Chapter 239 Coming to Find Bai Jizu
Jin Qingyu felt a heavy weight in his heart because of Jiang Xingyao's words. He had always felt that Jiang Xingyao looked down on him and didn't think much of him.
A pampered young lady would never give a second glance to a poor boy who climbed his way up from the slums.
He never imagined that Jiang Xingyao was not as glamorous as she appeared from the beginning, and that she was also in deep trouble.
Marrying into the Jin family was originally her own way of saving herself, but she ended up turning the Jin family into a purgatory even more terrible than the Jiang family, imprisoning her within it.
Jiang Xingyao's voice stopped at some point, but Jin Qingyu's emotions could no longer remain calm.
The sparse moonlight shone on his face, seemingly carrying wisps of coldness that seeped into his heart.
Some deep-seated wounds seemed to be torn open little by little at this moment, desperately seeking an answer.
Jin Qingyu asked, "Yaoyao, after you married me, you wanted to live a good life with me, right? You... on our wedding night..."
He hesitated for a long time but never asked the question.
The scar that had been buried in his heart was never what he thought it was, nor what Jiang Cancan had told him.
But given the current overly strained relationship between him and Jiang Xingyao, he still couldn't bring himself to ask about their wedding night.
It seems there are too many misunderstandings between him and Jiang Xingyao. He has never truly understood her, and only guesses and imagines about her based on what others say.
It was probably his fault that he and Jiang Xingyao drifted apart.
Jin Qingyu's hesitant words caused a brief moment of doubt in Jiang Xingyao's heart, but she did not ask him directly.
They were already divorced, so whatever questions Jin Qingyu had on their wedding night seemed irrelevant.
The room quickly fell silent again. Jiang Xingyao still couldn't fall asleep. As the night deepened, the dampness in the air seemed to grow heavier.
Even though Jin Qingyu had changed all the sheets, Jiang Xingyao could still feel a dampness seeping from under her. This kind of environment was ultimately not something she was used to.
She tilted her head, glanced at Jin Qingyu on the ground, hesitated for a moment, and slowly said, "Jin Qingyu, it's too damp here."
"Is it because you're not used to it and can't sleep? I'll go find something else to put on your bed..."
"Come to bed," Jiang Xingyao interrupted him.
Under the moonlight, one couldn't see the expression on a person's face, nor could one discern their expression. However, Jiang Xingyao seemed to sense that Jin Qingyu's breathing had paused briefly. She then explained, "Don't misunderstand. We still need to go see Jiang Yuncheng tomorrow. The ground is cold and damp. If you get sick, it will delay us again."
"No need, I..."
"Jin Qingyu, come on up." Jiang Xingyao moved to the side, giving Jin Qingyu most of the space on the bed. She turned around, her back to Jin Qingyu, and curled up on the bed, her exposed shoulders looking incredibly thin.
The bedside sank slightly, and Jiang Xingyao seemed to smell the scent of his shower gel. Her body stiffened slightly, but she didn't turn around.
The night passed just like that. When Jiang Xingyao woke up, Jin Qingyu was no longer there. She glanced out the window and saw that the floor outside was damp. It seemed like it had rained during the night. No wonder it was so damp last night, and even now she felt sticky all over.
Jiang Xingyao wanted to send a message to ask about Jin Qingyu's whereabouts, but when she picked up her phone, she realized that she didn't have Jin Qingyu's contact information. She had no choice but to go wash up first.
After I had almost finished getting ready, I heard the sound of a key being inserted into the lock outside.
Jin Qingyu walked in quickly, still carrying the packed food in his hand, and the clothes on his shoulders seemed to be damp.
"Is it still raining outside?" Jiang Xingyao asked.
"It's just a light rain, it won't bother us," Jin Qingyu explained. "Let's have breakfast first, and then we'll head into the mountains."
It was difficult to hail a taxi in the small county town. Perhaps it was because of the rain, or perhaps because Hulu Village was too remote. Jiang Xingyao and Jin Qingyu waited for almost half an hour before they finally managed to get a car that was willing to take them to Hulu Village.
Throughout the journey, Jin Qingyu chatted with the driver, subtly inquiring about Hulu Village.
Jiang Xingyao also realized that Jin Qingyu could be so talkative and easily blend in with the locals.
He wasn't actually as arrogant as those rich young men in the circle; he was completely different in public and in the capital.
In the capital, he was taciturn and reserved, yet he could chat happily with ordinary people outside. He seemed to be able to easily integrate into any environment.
The car stopped at the foot of the mountain. There was only a muddy path ahead, and you could see smoke rising from the village in the distance. The driver said, "The car can't go any further. Hulu Village is just ahead. It's raining today, so the road is not easy to walk. You can get out of the car and walk for about half an hour."
Before arriving, Jin Qingyu had specially bought an umbrella. After thanking the driver, the two got out of the car and the first thing they smelled was a stench mixed with the scent of grass and trees in the air.
