Chapter 146: Inviting the Wolf In

The sky had already turned dark, but Chen Jia insisted on going to save someone; Shitou had no choice but to follow.

The child with his hair tied in a sky-high braid led them to a ruined temple; from afar they saw a gaunt man lying on a tattered straw mat, his eyes shut tight.

There was no one else around.

The child called himself Daobao. He stepped forward first to the man's side, squatted down, gently shook him, and called out, "Big brother, someone's here."

The man on the mat heard this and slowly opened his eyes; unsure whether he lacked the strength to speak, he glanced at the newcomers and then immediately closed his eyes again without a word.

Seeing the man's thin arms and legs, half his face still burned, lying there motionless, unsure if he was dead or alive, Shitou also lowered his guard.

Chen Jia had spent a long time working in the fields and occasionally encountered snake bites, so he had some experience.

After asking Daobao about the situation, he learned that the man's poisoning was not lethal, otherwise he wouldn't have lasted until now.

Chen Jia told Shitou to carry the man on his back and bring him back to the manor first; Shitou was somewhat reluctant, but still obedient to Chen Jia's words and did as he was told.

Jiangting County is only a day and a half's journey from the capital Jingcheng; the next morning, with the streets still draped in a thin mist, the party arrived at their destination.

The people of the manor were already acquainted with Chen Jia and Shitou; everyone was honest commoners, and the manor lord was a kind old man. Seeing them bring a stranger, he asked a couple of questions and then welcomed them in together.

First, out of trust in Chen Jia; second, they were only two people, one big and one small, the older one being frail, incapable of stirring up any trouble; third, the manor folk were kind-hearted, and seeing their plight, they took them in.

The manor lord asked about their origins.

Daobao claimed they were originally a gentry family from the south, but having fallen on hard times, they came north to rely on relatives—only to find the relatives had moved away, their travel funds exhausted, and after wandering about they ended up here.

The south had long been the birthplace of the Holy Heaven Sect, perpetually chaotic, the imperial court unable to exert control, its authority weak; thus refugees often fled north from the south.

This explanation sounded reasonable and aroused no suspicion.

None of them imagined that the seemingly frail 'Chen Yuan' was actually a wanted criminal of the imperial court, and this well-intentioned shelter would later bring catastrophic disaster upon the entire manor.

Xie Yan spent a peaceful period here.

He went by the name Chen Yuan; because of his gentle nature, learned and reasonable, he bore the air of a scholar without pretension, and quickly won the favor of the manor folk.

What's more, he knew a fair amount of agricultural knowledge but never showed it off, and he also helped the manor solve some irrigation problems.

In just a few days he gained everyone's trust, and his standing on the manor came to rival that of Chen Jia from the capital, so the manor ended up with two 'Mr. Chens'.

Chen Jia was honest and plain-spoken, not good with words, diligent and humble, only knowing how to bury himself in work, with nothing in his eyes but farming.

In contrast, Chen Yuan was smooth and quick-witted, eloquent; even the manor's fiercest dog wagged its tail at him, and he gradually became the manor's most popular 'Mr. Chen'.

Not only did the manor folk like him, but residents of nearby villages also praised him highly.

Only Shitou harbored a deep dislike for Chen Yuan, always feeling that beneath his gentle smile lay something hidden, far from being as simple as it appeared.

But if he voiced it, others would only think he was jealous of Chen Yuan.

That day, Shitou squatted on the field ridge to pull weeds.

Glancing not far off, he saw Chen Yuan chatting and laughing with the manor lord, the lord's daughter trailing behind, and a sudden pang of jealousy rose in his heart.

He couldn't help but complain to Chen Jia: 'Master, we never should have brought him back; even if he stayed outside he wouldn't die, but now he's clung on, not leaving, and even competes with you for credit—everyone on the manor sees only him, forgetting that you were the first to teach us how to improve crops.'

Shitou gave a cold snort: 'I think he has no good intentions at all; he might just be here to scrounge food and drink.'

