Chapter 120: Cannot Escape
Night fell.
The small courtyard felt even warmer.
With the whole family gathered, it was quite lively.
After the master of the house arrived, the family felt more complete; they finally had a backbone.
Mrs. Qin, who was always meticulous in her daily tasks, showed a hint of a young girl’s shyness after her husband returned, which showed that the two shared a very good relationship.
The Eldest Miss was even more high-spirited, skipping about, for her father not only listened with a smile but also chimed in with praise.
She also bickered with her brother from time to time.
Aunt Yin now understood the reason behind Sister Yu’s personality.
The little girl was silly and cheerful, looking very happy.
One moment she shouted, “Daddy, Daddy.”
The next moment she shouted, “Brother, Brother.”
She was very busy, her little legs running about happily.
The Jiang Family’s son surprised Aunt Yin.
Observing the two sisters, she felt they were both too spoiled and had many faults.
But the son was smart without showing it; he smiled when meeting people and looked very honest. He felt very much like Mrs. Qin, but was more steady and introverted.
He was a truly smart youth. Such a person would live a long life.
Aunt Yin was good at observing.
However, while she observed the others, she didn’t quite dare to look at Mr. Jiang.
The information that Commander Zi had someone relay to her surfaced in her mind.
Mr. Jiang had borne the reputation of being unfilial and unkind for most of his life. It was only after they arrived that Mr. Jiang learned his parents were not his biological ones; he was an orphan from the clan.
When Aunt Yin married her husband, her husband’s children were already grown and married.
Because of her, her husband’s business had flourished, but she had always been very anxious in the capital. Seeing that she could not sleep well at night, her husband moved the whole family back to their hometown, Jingzhou.
Life in Jingzhou had been very good, too. Yet unexpectedly, the children had craved the prosperity of the capital and had essentially forced her husband to his death.
They didn’t stop to think that the prosperity of the capital had only come after her arrival. Before that, they had been living in the poorest corner of the capital, a slum, where they had to step through sewage whenever they went out.
So, family matters are sometimes not what they seem on the surface. However, she truly hated those who were unfilial and unkind; hearing those words always made her inexplicably displeased.
She had simply assumed those children didn’t like her as a stepmother, and she rarely interacted with them, never expecting they would force their own father to death.
Wealth blinds the eyes, and human hearts are easily changed.
But an orphan of the clan—what clan could produce such an orphan? Seeing such a face…
Aunt Yin suddenly understood who this Lord Jiang was.
The nobles in the palace would often mention this Grand Tutor Jiang, calling him as clear as the breeze and the moon, a rare man.
Aunt Yin truly admired Old Madam Jiang for being able to stay in this small place for so many years.
Thinking of her flamboyant personality when she was young, she had truly believed that the death of Grand Tutor Jiang had left her heartbroken.
Unexpectedly, there was another reason.
During the day, she felt that this small courtyard was peaceful everywhere; although it was poor, life there was extremely warm and comfortable.
She could live here safely until the end of her days.
But seeing Mr. Jiang’s appearance at night—seeing him come home in coarse cloth, wearing straw sandals, and even helping with chores by washing and cutting vegetables…
Aunt Yin truly felt that Old Madam Jiang deserved to die eight hundred times over.
“The green snake’s bamboo-like mouth, the yellow bee’s tail needle; neither is truly poisonous, for the most poisonous thing is a woman’s heart.”
As an old palace servant who had narrowly escaped, she was now being dragged into this kind of mess. This was truly like an old man jumping into a cesspit—she was tired of living.
No, she could not stay here.
Jiang Changtian had received a letter from Great Marshal Zi at the county office, saying he would send a female tutor for his two daughters. He had briefly introduced the female tutor: she was the successor of a local wealthy family, quite talented, and now had no one to rely on.
She was an excellent candidate.
Jiang Changtian was a very suspicious person. He was deep and found it very difficult to trust others. But seeing the candidate mentioned in Great Marshal Zi’s letter, he had to admit that Great Marshal Zi was truly skilled at grasping people’s hearts; this female tutor was flawless.
Moreover, he seemed to have only mentioned it casually and shouldn’t have said it in front of Great Marshal Zi, yet Great Marshal Zi had actually sent someone.
He truly needed a female tutor to teach his two daughters.
It was not easy for a daughter to navigate the world, and there were higher expectations for women. He hoped his children could live more easily; at least, they needed to pass muster with superficial etiquette. These were Sister Xia’s weaknesses, and he couldn’t bear to teach them himself.
Hearing Sister Yu’s intimate voice calling out “Great-Aunt,” he knew this female tutor was very capable; in just half a day, she had won Sister Yu’s favor.
When he met the female tutor, Jiang Changtian also felt she was quite good. She appeared extremely elegant, although her face was average.
