So clearly, the Jiang family must have gotten in someone’s way.
“Who holds control of the Jiang family’s business now?”
“After the massacre, the rest of the Jiang clan sold all their assets to the Jia family the very same family that was granted the Royal Supplier position this time.”
“The so-called ‘bandits’ who killed the Jiangs acted with speed and precision; almost every strike was a single, fatal blow. Among the weapons used was a type of short crossbow bolt something a mere merchant household could never produce on its own. Nor could ordinary traders train men of such skill. Besides, the Jia family was once just an average tea merchant with nothing remarkable about them. It is only in the last two years that they have suddenly risen to prominence.”
Nan Shu then handed over one of the bolts.
Ji Yan’an turned it over in his hand for a moment. It bore no markings or insignia.
Of course not. Who would be foolish enough to leave identifiable evidence behind when committing murder and theft? he thought.
“And the craftsmanship required to make these bolts is far beyond the skill of ordinary artisans.”
But this was as far as their investigation had gone for now. To uncover more, they would have to dig deeper.
Ji Yan’an told Nan Shu to go wash up, rest, and report back with further details later.
As Nan Shu left, he looked thoroughly confused. “Uncle Li, why did the Young Master ask me to look into this Jiang Yun Sui girl?”
Uncle Li smiled. “You will understand in time.”
Not long after Nan Shu had departed, Heiwa returned.
Instead of walking straight inside, he paused at the door and scratched at it with his paw, letting out a soft whine.
“Woof… whine…”
A servant quickly brought a cloth and wiped the mud from his paws, and only then did Heiwa step into the room.
“Did she eat what you brought her?”
Heiwa stared back at him with his big, dark eyes.
“Hmph… so you’ve taken quite a liking to her, haven’t you?”
If he hadn’t raised the dog himself, Ji Yan’an would have suspected someone had swapped Heiwa for another. Never before had he seen the hound act so eager and affectionate toward anyone.
“Ji Si.”
Ji Si, dressed in dark night clothes, appeared almost instantly in the room.
“What did Jiang Yun Sui do after this fool of a dog went to see her? Tell me everything you saw.”
In a flat, steady tone, Ji Si recounted every detail he had witnessed.
“Ha so she really believes she is a mushroom?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“What a silly little thing.”
“Very well, you may go.”
Yet as he thought about it, Ji Yan’an felt a twinge of envy. If only I could spend my days playing and enjoying myself as easily as she does.
“Wait come back.”
Ji Si turned around.
“How is that clumsy girl’s foot?”
“From what I could see, it looks much better. She walked far more steadily than yesterday.”
Ji Yan’an picked up his brush, asking as if he hardly cared. “Will it be fully healed by tomorrow?”
“I cannot say for certain, my lord.”
Ji Yan’an shot him a sharp look. Could he not be a little more flexible in his answers?
“Never mind. You are dismissed.”
“Understood.”
When Ji Si had truly gone, Ji Yan’an and Heiwa sat facing each other, neither moving.
Suddenly, Ji Yan’an smiled an idea had come to him.
“Heiwa, tomorrow I shall accompany you for your walk.”
Heiwa tilted his head, eyes wide with confusion: ??
That evening, the light rain continued from earlier in the day, and the moon remained hidden behind thick, heavy clouds. This meant the little mushroom could not absorb any moonlight tonight.
Rolling up her sleeves, Jiang Yun Sui sat on her small wooden stool, huffing and puffing as she tried to wash clothes using the washboard, just as she had seen Chef Chen do. But she was still so small and weak; though she scrubbed hard, the water quickly turned murky and dirty.
Chef Chen worked far more quickly and skillfully. After finishing her own laundry, she took Jiang Yun Sui’s clothes over.
“Washing isn’t just about rubbing them any old way,” she explained. “You have to focus extra effort on the spots that are stained or dirty.”
“And another thing never wash your socks and undergarments together. Also, try not to wash dark-colored clothes with lighter ones. Some dark fabrics will run when wet, and if they bleed onto white or pale clothes, you’ll end up with uneven splotches of color dark here, pale there and it will look terrible.”