Chen Jia was bent over checking the potato growth; hearing this, without raising his head he admonished: 'A gentleman does not gossip behind people's backs. Whether there is merit or not, it's all empty fame—so long as it benefits the manor and the people, it doesn't matter who does it.'

Chen Jia, with his broad-minded attitude, said: 'Say less, do more; we just need to attend to our own duties and be at peace with our conscience.'

Seeing Shitou still resentful, Chen Jia added: 'Besides, Chen Yuan hasn't provoked you; why do you hold such a grudge against him? Doing good to others is the right path; sow good causes, and you will reap good results…'

Shitou, having little education, felt his head buzz as the master launched into those lofty principles again; he quickly raised his hand in surrender: 'Master, I understand! I will certainly remember your teaching and never speak ill of others behind their backs again!'

Chen Jia said no more, stroking the potato seedlings with bright eyes: 'This improvement will surely increase the yield; it is a blessing to the state…'

These days, Xie Yan has already figured out the manor's ins and outs completely.

This manor was originally the ancestral property of the Liu clan, with deep ties to the Rongguo Duke's mansion in the capital; the family that manages the manor is a branch of the Liu clan, making them, in fact, cousins of Shen Shuangning.

Shen Shuangning......

Xie Yan murmured that name in his heart.

That person who knew his secret, put him in peril, and nearly shot him dead with an arrow—the lady of the duke's mansion.

What windfall, obtained without any effort!

A flicker of malice crossed Xie Yan's eyes; he ought to send Shen Shuangning a 'big gift'.

As he pondered, the manor lord Liu spoke gently: 'Chen Yuan, you're at the age to start a family; do you have thoughts of settling down in Jiangting County?'

Xie Yan quickly concealed the malice in his eyes, lifted his gaze, and now appeared warm and harmless; he clasped his hands and smiled: 'Manor lord, I certainly have that idea. Jiangting County has good land and water, and the manor folk are kind—if I could settle here, it couldn't be better.'

Manor Lord Liu glanced at his daughter beside him and smiled: 'There are plenty of diligent, honest girls of marriageable age on the manor; do you take a liking to any? If so, I'll act as matchmaker for you.'

Xie Yan shook his head.

Manor Lord Liu said: 'Not even one you fancy?'

Xie Yan lowered his eyes, his tone humble with a touch of self-mockery: 'Manor lord, you jest. I, Chen, am of lowly birth, with no family background, no achievements to my name, now possessing nothing, and even burdened by a young brother.'

'Having a place to rest my head is already a stroke of luck; how could I dare hope for a maiden's favor? If others don't despise me, that's already a great blessing.'

Manor Lord Liu grew ever more pleased with him: 'You're a fine young man; don't sell yourself short. As the saying goes, a man should first establish a family then pursue a career. You're still young—first settle your life's major affairs, then think about seeking official rank.'

Xie Yan: 'The manor lord is right.'

'How about Yu'er?' the manor lord said, changing tone.

The manor lord's daughter, Liu Yu, eighteen years old, named Liu Yu, is Shen Shuangning's older female cousin.

Liu Yu is straightforward and bold, but the only time she shows maidenly shyness is when she sees Chen Yuan.

She likes Chen Yuan.

Although half his face is disfigured, she is still drawn to his talent and demeanor; in her eyes he seems like a fallen noble prince, and even walking the fields he cannot hide his charm.

At this moment she stood beside her father, face flushed, carefully scrutinizing him.

Seeing the wound on his face, she couldn't help but feel regret.

If his face weren't scarred, just looking at that intact half, he would surely be an extraordinarily handsome young man… but then it wouldn't be her turn anyway.

Xie Yan's gaze fell on Liu Yu, and he gave a slight smile: 'Miss Yu is very good.'

Liu Yu's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and she dared not look at him.

"Then I, as the elder, will make the decision and betroth Yu'er to you. How about that?" Manor Lord Liu was a straightforward person and did not beat around the bush.

