Prequel to the "Good Family Wife" series: The Erotic Serpent's Manual (06)

Chapter Six

After Steward Zhang left, Zhang Jingde, following the plan, sent a messenger by carrier pigeon to the Prefect of Guazhou, ordering him to immediately dispatch someone to Yulin Cave to investigate the whole matter thoroughly and see if what the old man from the Jiang family said was true.

Steward Zhang brought the old man back at noon. Feeling guilty, Zhang Jingde instructed Steward Zhang to first take the old man to the inner palace for a bath, and then arrange a banquet in the living room to calm the old man's nerves and welcome him back.

At the banquet, Zhang Jingde kept toasting the old man and serving him food. After several rounds of drinks, sensing the opportune moment, Zhang Jingde looked apologetically at the elderly Jiang family member, who had just bathed and was wearing the new clothes given to him by the General's Mansion.

"Brother Jiang," he said, "I'm truly sorry. This was my oversight. Your son risked his life to save my wife, only to have your family torn apart. How can I face you and your sons like this?" "

Oh, how can you blame General Zhang? It's all because my two unfilial sons weren't careful enough. Since General Zhang has already given them a huge reward, he's done more than enough." The elderly Jiang family member was quite magnanimous. Actually, on the way back, Steward Zhang had already conveyed Zhang Jingde's intentions to the elderly Jiang family member, and he had generously agreed.

"Brother Jiang, please make your request. I will do my best to satisfy you," Zhang Jingde said.

"General Zhang, I have no requests, I just want to see my two sons as soon as possible. Now, only the three of us are left in our family..." He trailed off, overcome with sadness.

"Alright, alright, but..." Zhang Jingde turned to look at Steward Zhang, casting a questioning glance at him. Steward Zhang nodded discreetly, indicating that he had already spoken to the old man of the Jiang family.

"But what are your plans after we've met? Are you going back to your hometown? Or are you staying here with your sons?" Zhang Jingde asked.

"I dare not go back to my hometown. Guazhou is located at the westernmost part of Hexi, bordering Tibet. In recent years, there has been constant warfare. I had already planned to move away from that dangerous place, and now that something has happened at home, I can't go back even more. I'm worried that if those bandits hear that we're going back, they'll probably come to arrest us again," the old man of the Jiang family said worriedly.

"Hmm, just as I thought. Since you've come to Liangzhou and have been implicated in saving my wife, I should naturally take care of you. Here's what I'll do, Steward Zhang, you arrange for Brother Jiang to stay first, and then go and inform his two sons to come see him. How can we let Brother Jiang travel such a long way to find his sons on his own?"

"Yes, sir," Steward Zhang replied.

"Brother Jiang, please settle in comfortably for now. I'll arrange something for you later. May I ask what you did for a living before?" Zhang Jingde asked tentatively.

"When I was young, I was a painter, specializing in murals, Buddha statues, and various other paintings for temples. Later, as I grew older, I developed a fondness for the Persian style and went to Persia with a Persian merchant friend. But after studying there for only two years, I discovered that the Eastern Roman Empire's painting style was the ultimate. So I went to Constantinople to study. That trip lasted for many years, and I only recently returned," the old man Jiang introduced himself.

Zhang Jingde wasn't particularly interested in what the old man Jiang said about Persia or the Eastern Roman Empire, because in his mind, the Tang Dynasty in China was the center of the world, and other countries were just barbarians. After patiently listening to his introduction, he said,

"Oh, is that so? No wonder your palms are so smooth and calloused; you don't look like a farmer. Steward Zhang, do we have any painting jobs in our household?"

"Well... Master, we have few family members, and most of the rest are servants. There's really no need to hire a painter. However..." Steward Zhang said.

"However, what? Please speak freely," Zhang Jingde said.

