Chapter 55 Stranger's Love...? Love.
The pearls and jade on the hairpin were all scattered. The fine white jade had been chipped somewhere and was now extremely light in my hand, looking pitiful.
Jiang Xu stared quietly for a moment, the last trace of gentleness in his expression gradually disappearing. He unconsciously revealed a hint of the battlefield's usual demeanor. Without hearing the report from his personal guards, he said, "Continue."
The guard felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly said, "I have inquired and found that this old man was a notorious troublemaker in the neighborhood when he was young. Now that he is older, he has only done some sneaky things this time."
"He found this hairpin in the crevice under the water vat in the next room."
"According to him... it was because the water vat was broken and looked like it was used as a pad. He saw the widow and her family hurriedly leaving with their bundles on their backs. When they hadn't returned by nightfall, he secretly sneaked in and took back what he thought was valuable."
Jiang Xu remained noncommittal. The fragments of the white jade hairpin in his palm, no matter how hard he tried to piece them together, were still crushed and scattered.
"When did that widow from the neighborhood leave? Did she do anything unusual before she left?"
The guard's expression turned serious. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly explained the situation he had discovered in detail. Jiang Xu listened quietly, idly playing with the broken jade in his palm.
A moment later, the deep, resonant voice suddenly trembled, “Li Shiwan?” Jiang Xu pushed open the window, and a gust of cold wind blew away the faint sarcasm in his voice.
......
*
Led by the servants sent by Zhang Yiwen, Shi Wan rented a small courtyard. The courtyard contained two small houses and an apricot tree, which stood in the center of the courtyard. Many forsythia flowers were planted nearby, and in another half month or so, clusters of bright yellow flowers would probably bloom. Moreover, the surrounding neighbors were all carefully selected honest and kind-hearted people.
It boasts beautiful scenery and harmonious neighborhoods.
Of the more than thirty taels of silver that Shi Wan had extorted from Wan Hou Fu Lin and his gang that day, only ten taels remained. This was enough to pay the monthly rent of one tael for the courtyard, which would be enough to keep her afloat for the time being.
Although Linzhou borders Luzhou, its commercial prosperity is unmatched by Luzhou. Along the way, shops are everywhere, and there is a wide variety of folk arts. As the Lunar New Year approaches, the colorful festivals dazzle her.
Compared to places like Huzhou, this place already shows some of the beginnings of the extravagance and prosperity of Luoyang.
Shi Wan and her daughter Cai Yue strolled around the streets for a long time. Tomorrow was the New Year, so the three of them went out early in the morning and hurriedly found a wonton shop to sit down. The proprietress used a long-handled spoon to scoop up cloud-like dough wrappers, and with a flick of her wrist, they turned into more than a dozen raised wontons floating in the soup. Soon after, they were served, and a drizzle of oily seasoning was poured over them. The steaming heat instantly dispelled some of the morning chill.
After finishing their meal, the three of them bought a few things here and there. People hurried along the streets and alleys. As Shi Wan walked among the crowd, she unconsciously slowed down. In the flat bamboo basket were the fish that the old man had just caught. The fish scales were scraped by the basket, and they looked fresh and lively.
Walking a little further, she saw more steam rising, and hot oil sizzling in the pan. The dough was tossed into the oil by the chef with a few deft movements. Perhaps because this place was located in the central region, an important transit point between the north and the south, she even saw many traveling merchants, speaking broken Central Plains dialect, loudly proclaiming their treasures.
Snowflakes fluttered down, landing on the faces of people passing by, as if veiling them with an indescribable filter. Everything was so novel that even when Shi Wan returned to the rented courtyard, she still had the illusion of walking on clouds.
Laughter filled the air as we bid farewell to the old year and welcomed the new; everything was wonderful and touching.
She couldn't help but look into a house in the courtyard. Steaming heat wafted out of the window along with the air. Caiyue was busy in the kitchen. If you looked closely, you could even see the various dishes on the wooden table, making it seem like a reunion on New Year's Eve.
Such a beautiful scene made Shi Wan feel dazed again.
But... after a few days, when Xue was a little younger, she decided to take her things and head south.
Since Zhang Yiwen was able to find her through so many clues, then... if Jiang Xu is indeed looking for her, his "beloved concubine," as those people in the teahouse said.
Finding her is only a matter of time, and thinking of this, Shi Wan felt a chill run down her spine.
Caiyue had just finished preparing the ingredients when she saw Shiwan standing in the courtyard for a long time with a gloomy expression. She gently called her name twice, and when Shiwan looked up, she smiled and pulled her into the kitchen.
"What were you thinking about just now? You seemed so engrossed." Caiyue laid out the prepared ingredients one by one. She had bought wheat flour at the market this morning and mixed it with cold water. She was sure that the dough would be much more elastic once it rose. As she thought this, her hands kept moving.
After waiting for a while without hearing any movement, I realized that the person on the other end seemed a little off. "Are you alright?" I asked, and couldn't help but gently touch Shi Wan with the back of my hand. Seeing that she was fine except for a slightly cold body temperature, I relaxed. "Why are you so absent-minded?"
Shi Wan forced a smile, suppressing the sudden chill that rose in her heart, and said with a smile, "What is this? It looks really beautiful."
