Chapter 175

"Dong~~~"

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Clang~~~"

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Qiang~~~"

The night was as dark as ink.

At the Jiang Manor in Ming County.

Jiang Rong hadn't come home last night.

Old Lady Jiang was worried sick.

Because Jiang Changtian had left Ming County for the Provincial Capital.

They hadn't left immediately, still feeling uneasy.

After all, even the Seventh Prince's men were completely wiped out, and they were lucky to still be alive.

But it wouldn't do for Jiang Rong to stay cooped up reading books all day without socializing.

Old Lady Jiang still let Jiang Rong go to the County School.

It was also a test.

Sure enough, no one stopped him.

Jiang Rong resumed his days at school, seeming a bit more lively.

The Jiang family was actually quite tight on money now.

Before, Old Lady Jiang had held onto the money, seeming as if it were inexhaustible.

Now, after squandering it once or twice, it was nearly gone.

In the past, their daughter would supplement their income, but after Chu Yi's death, they didn't know how to explain it here, and couldn't bring themselves to ask.

At first, Old Lady Jiang didn't know that guard was her grandson, though not by blood, but he still called Yuluan his legitimate mother.

He should have recognized Old Lady Jiang as well.

Because of this, Old Lady Jiang was too embarrassed to ask her daughter for money.

So Jiang Rong no longer had new clothes every month, and wasn't so lavish at school, inevitably suffering some discrimination. After all, he used to go out surrounded by servants, looking down on others.

Yesterday, his classmates invited him to go out.

Jiang Rong didn't want to go, but his sister and grandmother both wanted him to.

His father was hungover and didn't manage him.

Not wanting to disappoint his sister and grandmother, he went out.

But night fell, and he still hadn't returned.

Old Lady Jiang was frantic with worry.

She had someone report to the authorities.

Though they could no longer summon officials to work at their home like before.

But when Magistrate Huang heard of this, he took it quite seriously. After all, anything related to Commander Jiang was no small matter. He sent people to search for a day and a night.

Now they were notified to come collect the person.

The body was found downstream in He County.

Jiang Rong had drowned, his body already swollen when found.

Old Lady Jiang cried heartbrokenly, "My son, my son, my poor son, it pains me so!"

Jiang Wan's eyes were red, dressed in hemp mourning clothes, forcing herself to stay strong as she arranged her brother's funeral.

Her brother had never done anything bad, why did he have to meet such a tragic fate? Heaven is unjust.

The sound of the suona horn rose...

"Dong~~~"

"Happy birthday to you!"

But to be fair, this banquet really was quite delicious, and the gifts weren't shabby.

It's just that the music was a bit spine-chilling, but everything else was fine.

They heard that today's banquet was hosted by Commander Jiang's eldest daughter, that is, Madam Meng, that extraordinary woman who had thoroughly tamed the only son of General Meng from the capital, not only getting him to formally propose marriage, but also willing to stay and serve his father-in-law for three years.

It was said her looks were bewitching, on par with Daji, and with these culinary skills.

They were all willing to stay.

No wonder young General Meng's square face had become a bit round.

Madam He also happily took her parting gift home.

In her inner chambers, she tried the cleansing cream, and it was remarkable. Her hands were instantly whitened. She didn't realize how much grime was on the back of her hands, it was quite embarrassing.

Fortunately, there was the even more embarrassing Madam Yu.

But Madam He didn't know if Madam Yu was truly foolish or just pretending. Usually elsewhere, she was always making a fool of herself, already the laughingstock of the Provincial Capital, but at the Jiang house she seemed to be in her element, not only chatting happily with Mrs. Jiang, but also laughing and talking with Miss Jiang, seeming very conversant.

She even said she would bring her three daughters over to play.

Madam Yu's hands were even darker.

They were scrubbing off dirt.

Mrs. Jiang clearly liked her very much, giving her four portions of cleansing cream, saying to give one to each of her daughters.

Madam He discovered that although Mrs. Jiang didn't seem to be born of noble birth, her memory seemed exceptionally good.

Madam Yu rambled on about this and that, and Mrs. Jiang could accurately recall the names and interests of her several daughters.

And when she just casually mentioned her mother-in-law in conversation, without saying much, when leaving she was actually given an extra parting gift, said to be for her mother-in-law.

In any case, this birthday banquet came to an end.

Both Madam He and Madam Yu were very pleased.

Madam He saw her husband looking dejected and asked what was wrong.

Lord He said: "Young General Meng was born in the Year of the Ox."

Madam He looked utterly perplexed. So what if he was born in the Year of the Ox? What does that have to do with you? You've gone mad with your constant scheming for advancement.

When Madam Yu returned home, that cleansing cream was snatched away by her husband and given to his favored concubine.

...

Those officials and nobles who had attended, when they returned home, their wives and concubines were all waiting.

All prepared to hear their husbands complain.

Some clever ones had even prepared food at home.

That bizarre birthday feast, they surely couldn't have eaten much.

They might even be starving.

They would definitely want to eat when they got back.

Some were also curious to ask their husbands if they had seen that young Madam Meng, if she was really as bewitching as the rumors said, like Daji.

But normally they wouldn't see the women.

However, Commander Jiang was from the countryside, and if the separation of men and women wasn't so strict, in all the chaos, they might have caught a glimpse.

But they all said they hadn't seen her, yet yearned for her in their hearts.

This made the group of madams and young ladies even more curious.

Without even seeing her face, she could make so many men willingly submit and yearn for her. What level of skill was this?

No wonder Little Fengxian was stabbed to death as soon as she appeared.

They wanted to hear more about how chaotic the banquet was, but their husbands cursed at the carefully prepared midnight snacks: "What is this pig slop? Even a dog wouldn't eat it!"

More than one madam suffered such treatment, feeling terribly wronged.

Thinking some vixen outside must have bewitched them again.

"Prepare another birthday gift, it must be more generous."

"Commander Jiang's son-in-law's birthday is next month."

All the madams: ...

...