snoop
The light on the candlestick flickered, and a breeze from the window reflected in Jiang Nian's eyes, which flickered in and out of focus at the table.
The last meaningful look from Xiao Yingzhu kept replaying in her mind. Her thoughts were a little confused, and the pen in her hand, which she was about to lift, fell on the inkstone.
Guizhi knocked gently on the door, and her voice rang out from outside: "Miss, the kitchen has made sour plum soup, and Guizhi has brought some."
Jiang Nian raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, sighed, stopped thinking about Xiao Yingzhu, and asked Guizhi to come in.
Guizhi gently placed the small bowl with mist coming out of the porcelain wall on the wooden table. Seeing that Jiang Nian seemed to be a little anxious, Guizhi looked at her worriedly.
"…Miss, is there something bothering you?"
Jiang Nian concealed his doubts and shook his head.
"No, what did father say after talking to the Duke?"
After establishing a cooperative relationship with Xiao Yingzhu in the afternoon, Jiang's father, upon hearing from the servant that a high-ranking official was visiting, immediately rushed from the mansion to the warehouse next to the rice.
Then he let Jiang Nian go back home first.
Near the hour of Xu, the servant who often followed Jiang's father appeared in the mansion. Guizhi immediately went forward to ask according to Jiang Nian's instructions.
Guizhi recalled the scene and when she looked at Jiang Nian again, Jiang Nian's face was no longer filled with complicated thoughts. She blinked, thinking that she might have been dazzled, and without giving it any more thought, she replied respectfully.
"Miss, he doesn't know either, but it seems they didn't talk to the master for long before leaving. Perhaps there was something important that they didn't discuss."
Jiang Nian picked up the porcelain bowl of sour plum soup and took a sip, then heard Guizhi speak again.
"But... the servant said that the master will summon Miss for a detailed discussion tomorrow, so please be prepared."
Jiang Nian raised her eyes from the sour plum soup and her gaze fell on Guizhi's face. Seeing that her maid looked a little worried, she smiled at Guizhi with relief.
"It's okay, I understand. You can leave first."
Jiang Nian never liked to be disturbed when he was thinking about something. Guizhi knew this very well, so she didn't say anything more, turned around and gently closed the wooden door.
The sky outside the window was dark blue, and a thin cloud blocked the brightness of the moon. Thinking of the goods still piled up in the warehouse, Jiang Nian did not want to relax. He put the porcelain bowl aside and picked up the pen to write down the next arrangements and plans on the paper again.
The carved windows on the top of the most prosperous and famous restaurant in Liangdu were open.
A dark crow flew across the night and landed by the window.
The slender fingers gently placed a little food and casually pushed it in front of the dog, and then untied the attached note from its foot.
As its owner lowered his eyes, his crow-feather-like eyelashes concealed the emotionless depths of his eyes. He burned the note with a dull look and let the crow that had finished pecking at the food beside him fly away from the window.
The waiter knocked gently on the door.
"Sir, the tea is here."
After waiting for a while and seeing no one answered, the waiter knocked on the door again and gently brought in the snacks.
The man in front of the table was dressed in red. His black hair, slightly scattered by the wind, contrasted with the dark red of his clothes under the moonlight, making his cold and ruthless face even more charming, with a hint of murderousness.
The waiter was startled and his hand that was touching the plate shook slightly. He quickly placed the snacks carefully on his table, lowered his head and hurriedly retreated.
The wooden door opened and then closed, and the elegant room was silent for a moment.
The waiter also placed a cup of tea on the empty seat opposite him.
From the thin smoke rising up to the cool cup wall, there was no impatience on his face. It was not until the door was opened again and the person sitting opposite him came in late that he slowly opened his eyelids.
The visitor pushed open the door and greeted him, pulled out a chair and sat down familiarly, picked up the teacup on the edge of the table and turned it around casually.
"I'm a little late, having been caught up in some minor incident along the way. I'll get straight to the point and investigate in the direction you were looking for, and I've actually found some issues."
