Chapter 86

Yan Pozi turned around abruptly, looking at the beautiful woman standing at the doorway.

"Why are you sneaking around like a ghost?" She was in a bad mood and suspected that her son's illness was caused by the woman before her, so her tone was naturally harsh. "Where did you just go?"

Mei Niang lifted her foot and stepped over the threshold. "Nowhere in particular, just wandered around."

Yan Pozi stared at her fixedly and asked straight to the point: "Does the matter with Zongbao's father have anything to do with you?"

"If you say it does, then it does."

Mei Niang had an indifferent tone; she didn't even ask what had happened to Jiang Dabo, clearly already knowing the situation.

Yan Pozi was deeply shaken. She pointed a trembling finger at her and said sternly: "I told you to seduce Jiang Li and break up their family, not to harm my son! Aren't you afraid I'll sell you into a brothel for doing this?"

One must know, she held Mei Niang's deed of sale in her hands!

Yet Mei Niang didn't look the least bit afraid, merely casting a glance with nonchalance. "You can try."

This remark clearly carried a provocation.

Yan Pozi was both angry and annoyed, wishing she could drag this harmful enchantress to the town right now and sell her off.

But then she thought, *Good, since this enchantress is so capable and can easily torment a grown man into such a state, wouldn't it be perfect to use her to deal with Jiang Li? *

If she were to sell her, it would at least have to wait until the Second Branch met with misfortune.

By then, if Jiang Li had taken a liking to Mei Niang, he would inevitably turn against the Du woman, and then spend silver to redeem Mei Niang from her. As for how much silver...

Heh, that would be up to her to decide.

Even if Jiang Li was a real man and hadn't been bewitched by beauty, she wouldn't have lost anything; she could just turn around and sell Mei Niang to a brothel.

Such a stunner would surely fetch a good price.

No matter how one looked at it, she was guaranteed a profit without any risk.

As for her son's illness, since it was already like this, it could only be nursed back slowly.

Thinking of this, Yan Pozi's attitude softened. "Fine, I won't pursue this matter. But don't forget the agreement between us. You seduce Jiang Li, preferably getting him to divorce the Du woman, and afterwards, I will return your deed of sale and set you free."

Mei Niang smiled, her smile carrying a trace of contempt and mockery. "It's a deal."

To prevent any complications from a long delay, Yan Pozi sent the person to the Second Branch that very evening.

The Second Branch family was eating dinner, and seeing someone arrive, Du Ruo led Mei Niang into the room.

The younger ones were seeing Mei Niang for the first time and all stared at her, dumbfounded, without blinking for a long time.

This big sister is truly beautiful!

So beautiful she doesn't look like a mortal.

Du Ruo walked over and slapped Jiang Cheng on the back of his head, saying crossly: "What are you looking at, you little brat? Hurry up and eat your food; your mouth is open wide enough for a mosquito to fly in!"

Jiang Cheng came to his senses and, feeling he had been very rude, hurriedly looked away.

He turned his head and muttered to his younger sister: "Wan'er, don't you think she looks like a white radish in the field?"

Jiang Wan tilted her head and shook it. "Not at all. I think she looks more like Lady Zhuang Jiang mentioned in the books: 'fingers like tender reeds, skin like congealed fat, neck like a tree-grub, teeth like melon seeds.' The Master said a woman's beauty should be like this."

Jiang Cheng curled his lip. "Why are you becoming more and more like Second Brother? Speaking in such a pedantic way, I can barely understand you."

Jiang Wan made a face at him. "Who told you not to study hard in the first place? Regretting it now?"

Chunhua covered her mouth and laughed from the side.

While the children were muttering, Du Ruo had already taken Mei Niang to the room furthest in the back.

She didn't have any good feelings for this woman, nor could she say she hated her; it had nothing to do with her appearance, and it certainly wasn't jealousy—she simply didn't like the behavior of cheating during a marriage.

"You'll stay here. If you need anything, come find me in the front." In any case, she wouldn't be staying for many days; Du Ruo had observed previously that Qin Shi's labor should be around the Mid-Autumn Festival.

After saying this, Du Ruo prepared to leave.

Mei Niang, however, spoke up, looking quite puzzled. "You don't like me?"

