Chapter 114 Benefactor "Have you encountered any difficulties?"...

benefactor?

The woman took a step forward, and Jiang Yuhuo instinctively stepped back.

"Don't you recognize me?" The simply dressed woman asked expectantly. "I'm Jinzhi."

Golden Branch?

Golden Branch!

Jiang Yuhuo suddenly remembered the girl in Pinghai County who had been tricked into the Gu Pool along with her.

The Jinzhi she knew was pale and thin, always looking gloomy. She was nothing like the graceful figure of the woman before her. Although she was dressed in simple clothes, her face was bright and full of life.

They are completely different people.

They had only spent a short time together back then, yet she still recognized her?

Seeing the questioning look in her eyes, Jinzhi smiled sheepishly, "That's right, no wonder you didn't recognize me. I've changed so much over the years, I'm no longer that naive girl I used to be."

Thinking of the past, Jinzhi's eyes flickered, and she took a few steps closer to Jiang Yuhuo. "I never thought I would see you again in this life. If you hadn't saved me back then, I don't know if I would be alive or dead now."

She was about to kneel down before Jiang Yuhuo when she was startled and quickly pulled her up. "No, you mustn't, I just..."

She was simply saving herself.

If it weren't for Jinzhi back then, she probably wouldn't have had such a strong will to live. Because so many people had died around her, she couldn't bear to see anyone else die beside her. No matter what, she had to keep her alive, which was also a way for her to live.

Jinzhi was pulled to her feet, her eyes welling up with tears. "It's so good that we're both still alive. It's just a pity about Xiao Jiang..."

Jiang Yuhuo remembered that after she changed bodies and saw Jinzhi again, she told her that Xiao Jiang was dead to avoid scaring her.

Jinzhi wiped away her tears and took Jiang Yuhuo's hand, "You left in such a hurry that year, you didn't even know the name of your benefactor?"

Jiang Yuhuo was slightly taken aback. Xiao Jiang had already died with Jin Zhi. She didn't know what name to tell her for a moment. Her mind went blank for a brief moment, but her mouth was faster than her brain, "Surname Wen, Wen Yu."

Upon hearing this, Li Mengbai abruptly looked up. He saw Jiang Yuhuo smiling, a faint smile, but her eyes were gentle, just like the way she looked at that bastard. He silently reached for Jiang Yuhuo's hand, announcing his presence.

Jiang Yuhuo felt her hand being tugged and remembered Li Mengbai, whom she had forgotten about.

He looked up at her, his moist eyes filled with resentment, as if he was angry about something again.

"My legs are numb, help me up."

Jinzhi saw the man on the ground early in the morning. This man was so beautiful that it was frightening. He was so beautiful that he was almost sinister. She was afraid that if she looked at him too much, she would be bewitched by him.

Seeing the two behaving intimately, Jinzhi boldly asked Jiang Yuhuo, "Is this your benefactor's husband?"

“No.” Jiang Yuhuo blurted out without thinking. She pulled Li Mengbai up from the ground with one hand and then let go of him. “Just a companion I met on the road.”

Jinzhi nodded thoughtfully, and only now did she finally have time to ask them why they were here.

Jiang Yuhuo's face stiffened, and she looked quite ashamed. She stammered, "I...I'll do it..."

Li Mengbai jumped out and said frankly, "We were just passing by and came in to find something to eat."

Jiang Yuhuo glanced at him, admiring how naturally he could talk about stealing, but she felt she should tell Jinzhi the truth. She gritted her teeth and said, "We came to steal food."

"Feel sorry……"

"Are you currently working for this family? If we release us, will it put you in a difficult position?"

Upon hearing this, Jinzhi was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter. She laughed for a while before stopping, wiping away the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

“My benefactor, you can rest assured, I will not make things difficult for you.” She smiled smugly, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “Because this place is all mine.”

She avoided Li Mengbai and quietly leaned close to Jiang Yuhuo's ear, whispering a few words in her ear.

Jiang Yuhuo's eyes widened slightly as she listened, incredulous.

