Chapter 46 Leaving the Wu Family
On the bed, Zhong Cai lay with her eyes open, unable to fall asleep.
Wu Shaogan lay beside him, nudged him, and whispered, "A-Cai?"
Zhong Cai turned over to face Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan's eyes were gentle.
Zhong Cai looked at that familiar, handsome face, her brows furrowed, clearly in a bad mood.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly: "Did I find you ugly?"
Zhong Cai rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.
Wu Shaogan then asked in a low voice, "Is it about Dong Xiao?"
Zhong Cai paused, then shook her head and said, "Not entirely."
Wu Shaogan listened quietly.
Zhong Cai said, "I'm not familiar with Wu Dongxiao, and you have more than one nephew. You don't even have a good relationship with your brother and sister-in-law. At most, I feel a little sorry for that kid. I've already given him medicine to heal his injuries. Is it really worth losing sleep over this?"
Wu Shaogan relaxed his brows and eyes, and also rubbed Zhong Cai's brows to help him relax.
Then he said with certainty, "That's for me."
Zhong Cai sighed and said frankly, "The way Wu Dongxiao is being tormented reminds me of you. When you were crippled, you were also thrown into a small courtyard, abandoned by everyone and ignored by no one."
"I was thinking, if I hadn't been careful when my mother gave birth to me and I had also died, what kind of person would the Zhong family have sent? You're so weak, what would you have done if the person sent was unwilling?"
Zhong Cai murmured, "I didn't think much of it at first, but your nephew... he was just crippled, and he's still a kid, and he's being abused like this. Judging from your brother and sister-in-law's behavior, they must know, but they didn't even think to care."
Wu Shaogan quietly looked at Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai said, "If the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit is useless and your parents don't care about you, will you end up like that brat in that courtyard?"
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly.
Zhong Cai glared at him: "You can still laugh?!"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "I'm happy that A-Cai cares about me."
Zhong Cai's anger subsided a little.
Wu Shaogan squeezed Zhong Cai's wrist and coaxed, "Xiang Lin is still here, and I myself have the strength of the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm. Dong Xiao is different from me; he can't use any Xuan power at all. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up being bullied by two little bastards."
Zhong Cai asked quietly, "Then how can you be sure that the Wu family won't force you to transfer Xiang Lin's death contract? Your profound energy can only be replenished by taking Qi-replenishing pills. How many times can you use it?"
Wu Shaogan smiled and said calmly, "If you force me to switch sides to Xiang Lin, I might agree."
Zhong Cai pouted: "I knew it. You think you don't have long to live and don't want to drag Xiang Lin down with you."
Wu Shaogan chuckled.
If he hadn't grown up with A-Cai, he probably wouldn't have had any feelings for Xiang Lin. When he was forced to lie on his bed, how could he have thought about not implicating Xiang Lin? He was probably just filled with despair and resentfully agreed.
Wu Shaogan continued, "But if anyone dares to come knocking on my door, I will kill them."
Zhong Cai was taken aback.
Wu Shaogan put his arm around Zhong Cai's shoulder and they bumped heads together.
"The one who could do such a thing must be a Heavenly Guide, at most the first three levels of the Palace Opening Realm. Otherwise, how would they have time to cause me trouble? I was once an Enlightened One, and someone with such a low level of cultivation still wants to torture me. Naturally, they will be killed."
"Kill a few more, and no one will come back."
Zhong Cai hesitated, "Then your soul..."
Wu Shaogan chuckled lightly, "It won't stop me from killing."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Cai thought about it carefully again and felt relieved.
“Even if…” He mouthed “in the book,” “without me. You’ve never suffered this kind of humiliation, that’s great.”
Wu Shao chuckled dryly.
Given his temperament, he would rather die a glorious death than live a shameful life; he had no concept of enduring humiliation or bearing heavy burdens.
If you make him unhappy, he will retaliate by making them a hundred times more unhappy.
At worst, it can self-destruct; anyone who dares to come will die.
·
By this time, Zhong Cai was no longer so fixated on her thoughts and was more inclined to chat.
Zhong Cai casually asked, "When do you think we should leave...?"
Wu Shaogan gently patted his shoulder.
