When Jing Mingchen woke up again, he saw the sunshine and smelled the fragrance of flowers. The sunshine was warm and the fragrance of flowers was rich, mixed with water vapor.
Is this what hell is like?
Her body felt soft, as if she was trapped in a cloud. Jing Mingchen struggled for a while, but couldn't. She had no strength in her body, so she simply relaxed and lay heavily in the "cloud". She sighed, "Am I in hell or in heaven?"
A clear and familiar voice answered her: "Neither, you are still in the world."
A strong hand was around her shoulders, lifting her up. A glass of water was placed next to her lips, and he poured it gently, sending the sweet water to her throat that was dry and smoking. He smiled and said, "Heaven is such a good place, I won't allow you to go there first without permission."
Jing Mingchen turned his head with great effort: "Where am I?"
Jiang Gubei gently put her down, walked to the window and opened the curtains, and the sunlight immediately poured in. Jing Mingchen subconsciously put her arm across her eyes to block the glare, and after her eyes adjusted, she moved her arm away. Under the sunlight, there was a courtyard with lush vegetation and colorful flowers. The gardener was watering the flowers and plants, and the flowers and plants after being bathed in the sun were bright and lovely.
This is the Bei Mansion. It was in that garden that Jiang Gubei washed her hair with a shower head.
Oh, right, hair… She reached out her hand to touch the back of her head, only to feel the hard roots of hair at the neck. She put her hand down and said disappointedly, “It turns out it wasn’t a dream.”
She vaguely remembered someone grabbed her hair and with a "click" cut off the long hair she had grown for five years.
Jiang Gubei sat down beside the bed and stroked her short hair lovingly: "I'm sorry."
Jing Mingchen forced a smile.
She seemed to have no luck with long hair. After meeting Jiang Gubei, she tried to grow her hair long twice. The first time she failed because she got head lice in Kaifeng. The second time, she finally kept her hair long for five years, but it was cut off by the Central Bureau of Investigation agents. It must be because her long black hair that had accompanied her since she was a child irritated her and she cut her hair willfully, so she was frustrated repeatedly in growing her hair.
Jiang Gubei said apologetically, "They came for me this time. You took the blame for me. It's a pity for your long hair."
Jing Mingchen held his arm and leaned against him obediently: "It's okay, I can grow my hair longer... Mr. Jiang, when my hair grows longer, you will marry me."
Jiang Gubei opened his eyes wide. Although the two had expressed their feelings to each other in Yunnan, they had never mentioned marriage since the cancellation of the engagement in Wuhan. Jing Mingchen smiled faintly: "In the Central Bureau of Investigation, I was imprisoned in the cell where my sister was imprisoned before her death. I saw Liang Tingyue written in blood by my sister on the ground. I was very curious why my sister wrote so many Liang Tingyue's names. It was not until they beat me later that I couldn't bear the pain and couldn't help but recite your name. Then I realized that the Dream of Red Mansions was not a lie. When you are in pain, calling the name of the person you like can really relieve the pain."
Jiang Gubei felt distressed when he heard this and hugged her tightly: "Does it hurt?"
Jing Mingchen's eyes were filled with tears: "It hurts so much, it hurts so much that I can't hold on any longer."
The Jing family was not informed of Jing Mingchen's arrest, for fear that his mother and sister would worry. So Jing Mingchen recuperated in the Bei Mansion and only Mingyu was quietly informed. After get off work every day, Mingyu would come to the Bei Mansion to visit Jing Mingchen and talk to her.
Every time Jing Mingchen asked Jiang Gubei how he rescued him, he would just smile and say, "I am the Monkey King who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace."
Jing Mingchen curled his lips. He had said before that he was just a businessman, not the Monkey King who caused havoc in Heaven.
Fortunately, the torture only caused Jing Mingchen physical pain and did not hurt her internal organs. She was young, and after a week of rest in the North Mansion, her injuries were almost healed.
The girl was no longer sick, so she began to pay attention to her appearance. Jing Mingchen looked in the mirror and felt that her hair was ugly. The female spy cut her hair with a knife, and it looked like it was bitten by a dog.
Seeing her struggling, Jiang Gubei said to her, "Short hair can actually be beautiful. Come, I'll give you a beautiful short haircut."