Du Ruo was stunned for a moment, then found it somewhat amusing. "Why should I like you?"

Are you the national currency, that the whole world must like you?

Mei Niang was silent for a moment, then added: "I'm hungry."

"Then wait, I'll go get you something to eat."

Perhaps due to her wariness, Du Ruo didn't really want the younger ones to have too much contact with Mei Niang. Especially Jiang Cheng; the child was already over fourteen, just at the age where feelings begin to sprout. Although he hadn't quite blossomed yet, what if he were to be seduced?

Therefore, it was better to let Mei Niang eat alone in the room.

Du Ruo quickly brought over a bowl of rice, plus half a plate of vegetables; the family was having stir-fried mushrooms with meat, braised fish, and a vegetable dish that night.

She set it down and went out.

Mei Niang looked down at the food for a long while, then picked it up and used her chopsticks to pick up a slice of mushroom and put it into her mouth.

She chewed it finely.

It was unexpectedly delicious.

So, is it because the Du woman cooks well that he is so devoted, cold and indifferent to others, and doesn't give them the time of day?

Is it really like that?

Half an hour later, estimating that Mei Niang had finished eating, Du Ruo went in to collect the bowl.

"I need to set three rules with you." She sat down opposite Mei Niang and said seriously.

"Go ahead."

Du Ruo said: "Since you are now staying in our house, there are some rules you must follow. First, go out as little as possible. You know what you look like; there's no telling how many people outside covet you. If there are any restless ones, I can't guarantee I can protect you."

"Second, apart from me, try to speak as little as possible with the others in the house, so as not to lead them astray."

"Third, do not go to the vegetable garden in the back, especially do not damage the vegetables inside. If you violate any of these three, I will send you back. Do you hear me clearly?"

Her attitude was very blunt.

Mei Niang, however, didn't feel offended, but instead asked curiously: "How do you know I'm not a good person?"

Although she really wasn't a good person, it was the first time she had been guarded against so blatantly.

"Just a feeling," Du Ruo said.

This woman was too strange. With such beauty, she had married such a crude, reckless man and was sold by her husband for thirty-nine taels; even if her husband were a eunuch, he couldn't be that generous.

Most importantly, she actually had an affair with Jiang Zongbao, a man who was ugly, incompetent, and loved to play around—it was truly unbelievable.

It was hard for Du Ruo not to be suspicious.

Mei Niang saw Du Ruo's vigilance and, after thinking for a moment, decided to reveal her trump card. "Actually, your grandmother sent me here to seduce Jiang Li and break up your marriage."

Du Ruo sneered. "You're quite frank."

She had guessed this long ago; that old witch Yan Pozi simply couldn't stand to see the Second Branch doing well and was trying every possible way to cause trouble, terrified that the Second Branch's life would be too comfortable.

Sometimes Du Ruo couldn't help but wonder if her late father-in-law, Jiang Mo Nian, was actually born to Yan Pozi.

"Why shouldn't I be frank?" Mei Niang looked at her, her gaze burning. "I agreed to come, but it wasn't to seduce Jiang Li, but rather—to seduce you."

Huh? Du Ruo was thunderstruck by these words.

Seduce her? Seduce what on earth? She was a woman, hey! And she was only interested in men, okay?

Du Ruo was speechless and let out a 'hehe'. "Then you've really miscalculated; I don't like women."

"I know, you like men," Mei Niang nodded.

Knowing that and still trying this, she was either crazy, a liar, or doing the opposite on purpose to distract her, while her actual target was still Jiang Li.

Whatever, she wouldn't succeed anyway.

Du Ruo picked up the bowl and chopsticks and said coldly, "Rest well, and don't run around at night."

She took the bowl to the kitchen, then walked to the corner of the courtyard and squatted down, patting the dog's head.

"Tie Dan, keep a close eye on that woman. Report to me immediately if there's any unusual activity."

The dog barked twice, indicating it understood.

It also didn't like that woman; there was a very strange smell on her, neither fragrant nor stinking, and every time it smelled it, it wanted to pounce and take a bite.

No, can't bite people, hold it in.

The dog regretted for the first time that its nose was too sharp.

