Chapter 51: Target Discovered

Jiang Yang comforted Chi Mei for as long as he cried. After finally calming him down, Jiang Yang continued: “Once things settle down here, we’ll go back to the island and bring Winter and Summer over. They’re only seven or eight years old, an age when children are still afraid to sleep alone at night. With both parents gone, they’re relying on each other to survive on the island. Their life must be difficult.”

Chi Mei nodded with red and swollen eyes: “By the way, Ayang, those people who killed Xu San Niang, have you punished them?”

“Punish?” Jiang Yang chuckled lightly: “I don’t need to personally punish them. They’ve encountered an unexpected windfall, which has already caused chaos in their homes.”

“The woman who helped the village chief kill Xu San Niang also got a share of the money. Over the years, she’s taken in many young male concubines. Because of the concubines’ beauty, her original husband, who was just an ordinary fisherman, has been overshadowed. This year, the favored servants are ruining the husband, the husband is disappointed in her, and the eldest daughter resents her.”

“In recent years, these concubines have been giving birth to one illegitimate daughter after another. Seeing that the family’s wealth is about to be divided among these concubines and illegitimate daughters, how could the main wife and eldest daughter sit still? The internal strife is fierce, but because she, as the family head, is still in charge, it hasn’t come to the surface yet.”

“I’m just a meddler, so I added fuel to the fire. I found an excuse to have that woman arrested and sentenced to three years. Coincidentally, she started falling ill in prison, but her family paid no attention to her. Instead, they began fighting over the family property. The eldest daughter, in order to get all the family assets, even made underground deals with the clan elders to give them a certain percentage.”

“The illegitimate daughters are young, but those concubines are secretly selling off family assets for self-preservation. Just wait and see, after three years, when that woman is released, this family will have been emptied out. Although she still holds the nominal position of family head, over these years, because of her favoritism towards the concubines and illegitimate daughters, she has already lost the eldest daughter’s loyalty. But even if she hadn’t, she probably won’t live to see the day she’s released from prison.”

“As for the real mastermind, the village chief, who got even more money, her daughter suddenly became wealthy and, influenced by her fair-weather friends, developed a gambling addiction. She’s already gambled away most of the family fortune but still won’t change her ways. When she loses at gambling, she goes back to ask the village chief for money to continue gambling. The village chief, trying to protect what’s left of their savings, refuses to give her more. Her daughter, having gone off the deep end, actually beat up her own parents. The village chief, over fifty years old and once ‘highly respected’, now has her face covered in bruises inflicted by her own daughter. Tsk tsk! Since then, whenever her daughter loses at gambling or is denied money, she beats her parents. What a filial daughter indeed!”

Chi Mei, feeling indignant for Spring and Xu San Niang, said: “It’s too lenient not to have killed them directly. At least they still have the chance to suffer. But Xu San Niang didn’t even have the opportunity to endure these hardships and was mistaken for an unfaithful woman by her loved one. They’re really getting off easy… But they also deserve it. Even with money, they can’t handle it and can’t live a good life.”

Jiang Yang smiled and lightly poked his smooth forehead: “Don’t worry, evil deeds will be repaid. See, even before I went to find them, their lives were already miserable, weren’t they?”

Chi Mei nodded, then suddenly said: “Ayang, since you’re so capable and can find someone so quickly, can you help me find my brother and sister-in-law? My brother has been on land for so long, and the land is dangerous. I don’t know if he has found Jiang Qingzhou or if Jiang Qingzhou has taken him in. If he hasn’t found her, or if Jiang Qingzhou doesn’t want to take him in, where could he go?”

Chi Mei’s eyes were full of worry: “My brother isn’t as lucky as I am to have met you. That bad woman had already abandoned my brother once before. I’m really worried about him.”

Jiang Yang wiped the sweat from her forehead: “Ahem, alright, I’ll try my best to help you find him.”

Chi Mei hugged her, his tone filled with the satisfaction of being loved: “Okay.”

Jiang Yang felt guilty and ashamed. Chi Mei trusted her so wholeheartedly, believing every word she said. Even if her words were full of holes, he wouldn’t doubt them and would even help her find reasons to cover up the discrepancies.

After the incident with Liu, the food had already gone cold. Coincidentally, Jiang Yang had lost her appetite, so she asked Chi Mei: “Do you still want to eat? Should I have the kitchen reheat it?”

Chi Mei shook his head: “I can’t eat anymore.”

“Then let’s clear it away. Someone come in,” Jiang Yang called out to the door. Xian Qi led a young man in, and they began to clear the bowls and chopsticks.

Chi Mei, who had been lazily nestled in Jiang Yang’s arms, suddenly changed his expression. His gaze fixed on the young man led in by Xian Qi. He looked to be about 16 or 17 years old. Although his head was lowered and his full features couldn’t be seen, his exposed jawline was delicate and fair.

As Chi Mei watched him come closer, his feet were hidden by his long skirt, but his steps were light and graceful, and his figure was slender.

He worked with Xian Qi to clear the table of leftovers. As he reached out, he inadvertently exposed his delicate wrists, adorned with a pair of silver bracelets. Unlike the gaudiness of gold, they accentuated the fine whiteness of his skin, giving him the unique tenderness of a boy his age.

Chi Mei unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes on his knees, crumpling the embroidered peonies that were so vibrant they seemed to leave no room for anything else.