Zhong Cai: "What?"
Wu Shaogan said, "Xiang Lin is back."
Zhong Cai suddenly realized: "You sent him on a nighttime scouting mission, and you got results so quickly?"
Wu Shaogan nodded: "Should we have him report now, or tomorrow?"
Zhong Cai said, "Anyway, I can't sleep, and..." He frowned, "If there wasn't anything wrong, Xiang Lin wouldn't have come back so quickly."
Wu Shaogan beckoned over his coat and tossed it to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai casually put it on.
Wu Shaogan raised his voice slightly and said, "Come in."
Xiang Lin slipped inside and bowed respectfully.
Zhong Cai asked, "What happened?"
Xiang Lin replied, "To avoid being discovered by Young Master Shaoshan's guards, I did not sneak into the inner courtyard. Instead, I went to Young Master Wu Donghong's courtyard on the side to scout ahead. Young Master Wu Donghong took his two sons into his study and gave them some instructions."
Zhong Cai asked curiously, "How were you instructed?"
Xiang Lin honestly said, "Tell the two boys not to be too flamboyant when they're playing, or they'll cause trouble for outsiders."
Zhong Cai: "..." He spoke with some difficulty, "That's it?"
Xiang Lin summarized his findings.
"The gist of it is that Young Master Wu Donghong was summoned by Young Master Shaoshan, who mentioned that he was quite dissatisfied with being laughed at by the two masters today and even having them come to his door. So he asked Young Master Donghong to remind his two sons that it's fine to joke around, but don't cause trouble."
Zhong Cai: "..."
Xiang Lin said, "Although the two sons were reprimanded, they said that they were doing it to avenge their father. When Young Master Wu Donghong reprimanded the two sons, he did not show any anger, but rather a sense of affection."
Zhong Cai: "..."
Xiang Lin said, "After the father and his two sons separated, I went to the Second Courtyard to check on Young Master Dongxiao. I found that there was a bloody smell in his room, and he was not the only one."
"Xia Jiang was thrown to the ground, covered in blood, and his injuries were still untreated. The young master had just woken up and his injuries had already healed. He was cleaning Xia Jiang up."
"After nightfall, the two men came to Young Master Dongxiao's residence and broke his legs with sticks. Xia Jiang barely regained consciousness and tried to defend the young master, but his injuries worsened, and he was on the verge of death."
"Those two men probably thought it was Xia □□ and left quickly. Therefore, I returned immediately."
·
Zhong Cai was a little confused: "Who is Xia Jiang...? Is he Wu Shao'an's bodyguard? Wu Shao'an tormented him like that, and didn't he get any treatment? How did he end up with Wu Dongxiao?"
Xiang Lin said, "I sense that Xia Jiang's death contract has been transferred to Young Master Dong Xiao."
Zhong Cai: "Huh?"
Wu Shaogan: "It's probably just recycling waste."
Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan sneered: "As you know, the Wu family rules state that every descendant of the Wu family, regardless of whether they have opened their divine soul treasure, must be assigned to a death guard by the age of twenty at the latest. The life and fortune of a death guard are in the hands of the master they follow. Xia Jiang has lost his essence and blood and is seriously injured. If we want him to recover, it will probably cost several thousand gold coins and take a long time to slowly recuperate."
Zhong Cai also gave a cold laugh: "So it's better to transfer Xia Jiang to Wu Dongxiao. This would both comply with the clan rules and allow him to be assigned a death guard, and also free up a death guard position for Wu Shao'an. This way, he can find another death guard with high qualifications to work for him, and save a lot of money."
Wu Shaogan nodded slightly.
Zhong Cai blurted out, "Wu Shao'an is quite the schemer." Then she couldn't help but add, "Even if he schemed, how did the Wu family agree? And I still don't understand, since only one Elder Xuanzhao didn't want him to die, how did the majority ultimately submit to the minority?"
Wu Shaogan had never told Zhong Caixi these things before, so now he explained them to him one by one.
“The two ancestors of the Wu family each had a direct line of descendants, and each of these two lines of descendants had two elders named Xuanzhao.”
"Therefore, even if the other branches have objections, the ones who can truly make the decisions are still these four officials."
