Chapter 102 The real reason for being hesitant to act is because of one person.
As the depths of winter recede, the scene of lush green grass and warbling birds returns, quietly covering the land.
Cangyan County has a cleverly situated terrain, connecting with several prefectures and counties, and its lively atmosphere remains undiminished even after the Spring Festival.
Shi Wan had been here for several days. After resting, she immediately began to investigate new locations for the shop. She visited a few shops here and there, and stopped in front of one shop to chat with the owner.
"Look at this, the beams and pillars here are all made of the finest materials. They were specially repaired a couple of years ago. If it weren't for some family matter, and my sincere desire to sell, I certainly wouldn't have been willing to part with them." The shop owner had been observing this lady for a while. She had an extraordinary air about her as she walked by, and her clothes were also quite expensive. She must have a good background. She had come here to do business on a whim.
Since the new dynasty, Cangyan County has been incorporated into the Jiangzhe region, and its status has risen accordingly. In the past year, several such "distinguished guests" have come to visit.
The shopkeeper rubbed his hands together, exhaling a puff of white breath, and finished his sentence, "...If this shop of mine were to be opened as a teahouse, it would be extremely elegant."
Shi Wan remained noncommittal. After several days of investigation, she concluded that the shops on this street, whether rented or purchased outright, were all quite a worthwhile investment.
As she pondered, her gaze swept across the distance and suddenly stopped. A very familiar figure flashed by. Shi Wan withdrew her gaze, composed herself, and said, "I know the price we just negotiated was quite reasonable, but the roof tiles, I reckon, after the recent spring rains, will probably need repairs..."
Before he finished speaking, a sound came from the end of the street behind him, growing louder as it approached. Accompanied by the clear ringing of bells, a group of people drew near. Leading them was a young man dressed in a blue robe, with calm eyes and an elegant demeanor, as if he were traveling for study.
Shi Wan turned around subconsciously.
Because she was dressed as a woman, she had been wearing a veiled hat when she went out to run errands these past few days. With each movement, the early spring breeze would gently lift the veil covering her face, revealing the faint outline of her chin.
Zhang Yi's breath caught in his throat, and for a moment he felt almost no sound around him. His lips trembled slightly. "This..." He glanced at Shi Wan's hair bun... a style of a married woman's hair. Seeing this, his heart ached. "Madam."
Behind them, two or three students who had come here for study arrived. Upon seeing this, they exchanged glances and all kept their lips tightly closed.
Zhang Yiwen, oblivious to the implication, continued, "I feel that you bear a striking resemblance to an old friend of mine. I apologize for my intrusion."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan remained unfazed, turned around, and gave a graceful bow, saying, "Young master, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I do not know you."
Zhang Yiwen's gaze was almost fixed on Shi Wan's chin, gently caressing the woman's softly moving lips before reluctantly looking away. The sense of familiarity in his heart grew stronger, but right now...
On the long street, surrounded by strangers, and with her hair styled in a married woman's bun, even if he was 70% sure, there were some things he couldn't easily say.
Seeing Shi Wan deny it, Zhang Yiwen hesitated for a moment, then nodded in the end. Listening closely, his tone was somewhat bitter, "...I'm sorry."
"I misjudged you for a moment, I mistook you for someone else."
Yes, even if it really is her, so what?
Things have come to this.
He had long since lost the right to bother her.
......
*
Golden candles flickered, and the bedroom was a hidden paradise.
After Shi Wan went out to conduct research, Jiang Xu took it upon himself to replace all the items in the house. Fearing that Shi Wan would blame him when she returned, he simply replicated the original house one-to-one in the courtyard. The two houses were adjacent to each other, which was quite interesting.
The man covered his face with his hand, propped his head up, and slightly closed his eyelashes, as if he were dozing.
When the guard entered, this was the scene he saw. After a moment, he composed himself and said, "Your Majesty, the lady was still wandering around that street today, seemingly looking for a place to live. Moreover... she was having a pleasant conversation with a man, who seemed to be an old acquaintance."
Jiang Xu responded softly, half-lifting his eyelids, and said, "We had a pleasant conversation?" Before he finished speaking, he casually took the portrait handed to him by his personal guard and glanced at it briefly.
The man in the painting is slender and shorter than him.
In an instant, a number of unpleasant memories flooded back.
Jiang Xu's expression remained unchanged. "Has he done anything inappropriate?" If so, this could be used as a pretext to make trouble, so as to avoid things getting unclear and backfiring.
The guards stood at attention and said, "No."
“Our men are watching from the shadows. The lady exchanged a few pleasantries with him and then left. But this man… he does seem alright.”
"What is it?" Jiang Xu felt a little relieved. "They are just students who have come to study. They have no official title or important business. Where can they go for fun?"
"Do not let this person disturb the lady."
Upon hearing this, the guards immediately responded respectfully. Only after the guards withdrew did the gloomy aura between Jiang Xu's brows and eyes become apparent.
He wanted to visit Cangyan County, but felt it was too stingy. He had finally achieved some results and couldn't afford to give up now.
But if he really went, would Shi Wan blame him? Or would their current excellent situation vanish into thin air?
Jiang Xu was unaware of this, nor did he dare to gamble.
For the first time ever, a sense of fear even arose in my heart.
Overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions, I sat alone for a long time, unable to come up with a solution.
