Jun Jiuling

When dusk fell, Lei Zhonglian was finished sweeping and scrubbing the inside of the hall. He then closed the door of the Jiuling Hall. The back courtyard was filled with a strong aroma.

"Eat," said Miss Jun, personally carrying two dishes from the kitchen.

The rain had stopped, but the air was still moist. The early summer evening was silent but cheerful.

Fang Chengyu was sitting at a table on the veranda.

"I'm so hungry." He smiled as he watched Miss Jun put the food on the table. "We didn't even eat at noon."

"Missing one meal shouldn't make you that hungry," said Zhu Zan.

The man stepped out from the room and sat down, cross-legged. He grabbed some tableware from the table.

Miss Jun ignored him and went into the kitchen to bring the food.

"I'm still young and growing," Fang Chengyu said, looking at him seriously. "It's especially easy for me to get hungry. Naturally I can't compare with you, brother."

Zhu Zan said, 'Oh'.

"That's true," he said, reaching out and pinching Fang Chengyu's arm. "You're too thin."

He put the plate of braised pork in front of Fang Chengyu.

"Come on, eat more meat and grow more."

Fang Chengyu looked at the meat in front of him and hesitated.

"I also want to eat," he said, sighing and pushing the meat back. "But I'm still taking medicine. I can't eat it."

Zhu Zan smiled and looked at Miss Jun who came out carrying a basket of dried flatbread.

"So you opened a clinic?" he asked.

"Yes," said Miss Jun. "Didn't I say I was a herb gatherer? I didn't lie."

Zhu Zan reached out and grabbed a piece of the bread, sprinkled some shredded meat on it, and rolled it up.

"You're trying to imply that everyone else is a liar," he said. "I didn't lie. I'm also a woodcutter." 𝘣𝘦𝑑𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝑙．𝑐𝑜𝘮

He stuffed a large mouthful of the wrap into his mouth, as he watched Miss Jun raise an eyebrow.

Even with his mouth full of food, he still tried to speak.

Miss Jun did not say anything, but called in Lei Zhonglian to come and eat.

Lei Zhonglian put some flat bread, meat, and vegetables, and went to sit to the side. Because Zhu Zan was too big, his usual spot in front of Fang Chengyu and Miss Jun was taken up.

It looked crowded, and it sounded so as well. Zhu Zan's voice seemed to never stop.

"You eat this? What is this, vegetable leaves?"

"It's like you're raising a rabbit."

"I'm talking about real rabbits, not anything else. Don't misunderstand."

"Ha ha ha ha, you did not misunderstand, ah, that's good."

"Oh? Little friend, did you know that rabbits have other meanings? Not proper. You shouldn't learn it while you're young."

Lei Zhonglian flicked off several mouthfuls of rice that hit him and went into the kitchen.

Miss Jun and Fang Chengyu went at their usual pace as they ate , accompanied by Zhu Zan's jokes.

Fang Chengyu also ate an extra bowl.

Perhaps it was happiness because he could finally walk, or perhaps it was because he was spurred by Zhu Zan's words to grow stronger.

It looked like the guest and hosts were having a merry time.

However, was this really considered having a guest over?

"Do you want to prepare a room for him?" Lei Zhonglian whispered when he saw Miss Jun walking into the kitchen.

Twilight faded, replaced with the black of night. Lanterns were lit inside and out.

Was the Noble Son Zhu a stranger who would leave just as swiftly as they met, or was he a friend from far away who would linger for a few days?

She looked at Zhu Zan, who was standing on the veranda, curiously looking over the herbs she had laid out to dry.

"He doesn't trust us," she said. "Wait till he is convinced that we are harmless. Then he will leave on his own."

"Is he in trouble?" asked Lei Zhonglian.

Lei Zhonglian did not know who he was. When Miss Jun said Zhu Zan's name, only Zhu Zan had heard it. Afterwards, he did not mention it again. The life and death confrontation between the two had also lasted just a moment.

So Lei Zhonglian knew this man was in trouble, but what kind of trouble, he did not know.

First, he worried that this person was extremely dangerous and temperamental, and second, he was afraid that his problems would affect them.

Miss Jun smiled.

"Don't worry, we have our troubles, too," she said. "Many lice do not itch. Troubles plague everyone. No one can be too free."

We also have troubles?

Lei Zhonglian thought that they did have some troubles, but the Fang Family had already sent word to say that everything at home had been resolved.

He hadn't expected the manipulator behind the scenes to be Shopkeeper Song.

Although he hadn't really been concerned with who did what in the Fang Family's exchange firm, it had reached even him that Shopkeeper Song was an extremely capable person.

Really, to know a person and their face is not the same as their heart.

And he was even so patient. To harm the family, he had remained hidden so he could plot against them for a lifetime.

But now was not the time to say this.

Lei Zhonglian thought of the letter he had just received.

"Old Lady asked us to go back. The Cai branch of the exchange firm is already prepared. Young Lady, when will we set out?" he asked.

"There are still people coming. Wait for them to come, then we will go," she answered.

The letter had come swiftly, but humans and horses weren't as fast. The Fang Family had sent carefully selected guards to depart the same time as the letter.

Lei Zhonglian was not surprised by the amount of care put into this by Old Lady Fang.

After all, this concerned the last successor of the Fang bloodline, an it also so happened that the previous male heir of the Fang Family had been killed on the road.

Although they knew now that it had been Shopkeeper Song who had done it, and he had been captured, there was nothing wrong with being careful.

"Did they find out where those bandits came from?" he could not help but ask.

This was Lei Zhonglian's obsession.

"We'll find out when we go back," Miss Jun said with a smile. "When we go back, the beheading and a public declaration of his crimes will be held. The things from the past will definitely be revealed."

Lei Zhonglian responded positively.

"Jiuling!"

Fang Chengyu's voice drifited over.

Miss Jun immediately looked in that direction to see Fang Chengyu being pulled by Zhu Zan. The boy wore a put upon expression.

Lei Zhonglian immediately stiffened.

Although he did not know why Miss Jun was so relaxed about that man, but Young Master Fang's situation was special.

"What are you doing?" Miss Jun demanded unhappily while walking over.

Zhu Zan let go of Chengyu, looking displeaseed.

"Really a child, always shouting for others," he said. "Not shy at all."

Miss Jun pulled Fang Chengyu's hand and ushered him behind her.

"I am a child," Fang Chengyu said to Zhu Zan with a serious face. "I can't take care of myself. Of course I have to call someone else. Otherwise, if I try to brave my problems myself, I will only cause trouble to others."

Zhu Zan looked like he saw a ghost.

"It's first time I'm seeing someone speak so righteously of being a child," he said, staring.