The next day, Tie Dan sent Jiang Wan to the academy early in the morning, then returned to monitor Mei Niang.

Jiang Cheng was busy in the vegetable plot behind the courtyard as usual; the chili seedling cultivation was almost finished, just waiting for the First Branch to clear the land, and then they could transplant them.

Chunhua was busy in and out, washing clothes and cooking meals; except for the room Mei Niang lived in, all other rooms had been cleaned, and then she squatted on the ground to practice calligraphy.

Mei Niang was actually quite obedient and hadn't stepped out of the room once.

Du Ruo gave Tie Dan a few more instructions, then prepared to make a trip to the county.

She had to give Jiang Li a heads-up and, by the way, have him investigate the background of this person named Mei Niang.

The ox cart today was even livelier than usual.

They were all married women, so they had no scruples in their speech, and all sorts of bawdy jokes came out of their mouths.

"Oh my, have you heard? Jiang Zongbao's father had a stroke during sex!"

"Gee, at his age, still acting so wild. He usually pretends to be so upright; you really couldn't tell at all."

"You don't understand that, do you? You can't judge a woman by her looks, and you can't measure a man by his hand. There are plenty of upright people who don't do upright things!"

"How come I heard his wife, Cao Shi, wasn't there at the time? So who was he with when he got this illness?"

"Pfft, maybe he was playing with himself and played too hard..."

Several women burst into laughter.

Only then did Du Ruo learn that Jiang Dabo had had this incident yesterday.

Jiang Dabo had always cared about his reputation, but now he was famous throughout the village for such a disgraceful deed; he probably wouldn't have the face to come out and see people after he recovered.

Serves you right, letting you be so malicious; getting your retribution now, aren't you?

Du Ruo was feeling great inside, but the woman opposite her, seeing she hadn't said a word, hurriedly tried to drag her into it. "Jiang Li's wife, your uncle's illness isn't easy to recover from; it'll cost a lot of money to nurse him back. Your grandmother hasn't reached out to you, has she?"

Du Ruo smiled. "Not yet."

"That's good if she hasn't. That's a bottomless pit, a hole that can never be filled. You have a whole family of your own; make sure you don't drag your Second Branch into it too."

Hearing this, Du Ruo couldn't help but think back to when she had first married into the family.

At that time, everyone had said the same thing about their Jiang Family Second Branch; who would have thought that the tables would turn, and the First Branch would have a day like this.

With jokes and banter on the road, time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived in town.

Du Ruo said goodbye to the women and rented a carriage herself, heading straight for the county government office.

Jiang Li hadn't been there the previous two times she came, but this time it was a coincidence; she happened to run into Jiang Li and Wang Bujiu's group at the entrance of the government office.

As soon as Jiang Li saw his little wife, his eyes lit up instantly, and he walked over.

He originally wanted to hold his wife's hand, but catching a glimpse of the dozen or so subordinates watching the fun, he pulled back halfway.

"Wife, wait for me a moment."

Saying this, Jiang Li turned back, his smile fading. "Everyone, prepare your equipment and dry rations; we depart in half a quarter of an hour!"

"Yes, Chief!"

Wang Bujiu, however, glanced at Du Ruo on the side, grinned at her, and then said to Jiang Li: "Hey, Chief, just those few petty thieves, you can leave them to us; where is there any need for you to take action?"

"That's right." A round-faced constable in his twenties took over the conversation, smiling cheekily. "Sister-in-law has finally come for a visit; Chief, you shouldn't go. Stay and keep her company. With a dozen of us, are we afraid we can't catch those six?"

Other constables also joined in the teasing.

Du Ruo's face turned as red as a boiled crab, and she hurriedly waved her hands. "It's okay, it's okay. Husband, if you have official business, go ahead and get busy; I don't have anything urgent."

Jiang Li pondered for a moment, then made a decision.

"Alright, Wang Bujiu, you lead the team; you must bring those people back and interrogate them clearly."

"Understood, Chief."

The constables' movements were indeed fast; in the blink of an eye, only Jiang Li was left.

Only then did Jiang Li hold his wife's hand with peace of mind, leading her toward the living quarters behind the government office, asking as they walked: "Is everything alright at home?"

"Everything's fine."

