When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 6

With Jiang Yan mediating, Yuan Feng’s prejudice against Jiang Zhen lessened. Although she still didn’t have a pleasant expression, she at least stopped looking for opportunities to punish her.

Jiang Yan, on the other hand, spent all day running to the Ningbo Courtyard. No matter how much Jiang Zhen disliked her, she was happy to hang around in front of her, as if she had the words “sycophant” written on her face.

After half a month of this, Jiang Zhen finally spoke to her on her own initiative.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

Looking at Jiang Zhen’s cold face, Jiang Yan felt a wave of frustration. She had done everything she could, but the other party still didn’t believe her. If this continued, she would truly be at her wit’s end.

“Elder Sister, didn’t I tell you? I want to make it up to you. Everything before was my fault. I have deeply realized my mistakes and reflected on them. Can you give me a chance?”

Without a second thought, Jiang Zhen immediately refused: “No.”

Jiang Yan’s face fell, like a deflated balloon. “Why? Because of what happened before, have I become an unforgivable sinner to you?”

Jiang Zhen didn’t want to waste any more time with her and turned to leave.

In reality, she had been thoroughly annoyed for the past half-month.

From the moment she opened her eyes until she closed them, there was always someone in front of her. She had no personal space whatsoever. Her martial arts had been neglected, and she had also started to relax her guard against Jiang Yan.

This was not a good sign; she had to stop the losses as soon as possible.

Jiang Yan looked at Jiang Zhen’s retreating back, almost crying. She hadn’t expected this mission to be so difficult.

That damned Oscar called it a beginner-level mission, yet she immediately encountered an unassailable target.

Beginner my foot! Even a seasoned pro might not be able to handle her.

Sighing deeply, Jiang Yan followed Jiang Zhen’s steps, trailing not too close and not too far behind her.

After walking for a while, Jiang Zhen stopped, her face extremely gloomy. “What do you want to get from me? Just say it directly!”

Jiang Yan thought to herself, ‘You’re dirt poor; what could I possibly want from you?’

‘Just that your face looks good, your figure is slender, and that cold demeanor is attractive.’

As a “lecherous pervert,” Jiang Yan fantasized for a moment and blurted out, “I want you!”

Jiang Zhen was first shocked, and then looked at her as if she were an idiot.

After realizing what she said, Jiang Yan wished she could bite off her own tongue. ‘What nonsense was that? So poisonous!’

“If you truly have nothing to do, go find a school, or if that’s not an option, learn some needlework or embroidery. Don’t follow me around saying such inexplicable things!”

After saying this, Jiang Zhen left without looking back, leaving Jiang Yan alone in a state of regret.

Jiang Yan didn’t know how she got back. It wasn’t until Dong Xue asked her that she was startled to realize she had already returned.

“Miss, was today not a good day? Why are you so down?”

With that question, Jiang Yan felt like crying. She lay on the table, looking at the patterns on the cup, and sighed.

“Xue, what can I do to make Elder Sister not hate me?”

She was truly at her wit’s end.

She had never done a similar mission before, so she had no ideas. Other than clinging to her like a “sycophant,” there was nothing else she could do.

Dong Xue thought for a moment, then slowly said: “Why don’t you just ask the Young Miss directly what she wants? That would save you from having to guess.”

Jiang Yan thought this was also a valid approach, but it no longer applied to the present situation. It might have worked before today, but after today…

It was all because of her cursed mouth. Why did she have to talk nonsense and scare the person away?

Qiu Yue came in from outside, hiding something bulky in her sleeve. When she saw Jiang Yan looking, she hid it even deeper.

“What are you hiding?”

“Nothing?”

Qiu Yue shrank behind Dong Xue, trying hard not to let Jiang Yan see her hand.

Jiang Yan, who was looking for a place to vent her anger, sternly said, “So you dare to defy your Miss now?”

“No, no, I’m not. Your servant did not defy you.” Qiu Yue quickly explained.

Jiang Yuan seized the opportunity: “Then hurry up and hand over what you’re hiding!”

