Chapter 46 Chapter 46 It’s not 2:00 PM…
Before two quarters past three in the morning, the magistrate and Jiang Wan boarded the carriage bound for Nanfeng Pavilion.
The interrogation in the dungeon went smoothly, and Li Weimin quickly confessed that Jiang An was hiding in a Nanfeng Pavilion two streets away from the woodworking factory. But the magistrate was still very curious:
"Miss Jiang, how did you guess that Young Master Jiang was at Nanfeng Pavilion? That lawyer is very tight-lipped. I just sent someone to question him before the interrogation, and he didn't say a word."
"Li Weimin didn't dare use the county yamen's carriage, but if he tied the man up and took him to the street, it would attract too much attention. If the people nearby heard the cries for help and asked about them, they would be easily exposed. However, Nanfeng Pavilion is very special. When handsome men are sold there, they often refuse to accept their fate and cry out. Therefore, even if my brother struggled and begged for help, no one would care."
Jiang Wan paused, then continued, "I guess Li Weimin must have had some slave trade dealings with Nanfeng Pavilion in the past, which is why he's so familiar with the place. I originally only guessed it was Nanfeng Pavilion, but I couldn't guess which one. Luckily, he was quick to recruit. We should still be able to make it in time if we go there now."
The magistrate sighed softly, "I underestimated the girl."
He personally accompanied Jiang Wan to look for someone. On the one hand, he sympathized with her suffering, and on the other hand, he guessed from Li Weimin's words that this girl might have some friendship with Shen Jianqing, and even that Li Weimin's downfall was her handiwork.
In fact, the magistrate only thought Jiang Wan was a young girl, so when she was anxious and angry, the magistrate coaxed her to rest, and he didn't think she could help in any way.
It was not until just now that Jiang Wan calmed down from his anxious mood, unraveled the clues, and tricked Li Weimin that the county magistrate really took notice of him.
The drive from the county government office to Nanfeng Pavilion took no more than an incense stick of time. The magistrate presented his token, and the madam immediately came out to greet him.
"The county government is investigating a case. Where is the young man who was forcibly sold here by Li Weimin an hour ago? Hand him over quickly!" The first two officers took out Jiang An's portrait and placed it in front of the madam.
The madam knelt on the ground, her eyes rolling, and she cried, "We don't have such a person here, sir, are you mistaken?"
The magistrate lifted the madam's chin and warned, "Li Weimin has confessed, otherwise how could I have found you? Now hand him over obediently and stop doing that illegal business, and I will give you a lenient punishment. If you refuse to confess, you can expect to go to jail!"
The madam couldn't help being frightened and kowtowed frantically: "Sir, we have this person, but he has just been bought by a distinguished guest who we cannot afford to offend."
"So soon?" Seeing his brother, who was about to be found, was bought again, Jiang Wan was extremely anxious. "What's the name of this distinguished guest you mentioned, and where is he now?"
The madam pointed to the tea room on the second floor and said, "The distinguished guests are drinking tea upstairs. They are, they are..."
Without waiting for the madam to finish her words, Jiang Wan rushed upstairs.
There were two women sitting in the tea room, one of whom was an old acquaintance.
Fang Hong.
Jiang Wan blinked in surprise, his mind a bit confused. Wasn't his brother going to be sold as a male concubine? But Fang Hong was obsessed with antiques, not the kind of person who was interested in men. Although he didn't recognize the woman next to him, she was in her thirties and had a bun, so she must be married. And judging by her luxurious clothes and gentle face, she must have lived a good life.
Such noble ladies would not openly buy male lovers.
Jiang Wan blinked again, even more confused.
Fang Hong greeted her warmly: "Boss Jiang, you've come just in time! How did your brother end up here as a prostitute? Luckily, we were passing by and saw him being beaten by the madam, so we bought him. He was applying medicine in the side room. Since you're here, take him back quickly and try to persuade him. He's such a young man, don't let his thoughts get so bad!"
…Jiang Wan wanted to explain, but it seemed more complicated to explain.
She gritted her teeth and nodded, "Okay, I'll definitely try to persuade him. Well, I'll go in and check on my brother's injuries first."
"Hey, wait a minute..." Fang Hong shouted from behind, but Jiang Wan slipped away so quickly that he disappeared in an instant.
A few seconds later, Fang Hong heard a "bang".
Jiang Wan covered his eyes and stood in front of her and asked, "Can you see if I have a stye?"
Fang Hong touched her chin uncomfortably: "Didn't I tell you to wait a moment?"
The two of them drank tea while waiting. After just half a quarter of an hour, Jiang An came out. His left arm was bandaged, and he had changed his clothes, now wearing a clean white shirt. His face was a little pale, but like a frosted bamboo, he had a uniquely handsome and elegant demeanor.
The woman behind him was wearing a maid's pink dress, with her head half lowered. Her eyes were still as gentle and bright, but she was much thinner than Jiang Wan remembered.
Jiang Wan looked at her, and bits and pieces of memories flooded into his mind uncontrollably, making his nose sore.
At this time last year, they were still enjoying the flowers in the suburbs of Beijing, planning to sneak out at night to buy candied haws.
Who would have thought that a year later, their families would be broken up and their flesh and blood would be separated. When they met again, one was a porcelain vendor in a remote town, and the other was a maid living under someone else's roof.
Jiang Wan had countless things he wanted to say and ask, but he was too homesick to speak.
Finally, he said in a hoarse voice: "The young lady has lost a lot of weight."
He Wanrong looked so familiar in his memory that Jiang Wan could recognize her just by looking at her back. At the same time, he also thought of the woman in her thirties in the teahouse, who was the wife of the Dunhuang County Magistrate.
