Chapter 568
Chapter 568
“Then why didn’t you come to the Jiang residence to find me?” Jiang Yuanrang asked Li Zhiwei, puzzled.
“We went to the Jiang residence, but they wouldn’t even let us through the gate,” Li Tianyou said with a cold snort.
“What? How dare they do such a thing?” Jiang Yuanrang rose angrily to his feet.
“Big Brother, it’s not really their fault. We’re your relatives, but we aren’t related to them. We’re doing quite well staying here,” Li Zhiwei said, gently shaking her head.
“Zhou’er, we came here for two reasons. First, we wanted to pay our respects to your adoptive mother and learn what happened when you first came to Lucheng. Second, we wanted to personally visit her and properly thank her for raising you these past nineteen years.” Li Tianyou looked at Jiang Yuanrang.
“Big Brother, what do you think? Should we set a date so we can pay her a visit?” For some reason, Li Zhiwei felt that Madame Jiang must have had ulterior motives in raising her elder brother.
“I’ll go back and discuss it with my mother,” Jiang Yuanrang said after a moment’s thought.
“All right, then. You should head back early today. Once the date has been settled, send someone to let us know.” After saying this, Li Tianyou told Jiang Yuanrang to return to the Jiang residence.
“Miss Li, would it be all right if I stayed here?” Wen Xiu did not want to leave with Jiang Yuanrang. Instead, she turned to Li Zhiwei.
“Perfect. I have something I’d like to discuss with Sister Li as well. Big Brother, you should go back first.” Li Zhiwei smiled and nodded.
She was thinking that this would be a good opportunity to ask Wen Xiu what had happened during the days she had spent at the Jiang residence.
“You’re not coming back with me?” Jiang Yuanrang looked at Wen Xiu with clear reluctance.
“The Jiang residence is your home, not mine. Besides, I still want to talk with Sister Li.” Wen Xiu rolled her eyes at him, sounding annoyed.
“Didn’t you promise to protect me?” Jiang Yuanrang pursed his lips, looking as though he would refuse to leave unless Wen Xiu went with him.
“Xu Chuan, go with the First Young Master and protect him. If anything happens, send someone to report back,” Li Zhiwei instructed. She did not really think Jiang Yuanrang would be in any danger at the Jiang residence, but she did want to have a proper conversation with Wen Xiu.
Jiang Yuanrang was left speechless.
His own little sister really knew how to undermine him.
In truth, he only wanted Wen Xiu to remain by his side.
Xu Chuan nodded in acknowledgment.
He, too, was eager to take a good look at the Jiang residence.
With no other choice, Jiang Yuanrang set off, turning back every few steps to glance at the rear courtyard of the county office. He wondered whether Li Zhiwei might change her mind and let him stay as well.
“Young Master Li, you should hurry back. Your friend is probably still at the Jiang residence,” Wen Xiu reminded him when she saw his expression.
Only then did Jiang Yuanrang remember that Jun Mowen had gone to confront Madame Jiang.
He could no longer worry about anything else and hurried toward the Jiang residence.
If Jun Mowen suffered any loss, he would have to stand up for him.
After all, Madame Jiang had switched the real child with a cat and ruined the other man’s reputation.
The Jiang Residence
Jun Mowen had been sitting in the courtyard for quite some time, yet no one had come to attend to him.
“Tell your mistress to come out and see me!” Jun Mowen shouted unhappily at a servant nearby.
Yet no one paid him any attention. They simply continued with their own tasks.
The servants were all intensely curious about the identity of this visitor.
Meanwhile, in Madame Jiang’s Jing’an Courtyard, Nanny Tang tremblingly took a packet of medicine from inside her robes and handed it to Madame Jiang.
“Add it to Rang’er and Yue’er’s soup later,” Madame Jiang ordered after merely glancing at it.
“Madam, if the First Young Master is unwilling, why must you…” Nanny Tang hesitantly tried to persuade her.
Madame Jiang let out a cold snort. “Do I need you to teach me how to handle my affairs?”
Of course, Madame Jiang knew that Jiang Yuanrang was unwilling. But did he truly have a choice in the matter?
Those people had actually come knocking at her door.
Madame Jiang did not believe the Jiang family had the power to keep Jiang Yuanrang there.
If she could not keep the elder one, then she would keep the younger one.
“Madam!” Jiang He called cautiously from outside the hall.
“What is it, Steward Jiang?” Madame Jiang asked.
“A moment ago, an old man arrived outside the residence, claiming that he wanted to see you,” Jiang He replied carefully.
“Steward Jiang, can’t you handle such a trivial matter? Must I meet every random person who asks to see me?” Madame Jiang was already in a foul mood, and Jiang He’s words only made her angrier.
“But the man said that you deceived him nineteen years ago,” Jiang He said.
“Utter nonsense! Nineteen years ago, why would I have had the time to deceive some old man?”
As Madame Jiang spoke, she suddenly froze.
A certain person came to mind.
Back then, there had been a physician who had declared that her son would not live past the age of five.
Her son had indeed left her in his fifth year.
Even now, Madame Jiang regretted it. If she had listened to that physician back then, might her Rang’er have lived a little longer?
Later, however, she brought home the current Jiang Yuanrang.
Afraid that the physician might say something he should not and expose Jiang Yuanrang’s identity, she had deliberately sent Jiang Yuanrang to the man’s clinic to accuse him of being a quack and smash his signboard.
Afterward, the physician had disappeared without a trace.
Madame Jiang had assumed that he must have died in some forsaken corner long ago.
How could he possibly have come back to settle a score with her?
“Send him away. Give him some silver,” Madame Jiang said after thinking it over.
“Yes, Madam.” Jiang He bowed and withdrew.
“Where is she?” Jun Mowen asked with open displeasure when he saw the steward approach alone.
“Elder, Madam is not at the residence. You should leave at once,” Jiang He said with a light cough.
“Nonsense! Is that vile woman hiding somewhere because she doesn’t dare show her face?” Jun Mowen demanded angrily.
“Elder, this is just a small token of our goodwill. Take the money and leave.” Jiang He handed him a single tael of silver with a smile.
“Are you trying to dismiss me like a beggar?” Jun Mowen laughed in outrage when he saw the silver Jiang He offered him. Did they really take him for a beggar?
A cold laugh echoed in Jun Mowen’s heart.
This was indeed exactly the sort of method that woman would use.
“Tell Madame Jiang to come out and see me. Go ask her whether she still remembers Doctor Jun,” Jun Mowen said angrily.
“Doctor Jun?” Jiang He was startled. He had some vague recollection of the matter himself.
Yet he carefully looked the man up and down. It was truly impossible to connect this disheveled old man with the elegant and renowned Doctor Jun of the past.
“Hmph!” Jun Mowen snorted as he sat down nearby.
He clearly intended to stay until he had seen Madame Jiang.
Jiang He felt increasingly uneasy.
Could what this man said actually be true?
Had Madame Jiang really deceived Doctor Jun back then?
But he truly could not understand what Madame Jiang could possibly have deceived Doctor Jun about.
Even so, Jiang He did not dare ask Jun Mowen.
“Old man!”
A voice rang out from outside.