The days seemed to have calmed down. Since that day after meeting the old lady, Zhang Chen and his family settled down in Lixiang Garden.
Since that day, Zhang Chen had not seen the old lady again, nor had he seen Shen Family’s patriarch, Shen Zhen.
In the small courtyard
The stove emitted a scorching heat, boiling the tea. Mrs. Zhang poured a cup of tea for Zhang Chen sitting opposite her, then tentatively and abruptly said, "Have you noticed anything?"
"Notice what?" Zhang Chen moved his eyes from the tea to look at Mrs. Zhang opposite him.
"You are the biological grandson of the old lady, but since you saw her that one time, half a month has passed and you’ve not had another chance to see her. The implications in this are worth deep consideration." Mrs. Zhang worried that Zhang Chen was too young to understand worldly affairs, so she opened her mouth to give advice:
"As the old lady’s direct grandson, having traveled such a long way, even if you’re not summoned daily, surely you should have been called every few days? But not only have you not seen the old lady’s face, you haven’t even seen the face of Master Shen. Apart from Shen Xu visiting from time to time, the entire Shen Mansion seems to have forgotten us." Mrs. Zhang looked at Zhang Chen with a serious expression. "I know what you mean; compared to the biological son of the old lady, I am ultimately an outsider. When my mother was alive, she might have been adored by the old lady and even loved by the entire Shen Mansion, but after all, people become distant when the tea cools. The old lady surely differentiates closeness and distance in her heart." Zhang Chen stated, "You don’t need to say it; I know everything."
Hearing this, Mrs. Zhang took a deep breath but said no more.
Chengyu was meditating and cultivating in the sunlight, while the two little ones were honing their muscles and refining their qi and blood.
In the midst of the harmonious family atmosphere, a knock sounded, and a familiar figure appeared at the gate: "Elder cousin, Jiang Nan is here."
At this moment, Jiang Nan, in a black outfit, looked as if she exuded an indescribable solemn and murderous aura.
"Miss Jiang Nan, why have you come?" Mrs. Zhang stood up quickly, her face full of eagerness to greet Jiang Nan.
"I have a good relationship with elder cousin, so I’ve come to visit and also brought some household items." Behind Jiang Nan, the young maid Mi Gao carried two large bundles, following with a worried expression.
Zhang Chen hurriedly stepped forward to take the bundles and place them on the ground. Then he turned his eyes to Jiang Nan, "Please take a seat, Miss Jiang."
"I call you cousin brother, yet you call me Miss Jiang, it feels too distant." Jiang Nan grumbled discontentedly.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen quickly corrected himself, "Please take a seat, cousin Jiang Nan."
"That’s better." Jiang Nan smiled and, after saluting Mrs. Zhang, took her seat.
Mrs. Zhang withdrew, leaving only Zhang Chen and Jiang Nan sitting in the courtyard. Zhang Chen filled Jiang Nan’s cup with tea, "How is your stay at the Shen Family?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan lightly sipped her tea, "Although it’s still leisurely, it ultimately doesn’t feel like home. The food, clothing, and daily needs are much better than at home, but it lacks the taste of home."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen didn’t smile but asked, "How are things in Guangji Prefecture now?"
"No news." Jiang Nan’s expression was somewhat grave.
Zhang Chen fell silent. This matter involved the conflict between the Salt Gang and the Shen Family, especially since behind the Salt Gang was the Cao Bang, which was the real issue, aiming directly at the Shen Family. Within the Cao Bang, there were even shadowy presences of the White Lotus Sect and Yellow Heaven Dao.
Guangji Prefecture was the last port to the Northern Land, one of the most critical ports in the world. If the Salt Gang seized Guangji Prefecture, it would be akin to biting off a massive chunk from the Shen Family.
Jiang Nan’s father, Jiang Zehai, was a son-in-law of the Shen Family, considered absolutely trusted, which is why he was placed in such a key position.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen glanced at Jiang Nan. In such powerful sweeping forces, he had no means to intervene or alter the situation. He had already foreseen Jiang Zehai’s fate, fearing that Jiang Zehai would not meet a good end. If Jiang Zehai’s status were not extraordinarily significant, being the confidant personally promoted by the Emperor Dasheng in the past, he might have been the one to lose his head last time instead of Shen Min.
Even so, if the big salt tycoons were truly driven to a dead end, they would likely make a deadly move against Jiang Zehai.
Jiang Nan at this moment took another sip of tea and said, "Guangji Prefecture is the last water transport node from Jiangnan to the Northern Land and the Demon Race. It holds great importance. I heard that recently inland private salt has been rampant. Many salt dealers transport private salt through Guangji Prefecture. My father has clamped down on private salt, confiscating tens of thousands of tons, angering many and causing significant losses to the Salt Gang."
Upon hearing Jiang Nan’s words, a hint of murderous intent appeared in Zhang Chen’s eyes. When he passed the seven-day trial, Xiaodouding suffered an ambush by the Salt Gang’s bandits, and he still had a blood debt to settle with the Salt Gang.
