Chapter 21: The Fortunes of the Original Protagonist and Heroine

"Jiang Nian, what is it that you are really after?" Pei Jiuru's gaze locked onto hers.

His stare was nearly indifferent; no one could see the smoldering warmth hidden beneath that veneer.

Jiang Nian blinked, a playful glint in her eyes, and retorted, "What do you think I want from you? Your heart?"

"I do not know."

"What I told you at the estate was no lie. Using this marriage to solve an urgent crisis was true, but that I have some genuine feelings for you is also not false. I am not after your wealth, so tell me, what could I be after?"

Pei Jiuru slowly looked away. He had long guessed how absurd his own thoughts were. How could Jiang Nian possibly fancy him? It was likely nothing more than a superficial attraction to his appearance.

"Thank you for today. And for the neighbors—if it weren't for their clamor, the magistrate's office wouldn't have taken them away so easily."

Jiang Nian shrugged. "Who knows if everyone was truly warm-hearted, or if the housewarming gifts that Lulua handed out door-to-door before we moved in actually did the trick?"

Pei Jiuru felt a pang in his chest. So, even when he wasn't looking, Jiang Nian had been doing so much for this household.

He completely discarded his initial impression of her. That conversation at the estate had led him to believe Jiang Nian was calculating and self-serving, but now he realized that while she might seem superficial, she was truly the type to speak her mind and handle matters with competence.

He had known since childhood that he was not the biological son of the Pei family. His adoptive parents had treated him with immense grace, and he had always strived to be a dutiful, worry-free son. Consequently, he had grown accustomed to keeping his thoughts buried. Never before had anyone in his life been as forthright as Jiang Nian.

It turned out that the feeling of honest communication was not so bad after all.

The two chatted for a while longer. With the air cleared, their moods improved, and they eventually parted ways—he to the study, and she to the backyard.

Jiang Nian went straight to Lulua's bedroom. Seeing the physician’s relaxed expression, she finally sighed in relief. "Doctor, are her bones injured?"

"It is nothing serious. Lulua has a sturdy constitution; applying this ointment will clear up the bruising."

Lulua gave an embarrassed smile. Once the physician left, she asked anxiously, "Mistress, did the Master give you a hard time? His temperament is truly difficult to fathom—so cold and strange!"

"Don't blame him. I suppose no one can truly understand me." Jiang Nian felt distracted.

In the era she lived in, people viewed a woman's virtue as paramount, so no one could understand her. She didn't seek to be understood; as long as she had nothing to reproach herself for before heaven or others, she was content. Though they would eventually divorce, what harm was there in sleeping with the man she had officially wed?

Lulua immediately pledged her loyalty. "Mistress, I understand you!"

"Alright, stay here and rest. I am going to the magistrate's office." Jiang Nian ushered Lulua back into her room, turned around, and called for Hongrui to leave the residence.

Hongrui was two years younger than Lulua and just as loyal to Jiang Nian, though she was flighty and far from steady. The moment they reached the street, her eyes darted everywhere, reporting every novelty she saw to Jiang Nian.

Though Jiang Nian sat in the carriage with her eyes closed, she listened to Hongrui’s chatter, gaining a clear picture of the streets as if she had eyes everywhere. "Hongrui, what did you just say?"

"Mistress, those candied haws look very fresh!"

"The sentence before that."

"The sentence before? Oh! In that coffin shop, there was a woman kneeling and kowtowing—it was quite frightening."

"Turn back and take a look!"

The carriage stopped in front of the coffin shop, but Jiang Nian did not step out. She quietly lifted the curtain to peek inside.

The woman, dressed in plain mourning clothes, knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her pale face. "Shopkeeper, I beg you. My husband died tragically; I only ask for a coffin."

"You... sigh... I don't mean to make things difficult for you, but you must understand that business is not easy! If I grant your request today, what if everyone comes asking for free coffins tomorrow? How can I keep my shop running?"

"I am willing to work as an apprentice in your shop for ten years, in exchange for one coffin today."

The shopkeeper stroked his beard. "That is something I could consider..."

Jiang Nian couldn't bear to listen any longer. She stepped out of the carriage and ordered the driver to return; she had originally intended to help. It wasn't that she was a meddlesome person, but she remembered this plot point from the original book.

In the story, Bo Yijin and Meng Yingying would visit this shop to buy a coffin for a destitute woman to bury her poor husband, thereby earning her loyalty. This woman was no ordinary person—she was the renowned physician Fang Shan.

Even if she was stealing the destiny of the main characters, it couldn't be helped. Since she had stumbled upon it, it was now her opportunity.

"There is no need to stay here as an apprentice. I will pay for it," Jiang Nian said, stepping forward to help the kneeling woman up.

"Hey, hey, hey! Who are you? Are you here to cause trouble?"

"Shopkeeper, think carefully. If you do not accept this business, I will take her to another shop."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper’s attitude shifted. "I shall go prepare the finest coffin at once!"

The woman looked at Jiang Nian with eyes full of gratitude. "Madam, you have saved me from the depths of despair. Xue Zhu shall do everything in her power to repay your kindness!"

"...You are called Xue Zhu?"

"Yes."

Jiang Nian nodded. It seemed the destiny of the book's protagonists wasn't something a mere cannon-fodder character like her could truly steal, but she couldn't stand by and watch, nor could she renege on her word now.

She had found the wrong person, but she hadn't saved the wrong one.

"Take this money and bury your husband properly. The dead are gone; please mourn in peace," Jiang Nian said. Seeing Xue Zhu's eyes fixed on her, she added earnestly, "Our meeting today is fate. You need not repay me; just live your life well from now on."

"Madam..."

Ignoring Xue Zhu's eagerness, Jiang Nian boarded her carriage and directed the driver straight to the magistrate's office.

She found the guard who had visited the residence earlier and asked about the outcome of the commotion at the Pei estate. The guard, remembering her, gave her a detailed account:

"Those old men arrived in the capital in a hurry—just yesterday. They didn't even have travel permits and had paid a bribe to enter the city. They are already in custody."

"For how long?" Jiang Nian asked.

"We must wait for word from Hangzhou to confirm their intentions before a sentence can be decided."

"I won't hide it from you—they are likely my husband's former clan elders, and their intention was to extort money. How long can they be held for that?"

The guard scratched his head. "Even if they had no malicious intent, they trespassed, caused injury, and smashed furniture today. The evidence is clear. They will be held for at least three months."

Jiang Nian calculated: it would take at least a month for news to reach Hangzhou and for someone to return, plus three months of detention...

Exactly four months until the Spring Imperial Examinations. Perfect. Moreover, the government detaining the Pei clan elders would be enough to deter anyone else from the Pei family who might want to cause trouble.

"Thank you!" Jiang Nian felt a surge of triumph at the thought of having something to report back to Pei Jiuru.

The guard felt flustered by her radiant expression and hurried away, head bowed.

Feeling lighthearted, Jiang Nian turned her head and saw Hongrui looking lovesick. Following her gaze, she saw Bo Yijin.

Why was Bo Yijin at the magistrate's office, and why did he look so anxious?