"On our way back by carriage, I discovered that this old master of the Jiang family is quite skilled with horses. On the way back, he drove the carriage much more smoothly than the servants. You know that Sun Er in the stable is lazy and good-for-nothing. He's fed our horses so much that they're thin and have long hair. If it weren't for his father's sake, I would have fired him long ago. Since this old master of the Jiang family is skilled with horses, why not arrange for him to help out Sun Er for now, so he won't complain about being too busy every day?" Steward Zhang seemed to have already made up his mind.

"How can that be? How can we let Brother Jiang do this kind of work?" Zhang Jingde said.

"It's alright, I like horses. They're easier to deal with than people. Since he's staying here, he can't just eat and stay for free. He should do something for the General's Mansion, otherwise I'll be restless." The old man from the Jiang family said sincerely. "

Well... since Brother Jiang likes it, then Steward Zhang, you can arrange it as you see fit. But the place to stay must be good, we can't settle for anything less." Zhang Jingde instructed.

"Yes, sir, don't worry. I'll arrange for the old man from the Jiang family to stay in the secluded courtyard where family members are received. It's quiet there and no one will disturb him." Steward Zhang said.

And so the old man from the Jiang family was arranged to stay in that secluded courtyard. The old man was quite conscientious. After resting for a while at noon, he took the initiative to ask Steward Zhang to help out at the stables. So Steward Zhang led him to the stables located at the westernmost end of the second courtyard.

In the stable yard, there were five tall, fine horses. Except for a large, chestnut horse tethered alone to a manger, head bowed, eating hay, the other four were tethered to a long, empty manger. The four horses were either resting by the manger or standing there enviously watching the chestnut horse feast.

Seeing this, Steward Zhang angrily said, "That Sun Er is hopeless! He only knows how to serve the General's 'Red Steed,' and he can't be bothered with the other horses. Look at these horses, they're all so thin and their manes have grown so long!" Sun Er was nowhere to be seen

in the yard. Steward Zhang, his eyes blazing with anger, headed straight for the innermost room in the yard, which was closed. The old man from the Jiang family followed behind, completely bewildered. As soon as he approached the door, he heard loud snoring. Pushing the door open, he saw a man sprawled on the wooden bed, fast asleep. His sleeping posture was extremely unsightly; not only was he snoring, but he also made frequent smacking noises, drool dripping from his mouth onto the pillow.
"Hey, Sun Er, Sun Er, get up! What time is it? Still sleeping?" Butler Zhang called out, shoving him.

A short while later, Sun Er slowly woke up. Opening his sleepy eyes, he stared blankly at Butler Zhang and said,

"Oh, who is it? It's Butler Zhang. You can't even stand me taking a nap?"
"A nap? Look at the sun! It's already late afternoon!" Butler Zhang said angrily.

"I'm taking care of five animals, working myself to the bone. What's wrong with sleeping a little longer? Unlike you, who eats and drinks well every day, of course you're full of energy!" Sun Er retorted defiantly, clearly not taking Butler Zhang seriously.

"You... alright, I'll let it slide for your father's sake. You complain about the lack of manpower and the hard work every day, so here's someone to help you. Get up and greet him!" Butler Zhang said, pointing to the old man from the Jiang family beside him.
Sun Er lazily sat up and looked the old man up and down with his big, shrewd eyes.
"Why did you bring in such a wretched old man? He's practically on his deathbed, what help can he possibly be? Is he just here to freeload and drag us down?"

"You... how can you talk to your elders like that? You have no manners. Anyway, I've already found him for you, so you can handle it yourself. Don't complain anymore." Butler Zhang said irritably, then turned to the old man apologetically.

"Please don't be offended, old man, this guy is always like this."

The old man clasped his hands together, nodded, and smiled. "Amitabha, well done, well done. How could I, a man of sixty, stoop to the level of a little brat?"

His reply surprised not only Steward Zhang but also the usually dismissive Sun Er, who thought to himself, "Why does this old man sound like a monk from a temple? His pretense is quite convincing!"

Seeing the difference in their expressions, the old man quickly withdrew his clasped hands and explained, "Oh, I am a Buddhist. I'm used to chanting scriptures and reciting Buddhist mantras; I hope you two won't laugh at me."

