"Brother Yuan, what do you think their purpose is?" The only calm and rational person right now is Yuan Wen, and Jiang Shan has always had the illusion that Yuan Wen is someone who is hiding his true intentions.
However, Yuan Wen's heart was not as calm as Jiang Shan had imagined. He thought of that man's instructions, and his heart felt as if it were entangled by vines.
"Young lady, rest assured, I will never let anyone hurt you!"
Yuan Wen's seemingly random remark left Jiang Shan stunned.
At this moment, Yuan Wen's expression was more solemn than ever before, and his tone was more serious than ever before. What was even stranger was his way of addressing her; he used to call her "Master".
There was something strange about Jiangshan, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what was so strange about it.
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, and said, "Brother Yuan, I think they're after me, but I don't know who I've offended that would make them travel all the way from Yuzhou City to Guxian Town to give me a hard time. Don't you find that strange?"
Yuan Wen suppressed his inner turmoil and said, "Don't worry, boss. I will find out where those people came from. As long as they are still in Gu Xian Town, they will leave traces. You all stay home during this time, take good care of Uncle Qiao and A Sheng, and leave the rest to me."
That night, Yuan Wen picked up his pen and wrote a letter to be sent to the capital, then left Jiao's residence that very night.
Jiang Shan stood at the window, watching the dark figure disappear into the night, and subconsciously clenched his hands.
Qiao Sheng suffered only superficial injuries and was able to get out of bed the next day, but Qiao Shi injured his ribs and needed to rest in bed.
Jiang Shan cornered Qiao Sheng in the guest room, standing at the door with her large pregnant belly, neither avoiding nor letting him pass.
Qiao Sheng was so bruised and swollen that he couldn't even bear to look at himself, let alone face Jiang Shan's pretty face.
"Shan'er, I'm really fine. I've already applied the medicine. You should go out now, don't scare the child!" Qiao Sheng's last two words were stuck in his throat and took a sharp turn.
Jiang Shan sharpened his nails with a bamboo knife and said slowly, "You know what I'm going to ask. Your father isn't here, and my mother isn't here either. Are you sure you don't want to be honest with me and get the leniency you deserve?"
Qiao Sheng held his head in distress and spun around in place. "I've already said it, those people robbed our goods, beat me and my dad up, and ran away! Besides, it was too dark, and I didn't even see what they looked like. How am I supposed to explain this?"
Jiang Shan stared at Qiao Sheng's panda eyes, narrowed his eyes, and suddenly said, "You're lying!"
Qiao Sheng's eyes narrowed, his shoulders stiffened slightly, and he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "N-no, I'm not lying. Why would I lie to you!"
“This group is organized. They were scouting the shop during the day, and then they attacked you at night. They must have been watching us for more than just a day or two! If it were just for money, they wouldn't go to such lengths. If they were competitors, they wouldn't be so ruthless. They seem to be acting under orders! So, their target must be me!”
A flicker of panic crossed Qiao Sheng's eyes. He wanted to say something, but Jiang Shan waved his hand to stop him.
“We haven’t been in Guxian Town for long. We do have some reputation, but it’s not worth anyone going to such lengths to take us seriously. The fact that they started attacking us right away means they have only one goal: to drive me out of Guxian Town! To put it more bluntly, they want to destroy me!”
This land radiated a light that Qiao Sheng had never seen before, dazzling the eye. It was like a high and mighty goddess, pointing out the ways of the mortal world, making people inexplicably want to prostrate themselves before her.
Seeing Qiao Sheng's blank expression, Jiang Shan smiled and said, "Scared already? The game has only just begun. Prepare for battle, young man!"
The way Jiang Shan turned and left, supporting her aching back, was anything but graceful, yet Qiao Sheng couldn't take his eyes off her. He stared intently at her retreating figure, thinking about what his father had told him the night before, and secretly pursed his lips.
Look at her, she doesn't seem worried or scared at all; on the contrary, she's quite excited.
But Shan'er's words make sense. They want to drive Shan'er out of Guxian Town and destroy him, which is tantamount to destroying the livelihood of all of them. He cannot sit idly by and wait for death. He must be prepared to fight at any time!
By the way, Brother Yuan seems to have some martial arts skills, why not ask him to be our teacher?
Jiang Shan, disguised, arrived at the county government office to visit the county magistrate's wife, carrying a basket of freshly baked, hot pastries.
Cao Qing came out to greet Jiang Shan even faster than the county magistrate's wife, and took Jiang Shan's hand warmly, asking, "Sister Jiang, has Ah Xian written a letter? I wrote one to him, could you please give it to him for me?"
Jiang Shan affectionately pinched his nose and laughed, "Sanlang wrote a letter and asked about you. I said Aqing has improved again. Now he speaks more fluently than I do!"
Cao Qing smiled, her face flushed, and she held Jiang Shan's hand tightly, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the basket in her hand, practically drooling.
The county magistrate's wife laughed and scolded, "You lose all your composure when you see food. No wonder you dream about Sister Jiang all the time..."
Jiang Shan laughed heartily: "I was wondering why my ears had been so itchy these past few days. Turns out someone was missing me!"
Cao Qing was both happy and shy, and said coyly, "Sister Jiang, I also miss Ah Xian, and Aunt Jiao too..."
"I think you just want the honey-steamed cake that Aunt Jiao makes, don't you?" The county magistrate's wife bluntly exposed her son's blunder.
Cao Qing covered his face with both hands, his eyes glued to the basket through his fingers, unable to look away.
Jiang Shan put the basket in his hands, rubbed his back, and said, "You must finish it within three days. You can't eat it after three days!"
Cao Qing's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously while holding the basket. Finally, she thoughtfully freed one hand to support Jiang Shan's arm and said considerately, "Sister Jiang, let me support you."
Looking at her son, the county magistrate's wife pouted with a hint of jealousy, "With this older sister around, I, as her mother, have no standing anymore!"
Cao Qingchao's mother sighed helplessly, "Mother! Sister Jiang is pregnant. You're an adult, why are you competing with the baby?"
The county magistrate's wife laughed so hard she bent over, and stepped forward to support Jiang Shan's other arm, saying to her son in a flattering tone, "Mother wouldn't dare to compete with the little baby, at most I'd only dare to compete with you for your sister Jiang!"
Everyone who said that laughed.
Upon arriving at the reception room, a servant served tea, and Jiang Shan relaxed completely, unable to conceal the fatigue of her late pregnancy.
The county magistrate's wife looked at her attire, thought for a moment, and asked, "Have you encountered some trouble?"
Jiang Shan sighed, adjusted his posture by holding onto the chair, and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, Madam, there is indeed a troublesome matter. I have come here today specifically to ask Lord Cao for help."
The county magistrate's wife sighed inwardly, "Just as I thought."
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