"I wonder if there are any Salt Gang people in Jinling City." The thought flashed in Zhang Chen’s mind, and he shook his head secretly, "Jinling is the Shen Family’s stronghold, how could they allow the Salt Gang’s tentacles to extend here?"
"By the way, what’s the deal between the Shen Family and the Salt Gang? The Shen Family controls seventy percent of the world’s boat transport, how did they allow salt robbers to decapitate their legitimate daughter?" Zhang Chen was filled with incomprehension over how the Salt Gang dared.
"There’s no evidence proving it was the Salt Gang’s doing. Behind the Salt Gang is the Cao Bang, supported by some inexplicable force. They want to contend with the Shen Family, vying for control over all of Heluo, which makes the situation so complicated."
Zhang Chen fell into silence, then Jiang Nan set down the teacup and looked at Zhang Chen, "And you? What plans do you have for the future?"
Zhang Chen remained silent for a long time before saying, "Just go with the flow."
Jiang Nan was momentarily stunned upon hearing this and was just about to say something when a sound came from outside the door. Three servants appeared in the courtyard, carrying food boxes, and lazily announced to Zhang Chen and his group, "It’s time to eat!"
Their posture was slack, making them appear very lazy and quite disrespectful.
Jiang Nan frowned at this, but as an outsider, it wasn’t appropriate for her to reprimand them. Likewise, Zhang Chen wasn’t in a position to scold them, being an outsider himself.
The three servants opened the boxes to reveal the food inside — just some coarse steamed buns and two plates of stir-fried greens, with no trace of any meat dish.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Chen’s expression changed immediately. His Blood Puppet had possessed Lai San, so he knew the rules of the mansion well. This meal was the fare of a second-level steward in the Shen Family.
What is a steward? Just a servant!
And above them, there’s a first-level steward, who gets a meat dish every meal, and above them is the rank of Grand Steward Lai Changrong.
They were considered guests of the Shen Family, and this was certainly not the kind of meal used to entertain guests!
What Zhang Chen knew, Jiang Nan naturally knew better. She frowned and watched the servants, "Wait a moment, did you make a mistake with this meal?"
"Reporting to Miss, this meal was specially instructed by the steward above. We wouldn’t make a mistake," the servant quickly replied respectfully, retracting his lazy demeanor in response to Jiang Nan’s inquiry.
"Which steward gave these instructions? It’s utterly improper! Take this meal away and bring a new one," Jiang Nan commanded with a displeased face.
The servants looked at each other, but eventually had no choice but to clear the plates. Just then, a figure draped in red appeared at the door, "Cousin, don’t be surprised. Today, when the servants were buying meat and vegetables for the mansion, they bought a little less, resulting in a shortage of meat dishes today. So we have to ask our good cousin to settle for vegetarian dishes instead."
Shen Ling’s voice was filled with glee, clearly relishing in her mischief.
Jiang Nan frowned, about to say more, but was stopped by Zhang Chen, who then glanced at Shen Ling, "It’s just some coarse grains. When escaping danger, we even ate grass roots and bark, so what are these coarse-grain buns?"
"Besides, the carefully cooked greens are quite a rare delicacy."
As Zhang Chen spoke, he picked up a bun, inviting his younger brother and sister to come and eat.
Zhang Chen ate with ease, showing no signs of finding the coarse meal unpalatable. Mrs. Zhang and others were no fools; they already sensed that someone was deliberately causing trouble. To avoid creating problems for Zhang Chen, they each picked up a bun and began to take small bites.
"Hmph! From now on, it’s just buns and pickles every day, no greens allowed. Since our cousin likes greens so much, let’s make him go without, eating only pickles," Shen Ling said with a tone full of mockery, addressing Jiang Nan, "Cousin, why are you with this bumpkin? Let’s leave quickly to avoid catching the rustic air from him."
With that, she pulled Jiang Nan up and headed towards the door.
Jiang Nan wore a wry smile, looking apologetically at Zhang Chen before being compelled to leave with Shen Ling.
"After all, he is the grandson of the Old Lady. Is it not excessive to make him eat a servant’s meal? What if word gets to the Old Lady’s ears, won’t she be punished?" Jiang Nan advised Shen Ling.
Shen Ling was dismissive, "Who would care about them? How would such news reach the Old Lady? Who would dare speak out?"
"They are a bunch of wanted criminals, trying to leech off the Shen Family, dragging us into a dangerous situation. Giving him coarse grains is already a kindness. If their identities were exposed, the court would undoubtedly be enraged and implicate the Shen Family," Shen Ling’s voice was full of disdain. "If it were up to me, I’d drive them out directly. Why waste grain?"
"At the very least, he is your fiancé. How will you two get along when you marry him in the future?" Jiang Nan advised.
"I will never marry him! Not for anything!" Shen Ling’s voice was firm, "I will only marry Gao Qiu!"
Saying this, Shen Ling turned her head, looking suspiciously at Jiang Nan, "Why were you with him? When did you start associating with him?"
ps: Sponsored update for "Bamboo Leaf Zisu" master. This is the second update.