"Oh, it's good to believe in Buddhism. Those who believe in Buddhism are all kind-hearted people," Steward Zhang murmured.
"What's the use? Aren't you still here serving a few animals like me?" Sun Er said dismissively.
Steward Zhang, not wanting to argue with Sun Er any longer, said to the old man, "Brother Jiang, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. Please feel free to come find me if you need anything."

"Nothing much, I just wonder when my two unfilial sons will come to see me?" the old man said.

"It will be within the next day or two. You know this military camp isn't like our ordinary homes; we can't just come and go as we please. However, I've already informed the captain of your son's camp that they'll be allowed to come out and visit you within the next day or two. But please remember what I told you in the carriage: don't tell them about your family yet," Steward Zhang instructed.

"Don't worry, Steward. I remember," the old man of the Jiang family replied.

Actually, Steward Zhang didn't want him to see the Jiang brothers immediately for another important reason: the Guazhou government hadn't replied yet, and he and General Zhang planned to wait until the truth was revealed and it was confirmed that what the old man of the Jiang family said was true before allowing the father and son to meet. Steward

Zhang turned and left. But just as his figure disappeared through the courtyard gate, he heard Sun Erdao say,

"Hmph, now you're looking down on me like that, daring to yell at me at the drop of a hat. Back when my father was the steward, wasn't he just a nobody? He used to bow and scrape to me from afar."

"Life is full of unexpected encounters, don't let petty grievances get to you," the old man of the Jiang family shook his head and said.

"Hey, old man Jiang, why are you speaking so stiltedly? You don't look like a servant to me, more like a preaching monk. It's only because you still have long hair that I would really think you're a monk, chanting scriptures and preaching." Sun Erdao looked the old man of the Jiang family up and down with surprise.

"The cause is Bodhicitta, the root is great compassion, and the ultimate is skillful means. If there is Buddha in your heart, why do you need to be ordained? Alright, young brother, let's not talk about this anymore. Just tell me if there's any work to be done in the stable," the old man of the Jiang family said.
"Well, old man Jiang, you're quite sensible. Go chop up the hay by the west wall first, then give it to those hungry horses. I'm tired after a long day, I'll rest a bit." Sun Er pointed to the pile of hay by the west wall and said, then lay back down to sleep.

Old man Jiang wasn't angry, and as expected, he chopped the hay as Sun Er instructed. He worked diligently from late afternoon until late afternoon, and once he had chopped enough hay, he took it to the horse trough. The four horses, whose bellies were already flat from hunger, immediately gathered around happily and began to eat heartily.

Watching them happily munching away, Old Man Jiang said, "Cause and effect, karma and retribution. To know the cause of the past, see the effect of the present. If you hadn't committed evil deeds in your past lives, why would you be reborn as animals now? Suffer well in this life, and be reborn as humans in the next. Amitabha."

That evening, at dinnertime, Sun Er got up and led Old Man Jiang to the kitchen for dinner. The servants and maids who came to get their food saw the strangely-looking old man following behind Sun Er and began to whisper and discuss among themselves.

One of those familiar with Sun Er asked, "Hey? Old Man Sun, who's that old man following you?"
Sun Er replied smugly, "Oh, the steward just found me an assistant. He's under my command." "

You've been promoted, haven't you? You even have subordinates now?" the man flattered.

"Cough, just a minor official, a '弼马温' (Bima Wen, a lowly stable boy). Nothing to brag about, nothing to brag about!" Sun Er said shamelessly. To display his official power, he actually ordered Old Man Jiang,

"Old Man Jiang, go get some bowls, chopsticks, and plates, and bring two servings of food. I'll wait for you in the dining room."
Old Man Jiang nodded in agreement and went to get the food as instructed by Sun Er.

"Well done, Old Man Sun, it seems you've finally made it. Now you even have someone to serve you food?" a sweet, coquettish voice teased. It was Yan'er, Madam Lan's personal maid.