Jiang Yun Sui sat beside her, listening closely and nodding from time to time to show she understood. But the moment she tried to do it herself, she forgot everything again.
The little mushroom looked up at Chef Chen with wide, pleading eyes would Auntie think she was hopelessly clumsy?
Chef Chen patted her gently on the head. “Don’t worry. We’ll take it one step at a time.”
“All right.”
Once the clothes were washed and hung to dry under the eaves, Jiang Yun Sui stood staring at the pomegranate tree.
“I have the day off tomorrow. Would you like to go into town and wander the market?”
Jiang Yun Sui’s eyes lit up like stars. “Yes, please!”
A market in the human world there were bound to be all sorts of delicious treats and interesting things to see.
“Good. Then we’d better get to bed early tonight.”
Jiang Yun Sui slept soundly through the night without a single dream, and woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed.
It had rained all day yesterday, so the sky was still shrouded in a soft mist at dawn, though the air was crisp and wonderfully fresh.
She stood at the doorway, raised her arms high, and stretched. Then a thought struck her if they were going to the market, they would need money. But the little mushroom didn’t have a single copper coin to her name.
She had only started working a few days ago, and even if wages were due, they wouldn’t be paid out yet. Only now did it occur to her that she hadn’t even asked how much her monthly salary was. Surely I won’t get nothing at all? The Young Master wouldn’t be that stingy, would he?
“Achoo!”
Ji Yan’an sneezed loudly. Nan Shu immediately began fussing over him.
“Young Master, please don’t catch a cold! Quick, bring the fox-fur cloak at once!”
Ji Yan’an scowled. “Be quiet!”
Wearing a heavy fur cloak in this weather? Did Nan Shu want him to suffocate from the heat?
Nan Shu fell silent instantly.
Ji Yan’an folded his arms and stared coldly at Heiwa, who was squatting in the grass attending to his business.
Feeling those sharp eyes fixed on him, Heiwa turned his head away, so flustered he almost couldn’t finish what he was doing.
Ji Yan’an: …………
“Are you done yet?”
“Woof!”
Yes, yes! I’m done! What’s the hurry?
Heiwa trotted back over, and Ji Yan’an stepped back two paces in distaste.
Heiwa looked up at him with a hurt, mournful expression.
“Keep going,” Ji Yan’an commanded.
Tail wagging, Heiwa set off again, heading straight for the courtyard where Jiang Yun Sui lived. He pushed open the gate as if it were his own home.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
Jiang Yun Sui was bent over digging mushrooms, her little rear end stuck up in the air. At the sound, she popped her head up and turned toward the gate.
“Heiwa!”
Then she saw Ji Yan’an step in right behind him. Jiang Yun Sui blinked in surprise. Was she seeing things?
She rubbed her eyes hard, and sure enough, the man walking slowly into the yard was none other than her current master.
“What are you doing?” Ji Yan’an asked, frowning at the dirt smudged all over her face.
Jiang Yun Sui quickly held up a large mushroom to shield her face. “I’m digging mushrooms.”
Ji Yan’an looked at the mushroom in her hands, and his mind went back to what had happened two days earlier.
“The ones found the day before yesterday were they dug from this same spot?”
Jiang Yun Sui nodded. Seeing him lean in closer, she pointed to several other places in the yard.
“Look there are more over there! It rained yesterday, so today there are even more than before. Seven in total!”
Following the direction of her finger, Ji Yan’an spotted several small mounds of earth pushed up from beneath, each marking where a Delicious Mushroom was pushing its way up.
He found himself growing curious.
“Hand me that small hoe.”
He had gone hunting many times in the past, but he had never once picked mushrooms. Now, he had neither the time nor the leisure to go looking for them and even hunting was no longer possible for him.
The capital was vast, yet he had felt trapped inside what seemed like a large residence but was actually a very small cage. Even now that he had left it, he dared not let his guard down for a single moment.