Chapter 26: I Will Marry Ye Ning
The matriarch of the Jiang family had already tried her hardest, racking her brains to create a chance for her son to be alone with Ye Ning. The only problem was, Ye Ning was far too likable—Jiang Changxin had to wait in line just to try to “flatter” him.
In the end, Ye Ning didn’t ask anyone to escort him. He carried the box himself and walked out of the Jiang mansion.
Ye Ning was not a delicate person. He had hands and feet and was familiar with the village roads, so he naturally didn’t need anyone to escort him. Walking alone gave him the quiet he enjoyed.
As Ye Ning had just left the northern edge of the village, stepping onto the moss-covered, damp log bridge, a few figures appeared at the far end. They did not seem intent on crossing, but instead spread out in a line, blocking the already narrow bridge.
A few village men had been crossing with Ye Ning. Seeing the situation, they immediately turned around, seemingly unwilling to provoke trouble.
Ye Ning glanced at the men blocking the bridge. They were tall and burly, muscles knotted and strong; just by standing there, it was obvious they were looking for a fight.
Ye Ning’s face betrayed no emotion. He said calmly, “Please move aside.”
One of the burly men sneered, curling his lips. “So you’re Ye Ning of the Ye family? You’re exactly who we’re looking for!”
“Do you even know who we are?” another man asked, raising his thumb to point at himself.
There was no need for Ye Ning to guess—they had already announced themselves: “We’re sent by the Zhou family, specially here for you, Ning Ger!”
The Zhou family… again the Zhou family.
Ye Ning did not react much. He simply asked, “What’s the matter?”
The burly men were momentarily stunned. Apparently, they were shocked that they hadn’t intimidated the seemingly weak Ger. The situation felt awkward. Clearing their throats roughly, they said with hostility, “It’s all because of you that Zhou Dalang was sent to the government office!”
Ye Ning raised an eyebrow. “You should say it’s all because Zhou Dalang committed crimes. How is that my concern?”
“You… you!” The men spat. “Sharp-tongued little devil!”
They had hoped to scare Ye Ning, but failing that, they forced themselves to speak stiffly: “Now we’re giving you a chance to make amends! Go and testify. Say that Zhou Dalang didn’t harass anyone, that he was out at night because of a rendezvous with you under the moon…”
“Pfft…” Ye Ning could not help it and laughed aloud.
Ye Ning was usually cold and indifferent, distant to everyone, like a shard of clear ice—beautiful but untouchable. Now, when he laughed, the ice melted; it was refreshing and mesmerizing, indescribably attractive. To call it captivating would not have been an exaggeration.
The men stared, dumbfounded, at Ye Ning.
Ye Ning said, “Do you really think anyone would want a moonlit tryst with Zhou Dalang? Do you, his lackeys, have no sense at all? I am neither blind nor foolish.”
The men froze again. At first, they had been stunned by Ye Ning’s beauty. Now, they were dumbstruck by his words.
Ye Ning continued, “This appearance, it’s a gift from my father and mother. I can’t blame Zhou Dalang for anything, but he dared to jump out and try to scare people. And having not an ounce of self-awareness, don’t blame me for not sparing him any face.”
“You… you…” The men finally realized—Ye Ning was insulting their master!
“Good! Sharp-tongued, indeed!”
“If you testify, the Zhou family will at least give you hush money and some compensation. But if you don’t cooperate… hmm!”
“The Zhou family may not be able to provoke a mighty household like the Quan family, but you—Ning Ger—you should think carefully. If the Zhou family wants to crush you, it will be like crushing a tiny ant! You won’t even have a place to cry!”
Ye Ning simply looked at them calmly, listening to their endless threats. “Finished? If you’re done, move aside. You’re blocking the way.”
The men, already stifled by Ye Ning’s words several times, flushed red with anger. One pointed at him: “Don’t be ungrateful!”
Ye Ning sneered. “So noble, the Zhou family… yet in the end, you just bully the weak and fear the strong. Instead of reconciling with the Quan family, you come to me?”
The men puffed out their chests and stomachs, feeling no shame at all. “So what if we bully the weak and fear the strong? That’s the way of the world! If you refuse to testify for Zhou Dalang today, then… ahh!!”
Before the man finished, he let out a scream. His burly body wobbled and suddenly fell off the log bridge with a thud.
Gururu—
A stone rolled along the edge of the wooden bridge, slipping through the gaps in the planks and falling into the river.
The man who had fallen into the water found that, although it wasn’t very deep, the riverbed was all muck. His foot sank, turning him into a mud-covered mess. Floundering, he looked around frantically. “Who?! Who the hell set me up?!”
Ye Ning followed the direction the stone had come from and widened his eyes slightly.
Jiang Changxin?
Jiang Changxin held a slingshot in his hand, still keeping the rubber band hooked. When he saw Ye Ning looking at him, he waved and put on a silly grin. “Ye Ning! Ye Ning!”
When Ye Ning had left, he clearly hadn’t asked anyone to escort him. Yet, unexpectedly, Jiang Changxin had secretly followed.
Because two people with no sense of subtlety were present, Jiang Changxin had already missed the chance to be alone with Ye Ning. But just as Ye Ning left, Yu Yuan came to report that the Zhou family had sent a few thugs to lie in wait near the log bridge, intending to seize Ye Ning to testify for Zhou Dahu. Otherwise, Zhou Dahu would surely suffer consequences—he could not escape.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Changxin realized that opportunity had just arrived. A man as thoughtful and deliberate as him could never let such a chance pass.