Reluctantly, Qiu Yue stepped forward and placed the sweet potato she was holding on the table.

“That’s it?” Jiang Yan was dumbfounded. ‘What’s so special about a measly sweet potato that you have to hide it? Is the General’s Manor going bankrupt tomorrow?’

Dong Xue rubbed her chin, feigning a profound look. “This sweet potato must have a hidden secret. Qiu Yue, honestly, what’s going on?”

Qiu Yue glanced at Jiang Yan, then lowered her head, whispering, “Sister Xia He gave it to me.”

Jiang Yan immediately understood. No wonder she was being so secretive; so there was a story behind it.

“So what if Xia He gave it to you? Why are you hiding it like a thief? I thought it was something valuable.”

Qiu Yue’s voice was as thin as a mosquito’s buzz: “It’s just that I’m afraid you’ll get jealous and make me work again.”

Jiang Yan didn’t hear clearly and stretched her neck forward. “What did you say?”

“Your servant didn’t say anything; you must have heard wrong.” The instinct for survival made Qiu Yue lower her head.

Looking at the still-steaming sweet potato, a light bulb suddenly went off in Jiang Yan’s head. She squinted her eyes at Qiu Yue.

Qiu Yue was so frightened her hair stood on end. She grabbed the sweet potato and hid it behind her back, looking noble and righteous.

“Don’t even think about getting your hands on my sweet potato!”

Jiang Yan pouted her lips. “Look at you, so pathetic. Who cares about a measly sweet potato! I want you to discreetly ask Xia He if there’s any place Elder Sister wants to go or anything she wants to do. Xia He is her personal maid, so she should be more aware of these things.”

Qiu Yue relaxed and sat down opposite Jiang Yan very naturally. “You don’t need to ask about that. I heard Sister Xia He tell me yesterday that ever since the Young Miss came to our manor, she has never been out. She must really want to go out and see the world.”

Jiang Yan was half-skeptical. ‘Jiang Zhen looks so stoic; would she also yearn for the outside world?’

“Was that Xia He’s guess or did Elder Sister say it herself? Be clear.”

“It must be the Young Miss’s wish, otherwise Xia He wouldn’t have told me.”

Jiang Yan had a plan in her mind. Her eyes flickered a few times, and she had already made a decision.

“Gurgle–”

A sound came from Jiang Yan’s stomach. The three of them froze for a moment, and then Qiu Yue reacted with extreme speed. She immediately stood up, took her sweet potato, and ran out quickly, taking less than ten seconds in total.

Jiang Yan: “…”

Dong Xue: “…”

“Miss, what would you like to eat? I’ll go prepare it for you.” Dong Xue had a smile on her face, but it was unclear who she was laughing at.

Jiang Yan casually named a few dishes. After Dong Xue left, she continued to lie on the table like a salted fish.

Lately, in order to get along with Jiang Zhen, she had been getting up early and staying up late, without even having time for breakfast. This wouldn’t do; she was at the age of growing, so how could she be without nutrition?

She wanted to grow taller than Jiang Zhen, so she would have the strength to fight back. The next time Jiang Zhen fell asleep, she would just carry her directly to the bed.

Hehe.

That night, Jiang Yan ate three bowls of rice. Yuan Feng laughed so hard she couldn’t close her mouth and kept praising Jiang Yan.

The next morning, Jiang Yan went to the Ningbo Courtyard to find Jiang Zhen, but she couldn’t even get past the courtyard gate.

Looking at the tightly closed door, she helplessly crawled through the dog hole on the side.

A lady can bend and stretch. It’s just a dog hole; she’ll just crawl through it!

Jiang Zhen was practicing swordplay in the courtyard when a figure suddenly popped up beside her. Her eyes instantly changed, and the sword in her hand went straight for her.

The incomparably sharp sword grazed Jiang Yan’s cheek, cutting off a lock of her hair.

Jiang Yan was so scared she couldn’t speak, her eyes wide as she stared at Jiang Zhen.

Jiang Zhen gave Xia He a look, and Xia He expertly went over, picked up the sword, and handed it to her.

