Chapter 2, When the Moment Arrives

Oh... then you should take a closer look! Xiao Meng was somewhat amused and exasperated by her brother at that moment

With both hands resting on his younger sister's delicate shoulders, Ning Jiang gazed at her panicked face: "Xiao Meng, don't worry, you won't have to go to jail, and your brother won't either. You just need to do as I taught you... just follow what I say!"

"Brother, what happened?" Xiaomeng sat on the red-painted stool by the bed, looking at him with a puzzled expression

Indeed! Kui Er steeled her heart and turned to leave. In this room, there is one young master and one young lady. In the past, she would never have dared to be disrespectful to them, but now it no longer matters; tomorrow they will be in dire straits themselves. Once Master Ji becomes the head of the family, following Young Master Cheng, she will at least be a favored maid in the main household. Although she may be a scapegoat in front of her master, she will enjoy a good reputation outside. She absolutely refuses to follow the young lady and be driven out to suffer.

She smiled with a hint of pride and arrogance, saying, "Don't worry about this, wait until tomorrow..."

"Yes!" said Kui'er, lowering her head as she brought the meat soup to Ning Jiang, "Young Master..."

After being watched by my brother for a while, I said: "Brother, you've been lying down for so long, you must be hungry too? Kui'er will go and fetch some meat soup, you should drink a little first"

Kuir's expression changed suddenly, and her hand holding the soup trembled involuntarily: "N-no, it's nothing, just... the meat soup..."

"Brother, what’s wrong? It seems like you haven’t seen me for a long time," Xiao Meng said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at her brother with a puzzled expression

At that moment, the gauze door was pushed open, and Xiaomeng's maid, Kui'er, entered carrying a bowl of meat soup. Upon seeing Ning Jiang, she was somewhat surprised: "Young Master, you are already awake?"

She knew that her brother was very angry because Kui'er had harmed her in such a way. Therefore, her brother was very upset, and at this moment, she felt no sympathy for Kui'er, who was adding insult to injury by helping outsiders to harm her. However, taking a life must be paid for, and Uncle Jitang and the county magistrate would certainly not let this opportunity pass.

Xiao Meng shook her head

What should I do ? What should I do ?

I did not expect that my brother would turn around and humbly plead with Kui'er for her sake, Ning Xiaomeng exclaimed anxiously: "Brother..."

However, seeing Kui'er in a state of panic and guilt, she began to realize that what her brother had said was indeed true

Why does the young master know? I never expected that such a secret matter would be directly exposed by the young master right after waking up. Kui'er’s entire expression changed. Especially the young master’s gaze, which suddenly became sharp like a sword, made her feel a wave of panic.

Ning Jiang, however, stood behind her and said softly, "Wait a moment!"

What should we do? Xiao Meng exclaimed anxiously, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing the terrified expression on Xiao Meng's face, Ning Jiang couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. If it were in the world he lived in during his first life, he might have let Xiao Meng take the responsibility, after all, she was just over thirteen years old and still under the protection of the "Juvenile Delinquency Protection Law." However, now, he certainly could not allow Xiao Meng to bear such a serious crime for him

When the young master glared over, Kui'er was still a bit nervous, but now she felt triumphant, even experiencing a sense of becoming the master. She cast a disdainful glance at the young master, thinking that having been bullied to this extent, not only did he not dare to resist, but he also accepted his fate. Indeed, it was the right choice to seek refuge with Young Master Cheng first; following this incompetent young master and his clueless girl had no future.

On one hand, she was heartbroken due to the betrayal of the maid, and on the other hand, she was alarmed to hear that her brother would be exiled to the West Ridge tomorrow by the county magistrate on the charge of "disobedience." The Great Zhou Kingdom governs the world through Confucian law and rituals, placing great importance on filial piety. The "Classic of Filial Piety" is a required text in the imperial examination for the subject of "Classics." Filial piety is regarded as the "principle of heaven and the righteousness of earth." No matter how high one's official rank or status, a mere accusation of "disobedience" is enough to crush a person. If the elders of the county jointly petition, accusing her brother of the grave sin of disobedience, the county magistrate would exile him, and no one would have any grounds to object.

Ning Jiang was taken aback for a moment, then immediately laughed and said: "Who would believe that you killed her? Kui'er is even a bit older than you, who would believe that you have the strength to strangle her to death?"

Xiao Meng said joyfully: "Kui'er, bring the soup over for your brother to drink"

Ning Jiang couldn't help but smile happily once again, "It has really been a long time!"

Ning Jiang looked at Kui Er and said coldly: "As long as your young lady is still a miss of the Ning family, you are just a senior maid. The number of maids and servants who have been bullied by you behind the scenes is countless. In front of me and your young lady, you are just an honest girl. Now we are about to be driven out of the Jiang residence. If you continue to follow us, the senior maid who relies on her power to bully the weak will become a small maid with nowhere to go. If I were you, I wouldn't be able to stand it either. Now, Ning Yicheng is giving you this opportunity. After betraying your young lady, you can become half of the mistress of the Ning family. You certainly won't let this chance slip away. Hehe, don't say it's just half a mistress; even if you continue to be a favored senior maid in the Ning residence, it is better than being driven out with Xiao Meng, isn't it?"

