Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 76 - 72: Distant Cousin

Chapter 76: Chapter 72: Distant Cousin

The Taoist River Map was indeed swift in repairing physical injuries, for by sunrise, the external wounds had largely healed, only the destroyed vital points were still being mended.

Jiang Shouzhong could distinctly sense the abundant resentment from the two little golden figures.

Having painstakingly opened those vital points only to have them destroyed, it was already quite impressive that they hadn’t spiraled into rage right then and there.

Regarding this, Jiang Shouzhong could only silently express his apologies.

Dragging his still slightly aching body, he ate some breakfast at a street stall before heading to Zhang Yunwu’s home.

Inside the house, Wen Zhaodi was tidying up the dishes on the table.

Every move she made exuded a unique charm of a married woman, as if perfected by thirty years of maturation, full of enchanting grace.

Watching the woman’s graceful figure, Jiang Shouzhong’s gaze turned obscure and unreadable.

He recalled the scene when she had seduced him before.

Though at that time the woman did it to save her husband, it inevitably left a bad impression on him.

Would she really cheat?

"Jiang, did you have breakfast? I saved some rice porridge for you."

Wen Zhaodi smiled calmly.

"No, I’ve already eaten," Jiang Shouzhong’s expression returned to normal as he smiled and waved his hand, not seeing Zhang Yunwu around, he curiously asked, "Where’s Zhang? Why isn’t he at home?"

Wen Zhaodi, wearing a simple dress and a jade hairpin, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her face showing helplessness, "Yue’er that girl again refused to go to the academy, claiming her stomach hurts. Wu personally took her there, I guess that girl is surely pestering Wu to buy her some sugar chestnuts on the way."

Jiang Shouzhong laughed, "This girl seems inherently incompatible with the academy."

Wen Zhaodi sighed softly.

Although in the Dazhou Dynasty the main readers were still males, it was extremely good if a woman could acquire some education, even if she couldn’t become an official, marrying into a scholarly family was also considered good.

Jiang Shouzhong sniffed, surprised to ask, "Did Zhang drink again last night?"

Wen Zhaodi nodded gently, "It was Wu’s distant cousin, who came to the Capital for business. Learning about his mother-in-law’s illness, he came to visit. Last night, they drank quite late, and it was around midnight when his cousin left."

A distant cousin?

Jiang Shouzhong paused.

He had indeed heard Zhang mention that there were relatives in Mo State.

Jiang Shouzhong didn’t mind it and entered a small room filled with the scent of medicine, looking at the comatose, frail Ms Zhang, he softly said, "Speaking of which, Auntie seems to have seldom been lucid recently."

Behind him, Wen Zhaodi sorrowfully said, "The doctor said, she might last until the end of the year at most."

Jiang Shouzhong gently held Ms Zhang’s rough and somewhat cold hand, recalling again the bloody nightmare scene.

In the dream mirror, only Ms Zhang was still alive.

At that time, she was awake.

But whether she was ultimately killed by Zhang, the dream mirror did not show.

Looking at the old woman’s increasingly frail face, Jiang Shouzhong silently lamented, "Auntie, should I really save your daughter-in-law?"

——

Continuing his stroll outside after leaving Zhang’s house, Jiang Shouzhong absorbed the Yin Yang Qi to feed the two little figures in his Dantian.

He deliberately chose crowded places.

Men and women, old and young, the Yin Yang Qi intermingled like flowing clouds, constantly being absorbed by the Yin Yang symbols in the Dantian.

The dissatisfaction of the two little figures was somewhat placated.

While multitasking, Jiang Shouzhong’s mind was not idle, recalling every detail of the scenes in the dream mirror.

The woman with her neck chopped off... the child lying in a pool of blood... the wind and snow outside the house... the furious Zhang...

Jiang Shouzhong silently wandered the streets like a lost soul.

The calls of vendors attracting business and the noisy clamor of the bustling pedestrians seemed completely isolated from him.

Only those faint, disordered clues tangled with his troubled thoughts, slowly smoothed over and clarified, then tangled again into a chaotic mess.

Jiang Shouzhong rubbed his brow in distress, "This is difficult."

After roaming around until the afternoon, on his way back to Zhang’s house, Jiang Shouzhong encountered Zhang Yue’er, who had just finished school. The young girl was cradling a big pile of candied fruits, with a young man at her side.