The young man said nothing, seemingly tidying up the bowls and chopsticks properly. Just as Chi Mei was about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking he had overreacted, the young man suddenly took advantage of his proximity to Jiang Yang. He slightly raised his head, revealing almond-shaped eyes as fluid as water, youthful yet vivid, and gave Jiang Yang a look that seemed to want to say something but held back.

There was a loud crash in Chi Mei’s mind. His hand clenched into a fist, and he glared fiercely at the young man.

He knew it, the men on land were all shameless. He was still sitting next to Ayang, and this little hussy dared to try to seduce Ayang right in front of him!

The young man felt Chi Mei’s malicious gaze and timidly shrank back. He then looked at Jiang Yang with hopeful eyes, hinting for her to rescue him from the vicious merman’s glare.

Jiang Yang lowered her head to drink tea, pretending not to notice anything.

Having spent many years in brothels, she had fully witnessed the diversity of men and naturally knew that the appearance of this unfamiliar pretty boy was suspicious. Not knowing who had arranged for him to come in yet, she decided to ignore him for now and let the stupid fish teach him a lesson.

Seeing that he couldn’t get Jiang Yang’s attention, the pretty boy temporarily gave up the idea of approaching her. After all, there would be plenty of time in the future. He had already been arranged to enter Hui Xue Residence, so there would surely come a day when Jiang Yang would notice him. Thinking this way, the pretty boy felt much better and obediently followed Xian Qi, who had finished clearing the table, out of the room.

As soon as the pretty boy left, the stupid fish was like a pufferfish about to explode, angrily saying: “He was seducing you! Ayang, he was seducing you! Didn’t you notice?”

Jiang Yang laughed: “Didn’t I already respond?”

The exploding pufferfish’s spines were about to shoot into the sky as he angrily said: “You’re talking nonsense, you didn’t respond at all.”

“Isn’t no response the best response? Did you want me to go along with his seduction and take him in today?”

“…Then you’d better keep not responding like just now.” Chi Mei looked as wronged as a newly married husband being disciplined by his father-in-law while having to watch his wife-master dote on other concubines… which was actually the case.

Jiang Yang laughed: “Alright, don’t be angry. Once I’ve investigated his background, I’ll send him back exactly as he came.”

“Really?” Chi Mei’s two eyebrows drooped, looking like a wronged little bundle.

“Of course,” Jiang Yang said. Having an informant of unknown origin in her own courtyard made Jiang Yang uncomfortable too.

“That’s good then, I won’t be angry anymore.” Chi Mei returned to his carefree self from before, his easily pacified temper really quite adorable.

“Don’t worry, there’s a lantern festival tonight. Shall I take you out for a stroll?” After teasing the forgiving stupid fish, of course she had to comfort him properly.

Chi Mei’s eyes lit up, surprised and delighted: “A lantern festival? That’s wonderful, it’s been so long since I’ve been out.” Ever since Jiang Yang found him, he had been staying in Hui Xue Residence.

In this female-dominated society, men traditionally adhered to the principle of not leaving the inner chambers. Although Jiang Yang, as a woman, could go out and play around in these few months, Chi Mei couldn’t. There was an invisible iron chain around his neck, with the key in her hand. Now she had opened it.

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At the Lingnan Lantern Festival, every household had lanterns hanging in front of their doors. More traditional families used old-style hexagonal lanterns, while families with children made their lanterns more innovative, shaping them into various flowers, plants, birds, and frogs. The paper was painted with colorful pigments, which looked even more beautiful when illuminated. These lanterns of various shapes lit up the streets of Changning County, creating a spectacular and lively scene like a winding fire dragon.

Chi Mei widened his eyes, curiously examining everything around him like an inquisitive baby. But his hand was tightly interlocked with Jiang Yang’s, afraid of losing her.

“Is it beautiful? Have you seen it before?” Jiang Yang asked, smiling at his expression.

Chi Mei’s eyes, illuminated by the lantern light, flashed imperceptibly as he nodded slightly.

On his way to find Jiang Yang, he had seen a group of people forming a long dragon-like procession with lanterns in their hands. But at that time, he had just escaped from a den of wolves and tigers, and everyone he saw seemed to have ulterior motives and looked ferocious. No matter how beautiful the scenery was along the way, he had no time to appreciate it.

It wasn’t until he found Jiang Yang that he realized the land wasn’t completely dark. Only when standing beside Jiang Yang did he discover that there were humans with kind smiles around him. Because of Jiang Yang, everything around him had become better.

Jiang Yang didn’t notice Chi Mei’s slight nod just now. She was looking at the new lanterns around them. It wasn’t until Chi Mei silently increased the pressure of his hand intertwined with hers that Jiang Yang smiled faintly, her profile melting into the light: “See if there are any lanterns you like. We’ll buy a few to hang in front of our room.”

Chi Mei nodded with a smile and, holding Jiang Yang’s hand, weaved through the lantern festival that resembled fireflies. After a round of shopping, Chi Mei was holding a small frog lantern in one hand and a lotus flower lantern in the other. Jiang Yang was also carrying a small rabbit lantern and a fish-shaped one.

Chi Mei looked at these four lanterns with satisfaction and said: “We’ll hang two of these lanterns in front of our room and two at the main gate of Hui Xue Residence…” Suddenly, the smile on Chi Mei’s face froze. His eyes looked incredulously towards the opposite street, and he called out in a lost voice: “Brother?”