novelapdf Chapter 141 Arranged to be a Couple
Chapter 141 Arranged to be a Couple
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Jiang Mu coughed lightly and forcibly changed the subject:
"Um... Grandma, speaking of which, why do you live alone in this yard? Where's your son? I haven't seen him."
He had barely finished speaking when he felt a sharp pain on the top of his foot.
Shui Miaozheng stepped on his foot.
Jiang Mu was taken aback and looked at Shui Miaozheng, puzzled, only to see her winking at him and shaking her head slightly.
What?
Can't I even ask you a casual question?
But looking at the old woman again, Jiang Mu saw that the peaceful smile on her face had vanished, replaced by sadness and dejection. Jiang Mu immediately realized that she had asked a sensitive question and felt annoyed.
"..."
The old woman sighed, picked up the hemp rope again, and slowly began to twist it.
"My son... died a long time ago."
"Back then, he married a good wife, virtuous and capable, but he didn't cherish her. He was bewitched by a courtesan in the city, and lost his mind. He sold everything he could in the house, and even pawned the fields, saying he wanted to redeem that courtesan. In the end, he spent all the money and got nothing in return; she turned around and went with an even richer man."
"My son was ruined from that point on. He drank heavily every day, lived in a daze, and racked up a mountain of debt."
The family relies entirely on my daughter-in-law, who works odd jobs... My poor little grandson, only three years old, has also disappeared somewhere; perhaps he's been sold for money.
Tears welled up in the old woman's eyes.
"Later, my son seemed to wake up, but my daughter-in-law was exhausted and fell ill. She passed away not long after."
"My son regretted it. He said he would go find his grandson, kowtowed and swore to me, and then he left..."
"And then, several years passed without any news."
"Later, someone who came back from outside told me that somewhere... it seemed that a riot had occurred, and the soldiers were arresting rioters. My son was mistaken for a rioter and was killed by mistake."
The old woman wiped away her tears and said:
I don't believe it!
"I went to the government office to demand an explanation, but I wasn't even allowed inside the gate. I was beaten several times and thrown out, leaving me with a body full of injuries..." The old woman raised her withered hand and pounded her leg:
"It's all fate...it's all fate!"
Listening to the old woman's story, Jiang Mu was speechless for a moment, feeling a mix of emotions.
In this world where demons roam freely and people's hearts are unpredictable, such tragedies seem to be quite common.
Every family has its cupboard.
All I can say is that this old lady raised a scoundrel of a son.
Shui Miaozheng gently patted the old man's back, soothing him softly.
The old lady seemed to be tired of talking, or perhaps she calmed down after venting.
She put down the hemp rope in her hand, suddenly reached out and grabbed Shui Miaozheng's hand, then waved to Jiang Mu:
"Young man, come sit here."
Jiang Mu didn't understand why, but she still moved the stool over as instructed.
I sat on the other side of the old lady.
The old lady reached out and grabbed Jiang Mu's hand, then without saying a word, placed his hand on top of Shui Miaozheng's hand.
Both of them were taken aback.
The touch between the back of the hand and the palm is a warm and soft interplay of sensations.
The two instinctively tried to pull their hands away, but the old woman's withered hands held them firmly in place.
They didn't know where the old man got such strength, but they couldn't break free for a while.
The old woman looked at the two of them, her eyes softening and becoming kind, and said earnestly:
"When I was young, I was just like you."
When I meet someone I like, I always keep it to myself and am too shy to speak up.
I always feel there's plenty of time, and I'm always worried that the other person doesn't like me, afraid that if I open my mouth, we won't even be able to remain friends.
My family is very supportive, but I'm too shy to ask, so I just keep putting it off...
Later, my family arranged a marriage for me, and I married a man I didn't like.
After getting married, life was full of ups and downs. I was beaten and scolded. I had no one to talk to about my bitterness.
Later, I heard by chance that the person I liked back then also liked me. He also thought I didn't like him, but he was too shy to ask...
And so, by a twist of fate, we missed each other.
Once you miss it, it's for a lifetime.
The old woman looked at the two of them, her eyes filled with regret and expectation:
"You young people sometimes overthink and worry too much. This world is not peaceful, and you never know what tomorrow will bring."
It's not easy for two people to come together. Since they're both interested in each other, there's no need to be shy or hesitant. Some things should be said.
How much is face worth?
Don't wait until you miss out or lose something to regret it.
