Nan Yu Jin moved his lips. His heart was filled with too many questions. Rationally, he did not believe in ghosts or spirits, but deep down, he could not help but want to believe. Because only by believing could he see his sister again.
"That's right, Jin'er, your sister said she was in pain, that worms were biting her. Go, go to the Nan family's ancestral graves, have someone dig up your sister's grave, and see if there are really worms inside." Madam Wang's hand, which was gripping Nan Yu Jin's wrist, trembled slightly. How could she not know that digging up a grave would disturb the rest of the deceased? But she was too eager to confirm, too eager to verify the truth of the matter with irrefutable facts and evidence.
Nan Yu Jin nodded with difficulty, agreeing to his mother's almost incomprehensible request: "Yes, your son understands!"
The Nan family's ancestral graves were in Linxiang, by the water. It was a day's journey by water.
Nan Yu Jin did not wish to entrust this matter to others, so he used the excuse that Madam Wang wanted to eat dried fruits from the Linxiang Prince's garden and left the Nan manor alone on horseback.
Nan Chao Yin did not pay much attention to Nan Yu Jin's true purpose for this trip, merely ordering his hidden guards to follow.
The rumors of the Nan manor being haunted grew more intense. At first, only Madam Liu, Nan Yuan'er, Madam Wang, and the head maids serving them had seen the hauntings. Later, the servants in the manor occasionally saw them once or twice, all of them terrified and their livers and gallbladders split. For a time, the Nan manor was in turmoil. Only when the sun was at its peak could their fear be somewhat alleviated. .oΓg
Nan Chao Yin naturally did not believe it. However, the hidden guards he sent out found no evidence of human involvement. Over the past day or two, the manor had been in such a commotion that even Nan Chao Yin could not help but feel a little uneasy.
...
Linxiang, Nan family ancestral graves.
Nan Yu Jin hired several locals from Linxiang. In the dead of night, he dug open Nan Yu Qing's grave and opened the coffin.
Nan Yu Qing's body had rotted into a pile of white bones. The stench that rose from the coffin stung the eyes. The men who opened the coffin recoiled a few steps, overcome by the smell. Nan Yu Jin stepped forward and stood by the coffin, seemingly unaffected by the acrid odor. He leaned down and gently picked up Nan Yu Qing's bones. At the bottom of the coffin, he saw several crevices that had been gnawed by worms. In the corner of the coffin, two flesh-eating worms, each as long as a hand, were coiled.
There really were worms!
The men who opened the coffin looked at Nan Yu Qing's coffin and exclaimed, "Logically speaking, those buried in the Nan family's ancestral graves should have coffins made of sandalwood or golden nanmu. But this... why is Miss Nan's coffin made of fir wood, the kind used by commoners?"
"This fir wood is not resistant to decay or insects. No wonder Miss Nan's body has rotted so much..."
The leader among the men who opened the coffin suddenly pulled the speaker aside and scolded him fiercely, his face grim, "Shut up! No one would think you're mute if you didn't speak!"
How could he, a mere commoner, comment on the affairs of these grand mansions?
Who knew if the person digging up the grave in the middle of the night was an enemy or a relative? If he said the wrong thing, he could be silenced!
Nan Yu Jin heard the man behind him and turned, holding Nan Yu Qing's remains, to ask, "Are you saying my sister's coffin is made of fir wood?"
The man glanced at his leader.
"Why are you looking at me? Speak!" The man cursed inwardly, wishing he could twist open his head and see if he had any brains. When he should speak, he was silent, and when he shouldn't, he blabbered!
The man said, "Replying to the young master, the young lady's coffin is indeed made of fir wood!"
After Qing'er died, his mother's grief was so profound that it damaged her heart. He was also young at the time, so Madam Liu handled all the matters of the funeral and burial. That Madam Liu, she wouldn't even let the deceased rest in peace, using this inferior fir wood to house his sister's body, which was why, which was why his sister's body had rotted so quickly, and had been gnawed by worms!
Nan Yu Jin had never hated anyone as much as he did now.
"Go, go to the coffin shop and find the best coffin," Nan Yu Jin took a deep breath, knowing that this revenge must be sought slowly and deliberately. The most important thing now was to find a comfortable coffin for his sister.
The man glanced at the sky and was about to say that the coffin shops were already closed and not open for business. However, seeing the sinister and cold expression of this gentleman, he swallowed his words, "Sir, I'm afraid there are no top-grade sandalwood coffins in the coffin shops of Linxiang. Even if there were, they would likely have been reserved by the prominent families long ago. If you wish to purchase one, it's likely..."
"Ten times, a hundred times, any price is fine. I just want the best coffin in Linxiang!"
"And my surname is Nan!"
"The Nan from the capital!"
Seeing that Nan Yu Jin had spoken to this extent, the man had a clear understanding. The Nan from the capital was Nan Chao Yin, the current Prime Minister. He figured that the prominent families in Linxiang would not dare to offend the son of the current Prime Minister over a coffin. If he hadn't been in such a hurry, perhaps by dawn, when the families heard the news, they would have eagerly sent their prepared coffins for this young Master Nan to choose from!
"Yes, this humble one understands!"
Nan Yu Jin threw him a bag of gold leaves, enough for him to buy all the coffins in the Linxiang coffin shops.
The man rubbed the money bag, asked the others to stay, and took only one person, hurrying towards the coffin shop. Nan Yu Jin was not afraid that he would abscond with the money, as his life would be forfeit!
The man left quickly and returned quickly. He went on foot and returned by cart.
He sat in the cart pulling the coffin, supporting it. Another person and the coffin shop attendant pushed the cart. The wheels rolled over the ground, making a rattling sound.
The men worked together to unload the coffin. Nan Yu Jin carefully placed Nan Yu Qing's remains into the new coffin. The old coffin was dug out, and the new coffin was placed in the grave.
After completing all this, Nan Yu Jin asked the men to seal the coffin and fill the grave, restoring everything as if it had never been dug up.
Nan Yu Jin looked at the men and said in a low voice, "I hope you will keep your mouths shut about what happened today. You should know what to say and what not to say!"
"Yes, we shall certainly keep it in mind!"
The men naturally dared not disobey. Let alone the young master of the Lin Yuan Nan family, even a servant of the Lin Xiang Nan family was someone they could not afford to offend.
Nan Yu Jin did not intend to silence them. It would be fine even if the matter spread or reached the capital. It would merely be that his mother dreamt of Qing'er being gnawed by worms, so he came to change the coffin for Qing'er!