Chapter 188: Wolf Tooth Club
Lu Chengjing drooped his head, “Niangzi, I accept any punishment, don’t be angry with me.”
Shang Wan pursed her lips, “We’ll talk about this when we get back.”
——Internal conflicts are resolved at home.
Zhong Chenghong showed disappointment on his face; it seemed these two wouldn’t fight anymore.
Lu Chengjing looked at him and asked indifferently, “When you saved Marquis Wu’an, did you know his identity?”
Zhong Chenghong: “I didn’t know.”
Lu Chengjing observed his expression, lost in thought.
There was no need to ask further questions at this point. Shang Wan gave Lu Chengjing a look, and the two walked aside to discuss.
Shang Wan asked in a low voice, “Keep him or not?”
Lu Chengjing hesitated somewhat.
He could investigate Zhong Chenghong’s past, so he didn’t believe that with Marquis Wu’an’s power, they couldn’t find out.
Daughters from noble families are carefully cultivated from childhood and used for marriage alliances when grown up, bringing aid to the family and making it more prosperous.
Lord’s daughter wouldn’t worry about finding a husband. Compared to the nonsense of “earning the favor of Marquis Wu’an’s Mansion Miss,” he was more inclined to believe that Marquis Wu’an’s Mansion Miss had acted on her father’s instructions to show favor to Zhong Chenghong.
Excluding the possibility that Marquis Wu’an had lost his mind, why would he marry his daughter to Zhong Chenghong, who had a bad reputation and no background or power to gain?
Moreover, Zhong Chenghong was timid and afraid of trouble; would he really step forward to lure away the assassin without knowing Marquis Wu’an’s identity?
Afterward, Marquis Wu’an’s reaction was also very strange. Not only did he bring Zhong Chenghong back to the capital, but he also allowed him to live in the mansion and study with the family’s children, and even planned to marry his own daughter to him.
This smooth development was just like a storybook plot. If it wasn’t that Zhong Chenghong suddenly had great luck and a pie from the sky happened to hit his head, then it could only be described in two words—conspiracy.
Marquis Wu’an’s actions were less about appreciating Zhong Chenghong as a person and more about urgently wanting to turn him into one of their own to achieve some unspeakable purpose.
If they killed Zhong Chenghong now, the benefits were that they wouldn’t have to worry about him coming back with helpers to cause trouble, and they could vent their anger. But the downsides were that it would attract investigation from Marquis Wu’an’s Mansion and might even drag them into more troublesome matters.
Lu Chengjing furrowed his brow slightly, unable to decide for the moment.
Shang Wan didn’t think as deeply as Lu Chengjing, but she also guessed that Marquis Wu’an’s interest in Zhong Chenghong wasn’t pure; it was very much like fattening up a pig before slaughtering it.
But no matter what Marquis Wu’an’s purpose was, Zhong Chenghong had now become their trouble. Shang Wan’s inclination was to kill to silence, settling it once and for all.
Since Zhong Chenghong had hired killers to murder her, he should be prepared to be counter-killed.
The black dagger slid out from her sleeve, spinning between her slender fingers and gliding along her delicate skin.
This dagger seized from the assassin happened to suit Shang Wan’s taste perfectly.
While playing with the dagger, she asked, “Still haven’t decided?”
Lu Chengjing was always thoughtful, and seeing Shang Wan’s actions, he knew she had already made her decision.
Husband and wife naturally needed to be on the same side. His voice turned slightly cold, “Can’t keep him.”
No matter what would happen afterward, they should at least solve the immediate trouble first.
“Husband and wife see eye to eye.” Shang Wan curved her lips in a light smile, tucked the dagger back into her sleeve, and tossed down two words, “Wait here.”
As soon as the words fell, the crimson figure swayed lightly. With one hand, she dragged Zhong Chenghong toward the riverside.
As for the method of death, she had already announced it earlier.
Lu Chengjing gazed at Shang Wan’s back and unhesitatingly lifted his foot to follow.
