Chapter 59 The Bitter Flesh Scheme: Meng Pusa is Possessed by a Ghost
Jiang Yingyun was actually "staying home" only because Zheng Bo, the brewer, took her in, and that's how she found a place to stay all these years. Yuan Jingming did offer her a house in private, but her pride wouldn't allow her to accept it.
Life shouldn't be lived in a daze. Working and brewing wine for Uncle Zheng was tiring, but at least she felt at peace. Moreover, Uncle Zheng loved her very much and taught Jiang Yingyun all the skills and experience he had accumulated throughout his life; he was more like a father to her than to her.
"Wouldn't Lord Zheng dislike us for disturbing you so abruptly?"
Le Jin and Bao Yin entered the house and immediately looked around for Zheng Bo. Le Jin knew Jiang Yingyun's character and would definitely accept them, but Zheng Bo was a different story.
"he……"
There were some wine jars stacked three or four layers high in the corner of the room, their dark brown glaze gleaming in the light of the fire burning inside.
Rural life is not so particular, and firewood is a precious resource in winter. A pile of firewood is burned in the center of the house, which can be used for both heating and cooking.
Jiang Yingyun picked up the long-handled spoon from the side of the pot and stirred it in the steaming soup, staring intently at the contents. "He passed away last month. I live alone in this house, so you can stay here without worry."
"ah?"
Le Jin's mouth dropped open, momentarily speechless. Last month? Wasn't that around the time she met Jiang Yingyun at Juede Winery? She was very upset that day, and Le Jin only thought it was because of her troubled relationship with Yuan Jingming. Now that she thought about it... life's difficulties are far more than just romantic ones.
"Then you now..."
I wanted to ask her what she would do now that she was completely alone and Yuan Jingming was facing so many difficulties. But looking at Jiang Yingyun tending the hot soup by the fire, her eyes were bright and clear in the firelight, and the shadows of her eyelashes were cast steadily on her face. It seemed that the tranquility at this moment should not be disturbed.
Le Jin changed the subject, smiling sweetly as she asked, "So what are you cooking now? It smells so good!"
Jiang Yingyun looked up at her, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Warm rabbit. There aren’t many things in the mountains; this is what Uncle Zheng made last year.”
Ignoring Bao Yin's attempts to stop her, Le Jin clutched her long dress to her chest and squatted down beside the fire with Jiang Yingyun. The crackling of the firewood released fragrant smoke, driving away the cold, snowy atmosphere from the house.
She turned her head to look at Jiang Yingyun, her eyes shining with innocent kindness, "Uncle Zheng will definitely be happy to know that the rabbits he made can help you this winter."
The long spoon stirring in the pot suddenly stopped, and bitter tears, unreasonably, instantly filled Jiang Yingyun's vision, falling like beads onto her lap.
Jiang Yingyun was already quite thin, and the hardships she has endured over the years have made her even more gaunt. The girl who was as slender as a willow branch when she was a teenager is now as sturdy as a pine tree branch.
She cried uncontrollably, and Le Jin's heart ached along with her. The pain of losing a loved one was like a boning knife, sharp and cruel, cutting into every bone.
Le Jin understood this pain, so she opened her arms and embraced Jiang Yingyun, gently patting her protruding back. No one spoke in the room; Le Jin simply let Jiang Yingyun have a good cry.
“I didn’t… tell him… he didn’t know that Uncle Zheng was gone…” Jiang Yingyun cried her heart out, intermittently telling Le Jin about the wounds buried deep in her heart.
"I don't know what to do... It feels like nothing matters anymore..."
Her tears soaked the fur collar of Le Jin's neck warmer, leaving a damp patch that clung to her skin like old cotton wool with hard lumps, evoking a sense of sorrow for something that was gone.
No one can escape death. Le Jin had dealt with death several times and understood how treacherous and cruel it was, destroying the foundation of a life that should be thriving and stable without anyone noticing.
With her soft, slender hand gently stroking the back of Jiang Yingyun's head, Le Jin asked softly, "So you knew that the Crown Prince gave up after being arranged to be with Princess Zhaode, right?"
Jiang Yingyun bit her lip and remained silent.
They were never a good match. The various experiences of their youth are like clouds beside the moon; once the moon truly rises, the clouds will disperse. Those delusions were perhaps just a sweet dream a young girl had during her afternoon nap.