During the exile, Jiang Wan and his family were forced to do hard labor as slaves in Xiaofangpan City. He Wanrong, a direct descendant of the Duke's family, was assigned to the county magistrate's mansion as a maid. Fortunately, the magistrate's wife valued her and kept her by her side, sparing her from much hardship.
Even so, many people in the county magistrate's office looked down on her. Not only did they withhold her food, often only giving her leftovers, but they also assigned her to the most remote and coldest house.
In the past, when she spent the winter in the mansion, she had to burn charcoal from morning till night. Now, let alone charcoal, she didn't even have a thick quilt. If the county magistrate's wife hadn't noticed and specially asked her to stay in her room as a personal maid, He Wanrong really didn't know how she would have made it through this winter.
While waiting just now, Jiang Wan asked her about her life in detail, and realized that physical pain was secondary, and the mental humiliation was even more painful.
When she first arrived, any servant would point at her and call her the daughter of a traitor, isolating and oppressing her. There were even lecherous servants who tried to insult her. Later, when He Wanrong followed the wife of the county magistrate, the situation improved slightly.
Speaking of sad things, even Fang Hong lamented that although He Wanrong looked weak, she had a strong heart. She endured the hardships that her parents and brothers could not endure alone.
He Wanrong, however, made no mention of her own suffering. She simply clutched Jiang Wan's arm tightly, looking him up and down. Her eyes gradually reddened as she choked out a sob, "How are you doing here? I heard that being a convict slave is very hard work, and I've always been worried about you. Later, Lord Fang said that you had escaped slavery and started a business, so I've been wanting to come and see you. It just so happened that Madam and Lord Fang wanted to come and see your shop, so I had the opportunity to come along. Where are you living now? Do you have enough money? Are you used to the food and clothing? Is your wet nurse in good health?"
"Mother is doing well. We're living well here. Our new home has just been renovated. It's right over there, just a quarter-minute walk away." Jiang Wan pointed in the direction of his home and consoled him with a smile, "Don't worry about me. I run a shop now and can earn nearly a hundred taels of silver a day. Not only did I redeem my mother and brother, I also brought down the corrupt businessmen and corrupt officials."
"Yes, yes, yes. I've heard of your glorious deeds even from far away in Dunhuang County." He Wanrong nudged Jiang Wan's nose, her expression as affectionate as when she was little. "Your brother was just beaten by the madam, and he has wounds on his back and arms. I've bandaged them. Remember to rest when you go back. It's my family who has implicated you in the exile. If you need anything, just come to me. Although I'm no longer the young lady I used to be, I will do my best to help you."
Jiang Wan leaned forward, half-hugging the other's shoulders, and said with a smile, "There's something I really want to ask—when will you be willing to be my sister-in-law?"
"Ah?" He Wanrong was surprised by her magical thinking.
Jiang Wan pretended to hit her: "What? You saw my brother naked, don't you have to take responsibility?"
God knows what she saw when she pushed the door open just now. Her brother is usually very serious, but when he was applying the medicine just now, his eyes were almost glued to the young lady's face.
Halfway through applying the medicine, her brother grabbed the young lady's hand, and the two of them looked at each other with sorrowful and affectionate eyes...tsk tsk tsk tsk.
In the original owner's memory, the two had already been engaged before the Heguo Mansion was ransacked. If it weren't for the treason case, they would have been engaged this spring.
It had been two months since their exile. Jiang Wan often saw her brother hunched over the window, lost in thought. Whenever she asked him about it, he would pretend nothing had happened.
Seeing this, her gossipy soul was burning.
In her previous life, Jiang Wan wasn't a gossipy person. Occasionally, upon hearing about a friend or colleague's happy event, she'd just contribute, rarely asking about anything else. But after traveling through time, with family, friends, and three apprentices, her heart softened. She'd become like a wild civet in a melon field, excited by the melon's scent.
Jiang An clenched his fist and coughed lightly, with a barely perceptible blush on his face: "Sister, don't talk nonsense."
"Who asked you?" Jiang Wan glared at her brother, then turned and hugged He Wanrong. "Don't worry, I'll open a branch in Dunhuang soon. I'll let my brother move there to accompany you, okay?"
He Wanrong raised her head, a glimmer of hope gradually rising in her eyes. Jiang An beside her also rubbed his hands nervously, waiting for her answer.
After a while, she shook her head and whispered, "Wanwan, to be honest, from the day I embarked on the road of exile, I made up my mind to overturn the verdict for my He family."
"I know very well that my father is innocent. No matter how difficult this road is, I will go on." She looked at Jiang An, her eyes misty but very determined, "I have already implicated you once, and I don't want to implicate you a second time."
Jiang Wan's hand, intended to gently tap the man's shoulder, paused mid-air. She paused, trying to recall the details of the He Guogong case. Unfortunately, the original owner was just a servant, so consumed with pleasure that all she could remember were a few words from the Dali Temple files.
She wanted to ask more, but with the County Magistrate's wife and Fang Hong present, Jiang Wan couldn't say much. After a few more small talk, and once the County Magistrate had finished his business outside, she stood up and said goodbye. Before leaving, she thanked the County Magistrate's wife and Fang Hong and arranged to show them around her porcelain shop at 3 p.m.
As soon as he left Nanfeng Pavilion, Jiang Wan heard the familiar system voice:
"Congratulations to the host for successfully redeeming his family, completing the mission [Regain Freedom], and earning 50 points."
"Congratulations to the host for spending over five hundred taels of silver, completing the mission [Spend Money Like Water], and earning 30 points."
Jiang Wan closed his eyes, and the remaining points on the system interface changed from 352 to 432.
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