"The branch of Ancestor Wu Baifeng includes the first, fifth, and seventh branches."
“The fifth branch has no official title and therefore has no say; the seventh branch’s title is only in its early stages and also has no say. The only one who can raise objections is Elder Wu Luoyao of the first branch.”
"But the eldest son's wife has married another woman of medium rank, who has even greater power to protect her. Although they dislike Wu Shao'an's actions, they are not afraid that he might cause trouble that they cannot handle."
"If the benefits offered are sufficient, Elder Wu Luoyao can naturally remain uninvolved."
"In Elder Wu Yuanxiao's lineage, even though Elder Wu Zonghan opposes Elder Wu Zitao's opinion, both of them are at the peak of the Suspended Illumination Realm. However, Elder Wu Zitao is more than a hundred years younger than Elder Wu Zonghan, so Elder Wu Zonghan is at a disadvantage."
Zhong Cai understood a little better.
Wu Shaogan said, "The people of the Eighth Branch harmed the people of the Ninth Branch, which was naturally a great blow to the Ninth Branch. However, the Ninth Branch still has Wu Shaoshan, who is of low-grade earth element. The head of the family and his wife have always acted in the ultimate way based on interests. After the Eighth Branch gave a large amount of resources and accepted the reality of Wu Dongxiao being deposed, they still chose interests."
Zhong Cai let out a long breath.
“Your Wu family… your parents…”
He thought and thought, but couldn't find the right words, so he finally gave up.
"Whatever, we're leaving anyway."
Wu Shaogan rubbed Zhong Cai's head.
Zhong Cai shook her head, looked at Xiang Lin beside her, took out a bottle of pills, and tossed it over.
Xiang Lin accepted it.
Zhong Cai instructed, "Go run another errand and feed it to Xia Jiang." She tossed another bottle, saying, "Feed this to the brat."
Xiang Lin agreed and disappeared in a flash.
Zhong Cai sighed again and fell backward.
"That brat probably won't survive if he stays in the Wu family." He got quite angry as he said this. "Your brother and sister-in-law really don't respect you! You're supposed to be a Blessed One, how dare they treat you like this with their pathetic abilities?"
Wu Shaogan lay down beside him, smiling and comforting him, "Don't be angry, A-Cai, I don't take them seriously either."
Zhong Cai rolled her eyes again.
Wu Shaogan said gently, "When we leave, we'll take Dongxiao with us too."
Zhong Cai tilted her head, somewhat puzzled: "You seem to have quite a bit of affection for that kid?"
Wu Shaogan looked over and said, "It's because A-Cai is worried."
Zhong Cai felt a little embarrassed. He really didn't want to let that brat be killed, but after all, they had no prior relationship and no real reason to do so. Giving Xia Jiang the pills was also a way of hoping that if they didn't ultimately take him away, the brat would have a better chance of survival.
"If you take it away, what will happen to your brother and sister-in-law?"
Wu Shaogan calmly said, "Since they don't give me face, I naturally don't need to give them face either."
Zhong Cai smiled, her face immediately lighting up.
“Old Wu, you’re right! They’re inhuman, shouldn’t you, their uncle, have some compassion? I don’t think they’ll dare to spread it, otherwise they’ll be the ones who lose face.”
Wu Shaogan curled his lips into a smile: "That's exactly right."
·
Wu Dongxiao lay on the ground, his face deathly pale, with Xia Jiang beside him, his body covered in blood and looking almost like a corpse.
He never expected that Xia Jiang would desperately shield him from the beatings and blows when he was being insulted, had his leg broken, and was unable to dodge them.
·
Xia Jiang was Wu Shao'an's bodyguard. Wu Dongxiao had been on good terms with Wu Shao'an before, so he naturally knew him.
When Xia Jiang was thrown into the house and Wu Dongxiao felt the death pact had been transferred to him, he was filled with rage.
During this period of terrible experience, Wu Dongxiao would carefully recall the past every day and reflect on it, and gradually he understood a lot.
Therefore, he quickly figured out Wu Shao'an's scheme.
Even so, he was helpless.
He was too young; he had already exhausted all his strength just to live, and he couldn't possibly withstand the gloom from the outside world.