I think you two are a perfect match, one handsome and the other pretty. Standing together, you look like a painting. Since you're both interested in each other, why not be shy and be open about your relationship? Wouldn't that be better?
Shui Miaozheng was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by the old lady's "mismatched matchmaking."
They're interested in each other.
The woman blushed, wanting to explain but afraid of hurting the old man's good intentions.
I was even more afraid that explaining it would only make things worse, and for a moment I didn't know what to do.
You can only let the other person hold your hand.
The warmth of another person emanating from her palm was clear and scorching, causing her heartbeat to become inexplicably disordered.
This was the first time in many years that she had such intimate physical contact with a man, and the man was a junior...
Strangely, she felt no disgust or rejection.
Instead, I felt a slight sense of peace.
Jiang Mu was initially a little embarrassed.
But listening to the old lady's incessant chatter, and seeing the usually dignified and authoritative Chief Water Officer now looking like a helpless and embarrassed little girl, I couldn't help but find it a little funny.
Especially considering that the other party had previously acted like an elder, making him call her "aunt," the contrast now is just too strong.
He couldn't help but smile.
Shui Miaozheng happened to catch this smile.
The woman was filled with shame and anger. She glared at him fiercely.
Jiang Mu, however, suddenly felt playful and gently flicked the fingertips of the old woman's hand against her soft palm.
Shui Miaozheng's delicate body trembled slightly, as if she had been struck by a tiny electric current.
She gritted her teeth, unable to hold back any longer.
A small foot, clad in an exquisite embroidered shoe, quietly peeked out from under the skirt and stepped on the man's foot.
Then, I crushed it hard.
Jiang Mu grimaced and gasped for breath.
His fingers moved restlessly again, gently scratching her palm once more.
Shui Miaozheng increased the pressure on her foot, her beautiful eyes filled with anger as she glared at him warningly.
And so, amidst the old woman's nagging, the two engaged in a childish yet ambiguous silent exchange, their hands and feet clasped together. Above the courtyard, the sky remained a hazy gray.
It was filtered into an ambiguous gray.
Occasionally a cool breeze would blow by, stirring up a few withered leaves from the ground, making them swirl.
The fence is crooked, the roosters are silent, and even the smoke from the chimneys is too lazy to straighten up.
In the small, simple farmhouse courtyard, time seemed to slow down and stagnate, as if carrying a damp smell, sticking to the old man's yellowed memories.
It's also shrouded in the silent connections between men and women.
As Jiang Mu stepped out of the old woman's yard, before she could even take a breath of fresh air, her ear was suddenly twisted. "Ouch!"
Jiang Mu called out subconsciously.
Turning her head, she met Shui Miaozheng's phoenix eyes, which were filled with both anger and resentment.
"You little rascal, you're secretly making fun of your aunt, aren't you?"
Shui Miaozheng raised her eyebrows, the blush on her cheeks not yet completely faded, and glared at him fiercely.
Fearing that the embarrassment and teasing she had just experienced in the house would cause her to lose her dignity as an elder in front of the younger generation, she decided to take the initiative and overwhelm the other party with her presence.
I originally wanted to say "teasing," but when the words came to my lips, I felt that the word was too ambiguous, as if it confirmed the absurd thing that had just happened. So I changed my words and changed it to "joke."
Jiang Mu's head tilted slightly as she twisted it, and he said helplessly:
"Aunt Shui, how could I dare to laugh at you? It was clearly that grandma with bad eyesight who insisted on playing matchmaker, saying we were a perfect couple. You didn't even explain back then, so here I am..."
"How can I explain this?"
Shui Miaozheng released her grip, glared at him irritably, straightened her sleeves, hesitated for a moment, and then warned him, her tone stern but her voice weak, "And another thing, don't you dare peek again!"
"I'm your elder, your aunt! If you want to look, you should look at those young and pretty girls. What kind of talk is it to stare at me like that?" Young girls don't have your charm.
Jiang Mu rubbed her ears, which had been pinched red, smiled, and wisely kept quiet.
Seeing that he had become obedient, Shui Miaozheng gave a light hum, tidied her hair and clothes which had been slightly disheveled by the breeze, and resumed her usual capable demeanor as the head of the department:
"Alright, stop joking. Let's go up the mountain to find that wolf demon and confirm whether he's cooperating with the Red Umbrella Sect. That's the most important thing right now." Jiang Mu nodded: "Okay."
Shui Miaozheng didn't delay any longer. She summoned her subordinates from around the village, quickly assigned tasks, and finalized a detailed plan for the search up the mountain. She divided her men into several groups, each responsible for a specific area.
