Butler Wang drove his carriage to the gate of the Jiang family and looked up at the tall courtyard wall and the pointed tiles on top.
He had no idea that the "living devil" rumored on the street was actually someone he knew. He shook his head, thinking that the rumors were unbelievable.
"Knock-knock—"
Jiang Nian opened the door and invited Butler Wang into the yard.
"Butler Wang, is Mr. Wang feeling better?" Jiang Yue poured him a bowl of cold mint water.
Speaking of which, Jiang Yue and Jiang Nian lived a rough life. When they drank water, they either drank from a bowl or poured it directly from a can. They never thought of buying special cups.
Steward Wang bowed and thanked her, "Thank you, Madam Jiang, for your miraculous medicine. The master is much better now."
He sent not only ten masterpieces, but also a stone of fine rice.
At this time, it was truly generous to be willing to give away the fine rice. Jiang Yue accepted it without hesitation. She was saving people with a purpose.
When Butler Wang saw that the Jiang family members showed no surprise at the fine rice, he knew that they should not be short of food.
Although he had lost a lot of weight due to the disaster, he was still weak. It hadn't taken him more than a quarter of an hour to get from Wang's house, and he was sweating profusely, not to mention he was wearing a long robe.
There happened to be a bowl of water nearby, so he picked it up and drank it without any hesitation.
"Hmm! Good tea!" The moment he took a sip, he felt refreshed and all the sweat disappeared.
"Madam Jiang, what kind of tea is this?" He had been the housekeeper in the Wang family for 10 years. He had drunk green tea, flower tea, fine tea and expensive tea, but he had never tasted this kind of tea.
Jiang Yue pointed to the circle of lush grass surrounding the yard.
"It's different from ordinary tea. It's called mint, also known as benzoin. You can pick some mint and soak it in water to drink, which is refreshing and thirst-quenching. You can also apply the juice to exposed skin to repel mosquitoes and relieve itching. Doctors also often use it as a medicine to clear the mind and improve eyesight."
Jiang Yue: I accidentally showed off some medical knowledge I just memorized, just to show off~
When Butler Wang heard the name of benzoin, he knew it could help him concentrate and rest. He drank the water in one breath and felt full of energy.
Jiang Yue found it a little funny to see him staring at Bo He without saying a word.
He said, "Summer makes one easily restless and irritable, and the nuisance of mosquitoes also affects rest. I don't have anything to offer as a gift, but I have grown this mint very well, so I will give a few plants to your residence and wish Master Wang good health."
Butler Wang smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Madam Jiang. I will definitely bring you to the master."
After he returned, these mint plants were so popular with doctors that they would sneak in every day to pick a few leaves. Even when the master wanted to drink a bowl of mint tea to calm his mind, he couldn't find a few good leaves. The housekeeper was so angry that he cursed him. But that's another story.
At that moment, Jiang Yue pulled out several strong mint plants for Jiang Nian in front of his dissatisfied eyes, as she was worried that the mint would not adapt to the local climate in the Wang family.
Before leaving, she didn't expect that Butler Wang actually took a fancy to her tile nails, which made her laugh and cry.
"I think these nails are really effective. They will make it so that even if thieves can find a ladder, they won't be able to climb up the wall."
Jiang Yue nodded. "This was custom-made by me at a tile kiln in the outer city. Their craftsmanship is indeed good, and they already have experience. Steward Wang can just ask them to do it."
For the Wang family, the required materials are naturally a small matter and can be obtained in any way.
Even if he saw it today and went back to learn how to do it himself, Jiang Yue wouldn't take it to heart. After all, there was no conflict between the two families. But he asked first, which showed that he was a gentleman and open-minded, which was good.
After seeing off Butler Wang, she couldn't wait to inspect those "high-end goods".
A total of five paintings and five calligraphy works were sent.
The painting depicts tigers, deer, bears, monkeys, and birds—the origin of the so-called "Five Animal Play"—with such vivid and lifelike expressions that they seem to leap off the page. Even a layman like her could see the artist's profound skill.
The calligraphy work is the posthumous work of a famous teacher from the previous dynasty. Somehow it ended up in the hands of Mr. Wang. It seems that the saying that the Wang family is as rich as half a city is not an exaggeration.
Jiang Yue collected the ten works one by one. Actually, she felt a little sad to keep them. They should be left for future generations to appreciate. Unfortunately, she had to save her life. So she decisively collected them.
After drinking a lot of blood, there are only 374 hours left, which is 15 days!!!
That’s enough. If anything unexpected happens, I can take Jiang Nian and hide temporarily.
She walked out of the main room and leaned against the eaves, watching Jiang Nian half-bend over, carefully plucking mint leaves. After plucking two, he wiped them and put them in his mouth to chew. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he must have been quite satisfied.
She thought to herself, this thing is said to make your throat feel cool, is it like drinking ice Sprite?
Jiang Nian suddenly turned around and looked at the next room, staring at it for a long time without moving.
"What's wrong?"
"Someone."
Jiang Yue frowned.
Human or ghost?
The house next door has become a notorious haunted house; ten people have died there, and no one dares to visit even in broad daylight. The Wang family next door even wants to invite a Taoist priest to perform a ritual to ward off evil...
Jiang Nian listened for a while, then walked over, chewing mint, his expression unchanged, "It must be refugees next door who have occupied the Wang family's house."
Jiang Yue said, "That's not surprising. Ordinary people would rather avoid the Wang family, so why would anyone have any intentions towards this house? These refugees themselves have committed countless sins, so why should they be afraid of ghosts?"
Although she didn't think she was a good person, she couldn't stand people who could harm others and still live a carefree and comfortable life.
I went to the government office to report the case that afternoon.
A few days ago, refugees entered the city and killed not only civilians but also several yamen runners. The yamen, deeply disgusted with refugees, immediately sealed off the Wang family's house and pulled out six or seven refugees.
When refugees crossed the street, everyone shouted and beat them. If there were no rotten eggs, they would just find stones and throw them at them. If the yamen runners hadn't told them to keep their breath alive for the judge, they probably wouldn't have even made it to the yamen.
Jiang Yue watched silently, but was thinking in her heart, the refugees themselves didn't know how many accomplices they had, so how could the government know how many refugees were hiding in the city and had not been found?
She actually had some vague ideas in her mind.
How did these refugees outside the city know that no one would go to the Wang family to investigate?
That night, the refugees also knew the distribution of residential areas very accurately, and their actions were very precise and neat.
It was said that the refugees had dug a hole in a corner of a city gate that was not patrolled by the guards and had gotten in. This seemed to indicate that they were too familiar with the layout of the city and the distribution of the guards.
She didn't believe that there was no traitor in the city.
On the second day after the refugees on the right were taken away, there was movement in the house on the left that had been vacant all this time.
But this time it wasn't another wave of refugees causing trouble, but the owner of the house who finally moved in.
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