Chapter 5: A Boy's Fantasy
The night is dark, like lacquer and ink.
It brought with it the cool air that had been outside for a long time, and with a "clang" sound, it all fell on Zhang Min's head.
The candle flame, as small as a golden bean, could not warm his cold back.
"Huh?"
Behind him, Ye Jindian uttered a low, doubtful sound.
She saw a blue booklet fall and subconsciously turned her head to look at it out of curiosity.
However, the book fell upside down, and she couldn't see any words clearly. Just as she was about to bend down to pick it up, Zhang Min quickly turned around, grabbed the book and stuffed it into his arms.
"Please wait a moment, my lady. I will bring the water right away."
After he finished speaking, he ran away as if escaping, and no matter how Ye Jindian shouted, he could not be stopped.
She didn't think too much about his panic, worried that he couldn't lift the full bucket of water, but she wanted to be brave, so she quickly got up and followed him, wanting to lend a hand:
"Husband, please go slower, don't fall."
Hearing Ye Jindian's footsteps catching up, Zhang Min was worried that she would run away in a hurry, so he stopped and looked back at her.
"Tiantian, what are you doing here?" After saying that, he realized his tone was too stiff, as if questioning and blaming her. He stammered to explain, "I, I don't mean to blame you. I mean—"
Ye Jindian adjusted the headband on her head: "I know, you're worried that the wind will give me a headache."
She doesn't care much about these things.
"But I'm not porcelain, I'm not that fragile." She looked towards the kitchen where the warm firelight was coming out and nodded towards that side. "Go push the firewood first, don't let it fall out and burn the stove."
Zhang Min looked at her worriedly, looking back every few steps: "Then don't run."
"Yeah, no running."
Ye Jindian was in a state of confusion. If someone didn't know, they would have thought they were going to be apart for a few years.
Zhang Min stepped into the kitchen, kicked the little widow under Luo Ying's butt, and said in a low voice, "Why don't you leave? Do you want to stay for a midnight snack?"
If his wife found out, how would he explain it?!
Luo Ying pushed the firewood into the stove and whispered, "If the Prime Minister is willing, that's fine."
Zhang Min gave him one word: "Get lost."
"Okay." Luo Ying swiftly climbed over the stove, opened the window on the other side, and rolled away. Before leaving, she leaned on the windowsill and whispered, "I'll come look for the Prime Minister later."
Zhang Min: “…”
Why does this guy always talk so much nonsense?
Ye Jindian slowly walked to the door and saw him standing in front of the stove without moving. Curiously, she followed his eyes to the windowsill and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's okay." Zhang Min turned around, looking a little shy again, and reached out to take the bucket to scoop water. "I was wondering if I should fill two buckets and carry them together so that the water won't cool down too quickly."
Ye Jindian: “…”
As expected, her handsome husband wanted to show off again, but luckily she followed him.
"That's fine." But she didn't criticize him, she just said, "But you fell today, and you're—"
Zhang Min: "I have no injuries, you can carry it."
Just two buckets of water, what's the big deal?
At most, the wound on my waist caused by the assassin will be broken, and it can be cured by changing the medicine.
"Even if you're not injured, it would still hurt a lot if you fell." Ye Jindian shook her head slightly, disagreeing, "If you don't want to make me angry, just listen to me and carry it together with the pole, okay?"
Zhang Min tried to argue for a moment, but when he met her serene gaze, he immediately changed his tune: "Then... I'll just listen to you, my lady."
Ye Jindian then smiled, her peach blossom eyes curved down, emitting a sweet scent like a flower cake: "That's right."
After thinking about it, I was afraid that he would misunderstand me and think that I despised him for being weak, and I was afraid that he would fall and spill the hot water again, so I added:
"Your health is much more important than these two buckets of water, do you understand?"
Having been smitten by sweet arrows for days, Zhang Min felt so happy that he almost lost himself in joy.
"Oh, okay."
He raised his eyes to see her caring expression, then lowered his eyes to feel pleased.
In addition to being happy, he also felt that it was not real, like a dream.
When carrying water, he did not forget to move the shoulder pole more towards her, so that he could move closer to the bucket and bear the weight.
Ye Jindian glanced at him but didn't stop him.
Well, men all have their own self-esteem, and we can't just ignore it completely.
After putting down the bucket, she could only take a shower and scrub herself because she couldn't take a bath in the big wooden tub. Zhang Min was afraid that she would catch a cold, so he busied himself closing the windows, lowering the curtains, and pulling the screens.
Heat the hand warmer in advance and put it in the bed to keep warm.