She remained in a separate group with Jiang Mu, tasked with scouting the key areas where wolf demons were most likely to appear, based on information gathered from the villagers. On the way up the mountain, Jiang Mu couldn't help but ask:
"Aunt Shui, you're an eighth-realm expert, your divine sense should cover a wide area, right? Can't you just use your divine sense to scan the entire mountain and find the wolf demon's lair directly? Why go through the trouble of searching in sections?"
While inspecting the talismans and magical artifacts she carried, Shui Miaozheng explained:
"If it were an ordinary mountain forest, then of course it would be possible."
But this mountain is somewhat special. It seems to have been the stronghold of some great demon in the past. The earth veins are complex, the earth energy is disordered, and there are some natural fields that interfere with divine consciousness.
Moreover, the mountain range is quite large. If one were to forcibly cover it with one's divine sense over a large area, it would not only be extremely energy-consuming, but would also be easily disturbed by the chaotic earth energy, making it easy to miss crucial clues.
On the contrary, the current method of conducting regional spiritual scans, combined with clues provided by the villagers and investigative artifacts, is more efficient and reliable. Jiang Mu nodded in realization.
The two walked one after the other on the mountain path.
Perhaps because she had been traumatized by being watched by Jiang Mu while "enjoying the scenery" at the old lady's house, Shui Miaozheng deliberately walked behind Jiang Mu this time when she went up the mountain.
I always kept a few steps away from him.
To avoid turning your back to someone again becoming a "viewing point".
During the search, the two did not encounter any demons.
Even ordinary wild animals are rarely seen.
The mountains and forests were quiet along the way.
This seems to confirm what the villagers said: once an outside monster enters this area, it will be driven away by the "Grandpa Wolf".
When we reached the halfway point of the mountain, the already gloomy sky finally gave way, and large raindrops began to fall sparsely.
At first, there were only a few sparse drops, but in the blink of an eye, they began to grow larger.
"Oh no, I forgot my umbrella."
Jiang Mu looked up at the sky, somewhat annoyed.
Shui Miaozheng smiled slightly and took out the shimmering fan that she always carried with her.
She tossed it gently with her delicate hand.
The fan spun in the air, growing several times larger until it transformed into a pale blue umbrella about ten feet in diameter, hovering above the two people and blocking all the raindrops from falling.
Raindrops hit the umbrella, making a crisp "drip-drip" sound.
"This magical artifact can be used like this?"
Jiang Mu was somewhat surprised.
Shui Miaozheng reached out and gestured, and the umbrella of light moved with the two of them, always remaining above their heads. She said, "This magic weapon is called 'Qingluo,' and it was left to me by my father."
When her father was mentioned, a hint of sadness and longing flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
Jiang Mu suddenly realized.
Indeed, it's perfectly normal for a father who once served as the commander-in-chief to leave his daughter several powerful magical artifacts for self-defense.
"Won't maintaining this state consume too much of our star power?"
Jiang Mu asked.
Shui Miaozheng shook her head, her tone relaxed:
"It's just for shelter from the rain, providing minimal protection; the energy expenditure is negligible, so there's no need to worry."
The raindrops gradually became denser.
The water droplets hit the "Green Silk Umbrella," forming tiny streams that slid down the edge of the light curtain, creating a hazy water curtain.
The two stood shoulder to shoulder, very close.
Shoulders occasionally brushed against each other, bringing a warm sensation that was particularly noticeable on this slightly chilly, rainy day.
Soon, the two arrived at an area filled with scattered rocks.
This is one of the places where the wolf demon, mentioned by the villagers, frequently appears.
Shui Miaozheng stopped and carefully examined the surrounding trees, rocks, and ground, even bending down to pick up a bit of damp soil and sniff it. Then, she closed her eyes and slowly spread her divine sense.
Like invisible ripples,
I carefully sensed every inch of this land and every breath of this place.
A moment later, she opened her eyes and shook her head regretfully:
"Not here."
The two did not linger and continued to the next marked area.
However, after visiting three or four places identified by villagers as frequented by the wolf demon, Shui Miaozheng searched with her divine sense but found nothing.
During this time, Jiang Mu even used one of the [Spiritual Light Divination] to perform a divination.
The divination result, however, was vague and its direction was unclear.
"Could it be that the villagers tipped them off in advance, allowing the wolf demon to escape?" Jiang Mu speculated.
