Winter came exceptionally early to Yuzhou City this year. After a snowstorm, all the vendors on the streets disappeared; it was just too cold.
A snowstorm lasted for three days, with the snowflakes getting bigger and the weather getting colder each day. Yet, an abandoned cemetery in Guyang County was bustling with people, even more lively than during the Lunar New Year.
On a makeshift platform in the cemetery, a person bound hand and foot and covered with a black hood was being held down on the ground by a burly man wielding a large knife. The person was struggling and making indistinct whimpering noises.
After the county clerk braved the wind and snow to read out a long string of pronouncements, the crowd only remembered the last three words: "execution on the spot."
The criminal on the platform was still struggling desperately. Although his head was covered by a black cloth, his terrified and desperate cries for help could still be heard.
Fu Qiyuan watched the snowflakes falling from the sky indifferently, his gaze sweeping across the sundial, and then tossed out a sign: "It's noon, time to carry out the execution!"
The burly man carrying out the execution sprayed a mouthful of strong liquor onto his broadsword and swung it down.
"Ah...!" Some people exclaimed in surprise, some clapped and cheered, and some sighed with regret.
Fu Qiyuan didn't even glance at the head rolling on the ground, and strode out with his hands behind his back.
Fu Shu draped the cloak over him and followed closely behind.
The unsolved case from eight months ago ended like a simple acrobatic performance, without any suspense whatsoever.
Yuzhou City, Tianjie Street.
An ordinary horse-drawn carriage slowly made its way along the bustling crowds on the main street.
Xi'er looked at the towering restaurants and shops on both sides of the street, her mouth never closing the whole way.
"This place is so beautiful! So lively! Miss, are we really going to open a shop here in the future?"
Jiang Shan peeked out slightly, his lips curving into a smile, his face beaming with confidence.
"Yes, we should arrive after this intersection."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xi'er exclaimed in surprise, "I see it! I see it, Miss! I see the sign for Jiang's Private Kitchen!"
Jiang Shan looked in the direction Xi'er was pointing, and sure enough, there was a three-story shop in front of him with a sign that read: Jiang's Private Kitchen Chongqing Branch.
Overwhelmed with joy, Jiang Shan jumped off the carriage, stretched and kicked his legs, took Jiang Huai in his arms, and walked towards the shop.
Inside the shop, a young waiter was wiping tables. When he saw Jiang Shan and his group, he politely approached them and said, "Sir, our shop is not open yet and we are not serving customers at the moment. Please forgive us."
Jiang Shan smiled and said, "Is your boss, Mr. An, here? I'm from Guyang County, and my surname is Jiang."
The waiter scratched his head, puzzled, and said, "We don't have a boss with the surname An here. Our boss's surname is Jiang...!"
Surname Jiang!
From Guyang County!
The waiter's eyes widened in disbelief. He pointed at Jiang Shan, his fingers trembling uncontrollably, "Jiang... Jiang... you... you are...!"
"This is the owner of Jiang's Private Kitchen in Guxian Town. Go and call your boss, Mr. An!" Xue Zhen said with a smile, taking over the waiter's words.
"Yes, yes...Master Jiang...I'll go call Young Master An right away. Please have a seat...Quick, someone come here! The master is here!" The young waiter ran and jumped towards the backyard.
A short while later, a group of people ran out from the backyard.
No, to be precise, they were a group of teenagers.
The boy in the lead was a bit older, around thirteen or fourteen years old, while the other four were younger, the youngest being about the same age as Saburo.
"Are you... are you Sister Jiang?" The boy's face flushed slightly, and he nervously rubbed his palms together, but his eyes shone brightly. It was clear that he was very excited.
Jiang Shan smiled and nodded. "I am Jiang Shan, and who are you?"
"Sister Jiang, I'm Tiger, this is Chun-ge, this is Wood, that's River, and that's Seven. We're Sixth Brothers... Sister Jiang, did you receive Sixth Brother's letter so quickly?"
Who is Xiao Liu? And there are seven of them in a row, from one to seven, are they the Calabash Brothers?
Jiang Shan looked at Xue Zhen with a bewildered expression, then at Fu Wen, to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
"Brother Tiger, Brother Six doesn't know that Sister Jiang has arrived in Yuzhou. He went to buy writing materials. I'm going to find him!" Xiao Qi took off running.
Seeing that Jiang Shan and the others all looked confused, Hu Zi scratched his head and said to the three little ones behind him, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and pour tea for Sister Jiang and the others!"
The three of them disappeared in a flash.
Tiger's gaze fell on the child in Jiang Shan's arms, and he was instantly glued to him. "He is... Huai-ge'er, right?"
Huai-ge'er... something feels off!
Jiang Shan's emotions stirred, and he felt increasingly uneasy.
How do you know he is... Brother Huai?
Tiger was beaming with excitement, his smile so wide it almost disappeared his eyes: "Xiao Liu said that Huai Ge'er will call him uncle. We are sworn brothers, so Huai Ge'er will also call us uncle..."
uncle!
Saburo!
Jiang Shan suddenly stood up. "Sanlang? You're Sanlang's friends?"
“Sister Jiang, we seven brothers have sworn brotherhood. Sanlang is younger than me and is the sixth in line,” Xiao Wu said, sniffing and blinking his big eyes.
Jiang Shan clutched his chest, trying his best to control his emotions. "Hu Zi, right? You're San Lang's brothers, so you'll be my brothers from now on! What are you doing in the shop? Who brought you here? Does San Lang even know this place?"
Just as Hu Zi was about to speak, someone came in from outside.
"Second Brother An!" Tiger's eyes lit up as he went to greet him.
The man strode up to Jiang Shan, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to her, "Miss Jiang!"
Jiang Shan handed the child to Xi'er, stood up and returned the greeting, then asked with a strange expression, "Are you Boss An?"
An Er paused for a moment, then said, "I'm not the boss, you are."
Jiang Shan thought for a moment and then asked in a different way: "Are you the person in charge of the Chongqing branch of Jiang's Private Kitchen?"
An Er paused for a moment, then replied with certainty, "You're in charge. You manage the shop, just give me the money."
country:"……!"
What's going on here? Zheng Wu isn't that unreliable, is he? What kind of partner did they find for her?
Jiang Shan turned his gaze back to the young man in front of him, and the more he looked, the more something seemed off.
His looks are absolutely one in a million, his temperament is aloof and otherworldly, untouched by worldly affairs, and he seems to be a "do not disturb" person from head to toe. He doesn't look like a businessman at all!
Assessment complete!
Jiang Shan took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Did Zheng Wu tell you how to decorate the shop, how to arrange it, and how to plan the opening activities?"
An Er's slightly widened dark eyes silently conveyed a message: What are you talking about? I don't understand.
Seeing Jiang Shan's speechless expression, An Er managed to reply, "The shop is yours, and I paid for it. What does it have to do with Zheng Wu?"
Jiang Shan thought about it and agreed. Zheng Wu had returned to the capital, so this young man would probably take over the shop here. It really had nothing to do with Zheng Wu.
Where Jiang Shan couldn't see, Fu Wen covered his face with both hands and desperately glared at An Erfei with daggers in his eyes.
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