A quarter of an hour later, the couple each changed into a set of clean clothes and drove the ox cart back onto the official road.
“I’ll sleep for a bit; call me when we arrive.” Shang Wan lay in the cart, lazily yawning, pulled the bamboo hat over her face for shade, leaned against the large wooden bucket, and closed her eyes.
Lu Chengjing tugged the reins, making the ox cart go even slower to reduce the bumps.
Brilliant sunlight poured down through the clouds, and the cicada chirps grew louder.
The ox cart slowly entered the village and headed toward the house on the hillside.
“Whoa~”
The ox cart stopped steadily in front of the tightly shut door. The crimson-clad woman on the cart stirred; she woke without needing to be called.
This nap was quite comfortable.
Shang Wan jumped down from the ox cart and raised her arms to stretch.
She helped unload the cart from the yellow ox, glanced at the flushed face beside her, reached out to touch it, and frowned as she asked, “Sunburned?”
“A bit hot.” Lu Chengjing shook his head, “I’ll apply some ointment later and it’ll be fine.”
Looking at this fox with a flushed face in front of her, Shang Wan secretly ground her teeth.
——He’s gotten bold; she hadn’t even started settling accounts yet, and he was already using the ruse of self-inflicted injury.
“There are two bamboo hats on the ox cart.” With that, Shang Wan grabbed the reins and led the yellow ox to the cowshed to rest.
Lu Chengjing paused, a spark of amusement flashing in his narrow eyes.
The gate opened inward, and Chu Xu poked his little head out from the edge of the door. Seeing only Lu Chengjing, he first called “Uncle” before asking, “Where’s Aunt Shang?”
“In the cowshed.” Lu Chengjing placed the cart against the wall, unfolded the tung oil cloth, and covered it over.
Chu Xu came over to help pull the cloth and took a few extra looks at Lu Chengjing’s face, noticing something off, “Why is your face so red?”
“Suntanned.” Lu Chengjing tied the cloth strips at the four corners of the tung oil cloth to the cart and answered casually.
Chu Xu leaned in close to look at him. His pair of amber cat-like eyes sparkled with mischief, and in a small voice like he was doing something sneaky, he asked, “Uncle, did you make Aunt Shang angry?”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
Where did this kid see that from?
He decisively denied it: “No.”
Chu Xu blinked and gave Lu Chengjing an idea, “Uncle, you can kneel on the washboard.”
Lu Chengjing’s eye twitched, too lazy to pay him any mind.
Chu Xu put his small hands behind his back and muttered, “My dad kneels on the wolf tooth club, but unfortunately we don’t have one here.”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
Kneel! Wolf tooth club?!
He kept calm and asked coldly, “Have you finished copying today’s book?”
Chu Xu scrunched up his little face, “Uncle, I’m giving you advice, how can you bite the hand that feeds you?”
“What advice?” Shang Wan’s voice came from behind the two, making them both jump. They straightened their backs rigidly.
“Nothing.” Chu Xu scratched his head and darted inside the door like a streak, quickly fleeing this place of trouble.
Lu Chengjing knew Shang Wan must have heard and pondered what to say. Shang Wan’s gaze drifted down, lightly sweeping over his knees, then she turned and carried things inside.
Lu Chengjing: ?
Lu Chengjing: !!
Lu Chengjing: “…”
“Daddy!” Yuan Yuan rode Xiao Hui home and saw Lu Chengjing standing at the doorway. She reached out her small hand to pat him, her childish voice sweet and soft, soothing to the heart.
“Good girl.” Lu Chengjing reached out and picked up his daughter, who was filthy from playing in the mountains, and carried her inside together.
The sunlight was scorching, glaringly hot.
The two men in black were tied up tightly and thrown in the courtyard to bake in the sun; they couldn’t even open their eyes, wilted like dried radish.
Lu Chengjing asked puzzledly, “Why throw them here?”
“They tried to escape and nearly hurt A Nian.” Xiao Huan was washing vegetables at the wellside. Hearing this, she looked up and said, “Giving them a lesson.”