Jing Mingchen looked at him in surprise: "You can even cut hair?"
Jiang Gubei rummaged through boxes and found a set of tools. He pushed Jing Mingchen in front of the mirror and wrapped a cloth around his body from the neck down. "Do you think I went straight into a customs brokerage after I graduated from school? I've worked in many jobs on the street. For a while, I was an apprentice to a barber. He praised me for my talent and wanted to marry his daughter to me to pass on my legacy."
Jing Mingchen said angrily: "Okay, okay, I know you are charming and every boss wants to recruit you as his son-in-law."
Jiang Gubei stopped what he was doing, and Jing Mingchen realized that she had said something wrong. She knew that Jiang Gubei must have been thinking of Lin Zhiwei.
Since Mr. Lin's death, Lin Zhiwei has never seen Jiang Gubei again. She lives alone, sickly but stubbornly in her own small building. There are rumors outside that Lin Zhiwei and Jiang Gubei have become enemies long ago.
Jing Mingchen understood Jiang Gubei. Even though he had no romantic feelings for Lin Zhiwei, he was a grateful person and always remembered Mr. Lin's great kindness. Having come to this point with Lin Zhiwei, he must have been very painful in his heart.
She put her backhand over Jiang Gubei's left hand which was on her shoulder.
Jiang Gubei put on a smiling face again: "Yes, everyone treats me as a son-in-law, but you are the only one who doesn't know how to appreciate it."
He combed her hair neatly and then started to use the scissors. He bent sideways, his breath blowing on her neck, the cool blades of the scissors touched her skin, the sun shone warmly on her body, and Jing Mingchen felt so at ease that he felt a little sleepy.
Finally, she tilted her head and fell asleep.
Jiang Gubei looked at her sleeping face in the mirror and smiled dotingly.
When she woke up, Jiang Gubei had already finished cutting her hair. He even packed up his tools. Seeing her wake up, he used a small brush to sweep across her face and neck to remove the stray hairs, and took off the apron: "Alright, Miss, take a look. Are you satisfied?"
Jing Mingchen stood up and looked around. Jiang Gubei's cooking skills were indeed good. She praised him, "Brother's cooking skills are really good. You deserve a tip."
Jiang Gubei pretended to be surprised: "I've never received a tip before. What kind of tip do you plan to give me, miss?"
Jing Mingchen stood on tiptoe with his hands behind his back and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Mr. Jing once said two famous sayings: one is that a bad haircut can give a woman an excuse to buy ten hats, and the other is that a good haircut can give a woman an excuse to buy a set of matching clothes. Mr. Jiang Gubei only realized today that this saying is indeed true and it is true.
Miss Jing, who was very satisfied with her short hair, started to complain about the clothes she was wearing three minutes after getting her hair cut. Miss Jing San was Miss Jing San after all, and even though she had worn coarse clothes in Leshan for four or five years, she could not erase her pursuit of beautiful clothes and the good taste of a lady from an aristocratic family.
So Jiang Gubei had to accompany her to the mall. He thought that buying a piece of clothing would not take much time, but who knew that after buying clothes, women would have to match them with shoes, and after matching shoes, they would have to match them with hats, and after matching hats, they would have to match them with handbags... When the two returned to Beigongguan, the sun was about to set.
Miss Jing put on her new dress, new shoes, a new hat and a new handbag, and turned around in front of the mirror admiringly. Then she discovered a new problem. The new dress was brightly colored and would look better with nail polish. However, she looked down on the nail polishes sold on the market, thinking them too gaudy.
Jiang Gubei gave her an idea: "I have an idea. Have you heard of henna? It is Impatiens balsamina. It can be used to dye nails. The color is fresh and beautiful."
Miss Jing exclaimed: "You can't possibly know this, can you?"
Jiang Gubei said modestly: "I know a little bit, I helped Nan Qiao dye it in the past."
There were Impatiens planted in the garden of the North Mansion. Jiang Gubei picked a bunch of Impatiens and asked for a mortar from the kitchen. He crushed the Impatiens with a little salt, applied the mixture on Jing Mingchen's nails, and then carefully wrapped them with leaves.
Jing Mingchen raised his hands to his face: "It's like holding ten small dumplings."