It turned out that after Jinzhi received the bag of money from Jiang Yuhuo, she didn't return to her hometown. Instead, she went to stay with a reliable relative in a distant place and started a small business with the money. A few years later, her father, who had wanted to marry her off to an old widower for money, died. She received a small plot of land and used the money from selling it to expand her business. Later, her business grew larger and larger, and she met her current husband. Her husband had a minor official position in the county town, and the two settled here. This manor was just one of her properties.

Jiang Yuhuo looked at the woman who was now full of energy and was very happy for her.

Jinzhi invited the two to stay the night, and Jiang Yuhuo did not refuse. Seeing that she was doing well, Jiang Yuhuo felt proud as well. Until Jinzhi asked, "And you, how have you been these past years?"

Jiang Yuhuo thought for a long time, but didn't know how to answer.

It should be good, but it doesn't seem that good.

Seeing her blank expression, Jinzhi understood what was going on and didn't ask any more questions, but simply settled her in.

Although there weren't many servants in the estate, everything was provided for. Jinzhi herself came from a poor background, and even though she was much wealthier, she was used to doing things herself and didn't like being waited on. So, she took care of the guests herself.

In the guest room, Jinzhi brought Jiang Yuhuo some hot soup and food. She mentioned the few remaining servants on the estate, saying she would send them to serve the handsome man next door later. Jinzhi couldn't go herself; for some reason, she was somewhat afraid of this man, especially when she got close to her benefactor. The subtle, almost imperceptible gazes that swept over her instinctively made her feel threatened.

Jiang Yuhuo pressed her hand down and shook his head. "Don't alarm anyone. The fewer people who know about what we're doing at your manor, the better."

She looked into Jinzhi's eyes and said seriously, "Just for one night. We'll leave tomorrow, and don't tell anyone about it afterward."

Seeing the sword beside Jiang Yuhuo, Jinzhi realized that Jiang Yuhuo's path was likely completely different from her own. Seeing the person who had saved her life and generously given her gold years ago now having to steal food to fill her stomach, Jinzhi felt a pang of sadness.

She held Jiang Yuhuo's hand and asked, "Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Jiang Yuhuo felt a warmth in her heart and shook her head with a smile, "You don't need to worry about it. You've finally made it this far, so just live a peaceful and stable life."

Jinzhi glared at her unhappily, her eyes revealing a shrewishness typical of business people. "Don't underestimate me. I'm quite capable now. Not to mention other places, in this Shannan County, there's hardly anything, big or small, that I can't handle."

Jiang Yuhuo was stunned for a moment, still somewhat unable to adapt to this feisty and assertive Jinzhi. Her memory was still of the timid and cowardly Jinzhi of the past. But this was a good thing, indicating that Jinzhi was now capable of protecting herself and even sheltering others.

Seeing her stunned expression, Jinzhi laughed, "You helped me before, and now that you're in trouble, the gods didn't choose anyone else, but instead let you end up in my kitchen. How can I sit idly by?"

Seeing that Jiang Yuhuo remained silent, Jinzhi continued, "Don't think I'm weak. My journey to where I am today wasn't without its challenges."

As Jinzhi served her food, she rambled on, "...Back then, at my relative's house, business was just starting to pick up when my good-for-nothing father came looking for me again, wanting to take me back to marry someone else. Guess what I did? I grabbed a wood-chopping knife and, right in front of him, chopped down a tree thicker than my waist. I'll never forget the shock in his eyes. He must have been thinking, how did his daughter become like this? I never expected that, even though I was originally going to go with him, I suddenly thought of you."

“After you left that day, I was walking on the road when I heard that a cavalryman had been killed and the murderer had not been found. The money bag had a name embroidered on it, and I knew then who it originally belonged to. I waited anxiously in the city for a few days with the money bag in my hand, thinking to myself, how could you kill and rob someone? I must return it to you and not have anything to do with you.”

The light in her eyes gradually brightened. "But I didn't wait for you. I only received the news that the swindler's den had been burned down. Many of the swindled children ran back. They were terrified and could only vaguely describe the arsonist. I knew it was you right away. You looked very thin back then. Even though you were the same age as me, you dared to kill and set fires."

Jinzhi shook her head, clicking her tongue in amazement. "You have no idea how surprised I am. I never knew people could live like this... I think, since you saved me, my life is no longer just mine. I've escaped death once, and I'm willing to do anything."