She instinctively grasped the arm that was taut with veins, yet she could not break free. Her breath was stifled, her face flushed with red, filled with fear, dread, regret, and discomfort. In her blurred vision, she looked at the youth who was choking her, but his gaze was so indifferent, devoid of anger or excitement, as if he were merely pinching an ant by the roadside.

"Apart from the meat soup, is there anything else?" Ning Jiang said lightly, "Isn't it just the soft bone crisp? What is there that cannot be said? Go ahead, what benefits did Ning Yicheng promise you? To take you as a concubine? You send your daughter to him, and then you transform from a crow into a phoenix yourself?"

Suddenly exposed, Kui'er found herself at a loss in that moment. However, she quickly steeled her heart, thinking that since she had already been discovered, she might as well tear off the facade. She placed the soup bowl on the table and said loudly: "So what? Master Ji has already bribed the elders of each branch family. Tomorrow morning, they will jointly petition the authorities, claiming that the young master has committed the crime of filial impiety. The county magistrate has privately agreed to this and will exile the young master to the Western Ridge, three thousand miles away, helping Master Ji become the head of the family. The young lady will also be expelled from the Ning residence. It's not that I don't want to stay with you; I have to consider my own future..."

Ning Xiaomeng had no idea about any of this. From the dampness on her shoulder, she sensed that her brother was crying. She thought he was upset because of what had happened during the day and didn't know what to do. So, she wrapped her left arm around her brother's waist and patted his back with her right hand, comforting him like a child: "Brother, don't cry, don't cry, it's okay, it's okay..."

I never expected that the sunflower, whom I thought was loyal to me, would say such things. Xiaomeng angrily exclaimed: "You, you..."

Less ... ... Master ... ...

Xiao Meng opened her mouth to defend Kui Er, as she believed that Kui Er would never do such a thing to her

However, she never expected that her brother would strangle Kui'er like this

He pushed his younger sister away a little, grasping her round and tender shoulders with both hands, carefully observing her. Although fifty-six years had passed for him, in the depths of his memory, her appearance had never changed. Seeing his younger sister alive once again made everything worthwhile for him

Ning Jiang sneered with a smile, just yesterday... on the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, the day before he was to become the head of the family, those people came one by one to curry favor and flatter him. Yet now, after his misfortune, these same individuals have all hidden away, revealing the harsh realities of the world and the fickleness of human relationships.

He has returned, he has truly come back to this day. During his journey through the void, his celestial body was destroyed, and his primordial spirit shattered. He originally thought he had failed, yet perhaps it was due to that final obsession, or perhaps it was simply a miracle, he has indeed returned to this day

Ning Jiang looked at her coldly and said, "Speak, what did you put in the soup?"

To Ning Xiaomeng, her brother had merely been asleep for an afternoon

Ning Xiaomeng's mind raced with thoughts. Her brother, who had already been wronged, would face not just exile but execution if it were discovered that he had killed someone. Suddenly, she rushed over and pulled her brother towards the bed, saying: "Brother, lie down, stay in bed and don't get up. I will tell them that I killed Kui'er, that she angered me, and in my anger, I killed her. You lie in bed as if you have not yet woken up."

Ning Jiang got up from the bed and looked at the flame on the candlestick: "Who else came by this afternoon?"

"Kui'er? Meat soup?" Ning Jiang glanced towards the door and suddenly let out a cold snort

The words of pleading and regret could not be uttered, as the veins in the arm tightened further. When that resolute arm retracted, she had already slid down the wall like a dead fish, her eyes wide open in disbelief, filled with an unimaginable terror

She never expected that her brother would actually strangle Kui'er to death, leaving Ning Xiaomeng completely stunned. He killed someone; her brother actually killed someone. Looking at Kui'er, who was slumped in the corner, her mind was in chaos. Although she was very angry because of Kui'er's betrayal and treachery, and because Kui'er had even drugged her, she still didn't know how to deal with Kui'er.

Before she could finish her words, a hand suddenly reached out, gripping her neck and forcefully slamming her against the wall

However, for Ningjiang, this is a reunion after fifty-six years. The pain of fifty-six years, the torment of fifty-six years, has transformed into infinite joy at this moment. He embraced his sister, tears falling uncontrollably.

Kuir turned around and saw Ning Jiang slowly approaching her. She said to her, "You are now Mr. Cheng's person, so naturally, I cannot do anything to you. It seems that I cannot avoid this calamity tomorrow, but since you have been with Xiaomeng for so long and have considered each other as sisters, when Ning Yicheng becomes the young master, you should at least speak a few good words for Xiaomeng in front of the new young master, and at the very least, ensure that she has a place to shelter from the wind and rain in the division of the family. Don't you think?"

Hmm... it's nothing now... it's already nothing!" Ning Jiang, however, embraced his sister, laughing happily.