Wu Dongxiao had no liking for Xia Jiang either.
Rationally, he understood that Xia Jiang, as a loyal guard, could not disobey Wu Shao'an's orders.
The only poison resources that could ruin him were those sent by Wu Shao'an himself and those sent by Xia Jiang. The medicinal ingredient was Xia Jiang's blood essence. How could he not be angry?
And now—
Xia Jiang suffered a chest cavity caused by being abandoned by Wu Shao'an and dragged by Wu Shao'an to shield him from attacks... He has received no treatment for days and can only endure it like this.
His face and neck were covered in scabbed blood, and his jet-black hair had turned white, making him look decades older. He reeked of blood, the stench so strong it was almost unbearable, and some of his wounds even had wriggling worms around the edges…
Wu Dongxiao pursed his lips.
Even though Xia Jiang was in a terrible situation, at most he just... stopped hating Xia Jiang as much.
To make his nose feel better when he went to sleep tonight, Wu Dongxiao hesitated for a moment, but still wiped Xia Jiang's nose.
Xia Jiang was very weak. He barely opened his eyes and looked at Wu Dongxiao.
Wu Dongxiao could see that Xia Jiang felt guilty towards him.
·
Then, the Wu brothers arrived.
This time, Wu Dongxiao was being tortured in a room, unlike during the day when someone happened to come and stop him.
Amidst the cursing and swearing, Wu Dongxiao understood that not only had Master Zhong treated his injuries, but his uncle had also specifically reminded his parents when he brought him back, hoping that they would discipline the two brothers.
But clearly, the parents didn't listen at all.
The two brothers came over tonight, and while continuing to hurl insults and abuse, they broke his leg.
Because his leg is broken, he can no longer go out, and no one else will discover his situation.
And his parents, brothers, and nephews will no longer lose face.
At the moment his leg was broken, Wu Dongxiao was almost in despair.
If this continues, I'm afraid he'll die alongside Xia Jiang...
It was at this moment that Xia Jiang forced himself to get up and pulled him into her arms.
The two brothers cruelly increased their strength, and Xia Jiang was beaten until he vomited blood, but they did not let go of him.
Then Xia Jiang collapsed softly to the ground.
The two brothers then snapped out of their excitement and left together.
·
Wu Dongxiao looked at Xia Jiang, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Xia Jiang didn't actually need to defend him, because Xia Jiang didn't have the strength to do so; doing so would only bring him closer to death. However, the two brothers wouldn't kill him immediately.
But Xia Jiang did it anyway.
Wu Dongxiao held Xia Jiang's wrist; his pulse was almost completely gone.
He slowly, and finally let go of his resentment towards Xia Jiang.
Xia Jiang was a death guard; he had no choice.
If Xia Jiang could come back to life...
Wu Dongxiao thought that since Xia Jiang was still willing to protect him despite his disability, he would call him Uncle Xia.
Just then, a dark shadow flashed past the window.
Wu Dongxiao was startled.
The dark figure quietly pushed open the door and then closed it almost without making a sound.
Wu Dongxiao breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.
It's Xiang Lin.
Xiang Lin carried him back during the day.
Xiang Lin said succinctly, "Young Master and Master Zhong are worried, so they asked me to come and check on things tonight."
After speaking, he took out two bottles, poured out the pills inside, and fed them to Xia Jiang and Wu Dongxiao in turn.
Wu Dongxiao could feel a burning, stinging pain coming from his broken leg bone, and with this pain, his bone gradually healed.
Xia Jiang's pulse gradually became stronger.
Besides, Xia Jiang's face gradually regained some color, and with Xiang Lin's help, his sunken chest gradually returned to normal.
Wu Dongxiao held back his tears.
He also didn't expect that his uncle and Master Zhong Dan, who had only seen him once during the day, would not only save him but also care about his current situation.
Wu Dongxiao said in a low voice, "Please thank my uncle and Master Zhong for me."
Xiang Lin responded, picked up Xia Jiang, and placed him on the bed as Wu Dongxiao indicated. Then, he carried Wu Dongxiao to the small couch.
