Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Zhang Ziyan had just stepped into the Jiang family shop...
As soon as Zi Yan stepped into the door of Jiang's shop, he was stunned.
The sun had already set, and the moon had not yet risen. The sky was dim, and only two oil lamps illuminated the silhouette of the shop owner.
She lowered her head and smiled faintly, her eyes filled with tiny glints of light, as if all the light from the heavens and earth after sunset were concentrated in them. Her long hair fell softly, and she wore no makeup or jewelry, but her skin seemed even more white as snow, like a goddess who had just descended from the snowy mountains, pure and clear, untainted by the dust of the world.
Zi Yan was still carrying the silver he earned from delivering custom orders, a heavy cloth bag in his hand. He stood there in a strange position, his left foot inside the door and his right foot outside, motionless.
"What are you doing there?" Chen Xi looked puzzled. He raised his hand and waved it in front of him. "Hey? Hey! Hurry up and check the bag for me to see if the amount is correct."
Seeing that he didn't move, Chen Xi had no choice but to pull the bag in his hand, but the other party had no intention of letting go, so he had to poke his palm with his arm.
Zi Yan finally reacted and handed the silver to Chen Xi.
"You came back early today," Jiang Wan said, having saved up enough money. He poured tea for Zi Yan in a good mood, then smiled brightly as he looked up. "It seems you've memorized the delivery route."
Zi Yan took the warm teacup and was caught off guard by the woman's beautiful smile. Then he remembered that he was holding the place where her fingertips had just touched. The wrist holding the cup could not help but tremble, and a blush crept up his cheek.
In the one month they had known each other, he had never seen her smile so sincerely.
While he was dazed, Jiang Wan had already sent his three disciples off to clean the storeroom. Now, only the two of them were left in the front room.
Jiang Wan leaned over, one hand on the back of Zi Yan's chair and the other on the armrest. Instantly, the girl's unique fragrance lingered in his mouth and nose. Zi Yan took a deep breath and sat still with an expressionless face.
But Jiang Wan had a keen eye and sensed something was amiss in his somewhat stiff sitting posture. He couldn't help but chuckle, maintaining this posture as he whispered, "Since you've memorized everything, then the person you're looking for should be found soon, right?"
Zi Yan's lips were tight, and his dark eyes stared at her intently.
Jiang Wan seemed oblivious and continued, "You've been delivering goods these past few days, so I guess you've already gotten a pretty good idea of the town's topography and residents. So, is that person in the city?"
Jiang Wan had initially assumed he was a wealthy young man from a nearby city, and hadn't given him much thought when he hired him to make deliveries. But that night, when he accidentally witnessed him secretly burning paper money and recalled their first encounter at the clinic, he realized something was amiss. How could an ordinary wealthy young man, newly recovered from a serious injury, be willing to work in the elements?
Jiang Wan later thought about it carefully and realized that he was the only one using the delivery as a cover-up for what he really wanted to do.
He was hunted and nearly killed, yet upon waking, he showed no sign of panic, instead calmly reading something from the Analects. Either he'd lived on the edge of a knife for years, or he possessed a resolute resolve, unmatched by ordinary people. Add to that his relationship with Lord Shen, the Imperial Guard, and his mother's humble origins and early death... Jiang Wan stared at him intently, feeling as if something was about to surface, yet it was just off the mark.
Jiang Wan couldn't help but feel a little frustrated at not getting an answer, but she still remembered the lesson from last time. She simply tilted her head to hide the emotion in her eyes and put on a smile. "Don't worry, I've said it before, I don't have any ideals in this life. I just want to live a stable life with my family. I won't ask too many questions. I just hope that you and Lord Shen can complete your mission as soon as possible and bring Magistrate Li to justice so that I can redeem my mother and brother as soon as possible."
Zi Yan was silent for a long while, not knowing what he was thinking. Just when Jiang Wan thought he wouldn't answer, he suddenly asked, "Is this what makes you happy today?"
"Huh?" Jiang Wan was stunned for a moment before realizing that the "this matter" he was talking about was about saving enough money. But the question was asked so suddenly that Jiang Wan couldn't figure out the other party's intentions and didn't know how to respond.
Before that time, she would have said it without thinking, but now she was no longer stupid.
"Three days." Zi Yan's gentle voice came to his ears, "In three days, Li Weimin will be arrested and imprisoned."
Jiang Wan breathed a sigh of relief, filled Zi Yan's cup of tea and thanked him.
As he spoke, Chen Xi had already checked the amount of silver and came over jogging: "Master, everything has been checked, there is no problem."
Jiang Wan nodded.
"Then Master, will Big Brother still take you back later?"
Zi Yan looked at her when he heard that, his eyes lit up for a moment, but he quickly lowered his eyelids to cover it up.
Jiang Wan rubbed the little girl's head and said gently, "No, Master has guests soon."
Zi Yan stood there with his eyes downcast, like a silent reef. Jiang Wan watched him, and saw a hint of grievance. She quickly shook her head and said, "I have an appointment with a distinguished guest, so I won't be joining you. It's getting late, so you should go home early. I'll treat you to tea later."
