When the Cannon Fodder Meets the Love-Brained Female Supporting Character - Episode 42

Seeing that she meant business, Xiao Li struggled desperately and cried out for help. Soon after, a white cloth was stuffed into his mouth, followed by the muffled groan of pain as the wooden rod struck.

Jiang Nan found him utterly repulsive.

“Throw him into the dungeon he built himself and post a few guards to watch him.”

Jiang Nan took Xiao Ran’s hand and turned to leave.

Suddenly, Xiao Li grabbed the hem of Xiao Ran’s skirt, his eyes filled with desperate pleading, making muffled sounds in hopes that his soft-hearted daughter would intervene on his behalf.

Unable to break free, Xiao Ran took out a small dagger she carried for self-defense and sliced the skirt away.

“Father, this is the last time I’ll call you that. The moment you decided to sell me off, we ceased to be father and daughter.”

Her eyes were resolute as she held Jiang Nan’s hand with one hand and lifted the torn hem of her skirt with the other, walking away without looking back.

Once outside the Xiao residence, Jiang Nan pinched Xiao Ran’s cheek and met her gaze, her tone stern as she teased, “If you ever endanger yourself like that again, I’ll throw you into the river to feed the fish.”

Jiang Nan thought Xiao Ran would be easily frightened, but she didn’t realize that Xiao Ran had grown accustomed to her threats over the past year.

Blinking her bright eyes, Xiao Ran asked, “If I fell into the river, you’d jump in to save me, right?”

Jiang Nan sighed, looking into those watery eyes. “Of course, I would.”

Xiao Ran seemed lost in thought for a moment before suddenly blushing, her face glowing with happiness.

Jiang Nan: “…”

The two returned together to their residence at No. 3 Huan Street, naming it the Jiang-Xiao Manor. While deciding what flowers to plant, someone knocked at the gate.

When they opened the door, they saw a woman leading a donkey laden with goods.

The woman smiled and said, “These are items Miss Qin Wan asked to be delivered to her family.”

Looking through the items, they found mostly rare curiosities, along with a letter that read:

I’ll return for the New Year to reunite with everyone. Take care, dear sister and sister-in-law.

Xiao Ran, now considering Qin Wan a younger sister, was overjoyed and immediately set out to write her a reply.

________________________________________

Two days later, the Jiang family completely collapsed.

News from the capital reached Yangcheng, and officials surrounded the Jiang residence.

Jiang Qi, relying on his official status, had committed numerous atrocities in secret. Among them was one particularly heinous crime. After failing to force a virtuous woman into marriage, he dragged her pregnant wife into the Chun Yuan brothel in front of her husband. When she emerged, she had suffered a miscarriage and was barely alive. Jiang Qi promised to spare her husband if she submitted to him, but after she complied, he sent back her husband’s corpse. Mutilated beyond recognition. The woman, driven to madness, took her own life.

This incident, which had not been exposed in the original plot and occurred in a distant county, was unknown to Jiang Nan. Her investigations had mostly focused on events in Qu City and Yangcheng. But with Zhang Zemin’s intervention, this far greater crime came to light.

The outrage it provoked among the people forced the authorities to act. Originally, only Jiang Qi was sentenced to death, but now he was condemned to death by a thousand cuts, and his family’s property was confiscated.

Jiang Qi, guilty of embezzlement and murder, deserved execution. As for the rest of the Jiang family, all direct relatives within three generations were exiled, while those beyond three generations including maids were sold off. Every valuable item in the estate was seized and auctioned, leaving not a single coin behind.

Jiang Nan, having turned against her own family and exposed their crimes, was pardoned for her contributions.

The entire Jiang family wailed in despair, their cries unending.

Jiang Nan and Xiao Ran stood not far from the Jiang residence, watching as familiar faces from the household were escorted out by officials, each one looking disheveled and downcast. The silver-edged plaque above the entrance was also taken down.

The maid, A’Tuo, was brought out, her expression dazed. When she spotted Jiang Nan, her lips trembled slightly as if to plead for mercy, but Jiang Nan didn’t spare her a single glance. Gradually, the light in A’Tuo eyes dimmed.

Jiang Qi and Jiang Xueping were the last to emerge, surrounded by several officials.

