Chapter 148: Courting Death
It was now the eighth month.
The golden autumn season.
The fragrance of osmanthus flowers filled the air.
Today, the newly appointed Commander Jiang was hosting a banquet for Heir Han.
Meng Shaoxia had eaten out several times and felt increasingly nostalgic for Little Yu’er’s cooking; the food outside was quite mediocre.
The dishes in Ming County were dry and hard, with a heavy taste, and he had even developed small pimples on his chin.
Maybe he was suffering from internal heat.
Jiang Yu noticed his pimples and said earnestly, “Father has some herbs; I’ll brew them for you. I promise they won’t be bitter. Three doses and you’ll be fine.”
Meng Shaoxia felt deeply comforted, thinking that Little Yu’er really cared about him, noticing such a small detail.
Jiang Yu saw his moved expression and grinned foolishly.
She thought to herself, Great-Aunt is truly a sage. Great-Aunt said that to care for one’s fiancé, a woman should start with daily necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. It doesn’t need to be much; just being attentive to daily life is enough.
Many loving couples never made grand vows; their feelings accumulated little by little, growing from small to large.
Jiang Yu had said she didn’t know how to care for others.
Great-Aunt said, think about how you care for Mianmian.
Jiang Yu thought about how she looked after her little sister, even observing her stool to see if she was eating well, if she had bumped into anything, or if she had any lumps. It was simple.
So she applied the same approach to getting along with Brother Meng.
Sure enough, Brother Meng was very moved.
Jiang Yu felt that today she was a tiny bit smarter than yesterday. How nice.
Eunuch Duan arrived at this rustic yet charming large courtyard, thinking that Grand Attendant Yan’s old acquaintance seemed to be living a comfortable life and probably didn’t need much worry.
Only upon arriving at Commander Jiang’s home did Eunuch Duan learn that Young General Meng was actually negotiating a marriage with Commander Jiang’s eldest daughter. Hiss, this Young General Meng had broadened his path.
This girl was Grand Attendant Yan’s goddaughter.
Then wouldn’t Young General Meng become Grand Attendant Yan’s godson-in-law?
In the future, before the Emperor, if Grand Attendant Yan casually said a word or two, it might save the Meng Family’s life.
The Emperor had always both favored and suspected the Meng Family.
Eunuch Duan had been aloof throughout the journey, but now he suddenly became much warmer toward Young General Meng, calling him sweetly by his title.
Heir Han hadn’t expected that Jiang the Second would invite him to visit his home.
He felt very uncomfortable.
Jiang the Second’s home was actually in a village.
He noticed that Jiang the Second’s eldest son seemed very proud of the spacious rooms and large grounds.
He sneered inwardly. In this small place, even the lowest servants in his household lived better than this.
But he did notice that Young General Meng had been unsmiling all the way, yet once at Jiang the Second’s house, the smile never left his face.
He hadn’t expected this Little Square Face to be so sanctimonious, forbidding him from chatting with pretty women along the way, and even asking for the husband’s consent before taking a woman away.
But now, upon arriving in Ming County, he was directly getting engaged, and to Jiang the Second’s daughter no less.
Heir Han took a look. She was a plump, pretty little girl, still childish.
So Little Square Face liked this type.
How boring.
This rural little courtyard was also very boring, at most a bit cleaner.
He curled his lips, but his gaze couldn’t help straying toward Lady Qin.
He looked rather discreetly.
His heart itched.
In the capital, Heir Han was very good at courting death.
He had a personality that wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goal.
But he never used it for the right purposes.
He didn’t like this Jiang the Second.
He disliked him from the first sight.
How could he like a man who looked about the same age as his Mother? His first thought was to eliminate this person.
He was willful, but not stupid.
This man was trouble.
He had come to offer amnesty; he had no reason to kill.
Unless his life was threatened.
Then the guards, protecting him, might accidentally kill someone.
Surely the Emperor, his uncle, would understand. It wouldn’t be the first time.
So Heir Han’s gaze boldly fell on the tall, slender woman again.
He walked over to her, seeing her holding a little girl, and repeated his old trick: “Sister-in-law, this child is so beautiful. Let me hold her.”
Without avoiding suspicion, he reached out to take the girl.
The back of his hand seemed about to touch Lady Qin’s soft body.
Jiang Mianmian thought this man was being overly enthusiastic.
She felt her Mother’s muscles tense up.
Jiang Mianmian didn’t wait for him to reach out and touch her.
Instead, she opened her arms, leaped onto Heir Han, and said enthusiastically, “Uncle, hold me.”
Heir Han’s hand hadn’t even touched Lady Qin when a heavy little girl landed in his arms.
The girl squirmed around, not being still at all.
His expression turned awkward. He really didn’t want to hold a child.
Moreover, the girl’s face made him even more uncomfortable.
It was even more alarming than her Father Jiang the Second’s face.
But he still held on stubbornly, thinking that children were ignorant and might know something.
He patiently used the eloquence he usually reserved for flattering other men’s wives to try to coax the child.
Heir Han gave away a jade pendant, a trinket, and a small knife, but the child just grinned foolishly and drooled.
Heir Han asked patiently, “Who do you usually like to play with? Do you have any special friends at home?”
Jiang Mianmian nodded. “I like to play with Ant. Ant is very special, different from others. Uncle, do you want to see?”
Heir Han nodded, thinking he was finally getting some useful information.
Then he saw the girl pull a black Ant the size of a thumb from her pocket and place it on his face.
“Uncle, Little Tree likes to climb on faces, you know.”
Heir Han screamed in fright, letting go and frantically slapping his face.
In the nick of time, as Mianmian was about to hit the ground, her Mother rushed over and caught her.
“Slap!”
Qin Luoxia raised her hand and slapped Heir Han across the face.
It was crisp and loud.
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