I Transmigrated and Already Had a Wife - Chapter 24

Outside Linyang City, the western side of the mountain was largely exposed, with a military camp established at its base, enclosed by a wall. From a distance, one could see two massive, cylindrical brick structures from which white smoke slowly rose, forming a layer of thick mist above the surrounding hills, adding a sense of mystery.

Jiang Zhou stepped forward. There were soldiers guarding the camp gate. As soon as she approached, a shout came: “Who goes there?”

“I am Jiang Zhou, seeking your Kiln Supervisor. Please be kind enough to inform him, Officer.” As she spoke, she took two taels of silver from her sleeve pocket and handed it to the soldier.

The first soldier, while weighing the silver in his hand, tilted his head to look her over. After a moment, he said with an impatient tone, “Wait here.”

Jiang Zhou bowed in thanks.

The soldier left and returned shortly, followed by a man. As he drew near, Jiang Zhou recognized the Kiln Supervisor she had rescued that day.

The Kiln Supervisor, whose surname was Yao, immediately came out to greet Jiang Zhou. “Brother Jiang, please come inside quickly. I was planning to visit you myself in a few days, but I didn’t expect you to come first today.”

Having refused gold and silver that day and now showing up, Jiang Zhou felt a little guilty under Supervisor Yao’s words.

“Supervisor Yao, you are too kind.”

“Ah, don’t call me Supervisor. I am older than you, so just call me Elder Brother Yao from now on.”

As they talked, Supervisor Yao led her to a large hall. He did not sit in the main seat but sat with Jiang Zhou on a hoop-back armchair on the side. Before long, a maidservant entered carrying tea. She poured a cup for each of them, then withdrew from the hall.

Supervisor Yao’s happiness was evident on his face, somewhat overturning Jiang Zhou’s previous impression of him as a corrupt official.

He said, “Brother Jiang, please try this. This is this year’s new tea. Even the Emperor might not have tasted tea this good. This was freshly picked from the Zhou family’s tea garden, and paired with this set of teaware, it’s absolutely wonderful.”

His tone was full of exuberance.

Jiang Zhou lowered her head, examining the teacup. It seemed to be made of purple clay (Zisha), simple and unadorned, lacking any pattern, appearing quite ordinary compared to the brightly colored Jianzhan bowls of the modern era.

She picked up the teacup and took a sip.

It was a little bitter.

She tasted it again but truly couldn’t discern any other flavor. Her father, however, loved drinking tea. In the past, whenever he played in competitions across various regions, he would bring back some good tea for him.

However, she simply couldn’t enjoy the taste. If she were to say so, drinking this wasn’t as satisfying as drinking a bottle of Coke, especially an iced one—taking a big gulp on a hot summer day was instantly refreshing.

Lin Muwan also seemed to like tea. Every time Jiang Zhou returned home, she saw Lin Muwan brewing tea in a pot.

For some reason, thinking of this, Jiang Zhou suddenly felt that she was somewhat vulgar compared to them.

She echoed nervously, “It is indeed good tea.”

Supervisor Yao laughed heartily. He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, closed his eyes, as if savoring the flavor.

Jiang Zhou: “…”

After a while, he opened his eyes. “The tea flavor is fragrant, with an endless aftertaste.”

Jiang Zhou: “…”

“Brother Jiang and I are kindred spirits. I’ll have a servant prepare a packet to give to you later.”

What “kindred spirits?” He clearly knew she didn’t understand tea yet insisted on aligning her with him.

However, thinking that Lin Muwan liked tea, she didn’t stand on ceremony with him.

Supervisor Yao put down his teacup, his expression turning serious. He asked, “Brother Jiang, have you encountered some difficulty with your visit today?”

Jiang Zhou: “…”

Truly, he was an experienced official who could see right through people. Jiang Zhou didn’t try to hide anything and spoke frankly. “To tell you the truth, I do indeed have a matter I need to ask Supervisor Yao…” Jiang Zhou quickly changed her words under his gaze, “…Elder Brother Yao for help with.”

“Oh? Tell me about it. As long as I can help, I certainly will,” Supervisor Yao stroked his short beard, his smile deepening.