Impatiens need to be wrapped overnight to be good, Jing Mingchen had to raise his hands, and Jiang Gubei had to help him with everything. At dinner, Jiang Gubei fed her and teased her with a spoon. Mingyu, who was a guest, raised his arms to cover his face: "It's going to be blind, Mr. Jiang, you should also consider the eyes of my brother-in-law."
Jing Mingchen then thought of something, and she asked Jiang Gubei: "Is your company very idle recently? Why do you stay at home every day?"
She stayed in the North Mansion for ten days, and Jiang Gubei stayed at home for ten days. No one from the company came to him to sign documents. The smile on Jiang Gubei's face froze. Before he could speak, Ah Da hurried over and said, "Sir, the phone is on the phone."
Jiang Gubei stood up to answer the phone. Jing Mingchen looked at Mingyu, who also looked troubled. Jing Mingchen asked him, "Did something happen in the company?"
Mingyu stammered, "It's hard for me to say. Let's wait for Mr. Jiang to speak for himself."
Jiang Gubei had finished the call and came back: "Nothing serious, I have to go to the company tomorrow."
Mingyu took off his napkin and said, "I have something else to do at home, so I'll go back first. You guys take your time eating."
After Mingyu left, Jing Mingchen hadn't spoken yet, Jiang Gubei gently blocked her words: "I know what you want to ask, let's talk about it tomorrow, okay?"
The next morning, Jiang Gubei went out early.
When we arrived at the company, everyone was already in the conference room. Mr. Jin was sitting in the first seat. When he saw Jiang Gubei coming, he said in a long and contemptuous voice, "Mr. Jiang is really a busy man. You made us, the idle people, wait for you for so long."
Jiang Gubei knew that Mr. Jin must have informed him of the wrong meeting time. He did not argue and sat down in an empty seat at the bottom. "Jiang is late and I apologize. The meeting can begin now."
Mr. Jin pressed his cigar into the ashtray. "It's nothing, just announcing the company's equity changes and personnel transfers. I believe you all know that some time ago, Mr. Jin bought Mr. Jiang's shares at a high price. Now, Mr. Jin is the second largest shareholder of Jiang after Ms. Lin Zhiwei."
Jiang Gubei sneered in his heart. Buying at a high price? How could he say that?
The negotiation that took place half a month ago came back to his mind.
After receiving his call, Mr. Jin laughed and said, "Mr. Jiang is indeed a straightforward person. Why don't you come over to his house and have a chat?"
When I arrived at the Jin Mansion and met Mr. Jin, he had already prepared the contract: "Sign this contract, and I will ensure that Miss Jing San is safe."
Jiang Gubei took the contract and took a quick look at it. It was a share transfer agreement. Mr. Jin wanted to buy out his shares in Jiang's company at a very low price.
Jiang Gubei sneered. This Mr. Jin had always wanted to get a share of the Jiang Group since its establishment. Three years ago, he bribed Uncle Song to tamper with the Jiang Group's business, intending to take advantage of the Jiang Group's crisis to get a share. Unexpectedly, he became even more ambitious today and colluded with the Central Bureau of Investigation to force him to give up his shares.
He held out his hand: "Ada."
Ah Da respectfully handed over a fountain pen. Jiang Gubei signed his name on the contract in a flamboyant manner and pushed the folder towards Mr. Jin: "I want to see someone before tonight."
Mr. Jin did what he said. That night, Jing Mingchen was dumped at the gate of Bei Mansion.
However, the Jiang family, for which he had worked hard for many years, fell into the hands of Mr. Jin.
He knew that Mr. Jin's goal was not only to buy out his shares, but to drive him out of Jiang's company completely.
Sure enough, Mr. Jin lazily announced: "I think Mr. Jiang has limited ability and is no longer suitable to continue working for Jiang. I suggest that Mr. Jiang be fired."
Many old colleagues who had worked with Jiang Gubei for many years found this hard to believe. For a while, there was a lot of discussion in the conference room. When the quarrel finally subsided, Jiang Gubei said, "I am very grateful for your care over the years. Please believe that my departure this time is only temporary. I look forward to meeting you here again in the future."
Mr. Jin snorted with disdain.
Jiang Gubei stood up, bowed slightly to the directors, and strode out of the meeting room.
