AWB Chapter 387 Change
Chapter 387 Change
Luo Jing felt a slight tremor in his heart.
The current Jiang Zhiyi is completely different from the desperate girl he met back then. He wasn't well-educated enough to describe it, but... her spirit is completely different.
He couldn't help but glance at Lu Yangyang again.
These are all changes brought about by Lu Yangyang.
This shocked him, yet he couldn't help but feel hopeful. Could it be that his long-cherished wish had finally found a breakthrough? That he wouldn't have to be buried with him in a mound of earth in the wilderness.
Luo Jing's thoughts were churning, and her eyes reddened slightly.
He took a step back and bowed to Jiang Zhiyi with his hands clasped in greeting.
He wanted to apologize, but for some reason, he felt that such an apology would be a desecration to the girl in front of him.
Jiang Zhiyi simply smiled slightly and said softly, "Uncle Luo, would you like to go in and take a look?"
Luo Jing straightened up, looked at the two girls, and nodded as if possessed.
Then they followed them into the village.
This is a very ordinary village. I guess no one has taken good care of it before. It looks similar to the houses in the rural villages, except that there are a few more brick and tile houses. From the outside, it doesn't even look as good as the houses of the big families in the village.
But once inside, Luo Jing was immediately shocked.
The spacious courtyard was kept very clean, and everything was arranged in an orderly manner. There were several girls working in the courtyard. They were wearing brightly colored clothes. Some were drying herbs, while others were tending to the flowers planted in the courtyard. They were chatting and laughing, and their expressions were full of joy.
Those were completely unfamiliar faces.
But Luo Jing was very familiar with them. He remembered those girls, he had seen their disheveled and numb appearance, he remembered that in the cramped space, they were barely clothed and their bodies were covered in sores. Every night, the salt workers would drag some of the girls out as if to vent their anger. In the darkness, those were faceless faces.
Now, the place is spacious and bright, with the fragrance of flowers and herbs mingling together, dispelling the slightly hot early autumn weather and bringing a comfortable coolness.
It is as peaceful and beautiful as a paradise.
When the girls saw Lu Yangyang and Jiang Zhiyi enter with Luo Jing, they were slightly taken aback, seemingly a little flustered, but they quickly calmed down and greeted Lu Yangyang and Jiang Zhiyi with smiles.
"Miss Lu, Miss Jiang, you're back! We have some freshly dried flower tea, would you like to try some?"
Lu Yangyang nodded: "Okay, thank you, please deliver it to the living room."
Lu Yangyang led Luo Jing to the living room, and soon a girl brought in some flower tea.
Lu Yangyang looked at Luo Jing: "Uncle Luo, you didn't come to see me today to question me about the outcome of the salt smuggling case, did you?"
Luo Jing responded, confirming that it wasn't true, but the shock he had received today was so overwhelming that he had momentarily forgotten his original purpose.
He calmed himself down and glanced at Jiang Zhiyi.
Jiang Zhiyi tactfully prepared to get up, but then heard Lu Yangyang say, "I have nothing to hide from Zhiyi, Uncle Luo, please speak freely."
Luo Jing frowned slightly, then nodded and said, "I came to tell you that I need to go back to Jiangnan Prefecture to see someone. Old Meng was originally a military doctor in the army. He was among those who witnessed the massacre in Chenzhou. Fortunately, he was in the rear helping the wounded with the civilians, so he was arrested as a Chenzhou resident. When the Yan people were killing, their swords were dulled, so they gathered the remaining civilians together and burned the entire city down. Some civilians escaped the fire and hid in the cellars for more than a month before gradually leaving Chenzhou. Old Meng survived because of this. He later went south with the refugees and met me. He has stayed in Wangshan Village ever since. He is weak and old and can't do much. When we were in Jiangnan Prefecture, he and Granny Ku were released and resettled. I need to see him again when I leave Jiangnan Prefecture. In the past few years, I have been very grateful for his help. Otherwise, I would not have been able to support the entire village."
Lu Yangyang never expected that there would be such a person in Wangshan Village.
He was also a familiar face in the Chenzhou case.
He might even be the person who knows the whole story of the Chenzhou case best. After all, even if the military doctor wasn't on the front lines, he participated in the entire battle. He must know what happened back then, and he probably knows more than Luo Jing, who was sent out to seek help midway through the battle.
Lu Yangyang was eager to meet this old man, Meng.
Because neither His Highness nor what she heard intermittently later could possibly know as completely as Elder Meng. Since she was determined to get involved in this case, she needed to have a comprehensive understanding before she could know where to start.
Lu Yangyang asked, "Can I go with you?"
Luo Jing was surprised for a moment, then nodded: "Of course."
Actually, Luo Jing's purpose in returning was to tell Old Man Meng that the Chenzhou case hadn't been completely forgotten, and that people still remembered it. Luo Jing knew that Old Man Meng, who had personally experienced the massacre, was even more troubled than Luo Jing himself. Despite being a doctor, his health had been deteriorating over the years, leaving him unable to close his eyes for nights on end. Although Luo Jing had repeatedly advised him to let go of the past, it was he himself who couldn't truly let go.
He would feel better if he knew that someone was still thinking about this.
Upon hearing his reply, Lu Yangyang said to Jiang Zhiyi, "Zhiyi, I'll leave the affairs of the estate to you and Qingqing for now. I'll be back as soon as possible."
Jiang Zhiyi nodded: "Don't worry."
Lu Yangyang immediately got up, went back to pack her things, and then left the manor with Luo Jing.
When they rushed back to Jiangnan Prefecture from Ning County, it was already dark. The two entered the city before the gates closed. Lu Yangyang asked Luo Jing, "Do you know where Elder Meng has been placed?"
Luo Jing shook his head: "I'll have someone inquire about it tomorrow. It seems that Granny Ku and the others have been assigned to work at the charity. Old Man Meng is getting old, and although he knows some medicine, his health isn't very good. I'm not sure where he'll be assigned. I'll go to the charity tomorrow and see for myself."
“Alright, let’s find an inn to rest first. If we can’t find one, I’ll ask Governor Jiang tomorrow,” Lu Yangyang said.
Luo Jing responded, but glanced at Lu Yangyang with a hint of embarrassment. "I'll just find a place anywhere. We'll meet at the charity hall tomorrow."
Lu Yangyang turned her head suspiciously, then suddenly understood: "Uncle Luo, you don't mean you don't have any money, do you?"
Luo Jing was extremely embarrassed and coughed lightly.
Lu Yangyang smiled and took out a purse from the small bag she was carrying. She pulled out a silver note and a handful of loose silver coins and tossed them to Luo Jing: "Uncle Luo, take this."
Luo Jing was very embarrassed, but even a hero can be brought down by a lack of money, and he truly had no money on him at the moment.
Luo Jing hesitated for a long time before finally reaching out and taking the silver.
Just then, a little beggar rushed towards him and bumped into him hard.