Jiang Ning smiled, though her expression carried a hint of bitterness.
“Maybe, but emotions aren’t transactions. You saw for yourself, the money I’m spending now is from the annulment. Zhuang Yunqing’s heart isn’t with me, so why should I force it?” Jiang Ning pretended to speak helplessly.
Liu Ruomei became anxious. “But didn’t you like him a lot?”
“Even if I did, so what? I can’t compete with the daughter of the mountain scholar,” Jiang Ning replied with a sigh. “Ah, cousin, you know, sometimes I really envy you. So many people care about you. If only Zhuang Yunqing had liked someone like you.”
“Y-You… what are you saying?” Liu Ruomei’s face turned bright red, her head lowered as her fingers nervously tugged at the corner of her clothes, stuttering.
So, that was it. No wonder the original owner had been so open with her.
Jiang Ning lowered her head and quietly suggested to Liu Ruomei, “Cousin, if you really like him, why not think about how to get closer to him and win his favor? Only by winning his heart can you have a chance. Otherwise, with your merchant background, you’ll never catch Zhuang’s eye.”
Liu Ruomei’s eyes flickered, clearly thinking over Jiang Ning’s words.
Jiang Ning silently smirked. “Scumbag and a cheap woman—just the right match.”
“Ha! Cousin, you really know how to joke,” Liu Ruomei said, trying to laugh it off. “But I have to go now, I’ll find you again some other time!” Liu Ruomei quickly stood up and left in a hurry.
Jiang Ning watched her retreating figure, deep in thought. It seemed that only after meeting Zhuang Yunqing had Liu Ruomei grown close to the original owner.
The original owner’s obsession with Zhuang Yunqing was all too clear.
And Liu Ruomei’s interest in Zhuang Yunqing made sense. She probably only tried to stir trouble when she found out someone else—an even better match—had entered Zhuang Yunqing’s life. This led to the original owner’s demise.
Jiang Ning also realized that her maternal grandfather’s family had been very kind to Liu Ruomei, showing that they weren’t biased towards sons over daughters.
But why had they treated the original owner, their only daughter, so differently?
Unfortunately, the original owner’s memories of her maternal family were vague, so Jiang Ning couldn’t extract anything useful from them.
Forget it. No need to overthink it. She decided to continue shopping.
There was no need to let irrelevant people affect her mood.
As Jiang Ning was about to leave, she noticed a West Asian merchant setting up a stall. Curiosity piqued, she walked over.
The merchant’s stall was filled with all kinds of exotic goods: spices, fabrics, jewelry, and some herbs and seeds she had never seen before. Jiang Ning’s mind raced. These herbs and seeds might be useful to her.
Seeing her approach, the merchant greeted her warmly in broken Chinese. “Miss, is there anything you need?”
Jiang Ning smiled and asked, “I’d like to see your herbs and seeds. Do any of them have special effects?”
The merchant nodded and picked up a packet of herbs from his stall. “These are herbs brought from the Western Regions. They have pain-relieving and hemostatic effects, very effective for treating external injuries.”
Jiang Ning took the herbs and examined them carefully. After not noticing any issues, she pointed at the seeds next to them. “And what about these seeds?”
The merchant answered, “I don’t know exactly. There are many different kinds mixed together. I can sell them to you cheaply if you like.”
Jiang Ning felt intrigued, almost as though she were opening a mystery box. She decided to buy some seeds and take them back to experiment.
In the end, she spent 80 wen on a packet of mixed seeds, then bade the West Asian merchant goodbye. She made her way to the Academics Street in the East Market, where the shops were full of all kinds of scholarly materials.
She entered a shop that looked quite elegant, and the faint scent of ink filled the air. Not far ahead was the Baohutang Medical Hall, but Jiang Ning decided to buy her painting tools first before visiting the clinic.
A clerk greeted her enthusiastically, “Miss, what do you need? We have everything from brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones to the Four Books and Five Classics for those preparing for the imperial exams.”
Since only families with scholars could afford to shop at this type of store, the clerk didn’t look down on Jiang Ning for being poorly dressed and a woman.
Jiang Ning asked, “I’d like to buy a set of fine brush painting pigments and painting tools. Do you have any recommendations?”
“This set of pigments is very popular in our store. The colors are bright and long-lasting,” the clerk said as he took a beautifully packaged box of pigments from the shelf and handed it to Jiang Ning.
Inside the box, various colors were neatly arranged from dark to light.
Jiang Ning opened the box and gently touched the pigments with her fingers, feeling that they were of good quality.
“The brushes are top quality as well,” the clerk continued, pulling out a set of brushes, “The brush tips are soft and perfect for drawing delicate lines.”
Jiang Ning took the brushes and closely examined them.
“Looks good,” Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction. “What about the paper? I need a thick xuan paper.”
“Certainly, Miss. How many sheets would you like?” the clerk asked.
“Could I see them?” Jiang Ning requested.
The clerk immediately went behind the counter, pulling out several rolls of xuan paper in various sizes, laying them out for Jiang Ning to inspect. “We have several different sizes, all pre-cut.”
Jiang Ning selected a roll of four-foot, eight-fold paper (34*34 cm) according to her needs.
In the end, Jiang Ning spent two taels of silver on a roll of paper, a set of brushes, an inkstone, a water container, a box of pigments, and other supplies.
After paying, Jiang Ning had just stepped out of the shop when—
She heard a voice coming from a luxurious carriage next to her. The servant sitting in front of the carriage spoke to someone inside.
“Young Master, our people have spotted Xue family members near Baohutang.”
“Xue family? What are they doing here? I came all the way to this poor place, yet they’re still trying to follow me?” The voice inside the carriage was clear and pleasant but laced with dissatisfaction.
The servant asked, “Should we avoid them?”
“Hmph, why avoid them? Keep going forward, send people to watch them. I want to see what they’re up to,” came the reply from inside the carriage, full of contempt.
The servant sounded anxious. “But Young Master, Xue family’s tactics are too vile. It’s better to be cautious.”
“You’re too timid. I’m not afraid of anyone,” came the dismissive response.
Jiang Ning couldn’t help but shake her head as she overheard their conversation.
When encountering such matters, shouldn’t they be discreet, discussing things secretly inside the palanquin?
Who talks so loudly in the street?
Just as the conversation ended, the carriage suddenly sped up, kicking up dust that landed all over Jiang Ning’s face.
“Ugh,” Jiang Ning spat, cursing under her breath, “You sons of bitches.”
At the entrance of Baohutang, a crowd had gathered.
Lu Huai’an was violently thrown onto the stone pavement in front of the medical hall, his clothes and books scattered everywhere.
The crowd’s eyes pierced into him, and their whispers and mocking laughter reached his ears.
He tried to sit up, but his body felt like it had been hit with a heavy hammer, every muscle protesting.
He remembered—
In his past life, his injuries were treated in the medical hall, after which he was beaten again. He wasn’t thrown out of the medical hall.
Why was this different this time?