When they saw Jiang Nan, their eyes burned with fury.

“Jiang Nan, we treated you well. How could you do this to us? You’re nothing but a jinx, a curse!”

Jiang Nan was astonished by their shamelessness.

“By ‘treating me well,’ do you mean bringing me here just to scheme and steal my wealth?”

Jiang Qi glared at her as if he wanted to tear her apart. “So what? We’re family. Your wealth rightfully belongs to us. Why should outsiders benefit instead?”

Jiang Nan had no intention of arguing further. But seeing that he remained unrepentant even in the face of death, she stepped just out of his reach and coldly watched him flail and snarl.

“You’ll soon be reunited with Jiang Huai. Aren’t you thrilled?”

Jiang Qi’s lips turned ashen as he stared at her with venom. “I’ll haunt you even as a ghost! Don’t think you’ll live in peace!”

“If ghosts could torment the living, the innocent souls you murdered would have come for you long ago,” Jiang Nan replied, her voice icy.

Jiang Qi fell silent.

The officials behind him grew impatient and pushed him forward.

As Jiang Qi passed by Jiang Nan, she said, “Do you know who you should hate the most? Your beloved son. If he hadn’t tried to win a beauty’s smile, that bronze mask wouldn’t have fallen into my hands. And if it hadn’t, Magistrate Zhang Zemin wouldn’t have listened to me. Who knows? You might have truly risen in rank and fortune.”

At these words, Jiang Qi’s eyes widened. Pointing at her with trembling lips, he gasped, “So it was you.”

“What a pity… just a few dozen taels of silver short, and you wouldn’t have had to die,” Jiang Nan said slowly.

Her words struck like hammer blows to Jiang Qi’s heart.

His throat convulsed, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood before his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious. The officials dragged him away in disgust.

Jiang Nan turned to Xiao Ran and asked, “Do you think I’m cruel?”

Xiao Ran shook her head. “I only realized how much darkness lurked in this household. No wonder you never let me near it before.”

Soon after, Wang Feifei emerged, dragging the gifts she had once sent to the Jiang residence.

When she saw Jiang Nan, she hesitated but eventually approached to greet her.

Jiang Nan asked, “Do you plan to plead for their injustice?”

Wang Feifei scoffed. “What kind of scum are they to deserve my pity?”

“Jiang Huai has been exiled to An County,” Jiang Nan mentioned offhandedly.

Wang Feifei frowned and produced a divorce document. “No need to tell me. I love a good life, not him. If he can’t give me that, I’ll leave.”

With that, she gave Xiao Ran a meaningful look.

“You chose better than I did. This time, you win.” Wang Feifei walked away.

Xiao Ran stayed silent. She had never thought to compete with Wang Feifei in such matters.

________________________________________

The first clear day after the snowfall left traces of melting ice, glistening under the sunlight.

Aside from retrieving some valuables from the Jiang residence, Jiang Nan also had someone move the bed from her old courtyard out.

Passersby who saw it didn’t understand but respected it.

When the bed was moved to the new residence, Xiao Ran was the first to lie down on it.

The bed was filled with Jiangnan’s scent, and she felt like the happiest girl in the world at that moment.

“The bed isn’t even made yet.”

Jiangnan tried to pull her up but tripped over a sheet on the floor, tumbling onto the bed with Xiao Ran.

She was on top, pressing firmly against Xiao Ran, her arms full of soft, delicate warmth.

Their noses touched, breaths intertwining, hearts pounding wildly.

“So, sister prefers this position?”

Jiangnan noticed Xiao Ran’s thoughtful expression, as if she was mentally taking notes.

She immediately said, “What are you thinking? Don’t you dare write it down!”

Xiao Ran bit her lower lip and nodded. “Alright then.”

Why did she sound so aggrieved?

Jiangnan lowered her head and kissed those moist, rosy lips. First tentative nibbles, then deeper, more fervent kisses. As passion surged, the heat between them threatened to scorch. Desire burned in their eyes.

Before long, their clothes were loose and disheveled. Creamy shoulders, snow-white necks, delicate collarbones soon marked with faint and deep bruises.

Xiao Ran wrapped her arms around Jiangnan’s waist, her eyes shy and almost too bashful to meet the gaze of the woman above her.