After that, just like when he arrived, Xiang Lin disappeared without a sound.
Wu Dongxiao felt a slight tingling in his nose and closed his eyes.
He will survive!
He will fight alongside Chapman to survive!
·
Zhong Cai was utterly fed up with the Wu family and had no desire to stay there any longer.
However, it wasn't convenient to steal the cubs during the day, so the two decided to leave the Wu family the following night.
Zhong Cai first asked Xiang Lin to inquire about Wu Dongxiao's opinion.
If that brat insists on staying at the Wu family's place, they won't bother with him.
Wu Dongxiao was no fool, and immediately agreed.
Whether they saved him or had Xiang Lin deliver the medicine, he felt it was all out of pity from his two uncles.
He accepted the kindness and remembered it, but dared not ask for too much.
But the two uncles were actually willing to take him away?
If he can be taken away, he will definitely survive!
·
late at night.
Xiang Lin carried Wu Dongxiao out.
Xia Jiang, who had barely recovered, stayed close to Xiang Lin.
After taking Zhiyun Pill, Xia Jiang's internal and external injuries recovered quickly. Although his essence and blood were still depleted, he was able to regain consciousness.
...He never actually thought he would survive.
·
Although Xia Jiang is a Death Guard, they are bound by a contract rather than brainwashed. He has also learned a lot and has his own ideas.
If Xia Jiang were to choose for himself, he would absolutely not choose Wu Shao'an as his master.
Wu Shao'an always vented his anger on the Death Guards, never rewarding them. He only made demands on them without giving them any guidance, and would severely punish them whenever they did something that displeased him.
Xia Jiang silently endured it, but he could never respect Wu Shao'an or be truly loyal to him.
Later, Wu Shao'an asked him to send resources to Wu Dongxiao. He instinctively felt that Wu Shao'an was not so kind, but even the head of the family and his wife did not stop him, so he thought that Wu Shao'an really intended to win over Wu Dongxiao—yes, not to get close to him, but to win him over.
Given Wu Shao'an's jealousy, he wouldn't get close to anyone, especially those more qualified than him.
The fact that he was able to win them over is already a result of his extreme restraint.
When Wu Shao'an demanded that Xia Jiang give up his life essence, he could only comply under the control of the death pact. However, he also thought that Wu Shao'an was just displeased with him again, only this time it was particularly serious.
...Wu Shao'an punished him many times for this, simply because his aptitude was not as good as Xiang Lin's.
Xia Jiang wasn't surprised at all that Wu Shao'an had pulled him in to shield him from injury.
It was then that Xia Jiang learned that Wu Shao'an had done such a shameless thing to Wu Dongxiao.
He actually took advantage of a child who was only a few years old to poison him!
Wu Shao'an was taken away.
Severely injured, Xia Jiang was carelessly thrown into a room to fend for himself.
During this time, his mind was almost blank and chaotic.
Then, Xia Jiang's death contract was transferred.
Even though his breathing was extremely weak, Xia Jiang still felt joy deep inside.
Rather than continue working for someone like Wu Shao'an, he'd rather die by Wu Dongxiao's side.
Later, upon discovering Wu Dongxiao's tragic condition, he felt even more guilty...
He was willing to shield Wu Dongxiao, and it was his last bit of use.
·
After waking up, Wu Dongxiao had an open and honest talk with Xia Jiang.
Xia Jiang also learned everything.
When Xiang Lin came to ask for his opinion, Xia Jiang fully respected Wu Dongxiao's opinion.
If Wu Dongxiao had to stay, then even if he would still die, he would do his best to protect Wu Dongxiao in the remaining days he had left.
·
Xiang Lin and his group soon arrived at the courtyard and met up with Zhong Cai and the others.
Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai walked ahead.
Xiang Lin placed Wu Dongxiao on Xia Jiang's back as well, covered them with a large robe, and followed closely ahead.
Then came Xia Jiang and Zhong Da.
Bichen and Qiaohong walked at the very back.
When Zhong Cai came out through the small door, he thought he would have to exchange a few words with the armored soldier, but this soldier also knew Wu Shaogan and did not stop him at all.
The group left the Wu family's residence without any problems.