The outside of the conference room was already crowded with people watching the fun. When they saw Jiang Gubei coming out, everyone made way to the sides. Jiang Gubei walked down the stairs along this path amid the gazes and whispers of his former subordinates and colleagues, and walked out of the Jiang business empire he had created. Although he returned with a failure, he still had his back straight and his gait was elegant, as if he had not been kicked out of the company, but had just signed a huge business deal.
He stepped out of Jiang's door and suddenly heard someone calling his name upstairs. He looked up and saw his office on the second floor. The window was wide open. Mr. Jin leaned out holding a box of things and smiled at him: "Mr. Jiang, these are your things. Keep them as a souvenir."
He dropped the box in his arms. Jiang Gubei leaned slightly to the side, and the box fell to the ground. The things inside rolled out. They were all small things he kept in the office, some small ornaments.
He squatted down to pick it up. Suddenly, a beautiful hand reached out to help him pick up the things on the ground. Jiang Gubei raised his face and smiled at Jing Mingchen: "You are here."
Jing Mingchen helped him pick up the things on the ground, put them in the box, and picked up the box: "Let's go."
The two of them left Jiang's under the curious gaze of passers-by. Jing Mingchen asked Jiang Gubei: "The price for you saving me is to transfer all your shares in Jiang's to Mr. Jin?"
Jiang Gubei sighed and laughed: "You are quite incompetent, aren't you?"
Jing Mingchen murmured, "I'm sorry that all your efforts over the years have gone to waste."
Jiang Gubei gently placed his hand on her head: "What are you talking about? You are much more important than these fame and fortune. You know, I didn't know why I was fighting. I thought it was to fulfill my mother's wish and for revenge. It was not until I met the girl who helped me in my youth that I slowly understood that the reason why people fight hard is just to protect those who should be protected."
He ruffled her hair and said, "But I'm penniless now. Maybe I won't be able to support the North Mansion and will have to sell it off. Are you still willing to follow me?"
Jing Mingchen pretended to be distressed and thought for a while, then said, "My salary as a teacher is not high, but if you are willing to endure hardships with me, give up the extravagant life, stop ordering high-end clothes, and stop eating delicacies, I think I can still support you."
Jiang Gubei burst out laughing. Who bought a whole set of clothes in the department store yesterday?
When they returned to the North Mansion, Ah Da had been waiting for them at the door for a long time. As soon as he saw them, he came over and said, "Mr. Jiang, did they give you any trouble?"
Jiang Gubei put the box in his arms and said, "No, is there anyone from home coming?"
There was an unfamiliar Buick parked in the yard. Ah Da hurried over and said, "Yes, a gentleman who claims to be the Lin family's lawyer is waiting to see you in the living room."
Jiang Gubei paused. The Lin family’s lawyer, which Lin family?
He strode into the living room and saw a slightly plump middle-aged man in a suit and glasses sitting on the sofa. When he saw him coming, he stood up and said, "Hello, Mr. Jiang. I am lawyer Lu Meitang, and I am here to see you on behalf of Miss Lin Zhiwei."
Lin Zhiwei, it’s actually her?
Why did she send someone to see him?
Lawyer Lu didn't say much and handed over the folder in his hand. "This is a share donation agreement. Miss Lin Zhiwei will donate all her shares in Jiang's to Mr. Jiang. The agreement will take effect after Miss Lin's death."
Jiang Gubei's hand that was flipping through the contract suddenly stopped. He raised his head and looked at Lawyer Lu in disbelief.
Lawyer Lu pushed the frame of his glasses and said with regret: "Ms. Lin, I'm afraid she's dying soon."
Jiang Gubei put down the contract and ran out of Bei Mansion quickly, and Jing Mingchen followed him out.
Lin Zhiwei lived in a monastery not far from Beigongguan, only three kilometers away. However, after five years in Chongqing, the two had never seen each other again.
Unlike the big and bustling North Mansion, the monastery is small and quiet, and looks more like a static little world. Jiang Gubei asked to see Lin Zhiwei, but was blocked by her maid again, just like five years ago: "Our lady said that what she said five years ago still counts."
Jiang Gubei calmed down, took a step back, nodded to the maid, took Jing Mingchen's hand and walked out of the monastery.
