Chapter 14 A Government Notice Easily Captures the Wife's Heart
See, my wife still cares about me.
The thought that she might have some unknown man in her heart made Bai Yan feel a tearing pain in his heart.
A familiar name suddenly popped into his mind: He Ji, the name his wife had mentioned once. Was it him? It didn't matter who it was!
The vomiting of blood was unexpected, but the effect was quite good.
"I...I won't cough, I'm sorry to bother you," Bai Yan said weakly in a low voice.
"What do you mean 'disturbing'? This shouldn't be happening. It was already being repaired, how could it get this serious again?" He Ji! You're really something else, leaving me with a mess after you've already died.
It relies on absorbing the life force of mortals to sustain itself; it seems like an evil creature no matter how you look at it. Why didn't Heaven take it away?
Jiang Yuzhi tried to actively transfer power into Bai Yan's body, but failed.
The entanglement between ghost power and residual power is too deep. Only the residual power can transfer into Bai Yan's body on its own. Otherwise, if it is mixed with ghost power, he will probably die on the spot.
With no other option, Jiang Yuzhi could only try her best to get as close to Bai Yan as possible and speed up the transfer.
She put one arm around Bai Yan's waist and helped him into the bedroom.
Bai Yan is actually much better, but we can't let go of the opportunity to get close. The book is right, vulnerability is a man's greatest attraction.
In his wife's boudoir, he secretly sniffed like a pervert.
Jiang Yuzhi didn't use incense or place bouquets; the bedroom was filled with the scent of sandalwood, a common fragrance found in Taoist temples.
Ghosts are drawn to fragrances, and naturally carry the same scent.
"Are you feeling better? Why don't you go rest on the couch?"
"Cough cough, please, Tamaki cough cough."
"Stop talking, Zhisan! Make some tea."
Jiang Yuzhi was worried about him and prepared to take off his shoes and let him lie down.
Bai Yan, still somewhat ashamed, blushed and felt embarrassed to be served by his wife. He stammered that he would do it himself.
Jiang Yuzhi realized what she was doing, recalled what she had said outside, and silently let go.
"Miss, tea..." The atmosphere was strange. Young Master Bai was undressing on the bed, and Miss was watching him from the side. Zhisan instinctively felt that she shouldn't be there. She put the tea on the small table by the bed and ran away as if she were escaping.
"Here, take a sip to clear the bloody taste from your mouth."
Jiang Yuzhi picked up the spittoon in the corner, seemingly preparing it to collect his mouthwash.
Bai Yan was flattered and said, "Yu Zhi, I can do it myself."
"What are you thinking? I'm handing you this instant noodles, do you expect me to take it from you?" Jiang Yuzhi explained irritably.
After I told him the truth, I felt like he had changed a bit, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong.
"Yu Zhi is so good to me, I'm almost overwhelmed," Bai Yan said with a shy smile.
Jiang Yuzhi didn't know what else to say.
"In short, we will continue to see each other normally until you recover, but we should still be careful about our behavior."
"Okay." Bai Yan understood that as long as he wasn't cured, he could continue to have contact with his wife. His illness wouldn't get better until his wife gave up on that other man.
Bai Yan had never been so fortunate. He had a lot of ailments, yet he was able to attract the attention of his beloved and be cured by her. What else could this be but destiny?
Although I don't know what method she used, it doesn't matter.
She pretended to be weak and coy, but unexpectedly, Ah Zhao came looking for her again.
Ah Zhao dared not enter the house, and the sounds of her talking to Zhisan outside the door reached the ears of the human and the ghost inside.
"Your Highness will be back tonight. I've come to see when the young master will return home."
Zhisan nodded and was about to go and inform Azhao. She tentatively knocked on the door that was not closed, and asked without looking to the side, "Miss, Young Master Bai, Azhao is here. She said that Her Highness the Princess is going back and asked when Young Master Bai will return home."
"I understand. Tell him to wait at the shop." Bai Yan was secretly annoyed, wondering how Ah Zhao had managed to stay by his side for so long without any sense of propriety.
"I'll wait for you outside. I'm sure you're feeling better by now."
Jiang Yuzhi stepped out the door without waiting for Bai Yan's reply.
They all have the energy to pretend, so it doesn't seem too serious.
Ah Zhao hadn't gone far when she quickly caught up with him, as there were some questions Jiang Yuzhi was really curious about.
"Ah Zhao, wait a minute."
"Manager Jiang."
"I have a question for you. What kind of books does your young master usually read?"
Ah Zhao's expression stiffened, and she said in a muffled voice, "It's nothing more than classics, histories, philosophical works, and occasionally a travelogue."
My lord, I have done my best to cover for you.
"Isn't there anything else?" Jiang Yuzhi could tell at a glance that A Zhao was lying. "The last time I saw him, he was reading a book about some fairy maiden and young master."
"Well, I'm not too sure either. Young Master usually goes into the bookstore by himself, and I wait for him outside."
Young master, this is all I can do to help you.
"What bookstore?"
"The Huimin Bookstore at Shizijie Street".
"Okay, thank you for letting me know."
Just then, Bai Yan, dressed neatly, couldn't find Jiang Yuzhi in the courtyard, so he followed her to the front.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, ask Ah Zhao what books you read."
Bai Yan's mind went blank for a moment. He thought his wife had forgotten what happened in the carriage, and that he shouldn't have been able to glean anything from that short passage. But he never expected...
"What book am I... reading?" he asked hesitantly.
"Classics, histories, philosophical works, and travelogues?" A-Zhao chimed in.
Yes, that's all.
