Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

After Shen Jingwan came out of the Third Prince's Mansion, she immediately took Fuzi to the mass grave outside the city.

It was already dark at this time. Shen Jingwan stood outside the mass grave, looking at the eerie and terrifying scene in front of her, and couldn't help feeling a little scared.

But she still forced herself to remain calm and said to Fuzi beside her: "Go in and take a look."

Fuzi has received various training since childhood and is accustomed to such scenes, so she does not feel too much fear.

But she still showed hesitation, and only after Shen Jingwan's harsh rebuke did she reluctantly walk into the mass grave.

However, Fuzi did not really put her heart into searching. She just pretended to turn over some corpses, then found a place where Shen Jingwan could not see her and sat down.

Time passed minute by minute, and the sky gradually turned pale. Fuzi then slowly walked out of the mass grave.

She was covered in dirt and blood and looked very disheveled.

Shen Jingwan had been sitting under a big tree not far away, with her eyes closed, as if she was taking a nap.

Hearing the footsteps approaching, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Fuzi walking towards her covered in mud. She immediately frowned, covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief in disgust, and asked, "Why did you take so long to come out?"

Fuzi quickly bowed and replied respectfully, "Miss, there are too many bodies inside, and it took a lot of effort. However, we have found the uncle, and he has indeed..."

Having said this, Fuzi paused and a trace of sadness appeared on her face.

Shen Jingwan's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She stood up and said, "Where is it? Take me to see it."

Fuzi advised, "Miss, the place inside is truly unsightly. You will have to return home soon. If you soil your dress, I'm afraid you won't be able to explain yourself when you get back."

Fuzi stopped Shen Jingwan because she didn't find He Er at all.

However, Shen Jingwan stubbornly pushed Fuzi away and insisted on going in to take a look herself.

In desperation, Fuzi had to take her to the southeast corner of the mass grave.

Because it was filled with highly decomposed corpses with hideous and terrifying faces, which was disgusting.

Shen Jingwan covered her mouth and nose tightly, but she couldn't help retching after walking in for a short while.

She hadn't eaten since last night, and her stomach was empty now, so she could only vomit some bile.

She lowered her head and tried hard to hold back the urge to vomit.

However, when she opened her eyes again, she was horrified to find a corpse staring at her with angry eyes.

The corpse's face was covered with maggots, which were wriggling under the skin as if enjoying a feast.

"Ah——" Shen Jingwan screamed in fright and stepped back repeatedly.

In her panic, she accidentally stepped on an outstretched arm, lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Her body fell heavily on top of the other corpse, and she felt a chill and fear run through her body.

Shen Jingwan supported herself on the ground with her hands and tried to get up, but she felt something sticky.

She looked down and saw that the skin of the corpse had festered and was emitting a foul odor.

She screamed in terror, her voice echoing through the empty mass grave.

At this time, Fuzi seemed to realize that Shen Jingwan had fallen, and hurried over to help her up.

She handed Shen Jingwan a handkerchief and asked with concern: "Miss, are you okay?"

Shen Jingwan took the handkerchief tremblingly, wiped the stains on her hands vigorously, and then threw it back at Fuzi.

"Why don't you hold me up?"

Fuzi quickly explained, "Miss, I have to lead the way for you."

She felt very aggrieved, and there was a hint of crying in her voice.

Shen Jingwan frowned and looked at the pile of corpses in front of her, feeling a surge of fear in her heart.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Are you sure you saw He Er's body?" she asked Fuzi again.

Fuzi nodded without hesitation, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

"It's absolutely true, Miss. It's not far ahead. You can get there by just a little more walking." She said it with certainty, as if she had seen it with her own eyes.

Just as Shen Jingwan was hesitating, the sky gradually turned pale.

She gritted her teeth and decided to give up the search.

"Let's go back home. It's almost dawn. If we go back too late, we might attract attention." Shen Jingwan sighed helplessly.

Fuzi responded respectfully, quickly helped Shen Jingwan around and walked back.

They carefully avoided the horrible corpses and tried not to look at them.

Finally, the two walked out of the mass grave and came to a safe place.

Shen Jingwan breathed a sigh of relief and felt weak all over.

……

When Shen Jingwan returned to the third room of the Shen Mansion, it was already dawn.

Mrs. Shen San was just about to go out to pay her respects to Old Madam Shen, but when she saw Shen Jingwan and Fuzi looking so miserable, she couldn't help but frown.

She pinched her nose with a handkerchief, took two steps back, and looked at the two of them with disgust.

"Where have you been so early in the morning? Go wash up."

After saying that, Mrs. Shen San walked around the two of them and left without looking back.

Shen Jingwan looked at the departing figure of Mrs. Shen San and laughed at herself.

"Fuzi, if my sister came back like this at this hour, would mother be so indifferent?"

Fuzi rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking that Miss Nine would never get herself into this state.

But she said, "Miss, the Third Madam didn't ask any more questions because she was afraid of embarrassing you. Think about it, if the Third Madam really asked, how would you answer?"

Shen Jingwan returned to her yard without saying a word.

Fuzi ordered someone to prepare water for Shen Jingwan to take a bath, and added hot water three times before she came out of the bathtub.

……

There were several basins of ice in Ningfengzhai. Shen Chuning was leaning on the chaise longue and eating Cuiwei's freshly made ice dumplings.

Seeing Birui enter the house, Shen Chuning hurriedly asked, "Have you delivered the icy glutinous rice balls? Does mother like them? Is there enough ice in the main room?"

Birui stood beside the ice basin, fanning out the cool air gently with a fan. "I sent it over. Second Madam loved it. She even left Cuiwei there to teach the kitchen staff how to make it. But Second Madam asked you to eat less ice. You had your period at the beginning of the year, and she's worried that eating too much ice might make your stomach uncomfortable."

"Oh, I see. I used to have a mother who didn't care about anything, and I felt bad about it. Now I have a mother who controls everything, and I'm not used to it."

Birui smiled and said, "You are so lucky, but you don't know how to appreciate it. Miss, you sold all the saltpeter you brought back from Jinling at a high price."

"From tomorrow on, we'll reduce the price of our ice to just a penny below the cost of making it from saltpeter."