Before leaving, he looked towards the second floor. The windows on the second floor were open, but covered by white gauze. The gauze fluttered gently in the wind, like a weak and quiet soul that could fly away with the wind at any time.
They had just taken a few steps when they heard a dull bell ringing behind them.
That was the sound of the death knell.
Lin Zhiwei died on a sunny day in early October 1943 at the age of 28.
According to her will, the funeral was presided over by the Lin family's lawyer, Mr. Lu Meitang.
She kept her word. She never saw Jiang Gubei again until her death, and she didn't need him to take care of her funeral.
Lin Zhiwei was buried on a rainy day.
She was a Christian and was buried in the church cemetery after her death. After all the mourners had left, Jiang Gubei and Jing Mingchen did not leave.
There were only two of them in front of the tombstone, and Jing Mingchen saw Lin Zhiwei's face for the first time. This sickly girl had a beautiful face, with pale complexion and facial features, pale and melancholy, and she smiled blankly at the camera.
The rain continued to fall. Jing Mingchen held up an umbrella to cover himself and Jiang Gubei. Jiang Gubei said softly, "Sorry, I want to get wet in the rain."
Jing Mingchen threw the umbrella to the ground: "I'll go with you."
The two stood together in the rain, and Jiang Gubei said softly, "I owed her a lot."
The scene of the first time he met her appeared in his eyes.
How many years ago was it? He was a 19-year-old boy, working as a clerk at Lixingchang, commuting between Jianghai Customs and Shiliupu Wharf every day. He was very distressed at that time. He had been running errands at Lixingchang for half a year, but still had no hope of promotion. However, he did not want to waste his whole life as a small customs broker.
It was at this time that he met Lin Zhiwei.
On the way back to Lixingchang from Jianghaiguan, he met a little girl who had a sudden asthma attack. The little girl had an asthma attack as soon as she got off the rickshaw. The rickshaw driver was afraid of taking responsibility, so he pulled up the rickshaw and drove away. The little girl curled up on the ground, strangling her throat in pain. Jiang Gubei happened to pass by and saw this scene. He rushed over without thinking, carried the little girl on his back and ran to a nearby hospital.
He never expected that the little girl was actually the only daughter of Mr. Lin, the boss of Lixingchang. Miss Lin had been weak and sick since childhood. This time she sneaked out of the house to play, but she suddenly had an asthma attack and almost lost her life. Thanks to him for saving her.
Boss Lin was naturally very grateful to him, so he began to promote him, and found that he was a promising talent, and later let him work in Jinxing...
He still remembered the first time he went to the Lin family for dinner. Lin Zhiwei changed into a Western gauze dress and sat there like a doll. When her eyes accidentally met his, she smiled shyly.
After the rumors spread for a long time, even he thought that Lin Zhiwei really regarded him as an enemy. Unexpectedly, at the critical moment when he was kicked out of the company, she transferred all her shares to himself.
Rainwater flowed down his nose, and Jiang Gubei laughed at himself: "You know, the moment I saw the agreement, I was even thinking that if she wanted to marry me in exchange, I would never agree. My thoughts defiled her, how could I be so... despicable."
Jing Mingchen hugged him silently.
Less than a week after taking over Jiang's company, Mr. Jin launched drastic reforms, holding board meetings every few days. The main topics of the board meetings on that day were changing the company's name and personnel transfers.
When he announced that he would change the name from Jiang to Jin, people in the conference room were already whispering, and when he talked about personnel changes, there was even more excitement.
Mr. Jin leaned back in his chair and read out a string of names from a folder: "Zhang Xu, Lu Lun, Lin Zhijia... Jing Mingyu. After my observations over this period of time, I found that the above colleagues have average abilities and improper attitudes at work, and they really do not meet Jiang's employment standards. Now I declare that the above people are fired."
The conference room suddenly exploded. These people were all middle-level managers of the company. Their achievements since joining Jiang's were obvious to all. Mr. Jin fired these people, obviously to eliminate the "remnants of the previous dynasty." Which of these people was not Jiang Gubei's right-hand man?
Just as the argument was getting heated, a clear voice like a stone suddenly interrupted like a wedge: "I object."
