Jiang Muxi snorted coldly.
“Who do you think I am? I helped you bring the old lady here, and you’re ungrateful. You even scold me for not taking her to the hospital? What, do you expect me to do filial duties for you as well?”
Jiang Guangbao was stunned. He hadn’t expected the usually hot-tempered Jiang Muxi to hold back and reason with him.
He immediately sensed something was wrong. Muxi’s tone wasn’t arrogant anymore—just slightly softened.
“Muxi, what are you saying? This is your own grandmother, and I’m her son. Aren’t your words hurting us deeply?”
His gaze at Jiang Muxi was one of helplessness, as if looking at someone childish and reckless.
The guard watching the scene frowned at Jiang Muxi.
Older people despise unfilial children. Not taking a fainted grandmother to the hospital is worse than being an animal.
Jiang Muxi coldly said, “Jiang Guangbao, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that our family has already cut ties with the Old Jiang family? That was all your wife’s doing. Already forgotten so soon?”
Jiang Guangbao was shocked. “Jiang Muxi! How can you—”
Before he could finish scolding, Jiang Yuyan interrupted.
“This Jiang gentleman… you’re not the good person Old Madam Jiang described, are you? Otherwise, she’d have been lying in the ox cart for so long without a glance, and not taken to the hospital, yet you still have the nerve to scold others? If I were Old Madam Jiang, I should have smothered you at birth!”
Jiang Guangbao frowned and turned to see who interrupted him. He froze, his breath caught—the woman in front of him was even more beautiful than any city woman he had seen.
Jiang Muxi immediately stepped in front of Jiang Yuyan, protecting her. His gaze turned sharp, directed at Jiang Guangbao.
He leaned close and whispered a threat, “Dare to look at my sister like that again, and I’ll dig out your eyes and kick them like a ball. Believe me?”
Sister? Jiang Muxi’s sister—that meant—
“You… how are you back? When did you come back?”
Why had he received no news? Damn it!
Jiang Yuyan noticed the flash of panic in his eyes, but when she looked again, it was gone, as if it had been a trick of her imagination.
“This Jiang gentleman, I think it’s the first time we’ve met. Why does your expression make it seem like I shouldn’t be here? Have we met before?”
Jiang Muxi immediately retorted, “Impossible. He works at the town’s textile factory thanks to my father’s recommendation. How could he possibly have the means to go to Jing City?”
Jiang Guangbao: “…”
“No… you’re mistaken. How could I have met you, haha! Right, I need to take Old Madam Jiang to the hospital. Uncle Liao, help me get leave—I’ll explain to the director later.”
Before Jiang Yuyan could react, Jiang Guangbao hurriedly got into the ox cart and left, his anxious posture even more obvious.
Jiang Muxi touched his chin, staring at the departing cart.
“Something about Jiang Guangbao’s expression wasn’t right…”
Even a stranger like Jiang Yuyan noticed—it wasn’t her imagination. Jiang Guangbao might actually know her.
But she had been standing behind Jiang Muxi for so long, and he clearly hadn’t recognized her.
Or maybe he had only heard about her, but never seen her—how he had learned of her, only he knew.
“If it bothers you, we can find a time to question him… or throw him in a sack and beat some sense into him.”
Jiang Yuyan smirked.
“No need, Second Brother. Right now, our priority is taking Big Brother to Jing City for his leg treatment. The rest can wait until we return.”
Jiang Muxi saw the seriousness in her expression and nodded calmly.
But in his heart, he made a mental note: when they returned, he would find a way to get Jiang Guangbao into a sack and give him a proper beating.
The way that man looked at his sister just now was inappropriate. If it weren’t for protecting her, he would have struck him right then.
At the hospital, Jiang Guangbao didn’t even glance at the fainted Old Madam Jiang. He rushed to the post office, dialing a number he remembered.
“…Who’s this?” A low, hoarse voice rasped like swallowing fire and sand.
Jiang Guangbao covered the phone, scanning around nervously. “It’s me! Jiang Goudan’s biological daughter is back—”
“…How do you handle things? Are you trying to die?”
Jiang Guangbao trembled. “No, I really didn’t mean it! Please give me another chance, this time I promise—”
The voice on the other end cut him off. “Call Lin Yue of the Lin family. Then wait—let the two heiresses fight each other to the death.”
Jiang Guangbao quickly nodded, without hesitation.
The person on the line threatened, “If you mess up again—”
“….”
None of this had reached Jiang Yuyan yet. Right now, she was rummaging through the scrap station with Jiang Muxi.
A pile of neatly bundled books and newspapers were stacked in one corner; in another, broken chairs, tables, and other junk were strewn about.
Jiang Yuyan was looking for books on Chinese medicine and high school textbooks from this era.
Her older brother had owned them, but the selfish Old Jiang family had hidden or discarded them, making them impossible to find.
She dug and sifted through piles of papers, sweat on her brow, until she finally uncovered a brand-new stack of high school textbooks.
Jiang Yuyan quickly covered them with newspapers—these were rare items. Complete high school textbooks were impossible to buy elsewhere.
Since they were buried so deep, no one had the patience to dig them out—it was her lucky day.
Thinking of the shabby walls at home, Jiang Yuyan grabbed another stack of newspapers and headed toward the uncle guarding the door.
She placed the books on the ground.
“Uncle, how much for these?”
She looked around, not seeing her second brother. Strange.
“One yuan, take them.”
Jiang Yuyan paid and asked, “Uncle, have you seen—”
“Done? Then come out.” Jiang Muxi, leaning lazily against a tree outside the door, watched her.
Jiang Yuyan ran over with the books.
“Second Brother, you’re out! I was wondering where you went, scared me to death.”
“Scared of what? Could I leave you alone? Here, you go first.”
Jiang Muxi took the books from her and strode home confidently.
Jiang Yuyan noticed his cold face but saw his ears turning bright red.
He had already accepted her as his sister but was too tsundere to call her that directly, yet outside he kept saying “sister, sister.”
Jiang Yuyan stifled a laugh—she had seen through her shy, stubborn Second Brother.
“What are you doing? Hurry up, or I really won’t wait for you.”
“Hehe, coming, coming… Second Brother, wait for me—”
“Hmph, always acting cute. Hurry up, slowpoke! We’ll be late for dinner, idiot!”
Jing City, Lin Family.
Ring, ring, ring.
Lin Yue picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Lin Yue? I heard Jiang Yuyan has returned to the Jiang family. Soon she’ll come to Jing City to seek revenge on you. Hehe, I’m kindly letting you know to prepare yourself, so you won’t be caught off guard.”