The man, handsome with a slender figure and eyes like peach blossoms, was particularly captivating.

As they passed, many women stole glances at him.

Zhang Yue’er trotted up to Jiang Shouzhong, her face lifting into a charming smile as she asked, "Mr. Jiang, did you come to pick me up from school?"

"Just passing by."

Jiang Shouzhong pinched the girl’s cherubic cheeks and looked at the young man following her, "And this is..."

Upon hearing he wasn’t there specifically to pick her up, Zhang Yue’er pouted unhappily and said sullenly, "He’s my cousin."

Cousin?

Ms. Zhang’s distant cousin?

Jiang Shouzhong narrowed his eyes as he looked the man over, surprised that such a brutish oaf had such a handsome and beautiful cousin.

"You must be the ’Jiang’ my cousin talks about."

The young man smiled warmly and gently, "I am Jiang Qing, Zhang Yunwu’s distant cousin from Mo State. I came to the capital to do some business and heard my aunt was ill, so I made a special trip to visit her. Last night, while drinking with my cousin, he kept mentioning you."

Jiang Shouzhong nodded politely, "Nice to meet you."

"Huh? Cousin, your surname is Jiang, and so is yours, Mr. Jiang. You guys aren’t brothers by any chance, are you?"

Zhang Yue’er’s eyes twinkled with discovery as she glanced back and forth between the two men.

Jiang Qing couldn’t help but laugh, "Maybe we were one family eight hundred years ago."

"Qing..."

Belatedly, Jiang Shouzhong felt a jolt in his heart.

He suddenly looked up, staring intensely into the other’s captivating eyes, and asked instinctively, "When did you arrive in the capital?"

Jiang Qing was taken aback and replied, "I just got here the day before yesterday."

After asking, Jiang Shouzhong regretted his impulsive question and said with a smile, "Since you’ve come all this way to the capital, you might as well stay a few more days, it’s quite lively here. If you’re not familiar with the area, come find me; I’m somewhat of a local here."

"Sure."

Jiang Qing nodded smilingly.

After saying goodbye to Zhang Yue’er, Jiang Shouzhong returned home and took out a small booklet.

He flipped the notebook to the page where he had jotted down notes about Zhao Wancang’s wife having an affair with a mysterious man called ’Qing Ge,’ and he wrote "Jiang Qing" with a question mark next to it.

"Many of the coincidences in this world are purposive," Jiang Shouzhong whispered.

I almost forgot, I’m not the only one surnamed Jiang in this world.

——

The next day, Jiang Shouzhong visited the local Magistrate’s office in the capital.

Since Liao went to join the army at the border, the new head of the Magistrate’s office was a man named Shi Jian, who had been Liao’s deputy; his relationship with Jiang Shouzhong and the others wasn’t particularly good.

Surprised to hear Jiang Shouzhong inquire about the case of the serial womanizer, Shi Jian didn’t ask much and shared what he knew about the situation.

"The name of this serial womanizer isn’t clear yet. He first started committing crimes in Mo State and then moved to Qingzhou, causing trouble for many girls, including the former Magistrate’s female relatives. It was a major scandal.

If it weren’t for the Magistrate’s concubine revealing information about her own man, it might have been very difficult to track this womanizer. Further complicating matters, this man is skilled in the Face-changing Skill and is extremely cunning, making him difficult to catch."

Face-changing Skill?

Mo State?

Jiang Shouzhong rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

If this Jiang Qing fellow really is the serial womanizer, his current appearance should be genuine.

After all, changing faces in front of relatives carries big risks.

Although Zhang is a blunt man, he’s not face blind and has some recollection of his relatives.

Noticing his expression, Shi Jian quietly asked, "Brother Jiang, do you have any leads?"

Jiang Shouzhong snapped back to reality and smiled, saying, "Don’t worry, Shi, if I have any leads, I’ll tell you first. And only you. After all, only you have the stomach to handle such a big credit."

"Thank you, Brother Jiang."

Shi Jian showed a knowing smile.

Walking out of the Magistrate’s office, Jiang Shouzhong looked up at the clear and bright sky, but a shadow seemed to cross his eyes.

We Zhaodi, I gave you one chance; I can’t give you another.

Whether you can save your own life this time depends on whether you value it.

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