All Hail Cousin Brother

314 Fourth Young Master Was Drowned

Seeing the sad expression in the little girl’s eyes, Zhou Linghuai looked down at his legs, and his eyes suddenly darkened. “If you want to go, I…”

Yu Youyao quickly interrupted him and shook her head. “Even if I go out, Grandmother will be worried if I don’t have a proper elder by my side. Forget it.”

Zhou Linghuai pursed his lips and did not say anything else.

Yu Youyao hated to see her cousin like this the most, so she held his hand. “Cousin, on the fifth day of the new year, we can wrap brown seeds, make powder balls, and compete with each other. It’ll be very interesting. When you go to the Jade Courtyard, we’ll do it together.”

This was the first time she had spent the Dragon Boat Festival with her cousin. At the thought of this, she did not want to go out to watch the dragon boat race anymore. Even her smile lit up.

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Okay!”

Yu Youyao smiled and said, “Cousin, remember to prepare a gift for me. In the future, no matter what festival it is, you have to give me a gift. Of course, I’ll also prepare a gift for you.”

Hearing her cheerful laughter, the haze in Zhou Linghuai’s eyes dissipated bit by bit. “What gift do you want?”

Yu Youyao pouted. “If I tell you what I want, there won’t be a surprise at the Dragon Boat Festival! Cousin, are you trying to slack off?”

Where did this come from? Zhou Linghuai was stunned.

Then, he heard the little girl say, “Do you not want to trouble yourself to prepare a gift for me? You might as well ask me what I like and prepare it. It’s easy and simple.”

It wasn’t until this moment that Zhou Linghuai understood deeply what it meant by “only villains and women are difficult to raise”. The little girl always did whatever she wanted. It was really ridiculous.

Seeing the little girl staring at him with narrowed eyes and a delicate and fierce expression, Zhou Linghuai was amused. “I also thought that if Cousin got what she wanted, she would be even happier.”

Yu Youyao smiled when she heard this. “Cousin, prepare as you see fit. As long as it’s a gift from you, I’ll like anything.”

Zhou Linghuai nodded. “Okay!”

After chatting for a while, the cousins continued as usual. He guided her in her studies and zither skills, while she studied seriously. After that, they practiced calligraphy under the Parasol Tree for an hour.

Only then did Zhou Linghuai return to the Green House.

Yu Youyao took another look at Heavenly Works.

At this moment, Xia Tao ran over in panic. “Young Miss, bad news…”

As she spoke, she panted heavily. Her throat was gurgling, and her face was flushed with heat. Beads of sweat slid from her forehead into her eyes, and she didn’t bother to wipe them away. She had obviously run all the way back, and because she was panting so hard, her voice caught in her throat for a moment, and she couldn’t even speak properly.

Yu Youyao quickly put down her book and handed her a cup of tea. “Have some tea first. Sit down and talk.”

In the past two days, the weather had been a little abnormally hot. On the way back, she might accidentally catch a heat stroke.

With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, the residence was busy preparing for the Dragon Boat Festival. Other than the Songtao Courtyard, there was nothing else that could make Xia Tao so flustered.

Xia Tao couldn’t be bothered to drink her tea. She knelt on the ground with a thud and a frightened expression. “Young Miss, bad news. Fourth Young Master fell into the lake just now…”

“What?!” Yu Youyao was stunned. The tea in her hand fell to the ground with a clang.

Beside her, Chun Xiao was also shocked, and her face turned pale.

Xia Tao cried. “It’s all my fault. Yesterday, Young Miss repeatedly instructed me to carefully check the fence around the lake…”

After being shocked for a moment, Yu Youyao quickly calmed down and interrupted her with a serious expression, “How’s Fourth Brother?”

Xia Tao panicked and was stunned by the question.

Yu Youyao suddenly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her eyes were already cold. She asked sternly, “I’m asking you a question. Did something happen to Fourth Brother?”

Xia Tao shuddered and her mind cleared a little. “Fortunately, the servants discovered it in time and saved Fourth Young Master. However, Fourth Young Master drank a lot of water and was shocked, so he fell unconscious…”

Yu Youyao immediately interrupted her. “Hurry up and find Nanny Xu. Get her to go to the Songtao Courtyard to visit Fourth Brother.”

The imperial physicians were not far away, but it would take a lot of time to come and go. If one was unlucky, they would have to go to another family’s physician. It would be even more troublesome.

She couldn’t wait when there was a serious situation like drowning. By the time the imperial physicians arrived, it would probably be too late.

Although it was May and the weather was hot, Fourth Brother was still young and had suffered a shock. It was more or less a hindrance to his health, so it was naturally better to treat him as soon as possible. There could not be any delay.

“I’ll go look for Nanny Xu immediately.” Only then did Xia Tao calm down a little. She got up from the ground and ran out, afraid that she would be delayed.

The Parasol Tree covered the sky, and a huge shadow enveloped Yu Youyao.

Chun Xiao’s face turned ashen. “Young Miss, what should we do now?”

Fourth Young Master was the only man in the residence, and he was also Eldest Master’s only legitimate son. Eldest Master treated Fourth Young Master like a jewel. On the first day that Fourth Young Master moved into the courtyard, he drowned and almost lost his life.

Young Miss was in charge of repairing the Songtao Courtyard. If something happened to Fourth Young Master, it would definitely be related to her.

Yu Youyao took a deep breath and called Liu’er over. She instructed, “Go and ask carefully what happened in the Songtao Courtyard and why Fourth Brother fell into the water. Get Carpenter Zhao to carefully check the wooden fencing at the side of the lake…”

Yesterday, she and Xia Tao had gone to look at the wooden fencing at the side of the lake.

The wooden fencing was made of top-grade gold-threaded teak. The wood was hard and not easy to break. Moreover, it was resistant to decay and wear. It also had beautiful patterns. It was elegant, long-lasting, and its stability was excellent.

Carpenter Zhao had made the wooden railing. He was good at it and had done a lot of woodwork over the years without making any mistakes.

Yesterday, she had also instructed Xia Tao repeatedly to carefully check the wooden fencing at the side of the lake. Xia Tao had always been reliable, so it was impossible for her to comply on the surface but disobey in secret.

Liu’er quickly went down to settle it.

Yu Youyao called Qiu Xing over again. “Get someone to look for Zhao Da at the government office. Tell him about Fourth Young Master’s drowning. We have to be ahead of the messenger in the residence.”

“Yes.” Qiu Xing knew the severity of the matter and quickly went to do it.

Yu Youyao originally wanted to send someone to inform her grandmother, but on second thought, Yu Shansi was her father’s only legitimate son and the only son of the first wife. Although her grandmother and Yu Shansi were not close, she still valued him very much.

The children of wealthy families moved into their own courtyards and this meant that they could be independent. An Shou Hall definitely had to help manage such a big matter.

Yu Shansi had drowned, and his grandmother had probably also received the news.

Now that she had made all the necessary arrangements, Yu Youyao stood up from her chair. “Let’s go over and see Fourth Brother first.”