Chapter 61 Jiang and Zhang’s Plan

## Chapter 61: Jiang Maocai's Scheme

In a humble, dilapidated house at the western end of Changshou Village, a basket of fruit sat by the door, its rich fragrance filling the air, though no one inside seemed to notice.

Jiang Maocai entered and slumped onto a stool, lost in a daze.

Father Jiang sat nearby, puffing worriedly on his pipe, his face etched with concern. He exhaled a cloud of smoke and sighed deeply. "Son, have you made any progress with the money? I know it’s difficult for you, but before you left, I swallowed my pride and borrowed heavily to support you both. It’s almost been a year now, and the creditors are hounding me. I can’t possibly repay them with just what I earn from farming!"

Jiang Maocai remained silent, his expression grim.

Mother Jiang’s lips tightened into a stern line, her anger simmering. "I never liked that Zhang Jiao from the start. Coming from a poor family, yet he acted so entitled—seductive-looking and troublesome. He’s ruined my son! If it weren’t for him, how could our family have fallen to this state?"

Father Jiang quickly interjected, "Keep your voice down! If anyone hears, how will we ever show our faces in the village again?"

Mother Jiang grumbled resentfully but lowered her voice. "If I’d known, it would’ve been better to let Zhang Jiao drown in the river. Marrying Jian Ru would’ve been a hundred times better. I’ve seen Jian Ru lately—his face has cleared up, his leg seems fine, and with some flesh on his bones, he looks prosperous and blessed. The kind that brings good fortune to his husband." Regret washed over her, and she gave her son a frustrated slap on the shoulder. "With your looks, you could’ve married anyone! Why didn’t you listen to us back then? You were truly blinded!"

Jiang Maocai’s face twisted with anger, and he finally snapped, "What’s the use of saying all this now? I told you I’ll get the money—I will! We’ll just have to stall the creditors a bit longer."

With that, he stood up to leave. Mother Jiang followed him a few steps, asking, "Where are you going? Aren’t you staying for dinner?"

"Not eating," Jiang Maocai replied curtly before walking out.

Left alone, the elderly couple exchanged weary glances. Father Jiang sighed deeply again, while Mother Jiang slumped into a chair and sobbed.

…

The next day, after finishing their tasks, Jian Ru and Second Young Master set off at noon from the village. They took a carriage to pick up Xiao Ning before returning to town.

Jian Ru soon dozed off in the swaying carriage, leaning against Second Young Master’s shoulder.

He hadn’t slept well the night before—not because of the small bed, but because his mind was troubled.

In the past, Jian Ru hadn’t understood the relationship between Jiang Maocai and Zhang Jiao. But now, having experienced life, he realized the two had likely been involved long ago. Even if nothing happened in the village, after running away together for so long, it was impossible for nothing to have occurred between them.

Jiang Maocai’s claim that they went their separate ways after leaving was something Jian Ru refused to believe.

Not only were the two deeply in love at the time, but Jiang Maocai had also risked everything for Zhang Jiao. Away from watchful eyes, it was only natural they couldn’t control themselves. Moreover, Zhang Jiao’s poor health made it impossible for him to care for himself—without Jiang Maocai, he wouldn’t have survived.

Yet Jiang Maocai seemed intent on distancing himself from Zhang Jiao to Jian Ru. Jian Ru couldn’t fathom his motive.

But one thing was clear: aside from himself, likely only the Jiang and Zhang families knew that Zhang Jiao was still alive.

In other words, only these few people were aware that Jiang Maocai and Zhang Jiao were a pair. No one else knew.

As Jian Ru had expected, Jiang Maocai and Zhang Jiao had not ended well. Had they remained devoted to each other despite everything, Jian Ru might have felt somewhat better.

Instead, their current situation only deepened his resentment. The fact that he had nearly lost his life for their sake now felt like a cruel joke, and he bitterly regretted his past blindness.

Jian Ru’s head ached from thinking too much, but he reached no conclusion.

The carriage soon arrived at its destination. Jian Ru, still deep in sleep, felt Second Young Master gently tickle his palm. Unwilling to wake, he nuzzled persistently into the crook of Second Young Master’s neck.

"Time to get up," Second Young Master whispered in his ear. "You can sleep more once we’re inside. Xiao Ning is laughing at you!"

Jian Ru’s eyes flew open to see the carriage curtain drawn back and Xiao Ning covering his mouth in amusement.

Embarrassed, Jian Ru quickly straightened up.

