Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 48 - 44 The Greatest Truth in the World

Chapter 48: Chapter 44 The Greatest Truth in the World

The ancient tree beside the path was strong and towering.

Frost and snow hung on its trunk as if it were a painting of a jade tree adorned with exquisite flowers.

Jiang Shouzhong and Lu Renjia squatted under the ancient tree, munching on steaming sweet potatoes, while staring at Zhao Wancang’s residence in the distance.

The latter occasionally moved his gaze to the passing women, eyeing the impressively swaying places and would then elbow Jiang Shouzhong, making faces and winking vulgarly.

Jiang Shouzhong, feeling embarrassed, shifted a bit to the side.

Originally, the two planned to directly ask Zhao Wancang, but Jiang Shouzhong decided at the last minute to observe secretly first.

They were observing not only Zhao Wancang but also his wife.

Lu Renjia muttered unclearly, "Rather than tail him here, we might as well just ask directly; it’d save a lot more trouble."

Jiang Shouzhong reluctantly finished the sweet potatoes Lu Renjia had bought, gathered some of the unmelted snow from the side to wipe his hands, and replied in a low voice, "There’s no need to startle the snake; let’s keep watch a bit longer. If there really is no gain, it’s not too late to ask then."

Jiang Shouzhong had entrusted Liao to investigate Zhao Wancang’s wife’s parental home.

As for the person who reported having seen Zhao Wancang dumping a body, Jiang Shouzhong had met with him as well; indeed, the man was somewhat insane, not quite right in the head.

But being unwell did not mean he would lie all the time.

By now, Jiang Shouzhong had a clear thread in his mind, and all that was needed now was proof.

"By the way, what was the deal with the case yesterday? I just went to the Zhang Family, and why did my sister-in-law seem so odd, like she was avoiding you?" Lu Renjia asked, looking suspiciously at Jiang Shouzhong.

Jiang Shouzhong, pondering the case, replied irritably, "Why bother about so much? Go ask yourself."

"If I could ask... Hey, Zhao Wancang is coming out!"

Lu Renjia suddenly drew in his neck and, pulling Jiang Shouzhong towards the back of the tree trunk, tried his best to conceal their shapes.

Jiang Shouzhong squinted at the man walking out of the house.

Zhao Wancang seemed somewhat worn out.

After greeting his wife inside, he left the courtyard with slightly hurried steps.

"Where is this guy going?" Lu Renjia wondered aloud.

Jiang Shouzhong thought for a moment then said in a low voice,

"Wait for Zhang to come over. You and he keep an eye on Ms. Zhao inside the house; I’ll follow Zhao Wancang."

Lu Renjia nodded, "Be careful."

Jiang Shouzhong patted Lu Renjia on the shoulder and, using the tree trunk for cover, stealthily trailed behind Zhao Wancang.

Following him out of the north gate, Zhao Wancang first stopped at Wuchan Temple.

After offering incense, he bought a jade Buddha amulet nearby that was said to have been blessed, and then he headed towards Cloud Lake.

Along the way, the man often placed his palms together, mumbling something with the jade Buddha in his hand, his pace sometimes quick, sometimes slow.

His actions and movements were very odd.

Arriving at the ferry of Cloud Lake, several boats of different sizes were moored at the shore.

As a well-known scenic spot in the vicinity, Cloud Lake was dearly loved by people.

In summer and autumn, many traveling scholars or young ladies and masters from wealthy families came here to enjoy leisure, private rendezvous, or discuss current political issues.

However, the visitors were sparse during winter.

But occasionally rowing through the snow offered a unique charm.

At that moment, there were a few leisurely drift boats on the clear blue lake, pleasantly floating.

Zhao Wancang talked with the person in charge of the boats for a few moments, then came to a small boat converted from a fishing vessel, cleaned the cabin himself, and sat on a mooring post, starting to chat with the boatman next to him.

Based on the information gathered, Jiang Shouzhong knew that Zhao Wancang had once been a fisherman, initially fishing in the Beihu area of Lujiang.

However, after the court issued a fishing ban, he had gone to work at a dock and occasionally came to Cloud Lake to do business, ferrying tourists around the lake.

However, they mostly came in the spring, summer, and autumn seasons; very few came in winter.

Jiang Shouzhong found a spot a little away from the ferry dock, leaning against a willow tree stripped of its leaves, and continued to keep watch.

Not far away, a middle-aged man carrying a travel bag also rested against a willow tree.

