Zhong Li sat in the carriage, lifting the curtain to gaze at the street scene outside Anding County.
The sun was bright today, and many hawkers had already set up stalls early to start the market.
Lu Wuxie, half-reclining opposite her, wore a lotus-colored outer robe today. As the carriage swayed, the slightly open robe trembled, revealing the man's handsome chest in glimpses under the sunlight.
He casually grabbed peanuts from a plate in front of him and popped them into his mouth, his gaze also appreciating the scenery outside through the curtain Zhong Li held open.
When Lu Wuxie's eyes inadvertently fell on the woman's profile, a fleeting look of astonishment appeared in his eyes.
Yesterday, he had seen her eyes and knew she possessed a pair of shimmering, clear pupils, but they held a certain distance and coldness. Coupled with her shockingly blunt words, it made people want to retreat.
But today, after she removed the peculiar disguise from her face, her skin was like snow, her lips were rosy and delicate, and combined with her original demeanor, she exuded an aura of ethereal coolness, as if she were untouched by the mundane world.
However...
His gaze drifted down to Zhong Li's clothes, and he shook his head, saying, "It's not right."
Zhong Li knew a pair of eyes were fixed on her from across the carriage. Therefore, from the moment she got into the carriage, she had maintained a cold expression, pretending to look at the scenery. Only when a sigh echoed in the silent carriage did she turn to look at the man opposite her, "Young Master, what is it?"
Lu Wuxie pondered for a moment and said, "There are ready-made clothing shops in Anding County, aren't there? It's not suitable for you to follow me like this. After we leave the Jia Mansion, I'll take you..."
"There's no need for the Young Master's trouble. This commoner, after all, comes from a humble background with meager means. Without having earned it, I fear it would invite gossip." Before Lu Wuxie could finish speaking, Zhong Li's refusal was already out.
Lu Wuxie was stunned. He hadn't expected to be rejected so decisively. He knew Zhong Li was a tough nut to crack and had prepared himself for it, but he hadn't expected her to be a red-hot iron plate, hot enough to burn and sharp enough to sting.
"If Young Master has nothing else, we've reached the Jia Mansion. I'll get off first." Zhong Li, unable to ignore the 'resentment' emanating from Lu Wuxie at that moment, tightened her grip on the medicine box, said this, and quickly jumped out of the carriage.
Lu Wuxie watched the woman's graceful silhouette as she quickly entered the Jia Mansion, then shook his head with a smile, stood up, pulled his outer robe tighter, and followed.
Although Anding County did not have a large population, it was still a subordinate county of Jincheng. Therefore, the Jia Mansion's financial strength, even compared to some of the prominent families in Jincheng, was considered to be of a high standing.
This was the first time Zhong Li, who had transmigrated here over a decade ago, had entered such a grand mansion. However, she didn't seem overly surprised, as it was still considerably less opulent than modern times.
"I am Steward Wang of the Jia Mansion. I heard the Young Master was coming and have been waiting here. Please, come in quickly." Steward Wang of the Jia Mansion stood at the main entrance, eagerly looking towards the main figures approaching him.
Lu Wuxie glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, placed his hands behind his back, and swaggered in.
Zhong Li, following behind him, bowed to Steward Wang as a greeting before also following inside.
"It's been five days since my cousin had her accident. How is the funeral being handled?" Lu Wuxie appeared casual, but he remembered the matters entrusted to him by Princess Xian, Xie Yunxi, and felt he had to inquire, even if it was just a perfunctory gesture.
Steward Wang took a cup of clear tea from a servant and respectfully held it overhead, offering it. "Replying to the Young Master, after the master and madam encountered this incident, the entire Jia Mansion was in chaos. Just yesterday, the case was solved, and the funeral arrangements have only just begun. However, I truly didn't expect the murderer of the madam to be... *sob sob*..."
The old steward couldn't help but sob as he spoke with deep emotion.
Lu Wuxie detested people crying the most. He frowned, his face showing impatience, "Are there no other relatives in the Jia family?"
"Yes..." Steward Wang, being observant of people's expressions, quickly replied, "But they can't be considered the master's relatives, can they? After all, they bear the surname of the maternal side."
Lu Wuxie raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with confusion.
"The master's distant relative, Jia Jing, married a butcher and gave birth to a son named Qiao Fu. If you count him, he is the only one with any blood relation to the Jia family," Steward Wang answered truthfully.
"Since there are maternal relatives, why do I only see Steward Wang?" Lu Wuxie followed his line of questioning.