Ye Jindian didn't know that he was a martial artist with sharp ears and eyes. She muttered quietly, "He must be eager to wash it for me himself."
"Clang—Crack—Boom—"
A series of noises were heard, and even the firelight shook violently, casting a wall of obscure, floating shadows.
She leaned over in surprise to see her handsome husband resting his elbows on the table, holding up a half-tilted lamp with one hand, and bending over in an awkward posture, as if he had tripped. He quickly steadied himself and raised his round buttocks.
His gaze turned away.
Ye Jindian coughed lightly, feeling a little embarrassed, and asked him, "Are you okay?"
"No, it's okay." Zhang Min steadied the candle flame and put it away. He used his thumb to press down the lamp oil that had splashed onto the side of his index finger. His ears were burning. "I, I've made the bed. I'll wait for you outside. When you're ready, call me in to get some water."
He said, walking towards the window.
Ye Jindian reminded him: "Hey, the door is——"
"Oh, yes. The door, the door is this way." Zhang Min also reacted, but not completely. He almost let his left foot step on his right foot and rolled out.
Even the sound of the door closing revealed a sense of panic.
he--
What's going on?
Ye Jindian didn't understand what was going on, so she untied the belt of her skirt, took off her long skirt, and casually put it on the screen.
The wooden pendant hanging from the bottom of the belt gently knocked on the bamboo screen board, and with a "bang", it went directly through the wooden door and landed in Zhang Min's ear in the corridor.
This time, not only his ears turned red, but also his neck and face turned red.
It's over, it's over. How could he let his wife's words lead him to daydream? He, he is such a bad person! !
After taking a shower and changing into a light pink pajamas, Ye Jindian opened the door and saw a red shrimp huddled in front of the railing with his head in his hands.
"Husband?" She was startled and moved closer to him. "What's wrong with you? Why are you blushing so much? Do you have a fever?"
As she approached, a faint and elegant peach blossom fragrance, stimulated by the high temperature, rushed towards him, interweaving into a dense net, covering the sky and capturing his breath.
Zhang Min didn't dare to look at her: "I, I'm fine, the spring night is cool, my lady, go to bed and rest first, I, I'll go and clean up the bath water."
He rushed into the inner room, found a thin fur coat and put it on Ye Jindian, then lowered his head and went behind the screen to fetch water.
Once behind the screen, the elegant fragrance of peach blossoms becomes stronger.
He was in a dilemma.
Fortunately, there was not much used water left. He carried half a bucket in his left hand and half in his right hand and walked away. He waited until the smell dissipated before coming back and wiped the floor dry with a cloth.
When everything was packed up, Ye Jindian had already fallen asleep holding the hand warmer.
Zhang Min half-knelt beside the bed, carefully reached out, brushed away the loose hair on the tip of her nose that was disturbed by her breathing, took away the hand warmer, and replaced it with a hot water bottle.
Seeing her sleeping soundly with a rosy complexion on her cheeks, he couldn't help but curl his big eyes and smile silently.
if--
It would be nice if he could always stay with Tiantian like this.
After watching for a while, he was afraid that she would feel cold, so he filled a hot water bottle and stuffed it into the end of the quilt. It could block the wind and warm her feet at the same time.
He quietly left the inner room, turned around and climbed over the wall to leave.
Luo Ying had been leaning against the opposite wall for a long time. Seeing Zhang Min finally come out, he slid over and handed him the information Cang Ying had found: "We have results. He's in Dongshan, but we don't know where."
Dongshan is most famous for its first Taoist temple, Dongshanyuan, but it's more than just one mountain; it's a vast expanse of mountains. There are dozens of Taoist temples, as well as numerous villages and even hermits.
It's difficult to find the person.
Zhang Min finished flipping through the list in his hand, comparing it to the bright moonlight and the lantern flames, and handed it back to Luo Ying. "Turn it over inch by inch, and find all the people for me."
In the darkness, Goshawk answered "Yes", then with a "whoosh" sound, his sleeves fluttered, and a shadow appeared to tell Zhang Min that he was gone.
Luoying's mouth twitched.
They are all leaders of the guard team who have fought their way to the top, so why do their Dark Guard Battalion always give people the illusion that they are more mysterious and powerful?
"Let's go." Zhang Min took a step in one direction and loosened his wrist. "Come with me to put that bastard in the sack and beat him up."
You dare to target Tiantian? You are really courting death.
Luo Ying followed him half a step away and cracked his finger bones: "This is not good. If this gets out, your reputation will be ruined again."
"Who told you to spread the news?" Zhang Min glanced at him, "This matter must not be spread outside."
Luo Ying was confused: "If you don't tell anyone, are you just venting your anger?"
