Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 34 - 30 Snow Dyes Qingchen

Chapter 34: Chapter 30 Snow Dyes Qingchen

Leaving Zhao Wancang’s house, Jiang Shouzhong told Zhang Yunwu to go home first to comfort his wife, Wen Zhaodi.

He himself took the rather useless Jia, to inquire from Wen Ba.

Wen Ba was a coachman, living on Yuming Street.

Unlike those hired exclusively by high-ranking officials or wealthy merchants, he was in the profession of using his own carriage for transporting passengers and goods.

However, Wen Ba was not at home.

It was only after inquiring that they learned he had taken a long-distance job four days ago, delivering goods to Yuzhou Yucheng County.

Returning from this trip would take at least seven to eight days.

The clue was stalled once again.

But while questioning the neighbors, they inadvertently obtained another clue.

Wen Ba was also a gambler.

Although his relationship with Ge Dasheng was average, the two often frequented the Yunchu Gambling House.

An exhausted Lu Renjia, pulling Jiang Shouzhong, brought him to a tea stall to rest their feet.

Looking at the frowning Jiang Shouzhong, Lu Renjia cautiously asked, "Jiang, why do I feel like our direction of investigation is a bit off? You don’t really suspect..."

"Who?"

Jiang Shouzhong looked at him.

Lu Renjia muttered, "You know it in your heart, there’s no need to play dumb with me."

Jiang Shouzhong picked up the teacup and took a light sip, his tone melancholic,

"I didn’t let Zhang come along because I planned to open up to you. Of course, until the truth is crystal clear, everything is just speculation."

Lu Renjia’s expression turned extremely ugly.

Jiang Shouzhong sighed lightly, and said with a bitter smile, "Old Jia, even you suspect her, how could I not?"

Lu Renjia clenched his teeth and lowered his voice,

"Jia tells you, I don’t care about others’ idle talk, but if you, lad, slander my sister-in-law, don’t blame Jia for being merciless and disowning you!"

Lu Renjia ultimately did not want to think the worst.

He truly liked the sister-in-law.

This liking was not romantic, but simply happiness that Zhang had married a virtuous wife.

"Ha, disowning, do you even possess ’honor’?"

Jiang Shouzhong rolled his eyes.

Hearing this, the always honor-proclaiming Lu Renjia flared up, rolled up his sleeves in anger, and shouted, "How come I don’t have ’honor’? You have to make yourself clear! You must clarify!"

Jiang Shouzhong scoffed, "Let’s not talk about distant issues, just recent ones. On the sixth of last month, you said you’d treat me and Zhang to drinks. We did drink, but you left early and even then, I was the one who paid the bill.

On the fourteenth of last month, we went to catch a demon, but halfway you ran off to repair the thatched hut for Chun YuBuilding’s Qing Niang, and Zhang and I almost died from exhaustion.

This month, on the first, in order to back Qing Niang, you lied about catching a demon, which almost got us into trouble with an influential young master from the Capital, nearly killing us..."

Jiang Shouzhong counted off on his fingers, one by one,

"Also, the official funds provided by our superior, half of it was used by you to buy rouge and facial powder for Chun Yu Building’s Qing Niang, leaving Zhang and me no chance for better liquor..."

Lu Renjia’s face turned from black to blue to purple, and then flushed red.

Snap!

He slammed the tea table fiercely, startling the nearby tea stall owner who cursed under his breath while hurriedly coming forward with a smile, "Sir, is there something wrong with the tea?"

Jia flicked his sleeves and threw two battered copper coins on the table with a clatter, staring at Jiang Shouzhong grandiosely, "Today’s tea, I’ll treat!"

The tea stall owner carefully said, "Sir, the tea costs six coins in total."

"Six... six coins?"

Jia was stunned.

Jia continued to search for money with a cold face.

But having skimmed his pockets, he really could not find another copper coin.

The small amount of silver he had previously gotten for a matchmaking had also been returned, so he twisted his neck and stared at the tea stall owner, "How much?"

"Six... ah, no, just two coins."

