Chapter 54
Lin Jiangzhi's joke made Lin Qiang laugh heartily. He sat down casually, patted the spot next to him, and said cheerfully to Lin Jiangzhi, "Jiangzhi, come sit here."
"Alright." Lin Jiangzhi didn't refuse. He lifted his robe and sat down next to Lin Qiang, placing the guqin in his arms on his lap. His every move exuded the refined elegance unique to a Confucian scholar. "Brother, are you in a bad mood?"
"Haha, you know me best." Lin Qiang pulled out a blade of grass from somewhere, put it in his mouth, propped himself up with his arms, and looked up at the blue sky: "I wouldn't say I'm in a bad mood, it's just that I've been a bit out of control lately."
God knows how much willpower he needed each time to let her go. He wished he could hold the little girl in his arms and kiss her tenderly, cuddling her every inch of his being.
"Is it because of Miss Yao?" Lin Jiangzhi lowered his head and gently plucked a string on the zither. The sound was clear and melodious. "In my opinion, this is quite good."
"Okay?" Lin Qiang raised an eyebrow.
"Perhaps you yourself don't realize it, but you were too rational and too indifferent before. Whether it was business matters or the people in the village, you were so rational that you didn't seem like a real person, like an observer. Now, you are like a real person, with concerns, worries, and troubles."
Lin Jiangzhi turned his head to look at the man beside him, his eyes filled with a hint of admiration. Everyone in the village was afraid of Lin Qiang. Not because he was fierce or anything; quite the opposite, Lin Qiang loved to laugh, and his smile was warm.
He's like a bonfire, illuminating and warming those around him; just being near him makes a lonely person feel safe. The fear isn't of him as a person, but of being abandoned by him, of losing the only light in one's life.
"Big brother, there's really nothing to hesitate about. Whatever decision you make, we'll always be there for you and support you forever."
"Hahahaha..." Lin Qiang straightened up and patted his shoulder: "Don't make me sound like I'm about to rebel."
All I want is to win over my wife. Well, she's just a bit hard to get...
"You go ahead and get busy, let me be alone for a while."
"Yes." Lin Jiangzhi picked up his zither and stood up, then stopped talking.
“Brother, you shouldn’t have let Miss Yao go with Hong Xin so easily. He is the adopted son of the leader of the Jiangbei Hongmen. Once Miss Yao falls into the hands of the Hongmen, it will be troublesome for her to get out.”
"Don't worry, I have my own plans."
Lin Qiang knew, of course, that Hong Xin was a member of the Jiangbei Hongmen, and that he would become the leader of the uprising army and later rule the country along the Yangtze River with Yuwen Zhe!
According to the book, a severe drought struck Jiangbei, Shandong, and refugees gathered outside the provincial capital, only to be turned away. Hong Xin, the young leader of the Hongmen, rallied the people, killed the prefect, opened the city gates, welcomed the refugees, released grain from the granaries, and raised his banner in rebellion! His righteous act moved heaven and earth! In a short time, it attracted people from all walks of life to join him, becoming the backbone of the rebel army.
That's why Lin Qiang chose to place Yuan Qiong here.
Rescuing refugees from Shandong and Jiangbei would greatly enhance his reputation among the people, so how could his little girl miss out on such a good opportunity? Since she'd stumbled upon it, she was bound to want a piece of the pie!
**
Inside the swaying carriage, Yuan Qiong and Hong Xin sat facing each other. Hong Xin stared intently at her, which made Yuan Qiong somewhat impatient.
"Lord Hong, don't you know that staring at a woman like that is very impolite?"
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Hong Xin leaned back a few inches and asked with a smile, "You're coming with me like this, won't your husband be jealous?"
"This has nothing to do with Lord Hong, does it?"
"I'm just curious about the way you two get along; it's really incomprehensible."
Hong Xin wasn't blind; she had clearly seen the way the two of them interacted in the room, which was why she was puzzled.
If the two had a very good relationship, why didn't her husband save her when she was attacked by bandits? And why did she smash up the Fengyun Gambling House?
If the two people's relationship is not good, then the love in the man's eyes cannot be faked. Moreover, this young lady wanted to come out with him, and her husband didn't object at all, seemingly without any worry...
"Actually, young lady, that man isn't your husband, is he? At least not the kind of person you've married after a wedding ceremony and informing your parents and heaven and earth."
The young woman clearly came from a prominent family, and her husband must also be from a wealthy and influential background. Although the man was highly skilled in martial arts, based on his years of experience judging people, he possessed a somewhat roguish air. Most likely, these two were just a temporary couple, each already married... then everything made sense!
