Chapter 13: The Entanglement of Fate

  The rain and snow have stopped, the sky is clearing up, and the white Taigong Mountain is shrouded in a hazy morning mist.

  The fire in the small wooden house had long been extinguished, and Wu Ming, who had practiced boxing for half the night and drunk wine for half the night, woke up from his sleep, only to find that his mind was still filled with the memories of yesterday's parting words. He couldn't forget the pale face, the eyes full of crystal tears, and the weak and trembling body in the rain.

  After a long while, Wu Ming finally let out a sigh and got up from bed. He slowly lit a piece of oil-soaked wood in the already extinguished fireplace, gradually adding dry firewood to build up the flames. As the swirling blue smoke dissipated, orange flames roared to life.

  Wu Ming sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace, staring at the flames as he combed through the complex emotions in his mind. His heart was filled with contradictions and confusion, and he couldn't figure out why he had chased after her in the rain yesterday, or why he had sent her down the mountain after lending her an umbrella. Was it just pity? Or was it a subconscious impulse?

  One after another, the unclear problems were entangled together like a messy knot, seemingly impossible to clarify. What made Wu Ming even more unacceptable and powerless to change was that, ethically speaking, Wang Yuexuan was still his brother's wife!

  No, Wang Yuexuan is the wife of Chen Jiayao's second son Chen Zhongkang. This matter originally had nothing to do with Wu Ming, but now it secretly pains him. Wu Ming inherited this body and also has no choice but to face the shame of the "mother" who has already passed away. The crimes that Chen Jiayao committed in his youth are indeed unforgivable. And then there's the housekeeper who drove the car that killed the "mother", these people are all living well, probably even very comfortably.

  The copper kettle on the edge of the fire pit "hissed" out hot air, Wu Ming woke up from his daze, turned sideways to grab a bowl and filled it with water, slowly putting it to his mouth and drinking it down, the long-held wish in his mind grew stronger: "Leave this heartbreaking place!"

  Wu Ming put down the bowl, walked to the head of the bed, moved away the large wooden block, lifted up the board and took out the package wrapped in blue cloth with a holster and Mauser pistol. He took out ten rounds from the leather cartridge case, pulled out the pistol, cocked it, skillfully loaded the bullets and closed the gun mechanism.

  "Knock knock! Brother Wu, it's Zheng Gang." Zheng Gang's loud voice came from outside.

  Wu Ming casually tucked the Mauser pistol into his waist and tightened his cotton robe to open the door, and Tian Zheng's cheerful face appeared before his eyes.

  "Has the weather cleared up?" Wu Ming shifted his gaze from outside and welcomed Tian Zhenggang, who was drenched in sweat, into the house.

  "It rained heavily again last night, and this morning the sun is shining brightly. However, the mountain path is slippery and difficult to walk on, I'm afraid we'll have to wait two more days before we can enter the mountains." Tian Zhenggang quickly walked over to the fireplace, picked up Wu Ming's discarded wristwatch from the floor, poured himself a bowl of hot water, and gulped it down loudly. The previous restraint and politeness were nowhere to be seen again.

  Wu Ming sat between the low table and the fireplace, casually picking up a piece of firewood and throwing it into the stove: "It's okay to wait for two days, the new Taoist priest of Qizhen Temple hasn't taken office yet. Zheng Gang, have you finished the farm work in the village?"

  "As early as after the Spring Festival, every household had already started working in the fields. Those who worked diligently finished their work earlier. The seedlings in our field are almost a foot tall now." Tian just put down his bowl and asked: "Brother Wu, can you take out that Hanyang rifle for me to have some fun?"

  "Get it yourself." Wu Ming replied lazily.

  Tian Zhenggang excitedly jumped up, took a few steps to the bedside stool, grabbed the rifle and canvas cartridge belt from the already opened slot, and returned to the fireplace to play with it happily. After loading and unloading the bullets several times, he became familiar with this Hanyang-made rifle in no time. If Wu Ming hadn't warned him that the gunshot might be heard by people down the mountain, Tian Zhenggang would have run out to fire a few shots for fun.

  After releasing the sheep, the two began to cook and after finishing lunch, they gathered in front of the fireplace again to fiddle with their guns. Their feelings for each other quickly warmed up, and Tian Zhenggang's way of addressing Wu Ming had changed. The "Wu" in "Big Brother Wu" was unknowingly omitted, becoming just "Big Brother".

  Wu Ming also learned a lot of information from Tian Zhenggang's mouth, and had a deeper understanding of the surrounding environment, customs, and the situation of the surrounding villages.

  To Wu Ming's surprise, Tian Zhenggang, who was six years younger than himself, was also a good hunter. When Tian Zhenggang talked about his older brother's hunting skills, he was full of admiration and praise. When it came to his own skills, he didn't hold back either, as if there was no one within a hundred miles who could surpass him except for his older brother.

  It was learned through conversation that Tian Zhenggang started attending a private school in the village at the age of five, began training in martial arts with his uncle at seven, and followed his older brother to hunt in the mountains at thirteen. He often wandered in the mountains for three to five days without leaving empty-handed. The new house built by his family last autumn was earned through selling fur and mountain goods over the years. Skills such as setting traps, digging pitfalls, and using iron clamps were almost all familiar to him. Whenever he talked about these things with pride, his face would radiate confidence, making Wu Ming secretly admire him.

