Chapter 36: Jiang Chengyan Seeks His Bride

In the early morning, even in this busy mountain village, a profound silence reigned. Apart from the occasional plume of cooking smoke, there was scarcely any movement. Yet at this very moment, to the ears of Madam Zhao and Father Jiang, each footstep seemed unbearably heavy, as if the next instant a colossal avalanche might bury them all. The oppressive sense of foreboding was almost suffocating.

Breaking through that tension was a voice from Zhao Chujiu.
“Brother, you haven’t slept for a whole day and night—would it kill you to come back tomorrow?” Jiang Chengyan had finished his affairs and hurried straight home, not pausing for a moment.

But Jiang Chengyan’s attention was not on Zhao Chujiu. Aside from a hint of dust and fatigue, he was much the same as usual. He stood there, tall and slender, a basket strapped to his back, eyes sharp as he looked toward Madam Zhao and Father Jiang. “What happened to her?”

Father Jiang, already anxious, grew even more so at the sight of Jiang Chengyan. Madam Zhao, however, handed him the slip of paper left behind by Bai Yan, and recounted what had happened earlier that morning.

Zhao Chujiu, trailing behind Jiang Chengyan and listening, blurted out, “Auntie, you didn’t secretly sell off Brother Yan’s little wife, did you?” Madam Zhao was infamous for her displeasure toward Jiang Chengyan—such a thing seemed almost plausible.

But this time, Madam Zhao did not retort, as her mind was too preoccupied.

“Let’s go look for her. It’s freezing out, and with a face like hers, who knows what might happen…” Madam Zhao said, heading out with Father Jiang.

“Stop.” Jiang Chengyan’s command halted the couple in their tracks.

“What do you mean by that? We can’t waste time,” Madam Zhao snapped, glaring at Jiang Chengyan, and charged forward.

Jiang Chengyan let out a cold laugh, paper clenched tightly in his hand, and strode quickly toward the east end of the village, offering no explanation.

Madam Zhao and Father Jiang tried to follow, but Zhao Chujiu blocked their way.

“He’s clearly deciphered the drawing and knows where our sister-in-law is. You two should just go about your business.” At six feet tall, Zhao Chujiu stood firmly before them, making it clear that another step would lead to a confrontation.

Madam Zhao eyed Zhao Chujiu suspiciously. “Are you serious?”

“Of course,” Zhao Chujiu replied, rubbing his tired eyes. “If he didn’t know, he wouldn’t have worn out a horse rushing back so urgently.”

………………

With every step, Jiang Chengyan tightened his grip on the paper. After climbing halfway up the mountain, he finally spotted a small hillock, and from a distance, he saw the little figure busy beside a rock.

Next to her stood a small porcelain jar, reaching up to her knees—clearly stolen from Madam Zhao’s yard.

She crouched on the rock, scooping water into the jar with a bamboo tube.

His fingers clenched so tightly that the paper crumbled into fragments.

From behind, the man’s voice drifted over, cold and crisp: “Little Darling, I’m going to count to three. You’d better come here obediently.”

Jiang Chengyan was clearly on the verge of losing his temper.

“One, two, three.”

Long after he finished counting, the figure on the rock showed no sign of moving.

Jiang Chengyan closed his eyes, his voice almost gritted through his teeth. “Little Darling.”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!” Before he could finish, Bai Yan suddenly cried out in fright, her body flattening against the stone in terror…