It was as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Jiang Zhou cleared her throat, clenching her hands. A thin layer of sweat broke out in her palms. She wasn’t good at lying, and whenever she did, she would get nervous and her palms would sweat. She took a breath and said, “Today, my mother’s relatives returned from business in the capital and brought news that Minister Lin in the capital has been imprisoned for a crime, and his family has been exiled to your area, Elder Brother Yao.”

“Oh?” Supervisor Yao paused his hand that was stroking his beard. After some thought, he asked, “What is the relationship between this Minister Lin and Brother Jiang?”

“There is no direct relationship. It’s just that when my mother was younger and in distress, she was once saved by Minister Lin. She has always been mindful of her benefactor, and now hearing that her benefactor is in trouble, she is naturally upset. As a child, I am thinking of what I can do to relieve my mother’s worries and help as much as possible, just to repay the kindness of saving her life back then.”

Jiang Zhou finished in one breath, letting out a slight exhale. She kept her eyes fixed on Supervisor Yao, who frowned, pondered for a moment, and then advised, “Brother Jiang, you must not mention this matter to outsiders when you are outside. Minister Lin’s case was personally ordered by the current Emperor. Who would dare get involved? Wouldn’t that be opposing the Emperor?”

He paused, reflected briefly, and lowered his voice. “How about this? Since the Lin family’s wife and children were exiled to our official kiln, I’ll have my subordinates investigate the matter and instruct the people below to take good care of them. That can also be considered repayment for the kindness. What do you think, Brother Jiang?”

“This…”

Jiang Zhou knew his good intentions, but she needed to see Madam Lin today no matter what. If she missed this opportunity, she didn’t know when the next chance would be.

She stood up, cupped her fists, and bowed to Supervisor Yao. “Elder Brother Yao, the kindness of saving a life is like a second chance at life. How can we back down simply because of fear? In that case, I won’t make things difficult for you, Elder Brother Yao. Could you please help me arrange a meeting with them, just to fulfill my mother’s long-cherished wish?”

Seeing her so persistent, and since he was in charge here, Supervisor Yao immediately called for his clerk.

“Sir, there is currently only one member of the Lin family listed in the roster.”

“Hmm?”

“Everyone assigned to the official kiln is registered. Since there are no others, this subordinate suspect they may have died on the road. Such occurrences are very common.”

“This…” Supervisor Yao hesitated. He glanced at Jiang Zhou and sighed. “Brother Jiang, this sort of thing is indeed very common here. Those children of high-ranking families are fragile and weak. It is already difficult for them to survive the journey to the destination.”

How could Jiang Zhou not know? The thought of Lin Muwan enduring so much hardship on the road made her feel like her heart was stuffed with cotton—heavy, neither rising nor settling. She pinched her fingertips and nodded.

Supervisor Yao said nothing more and had someone bring Madam Lin over. However, the returning subordinate reported that Madam Lin had been injured a few days ago by a rolling stone while working on the mountain and was currently recuperating.

“What?” Jiang Zhou suddenly stood up from her chair, anxiously saying, “Elder Brother Yao, may I go and visit her?”

At this moment, Supervisor Yao was also surprised. He had just promised to take better care of the Lin family member, and yet, less than half an hour later, this had happened.

Typically, people exiled here who were injured or ill would not be provided with a doctor for treatment. If they died, they would be rolled up in a straw mat and tossed onto the back hill, where they would be dragged away and eaten by wild beasts overnight.

He wondered what the situation was with this injured Lin family member.

He waved his hand and told his subordinate to lead the way. Before long, they arrived at a tent constructed with straw mats.

Supervisor Yao said to his subordinate, “You all go and stand guard over there. No one is allowed to approach.”

The subordinates took the order and retreated to stand a short distance away.

“Brother Jiang, I will wait for you here.”

Jiang Zhou nodded, lifted the straw curtain, and her eyes met a scene of disorder. A thick layer of straw was spread along the edge of the tent, and a woman was huddled motionlessly in the straw in the corner, her body hunched over.

Jiang Zhou’s heart tightened. Clenching her fingertips, she slowly approached, her spirits unusually heavy. As she drew closer, the woman seemed to hear the movement, woke up, and coughed. She slowly turned around. Seeing a stranger, she tried to sit up, lifted her hand, and then put it down, as she lacked the strength. Seeing this, Jiang Zhou quickly stepped forward, supporting Madam Lin’s arm and helping her sit up with her back leaning against the tent.

