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Deep within the Shangqiu Convent.
Weeds grew in abundance.
Piles of broken Buddha statues were scattered about, so were piles of shattered bones.
With an eye for autopsy, you'd discover, most of the bones belonged to young girls.
Young in age, female.
Not far from the place where incense was burnt and Buddha was worshipped.
The front was a tranquil sanctuary, the rear was a forbidden shrine.
Hell and the sacred grounds of Buddha were not separated, divided by only a thin line.
The grass grew alike everywhere.
The scene wasn't easy to acclimatize to.
Even Meng Shaoxia, who had spent time in the military, fought alongside his father, and seen half the world, found it slightly unnerving.
He was more accustomed to the bustling affluence of the Capital City.
When he saw the three people confined within his family's cellar, he thought his father-in-law was a bit too ruthless.
Looking at such a beautiful person, whose methods were brutal, gave him chills.
Then came the unexpected demise of Judge Yu. He found it rather hasty.
Judge Yu, he thought, wouldn't have tumbled off the cliff on his own.
Finally, they surrounded Shangqiu Convent.
When the map was exhausted, the dagger was revealed.
The ultimate aim of his father-in-law was Shangqiu Convent.
By now, everyone should understand.
Judge Yu was merely a stepping stone to reach Shangqiu Convent.
As far as Meng Shaoxia knew, considering what Judge Yu had done, he did not die unjustly.
In charge of the criminal justice, corrupt and unrestrained, he condemned innocent people for money and freed the truly evil.
This kind of corruption was far more repugnant than his father-in-law accepting gifts for his son's birthday.
But even so, he didn't deserve such a death.
Such chaos without law and order, if allowed to flourish, would instigate anarchy.
Despite his presence from start to end, he didn't notice any issues.
Upon reaching Shangqiu Convent, he wanted to dissuade his father-in-law.
After all, it was a holy Buddhist site. Breaking through would certainly attract denunciation.
But before he could advise, waves of people came forward to do the same.
It sealed Meng Shaoxia's lips. Things didn't feel right. There had to be a catch.
Despite the large number of men they brought, the door of the Shangqiu Convent remained firmly shut. Inside, the sound of bell tolls and incense burning continued unabated, unfazed.
There was a glaring issue, and they didn't even attempt to hide it.
According to the conventions of officialdom, they were supposed to retreat.
But knowing the problem, retreating didn't sit well.
Meng Shaoxia felt trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Frustrated, helpless.
He responded with a smile.
Then served the platter.
Jiang Mianmian guarded her bowl, “Daddy, I won’t eat it. I don’t like garlic.”
"Eating garlic is good for health. It can prevent common colds," Jiang Changtian explained.
Jiang Mianmian shook her head in refusal.
Jiang Changtian did not insist and moved on to serve others.
Jiang Feng was in a good mood, not at all affected by the hustle and bustle around him. He returned after finishing off his tasks, took a sip of the noodle soup, and smiled, "It's father's craftsmanship, his soup is a bit bland.”
Meng Shaoxia couldn’t taste any difference, he was never fond of noodles, hence, couldn't notice anything distinctive. However, hearing garlic can prevent colds, he picked some up for Jiang Yu and hesitated before also having some.
It was spicy, hot, and tangy. He wanted to shed tears because of that raw garlic.
A mouth full of noodles, quickly, displaced the strong spicy taste.
Ideally, for every piece of raw garlic, a mouthful of noodles is consumed.
It seemed as though he grasped a new way to enjoy noodles.
The rest of them laughed at this.
After dinner, the family enjoyed some tea soup.
Today, Jiang Mianmian washed her hair and it was fluffy.
However, as soon as her brother arrived, he messed it up, deflating the fluffiness.
She tried to escape, but failed.
She was upset about her once fluffy and silky hair, and her egg-yolk-coloured long dress.
Noticing his sister was genuinely upset, Jiang Feng, being good-natured, said, “I’ll braid it for you. I promise it will look pretty."
He pulled out a box full of accessories.
He bought them specifically from the market prior to coming home.
He bought an array of items little girls would need.
Jiang Yu flaunted a red string he got for her all over the village, which gave him immense joy.
The box was filled with various types of hair accessories like hairpins, wide combs, and hair ties.
In the evening,
Mianmian took the comb and insisted she wanted to do her brother’s hair.
The temperature dropped.
They gathered around the furnace, Jiang Feng was seriously combing his sister’s hair.
His movements were gentle yet sometimes a few strands of hair was pulled.
His sister’s hair was soft, and her head was warm.
After tying a couple of flowers, she turned around at which Jiang Feng laughed.
Mianmian looked cute with the hair full of flowers.
She was heavy-handed, pulled a few strands of his hair. She laughed gleefully with delight upon tying a braid and sticking a flower onto it.
Their mother watched the sibling's camaraderie.
Their father was quietly enjoying his tea.
Her brother-in-law fed her sister roasted dates.
The fire was burning, the fragrance of the dates was floating.
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