mtl008 Chapter 207 Burial
Chapter 207 Burial
Qing'an's voice was low and cautious, and every word seemed to be uttered after careful consideration: "The young master is inside. I'm afraid this is not the best time to see you, Madam."
The eldest lady frowned slightly and stepped lightly into the ruined yard.
All around, the former prosperity has been devoured by the raging fire, leaving only ashes and broken walls. The gate that once stood majestically is now just a charred outline.
Standing in the middle of the yard, your sight penetrates the emptiness and reaches the dormitory in the distance with only the frame remaining and the interior charred.
Her heart sank to the bottom.
As far as her sight went, the eldest lady saw Song Yanyi's lonely figure. He sat quietly beside a bed that was blackened by flames. His face looked more haggard than ever before. His desolation made the eldest lady's heart tighten, as if it was pierced by a needle and caused a dull pain.
Her eyes dimmed at that moment, and her lips were tightly pursed, as if she was suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
Finally, she turned around slowly, and each step seemed extremely heavy, as if she was dragging invisible shackles under her feet, and walked towards the gate step by step.
"You stay here and make sure to keep watch."
"Yes, madam."
The servants' responses sounded particularly clear in the empty courtyard, echoing with a faint sadness.
As the eldest lady left, Zhu Qing finally couldn't help but speak, her words full of worry: "The eldest master is in a very bad condition now, Madam, can't you go over and comfort him?"
"When has he ever really listened to other people's advice? Forget it, let him slowly get over it. He is still young, and it is common for people of this age to be stubborn about things that they shouldn't be too obsessed with."
"Yes, she is just a woman. How could she make the young master so..."
Zhu Qing's voice gradually became lower, with confusion and sighs, "This old servant has watched the eldest master grow up, and I have never seen him so distraught."
Isn't this confusion also lingering in the eldest lady's mind?
Song Yanyi has been calmer than his peers since he was young. Even when faced with huge changes like a collapse of Mount Tai, he can remain calm.
And now, a woman, who was just a slightly novel toy, could cause him so much pain.
Zhu Qing sighed softly, as if talking to himself: "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have let her go..."
Upon hearing this, the eldest lady's tone suddenly became stern: "Stupid! It's better for her to leave. It's clean and neat. He will be sad for a few days and then it will be over. If he stays, there will be endless trouble. Xian'er cares so much about her that he even breaks the rules. Who knows how much trouble he will cause in the future."
Zhu Qing quickly apologized with a smile: "Yes, Madam is right."
The eldest lady took a deep breath, trying to calm down: "It will be fine after a while. It's just a girl. Could our Song family produce another fool trapped by love?"
Although the words contained sarcasm, they also revealed a hint of helplessness, making it difficult to refute.
Throughout the night, Song Yanyi sat in the Qiu Shui Courtyard like a sculpture, his mind blank and his thoughts stagnant. He was unable to come back to his senses for a long time and was still unwilling to accept the sudden farewell.
However, the cruelty of reality was unquestionable. The lifeless body lying quietly on the bed with a blurred face reminded him of the reality of all this.
In his entire life, he had never lost control of his plans. This was the first time he felt as if he had been struck by lightning under a clear sky. He was completely lost and unable to extricate himself.
The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, Qing An carefully stepped into the sad room again: "Sir, the coffin is ready. Would you consider burying the girl first and setting up a mourning hall so that she can rest in peace?"
Song Yanyi was still sitting stiffly beside the bed, but his face was even paler, and his eyes, which were usually as bright as stars, were now empty and lifeless, as if the fountain of life had dried up, and he himself was the one who had truly passed away.
The room was so quiet that one could almost hear the sound of one's heartbeat. As Qing'an waited for an answer, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
In all his years of service, he had never seen his master act like this, and he couldn't help but feel panicked.
Just when Qing'an felt like he was about to suffocate, Song Yanyi finally spoke. His voice was so calm that it made people feel cold, but it also carried a kind of despair that there was no way to save the situation: "Put him in the coffin."
Despite the despair, this is the only way, at least it will allow her to go in peace.
The heavy stone in Qing'an's heart finally fell to the ground, and he quickly agreed: "Yes!"
The coffin was slowly carried into the courtyard. Just as Qing'an was about to call the servant to carry the body, Song Yanyi stood up himself and gently picked up the charred body with trembling hands.
Qing'an's scalp tingled and he involuntarily took a few steps back, keeping a distance from this incomprehensible behavior.
Song Yanyi gently placed the body in the coffin. The servants quickly closed the coffin lid, tied the rope tightly, and the four of them worked together to lift the coffin up.
"Sir, shall we set up the mourning hall in the manor outside the city?"
Qingan asked softly.
After all, Cui Rongrong was not the main wife of the Song family, and it was not in accordance with etiquette to hold the mourning hall directly in Xie's house. Fortunately, the Song family owned many manors and villas, so it was appropriate to choose a place with pleasant scenery to set up the mourning hall.
"No need, it's in Songhe Garden."
When Qing'an heard this, a trace of surprise flashed across his eyes: "This, this is probably not appropriate."
The identity of Miss Xu has not yet been confirmed. Even if she eventually becomes a member of the Song family, she can only be regarded as a concubine. And when a concubine dies, how can a funeral be held directly in the mansion, let alone in such a prominent place as Songhe Garden!
Song Yanyi's eyes were as cold as ice. Qing'an shuddered all over and quickly promised: "I will arrange it right away."
The coffin was sent back to Songhe Garden, and the mourning hall was quickly built surrounded by green bamboos.
The main hall was hung with white silk, smoke was rising from the incense burner, and a coffin was placed quietly in the center.
Song Yanyi changed into plain clothes, sat on a cushion, held yellow paper in his hand, and threw it into the brazier one by one.
The flames jumped, but could not reflect any light in his eyes, just like the withered lotus in late autumn, which had lost the color of life.
The servants stood silently outside the door and no one dared to disturb them.
From dawn to dusk, he was alone in that space of mourning, refusing to see anyone.
The night was getting deeper and deeper. His eyes were bloodshot from not sleeping for a long time. He leaned against the coffin and slowly slumped to the ground, his voice hoarse: "If I had known this day would come, I would have treated you better."
"Wanwan, will you blame me?"
He pulled a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth, with self-mockery, "You may have forgotten me a long time ago. When Xu Shujin left, your heart also left with him, so what am I? When you made that decision, did you ever think of me for a moment?"
His heart seemed to be cut by a sharp blade, and breathing became difficult. He covered his face with his hands and blamed himself painfully: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone to Qizhou. If I hadn't left, I would never have let you suffer this disaster."
The night was deep and there was dead silence all around. Regret, complaints, helplessness, anger, all emotions were swallowed up by the abyss of the night and she could no longer give any response.