Jiang Xingyao frowned slightly, looking a little uncomfortable.
The muddy road was full of potholes left by footprints, and one could imagine that if they had walked all the way, they would have left such traces along the way.
Is this Jiang Yuncheng's home?
Was her scheming father born in such a place?
Jin Qingyu opened the umbrella and handed it to Jiang Xingyao. He squatted down in front of her and patted his shoulder: "Get on, I'll carry you over."
"No need, I can leave right away," Jiang Xingyao said.
She came here of her own accord, and she didn't want to rely on Jin Qingyu forever. She knew better than anyone that she still couldn't forget the harm Jin Qingyu had caused her, and when she left this place, she would part ways with him without hesitation.
Jin Qingyu glanced down at Jiang Xingyao's white sneakers, just like the pristine white skirt he wore when he first saw her.
At that time, when he was obsessed with getting Jiang Xingyao, he wanted to put her in front of him and protect her from the dust.
But he failed to do so back then. This time, he personally dragged Jiang Xingyao into the mire.
Now that Jiang Xingyao has finally gotten rid of the mud, he doesn't want her to step in it again.
Jin Qingyu grabbed Jiang Xingyao's arm and, without saying a word, carried her on his back: "The road is difficult to walk on. You hold the umbrella, and I'll carry you."
Yao Yao, be a good girl.
He walked steadily, just as Jiang Xingyao had imagined, leaving deep and shallow footprints on the ground with each step.
The rain in the mountains seemed to be a bit heavier than the rain in the county town, and the raindrops made a pattering sound as they hit the umbrella.
A large black umbrella cast a shadow over the two of them, and Jiang Xingyao seemed to feel a faint sense of peace.
Jiang Xingyao had to admit that Jin Qingyu was actually quite reliable when he was handling things seriously.
About half an hour later, just as the driver had said, Jin Qingyu brought Jiang Xingyao to the village entrance.
It was lunchtime, and the air was filled with the smell of cooking smoke, while the sounds of poultry mingled together.
Suddenly, they heard hurried footsteps behind them. Someone wearing a raincoat ran up and stopped when they saw Jin Qingyu and his companion. "Who are you? What brings you here?"
The person who came was an older woman with a loud voice and a very enthusiastic personality.
Jin Qingyu said, "We're here to find relatives. We wanted to ask you, Auntie, if Bai Jizu is from this village?"
Jiang Xingyao was taken aback when he spoke. Weren't they here to see Jiang Yuncheng? Why were they asking about Bai Fang's brother?
"Looking for Jizu? You're too late. He went to the city a while ago. I heard that Er Ya took him to live in the city."
"Oh dear, I wonder when you'll be back. By the way, what's your relationship with Ji Zu?" the aunt asked.
Jin Qingyu said, "His friends in town had arranged to come and have a drink with him, but they left without a word and didn't even leave us a message."
"Does the auntie know when he'll be back? I have something to discuss with him."
The aunt said, "Well... his sister must have taken him away in a hurry. Anyway, you won't be able to find him today. How about this, I see the rain is getting heavier and heavier. Why don't you two come home with me for a meal first, and I'll try to find out more about him for you?"
"Thank you, auntie. Take this money; consider it our meal payment." Jin Qingyu took out several hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and stuffed them into her hand, but after a token refusal, he quickly accepted them.
The two men followed her into a house. There were no men at home, only an elderly couple and two children. The old woman said, "Hongxia, didn't you go to the fields? Why did you bring two people back with you?"
The woman who had been replaced by Hongxia said, "They came to find Bai Jizu. Wasn't Jizu taken away by Er Ya? And it's raining so hard outside, it's not convenient to go out, so I brought them back first, and we'll talk about it after the rain stops."
"Looking for Bai Jizu?" The old lady looked the two of them up and down. "Does Bai Jizu owe you money too?"
She used the word "also," which made it easy for people to understand that Bai Jizu was a habitual offender.
Jin Qingyu nodded, and the old lady sighed: "Then you probably won't get your money back. That guy was a scoundrel. He defaulted on a lot of debts while he was here, and now that Er Ya has taken him away, it's uncertain whether he'll ever come back."
"Er Ya?"
"It's his sister in the city. It's strange, Bai Erya didn't like Jizu before, but this time she suddenly came back to pick him up."
That woman, dressed like a TV star, probably made a fortune outside and remembered her brother. The older woman went to cook; the old lady was even more talkative than the older woman, probably because they hadn't had guests in a long time.
Jiang Xingyao now understood that the "Er Ya" she mentioned was Bai Fang's name here.
Such a small mountain village certainly couldn't come up with a very nice name. Since Bai Fang changed her name, Jiang Yuncheng's original name probably wasn't this either.
No wonder Jin Qingyu asked Bai Jizu as soon as he came to find someone.
Jiang Yuncheng and Bai Fang left this place many years ago, but Bai Jixu has been living here all this time. Only when his name is mentioned will the villagers know who he is.
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