Madam Lin lowered her head to straighten her clothing, not forgetting the dignity of a high-ranking official’s wife, even in such surroundings.

Jiang Zhou nearly wept, but she was immensely grateful. Fortunately, Mother Jiang had bought Lin Muwan early on, sparing her from such suffering.

“Who is this young master?” Madam Lin asked.

“I am…” Jiang Zhou suppressed the grief in her heart and continued, “I was entrusted by someone to come and see Madam.”

“By whom?”

“An old acquaintance of Madam’s.”

Madam Lin furrowed her brow. The resemblance to Lin Muwan was seven or eight tenths discernible in her features, even the action of furrowing her brow was exactly the same.

Jiang Zhou leaned in closer and whispered, “Miss Lin.”

“Wanwan!” Madam Lin immediately grabbed Jiang Zhou’s hand, her emotions agitated. “Is she well now?”

Feeling the strength in her hand, Jiang Zhou looked down. Madam Lin quickly released her grip, her eyes filled with apprehension, yet still focused on Jiang Zhou’s face, displaying the deep love of a mother for her daughter.

Jiang Zhou couldn’t bear it and said, “She told you not to worry. I will bring her to see you tomorrow.”

“Can you?” Madam Lin asked, seemingly having already adjusted her turbulent emotions. She straightened her posture and smiled. “Forget it. It’s enough to know that she is doing well. Don’t let her come, lest she worry too much.”

Jiang Zhou understood her concerns. She was afraid that the news of her daughter being alive would be discovered by others. As long as she knew her daughter was doing well outside, what difference did seeing her make?

Jiang Zhou’s eyes suddenly became hot. She steadied her emotions and promised, “I will bring a doctor to examine you tomorrow. Please rest assured, I will find a way to rescue you.”

Madam Lin looked at her deeply. She had some guesses in her heart but ultimately didn’t ask.

At the entrance of Jiang Family Village, Jiang Zhou stepped off the ox cart, holding the new tea given by Supervisor Yao. Her heart was heavy. All the way, she was pondering how to rescue Madam Lin. Supervisor Yao was afraid of being implicated and had consistently refused to release her. There was no immediate breakthrough to be found on his end.

The only concession so far was Supervisor Yao’s promise that she could bring a doctor to treat Madam Lin.

Speaking of doctors, the first-person Jiang Zhou thought of was her fellow transmigrator, Jiang Miao.

She rushed to Mu Family Village without stopping and immediately explained the situation to her. Jiang Miao calmly arranged the medicinal herbs on the shelf and said with disdain, “That’s simple enough.”

“You have a way?” Jiang Zhou anxiously interrupted her, earning a cold glance from Jiang Miao. She obediently shut her mouth.

“They don’t keep dead people in the official kiln,” Jiang Miao said flatly.

?!

What does she mean by “don’t keep dead people?” Was she suggesting her mother-in-law should die?

Jiang Zhou was instantly furious upon hearing this. “You’re speaking so lightly! That’s my mother-in-law.”

Jiang Miao stopped what she was doing and gave her a look as if she were an idiot. After Jiang Zhou’s emotions calmed down, Jiang Miao slowly spoke. “I’m not saying she should really die. Give her a temporary death pill. The people at the official kiln will surely throw her out then. You just have to retrieve her before the wild beasts come out, and she won’t die.”

Really?

Jiang Zhou was shocked, her mouth wide open. She had only heard of such medicine in novels and TV shows. She swallowed and covered her mouth, asking with uncertainty after a moment, “Are you telling the truth? Does such a medicine truly exist?”

Jiang Miao sneered and glanced at her. “Believe it or not.”

“I believe it, I believe it.”

Jiang Miao was not the type to joke. She believed her.

If she didn’t know Jiang Miao was a germaphobe, she would hug her tightly right now.

Her thoughts seemed to have been seen through. The next second, Jiang Zhou met a pair of cold eyes, piercing with an icy light.

She shrank her neck, deciding not to provoke this humorless person.

With the autumn wind gently blowing and the grass waving, Jiang Zhou’s lips curved slightly upward, and her steps were light, her heart eager to return home.