The tea stall owner was sharp-eyed and quickly corrected himself.

Jia snorted coldly, pointed to the two copper coins on the table, and then pointed to himself, angrily telling Jiang Shouzhong, "Don’t look down on Jia; I’m paying for this tea!"

After speaking, he turned with a sweep of his sleeve, displaying an air of extravagance.

A few steps later, he suddenly turned back, drained the tea he hadn’t finished in one gulp, slurping up a few tea leaves, and glared at Jiang Shouzhong to emphasize,

"I’m paying!"

Then he left again with a sweep of his sleeve.

Jiang Shouzhong did not pay attention to the extravagant exit of Jia, and quietly held the warm cup of tea, his gaze drifting uncertainly as he watched the passersby on the street.

When his cup was empty, he took out four coins and placed them on the table, then headed for the Liushan Division.

Well, he still had to bite the bullet and speak to the dead.

Jiang Shouzhong decided to utilize his "spiritual communication" ability and try his luck in the cold storage at Liushan Division where Ge Dasheng’s body was kept.

——

Due to the court’s plan to set up a new department, Liushan Division had cleared out the nearby Plum Fragrance Courtyard for use as the new office.

Ran Qingchen’s office was located here.

Not far from the cold storage.

Opening the window, he could see several old plum trees planted in the courtyard, blooming with fragrant flowers in the winter, making it quite pleasant.

Pulling her gaze away from the twisting, irregular trunks, Ran Qingchen in her aqua dress murmured, "Standing proudly alone in the cold autumn wind, supposedly warming the chambers of the heart. Whether it warms the heart, I do not know, but sitting here watching the scene is quite cold indeed."

"If Qingchen does not like this room, consider moving to the western courtyard where Bi Bo Pond is located. It certainly has less yin energy than this cold storage near the mortuary,"

the young man in brocade clothes said with a smile in the office.

This Assistant Minister of Rites’ second son, Yang had undoubtedly been blessed with good looks.

With hair cut like with a blade, a nose like a gall hanging high, and eyes like bright stars, even the Imperial Consort had praised during casual conversation that "There’s a natural charm between his brows."

If it were just about good looks, it would be one thing, but this Yang was not only talented in literature but also skilled in swordsmanship.

At only eleven, he had been taken on as a disciple by a master from the Withered Sword Sect; by fourteen, he had shown remarkable progress, and by seventeen he had assisted the official in killing He Weishan, who was acclaimed as the "First Spear of Pingtang."

Among the bold young talents in the Capital, though not as dazzling as Murong Nan, he also enjoyed a notable reputation.

In the list of Ran Qingchen’s suitors, he was one of the top contenders.

Upon hearing him call out "Qingchen," Ran Qingchen’s eyebrows slightly frowned, showing a bit of displeasure. Just as she was about to speak, a plum blossom, thin as cicada wings, was slowly blown towards the window by the cold wind.

It dangled precariously as if about to fall.

Ran Qingchen reached out to catch it.

Looking at the pristine white petal in her palm, the woman’s cold autumnal eyes showed a trace of daze.

The petal was like her.

No matter how delicate, how it rode the wind to break free, it could not escape the palm.

For some reason, she recalled the name she had erased with her pen... and the figure that should have been familiar yet felt so strange.

"You must also resent me, right?"

Ran Qingchen gave a self-mocking smile, a hint of guilt quietly stirring in her heart.

Yang watched the peerlessly beautiful woman standing by the window, not hiding the adoration in his eyes, merely fantasizing about spending a lifetime with this beautiful woman.

Although he had heard that the Ran Family had already secretly betrothed Ran Qingchen,

married her to a mere lantern holder.

Whether true or not, he didn’t care.

As long as the other wasn’t a dazzling talent like Murong Nan, a mere street lantern holder did not matter to him.

Such a gem should not be obscured by the dust of the streets.

"It’s snowing,"

the woman murmured softly.

Yang finally deigned to cast his gaze out of the window.

Feather-like snow fluttered down.

Snow upon Qingchen.