Qin Lan took a sip of tea, put the cup back on the table, crossed his hands, and looked at him with raised lips.
"How did you find out? This person is hiding very well... right under the old emperor's nose."
Xiao Yingzhu curled her lips and placed the porcelain cup on the table without answering.
Qin Lan didn't care. He tilted his head to look at the dark, starless night sky outside, raised his hands and placed them behind his head and continued.
"He's been looking for a suitable opportunity to strike recently. I guess the purpose he wants to solve most recently is the same as the purpose you came here to deal with this time."
Qin Lan glanced at the prosperous and bustling Liang capital under the night sky. People on the street were laughing and talking happily. Amid the treacherous situation looming in the sky, this place seemed unaffected and was peaceful and tranquil.
Xiao Yingzhu propped up her head and shifted her gaze slightly, picking out the dark feather hidden in the shadows beneath the window. She twisted it between her fingers, twirling it casually as if playing with it. After hearing Qin Lan's words, he seemed extremely happy, and even his light and slow voice revealed a hint of joy that seemed to be inadvertently revealed.
"We'll have to wait."
Seeing that Xiao Yingzhu had no intention of continuing the topic, Qin Lan simply changed the subject to the point that he was curious about this time.
"I heard you were discussing business with a lady here today. Is that true? I never thought you'd ever work with someone else."
Qin Lan picked up a piece of cake from the plate, put it in his mouth and chewed it, his voice a little unclear.
"Now I'm a little curious about which lady she is."
The sudden wind outside the window blew the ripples in the teacup on the examination table into pieces. Xiao Yingzhu's gaze fell lightly on the crow feather. The hand that was twisting it loosened slightly, and the floating feather floated up to the height of the night with the wind and disappeared.
The next morning, after Jiang Nian and his mother had breakfast, they received a message from his father.
She had already prepared the answer and was fully prepared. She went to the study with the prescriptions she had been using for the past two months.
Father Jiang has always been kind to his daughter. When he saw Jiang Nian calling him from outside, he put the account book back on the table.
He still had his usual smile on his face, but compared to before, his complexion seemed much brighter.
Jiang Nian bowed to Father Jiang and said obediently, "Father."
Father Jiang nodded slightly. Seeing that Jiang Nian had arrived, his gaze paused on the account book for a moment, and finally he picked up the book and handed it to her.
"When you mentioned earlier that you wanted to start a plan to eliminate pests in rice fields, I had my doubts. But I never imagined that in just a few days, you would achieve such success and even be recognized by the Duke of the current dynasty."
Jiang Nian took the account book, but before he could open it, he heard his father continue, "Yesterday I went to see the rice fields you planted, and they are growing very well. I will immediately put into practice what you said before, and I will do as you said from now on."
He looked at Jiang Nian with a smile, gently stroked his sleeves with his right hand, paused slightly, and continued speaking.
"I will give you some of the pharmacy's accounts for your review, and I will act according to your advice when the time comes."
"Yes, my daughter understands."
Father Jiang flipped through the prescription that Jiang Nian brought, and seemed very interested in the usage of it. His eyes paused on the paper for a second, then he looked up at Jiang Nian with a smile, and the hidden sharpness in his eyes disappeared, but in the end he said nothing more, just waved his hand and let Jiang Nian go out.
The courtyard was lush with vegetation, light and shadows flickered, and a few pages of the account book in my hand were blown over.
She had made time in the morning to talk with Jiang's father. Jiang's father said very little and the time spent was shorter than she expected, so she had some free time now.
After returning to the room and putting the account book in the drawer, Jiang Nian called Guizhi to help her dress up.
The account book was too thick to finish reading at once, so she planned to schedule time to look through it in the evening.
Guizhi used a wooden comb to carefully comb Jiang Nian's hair. Seeing that Jiang Nian seemed to be in a good mood in the mirror, she asked with a smile.
"Young lady, you are very happy today. Could it be that the master has something good to say to you?"
The wooden box exuded a faint fragrance. Guizhi dipped some of Jiang Nian's specially mixed sweet peach lipstick from inside and gently touched it on Jiang Nian's lips.