Second Young Master gently brushed the hair from his face, then stepped out of the carriage to help him down. As Jian Ru jumped down, his shoe caught on a rope tied to the shaft, sending him falling squarely into Second Young Master’s arms.

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Ning turned around, covered his eyes, and fumbled his way toward the door, saying, "I didn’t see anything! I’ll be on my way."

Jian Ru tried to explain but found words unnecessary. Instead, he turned, stood on his toes, and planted a hard kiss on Second Young Master’s cheek.

They were still in the courtyard, and his husband had never been so bold in public. Second Young Master was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "What was that for?"

"Since he’s already misunderstanding," Jian Ru said mischievously, "I might as well give him something real to see!"

Second Young Master chuckled helplessly and stroked his hair. "You…"

After unpacking briefly, the two went to the main house to see Madam Li, chatting with her for a while and distributing the local specialties they had brought from the village.

Despite the busy days, Second Young Master seemed even more energetic than Jian Ru. That evening, after reading, Jian Ru was too tired to stay awake and fell asleep first.

Sometime later, he felt the weight of Second Young Master’s arm wrapping around his waist.

"Sleeping so late…" Jian Ru mumbled drowsily.

Second Young Master kissed the nape of his neck and whispered, "I was thinking about something."

"What thing?" Jian Ru asked, already half-asleep.

Whether Second Young Master replied or not, Jian Ru never knew—he had already drifted back to sleep.

…

The next day, while at the clinic, Jian Ru found an excuse to go out again.

On the same stone bridge, Brother Feng, the one-armed middle-aged man, was waiting. As Jian Ru approached, the man bowed respectfully.

Jian Ru returned the gesture and asked, "Any updates?"

"The times he returned to the village, I didn’t follow him. The villagers all know each other—it’s too easy to be noticed. Otherwise, I’ve been following him, though I’ve lost him occasionally to avoid raising suspicion."

"A while back, that Jiang fellow frequently visited a run-down dilapidated compound. I asked around—he was visiting a young man living there, bringing him herbs and food from time to time. Other tenants said the two often argued loudly, enough to be heard outside."

"What did they argue about?" Jian Ru asked.

"The same old things—who wronged whom, or money troubles. After the shouting, they’d lower their voices, and I couldn’t make out what they said."

Jian Ru hummed in acknowledgment. "Do the others in the courtyard know about their relationship?"

"They claim to be brothers," the man replied.

Jian Ru frowned.

The man continued, "From Jiang’s appearance and behavior, he’s clearly not well-off. Strangely, though, he often visits wealthy families' homes in town. A couple of days ago, my arm was acting up, so I didn’t tail him. But yesterday, that young man suddenly moved out of the tenement. I asked around and heard he’s staying at an inn in town now."

"An inn?" Jian Ru was puzzled. "Which one?"

"Liufu Inn," the man answered.

"That place isn’t cheap. Where did they get the money?"

"I haven’t verified it yet, but the tenants said a wealthy man has taken a fancy to the young man and plans to take him in as an additional spouse. The gentleman paid for the inn stay and will bring him home once a favorable date is set."

Jian Ru pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands respectfully. "Brother Feng, thank you for your hard work."

The man quickly returned the gesture. "Don't mention it, Jian Ru. It was Dr. Li who saved my life—otherwise, I might not have survived with just an arm lost. Besides, you’re not making me work for free. Since my injury forced me out of the security escort agency, I haven’t made this much money. I should be thanking you."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Jian Ru went over what needed to be done next before taking his leave.

Jian Ru finally understood why Jiang Maocai had been trying to distance himself from Zhang Jiao—this was his plan all along.

He had a bad feeling about it. The village was not exactly close to town, but not far either. Jiang Maocai and Zhang Jiao passed themselves off as brothers, and now Zhang Jiao had been married into a wealthy household. The wealthy master was no fool; it wouldn’t take long for him to find out who they really were.

Jiang Maocai wasn’t a fool either, yet he still pulled it off.

Jian Ru suspected that he and Zhang Jiao were up to no good.

……

Three or four days later, Jiang Maocai walked into a guest room on the second floor of the Six Fortunes Inn.

Zhang Jiao was sitting by the window, peering outside through a crack.

When Jiang Maocai saw this, he grabbed Zhang Jiao’s arm and pulled him back, slamming the window shut. Angrily, he said, "Didn’t I tell you to be careful and not let anyone recognize you?"

Zhang Jiao’s face darkened as he jerked his arm away. "I’m not a prisoner! You try being cooped up in this room all day—see how you like it!"