The warm soup soothed her stomach, which had been tormented by hunger for days. Jiang Yuhuo listened intently, and felt a lump in her throat. In those numb, zombie-like days, she had also given strength to others.

Jiang Yuhuo picked up the bowl and drank the hot soup in one gulp, letting the heat in her eyes recede completely.

After Jinzhi finished speaking, the sharpness in her eyes disappeared, and her gaze towards the person opposite her returned to its previous gentle and tender manner.

"Wen Yu, tell me, how can I help you?"

Looking at the woman before him, who had undergone a complete transformation, Jiang Yuhuo's eyes flickered. Perhaps Jinzhi could truly help her this time.

"We need to enter the county town."

*

The morning mist had not yet dissipated when a simple but sturdy carriage slowly made its way towards Shannan County. Several cargo carts followed behind the carriage, squeezed into the bustling morning procession heading into the city.

The driver in front was a young woman with her hair tied up, dressed in a simple, clean-cut outfit.

The soldiers guarding the city greeted her with smiles, "Sister-in-law Lin, are you in town collecting debts again today?"

The young woman laughed, seemingly quite familiar with the soldier, and joked, "Brother Lü, it's your turn to be on duty again today. Your commander is still angry and punishing you."

The dark-faced soldier waved his hand and smiled helplessly, "Hey, it's still early."

He pointed to the wanted poster on the wall. "Besides, things aren't peaceful these days. All the brothers have been sent out, and even the chief isn't having an easy time. The higher-ups have given a death order to capture these two thieves. We men below can't even close our eyes for a moment. These past few days, I'm sure Lin the clerk hasn't been having an easy time either. It would be good for you to come to the city and take care of him. Hey, sister-in-law, is there anyone else in your carriage?"

The young woman said "Oh," as if she had just remembered, "Yes, they are distant relatives of mine who came to stay with me. But..."

Seeing that she hesitated to lift the curtain and looked troubled, the dark-faced soldier became somewhat suspicious.

The young woman beckoned the man over and whispered, "I eloped from my hometown; it's not something to be proud of. Brother Lü, you must keep this a secret for me..."

As she spoke, she lifted the carriage curtain. The interior was dimly lit, and the soldiers could only see a man and a woman.

The man was handsome and looked young, with a thin beard, and sat upright. The woman leaned against him like a boneless animal, half of her face hidden on his shoulder, but even with only half her face showing, she was already incredibly beautiful.

She doesn't look like a woman from a respectable family.

The soldier surnamed Lü immediately imagined a dramatic scene: a respectable man being seduced by a woman of the night, his family wanting to separate him from his wife, and he ultimately having no choice but to elope.

Seeing that he was staring at the two of them, the beautiful woman turned her head and glared at him fiercely. The dark-faced soldier's heart skipped a beat, and he sighed inwardly that this woman was truly cunning; no wonder that handsome young man had been seduced by her.

This handsome young couple had absolutely no connection to the two men they were trying to arrest. Knowing that this was a major scandal in a respectable family, the soldiers lowered the curtain and didn't question them further. The young woman driving the carriage was the wife of a clerk in the prefectural governor's office. She owned quite a few properties in the city, and since they knew each other well and often interacted, they were allowed to pass.

Just as the young woman driving the car was about to set off, the soldier suddenly grabbed her reins.

The driver and the people inside the car fell silent for a moment.

But then the dark-faced soldier glanced at the carriage, leaned closer, and whispered, "Sister-in-law Lin, I shouldn't have said anything, but I think the young man inside is quite young and might not be good at judging people. If he wants to settle down, he should find a respectable woman to marry. This kind of guy looks restless. You should advise him, lest he end up losing both his money and his wife."

The young woman felt a sense of relief, though a hint of worry appeared on her face. "Well, that's exactly what I advised her to do." Before leaving, she smiled and called to the soldier, "Brother Lü, remember to come to my shop for a drink when you're done..."

The soldier smiled and said goodbye, then quickly moved on to checking the next group of people.

The procession of carriages and horses entered the city.

Inside the carriage, the restless "beautiful woman" still leaned against the person next to her, gritting her teeth and snarling hatefully on the "young man's" shoulder.

"What's wrong with us? You have no taste!"

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Author's note: Xiao Jiang: He's surnamed Li when he does bad things, and Wen when he does good things.