Xiang Lin was driving an ordinary horse-drawn carriage.
After everyone got on the bus, they soon left the city.
Then, Wu Shaogan took out a flying boat.
Then everyone boarded the boat.
·
On the flying boat.
The servants busied themselves with their tasks.
Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai sat close together.
Wu Dongxiao and Xia Jiang sat cautiously opposite the two, one in front of the other.
Now we can finally speak in peace.
Without hesitation, Wu Dongxiao knelt down and kowtowed to the two men, solemnly saying, "Nephew thanks you both for saving my life! I will repay you with all my might whenever I have the chance!"
Zhong Cai glanced at Wu Dongxiao.
This kid has a straight back and looks quite energetic.
Although he was still a baby and had lost his baby fat, which made him look a bit pitiful, his eyes were resolute, and he was quite tall compared to his peers... so he already looked like a precocious young boy.
Wu Dongxiao was a little nervous.
His promise seems rather empty, and it's hard to say whether it can express his gratitude or show any sincerity.
Zhong Cai rested her chin on her hand and asked with a smile, "You have to repay the life-saving grace, but we'll take care of you afterwards, so you're not going to repay it?"
Wu Dongxiao quickly replied, "We should also repay the favor."
Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow: "Then how will you repay me?"
Wu Dongxiao paused for a moment.
Yes, how will he repay us?
All the resources he used to have were taken away after he was dismissed.
After he was taken to a simple hut, there was nothing of value there, and he left without taking anything with him.
To put it bluntly, he is penniless right now, without even an empty bag.
Xia Jiang only had one set of clothes he was wearing; he had nothing else.
·
Wu Dongxiao's mind worked quickly, and he immediately thought of something, saying, "Once Uncle Xia is feeling better, I'll go with him to the nearby mountains. He can hunt, and I can gather herbs!"
As he said this, a glint of light appeared in his eyes.
There are still very few strong people in this world. Even if he can't use his profound energy now, his physique is still intact.
Perhaps he could learn some martial arts techniques to strengthen his body. Even if he couldn't deal with high-level savage beasts, he had the reaction ability and strength, so he might be able to hunt low-level first-tier savage beasts!
Seeing his reaction, Zhong Cai exchanged a glance with Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan nodded.
Zhong Cai then said to Wu Dongxiao, "This time, we will stay in Qianqiao Town again."
Wu Dongxiao remembered and replied, "Yes."
Zhong Cai then said, "Now that I've brought you all out, I need to settle you down." He held up two fingers, "Now I'll give you two choices."
Wu Dongxiao listened attentively.
Zhong Cai said, "The first option is for you and Xia Jiang to live in the outer courtyard. However, there aren't many rooms in the outer courtyard, so the two of you will have to share a room."
Wu Dongxiao listened attentively.
He didn't think much of living with Xia Jiang; he was content as long as they could live a peaceful life.
Zhong Cai: "The second option is for Lao Wu and me to fund the purchase of a small courtyard house next to or near where we live, for you and Xia Jiang to live in. I will send someone to deliver meals to you regularly, and you will also receive a monthly allowance. You can decide how to live on your own. If you encounter any problems that you cannot solve, you can come to Xiang Lin."
Without hesitation, Wu Dongxiao said, "I choose the second one!"
Zhong Cai readily agreed: "Then the second one."
Wu Dongxiao assured him, "I remember Uncle Zhong gave me and Uncle Xia a lot of pills, and he kept track of their value. He also kept track of the cost of our monthly allowance, lodging, and meals. I will slowly save up to pay him back."
Zhong Cai did not refuse: "Then I'll wait."
Only then did Wu Dongxiao truly breathe a sigh of relief.
He understood his two uncles' good intentions, but he still felt uneasy if he continued to depend on them completely.
But things are different now.
Uncle Zhong and he have discussed it and agreed that as long as he follows the instructions... he really can survive!
·
The airship was very fast.
Two days later, the group arrived safely in Qianqiao Town.
The airship landed outside the town, and the passengers were transferred to horse-drawn carriages again.
Wu Dongxiao had never been here before, and he was looking out the car window with a very focused expression.
Not long after, the carriage arrived at Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan's courtyard.