There was complete silence for a moment. Everyone looked towards the door of the conference room, only to see it pushed open and Jiang Gubei strode in. Jing Mingyu hurriedly pulled out an empty seat. Jiang Gubei nodded slightly, sat down on the chair, crossed his legs, and folded his hands on his legs: "I object to the proposal just now."
Mr. Jin sneered: "Mr. Jiang may have forgotten that you were fired by Jiang's company a few days ago. Now you have nothing to do with Jiang's company."
Jiang Gubei waved his hand, and Ah Da, who was following behind him, respectfully handed over the folder with both hands. Jiang Gubei threw the folder on the table and said, "There is no financial relationship between me and Jiang's. If there is, it's just a 30% shareholding relationship."
Mr. Jin picked up the folder and took a look at it, his face instantly turned pale.
Jiang Gubei said in a clear voice: "I am a humble Jiang who has inherited 30% of the Lin family's shares in Jiang's. Is there any shareholder who can read out the current distribution of Jiang's shares?"
A director stood up and said, "If Mr. Jiang really inherited the Lin family's shares, then the largest shareholders of Jiang's company are Mr. Jin with 32%, Mr. Jiang with 30%, and Mr. Chu Huainan with 10%."
The conference room became lively again. No one had expected that Mr. Jin had become the largest shareholder of Jiang's company without anyone noticing. It seemed that while planning to swallow up Jiang Gubei's shares, he had also secretly acquired shares from some small shareholders.
Jing Mingyu was the first to say, "I also have some shares in my hands, and I'm willing to sell them to Mr. Jiang!"
Jiang Gubei's former right-hand men all said: "I am willing too!"
For a moment, the conference room was filled with voices of "I do." Jiang Gubei had always treated his employees well. All of Jiang's earliest employees who were promoted to middle-level positions were given some company shares. Looking at these brothers who were loyal to each other, Jiang Gubei was overwhelmed with emotions. Mr. Jin gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Jiang is really good at winning people's hearts."
Jiang Gubei smiled coldly and raised his hand to stop the noise: "Please rest assured, colleagues, there is no need to buy out your shares, and Jiang can also sit back in that chair."
He pointed directly at the seat above where Mr. Jin was sitting.
Mr. Jin disagreed: "Why do you do that?"
Jiang Gubei smiled slightly: "Currently, the third largest shareholder of the company is Mr. Chu Huainan, right? Mr. Jin, have you ever wondered why Mr. Chu Huainan has never attended a board meeting?"
Mr. Jin's face suddenly changed.
He had never paid attention to Chu Huainan, who only held 10% of the shares. He didn't expect that after all his efforts, he would end up losing to this "Chu Huainan"!
Ah Da walked towards Mr. Jin and said, "Mr. Jin, please ."
Mr. Jin gave up his seat reluctantly. Jiang Gubei stood up, walked to the top, and sat down quietly.
He picked up the list and read out the names one by one: "Zhang Xu, Lu Lun, Lin Zhijia... Jing Mingyu."
He placed the folder on the table and said, "I propose that all the names I just read be promoted one level."
The people in the conference room had already dispersed, but Jiang Gubei had not left yet. He maintained the same posture as in the meeting, sitting at the head seat with his eyes closed, no one knew what he was thinking about. The evening sun shone in, casting a layer of gold on his handsome profile.
He didn't open his eyes until Jing Mingchen walked in: "You're here."
Jing Mingchen walked behind him and put his arms around his neck: "I saw your performance just now, you really act like a bully."
He added: "The most handsome bully in the world."
Jiang Gubei smiled softly: "When I left last time, I said I would come back. Now I am back, but it is because of the help of a woman. Since I was nineteen years old, I have tried my best to avoid relying on this woman's help to climb up. I didn't expect that in the end I still relied on her."
Jing Mingchen said softly: "Miss Lin is a very good person, but I know that you can still come back here without her. You also had nothing before, but this time you at least have money, experience, and brothers."
Jiang Gubei turned his head and rubbed her cheek affectionately with his nose, stroking her short hair: "And you."
The Central Bureau of Investigation ultimately failed to convict Jing Mingchen, so Jing Mingchen's teaching position at Leshan Nursery School was not affected. After Chiang's affairs were dealt with, Jing Mingchen returned to Leshan.