"Oh, isn't this Miss Yan'er? Please excuse my rudeness. Are you bringing food for Madam and Young Master? Let me help you. So much food is heavy, it must be too much for you to carry that food box. How about I take it to the inner courtyard gate?" Upon seeing the beautiful Yan'er, Sun Er immediately flattered her.

"I wouldn't dare. You're now the 'Keeper of the Heavenly Horses,' and I'm just a little maid. How could I trouble you?"
Yan'er said disdainfully.

"Oh, who's become the 'Stable Keeper' now? Sister Yan'er." Another clear female voice rang out; it was Rong'er, the young lady's maid.

"Rong'er, you're here to serve the young lady's meals too? Who else could it be? Old Man Sun

, of course. He's an official now; even his meals are served to him." Yan'er replied. "Really? Let me see who it is. Old Man Sun, how many people are you in charge of now?" Rong'er, being the youngest and most lively, joined Yan'er in teasing the lazy Sun Er.

"I... I only manage one person now, but don't underestimate him. This old Jiang is no ordinary person; he speaks very eloquently and is quite learned." Sun Er trembled slightly at the sight of the two delicate girls, even stuttering, but he still tried to flatter Old Man Jiang to save face.

"Really? Where is he? We want to see how learned he is!" the two maids chattered.

Just then, Old Man Jiang slowly walked over carrying two plates of food. So Sun Er tilted his head and gestured to the two women,

"Look, it's him, Old Jiang, he just

arrived today." The two women followed his gaze and saw Old Jiang: a square face, dark skin, silkworm eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge and a large nose tip, a wide mouth with white teeth, large ears, and a long beard. His appearance was somewhat strange, so the two women looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing that the two women disliked Old Jiang's appearance, Sun Er felt embarrassed and vented his anger on the old man, saying, "Old Jiang, why are you so slow even when serving food? Getting old means you're useless." "
What? He's also surnamed Jiang?" Yan'er seemed to only then notice Old Jiang's surname and asked in surprise.
"Yes, his surname is Jiang. What's wrong, Yan'er?" Sun Er asked, puzzled by Yan'er's surprised expression.
"Uncle, do you have two sons? The ones who visited our General's Mansion a few days ago?" Yan'er ignored Sun Er and asked Old Man Jiang directly.

"Yes, those two are my unfilial sons. What, young lady, do you know them?" Old Man Jiang replied.

"Ah? So those two are your sons? I've been looking everywhere for them." Rong'er, who was standing to the side, was also surprised.

She had been instructed by Miss Youlan to investigate the background of the two Jiang brothers, but after all, she was just a young girl. Since the Jiang brothers left the General's Mansion, there had been no news of them. She had found Tian Cheng with high hopes, hoping he could help investigate the two brothers, but for some reason, Tian Cheng seemed to be avoiding her and unwilling to talk much. He only said that he couldn't find the two brothers' whereabouts either. This made Rong'er sad for a long time. Her mood had just started to improve these past two days, but she never expected to run into the father of the Jiang brothers.

"Oh, old man Jiang, so you were hiding something from me? You didn't tell me that your two sons had also come to the manor and knew Yan'er and Rong'er." Sun Er was secretly alarmed by the expressions on the two women's faces and scolded them.

"This... how would I know? I only arrived at the manor today and haven't even met those two unfilial sons yet. We haven't seen each other for almost a month." Old man Jiang shook his head helplessly.

"It's really strange. How come those two's fathers also came to the General's manor? And they even went to the stables. It seems they're going to stay here for a long time. What's going on? Madam seems to know nothing about this. I must go back and report to her immediately." At this point, Yan'er had no desire to continue the conversation with them. She planned to quickly grab her lunchbox and return to the inner courtyard to report this matter to Madam.

Rong'er felt the same way as Yan'er. She also planned to quickly grab her lunchbox and return to the inner courtyard to report this news to the young lady. What to do next will have to be decided by Miss Youlan...

[To be continued]
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Prequel to the "Good Family Wife" series: The Erotic Serpent's Manual (06)

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