Although it was agreed that Wu Dongxiao would be given a new place to live, they still had to find one, so Wu Dongxiao would temporarily stay with Xia Jiang in the outer courtyard.
Qiao Hong and Bi Cen quickly made arrangements for Wu Dongxiao.
·
The room was indeed small, but the beds were all spacious.
Everything was very clean and the furnishings were complete.
Wu Dongxiao sat on the edge of the bed, looking around.
It was certainly not as good as his residence before he was dismissed, but it was much better than the small house he lived in later.
It was bright and clear, without a trace of gloom.
Xia Jiang stood quietly to the side.
Wu Dongxiao looked up at Xia Jiang's aged face and said in a low voice, "Uncle Xia, we are safe."
Xia Jiang looked at Wu Dongxiao gently, his expression serene, and replied softly, "It's safe now. Young Master, I will take good care of you."
Wu Dongxiao smiled, a rare occurrence, and it was genuine.
This past month has felt like a nightmare.
But that's not the case now.
Now, he has simply become an ordinary person.
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan returned to the inner courtyard and, in perfect unison, lazily lay down on the soft chairs.
Wu Shaogan chuckled and said, "Why are you still asking Dong Xiao to pay you back?"
Zhong Cai also found it a bit funny, and said with a smile, "It doesn't cost much for a kid, but I think he really wants to thank me, so I'll just go along with it."
Wu Shaogan's smile deepened.
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and then said, "But I think this kid still has some... psychological trauma."
Wu Shaogan understood: "You mean, Wu Shao'an?"
Zhong Cai sighed, "That bastard Wu Shao'an sent all those good things to trick this kid, and the kid suffered so much. Even though he knows they're worthless now and he'll be tricked again, the trauma won't go away."
Wu Shaogan looked at him with a gentle expression.
Zhong Cai said, "After I explained everything to him, he felt relieved. If he really has the ability to pay it back in the future, we'll both take it."
Wu Shaogan agreed, "That's fine too."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Wu Shaogan suddenly asked, "What are your plans regarding Dongxiao's poison...?"
Zhong Cai lay back on her arm and casually said, "Let's see how lucky that kid is."
Wu Shaogan raised an eyebrow.
Zhong Cai's attitude was very carefree: "If he happens to be the one who gets to cure him, then he's lucky. Once he's cured, he can go wherever he wants. He'll always have his own path to follow."
“If he’s unlucky… I’ll raise him until he’s an adult.” Zhong Cai yawned. “He’s young, strong, and capable; surely he can manage.”
Wu Shaogan, also lying with his head on his arm, asked again, "What if we're leaving before he grows up? Should we take him with us?"
Zhong Cai gave Wu Shaogan a sullen look: "That depends on the situation."
Wu Shaogan remained calm: "What do you mean?"
Zhong Cai said frankly, "If we go out for a trip, of course we'll leave the kid here and tell Huang Qing to keep an eye on him. If we encounter any danger and have to escape, we'll have to take the kid with us. Otherwise, his life will be over."
"But it's not convenient to take them with us when we're running for our lives. We'll wait until we're far away and find a safe place to drop him and Xia Jiang off. Xia Jiang is in his forties or fifties; if we're careful, he can raise the kid himself."
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly: "Ah Cai, that's a good idea."
Hearing this, Zhong Cai pondered the previous questions for a moment, then suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Old Wu, you don't usually ask this so persistently. Are you jealous?"
Wu Shao ate a bowl of rice: "Jealous?"
Zhong Cai immediately burst into unrestrained laughter: "You don't think I'm going to ignore you because of this kid, do you? How could I! He was just someone I picked up randomly, while you were someone I deliberately struck up a conversation with. How can they be the same?"
Wu Shaogan said helplessly, "I don't think so."
Zhong Cai glanced at him sideways.
Wu Shaogan emphasized, "I really don't think you would ignore me."
Zhong Cai replied dismissively, "Then I'll believe you."
Wu Shaogan was even more helpless.
He genuinely didn't believe Zhong Cai would neglect him for the sake of others; he just...
never mind.
He himself couldn't explain it clearly.
When the question was on the tip of his tongue, he naturally asked it.
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