Jiang Wanyu wrapped a tail beast bun in oil paper and secretly handed it to the old crippled man.
Feeling it was still not enough, she added a few more taels of silver.
The old crippled man's excited emotions were hard to express. He awkwardly knelt down and lightly knocked his head, struggling with his inconvenient legs.
Incoherently, he hurriedly said, "Thank you, thank you. I don't know how to repay... Xiaoyao, you must remember that he is our benefactor."
As the eldest miss of the Jiang family, Jiang Wanyu had seen many people kneeling before her.
But she had never witnessed a scene where an elderly person with mobility issues knelt down. For a moment, she was at a loss.
"It's just a few taels of silver. There's no need for the old man to pay such a great tribute."
Although the geographical location of Red Lotus City belonged to the southern region, it was slightly northwest, situated at the intersection of three domains.
In recent years, climate change had led to unusual temperature fluctuations, with warm summers and cold winters.
For cultivators, it was a trivial matter, as they paid no attention to mere temperature changes.
Even for those who paid attention, most speculated whether it was due to fortuitous encounters in certain places.
But for ordinary people, it was nothing short of a catastrophe.
Unable to endure the winter, impoverished households for the upcoming year were everywhere.
Liu Xiyao and the old crippled man were perhaps among them.
Fortunately, they encountered Jiang Wanyu, and these silver taels would help them survive the next winter.
The satisfaction of helping others surged in Jiang Wanyu's heart.
"I should go back now."
Her "unidentified" fiancé was about to arrive at the Jiang family. She took advantage of a moment of leisure to slip out and have breakfast.
As she thought about it, her joyful expression quickly dimmed.
Calculating the time, the welcoming ceremony should be starting soon, and as the main character, she couldn't be absent.
"Just a few taels of silver? That's how the world is. You're like a unique individual among them. People anxiously pursue these few taels of silver, but these few taels can solve countless worries. They can ensure an elderly person's well-being in their twilight years, let a young child enter a school, they can shatter one's childhood dreams, make people bear the burden of the world, let people grieve and be heartbroken. They can keep you restless at night, make you forget about moonlight, make your loved one yearn, press down on your spine, and send honest and weak people to the yellow earth to rest."
A strange person.
Jiang Wanyu looked at the black-clothed man who suddenly spoke confidently.
He was handsome, her type.
The morning light shone on his profile, highlighting warm and gentle lines.
Unparalleled elegance was nowhere to be found, as the gentle wind and delicate shadows fell into the mortal world.
She suddenly remembered the praise that described her "fiancé."
She took another glance.
And another.
She shouldn't be looking! After all, she was the nominal "fiancée."
And why did this guy have the audacity to lecture her?
Could it be that her good intentions resulted in a bad outcome?
Jiang Wanyu averted her gaze, ready to leave.
Recently, the Jiang family had been experiencing upheavals, and storms were brewing in Red Lotus City.
Various forces were constantly infiltrating, and some individuals were beginning to test the attitude of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
She hoped that this extremely handsome young man wasn't one of them.
The youth spoke, "Old sir, may I ask how to get to the Jiang family?"
Jiang family?
Jiang Wanyu, who had only taken a few steps, stopped in her tracks.
Who in Red Lotus City didn't know the location of the Jiang family?
Could it be that he was also one of those shameless individuals eyeing the Jiang family's resources?
No!
Those people are probably investigating the Jiang family's ancestry for the past eighteen generations. How could they not know the whereabouts of the Jiang family?
At this moment...
Asking about the location of the Jiang family...
The black-clothed youth...
Everything connected.
Could this person be her "fiancé"?
It seemed like she could accept it, right?
[Yutuo! What are you doing? The woman who just left is Jiang Wanyu, the "Fortune's Daughter" of the Jiang family. Why go through so much trouble when you had the chance for close contact? If it were me, I would pretend not to know the other person's identity to gain favor!]
"So, you failed, didn't you, Yutuo? Stop yelling, it's scary."
[Yutuo's head is just a lump of paste! So what's the problem with me calling you Yutuo? Didn't I point out the location of the Jiang family? What are you doing?]
"Anran, call me by my name."
[Alright, Yutuo.]
"...Have you tried making a strong impact on her?"
[No, I'm a woman. I can't forcefully approach people.]
"I mean, have you ever challenged her worldview?"
[Oh, I see. Please continue, I'm listening. I think I'm starting to understand Hailan's language.]
Jiang Wanyu, who noticed that she had stopped and was eavesdropping in a corner, faintly smiled at the corner of her mouth.
The fish had taken the bait.
The old cripple's face showed a difficult expression as he looked around, seemingly wanting to seek help. "Sir, why don't you ask someone else? I'm old, and I don't remember very clearly. I'm afraid I might lead you astray and delay your important matters..."
He secretly tightened his grip on the few ounces of silver in his arms, feeling anxious.
"You remember very well."
"I really can't remember..."
Huang Quan took out a gold ingot and played with it in his hand. "I said you remember very well."
The old cripple stared at the gold ingot, torn between conflicting thoughts.
But before he could hesitate, the people around, their eyes gleaming upon seeing the gold ingot, spoke up eagerly, "Sir, I know where the Jiang family is. I'll guide you."
"This way, please, sir."
"Sir, I'll lead the way for you, just give me half of the gold ingot!"
These voices became the final straw that crushed the old cripple.
His gaze turned incredibly fierce as he glared at the speakers around him. "I was asked to guide him! I remember now! No one is allowed to compete with me!"
Huang Quan didn't argue. He tossed the entire gold ingot in a perfect arc, landing directly in the old cripple's hand.
The old cripple sighed...
It was too heavy.
He wasn't sure if his old, fragile life could bear the weight of the gold.
But opportunities like this don't come again.
"Lead the way ahead."
Jiang Wanyu, hiding in the corner, pulled her small head back, looking disgusted. "Self-righteous. Don't you know that the weight of that gold could cost the old man his life?"
Gu Qici, who had been following behind Huang Quan without drawing attention, looked puzzled.
Something was wrong, very wrong.
Could it be a deviation in her memory?
This period's Huang Quan shouldn't be like this...
In Gu Qici's impression, the current Huang Quan should be a pseudo-gentleman, cherishing his reputation, appearing cold on the outside but passionate on the inside.
Of course, the appearance of being passionate was just a means to deceive others and gain fame.
In her past life, she fell for this kind of fabricated tenderness.
It was too enchanting, eventually becoming the moonlight that fell into her heart. Unfortunately, she couldn't have someone like that, and in the years to come, she would probably never encounter such a person again.
The person who appeared and illuminated her remaining years upon their first meeting.
Afterward, she tried to break free, but his shadow permeated every aspect of her life. She couldn't help but compare the person in front of her with him. If they fell short, a sense of disappointment would naturally arise, leaving her uninspired.
Could it be...
An unsettling thought emerged in Gu Qici's mind.
This kind of character...
Has he also been reborn?
The future's arrogant Heavenly Emperor, Huang Quan.