Meanwhile, Shi Wan's heart was also in turmoil.
As she was leaving, Jiang Xu's words still echoed in her ears. She had also seen and remembered the changes in the man these past few days, but with so many things to do and lessons learned from the past, she was naturally unwilling to believe it so easily now.
This could very well be another abyss.
......
As the sun rises, life goes on as usual.
Jiang Xu, however, was unconsciously filled with anxiety and tossing and turning for most of the night. As soon as it was light, he hastily packed his bags and set off to search for the person.
Fortunately, Cangyan County was not far away. A few days later, as soon as he arrived, he couldn't wait to follow the information he had gathered and waited quietly.
Jiang Xu did not bring any attendants on this trip, and his personal guards kept a certain distance from him. He himself seemed to be a real tourist, gradually blending into the ordinary atmosphere of the city.
Shi Wan had been inspecting this street for the past few days, and Jiang Xu didn't have to wait long before she arrived as usual.
But when I actually saw it, just like before, I felt a bit apprehensive about returning home.
My heart was pounding on its own, heavy and rapid.
He concealed himself and watched from afar.
The hustle and bustle of the long street acted like an invisible shroud, separating the two of them completely. Jiang Xu strolled alone, always keeping a certain distance from Shi Wan, yet staying neither too close nor too far behind her.
Following closely behind, one can't help but want to get closer.
Closer, closer.
"Young master, wait a moment, wait a moment!" A slightly solicitous voice suddenly sounded beside him, pulling him back from his turbulent thoughts.
Jiang Xu's expression remained unchanged. He glanced to the side and saw a stall displaying all sorts of women's ornaments. The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a beaming smile, who was holding up a hairpin and gesturing to him.
His tone was quite solicitous. Their eyes met and he unconsciously became nervous. "Young master, you have an extraordinary bearing and are certainly not an ordinary person. Look at this hairpin, it is made of the finest mutton fat jade and the carving is exquisite!" The middle-aged man prided himself on his ability to judge people. Although he felt that the man in front of him had a fierce aura, he knew from the fabric of the man's clothes that he was no ordinary person.
Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and continued to promote the gift: "Young master, is this a gift for your beloved?"
"My sweetheart?" Jiang Xu continued walking, but unconsciously slowed down a little. His tone carried a hint of self-mockery and coldness as he murmured, "Unfortunately, I did something wrong and made her angry."
As soon as he said it, he was stunned for a moment.
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man immediately seized the opportunity and pressed on, "Oh, look at what you're saying! We definitely need to buy a gift to appease her! Young women are soft-hearted; when they see pretty jewelry, no matter how angry they are, half of their anger will dissipate!"
Seeing that the other person paused slightly, he quickly said, "Young master, look at this white jade hairpin. It is elegant and refined, and the jade used is of the finest quality. It is most suitable for a beautiful lady!"
Jiang Xu turned his gaze and saw a piece of warm white jade, carved into layers of petal shapes. Upon closer inspection, the style was about 60-70% similar to the one he had secretly given to Shi Wan before.
He unconsciously stopped and stood in front of the stall.
The middle-aged man was still rambling on, trying to close the deal, but Jiang Xu, contrary to his usual behavior, picked up the white jade hairpin. Instantly, the cool touch of the jade spread to his fingertips.
He tossed down a piece of silver, worth far more than the hairpin itself. The stall owner was both surprised and delighted, and hurriedly thanked him, saying auspicious words.
Shi Wan had already walked a distance and disappeared from sight. Jiang Xu stared in a certain direction for a while, then suddenly turned around and went back. Before long, he arrived in front of a blacksmith shop.
The furnace was blazing, and the clanging of hammering metal filled the air.
Although Jiang Xu was dressed casually today, his refined and noble appearance was still undeniable. Upon seeing this, the blacksmith who came to greet him became even more respectful, looking somewhat surprised. "Sir, who are you...?"
Jiang Xu said in a calm tone, "Could you please find me a place? I'd like to have an iron hairpin made in this style."
The blacksmith dared not ask further questions. A closer look revealed the hairpin to be quite valuable, but...
Jewelry made of iron? This is truly the first time I've ever seen that.
The person in front of him was either rich or noble, and he couldn't possibly do anything about it. Thinking of this, he quickly found a quieter place for the other person.
Before the stove, Jiang Xu took off his cloak, rolled up his sleeves, and beside the roaring fire, the leaping sparks and intense heat quietly baked the man's eyebrows and eyes. After a while, sweat soaked his clothes, and beads of sweat gathered on his forehead.
Under the blacksmith's slightly nervous guidance, Jiang Xu hammered the red-hot iron bar again and again.
At first, his movements were a bit clumsy, and he even burned his hands, but slowly, the rough iron billet gradually took shape and stretched in his hands.
Years of military experience and exceptional manual dexterity combined to gradually shape the diameter of the hairpin. Unlike the warm and smooth texture of white jade, it retains some of the cold and hard texture unique to iron.
Discontent, frustration, and regret.
Along with the secrets and burning passion that I have never been able to let go of in my heart.
All of them were forged here.
The firelight flickered, and the hairpin was submerged in cold water. After several soakings, amidst the misty steam, the iron hairpin finally took shape, unlike its previous form, but with a touch of novelty, its entire body jet black and translucent.
It carried the warmth of the furnace fire and the scattered marks of the hammer.
his......
sincere.
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