. She thought everything would be fine once she got home, but who knew that the Mei Mansion was full of strangeness, and what kind of terrible curse was it? Mei Jiu genuinely wanted to see her mother, not just to verify An Jiu’s words.

“Do you not still have a mother? Why were you sold to a brothel?” An Jiu finally had a chance to ask.

Mei Jiu seemed to be deliberately avoiding this memory, so no matter how hard An Jiu searched, she could not find the answer. Before, Mei Jiu had been both afraid and wary of her; a single sentence from her could terrify the young girl, let alone asking her questions.