Yin Yong realized he was being too forceful and quickly softened his tone.
"Sister-in-law, I didn't mean to place blame. It's just that the killer hasn't been caught yet, and I'm worried Second Brother's family might resent us."
Tang shi reacted strongly. She slapped the table and raised her voice.
"Third Brother, what do you mean by that? Catching the killer is the constable's job. We didn't kill anyone. If you ask me, I'm more afraid the people Second Brother offended will come looking for trouble. Don't you go dumping the blame on us!"
Yin Yong found her reaction a bit odd. Rather than argue, he changed the subject.
"Sister-in-law, when you went to Second Brother's house to gather his things, did you see a bronze mirror? There was a crack on its surface."
Tang shi waved him off.
"You shouldn't be asking me that. Ask the yamen officers. By the time we got there, the place was already sealed off. Most of the valuable stuff had already been looted by thieves. We only brought back a few empty trunks. If you like, take a couple for yourself."
Yin Yong didn't get the answer he wanted, and with his eldest brother nowhere in sight, and Tang shi clearly unwilling to host him, he had no choice but to return to the old house.
It wasn't until the burial of Second Brother's entire family that Yin Yong finally got a chance to speak with his eldest brother alone. His elder brother Yin Shan looked a bit haggard but otherwise in fair condition.
Yin Shan lowered his voice and said to his younger brother:
"Second Brother and his family were all killed with a single slash each. The criminals were after money, so anything of value in the house was taken. As for that bronze mirror you mentioned, I asked the yamen officers — none of them saw it."
Yin Yong nodded silently and didn't press the matter further. He had noticed that Tang shi and his two nephews had been watching him and his brother closely, as if afraid they'd talk too much. This planted a seed of suspicion in his heart.
After the funeral, the criminals remained at large, as if they had vanished into thin air. Eventually, a reward notice was posted, but as time passed, the case naturally faded into silence.
A month later, Yin Shan discovered a large nugget of natural gold in his field. The news spread quickly, making him the talk of Taoyuan Village. Visitors flocked to his home, hoping to catch some of the good fortune.
Yin Yong, however, was not among them. Something felt off. Their farmland had been in use for over three years. How could no one have seen the gold during previous plowing, yet now it just happened to turn up?
He suspected someone had deliberately buried it there. But with his brother's family still caught up in the excitement, he didn't want to rain on their parade, so he kept his doubts to himself.
The unexpected windfall brought prosperity to Yin Shan's household. The first thing they did was plan a major renovation. With two sons and two daughters to care for, Yin Shan spared no expense — he was determined to build a proper brick-and-tile home.
To finish the construction quickly, the family temporarily moved back into the old house, clearing out the old residence completely. As the younger brother, Yin Yong also lent a hand.
Helping dig the foundation and haul stones and bricks exhausted Yin Yong. Most nights, after dinner, he'd fall into bed and sleep like a rock.
One night, though, nature called. He dragged himself out of bed in the dark to use the latrine. On his way back, he passed by his eldest nephew's window and caught fragments of a conversation.
Yin Yong wasn't the kind to eavesdrop, but when he heard the words "bronze mirror," he froze.
"Husband, are you serious? That bronze mirror really grants wishes?"
"Of course. Otherwise, how do you think Second Uncle's family got rich overnight?"
"But you said there's a price for making a wish. Little Aunt and Little Uncle are already gone. And now, Second Uncle's whole family too…"
"Shut up. Don't talk nonsense. Second Uncle's family was killed by bandits. They were too flashy — it had nothing to do with us."
"But most of Second Uncle's silver ended up in our hands. What if Dad or Uncle finds out? Won't they come after us?"
"No one will find out unless we say something. As long as we sincerely worship the mirror, our wishes will come true."
"What if the mirror wants offerings from us?"
"I have my plans. You don't need to worry. Just go to sleep. We need to finish building the new house soon. We can't let Uncle discover the bronze mirror."
"Okay."
The room went quiet. A moment later, the sound of snoring followed.
Crouched by the wall, Yin Yong's legs had gone numb. He didn't even know how he managed to crawl back to his room. But now, he was certain — Second Brother's family didn't die by coincidence. His eldest nephew had something to do with it.
And how had the boy learned about the bronze mirror? It could only have been from Yin Shan. Perhaps Yin Shan mentioned it casually, but the nephew had taken it seriously and found a way to steal the mirror from Second Brother's home.
Whatever wish he had made, he had traded Second Brother's life for it. Just thinking about it made Yin Yong's heart go cold.
Yin Yong lay wide awake until dawn. After breakfast, he went to help at the construction site as usual. But during the work, he deliberately arranged for a stone block to fall and injure his nephew's foot. Then, he asked one of the children who had been watching the construction to run back to the old house and fetch help — instructing the boy to exaggerate how serious the injury was.
The child happily accepted the task in exchange for two pieces of candy and ran off to spread the message.
By the time Tang shi and her daughter-in-law arrived in a panic, Yin Yong had already circled back to the old house. He went straight to his nephew's room and began rummaging through the chests. Eventually, he found the bronze mirror wrapped in a red cloth.
Unwrapping it, he saw that the crack on the mirror's surface had shrunk since the first time he'd seen it. As he touched it, a burning sensation shot through his hand, and he dropped the mirror.
The metallic clang jolted him out of his daze. Terrified, he picked it up, wrapped it in a rag, and made for the mountains behind Taoyuan Village.
Yin Yong buried the bronze mirror deep in the earth and placed a heavy stone on top of it before hurrying back to the house.
When he returned, his niece-in-law was throwing a fit in the courtyard, shouting that someone had stolen her dowry. His nephew stood off to the side, face dark, limping around as he helped search.
Everyone turned to look at Yin Yong the moment he stepped in. He met their eyes calmly.
"Didn't someone say Fan Si's foot was crushed?"
"Uncle, where were you just now?"
Fan Si glared at him, his tone dark and accusing.
"I had a stomach ache, so I went to the latrine. On my way back, I heard something happened to you, so I ran here. Doesn't look too serious, judging from your condition."
"Uncle, someone stole my wife's dowry."
"Her dowry? Which part of it? And when exactly did it go missing?"
Yin Yong's tone was steady, unaffected. He was certain the bronze mirror had never been part of her dowry. When she married into the Yin family, her parents were still alive and there had been no division of property. Everyone knew exactly what she brought with her.
His questions left the two of them speechless. If they said it was a bronze mirror, they wouldn't be able to hide it from him — or even from Yin Shan. In the end, the niece-in-law mumbled that it was a handmade pouch containing some silver bits.
Yin Yong's expression turned cold.
"Then report it to the authorities. If the thief only targeted your room, then they must have known you had money on hand. It's likely someone from the village — maybe even someone close to you."
That shut Fan Si up instantly. Without the full truth, they couldn't retrieve the bronze mirror. Worse, it might draw suspicion from others.