Chapter 12: Sneaking into the Woods

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Jiang Zhiyue savored the bowl of noodles with great satisfaction—there’s nothing quite like enjoying a meal earned through one’s own effort! The large bowl of noodles was soon emptied.

“Can you tell me what he said to you in your dreams? Since he appears so frequently, it must be for a reason,” she asked.

Upon hearing this, Ming’s expression grew uneasy, and he sighed deeply.

“Ah, little sister, to be honest, I’ve been dreaming about my grandfather quite a lot recently. At first, he would just scold me, but later, every time he appeared in my dreams, he kicked me with his foot.

“The thing is, I don’t understand what he means by this. I even asked my wife back in the hometown to buy some joss paper and burn it at his grave, but it didn’t help at all.”

A friend nearby asked, “Ming, did your grandfather say why he was doing this in the dream?”

“Yeah, Ming, maybe Grandpa’s upset because you didn’t burn enough paper offerings, so he’s taking it out on you?”

Ming set down his chopsticks, his weary face showing helplessness.

“I don’t know either. Every time my grandfather comes to me, he just beats me up. I can’t exactly tell others the truth about this; who knows how the villagers would gossip or mock me.

“Tell me, what on earth is my grandfather trying to do? I was quite filial to him when he was alive.”

Jiang Zhiyue said, “Give me your birth details—I’ll help you analyze.”

Ming hesitated but eventually recited his birth information.

Jiang Zhiyue lowered her head, counting silently on her fingers while glancing at Ming’s face.

After a moment, she spoke:

“There’s a hidden mark in your child palace, indicating your son may soon face a serious accident involving bloodshed. Since your family line has only one male heir for three generations, your grandfather is probably worried the family line might end with you, which is why he keeps appearing in your dreams to warn you.

“But the realms of yin and yang are separated; he can’t directly intervene in the mortal world’s affairs or clearly explain during the dreams. That’s why he’s so anxious and resorts to hitting you.

“If you still don’t understand his message, I’m afraid your grandfather’s coffin won’t hold him down much longer—he might come out himself to stop what’s coming.”

Ming was greatly shocked. “It’s related to my son? What’s wrong with him? Little sister, don’t scare me—my son is obedient and well-behaved; he’s never caused us any trouble since he was a child.”

“Yeah, little sister, Ming’s son is quite accomplished—he’s studying at university in the capital now.”

Jiang Zhiyue smiled. “Uncle, has your son mentioned recently that he wants to do part-time work with his friends?”

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Ming nodded. “Yes, it’s the holidays now. My son came to see me a few days ago and said he wants to find some part-time work to earn tuition for next semester.

“I originally wanted him to work with me on the construction site for a few days, but he said his roommate’s family has connections and that he could do work related to his major through them. I thought that was fine—better than hard labor—so I agreed.”

“Uncle, you should call him now and tell him not to go. If he goes, he might never come back.”

Ming’s eyes widened. “Little sister, don’t say such things lightly. He’s going with classmates—how could there be any trouble?”

“You’re being naive, uncle. Do you even know who this roommate is? Where his family lives?”

Ming was caught off guard—he truly knew nothing. More importantly, he had never even considered these questions.

He was old and unaware of such matters. His son was a university student, so he trusted him.

Seeing Ming’s hesitant expression, Jiang Zhiyue knew he probably didn’t believe her words. But that didn’t matter—he could ask his grandfather himself to confirm.

So she said:

“Your grandfather is trying to warn you about this, but since you haven’t stopped it at all, he’s getting anxious.

“If you don’t believe me, it doesn’t matter. Later, go buy some incense, candles, and joss paper; we’ll find a quiet place and summon your grandfather to speak to you directly.

“If he realizes that coming to your dreams so often is draining your vital energy, he won’t come again.”

Ming bit his lip and set down his bowl and chopsticks. “Alright, I’ll trust you this once. I’ll go buy them now.”

Concerned for his son’s safety, he could not afford to be careless.

“Little sister, wait here for me. There’s a funeral supplies shop nearby. I’ll be back soon.”

“All right.”

Within minutes, Ming returned quickly, carrying a bag. It was clear he was no longer as calm as before, panting heavily from the run.

Jiang Zhiyue didn’t want to waste time. She glanced toward a nearby small park.

The park was lush with vegetation, offering some secluded corners.

After choosing a spot, the group left with the items.

Jiang Zhiyue didn’t notice a familiar blue luxury car parked not far away.

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The car window slowly rolled down. Sitting in the back seat, Jiang Qingyan rubbed her eyes.

“Fifth brother, isn’t that sister over there? It’s strange—who are the people with her? I’ve never seen them before.”

Jiang Chen, driving, looked up just in time to see a familiar figure flanked by three tall, unfamiliar men walking toward the small woods beside the park.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened sharply.

“Why bother? She already said she’s cutting ties with the Jiang family from now on.”

“Fifth brother, please don’t be upset. Sister was just angry for a moment. She doesn’t know anyone else here in the capital—there’s no way she’d really leave home.”

“Hmph, she brought this on herself. Who told her to badmouth you and try to get us to send you away? Little sister, don’t be too kind to her—people like that aren’t worth it.”

“Fifth brother, I’m just worried sister will suffer. You know, she’s not even in school, and without education, finding work is tough. If she leaves home, how will she survive alone?”

Jiang Chen looked at Jiang Qingyan with concern.

“Little sister, why can’t Jiang Zhiyue be even half as sensible as you? If she were, we would have already publicly acknowledged her status.”

“Fifth brother, she is still our biological sister after all.”

“So what if she’s biological? If others knew the eldest lady of the Jiang family was hanging around with a few migrant workers, it would disgrace our whole family.”

The more he thought, the angrier he became. In frustration, he slammed the steering wheel and stormed out of the car.

Jiang Qingyan quickly followed him.

As Jiang Chen sped up, Jiang Qingyan suddenly twisted her ankle and cried out, “Ah, it hurts!”

Hearing her, Jiang Chen stopped abruptly and hurried back to her side.

“Sister, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just useless. I was worried about sister and accidentally twisted my ankle. Fifth brother, don’t worry about me—go ahead and check on sister. I’m a bit concerned that she’s with those three strange men.”

Seeing Jiang Qingyan’s eyes reddened, Jiang Chen felt a deep pang of pity.

“Sister, don’t blame yourself. If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have twisted your ankle. Come, I’ll take you to the hospital first.”

“No, fifth brother, no. My foot is fine, really. Look…”

She limped forward a few steps, her voice trembling but still smiling:

“Fifth brother, see? I’m fine, I can walk. Let’s hurry and find sister. What if something happens to her?”