"Besides," Zhang Jiao sneered, "if I waited for you to come see me, I’d either starve to death or die of illness. I went out to buy medicine yesterday, and no one noticed."

Hearing this, Jiang Maocai’s face turned red, then pale, with anger. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Do you not want the money anymore?"

Zhang Jiao said dismissively, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. "Relax, I wore a veil. Even Jian Ru saw me and didn’t recognize me."

"What? You went to the Li Family Clinic?"

"Yes."

Zhang Jiao glanced sideways at Jiang Maocai. "His face was so ugly before, but it’s healed up really well. Why didn’t you ever mention it to me?"

Jiang Maocai sat by the window. "What’s the point of telling you? You should focus more on our real business."

Zhang Jiao narrowed his eyes, looking at him suspiciously. "Did you have your eye on him now that he’s turned good-looking? No wonder you can’t even stand to look at me anymore."

"It shouldn’t just be me putting in all the effort. The Li family is wealthy too. If you seduce Jian Ru and get him to squeeze money out of the Li family, wouldn’t we both live just as well?"

Jiang Maocai let out a cold laugh. "I suppose that could work."

Zhang Jiao’s expression changed. He jumped up from the bed, rushed to the window, and began hitting and kicking Jiang Maocai wildly. "You heartless bastard! I gave you everything, and now that you’ve had your fun, this is how you treat me? You said if I ran away with you, you’d give me a good life, but we can barely even afford food. I couldn’t even return to see my mother when she passed away…"

Jiang Maocai stood up, struggling to grab his arms. "If it weren’t for me, you’d already be dead!"

With his arms restrained, Zhang Jiao frantically kicked him. "I’d rather be dead than suffer like this because of you! That old man reeks of rotten fish—why should I be humiliated like this?"

Jiang Maocai’s shins ached from the kicks, and his anger flared. "Do you think you’re some kind of goddess? You were only considered good-looking in that tiny village. Aside from your face, you’re useless. I had to approach so many wealthy families before I found one willing to take you…"

Hearing this, Zhang Jiao’s eyes turned red with rage. He threw himself at Jiang Maocai with all his might, and Jiang Maocai, unable to restrain him, quickly pushed the door open and ran out.

Zhang Jiao chased after him, shouting uncontrollably, "Go find Jian Ru then! He’s perfect in every way—see if he’ll even give you the time of day!"

Jiang Maocai turned back and said, "Fine, I will! Jian Ru, he…"

As he turned and continued running, he suddenly heard a cry of "Ouch!" Jiang Maocai realized he had bumped into someone and quickly turned to steady the person, saying, "I’m sorry."

The person steadied themselves and looked up, revealing a fair and handsome young man, clearly from a wealthy family. Though not as young as Zhang Jiao, his features were more refined and attractive.

Jiang Maocai coughed, unconsciously straightening his clothes and standing up taller.

With someone else present, Zhang Jiao couldn’t continue making a scene. He just stood at the door, glancing sideways at the young man. Noticing Jiang Maocai’s reaction, he smiled, though the smile was self-mocking and bitter.

The young man looked them over and asked with a smile, "Were you two just talking about Jian Ru?"

Jiang Maocai was taken aback. "You know him?"

The young man smiled again. "I know he’s the husband who works at the Li Family Clinic. I’ve seen him helping out there—they say he’s very capable, and everyone who meets him praises him!"

Jiang Maocai smiled but didn’t reply. Zhang Jiao, feeling sour inside—this person who used to be inferior to him in every way had now surpassed him—couldn’t help but sneer, "Don’t be fooled by his current glory. Back in the village, people mocked him behind his back and to his face, and even children chased him around to beat him up."

He then glanced at Jiang Maocai beside him, noticing how he was staring fixedly at the young man, and felt even more bitter. Pointing at Jiang Maocai with his chin, he said, "Do you think Jian Ru is living happily now? The one he truly likes is this man, but not only does this man not like him back, he even finds him disgusting. That’s why Jian Ru had no choice but to marry someone else."

The young man listened with a smile and said, "Oh?" his eyes appraising Jiang Maocai up and down.

Seeing that the young man was good-looking and clearly wealthy, Jiang Maocai’s vanity kicked in. He straightened up and remained silent, not denying anything.

But the young man suddenly stopped smiling, turned around, and walked downstairs.

Jiang Maocai stood there feeling a sense of loss, while Zhang Jiao "hmph"-ed and went back into the room.

Sun Yushuang walked downstairs, exited the inn, glanced back, smiled, and left.