Xie Yan went along with the suggestion, readily agreed, and proposed setting the wedding date seven days later.

Seven days later was inauspicious for a wedding, so Manor Lord Liu wanted to pick another date, but he could not resist his daughter's eagerness to marry, so he had to agree.

Three days later, a letter from Jiangting County arrived at the Duke's Manor.

Shen Shuangning opened it and found it was a wedding invitation from her cousin Liu Yu, accompanied by a personal letter.

"My cousin is actually getting married—this is too sudden." Shen Shuangning looked at the groom's name on the invitation—Chen Yuan.

This name was completely unfamiliar; she had never heard her cousin mention it before.

Shen Shuangning frowned slightly.

Ah Heng came over to take a look, also somewhat surprised and said: "Miss Liu is also eighteen, it's time she married, but I don't know about this man's family background and character; I've never heard that Miss Liu had a sweetheart before."

Shen Shuangning said: "The Chen surname is a prominent one in Jiangting County; perhaps he's a local."

But she remembered that in her previous life, the person her cousin married bore the surname Sun, not Chen.

In her previous life, her cousin's husband was a slightly older clerk who had buried two wives; her cousin married him as a concubine-turned-wife, bearing the title of principal wife but suffering under a husband who favored his concubines and ruined his wife, leading to a miserable life.

Thinking of this, when Shen Shuangning saw the name on the invitation, she truly breathed a sigh of relief—at least it wasn't the Sun surname.

She opened her cousin's letter; the paper carried a faint scent of ink, and every line was filled with intimacy.

Liu Yu poured out her longing for her in the letter, also mentioning her fiancé Chen Yuan.

"... Chen Yuan is gentle and kind, well-read and reasonable; though his family is not illustrious, he is extraordinarily talented, treats me with meticulous care, and everyone on the manor praises him. Ningning, upon seeing him, will surely be satisfied. Heehee, I'll get married before you..."

Every word and sentence brimmed with uncontainable joy, as if one could see the sweet smile curling Liu Yu's lips as she wrote the letter.

Chen Yuan voluntarily became a live-in son-in-law.

Shen Shuangning looked at the letter, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily rose slightly. Her cousin had been her closest playmate since childhood; to see her finally marry the person she loved made Shen Shuangning genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart.

Seeing her cousin practically praise her fiancé to the heavens, even Shen Shuangning couldn't help but wonder what kind of person he was.

But he must be quite a good match, after all her cousin has always had high standards; otherwise she wouldn't have remained unmarried until now.

Shen Shuangning put the letter away, her tone light: "Ah Heng, come with me out of the manor to prepare some wedding gifts; we'll head to Jiangting in three days."

Liu Yu and Shen Shuangning are close friends; since Liu Yu is getting married, Shen Shuangning will definitely attend.

"You're going to leave the capital for Jiangting County?" Xiao Jingyuan's hand paused as he flipped through the documents, he looked up and asked, "When will you set out?"

Shen Shuangning was sitting at the small table opposite, slowly eating a piece of osmanthus cake, and replied: "In three days, my cousin's wedding; I will go with my mother to offer congratulations."

Xiao Jingyuan was not familiar with her cousin, so he continued asking, "How long will you be gone?"

"Just a visit—I haven't seen my cousin in a long time; I used to go there to play when I was young, and thinking about it still brings a touch of nostalgia."

Shen Shuangning propped her chin and said: "This is a good opportunity to stay there a few extra days and wander around; I've heard the scenery in Jiangting County is quite nice."

Xiao Jingyuan didn't press further; after a moment's thought, feeling somewhat uneasy, he said: "The Guard Bureau's duties are busy, I can't free myself. In that case, I'll have Qing Yun bring more people to escort you."

Shen Shuangning did not decline.

Xiao Jingyuan instructed: "If anything happens there, have someone send a message back immediately. Although Jiangting County isn't exactly remote, it's still outside the capital, so always keep a watchful mind."