"Ah!" Upon hearing this, Steward Wang immediately began to beat his chest and stamp his feet, a look of disappointment on his face, as if he couldn't be helped.
"Speaking of Qiao Fu, this old servant feels such pity. The master was a decisive person in his lifetime, but this outsider with some blood relation, he seems like a blockhead through and through.
Qiao Fu followed his father, selling pork for nearly twenty years. It wasn't until his mother was on her deathbed a year ago that she sent a letter to the master, hoping the Jia family would give Qiao Fu a path forward out of respect for her. As the master was entering his old age and the Jia family had no male heir from the main lineage, he indeed needed someone like him. Thus, he agreed to take Qiao Fu in and intended to groom him.
However, once he brought him in..."
At this point, Steward Wang sighed even more deeply, continuing, "Qiao Fu, apart from a brute force and simple-mindedness, possesses none of the Jia family's shrewdness. Especially these past few days, with the Jia family in such disarray, several shops he managed were directly shut down. How am I supposed to explain this to the master later?"
As he spoke, the tears on his face, which had just stopped, began to well up again.
Lu Wuxie rubbed his temples. He seemed uninterested in such domestic matters. His gaze swept around the room, "Is this Qiao Fu in the mansion now?"
"Yes, yes!" Steward Wang nodded quickly and hurried out. After a short while, he returned, followed by a young, burly man who was half a head taller than him.
Zhong Li, who had been standing behind Lu Wuxie, now focused her attention on Qiao Fu.
Although he wore a blue and white brocade silk robe, favored by merchants in the Southern Yue Kingdom, his demeanor was entirely unsuited to that of a merchant. His clothes seemed a bit too small, tightly clinging to his body. Moreover, due to his years of slaughtering pigs and sheep, Qiao Fu's muscles were more developed than others. At this moment, he was like a walking mass of muscle, exuding an incongruous aura.
"I am Qiao Fu. I pay my respects to the Young Master." Qiao Fu, seemingly taught by Jia Kun, was reasonably polite. Upon seeing Lu Wuxie, he quickly clasped his hands in greeting.
Lu Wuxie waved his hand, signifying that he could dispense with the formalities.
Then, he gestured with his chin towards a seat opposite him, "Since Young Master Qiao is considered an heir to the Jia family, then we are related by marriage. Some matters do not require strict adherence to etiquette. Please, sit."
Qiao Fu nodded in response, then smiled heartily a few times and sat down opposite Lu Wuxie.
At this moment, besides Lu Wuxie, Zhong Li was the closest to him.
She casually glanced at Qiao Fu's neck and then at his thick hands, her gaze lingering with a hint of bewilderment.
"I saw the decorations in your room just now. If I recall correctly, Old Master Jia only liked calligraphy and paintings in his lifetime. When did he start believing in religious sects?" Lu Wuxie pushed the untouched cup of clear tea towards Qiao Fu and pointed to a Buddha statue displayed next to the host's seat, asking.
Qiao Fu followed his gaze and replied only when his eyes landed on the Da Shizhi Buddha statue:
"Oh, it's like this. My uncle used to like calligraphy and paintings. But about a year ago, for some reason, he started having frequent nightmares. He even encountered bandits on the official road while traveling. So, I went to the nearby Lingshan Temple and bought this Buddha statue at a high price, hoping my uncle could escape his troubles.
But who would have thought... *sigh*..."
Qiao Fu said, with a look of regret, "I never imagined he would go down this path."
"Oh? Is that so?" Lu Wuxie stood up and leisurely walked to the side of the Da Shizhi Buddha statue. "My mother is a devout Buddhist and has extensive knowledge of Buddha statues. If I recall correctly, the Da Shizhi has the ability to protect all beings from harm by evil spirits, correct?"
Qiao Fu nodded vigorously and, seizing the opportunity, picked up the cup Lu Wuxie had pushed towards him and began drinking tea to moisten his throat.
Lu Wuxie smiled and casually picked up the Buddha statue to examine it. "I heard that the Da Shizhi obtained from the purified Lingshan Temple was quite expensive..."
"Oh, absolutely not!" Steward Wang hastily tried to intervene.
But as soon as his words left his mouth, a loud "crash" was heard.
The Bodhisattva statue in Lu Wuxie's hand, 'shaking its body,' smashed directly onto the ground.
He looked up, his usually languid eyes narrowing into thin slits, and smilingly said, "Apologies, it slipped from my hand and broke."
Immediately after, a few drops of blood dripped from his fingertips onto the shattered Buddha statue.