Chapter 175: Dead
“Dong~~~”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
“Keng~~~”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
“Qiang~~~”
The moonlit night was like ink.
Ming County, Jiang Mansion.
Jiang Rong did not return home last night.
Old Madam Jiang was anxious.
Because Jiang Changtian had left Ming County for the Prefecture City.
They had not left immediately, still lingering in fear.
After all, the Seventh Prince’s men had been wiped out when they came; it was fortunate they were still alive.
However, it was not good for Jiang Rong to stay home reading every day without socializing.
Old Madam Jiang still made Jiang Rong go to the County School.
It was also a test.
Sure enough, no one stopped him.
Jiang Rong returned to his days at school and looked a bit livelier.
The Jiang Family was actually a bit strapped for cash now.
In the past, Old Madam Jiang held all the money, as if it were inexhaustible.
Now, it had been squandered away time and again.
Previously, they had subsidies from their daughter, but after the incident of Chu Yi’s death, they did not know how to explain it and really could not bring themselves to ask.
Old Madam Jiang did not initially know the guard was her grandson; although not biological, he was called Yu Luan’s legal son.
She should have acknowledged him as Old Madam Jiang’s grandson.
Because of this matter, Old Madam Jiang really had no face to reach out and ask her daughter for money.
Thus, Jiang Rong did not have new clothes every month, was not as wealthy at school, and inevitably faced some discrimination, especially since he used to go out with groups of servants and discriminate against others.
Yesterday, a classmate invited him to go out.
Jiang Rong did not want to go, but both his sister and grandmother insisted.
Father was hungover and did not care about him.
He did not want to disappoint his sister and grandmother, so he went out.
Yet, it was dark, and he had not returned.
Old Madam Jiang was frantic.
She had someone report it to the authorities.
Although she could not summon officials to work at her home like before.
But when Magistrate Huang heard about this, he considered it very important; after all, anything related to Commander Jiang was no small matter, so he sent men to search for a day and a night.
As a result, they were now notified to collect the person.
He was found downstream of He County.
Jiang Rong had drowned; when found, his body was bloated.
Old Madam Jiang cried heartbrokenly, “My son, my son, my son! Oh, how it hurts!”
Jiang Wan, eyes red, wearing mourning clothes, forced herself to hold the funeral for her brother.
Her brother had never done anything bad; why did he suffer such a calamity? The heavens were unjust.
The sound of the suona began.
…
“Dong~~~”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
“Keng~~~”
“Happy Birthday to you!”
“Qiang~~~”
Meng Shaoxia was speechless about the task he had taken on.
Simultaneously blowing out candles and extinguishing lanterns.
Hearing this ‘underworld’ music, everyone was plunged into darkness.
They were startled.
Then came the creaking sound of wooden wheels rubbing against the ground, which was piercing.
Combined with the ‘Happy Birthday’ song, it felt even more eerie.
Some officials fearfully grabbed the thigh of the person next to them.
Then they saw a person in white clothes and a white hat pushing a rack over.
On the rack was a round white millstone.
The white millstone was covered in lit candles.
What was this for?
Then the person in white pulled out a knife…
Fortunately, everyone was not as jumpy anymore.
Although a person in white holding a knife under rows of candles was a bit scary.
The person in white handed the knife to Jiang Feng and said, “Young Master, the Miss says for you to make a wish while facing these candles. Whisper your wish, then blow out the candles, and your wish will definitely come true.”
Jiang Feng looked at the clusters of candlelight.
Every flame danced in his eye sockets.
He clasped his hands together and made a wish to the candlelight, “I hope the whole family can live together safely, including Shaoxia.”
Then he blew out all the candles in one breath.
At this moment, the servants also lit the lanterns simultaneously.
The banquet hall brightened up again.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The panicked official let go of the neighbor’s thigh.
Their eyes met, and they felt a bit shy.
Pulling out the candles, that white millstone-like thing was actually not a candle base.
It was an edible pastry?
So that knife was for cutting the pastry.
The birthday boy had to cut it himself; no one else could do it for him.
This Commander Jiang had some tricks up his sleeve.
It was all very mysterious.
Everyone was served a piece of the white millstone.