"According to the intelligence you submitted, this man pretends to be kind during the day, but indulges in debauchery at night. He always flirts with any young woman he sees. He smiles to the outside world, but attacks her fiercely, even when his wife was pregnant." Zhang Min listed his neighbor Wu Lang's "great achievements" one by one, paused, and sneered. "What's more, he made his fortune thanks to his wife, and the house he lives in is all her property."
Even the money for drinking and having fun was earned by pawning his wife's gold and silver jewelry.
Luo Ying touched his chin: "So, the Prime Minister plans to--"
Zhang Min clenched his fingers into fists. "First, beat him up so hard he can't get out of bed. Then, send someone to buy the house. Besides the deposit, pay him a little more upfront. Make sure he spends freely. Then, spread the news back to his poor relatives."
Luo Ying couldn't believe it: "It's that simple?"
It's not like their prime minister's usual style.
It's just the harassment from poor relatives. I can avoid them by moving to a new place when I have money.
"How could he get such a good deal?" Zhang Min stared at the figure staggering in the darkness and continued, "Take the paperwork to the government office and tell them that they only recognize the buyer, the lady next door, and not Wu Lang, and that they don't want to buy it for the time being. Ask them to return the advance payment."
The deposit cannot be refunded if the transaction is cancelled, but the prepayment can be refunded.
Luo Ying took a deep breath and said, "Prime Minister, are you forcing them to sell their house at a low price?"
According to Wulang's personality, he can't save the money at all. He has spent it all. How can he return it to them? He can only hold his nose and sell it to other people at a low price.
As for who that "someone else" will end up being, he knows without even thinking about it.
——It must be someone sent by them.
"Did tonight's meal clog your brain?" Zhang Min gave him a disdainful look. "That was so his wife, who wanted a divorce, could take the opportunity to sell the house and negotiate terms with him."
The Dayan Code had not yet been promulgated, and everything was done according to the laws of the previous dynasty.
The laws of the previous dynasty stipulated that a husband could not touch his wife's dowry. He could easily sell off the jewelry, but it was not so easy to change the name of the house. Therefore, the house was still in the hands of the lady next door.
As long as the other party is smart enough, he will definitely seize this opportunity and get rid of Wu Lang completely.
He just created an urgent matter that forced the other party to make a choice between two options without being able to take time to weigh the pros and cons.
"By the way, if the other party gets the money but regrets and continues to pester you, then help that lady and file an appeal with the government."
Just giving her a beating and letting her poor relatives chase her would be a bargain. What he wanted was for her to be separated from her family and walk alone, her crimes exposed to the public, with no place to hide, and she would no longer be able to deceive other women.
Luo Ying: “…”
He is indeed their cunning, no, wise and powerful prime minister.
"Once the house is bought and the lady next door is divorced, you can pay her the full amount of money she should have given you. See if she's willing to grow mulberry trees and weave cloth in our villa, so she can have a place to stay."
"yes."
As the two were talking, the drunk Goro also tilted his head and staggered closer.
They waited until he fell into darkness, then easily put a sack on him, dragged him into a narrow alley with no windows or courtyard, and beat him until he screamed.
"Who hit me!"
"Let me go! If you dare to hit me, I'll make you pay!"
Zhang Min twitched the corner of his mouth and kicked him in the butt. Seeing him rolling away, he sneered, raised his foot and stepped on his calf, rolling it hard.
"ah--"
"I was wrong, please let me go."
"I don't know how I have offended you two. I can correct it or give you money."
Neither of them paid any attention to him, and instead attacked him in a painful but not fatal place, just to make him suffer for a long time.
After the fight, the two men retreated.
After thinking about it, Zhang Min still felt unsatisfied, so he turned around and kicked his feet twice more, threw the hairband back behind him, straightened his appearance, and slowly walked into the long street with bright lights.
After walking a distance, Luo Ying leaned against the wall and laughed out loud: "It's been a long time since I felt so childish and happy. If you have something like this again, remember to take me with you."
Zhang Min glanced at him sideways and said unhappily, "Do I have that much free time?"
There are many complicated matters in the Prime Minister's Mansion. If the other party had not provoked Tiantian, he would not have done such a thing.
After looking around the street for a while and seeing a high-hanging plaque, he walked straight in that direction.
Luo Ying watched him walk in the opposite direction of the Prime Minister's residence and called out, "Hey, that busy gentleman, it's not even midnight yet, so where is he going if he's not back home to handle paperwork?"
"Buy some salted snacks for my wife to take with her medicine."
Luo Ying: “…”
Why did he feel that their prime minister was still a little idle?
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