The leaping flames illuminated the greenhouse, accompanied by screams from the crowd.
The heart-wrenching screams were especially eerie in the dead of night. The child stared wide-eyed at the raging flames outside, and reached out to pat the gardener who was still fast asleep.
The gardener was awakened by the commotion. After seeing what was happening outside, he grabbed the child and tried to rush outside.
However, before he could even leave the greenhouse, a sharp sword suddenly pierced his chest.
Blood gushed from the gardener's chest. The child stared wide-eyed at the man who had suddenly collapsed in a pool of blood, his legs giving way as he knelt on the ground, unable to utter a sound.
A stranger glanced at him, his voice icy cold, "You're the one Song Bingcheng wants to take away?"
The child stared blankly at the person in front of him, his eyes filled with anger, but he was frozen in place because of fear.
Something warm dripped from his chin onto his fingertips. He looked down and saw it was blood, bright red blood, the gardener's blood.
A surge of courage welled up within him, and he swung his fist and smashed it down on the man.
The man laughed out loud, "Tsk, you weren't scared at all. You're quite interesting. No wonder Song Bingcheng wanted to take you back."
"I, I'll beat you to death, you bad person! I'll beat you to death! You, you owe me the gardener! You owe me the gardener! Waaaaah!" The child cried his heart out, pounding his fists on the person in front of him.
He used all his strength, but how much strength could a five-year-old child have? To the man, it was nothing more than a tickle.
The man simply grabbed the child by the collar, his smile cruel, seemingly not understanding why the child was crying. His voice was chillingly cold. "Why are you crying? Haven't these people been bullying you all along? I'm just avenging you."
As she spoke, she grabbed the child's face, dragged him out of the greenhouse, pointed to several people screaming in agony from the flames not far away, and cruelly said, "Look, those are the people who bullied you. They're about to die. Aren't you happy?"
Those usually arrogant and domineering old women were now covered in flames. Their skin was charred black, and even their usually vicious faces were blurred, covered with burn marks.
They were so close, close enough that the child could see the skin of those people being slowly consumed by the flames, close enough to see...
Those people went from struggling violently to slowly losing their strength and collapsing to the ground, where they were completely engulfed by the flames.
The child stared blankly at everything before him, at the ever-growing fire, and murmured, "Why?"
Why did all these people die? He hated the people on the estate, but he never thought of letting them die.
And why did the gardener also die?
Why?
The man had promised to reunite the gardener with his old wife, so why did he kill the gardener?
Why break your promise?
I clearly promised him.
He wanted to find that man and ask him why he did this.
But the person who took him away didn't give him that chance.
He was taken to a strange place where everyone wore masks and the same clothes. The man who brought him there threw him into that terrifying abyss and then left.
He never saw that person named Song Bingcheng again.
The person who said they would take care of him.
*
The next day, when Jiang Yimian left Baoxiangfang, there were already quite a few people at the shop, almost all of them buying lipsticks and perfume pills.
After a day of fermentation, Baoxiangfang's "Sorrow Cutting" and lipstick have spread throughout the entire elite ladies' circle.
Early in the morning, Baoxiangfang was bustling with activity, with many people buying lipsticks.
In just one hour, more than half of the three thousand lipsticks that Jiang Yimian brought had been sold.
Ashu was busily introducing the lipsticks in the shop to everyone in the lobby, and she was very happy. Her little face was flushed from the work, but she was full of energy as if she had been injected with chicken blood.
The others were also radiant, no longer as listless as they had been a few days ago.
Even Xiaochun and the others in the workshop were working with extra enthusiasm.
Aunt Yun finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing everyone's state. "Yesterday I was worried that Yi Mian's method would fail! Now it seems that I was just overthinking it."
They assumed that all the noble ladies in the capital were there to see the young master, but since Chen Feiyan specifically mentioned lipstick and the "sorrow-cutting sword," they probably wouldn't pay any attention.
Unexpectedly, a large number of people arrived at Baoxiangfang immediately after noon yesterday.
Jiang Yimian just smiled and, seeing everyone busy, said, "I'm going back today. Next time I come, I'll probably stay in the capital."
She had been in the capital for several days and guessed that Wang Fengqin and the others had already arrived at the estate.
This trip back home is a family reunion, and since she's already here, she plans to settle down in the capital.
It saves us from having to travel back and forth. Although Pingjiang County is not far from the capital, it still takes a whole day to get there, and the journey is tiring.
The family had finally reunited, and she didn't want to be separated again.
She believed that Wang Fengqin and the others shared the same thought.
Aunt Yun just smiled and said, "That's great! Where do you plan to stay? I can keep an eye out for houses in the neighborhood for you."
Jiang Yimian nodded and thanked her.
She's not familiar with the capital, so having Aunt Yun help her find a house will be much easier.
Jiang Yimian then mentioned some more requirements for the house, and seeing that Aunt Yun had taken notes, she left directly.
The horse galloped swiftly along the mountain road. In order to return to Pingjiang County that same day, Jiang Yimian deliberately chose a side road.
The forest path was sparsely populated and overgrown with weeds, making it difficult for the horse to walk, and the journey was particularly bumpy.
Fortunately, Jiang Yimian was already used to such paths and quickly crossed a hill.
Halfway there, the horse, for some reason, refused to move, lying on the road burying its head in grass and refusing to budge.
Jiang Yimian had no choice but to give the horse some water. She planned to wait for the horse to rest before leaving, but suddenly she heard a faint fighting sound coming from not far away.
The sound was extremely faint, but upon closer listening, the fighting sounds quickly disappeared.
Jiang Yimian frowned, but after listening to the faint noise and confirming that it was far away and wouldn't affect her, she stopped paying attention to it.
Although the fighting was quiet in the middle of nowhere, it was clear that there were quite a few people involved, so she decided it was best not to get involved.
Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes not far away.
Jiang Yimian gripped the curved dagger in her hand and walked over cautiously.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that a person was lying on the ground in the bushes.
The man was in his early twenties, handsome, especially with his long, narrow phoenix eyes, which were extremely alluring, but at this moment those beautiful eyes were filled with murderous intent.
His handsome face was all scrunched up, and the hand he was using to cover his chest was trembling slightly, as if he were injured.
His simple brocade robe was stained with blood and mud, making him look somewhat disheveled, but it did not diminish his elegance in the slightest.
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