Du Ruo paused. "Did I delay your official business?"

Jiang Li shook his head and smiled. "Just catching a few petty thieves, it's nothing major; Brother Wang and the others can handle it."

It was just that these few petty thieves were crucial; as long as they were caught, they could find out the whereabouts of Mei Ruxi.

Jiang Li didn't want Du Ruo to know about these headache-inducing official matters, so she wouldn't have to worry along with him.

The couple talked as they walked, and before long, they reached the living quarters.

The living quarters were arranged specifically for the convenience of the constables and Ya Men runners, though there were differences in rank.

For example, a constable like Jiang Li lived in a single room.

Wang Bujiu and the other constables could only live in a large shared dormitory; fortunately, they were all men, and it was quite lively to joke around together.

Besides Jiang Li, there was one other person who was also quite special.

That was Yang Dian Feng.

Yang Dian Feng was the most senior among the constables and had once assisted the County Magistrate in solving many cases, so he had always had prestige among the constables, and thus he also lived in a single room.

And it was right next door to Jiang Li's.

When Jiang Li brought Du Ruo through the door, he happened to meet Yang Dian Feng head-on; there was also a middle-aged woman beside Yang Dian Feng, who looked like she was about to be seen off.

Seeing Jiang Li, Yang Dian Feng curled his lips coldly. "Constable Jiang, you're in high spirits. You haven't caught the criminal yet, and you still have the heart to accompany your wife here. If the Magistrate knew you were handling business like this, I'm afraid he would be very disappointed, wouldn't he?"

Du Ruo frowned.

This Yang Dian Feng was indeed ill-intentioned toward Jiang Li; the sourness in his mouth was almost overflowing.

Men were bickering, and she didn't know the specific situation, so it wasn't easy to intervene rashly, so she looked at her husband.

Jiang Li's tone was flat. "Constable Yang, it's good to remember the pain as well as the taste of food; don't forget the pain once the scars have healed."

"You!"

It was unknown where this sentence poked at Yang Dian Feng's sore spot, but Yang Dian Feng was furious on the spot.

His eyes widened, his fists clenched until they creaked, but he finally held back. "Fine, you're good. But don't be too proud too early; pride comes before a fall."

After saying this, he snorted coldly and took the woman out.

The woman, however, had a dazed expression, her face as white as a ghost; it wasn't until they were outside the gate of the living quarters that she grabbed Yang Dian Feng's arm and asked urgently: "Feng'er, was that man just now the one who stole your position as Chief Constable?"

"It's him!"

Yang Dian Feng spat on the ground. "A pauper who got in through connections, daring to compete with me? I'll make him pay sooner or later!"

"No, no." The woman's eyeballs rolled in their sockets in panic. "Feng'er, listen to me, don't offend him, and definitely don't harm him. Stay far away from him, okay?"

Yang Dian Feng was puzzled. "Second Mother, why is that?"

He had lost his biological mother when he was young, and it was his stepmother, Lou Shi, who had raised him; Lou Shi treated him like her own son, and he had always been filial.

But for her to suddenly tell him not to deal with Jiang Li for no reason, there had to be a cause.

"Don't ask anymore."

Lou Shi was so anxious that tears were about to fall. "Second Mother is doing this for your own good. If you offend him, you won't have a good ending..."

A few light words like this, of course, couldn't persuade Yang Dian Feng.

The knot between him and Jiang Li was already dead; they had to fight until one of them was broken and bleeding, otherwise, after working hard for more than ten years, he would still be a lowly constable—how could he be reconciled to that?

"Second Mother, don't worry about my affairs here; I have it all under control."

Over there, Du Ruo turned back to look at Yang Dian Feng's retreating figure and asked Jiang Li: "Husband, did you notice his walking posture is a bit strange?"

Jiang Li held back his laughter.

"Mm, because he didn't handle his business well, he was fined three months' salary by the County Magistrate the day before yesterday, and he also took a beating with the heavy board."

Ah? You get beaten with a board if you don't do your job well?

The bosses in ancient times were truly too much like overbearing CEOs.

Du Ruo hurriedly tugged at her husband's clothes and looked down. "Are you alright?"

Jiang Li held her hand and led her into the room. "Come in, and I'll show you."