Wiping the sword with a white handkerchief, Jiang Zhen walked in front of Jiang Yan and said coldly, “What’s wrong, scared? Is this all the courage a young lady of the General’s Manor has?”

Jiang Yan came back to her senses, looking at the severed hair on the ground, feeling a sense of having survived a great calamity.

She met Jiang Zhen’s gaze and said earnestly, “It doesn’t matter if I’m timid. As long as Elder Sister’s martial arts are superb, it’s fine. I’ll just focus on literary studies.”

Jiang Zhen scoffed, turned, and walked into the house.

“What’s the matter this time that made you willing to crawl through a dog hole to get in?”

Jiang Yan looked at the small dog hole, her face reddening slightly.

Her small body just barely fit through. If she were any sturdier, she might have gotten stuck.

“Elder Sister, tomorrow is the Qiqiao Festival. Let’s go out and stroll together. It should be very lively.”

Jiang Zhen’s steps paused, then she coldly threw out the words “I’m not going” and entered the house.

Xia He slightly curtsied and said to Jiang Yan, “Second Miss, please don’t be offended. My Young Miss didn’t mean to give you a hard time. Today is the death anniversary of the late Young Master and Madam, so she is in a bad mood.”

Jiang Yan didn’t care at all. This kind of behavior from Jiang Zhen wasn’t new. It would be truly terrifying if she suddenly became gentle and kind.

“It’s fine. You go in and attend to her. I’ll crawl… out by myself.”

She almost blurted out the wrong word.

Xia He curtsied again before turning and going inside.

Jiang Yan glanced at the courtyard gate and the dog hole, and ultimately chose to leave through the main gate.

Around noon, Yuan Feng sent someone to deliver three sets of clothes for Jiang Yan to choose from.

She planned to take her “silly daughter” to the manor of Minister Liu tomorrow as a guest.

Minister Liu’s manor had sent an invitation half a month ago, asking her to grace them with her presence. She couldn’t refuse, so she planned to take Jiang Yan with her. This would allow her to get to know other young ladies her age. Otherwise, if she were to remain cooped up in this confined space, she might do something foolish.

Since many people would be attending, a bit of competition was inevitable. Her daughter must not be outshone.

So Yuan Feng spent a great deal of money to have three sets of clothes made. The materials, tailoring, and design were all exquisite, and just looking at them, one could tell they were very valuable.

Jiang Yan wasn’t very interested in what she would wear, but she did take a liking to the set of moon-white silk and gauze wide-sleeved ruqun. From the first glance, she thought it was very suitable for Jiang Zhen.

Moon-white is already a serene color, and paired with her aloof temperament, it would be absolutely stunning.

The person who came was Yuan Feng’s first-class maid, Piao Xu, who was always easy to talk to. So Jiang Yan pestered her to accompany her to the Ningbo Courtyard to give the clothes to Jiang Zhen.

If she delivered them herself, Jiang Zhen would definitely not accept them. It was better to use her mother’s name to send them.

This would not only avoid awkwardness but also seize the opportunity to win some favor for her mother.

Perfect.

When they arrived at the Ningbo Courtyard, the master and maid were having a meal. Looking at the three plain vegetable dishes on the table, which had no oil, Jiang Yan instinctively frowned.

During the past half-month, she had been pestering Jiang Zhen, but she had never seen her eat. She didn’t expect her to eat only this. No wonder she was so thin; how could she gain weight by only eating this?

“Xia He, go call the person in charge of the kitchen. Tell them I have something to ask.”

Xia He glanced at Jiang Zhen and, seeing no reaction from her, “deng deng deng” ran out.

Jiang Zhen put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and looked at Jiang Yan, waiting for an explanation.

She had only been back for less than two hours, and she was here again. Was this Ningbo Courtyard so attractive to her?

Jiang Yan then remembered the purpose of her visit and pointed to the clothes in Piao Xu’s hands. “Mother made these clothes for you. I just happened to be passing by, so I came with Auntie Piao Xu.”

Jiang Zhen raised an eyebrow: “Passing by?”