The middle-aged scholar had a handful of crushed biscuits and fried rice in one hand and a leather water flask in the other, with a liquor gourd hanging from his waist, looking dusty and travel-worn, obviously a traveler from afar.

Sensing Jiang Shouzhong’s gaze, the man in coarse cloth robes courteously smiled.

Jiang Shouzhong responded with a smile, feeling utterly bored, he simply took out a stack of notes from his bosom and began to read them, trying to find more suspicions and clues.

After a while, the man spoke.

"Young man, would you like a drink?"

Jiang Shouzhong looked up, saw the man holding a liquor jug with a warm smile, and smiled shaking his head, "No, thank you, I’m not much for drinking."

Jiang Shouzhong glanced at Zhao Wancang by the ferry dock.

That man was indeed lucky, at the moment, two men in bright clothes had chosen his small boat for a leisurely ride.

Zhao Wancang rowed the boat, carrying the two men, drifting leisurely towards the middle of the lake.

"It’s good not to drink, alcohol can easily lead to mistakes."

The ordinary-looking man with dark, rough skin uncorked the jug, sniffed the aroma of the wine, then corked it back and hung the gourd back up, before opening the conversation with a smile, "Are you from the Capital, young man?"

Jiang Shouzhong nodded and casually asked, "And you are?"

"Nothing but a rootless stalk, a speck of dust on the road," the middle-aged man said, gazing towards Cloud Lake where the lake, mountains, and Heaven’s Shadow merged, and sarcastically added, "adrift across the seas, a wanderer in Jianghu."

Jiang Shouzhong laughed, "If the heart harbors no concerns, wandering the four seas can indeed be a joy in life."

The man sighed, "The difficulty lies in the fact that having a heart means having concerns."

He padded his travel bag at his back to make a more comfortable seat and said openly:

"Though I wander everywhere, in truth, I am searching for my long-lost daughter. A tragic event befell our family years ago, and my daughter, not yet two years old, was accidentally kidnapped by horse thieves for ransom.

Unfortunately, despite spending all our wealth, we couldn’t save her. Since then, I’ve been wandering everywhere, hoping to find her in my lifetime."

Jiang Shouzhong was stunned.

He couldn’t help but remember those parents from his past life who, whether separated, trafficked, or accidentally lost, tirelessly searched for their children.

Even in that information-rich modern society, finding lost loved ones was extremely difficult, let alone in this ancient society.

After so many years, it was hard to say whether the daughter was even still alive.

Jiang Shouzhong was at a loss for words, but the man was resilient, he picked up the gourd again, sniffed it, and said loudly, "The universe is vast and changes are unpredictable; as long as we live, there will be a day of reunion. I, Yan Someone, believe that I will eventually find my daughter."

Jiang Shouzhong was touched by the man’s optimistic nature and earnestly wished, "I hope you find your daughter soon, sir."

After hesitating, Jiang Shouzhong added, "If you don’t mind, could you tell me your daughter’s name? If I am fortunate enough to meet someone with the same name, perhaps I can help investigate."

The man gave a bitter smile and shook his head, "She was not even two years old, she probably doesn’t go by that name anymore after all these years. The only recognition I have is hoping she somewhat resembles her mother. Of course, it’s better if she doesn’t look like me. A girl should be pretty, and I’m rather unfortunate looking."

The otherwise somber topic lightened up with the man’s self-deprecating humor, and Jiang Shouzhong couldn’t help but smile.

He glanced at Zhao Wancang, who was still rowing for his passengers, put away his note stack that was lying on his lap, and asked softly, "You were a scholar before, weren’t you, sir?"

The man named Yan nodded with a smile,

"I indeed was a bookworm before, even fortunate enough to visit the grandest library tower in the world, but afterwards, I stopped reading. ’All the learning is of no use to a scholar,’ as they say, and it’s true.

I learned so many truths, big and small, but once you face soldiers, none of it matters. Thus, the greatest truth in the world is to have strength."

Jiang Shouzhong shook his head in disagreement, "You can’t use strength when reasoning with a woman."

Mr. Yan was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing, giving a knowing look only understood by men, he lifted his thumbs up, "That’s the truth."

Jiang Shouzhong curiously asked, "Sounds like you started practicing martial arts instead of pursuing scholarship?"

Mr. Yan modestly replied, "I’ve learned a bit of swordsmanship."

He gently tapped the bundle containing the half-torn ’Tianyuan River Map Book’ straining to burst out, his smile profound.

Don’t rush, don’t rush, let me talk to your new master first.

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