Her facial features in the bronze mirror were pure and gentle, and the rosy pink on her lips made her look even more innocent and charming.
Jiang Nian was sitting in a chair, looking at the mirror at how she looked when she put on the lipstick she had mixed a few days ago. When she heard Guizhi's words, she curled up the corners of her lips and her voice was full of joy.
"Yeah, but that's not the point."
Seeing that Guizhi was a little confused, Jiang Nian pointed to the clothes for going out that Guizhi had prepared and said with a smile.
"You'll find out in a moment."
As time approaches noon, there are already many pedestrians and vendors on the street.
The sales of anthelmintics at Xu's Pharmacy were as good as usual today. Seeing that there were still few customers at Liangdu Pharmacy across the street, the shopkeeper returned to the back of the store with satisfaction.
After a while, the curtain outside the shop was pulled open, and a thin man hurried in with his head lowered. He walked towards the shopkeeper who was sitting on a chair in the shop, leaned close and whispered.
"We've also checked today's situation... They haven't made any unusual changes. The recipes they're selling are still the same batch as before."
The shopkeeper paused fanning himself and frowned.
"Of the officials who were supposed to come today, only a handful showed up, and they barely glanced at the prescription before leaving."
"Why do I feel like those officials are collaborating with their family?"
"This..." The man stood up slightly, a trace of confusion flashed across his face, but was quickly replaced by a vicious look in his eyes. He raised his hand to cover his cheek, and approached the shopkeeper again with a sly look.
"Boss, I have come up with another idea."
The man lowered his voice gradually, his scattered words being lost in the bustling street outside the store.
After a while, after hearing what the man said, the shopkeeper's frown relaxed.
He clapped his fat hands on the table and smiled at the man with satisfaction.
"Your idea is still the best, then let's do it this way."
Seeing the shopkeeper smiling happily, the man also started laughing, looking cunning. After a pause, he stretched out his hand towards the shopkeeper and pretended to rub money.
"That……"
The shopkeeper snorted nonchalantly.
"As long as you get the job done, you will get the money."
When the man heard what he wanted to hear, he smiled happily, nodded and left.
After reaching a cooperation with Xiao Yingzhu, he responded to the discussed matters in an extremely fast manner. The next day, he sent someone with a receipt to Jiang Nian and also assigned some people to help Jiang Nian make anthelmintic medicine, which saved a lot of time.
The people sent over happened to arrive just before Jiang Nian left the house. If Xiao Yingzhu had not said yesterday that she would send people over this morning, she would really feel that her every move was under Xiao Yingzhu's eyes.
I had thought that transportation was inconvenient in ancient times and I would have to wait for at least half a month. Xiao Yingzhu might have just told him this, but I didn't expect this group of people to come right away.
But this happened to suit Jiang Nian's wishes, so she immediately took these people to the empty warehouse that she had asked Fuling to command the servants to clear out last night.
After instructing everyone on the time of arrival next week, Jiang Nian sent everyone away and went to Yuejiang Pavilion, a famous teahouse in Pingzhou, as planned.
I had already informed my father before leaving, and at that moment there was a carriage parked outside the house.
Guizhi lifted a corner of the curtain. Jiang Nian stood in front of the carriage, turned around and told the driver the destination, and then got on the carriage.
There was a faint scent of floral tea in the carriage. Seeing Jiang Nian's confused look, Guizhi took out the sachet from the secret compartment.
"This is the sachet that the young lady instructed to be placed in the carriage. Could it be because of Mr. Li...? Guizhi will take care of it for the young lady."
After being busy for two months, Jiang Nian had already forgotten about Mr. Li, whom the previous owner of this body liked. She then reacted, shook her head and smiled.
"No need, just put it back where it was."
Guizhi put the sachet back to its original place after hearing what Jiang Nian said. She turned her head to glance at the carriage heading towards Yuejiang Pavilion. Thinking of what she had just asked Jiang Nian, she couldn't help but feel curious.
"Miss, your happiness today... could it be related to the teahouse?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