It melted in the mouth, sweet and delicious; the taste was indescribable.
Several men who did not like sweets could not help but eat a few bites.
And those who loved sweets were simply obsessed with this white millstone.
It was the most delicious food they had ever eaten in their lives, bar none.
The banquet ended.
Commander Jiang took his good eldest son to see everyone out.
Everyone was given a bag of gifts, a beautiful wooden box with ‘Cleansing Cream’ written on it.
Commander Jiang said with a sweet smile, “The food and drink were good, apologies for the poor hospitality. My son-in-law’s birthday is next month; you must all come. By then, it will definitely be better made and better hosted.”
Everyone:…
Their expressions were hard to describe.
Commander Jiang was a beauty, but greedy for money.
But having said that, the spread was really delicious, and the gift was worth it.
It was just the music that made people’s skin crawl; otherwise, there were no issues.
Rumor had it that today’s spread was hosted by Commander Jiang’s Eldest Miss, that is, Madam Meng, the extraordinary woman who had tamed the only son of General Meng from the capital so thoroughly that he not only formally asked to marry her but was also willing to stay by his Father-in-law’s side to serve for three years.
It was said she looked enchanting, on par with Daji, and had this culinary skill.
They would all be willing to stay!
Hadn’t they seen that the young General Meng’s square face had become a bit round?
Madam He also happily took her gift home.
In the inner chamber, she tried this cleansing cream; it was incredible. Her hand was washed white on the spot. She did not know there was so much grime on the back of her hand; it was embarrassing.
Fortunately, there was an even more embarrassing Madam Yu.
However, Madam He did not know if Madam Yu was truly stupid or pretending. Usually, elsewhere, she made a fool of herself everywhere and was already the laughingstock of the Prefecture City, but at the Jiang Family, she seemed like a fish in water. Not only did she chat happily with Madam Jiang, but she also laughed and talked with the Jiang Miss, looking very talkative.
She even said she would bring her three daughters over to play.
Madam Yu’s hand was even blacker.
It was rubbing off dirt.
Madam Jiang clearly liked her very much and gave her four portions of cleansing cream, saying to give one to each of her daughters.
Madam He noticed that Madam Jiang did not look like she was born of a noble family, but her memory seemed excellent.
Madam Yu chatted randomly, and Madam Jiang could accurately recount the names and hobbies of the other woman’s daughters.
And when she mentioned her mother-in-law in passing, without saying anything else, she was given an extra gift upon leaving, saying it was for her mother-in-law.
In short, this birthday banquet ended.
Both Madam He and Madam Yu were very happy.
Madam He saw her husband with a mournful face and asked what was wrong.
Official He said, “The young General Meng is an Ox.”
Madam He was baffled; being an Ox was being an Ox, what did it have to do with him? He was just obsessed with getting ahead all day long.
Madam Yu returned home, and that cleansing cream was snatched by her husband and given to his favorite concubine.
Those visiting officials and nobles, when they returned home, their wives and concubines were waiting.
They were all prepared to listen to their husbands complain.
Some clever ones had even prepared food at home.
That bizarre birthday banquet must have been inedible.
They might have gone hungry.
They would definitely want to eat when they got back.
Some were curious and wanted to ask their husbands if they had seen the young Madam Meng, if she was as seductive as the legends said, like Daji.
However, normally they would not see the female relatives.
But Commander Jiang was from the countryside; what if the separation of men and women was not strict, and it was chaotic, maybe they saw her.
As it turned out, they all said they had not seen her, but they yearned for her in their hearts.
This made a group of wives and misses even more curious.
They had not even seen her, yet she could make so many people admire her and yearn for her; what level was this?
No wonder Xiao Fengxian was stabbed to death as soon as she appeared.
They wanted to hear their husbands talk about how chaotic the banquet was, but instead, their husbands cursed at the late-night snacks carefully prepared for them, “What kind of pig swill is this? Even dogs wouldn’t eat it, bah!”
Not just one wife suffered this treatment, feeling terribly wronged.
They thought, which vixen outside had given them a love potion again?
“Prepare another birthday gift, make it heavier.”
“Lord Sima’s son-in-law’s birthday is next month.”
All the wives:…
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