Chapter 95 - 45: The Siege

Chapter 95: Chapter 45: The Siege

The bright moon hung high in a sky of sparse stars, its watery light blanketing the earth.

The twilight wind carried the occasional sharp curse from afar, along with faint, almost imaginary screams. In a night like this, who knew how many evils were breeding.

It was in this environment that Fang Rui arrived at Jiang Ping’an’s house and knocked on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Who is it?" a wary female voice called from inside.

"Sister-in-law Jiang, it’s me!"

"Xiaofang!"

With a creak, the door opened. "Come, hurry inside!"

Sister-in-law Jiang stepped aside to let Fang Rui in, cautiously peeking left and right outside before turning to bolt the door. Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief.

She saw what Fang Rui was carrying and started to chide him again. "Xiaofang, you should have just come. Why bring gifts? Times are hard for everyone. There’s no need for these formalities!"

If, at first, Sister-in-law Jiang was just being polite, now, as Fang Rui’s friendship with the Jiang Family deepened, her words were entirely sincere.

"It’s nothing special, just a few jars of Scar Remover and a catty of soybeans. Besides, I really had to bring a gift this time! My family just moved, and this is my first time visiting your home since we came to this area. Naturally, I couldn’t come empty-handed..."

In the past two days, Fang Rui hadn’t been able to restock on medicinal herbs, but he still had a batch stored away from before. It was enough to make a small amount of Scar Remover for a gift.

As for going back to the Black Market to sell medicine packets?

He certainly wouldn’t be doing that.

For one, after killing Lord Hu, he had made a hefty profit. He, Fang Rui, was a rich man now. For another, medicinal herbs were precious these days; making medicine packets to sell for money wasn’t worth it.

Furthermore, supplies in the Black Market had long since tightened up. Not only were prices sky-high, but it was also difficult to buy many scarce goods even if you had the money.

"You’ve moved? That’s wonderful news! Our two families can look out for each other..."

A happy expression lit up Sister-in-law Jiang’s face as she finally accepted the items. "In that case, I’ll take them. But Xiaofang, don’t let it happen again. If you bring gifts next time, I’ll really get angry!"

She set the soybeans aside and carefully stored the Scar Remover in a cabinet. Though her words said otherwise, she was actually very fond of the gift.

The Scar Remover was indeed very effective. Its primary function was to remove scars, with the secondary effects of whitening skin, clearing acne, and fading spots. But it was these secondary effects that were most coveted, especially by women.

"Alright, then I’ll come empty-handed from now on. Sister-in-law, you can’t complain that I’m just here to freeload. By the way, where’s Brother Jiang?"

"He’s inside. I’ll go get Old Jiang to talk with you. He was busy all afternoon and only got back around dusk. After eating, he went to lie down. He’s not asleep, just resting his eyes..."

Jiang Ping’an was still yawning when he was pulled out.

"There’s still some of that wine Xiaofang brought last time. I’ll go warm it up. It’s perfect since you’re not on patrol tonight, Old Jiang. You and Xiaofang can drink and chat!"

With that, Sister-in-law Jiang bustled off.

"Sorry for the poor display, Brother Fang. Your sister-in-law is just always in a rush... YAWN!" Jiang Ping’an said, unable to stop himself from covering his mouth as he yawned.

"Didn’t you sleep well last night, Brother Jiang?"

"It’s not that. As you know, the news that ’the reserves have been annihilated and the Taiping Bandits are about to besiege the city’ spread this afternoon. The city was thrown into chaos, so naturally, there was a lot to do. Also..."

As he was speaking, Sister-in-law Jiang came over with a wooden basin. Inside was hot water, warming a small pot of wine, along with a small dish of fennel-seasoned beans to go with it.

In times like these, serving a guest with wine and snacks was already quite a luxury.

"I’ll let you men talk. I won’t get in the way. I’m heading inside." Sister-in-law Jiang set the things down and went into the inner room.

"Here, Brother Fang, we’re old friends. I won’t serve you. Help yourself to the beans, don’t be a stranger!"

Jiang Ping’an picked up a fennel bean for himself, popped it into his mouth, and chewed on it slowly, savoring the flavor. His drowsiness gradually faded as he continued in a measured tone, "Also, this afternoon, we veteran Chief Constables and governmental officers were attacked by unknown assailants... From what I know, the casualties are over a dozen dead and injured!"

"Oh?"

Fang Rui’s expression turned serious. "I heard that many troublemakers emerged in the city this afternoon. The news about ’the reserves being defeated and the Taiping Bandits’ impending arrival’ also spread abnormally fast! Now, governmental officers and Chief Constables are being attacked... I’m afraid this is all the work of Taiping Bandit spies, trying to stir up chaos in preparation for breaching the city later..."

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Many of the smarter governmental officers and Chief Constables have figured this out. They’re slacking off or just hiding at home..."

Jiang Ping’an gave a bitter smile. "I’m not exactly a brave man, and I have a family to think about. Seeing how things are, I don’t plan on going on patrol tonight. I’m going to wait and see how things develop."

"You should be careful. Your caution is justified, Brother Jiang."

’If I were in his shoes, I’d probably do the same,’ Fang Rui thought. Seeing that the wine was warm enough, he picked up the pot to pour.

SPLASH!

Under the dim yellow firelight, the freshly warmed, amber liquid gurgled clear and bright from the spout, splashing into the bowl. A rich fragrance wafted out, filling the room with its aroma.

"Good wine!"

Jiang Ping’an sniffed the wine’s aroma and let out a sigh of admiration. He raised his bowl and took a large gulp, letting the flavor of the old yellow wine dance on his taste buds.

A moment later, he swallowed with a GULP, let out a long, satisfied sigh, and picked up another fennel bean to chew on slowly. "The city has really fallen into chaos now," he lamented.

"Yes, it has."

Fang Rui agreed, raising his own wine bowl. He sipped it slowly and unhurriedly as he began to talk about his own troubles. "Tonight, a local thug came to my house. Lai Liliu. He called himself a ’Lord Imperial Envoy’ and was carrying a document from the Government Office..."