Assassin Farmer

EMBROIDERY HOUSE

Republic of China, Year 1923, Spring.
Suzhou City.

It was the morning of March during spring.
The continuous rain in the last few days had finally dispersed, revealing colourful hanging branches glittering in the sunlight.

“Chirp chirp”, the birds sang.
A flowery aroma followed the wind and breezed by, bringing with it people who were heading to the morning market.
At Suzhou City Center’s outer perimeter located a courtyard decorated in the style of the previous time period.
Inside, servants were busily going about their duties.
From the kitchen, the delicious scent of food being cooked flowed out, signalling the start of a new day.

Overlooking Suzhou City was the famous “Embroidery House” — the Su Family.
The Su family dwelling was distributed into many small courtyards divided by curving paths.
Interspersed between them were elegant pavilions and lakes, flanked with lush blooming flowers and shrubbery.
It had to be said that the Su Family’s head really knew how to enjoy their wealth, causing others to feel appreciative.

“Where is your Young Miss?” The Su Family Eldest Young Master Su Tingyi did not pay any attention to the polite greetings from the surrounding servants as he walked through the exquisite courtyard.
He made great strides towards the large room facing the direction of the rising sun and asked the two maids cleaning inside it.

The two maids glanced at each other strangely.
The tall skinny maid hurriedly replied in a polite tone, “Dear Eldest Young Master, earlier today Young Miss was woken up and told to go to the Patriarch’s courtyard.
The one who sent for her was you.” Speaking up to here, her voice slowly got weaker and weaker.
Based on the young master’s expression, it seemed like someone else had used his name to get the Young Miss to go outside.

Su Tingyi’s frowned.
He immediately turned around and left.
His destination was Su Family’s most prestigious area – the Patriarch’s courtyard.

Before he even made it to the courtyard, there was a loud scream that echoed from afar.
Su Tingyi’s frown deepened, his pace quickening.

“A Fen, quickly go and inform Master and Eldest Young Master, i’ll go and get the Mistress.”

“Yes!”

Following that were the succession of rapid footsteps from the two panic-stricken maidservant as they ran towards the Patriarch courtyard’s direction.

“What happened?” Su Tingyi called out to the oblivious maidservant who was too busy running along to even notice their surroundings.

“Ah! Eldest Young Master!” The two maidservants seemed like they had just met a saviour, and began to weep hysterically.

“What’s going on? Have you seen the Young Miss? Did that old man…” Su Tingyi did not pay any mind to their rude gestures of clinging to his shirt while crying, and quickly asked.

“Eldest Young Master, it’s… it’s the Young Miss… the Young Miss she…” One of the maidservants was still too upset to speak, while the other one was just rambling on.

Su Tingyi also did not attempt to get anything more from them.
Instead, he pushed them off and ran towards the Patriarch’s Courtyard.
Damnit! He could only blame himself for being careless.
If something happened to Shuilian because of this, he would definitely not forgive this mother and daughter pair, no matter how much he loved them.

While consumed in fury through all the way there, he finally arrived at the courtyard of the Patriarch.
Su Tingyi pushed the main hall’s door open and quickly walked in, his mouth hurriedly calling out, “Shuilian! Shuilian!”

Not in the main hall, not in the sidehall, and not in the left hall.
Su Tingyi had looked all over the place in a short period of time.
When he reached the right hall curtained entrance, he immediately detected a putrid scent, causing him to hastily enter inside.
As the curtain behind him crumbled, a scene appeared in front of his eyes that made him weak at the knees.

“Shuilian… Shuilian…” Su Tingyi hands trembled.
He took several steps forward before falling onto his knees.
He gently lifted up the figure lying on the ground.
It seemed like the person’s head had hit the table’s corner, revealing a small wound that bled constantly.
The blood dyed the girl’s green clothes red as her face grew pale.

“Shuilian, you will be alright.
Big brother will bring you to the hospital, you will be alright.” Su Tingyi face turned ghostly white in a blink of an eye.
He hugged the girl and lifted her up.
While mumbling under his breath, he made his way out of the door.

On the way, he called out loudly, “Servants, prepare the car.” He did not spare any effort as he ran as quickly as he could.
Occasionally, he glanced down at his pale sister that did not displayed any signs of life, his forehead wrinkling.

“Mother, you said she wouldn’t…”As Su Tingyi ran with everything he had, he ran passed a detailed and beautiful reproduction of a hill.
Inside, the conversation of the mother daughter pair rang out.

“If it’s true, that’s even better.
From now on let’s see who will dare to pressure you.” A middle-aged woman in garish and expensive clothing’s face was slowly revealed, her expression full of hatred.

“But this matter will definitely not get ignored by the Patriarch, since it happened at his own courtyard.” A young girl who seemed to be at sixteen years of age twisted her lips, her expression flustered.

“What are you scared of? How would they even investigate? This was an accident.
Nobody has any proof, and would they be able to blame the accident on us? Furthermore, Su Shuilian is dead.
Only the talented are favoured by the Patriarch.
Now that Su Shuilian is dead, you are Su family’s number one in both name and title.
Why would they go out of their way to punish you?” Under her veil, the woman reached out with her index finger and poked her worried daughter’s forehead, urging, “Even if your father the Patriarch asked, you will not shoot your mouth off, remember? Regarding that ‘Along the River during Ching Ming Festival’, you should hurry outside and dispose of it.”

“I understand, mother.
But I’m scared that Big Aunt and Big Brother…” Thinking about that older brother from a differen