Hong Xin immediately imagined a whole drama unfolding in her mind, and her gaze towards Yuan Qiong carried a somewhat ambiguous meaning.
I never knew girls could be so wild!
Yuan Qiong had no idea what strange things Hong Xin was imagining, but he felt uneasy under Hong Xin's gaze. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "He is indeed not my husband."
See, see, I told you I wasn't wrong! Hong Xin felt her worldview shattered in an instant.
Just then, someone outside the carriage announced, "Brother Hong, we've arrived."
With a complicated expression, Hong Xin considerately lifted the sedan curtain for Yuan Qiong and helped her down from the carriage.
After Yuan Qiong stopped, she looked up and saw the two large characters: "Hong Mansion".
"What is this, Lord Hong?"
"You can stay at my place for the next few days." Hong Xin didn't say anything else this time; he still needed to mentally prepare himself.
He thought about it for a moment. Even if he really married the young lady, having a rival with such high martial arts skills would definitely make him a cuckold! Even if he killed this rival, if the young lady continued to act so wildly, he still couldn't avoid being cuckolded!
Hong Xin glanced back, but the young woman said nothing more, simply lifting her skirt to follow him. Her movements were elegant, like snow falling on a river.
"......."
He couldn't bear to give up such a beautiful young woman!
Fine, I'll just stay here for now.
Hong Xin sighed and stepped through the gate in his boots. Yuan Qiong followed behind him, completely bewildered, wondering why Hong Xin had suddenly changed his attitude. But it was for the best; it saved her the trouble of figuring out how to deal with him.
The moment Yuan Qiong entered the Hong residence, she clearly sensed an extraordinary aura. It wasn't that the Hong residence was luxuriously decorated, but rather that the servants within moved with almost imperceptible footsteps, each possessing an extremely steady gait, clearly indicating they were trained martial artists.
"My lord, you're back?" A steward-like man approached. "The master just sent word that he wants you to come home. The horses are ready..."
The butler then turned his gaze to Yuan Qiong behind Hong Xin and asked, "And who is this young lady?"
“This is my guest. Uncle Hong, please arrange accommodations for him.” After speaking to the steward, Hong Xin turned to Yuan Qiong: “This is my steward. You can talk to him if you need anything. I have to go out for a while now. I will talk to you in detail when I come back later.”
"Yes, ma'am." Uncle Hong responded, smiling as he looked at Yuan Qiong: "Please come with me, young lady."
"Okay, thank you for your trouble." Yuan Qiong nodded, watching Hong Xin hurriedly leave the mansion.
"May I ask how you are addressed, young lady? This is the first time my master has brought you back to the manor. He will be very pleased if he finds out." Along the way, Uncle Hong greeted her with a smile, "Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be from Jiangbei. May I ask where you are from?"
“Old man, you have sharp ears. I am indeed not from Jiangbei. I just came to Jiangbei Province a few days ago to find my relatives. You can call me Wang Yao.” Yuan Qiong greeted him politely while subtly observing the layout of the Hong residence. She asked casually, “I just heard you say that Lord Hong is going home. Isn’t the Hong residence Lord Hong’s mansion? Is that gentleman Lord Hong’s father?”
"Haha... This young lady seems quite concerned about my family's affairs?"
Yuan Qiong made an embarrassed expression and lowered her head slightly shyly: "It's nothing, I was just asking casually. Please don't be offended if I said anything wrong, sir."
Uncle Hong immediately waved his hand: "It's alright, it's alright. It's just that we servants shouldn't discuss the affairs of our masters. So if Miss Wang Yao has any questions, it would be best to ask our masters."
As he spoke, Uncle Hong led her across a long water-covered bridge to the entrance of a courtyard. There were no decorations at the entrance, only a stone-carved water buffalo and a servant in gray.
Uncle Hong said to the gray-clad servant guarding the courtyard gate, "This is Miss Wang Yao. She will be living in this courtyard from now on. Go and call a few old women to tidy up the house."
"promise."
After the servant left, Uncle Hong gestured for Yuan Qiong to come in: "Miss Wang Yao, please wait here for a moment. This old servant will arrange a few maids for you."
"Okay, thank you for your help, sir."
Then Uncle Hong left, leaving Yuan Qiong alone in the empty courtyard. She looked around; it was an ordinary courtyard, but she had a strange feeling about every plant and tree around her.
Knowing it was her first time visiting, why didn't they arrange for someone to accompany her? Were they confident she wouldn't wander off, or were they just waiting for her to do so?
Author's Note: Second update
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