Yet he was certain it was their first meeting, and Jiang Changtian strangely found that she seemed very nervous.
A woman who could use the Rebels to kill off all those unfilial descendants shouldn’t be nervous.
Her methods were even superior to his. Jiang Changtian felt that Aunt Yin handled things much better than he did.
Yet she was nervous. Jiang Changtian saw her expression was natural, but it was merely to mask her nervousness.
Because the amplitude of her hand while shaking Mianmian’s had changed.
Jiang Changtian felt things were starting to get interesting.
The Aunt Yin before him seemed to have seen him before, or perhaps someone similar to him.
Aunt Yin’s pupils changed—very subtly, for a fleeting moment, but there was a change.
Dinner was as warm as ever.
They had chicken for dinner, prepared according to the bloodletting method Aunt Yin had taught. Sure enough, the chicken was more fragrant than usual, and the soup was much better.
They hadn’t made chicken blood soup yet due to insufficient ingredients, but the solidified chicken blood could actually be used for soup, which was also very delicious.
Jiang Changtian observed Aunt Yin’s every move. Her posture was naturally graceful, as if she had internalized the rules, and she was affable and natural with everyone. However, she was a little different towards him; she seemed to subconsciously hold him in higher regard.
Such respect was something he, a rustic Mr. Jiang, shouldn’t be able to receive.
The meal was a pleasure for both host and guest.
In the evening, Aunt Yin joined the family’s happy after-dinner tea break. Drinking tea and chatting was indeed very warm and comfortable.
The relationships between the members of this family were very simple, and the family was very united. Among the families she had seen, this was already extremely good.
Harmony in the family brings prosperity; only such a family could endure.
She returned to her room.
The bed she had laid on at noon was still dry at night. The bamboo in the room was still beautiful; a touch of green in winter was very rare.
Closing the window and lighting the lamp, the room felt cozy and warm once more.
But she couldn’t sleep.
She was roaring inside!
Ahhhhh!
She couldn’t do this.
She had struggled for most of her life just to leave the palace alive.
Now it felt like she had returned to the old nest.
Such a small country courtyard hid a stunning beauty, and this beauty had even participated in the rebellion. He had a face that looked even better than the Grand Princess’s.
His lips were a bit like the Emperor’s.
His eyes and brows were most like that person—Aunt Yin had only seen him once: the high monk, Master Jingjue.
Thinking of this person, Aunt Yin’s heart trembled.
Fortunately, her luggage hadn’t been unpacked.
Her luggage wasn’t unpacked, so she thought she should just grab it and run.
She lay on the bed, waiting.
Waiting for the outside to gradually quiet down.
There was no laughter from The Eldest Miss.
No sound of the little girl talking.
Mrs. Qin’s voice was gone, too.
They must be asleep.
Poor thing, that child actually lived in such a small courtyard without even a guard—how had he survived?
But this wasn’t the time to pity others; she was pitying others, but who would pity her?
She had to escape. She had to escape overnight.
When she heard that everything had quieted down, she gently got up and pushed the door open.
Outside, there was a crescent moon, and the moonlit night was quiet.
The big tree stood tall.
The courtyard was clean and tidy. Harmonious and peaceful.
Although she had only been there for half a day, she actually felt a hint of reluctance.
But she had to escape.
She looked around to see no one, and was about to pick up her luggage.
But she heard a crisp shout, “Great-Aunt, it’s so late, where are you going?”
Aunt Yin only then discovered that there was a youth practicing swordplay in the corner of the courtyard.
He was holding a sword and wearing thin clothes; there was a light sheen of sweat on his face despite it being winter.
“I couldn’t sleep and wanted to get some air,” Aunt Yin said naturally, without a hint of discomfort.
The youth smiled and said, “That’s perfect, Great-Aunt. You can watch me practice swordplay; I practice every day.”
Aunt Yin nodded with a smile, and kicked her luggage back inside as she did so.
She sat by the door, watching the youth practice swordplay in the courtyard.
The cold wind made her shiver. She wondered when the youth would finish practicing.
In the moonlight, the youth’s moves seemed plain at first—the same moves she had seen guards practice in the palace. A few moves alone were useless; it took a group of guards to make it magnificent.
But the youth practiced alone, meticulously. The wind in the courtyard seemed to be drawn to him alone. After he finished a set of sword techniques, Aunt Yin realized that his sword had been aimed at a leaf on the tree outside the courtyard the entire time. The leaf floated over, reached his eyes, and then turned into a fine green powder.
The youth sheathed his sword, stood there, smiled to reveal his big white teeth, and asked honestly, “Great-Aunt, what do you think of my swordplay?”
Aunt Yin:… “I’m sleepy. I’m going back to sleep.”
She closed the door.
Aunt Yin’s wrinkled face looked a little pale.
What kind of youth could have such swordsmanship? Was this something an ordinary person could possess?