Knowing that she was trying to change the subject, Caiyue glanced at her and said in the same way, "Later we'll make 'Four Happiness Dumplings' with these four kinds of vegetables and a little pepper. They'll definitely be delicious."
A brief silence ensued, and Shi Wan simply smiled and made a couple of perfunctory remarks before quietly wrapping it up.
It started snowing early this morning, and by this afternoon the snowfall had slowed down considerably. It seems like it will continue for at least two days, just like the past few days. At the earliest, we probably can only think of something to do on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
But whenever Shi Wan thought of Jiang Xu... of that usually gentle yet ambiguous face, of his mockery and humiliation, of the silver notes scattered everywhere, of...
He became increasingly short of breath.
Moreover, she even found herself thinking uncontrollably about when she first met this person.
I thought of his favoritism, his indulgence, his... kindness.
In her dream, these two extreme emotions tore her back and forth, making her almost paranoid.
Coming to her senses, Shi Wan then continued chatting casually.
"By the way, earlier today, Tang Yun ran into Young Master Zhang while playing outside in the courtyard. He said that it's New Year's Eve tonight, and he also wants to come over and have a bite to eat..." Caiyue quietly observed Shi Wan's expression, and her tone gradually lowered as she finished speaking.
She was an experienced person, and she had seen Zhang Gongzi's thoughtfulness towards his benefactor along the way. It was just a pity that the falling flowers were affectionate, but the flowing water was indifferent.
However, since the other party saved them a lot of trouble, it was fine to have just one meal.
Caiyue waited quietly for Shiwan to make a decision, while putting the first dozen or so small dumplings she had wrapped into the boiling water.
Unaware of what the other person was thinking, Shi Wan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "If we keep stopping them, they'll probably find a way to come and freeload. They've helped us a lot too... Let them come."
......
*
Upon arriving in Linzhou, Jiang Xu's men immediately began to investigate. With the travel permit, all the details became easier to confirm. Shi Wan had indeed come here, accompanied by a mother and daughter, and... a man.
Although he didn't know if the information from the person keeping watch was true, Jiang Xu's first reaction upon hearing the news was one of annoyance.
It wasn't murderous intent, but rather this useless emotion akin to jealousy.
The next moment, a guard handed over a plate of water chestnuts from the side. The curved, horn-shaped fruits were aquatic plants with a rather dark color. They were peeled one by one, and one could imagine their taste after taking a bite.
This is a specialty of Linzhou. Coinciding with the New Year, every household will prepare this fruit pulp to satisfy the cravings of the younger generation.
Thinking of this, Jiang Xu seemed to remember something and said gently, "You must be tired from your journey. With the New Year approaching, you will have to continue your travels with me."
"No need to peel them for me. Just divide these water chestnuts up. Once we find the person, let the brothers go to Jing Yan to collect more reward money so we can have a good New Year."
The guard had only wanted to ease the tension around Jiang Xu, who had been traveling day and night without rest, but this comfort only fueled his enthusiasm. He relayed the message down the chain of command, and in less than two hours, the group had successfully arrived near the courtyard.
At that time, the courtyard gate was tightly closed, and only the bursts of laughter coming from inside were genuine. The woman's voice was soft and gentle, like a feather stirring the heart. Jiang Xu paused for a moment, stared quietly for a few breaths, and then looked up towards the direction of the courtyard.
Beside him, a guard asked, "Your Majesty, shall we go in?"
A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days' absence. The fact that Shi Wan managed to escape by drugging those people and then manage to get to this place on her own shows that she must have put in a lot of effort and suffered a lot this time.
Faced with such a eloquent and sophisticated woman, securing the spoils is the best course of action now. However, just a door away, Jiang Xu suddenly paused.
The plum blossoms, heavy with snow, seem even more delicate and timid; now, he should push open the door and enter, but...
As he was pondering, a series of footsteps approached. Jiang Xu instinctively hid under the eaves and silently watched from the shadows.
The newcomer wore a scarlet robe, his clothes were clean and fresh, and he wore a square turban on his head. He was followed by a pageboy, and then he went into the courtyard without any hindrance.
The door wasn't fully closed, and after a brief gust of cold wind, a small crack appeared. He couldn't help but peer through it. Inside the courtyard, laughter and cheerful conversation filled the air, with hosts and guests all beaming with joy.
Jiang Xu stared intently at the man beside Shi Wan, his eyesight was excellent, and he confirmed the man's identity almost instantly.
Zhang, Yi, Wen.
This scene alone was enough to ignite his anger. Yet, his expression remained almost self-destructive as he stared at the two people until even the safe distance between them blurred completely.
Whether he admits it or not.
In that instant, he truly was...
They wanted to take their place.
A sense of absurd and nihilistic emptiness quickly filled my heart, accompanied by an almost impossible answer, yet my heart was beating faster and faster in my chest.
Jiang Xu maintained his usual gentle demeanor, gently bringing his palm close. Upon touching it, his heartbeat quickened, and he felt it deeply.
It's about absolute possession, desire, and jealousy...
besides......
An affection that cannot be ignored.
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The author's note: 1. "A scholar should be treated with new respect after three days' absence." This comes from "Sun Quan's Exhortation to Learning," which is also a key classical Chinese text in junior high school. [Glasses]
2. The place names, local specialties, etc. in the text are all made up by the author.
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