After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

The letter was also hidden in Master Zhang's room. The handwriting looked like that of a child just learning to write, each stroke neat and precise, without any discernible flaws. No, there were still some differences. These words were not written by the same person, or rather, not by the same child.

"Written by a child? That's impossible! The person I'm corresponding with is already thirty years old," Master Zhang exclaimed.

After He Niannian was thrown into the river, Butler He rescued her downstream and hid her in a farmhouse in the countryside. He Niannian was ill for a long time, and the medicine she took every day was bought by Butler He through the young Master Zhang.

Fearing the Liu family would become suspicious, Steward He couldn't stay in the farmhouse for long. Therefore, for those six months, it was the young Master Zhang who spent every day with He Niannian. The ghostly incident on the night of the return of the soul was orchestrated by Steward He, and the one who played the ghost was the young Master Zhang. Steward He was also responsible for the events at the He residence, and He Niannian had nothing to do with it.

If we have to pinpoint a connection, it's that they're using He Niannian's ghost as a pretext to cause trouble.

Butler He is no ordinary person.

He was originally a captain. During a battle, his army was ambushed and, despite their valiant efforts, was wiped out, leaving him the sole survivor. He wanted to return home, but was accused of being a traitor. Finding evidence to prove his innocence proved incredibly difficult; everyone who could vouch for him was dead. He wanted to go back to his hometown, but there was no place for him there. In his hometown, he was not only a traitor but also a dead man.

With nowhere else to turn, he had no choice but to become an outlaw and rose to the rank of second-in-command in the mountains.

When Master He took He Niannian back to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors, they were targeted by them. Master He was a good man and knew that they had not willingly become outlaws. He not only gave them all the valuables they had brought, but also advised them to come down from the mountain and live a good life. He told them that if they had any difficulties, they could come to the He family.

Who would want to become a bandit if they could live a peaceful life? Who would want to be besieged by government troops every now and then?

Knowing their difficulties, Master He specially provided them with a manor to settle down with their families. He also entrusted them with cultivating the dozens of acres of fertile land that came with the manor, requiring them to pay only a small rent, and this was only on the condition that they were self-sufficient. Those who wanted to learn a trade were sent to learn it, and those who wanted to learn business were not only taught by Master He himself but also provided with the initial capital.

Butler He was literate, knew how to do accounts, and was skilled in martial arts, but he lacked the proper status. Coincidentally, the He family's other butler died unexpectedly, so Master He appointed him to take over the role.

Like Master He, He Niannian was kind and approachable, which made her very popular with the servants in the mansion.

Butler He liked her… no, he loved her. But he was just a butler, disabled, and disfigured. He was not worthy of Miss He.

The He family only has one daughter, and Master He wants to find a son-in-law to live with her. Butler He can stay by the young lady's side all the time, which is enough for Butler He.

He Niannian took a liking to the bodyguard surnamed Liu. He was handsome, eloquent, and skilled in martial arts; he and He Niannian were indeed a good match. When they first got married, he treated He Niannian very well and was also very attentive to his father-in-law, Mr. He. Only the housekeeper could see that the son-in-law's kindness towards He Niannian and Mr. He was all talk and no action.

It was obvious to the naked eye that He Niannian smiled less and less after marriage, spent more and more time alone, and was troubled, often sullen and unhappy. During the time when Mr. He was ill, her son-in-law took his acting even more seriously. In public, he was a well-regarded son-in-law, but in private, he was a cold and aloof husband who criticized and complained about He Niannian, and constantly gave her the cold shoulder.

Butler He had reminded He Niannian, but she always believed that people don't change easily, and that her husband, who had been so good to her before marriage, could never become a different person after marriage. She thought that as long as that period passed, her relationship with her husband would return to normal.

Little did she know, her husband hadn't changed; he had always been the same from the very beginning.

No sooner had Master He been buried than his son-in-law turned on him. Not only did he bring his mistress and child into the He family in front of He Niannian, but he also spread rumors that He Niannian was infertile, jealous, and insane, putting his concubine and child in danger.

The son-in-law forgot that he was a live-in son-in-law. Even if He Niannian couldn't have children, it was a matter for the He family and had nothing to do with him, a man surnamed Liu. He became a live-in son-in-law of the He family because of He Niannian, enjoying wealth and honor that didn't belong to him. However, he was ambitious and treacherous. He not only betrayed He Niannian and poisoned her, but also wanted to seize the He family's property.

Lu Zhiyuan frowned: "According to you, Steward He already knew that that young master Liu had ill intentions and even warned He Niannian. Even if He Niannian doesn't believe it, as the steward of the He family, he should have taken some precautions."

"Butler He has taken measures. Not only Butler He, but Master He is also wary of his son-in-law. These days, there are many people who take advantage of their children's misfortunes. Master He has been in the business world for many years, how could he not see that his son-in-law has ulterior motives? It's just that his daughter likes him, and he can't bear to hurt her feelings. Butler He is Master He's way of leaving He Niannian a way out. Long before the Liu family's actions, Butler He had already transferred most of the He family's assets."

"If that's the case, how could He Niannian have been bullied to this extent by the Liu family?"

"Butler He wanted He Niannian to see her husband's true colors and to hand over the He family to her after she had completely given up on him. Before He Niannian could fully realize this, the Liu family plotted to drown her in the river."

Master Zhang closed his eyes.

During He Niannian's convalescence, the housekeeper dealt with the heartless son-in-law of the He family, his mistress, and his illegitimate child.

The rumors circulating outside are a mix of truth and falsehood. The part about the He family is false. Apart from He Niannian's husband, his mistress, and their illegitimate child, only a few servants who had sought refuge with her husband were killed; the rest were relocated elsewhere. The story of the He mansion becoming a haunted house was deliberately spread by Butler He. In reality, the mansion was always inhabited until it was completely emptied six months ago.

Judging by the timeline, the He family's house should have been sold to someone else by now.

Lu Zhiyuan looked at Lu Yun, who nodded: "He's right. The He family's old house was sold, and the buyer has no connection with the He family or Chunfeng Town. He's from out of town who came to Beijing. He has limited money and bought the house because it was cheap. He was afraid that there might be ghosts around, so he hired a Taoist priest to perform rituals and monks to chant sutras. The house is regularly maintained and doesn't seem like the kind of haunted house that has been abandoned for many years."

Lu Zhiyuan asked, "Was it Steward He who sold the house?"

Master Zhang shook his head: "Butler He passed away half a year ago. The house should have been sold by him and He Niannian's child. They had two children, a son and a daughter. The son is the older one, and the daughter is the younger one. Judging by their age, they are both married."

Her gaze fell on the letters, and Lu Zhiyuan asked again, "When did He Niannian and Butler He get married? Where did they live after their marriage?"

Master Zhang recalled: "About thirty-four years ago, He Niannian was rescued from the river by Steward He and fell seriously ill. After recovering, she went to a nunnery. That year was a bad year, and the nunnery suffered a disaster. Steward He brought He Niannian back. At that time, with Steward He's help, I had achieved some success and acquired this house. They lived in the backyard, guarded by Steward He's confidant. A year later, they got married and had children. They lived in the mansion for many years until their youngest daughter was born and they moved out. She left in the middle of the night, leaving a letter. After that, they corresponded, and I never saw her again."