When my vicious stepmother mistakenly married me to the Immortal Lord

It was a dark and windy night at the Marquis' Mansion.

Du Shulan and her maid, Nanny Chang, were sneaking towards the ancestral hall.

Nanny Chang was holding a storage bag in her hand.

Soon, they arrived in front of the ancestral hall.

The door of the ancestral hall was closed and the surroundings were silent. A black shadow flipped in from outside the courtyard and landed lightly beside Du Shulan.

The shadow lowered his voice and reported, "Madam, today the brothers saw that girl's maidservant go out of the house to buy sacrificial supplies. I think they are planning to visit Cui's grave tomorrow."

"That bitch is quite skilled in leg and footwork. You'll need to find more people to take care of her outside the city. Remember, it must be done cleanly and without leaving any traces."

Du Shulan's eyes were vicious and a sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.

The shadow said, "Madam, the people I'm looking for are desperate criminals with serious crimes on their hands. You can trust them to do their job. Even if the Xie family investigates in the future, they won't be able to find out anything."

Du Shulan nodded with satisfaction, took the storage bag from Nanny Chang and threw it to the black shadow.

"Here's your 50% reward. Once the job is done, the other 50% will be handed over to you. Remember, I want that girl to disappear forever. Do you understand?"

The shadow took the heavy storage bag and was delighted. He quickly bowed and promised: "Don't worry, Madam. You can wait for good news tomorrow evening."

After saying that, the black shadow flashed and disappeared into the night.

*

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the ice and snow melted, and the sun shone through the sparse clouds, dappling onto the bluestone slabs in the courtyard. The warmth gradually dispelled the severe cold of winter.

Jiang Song was dressed in plain clothes, with her hair lightly tied up with a white jade hairpin, looking quite fresh and neat.

She was standing in the yard, carefully checking the sacrificial supplies, and Xiuyun was helping to organize them carefully.

"Young Madam, everything is ready. We can go to the butler to get a pass and then we can set off." Xiuyun looked up at Jiang Song and said softly.

Jiang Song nodded, his eyes twinkling slightly: "Okay, go ahead."

Soon, Xiuyun brought back the pass from the housekeeper's courtyard.

The master and servant left the mansion, hired a carriage with green curtains, and slowly drove out of the city.

Originally, mother-in-law Chu Jinghong wanted to send guards from the Xie Mansion to accompany him for protection, but Jiang Song considered that this trip was to pay homage to his deceased mother and did not want to be too conspicuous, so he politely declined.

Although she is currently appreciated by her parents-in-law, if she becomes spoiled by them, it may bring unnecessary trouble.

After all, a prominent family like the Xie family has strict rules, and as a new bride, she should be more careful in what she says and does.

The carriage was driving on the rugged mountain road, and the wheels made a creaking sound as they rolled over the snow.

Jiang Song opened the curtains and looked out the window.

The mountains and forests are covered in silver in winter, sparkling brightly under the sunlight.

The carriage traveled for about an hour before finally stopping at the foot of a barren mountain.

The driver glanced at the desolate place with a surprised look and couldn't help asking, "Madam, there's no village or shop in the middle of nowhere. Are you sure you want to get off here?"

Jiang Song replied softly, "Thank you, uncle. We'll get off here."

As she spoke, she handed over a silver ingot and said, "Uncle, why don't you find a teahouse nearby to rest? After we finish our worship, we'll have to trouble you to take us back to the city."

The driver took the silver and smiled brightly: "Okay, ma'am, go ahead. I'll be waiting for you nearby."

Jiang Song and Xiuyun got off the carriage and walked up the mountain along a winding path.

The mountain was not high, but because the snow had not melted in winter, the mountain road was slippery and difficult to walk on, so the master and servant walked very carefully.

Fortunately, Jiang Song practiced martial arts and sword skills every day, and had developed a good physique, so this mountain road was nothing to her.

On the other hand, although Xiuyun is older than Jiang Song, her physical strength is far inferior to hers. When she reached halfway up the mountain, she was already out of breath.

"Young Madam, why don't you go up first? I'll wait for you here." Xiuyun said, panting, while holding the tree trunk.

Jiang Song looked back at her and frowned slightly: "Hold on a little longer, we'll be there soon."

As she spoke, she reached out and held Xiuyun's arm, leading her to continue walking up.

They finally reached the top of the mountain when the sun was at its highest.

There is a pine and cypress forest on the top of the mountain, and there are many graves in the forest, which are the final resting place of people with miserable fates like Cui Yunniang.

In this vast world, for a person of humble status, it is a great blessing to be buried in a handful of earth in this small space after death.

Cui Yunniang had no family to rely on during her lifetime, and after her death she could not enter the family ancestral hall and enjoy the incense and offerings of her descendants. She could only lie alone and helpless in this desolate place, waiting for the erosion of time.

Jiang Song found his mother's grave. There was not even a tombstone there, only a simple small mound covered with weeds.

Her heart ached and she squatted down to start clearing the weeds in front of the grave.

Xiuyun also hurried over to help, and the two of them cleaned the area in front of the grave together.

Afterwards, Jiang Song took out sacrificial items from his bag and placed them one by one in front of the grave.

She lit the incense and candles, stuck them in the soil in front of the grave, then knelt down and kowtowed three times.

"Mother, your daughter is here to see you." Jiang Song's voice was choked with sobs, and her eyes were slightly moist. "Are you doing well over there? Your daughter misses you very much."

"Now my daughter has married into the Xie family. Her parents-in-law are kind, her husband loves her, and everyone in the Xie family treats her very well. If you knew about this in the afterlife, you would rest assured."

"Today is the day my daughter returns home, and I have come specially to pay my respects to you. May your spirit in heaven bless the Xie family to prosperity, and may my daughter and husband live happily ever after."

Xiuyun knelt beside Jiang Song as she listened to his words of worship, and burst into tears.

"Aunt, the young lady is really doing well now. You can rest in peace."

"Since the young lady married into the Xie family, she has not only been protected by the master and the mistress, but also loved by the brother-in-law. I have also lived a good life."

"Auntie, if you are in heaven, please bless my young lady and my uncle to be happy and long-lasting."

Recalling their journey, the two couldn't help but hug each other and cry for a long time in front of Cui Yunniang's grave.

"Thank you, Xiuyun. If you hadn't been by my side all these years, I would have collapsed long ago."

"What are you talking about, young lady? If it weren't for my aunt and young lady taking me in, I would have starved to death on the streets. Now that I can be with you, young lady, it is a blessing that I have cultivated for several lifetimes."

The master and servant cried in front of the grave for a long time before their tears gradually stopped.

Jiang Song looked at the simple tomb in front of him and swore in his heart:

When she has enough ability and status in the future, she will definitely build a grand tomb for her mother so that her mother can rest in peace in the afterlife!

Jiang Song took out a pot of wine from his bag and poured it in front of the grave as a last toast to his mother.

Then she lit some paper money, watched the flames dance in front of the grave, and silently recited prayers in her heart.

When the paper money burned to ashes, the wind on the top of the mountain grew stronger, blowing their clothes and hair into the air.