So Jiang Changxin followed Ye Ning out of the Jiang residence, planning to stage a heroic rescue.
Jiang Changxin walked up and stood in front of Ye Ning. He was tall and upright, broad-shouldered, at least a head taller than Ye Ning, glaring at the burly men.
The men were the kind who bullied the weak and feared the strong. They all knew Jiang Changxin—he was the only son of the Jiang family. Though considered a fool, he was someone they could not afford to offend. And… for some reason, Jiang Changxin’s gaze didn’t look foolish at all. It was more like a wolf ready to devour.
The men pointed at Ye Ning. “You… you wait! Let’s go!”
Saying that, they turned and ran, leaving their comrade who had fallen in the river behind.
Jiang Changxin turned toward Ye Ning. His cold, wolf-like eyes instantly softened, showing no trace of the earlier menace, looking instead like a goofy, oversized dog.
“Ye Ning, don’t be afraid!” Jiang Changxin patted his chest. “I’ll take you home.”
Ye Ning said, “Young Master Jiang, why did you come? It’s fine, I can go back on my own.”
“But…” Jiang Changxin said only two words, then lowered his head, resting his chin on his broad chest. He puckered his lips slightly, just enough for Ye Ning to see the look of disappointment on his face.
Ye Ning felt a twinge of tension in his scalp. That pouting mouth, paired with the solid chest, formed a striking contrast.
Ye Ning didn’t know how to coax a child. To him, the dazed Jiang Changxin was no different from a child. Slightly flustered, he said, “Then… then I’ll trouble you to take me.”
Jiang Changxin’s face changed instantly. No more disappointment—he nodded vigorously. “Mm! Mm! Ye Ning, let’s go!”
And so the two of them headed toward the Ye household.
Ye Ning had no intention of returning to the Ye household. Father Ye and Mother Ye were not his biological parents. Ever since he had come here, there had been no bond between them. Moreover, the Ye family had even imprisoned him once, which only strengthened his resolve to cut ties completely.
Since he intended to sever things thoroughly, he needed to lay everything out clearly, leaving nothing unsaid, to avoid future trouble.
Also, the noodle stall had originally belonged to Mother Ye, but she had casually given it to Ye Ning. He now planned to buy it outright, ensuring that whatever happened with the stall in the future—whether it prospered or failed—would have nothing to do with them.
Today, Ye Ning returned to settle things once and for all.
The Ye household courtyard gates were open. As Ye Ning drew near, Ye Zhu spotted him first—but he didn’t notice Jiang Changxin behind him. He immediately craned his neck and called into the house in a mocking, sing-song tone, “Oh my! Father, Mother, come quickly! Look, our great hero Ning Ger is back! The one who single-handedly sent Zhou Dalang to prison has returned—”
Early this morning, the Zhou family had come to the Ye household, but they didn’t find Ye Ning there, so they waited near the log bridge. Father Ye and Mother Ye had also heard about it: their “future son-in-law” had hit a hard wall this time. The official would not dare offend the powerful Quan family of Jiangnan, so Zhou Dalang could not escape—he was going to prison!
Father Ye and Mother Ye had hurriedly promised the Zhou family that they would persuade Ye Ning to testify for Zhou Dalang. Only after nodding and kowtowing did they see the Zhou people off, still sighing and lamenting.
The moment they heard Ye Zhu’s voice, all the servants sprang up, one by one rushing outside, shouting.
Father Ye looked exasperated, as if scolding iron that could not be bent. “You wretch! You came back? Look at the mess you’ve caused!”
Mother Ye cried and wailed, “Oh heavens! What a sin! The Zhou family was such a fine match for you, and you just couldn’t accept it! Boys will be flirtatious, yes! Boys! But after marrying, they settle down! Why did you have to force poor Zhou Dalang into prison? How could I have raised such a cold-hearted Ger?!”
“What we did, we did it for you!”
“I wonder, after you testify for the Zhou family, will Zhou Dalang even still want to marry you…” Mother Ye rambled as she walked to the Ye courtyard gate. With a creak, she pulled open the half-closed wooden gate, still chattering without pause: “You won’t marry the Zhou family? Won’t marry? Then who in our village would want a Ger who cannot bear children! What, do you want to cling to the Jiang family instead, marry the young master Jiang Changxin?”
Her words stopped abruptly as the wooden gate swung fully open.
Mother Ye froze in place, holding the gate, her face blank with shock and embarrassment. The wrinkles around her eyes seemed ready to crumble. For there, right outside the Ye household gate she had just been blathering about, stood the very person—Jiang Changxin, the young master of the Jiang family.
Father Ye hobbled over, equally embarrassed. He loved face and prestige above all. Even if he thought Jiang Changxin was a fool, he had to maintain appearances. He forced a dry laugh. “Ning Ger, how could you be so inconsiderate? With a guest at the door, you don’t even acknowledge them, and we…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Changxin’s lips curled into a goofy, earnest smile. Out of nowhere, he said bluntly, “I’ll marry him!”
“What?” Mother Ye was still trying to think of a way to save face, muttering and thinking of how to steer the conversation, when she found herself dumbfounded in front of the man himself. She could not keep up with Jiang Changxin’s thought process and froze, asking stupidly.
Jiang Changxin’s expression became serious. He turned his head to gaze at Ye Ning. The faint smile lingered at the corner of his lips, but it no longer looked silly. His voice grew slightly lower and steadier as he solemnly spoke again:
“I will marry Ye Ning.”
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