Shui Miaozheng stood on the edge of a cliff, gazing at the vast forest shrouded in rain. After a moment's thought, she shook her head in denial.
"Probably not. Before coming here, I secretly sent people to keep an eye on the people coming and going in the village and gave them instructions. No one could have informed us in advance. Moreover, according to the previous files of Yancheng Division, there have been previous raids, and even if some villagers secretly informed us, the wolf demon never left this mountain."
It seemed to have an extraordinary obsession with this mountain, preferring to risk its life rather than leave.
She turned to look at Jiang Mu, the raindrops pattering softly against the umbrella overhead.
"Alright, let's rest here for a bit and wait for news from Cui Cui and the others. Their group has special magical artifacts for detecting demonic energy fluctuations, so they might be able to investigate more thoroughly."
Jiang Mu had no objection to this.
Anyway, his main role this time was to "accompany" others and follow orders.
Shui Miaozheng led Jiang Mu to a dry cave that they had previously explored.
They folded up their fans and went inside.
Although maintaining the fan doesn't consume much energy, every little bit helps, because who knows if a fierce battle might come later.
Upon entering the cave, Shui Miaozheng took out a neatly cut piece of yellow talisman paper from her bosom. With a few deft folds of her fingers, she transformed it into a lifelike origami crane.
She then took out a miniature talisman covered in cinnabar runes, affixed it to the back of the paper crane, and gently blew a breath imbued with starlight onto it. The paper crane's wings trembled slightly, and it came to life.
Fluttering its wings, it flew lightly out of the cave and disappeared into the rain, going to deliver a message to Ming Cuicui and the others.
Jiang Mu looked around the cave with curiosity.
The cave was quite clean, with some dry firewood piled in the corner, a thick layer of dry grass on the ground, and even a few smooth stones serving as makeshift seats.
It seems that villagers who usually go up the mountain to chop firewood or gather herbs will also take shelter and rest here when they encounter wind and rain.
The rain outside was getting heavier, and a damp, chilly air seeped into the cave.
Perhaps worried that Jiang Mu might be cold in her thin clothes, Shui Miaozheng walked to the pile of firewood, flicked her finger, and a tiny spark fell into the fire. With a "whoosh," the campfire roared to life.
The orange-red firelight gradually dispelled the chill in the cave and cast Shui Miaozheng's slender figure on the stone wall, making her appear long and graceful.
"Little Jiang,"
Shui Miaozheng suddenly spoke, her voice echoing softly in the empty cave, "Have you been walking for so long? Aren't you hungry?" Jiang Mu was taken aback, looking at the heavy rain outside, and teased:
"Even if we're hungry, can we conjure up food in this desolate wilderness?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw Shui Miaozheng magically produce a plump wild rabbit from behind her waist, already cleaned and wrapped in oiled paper. The woman looked at him with a hint of smugness and mischief, smiling sweetly: "Who says I can't? Auntie will roast rabbit for you. Look, I always carry the seasonings with me."
As she spoke, she took out two small jade bottles.
It clearly contained salt and ground spices.
Jiang Mu was speechless for a moment.
This woman... could she have planned this picnic on the mountain all along?
Looking at the smooth rabbit in her hand, Jiang Mu blurted out, "Rabbits are so cute, why would you eat them?"
Shui Miaozheng was holding a rabbit, preparing to thread it onto a tree branch, when she heard this and froze.
He looked up, staring blankly at Jiang Mu, seemingly unable to comprehend why this young man would say such a thing.
Jiang Mu found it funny herself and quickly waved her hand, "Just kidding, I was just teasing you."
Shui Miaozheng then came to her senses, rolled her eyes at him with an annoyance, her eyes exuding a mature charm, and said reproachfully:
"If you really don't like rabbit meat, Auntie will go and catch you a pheasant or a wild boar? But it's raining, and wild boars aren't easy to find." "Never mind then, I just like spicy rabbit heads, they're so flavorful."
Jiang Mu smiled.
Shui Miaozheng smiled and said no more, then began to skillfully process the rabbit meat.
She skewered the rabbit with a sharpened twig, placed it over the campfire, and slowly rotated it while evenly sprinkling salt and spices from a jade bottle. Her movements were practiced, clearly not the first time she had done this.
The flickering firelight illuminated her bright profile and her figure, which swayed slightly as the branches turned.
The neckline opened slightly due to the bending motion.
In a daze, Jiang Mu felt as if there was more than one rabbit roasting over a fire in front of her...