In the blink of an eye, another half a year has passed.
Nothing major happened in the past six months, except for the Jing family. Mrs. Jing felt more and more that something was wrong with Jing Minghuan. Jing Mingchen had no choice but to secretly tell the eldest sister Minglang and brother Mingyu the news of Jing Minghuan's murder after discussing with Jiang Gubei. After Minglang and Mingyu cried for a while, they decided to keep it a secret from Mrs. Jing, as she had not yet recovered from the grief of losing her husband.
Jing Mingchen sought Lin Xianyu's opinion again, and decided to mix truth and lies to deceive Mrs. Jing. He confessed to her that Jing Minghuan was a special agent of the Military Control Commission, and said that the reason why Jing Minghuan had not shown up for a whole year was that he was sent by the Military Control Commission to the occupied area to carry out a secret undercover mission.
This excuse actually fooled Mrs. Jing. She only complained about her second daughter's left-wing nature. She had so many honest jobs but chose to be a shameful spy instead. As expected, the matter of going to military school was brought up again and again.
So naturally, Jing Minghuan did not go home for the New Year that year because he was "carrying out an undercover mission in another place."
The third son had already changed his name to Jiang Huanshan and joined the army. Jiang Huanshan was the name Jiang Gubei gave him, which means to return our country to me. Jing Mingchen brought Congwen back to Chongqing for the New Year and let Congwen live in the North Mansion.
The first thing she did when she came back was to worship the Phalaenopsis as usual.
At the cemetery, they met Lin Xianyu who had just finished paying homage and had not yet had time to leave.
There was a pile of ashes that had just burned out in front of the tombstone. Lin Xianyu smiled slightly: "The banned books that were just seized are all new books this year. I think the second young lady might like to read them."
He clapped his hands and brushed off the dust on his body: "Mr. Jiang, what a coincidence to meet you. I have something I want to talk to you about."
Jiang Gubei glanced at him and said to Jing Mingchen, "After you pay respects to your second sister, take Congwen back first."
He and Lin Xianyu left the cemetery one after another and walked to a small teahouse near the cemetery.
The teahouse was very quiet. Lin Xianyu seemed to be a regular here. Seeing him coming, the boss skillfully led them to the small attic: "It's quiet here. I told people not to come up. You guys stay here."
Jiang Gubei and Lin Xianyu sat down face to face. Lin Xianyu poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Jiang Gubei: "Mr. Jiang, you haven't had an easy time in the past six months."
Jiang Gubei smiled faintly.
Indeed, in the past six months, Jiang has been frequently picked on by the Central Bureau of Investigation, and employees have been taken away from time to time to "cooperate with the investigation", making everyone feel insecure. He took a sip of tea: "Mr. Lin, I'm afraid it's the same as me."
Lin Xianyu threw away the remaining tea in the cup: "If you don't cut the grass at the root, it will grow again in the spring breeze. Now you and I are in the same boat. You are a smart man, and I will not play dumb anymore. How about we work together?"
Jiang Gubei remained calm: "Jiang has never done anything like cutting grass."
Lin Xianyu shook her head. "It doesn't matter if you haven't done it. The key is not whether you have done it or not, but whether he thinks you have done it or not. Why deceive yourself? The incident with the Third Miss a few years ago is the best proof. If you really left Jiang's company that time, maybe this matter would have been over, but unfortunately, you are back again. Do you think Mr. Xu and Mr. Jin will stop? You are a centipede that has died but not yet stiffened, but he is a giant python with its eyes pecked, full of hatred. Mr. Jiang, why bother pretending? I know you must have a lot of things in your hands, and so do I. Why don't we work together?"
Jiang Gubei put down his teacup: "Why should I trust you?"
Lin Xianyu smiled slightly: "I know what you are thinking. Someone like me, even if I am a spy, I am also a traitor among spies. I am a villain who will do anything to climb up. If I can betray Mr. Xu, I can also betray you, right?"
He poured another cup of tea for Jiang Gubei: "You want a reason to cooperate, I will give you one. You love the Third Miss very much, right?"
Jiang Gubei replied: "That's natural."
Lin Xianyu asked: " Are you willing to give everything for her?"