Zi Yan nodded, slowly finished his tea, stood up, and slowly walked towards the door.
Jiang Wan was getting anxious and wanted to urge him a few words, but considering the other party's identity, he had to hold back the words and curse secretly in his heart.
Zi Yan walked, staring down at the pattern on the toe of his shoes. It took him an eternity to cover just a few steps. Jiang Wan suspected that if her shop were a little bigger, he might have worn out his shoes by staring at them.
Zi Yan stepped over the threshold. Outside, the stars shone brightly. In the night, his figure stood tall and silent, his thinness giving him a hint of loneliness, like a lone wolf sitting facing the moon.
This wasn't the first time she'd felt this way. Every time Jiang Wan saw him walking alone in the quiet night, she could clearly sense the cold, bloody loneliness that emanated from him.
The blood was both his own and someone else's. Jiang Wan had once seen him light a memorial bonfire beside his stone wall, licking his wounds with red eyes, and had also been pinched by his sharp claws.
As a former successful businessman, Jiang Wan was used to eliminating all potential dangers. After that incident, she removed him from her circle of friends.
But at this moment, her body began to rebel against her long-standing habit, and she felt an urge to go forward and pat him on the shoulder, so much so that her whole body tensed up and her fingers on the edge of the table curled up.
Zi Yan suddenly turned around.
"You can ask more questions." He pinched the corner of his clothes with his right thumb and index finger and whispered.
Jiang Wan: Ah?
No, why is this person talking so incoherently? What does she want to ask more questions? What else does she want to ask?
A huge question mark popped up in Jiang Wan's head, waiting for his next words.
But Zi Yan fell silent after saying this. Jiang Wan waited for him. He lowered his head and looked at the door frame. One second, two seconds, three seconds... The atmosphere was eerily quiet.
Jiang Wan put on a harmless, good-natured smile and tried to smooth things over: "Well, don't worry, next time I will definitely..."
"Jiang Wan," Zi Yan said, his voice trembling as if he had been stabbed. "What I mean is, you are different from others. I don't doubt you."
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked away, not even giving Jiang Wan a chance to reply—of course, even if she had the chance, she wouldn't have responded. After redeeming her mother and brother, after he returned to where he belonged, she and Zi Yan would have no more encounters. So Jiang Wan didn't need to dwell on his identity or his origins, and certainly wouldn't provoke him.
But—Jiang Wan looked at his somewhat flustered back and felt a strange sense of pleasure.
"Master, what are you laughing at?" Chen Xi came over and looked at the brightly lit street market, wondering, "Commercial streets are always like this at night. What's so fun about it?"
Jiang Wan was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was grinning so hard that his mouth was almost stretched to his ears. He quickly adjusted his expression and ruffled Chen Xi's hair awkwardly: "Nothing, there was just a fool."
"Oh." Chen Xi didn't quite understand and rubbed his master's head obediently.
"Who is this distinguished guest Master mentioned? It's so late, is he still coming?"
"Yes, but she only dared to come when it was late."
Jiang Wan helped the little girl straighten her clothes and put a hat on her. "Xixi, be good and go back first. If you're any later, your parents will be worried."
After saying this, he took out some silver and divided it among his three disciples. He instructed Wang Da and Wang Er, "Remember to send my sister back home. On the way, buy a heater for your home so you don't get cold. Especially second brother, you've just recovered from your injury, so you need to take good care of yourself. You should also prepare a few coats. Don't just save money and freeze yourself. We can make money, but we only have one body."
The three of them nodded in agreement. Wang Da thought for a moment and said, "Master, who is that guest? It's getting dark now. Can you handle it alone? How about I send my junior brothers and sisters back first, and then come over to help you."
Jiang Wan was of course aware of Wang Da's concerns, but tonight's guest was no ordinary one - it would be bad if he scared his apprentice.
She tilted her head and caught a glimpse of the paper-pasted window out of the corner of her eye. It looked a little yellow in the candlelight, and the shadow of the flame danced on the window paper.
She said slowly, "No need. Maybe the guests have already arrived and are waiting for you to leave so they can discuss business. Go back quickly and don't keep the guests waiting for too long."
Jiang Wan watched her three disciples walk away before returning to the house. The January night was chilly, so she changed the wicks and added two more candlesticks. Sitting in a chair near the candlelight, she felt warmer.
As the candlelight lit up, a calm but rather authoritative voice rang out: "Boss Jiang has a good hearing and is good at training his apprentices."
The door of the small shop gently opened, and a young woman with typical Wusun features entered. She wore the attire of a Wusun noblewoman, a veil covering her head, and a pale blue gemstone dangling from her forehead. Her well-maintained skin was smooth and radiant, and she looked no more than 27 or 28 years old. Her deep blue eyes were incredibly gentle in the candlelight—if Jiang Wan hadn't witnessed her methods during the day, he would have likely considered her a gentle and kind person.
She then continued, "But there's only one bad thing—why don't you take a guess first?"
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