She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes to rest. She felt as if she had only rested for a moment, but when she opened her eyes, an hour had already passed.
Now it was truly quiet outside, so she got up.
She pushed the door open.
She grabbed her luggage and prepared to leave.
“Great-Aunt, where are you going? Are you hungry too? Here.”
From the pitch-black kitchen, a fair, chubby hand belonging to a young girl reached out, holding an oily chicken claw…
Aunt Yin was scared out of her wits.
She hadn’t even been this scared in the palace.
Who could know what it felt like to have a chicken claw pop out of a dark window in the middle of the night?
It turned out to be The Eldest Miss getting up in the middle of the night to steal food. She breathed a sigh of relief, then tensed up again.
Damn! Why would a big girl like you get up in the middle of the night to steal food?!
You really ate quite a bit at dinner; I’m worried you’ll choke to death.
“Eating in the middle of the night is bad for your body; it’s hard to digest,” Aunt Yin said with a straight face and a slight tone of reprimand.
Jiang Yu stuck out her tongue. Great-Aunt was truly amazing; it was the middle of the night, yet she had been caught while stealing food.
“It’s okay, Great-Aunt, don’t worry. I digest things very well; I can digest anything. I’ll go back after eating this. Do you want to eat some too, Great-Aunt?” Jiang Yu said obediently.
Aunt Yin:… “No, go to sleep early.”
Aunt Yin lay back on the bed again.
This time she tossed and turned. No, she couldn’t stay; she had to leave.
By her estimation, The Eldest Miss should have finished eating both chickens by now.
She got up again and pushed the door open.
This time she had learned her lesson; she didn’t dare take her luggage. She looked around—the corner of the courtyard, the kitchen—no one was there. Everyone was asleep; it should be fine.
Go!
“Aunt! You can’t sleep!”
Aunt Yin was almost scared out of her wits by this call of “Aunt.”
She looked up and saw someone standing on the roof.
“Qin, Mrs. Qin, what are you doing on the roof in the middle of the night?”
Aunt Yin was on the verge of tears.
Qin Luoxia raised her hand to show the two squeaking mice she was holding and whispered, “My husband wasn’t sleeping well at night and kept feeling like there was noise above his head. I guessed there were mice, and I finally caught them. Did it disturb you?”
Aunt Yin:…
Her legs trembled.
She was sleepy, truly sleepy. She went back to sleep.
What kind of decent person catches mice on the roof in the middle of the night? o(╥﹏╥)o.
Aunt Yin returned to her room, exhaling a long breath.
Her old waist couldn’t take the tossing, and her heart couldn’t take the fright.
This time she decided to get a good rest and set off just before dawn.
At that time, everything would be quiet, and there would definitely be no one practicing swordplay, no one stealing food, and no one catching mice.
Aunt Yin had already mastered the ability in the palace to plan how long she could sleep without an alarm clock.
She squinted; she might not have been asleep, but it counted as rest.
Time moved slowly yet quickly.
She opened her eyes. She got up. She grabbed her luggage.
This time she had to leave. She would leave now. She would definitely be able to leave.
She pushed the door open.
Jiang Changtian and his daughter were standing at the door.
Her luggage fell to the ground.
They were also just about to push open the courtyard gate when they heard the sound.
Jiang Changtian looked back.
The baby in his arms yawned, with sleep in the corners of her eyes.
The baby said slowly, “Good morning, Great-Aunt.”
Aunt Yin:…
How is it morning? It’s not even dawn yet!!!!
What are you two enchanting father and daughter doing before dawn???
“Morning,” Aunt Yin said with a tired smile.
“Great-Aunt, are you up to watch the sunrise too?” After saying this, the baby yawned again.
Tears flowed out; her eyes were watery.
Her face rubbed against her father’s arms; she looked cozy and comfortable.
“Aunt Yin, morning. Did you sleep well?” Jiang Changtian had his long hair down and looked energetic.
Aunt Yin was about to faint.
She also reluctantly showed a smile.
“Morning. I’m old, so I didn’t sleep well.” After saying this, she actually yawned impolitely in front of Mr. Jiang.
Aunt Yin covered her mouth tightly.
Like a ghost, she stood under the big tree, watching the red sun slowly rise in the distance.
The clouds on the horizon changed gorgeously. Time moved slowly.
The sunrise was so beautiful; she had lived for most of her life and had never watched it so earnestly.
Her hand was held tightly by a small hand, shaking back and forth.
“Great-Aunt, is it beautiful?” Jiang Mianmian yawned.
“It’s beautiful,” Aunt Yin said, yawning as well.
The sunrise was beautiful.
The man next to her, bathed in the golden light of the sunrise, was even more beautiful.
Forget it, she was sleepy. She yawned, and tears flowed out.
“I’m going to sleep,” Aunt Yin said, turning back to her room.
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