Le Jin looked down and saw that Jiang Yingyun's face was deathly still.
What can be done? She's the female lead in a tragic romance novel, destined to have a life filled with misfortune.
But after struggling on the brink of death several times, a sense of "resentment" slowly grew in Le Jin's heart. She patted Jiang Yingyun's shoulder and pointed to the boiling soup pot.
“Look, Uncle Zheng is gone, but his preserved rabbits haven’t left. Even if you finish eating the preserved rabbits, you can still get through this winter. When spring comes, Uncle Zheng and the rabbit meat will grow and sprout inside your body. They haven’t left; they’ve become a part of your life. Why be discouraged? Life will always go on.”
"To become a part of your life..." Jiang Yingyun suddenly thought of something, and left Le Jin's shoulder, looking somewhat surprised and bewildered.
She just stared at Le Jin, her voice thick with the nasal congestion from her recent crying, "You seem so alone..."
Le Jin didn't know why Jiang Yingyun suddenly changed her mind. Just as she was looking back at her in confusion, she heard her say, "That person is dead, but he has indeed become a part of my life."
Jiu'an... If Jiu'an hadn't enlightened her back then, she probably still wouldn't know what to do with that dilapidated "home".
Her four years of peace and contentment truly stemmed from Jiu'an.
But the person in front of her is a noble young lady, the young mistress of the Meng family. If she were to say that she is like a powerless, nameless, and insignificant eunuch, she would be angry, wouldn't she?
Jiang Yingyun raised her arm to wipe away the tears on her chin and pushed the pieces of meat in the pot with a spoon. "It's not that I'm discouraged. It's just that Jingming is having a hard time with the marriage, and I don't want to put him in a difficult position."
The deathly stillness on her face gradually faded, and Le Jin's eyes curved into a smile. She knew that her pain had been temporarily relieved, and her heart felt sweet. She casually picked up the firewood at her feet and skillfully added it to the bottom of the pot.
Bao Yin, who had been silent for a long time, cried out in fright when she saw Le Jin's actions, "Wife! Be careful not to prick your hand!"
Le Jin turned to her with a smile, shrugged, and said, "It's okay, I'm just playing around."
Hearing her childish words, Jiang Yingyun thought to herself, "What a spoiled young lady! Firewood is no joke!" But she sniffed and a smile crept onto her lips.
People feel relaxed when they do things they are familiar with, and Le Jin was no exception. Looking at the flames roaring under the pot, even her tone carried a hint of carefree ease.
"Trust the Crown Prince! What if things take a turn for the better?"
Yuan Jingming won Princess Zhaode's heart at first sight because he saved her from danger, but now that connection has been ruined by Le Jin. Regardless of what the powerful royal relatives think or do, the fate between these two is sealed. Shouldn't the male lead step in a little longer?
Jiang Yingyun didn't answer Le Jin, but her smile deepened as she got up and took three bowls to serve soup.
"It's cold, let's have some soup to warm ourselves up first."
She scooped out a large spoonful of pale orange soup and placed it steadily into the earthenware bowl, but before she could scoop out a second spoonful, she suddenly heard Bao Yin's low displeasure.
"Wife, don't drink it, it's dirty..."
Her wife had always lived a life of luxury, with the best of everything, and had never tasted anything like this from the countryside.
Jiang Yingyun's expression froze for a moment. The second spoonful had just left the soup when she was unsure whether to put it back in the bowl.
"The grains that people eat grow from the soil, and all kinds of livestock produce urine and feces. There's nothing dirty about it." Le Jin calmly told Bao Yin not to worry, and reached out to take the hot soup from Jiang Yingyun's hand.
However, she moved too quickly, and the back of her hand brushed against the extremely hot edge of the pot. Her delicate skin immediately became red and swollen, leaving a light red burn mark.
"Ouch!"
All three gasped softly. Baoyin grabbed Lejin's hand to look at it, and carefully blew on the red and swollen area, her heartache evident in her words.
"Wife, I told you not to touch it..."
"It only hurts a little, it's not like the sky is falling." Le Jin chuckled and pushed the bowl of soup to Bao Yin. "You're obligated to help others, so don't complain!"
The three of them each held a bowl of soup and sat around the fire. The preserved rabbit soup had a faint smoky aroma, no oily smell, slightly salty, and was hot and refreshing when it entered their mouths.