Bai Yan secretly observed Jiang Yuzhi's expression and, finding nothing amiss, breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"You should go back now, don't keep His Highness waiting." Jiang Yuzhi had gotten what she wanted to know, and didn't try to keep her there at all.
"I'm leaving, Tamao. The government office will post a notice tomorrow. Shall we go see it together?"
We'll see.
Despite saying that, Jiang Yuzhi still went with Bai Yan when he came to pick her up the next day.
I wanted to call Diting, but that dog had been playing wildly outside all night and had become the boss of half of the dogs in Kyoto. Now it was sleeping soundly in Jiang Yuzhi's room.
Notice boards were everywhere in Kyoto where people gathered, and they were going to the one in front of the government office.
By this time, a crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board.
When literate yamen runners saw that there were many people, they would start reading the newly posted notices to ensure that they reached the illiterate people.
"From this day forward, all victims of the city gate murder case can go to the accountant of the government office to receive compensation from the government, based on the injury report issued by Ping An Medical Clinic or the obituary issued by the government office."
Furthermore, issuing an obituary will exempt the family from a three-year tax exemption; medical fees at the clinic will be subsidized by the government.
The news spread among the people. It was a rare good thing, and many people were overjoyed, planning to go to the clinic to get their injuries checked so they could receive money to supplement their household income.
The wives of Zhang and Chen were naturally present, their expressions blank as they turned and left, supporting each other.
The constable, perhaps recognizing them, greeted them loudly, "Ladies! The rent and taxes for your shop have been settled by the accountant. With proper management, your business will surely flourish."
The two ladies paused, not lingering any longer.
"Did you instigate this?"
Jiang Yuzhi and Bai Yan stood in the corner, watching them leave.
"It just saves them from having to make two extra trips."
Bai Yan answered casually, his gaze fixed on her profile, then casually looked away when Jiang Yuzhi turned to look at him.
"I want to visit the Zhou family, mother and son."
"Okay, I'll go with you."
"I thought you were going to advise me to stay away from their house."
“I’ve had people following them recently, and so far there’s been nothing unusual.”
Bai Yan never wanted to refuse his wife's requests. With thorough preparation, nothing was impossible.
The notice board at the city gate had just been opened, and the crowd had only recently dispersed.
In this calamity, the Zhou family alone benefited. In the eyes of the world, Zhou Quan was the real murderer, and few people dared to approach him.
Some of the migrants who helped stop the accidental injuries packed their belongings and planned to receive compensation to work in the city, where the government would provide them with a month's worth of free lodging.
Some, too timid to help, watched them leave with envious eyes.
The jobs in the city pay much more per month than those in the forest farms or brick kilns outside the city, and they are much easier because you don't have to work from dawn till dusk.
Among those who fled the famine together, some were literate and had gone to the capital much earlier; they are probably all living good lives now.
There was no one on either side of the brick house where the Zhou family mother and son lived.
After asking other refugees who were avoiding the Zhou family, they learned that the two families had a good relationship with Zhou Quan and often helped each other before the incident.
When Zhou Quan attacked people with his knife, these two families were the first to try to stop him, and they were seriously injured.
After the announcement, the injured person, who was already at the hospital, was moved to the city by his family.
The two families were kind and righteous. Although they were injured by Zhou Quan, they still left some food for the Zhou family mother and son, who were orphans and widows. No one dared to live in the two empty houses.
Who knows if Zhou's son will go crazy like his father?
Jiang Yuzhi had a half-baked idea: to go to Zuo Huai.
Bai Yan's current condition is more stable than when they first met, and it is inevitable that the scope of the Sheji Tu's influence will expand.
As for the exact size, we'll have to trouble Diting to make a trip there.
At that time, we cannot leave Zhiyi, Ersan, Si to guard the shop. Without a great ghost or auspicious beasts like Diting to keep it in check, the injured ghost messengers may not be able to control their power and are not subject to Xie Bi'an's barrier, making them prone to accidentally harming their neighbors.
It's good to bring them along to help her with some chores.
The Zhou family mother and son are a good choice; they can keep an eye on Zhou Yong and also take care of them for Zhou Quan.
Ordinary ghosts attached to mortal bodies cannot break through the barrier.
Madam Zhou wasn't at the brick house; she said she went to the forest farm to cook for the workers. Zhou Yong went with her to help, and she wouldn't be back until later.
Jiang Yuzhi approached the door and found it was unlocked.
After thinking for a moment, I pushed the door open and went inside.
The cramped and simple space is barely enough for two or three people to live in.
Against the wall is a brick-built kang bed, without a fire pit. It was probably built this way to save space and accommodate more people, but it doesn't provide warmth.
On a table with a limp leg, there were two crudely made earthenware bowls.
The ground wasn't paved with bricks; the makeshift houses couldn't afford to be so careless.
The mother and son were very organized and tidy, showing that they were both well-behaved people.
"What are your thoughts, Yu Zhi?" Bai Yan asked, noticing that she hadn't spoken for a while. His wandering gaze swept across the room, not missing a single detail.
"Hmm? I'd like to ask the Zhou family mother and son to help me look after the shop."
"...Is it because we don't have enough manpower?"
"I might have to go on a long trip soon, so it would be better to hire some people."
"Where to?" Bai Yan suddenly coughed, his thin figure trembling slightly as he leaned against the door frame.
"Why are you coughing again? I just went to Zuo Huai to visit... that's where my home is." Jiang Yuzhi chuckled to herself, having concocted a complete backstory for herself.
Bai Yan's claim that he sent people to investigate the Zhou family was true; how could he not know that the Zhou family came from Zuo Huai?
No wonder the lady cared so much about them; they were from the same hometown.
A note from the author:
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It's my birthday tomorrow, and I wish everyone a happy life! [cheering emoji]
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