Jiang Gubei nodded.
Lin Xianyu raised the teacup to his lips: "Me too."
…
Coming out of the teahouse, Jiang Gubei turned around and glanced at Lin Xianyu: "I thought you were a hero, but I didn't expect you to be a romantic."
Lin Xianyu stared at the dead leaves on the ground that were rolling in the wind, without saying a word.
After the Chinese New Year, Jing Mingchen took Congwen back to Leshan.
She didn't expect that Lin Xianyu would come to Leshan to find her again. When she saw Lin Xianyu in Leshan, she was a little frightened. After all, the last time she saw him in Leshan, he came to report a death.
Lin Xianyu saw what she was thinking and said with a smile, "Miss Third, you don't have to treat me as a mourning bird. I came to you this time because I have something to discuss with you."
Jing Mingchen was curious: "What's the matter?"
Lin Xianyu said, "There are some things that Mr. Jiang won't tell you. I guess you've heard some rumors from the Third Young Master. The Jiang family has not been peaceful in the past six months. Mr. Jin and Mr. Xu are still resentful and have repeatedly used excuses to cause trouble for the Jiang family. I am the same. So Mr. Jiang and I teamed up and decided to share the news to completely solve this problem."
Jing Mingchen was horrified when she heard this. She forced a smile and asked Lin Xianyu, "So, is there anything I can do to help?"
Lin Xianyu nodded: "Miss Jing can help a lot. In fact, Mr. Xu has committed many crimes in recent years by abusing his power for personal gain. Both the Military Control Commission and Mr. Jiang have some groundless information. If it can be verified, the other party will be killed in one fell swoop. But the difficulty lies in that it is all groundless and there is no real evidence. It was not until this conversation with Mr. Jiang that he revealed a piece of news. I think this is a good starting point."
Jing Mingchen became more confused: "What news?"
Lin Xianyu changed the subject: "Miss Third, do you know someone named Le Ling?"
Jing Mingchen suddenly realized: "I recognize him. He is a relative of Aunt Shen, who works in the kitchen of Leshan Nursery. He took care of me in Yunnan, and I have a good relationship with him."
Lin Xianyu continued, "And he is Mrs. Xu's mistress, working for the transportation company that Mrs. Xu opened in Yunnan. Am I right?"
Jing Mingchen nodded: "That's true."
Lin Xianyu smiled and said, "That's easy. Husband and wife are one. Mrs. Xu relies on Mr. Xu's influence to do business. According to our intelligence, Mrs. Xu has done a lot of illegal things. This Le Ling has an ambiguous relationship with her and helps her run the business. He must have a lot of real evidence. As long as he is willing to come out to testify, we won't have to worry about not winning this game."
Jing Mingchen frowned and said, "That's true, but Le Ling is very timid. I once advised him to leave Mrs. Xu and find a way out for himself, but he didn't dare to do it because he was afraid that Mrs. Xu would retaliate against him and his life would be in danger. How could I let him testify against Mr. Xu?"
Lin Xianyu looked confident of winning: "I have a way, but I need the cooperation of Miss San. Would Miss San be willing to go to Kunming again?"
Jing Mingchen looked at him suspiciously: "You haven't discussed this matter with Jiang Gubei, right?"
Lin Xianyu smiled and shook her head: "Miss San is a smart person. Really not. I'm afraid that if I discuss this with him, it won't be done. In fact, I dare to guarantee that this matter will not be dangerous to Miss San, but Mr. Jiang is too nervous about Miss San and will definitely not agree to drag Miss San into the game. But I also know that Miss San doesn't want to live only under the protection of Mr. Jiang."
Jing Mingchen interrupted him: "Okay, when do we leave?"
I came to Kunming again after three years, and it is still as lively as ever.
Jing Mingchen found Le Ling in the restaurant he had been in before. Le Ling was still sitting by the window. His appearance had not changed. He still looked like the romantic and amorous Liu Mengmei on the stage, but he seemed to be more sad. He held a wine glass in his hand and stared out the window absentmindedly. He did not turn his head until Jing Mingchen sat down in front of him and called his name. Seeing Jing Mingchen, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief: "Miss Jing, is it really you? Why are you in Kunming again? Could it be that your Mr. Jiang is missing again?"