Seeing Le Jin happily drinking her soup, Jiang Yingyun suddenly asked, "Hey, why did you come here on this snowy day?"
"Did you have a fight? Did she kick you out, or did you kick her out?"
Yuan Jingming pulled his cloak tighter and stood with Meng Shutai at the door of Jiang Yingyun's house. He had been dragged here by Meng Shutai overnight, and during that time they encountered heavy snow blocking the roads. The servants of both families had been busy all night to get them here.
"Tsk, no... if you chase her away, you don't need to chase after her." Yuan Jingming frowned, glancing sideways at Meng Shutai, who looked like a bodhisattva, with utter disappointment.
"Oh my god, you actually got dumped by her in your own home?"
Meng Shutai glanced over with a chilling look, his expression oppressive, and Yuan Jingming almost lost his footing.
Well, this resentful husband is not someone to mess with.
Meng Shutai's gaze lingered on Yuan Jingming for a long while before he looked away. He truly loathed this fool now. Le Jin should have had nowhere to go in Luojing and could only obediently stay by his side. But unexpectedly, despite all his calculations, he had overlooked Jiang Yingyun.
She clenched her molars slightly, but her voice remained calm and unhurried, "It's been a long time since I've seen you, Jiang Si Niangzi. Don't you want to climb this mountain path by yourself?"
That's true. Yingyun hasn't been doing well lately, and he's been thinking of bringing her down the mountain; he'll have to come sooner or later.
Yuan Jingming pursed his lips, agreeing with Meng Shutai's words but also feeling a little displeased. Today… no, it should be said that he'd been in a particularly bad mood ever since he approached him last night, his face cold and silent like a ghost. It was as if he resented him?
But his wife ran away, what does that have to do with him? It's absurd!
Yuan Jingming stopped thinking about Meng Shutai, raised his hand and knocked on the small wooden door, switching to his usual lively tone when speaking to Jiang Yingyun:
"Yingyun, Yingyun!"
Jiang Yingyun was tidying the quilt when she heard the sound and the quilt slipped from her hands. Le Jin was sitting in front of the mirror having her hair combed by Bao Yin. Seeing her actions, she knew that Le Jin was still struggling with whether or not to continue with Yuan Jingming.
She jumped up. "I'll go take a look."
Le Jin opened the window a crack and looked out with a smile, then slammed the window shut the next second.
Bao Yin and Jiang Yingyun asked in unison, "What's wrong?"
Le Jin didn't say anything and took several steps back.
Suddenly, a clear and gentle voice rang out amidst the sound of wind and snow outside.
“Ah Jin…”
Le Jin rolled her eyes, turned around and sat back on the earthen bed, refusing to look outside again.
Jiang Yingyun couldn't help but laugh, realizing that Yuan Jingming wasn't the only one outside. She put down the blanket and went to open the door, but Le Jin angrily stopped her, saying, "Don't open the door! Don't let him in!"
Le Jin didn't hold back at all, and unsurprisingly, her words reached the ears of the two people outside.
Yuan Jingming raised an eyebrow in astonishment and muttered, "This is too fierce..." Something suddenly moved in his peripheral vision. He turned around and saw Meng Shutai close his eyes and fall to the ground in the snow.
"Shutai! Shutai, wake up!"
After braving the wind and snow all night, and with the mountain road being difficult to traverse, even Yuan Jingming, who had served in the army, almost couldn't hold on, let alone Meng Shutai.
Hearing the commotion outside, Jiang Yingyun anxiously asked Le Jin, "Young Master Meng has fainted! Shall we open the door?"
Le Jin crossed her arms and kicked the bedpost hard with her heel. "I won't open it! Let him climb in himself!"
Although she said it in anger, Le Jin didn't believe Meng Shutai's every move. Even if he really fainted, he deserved to be chilled!
Upon hearing this, Yuan Jingming gasped in anger, craning his neck to confront Le Jin: "Don't you have any conscience at all...?"
However, before he could finish speaking, he saw with his own eyes the seemingly fragile, ethereal young man who had fallen to the ground calmly open his eyes, brush off the snow-white coverings of his body, and smile serenely as if nothing had happened.
"Ah Jin, you can only climb in after the door is opened."
Yuan Jingming's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his mouth gaped open as he swallowed a lot of wind and snow...
My God, Meng Pusa is possessed by a ghost!
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Author's Note: Yuan Jingming: I am filled with deep respect!
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