  Tian Zhenggang stayed behind, before going up the mountain he told his family that he would go to Qi Zhen Guan to help out for a few days. His family didn't say anything else, and his old mother even reminded him to be grateful and not to spare any effort. With Tian Zhenggang's company, Wu Ming's days were no longer so lonely.

  Wu Ming rushed to the Qi Zhen Temple with Tian Zhenggang, who was diligent and strong, to sweep the Taoist temple for the upcoming Master Chengzhi, prepare enough firewood, clean the stove and kitchen, and also take care of the twenty or so sheep left by Little Chengyuan.

  The next day at noon, Cheng Zhi Daoist finally led two young apprentices and two miscellaneous workers to arrive at Qi Zhen Guan.

  Thirty-one-year-old Cheng Zhi Dao was slightly short in stature, with a pair of handsome small mustaches and a solemn expression. He spoke little, but his words were elegant and polite. After putting down his luggage, he followed Wu Ming to take a look around inside and outside, seeing that everything was clean and tidy. He kept thanking him and instructed Wu Ming to come find him anytime if he had time to hang out together.

  Wu Ming politely agreed and bid farewell, returning to his own hut. The worry in his heart was also put down. Not to mention that Cheng Zhi is the eldest disciple of Zhengzhen Daochang, and Cheng Zong and Cheng Yuan are fellow disciples. From the perspective of being entrusted by others and being loyal to others, he should have a beginning and an end.

  On the third day, it was still a sunny and fine weather. Wu Ming and Tian Zhenggang quietly entered the mountain after preparing everything.

  For Wu Ming, going into the mountains to hunt wolves is about linking his marksmanship, testing the experience he has gained from practicing alone with a gun over this period of time, accumulating experience and increasing his ability to stay alive in the future. At the same time, it's also a way for him to release and vent his tense emotions, as he needs to temporarily forget the complicated thoughts in his mind through high-intensity physical exertion.

  。。。。。。

  In the west courtyard of Chen's Grand House in Huanggu Town, Wang Yuehuan, who had been ill for several days, looked much thinner. She ordered her maid, Xiao Zhen, to open the windows that had been closed for many days. Her gaze swept across the cold and quiet garden, finally fixing on the distant Taijin Mountain, where she remained motionless for a long time, her large eyes appearing even bigger due to her sunken cheeks.

  After the Spring Festival, Chen Zhongkang, the second young master of the Chen family, rushed to Nanchang without his sick wife. The Chen family also knew that since Fang Zimin's several uprisings in Yiyang last year, the situation from Shangrao to Yingtan had been unstable, with gunfire and bandits rampant along the way. Moreover, his daughter-in-law Wang Yuehuan had not recovered from her illness after being frightened the previous year, and a few days ago, she had made a wish at the Qi Zhen Temple but was suddenly caught in the wind and rain, causing her condition to relapse and making it unsuitable for long-distance travel. Therefore, Wang Yuehuan and her maid Xiao Zhen could only stay behind to rest.

  Mr. and Mrs. Chen were quite satisfied with their daughter-in-law, who was gentle and refined in temperament. She came from a reputable family, was well-read and reasonable, respected the elderly, loved children, and treated her family members kindly. The only thing they felt was lacking was that she had a weak body and a somewhat cold personality. From the autumn of last year when they got married until now, there were not many people in the whole family who had seen their daughter-in-law's smile, as if she always looked like she had a lot on her mind.

  The two madams, Chen's wife and second wife, were very dissatisfied with their daughter-in-law. They thought that although she came from the wealthy Wang family and was an educated person who had received modern education, compared to her own son who had returned from abroad and risen through the ranks, she still fell short by a large margin. There was no reason for her to be so proud of her status and not speak freely, and this daughter-in-law was always frowning and didn't look happy at all. No matter how you looked at it, she didn't seem like a lucky person who could bring prosperity to the Chen family. The two madams even reached a private consensus that after a year or so, they would marry their only remaining precious son to concubines from other families, just to avoid Wang Yuehuan's sickly body and gloomy face which annoyed them.

  Only the third wife, who was over thirty years old, had no objection to the young and beautiful daughter-in-law. The third wife came from a wealthy family in Guangfeng, but her birth was not high. She had been literate since childhood and had a broad temperament, unlike the first and second wives who put on airs all day, requiring the frail daughter-in-law to go and pay respects every morning before they felt comfortable.

  After Wang Yuehua entered the Chen family, Third Madame would visit Xiyuan every other day to chat with her daughter-in-law, discuss ancient poetry, and talk about the new cultural movement that was currently flourishing. She would also often whisper in Chen Jiyao's ear that his wife was intelligent, gentle, and talented, a rare gem of a woman.

  Overall, Wang Yuehuan's life in the Chen family was not easy. Although she appeared weak and gentle on the outside, having lost her mother at a young age, she had a strong heart within. However, no one knew about the loneliness and pain in her heart. Her marriage to Chen Zhongkang, arranged by both families, caused a stir for a while, with outsiders generally thinking that they were a perfect match, envied and admired by many. But how many people could truly understand the sweetness and bitterness behind it?

  For her father-in-law Chen Jiyao, Wang Yuehuan was very respectful. For Chen Bo'an, the eldest son of the Chen family who died in battle at Wuchang City during the National Revolution, Wang Yuehuan had boundless admiration. However, she had no good feelings towards her uncle Wang Daohuan's arranged marriage and her husband Chen Zhongkang, who was full of empty words, but it was too late to regret now that things had already been set in motion.

  This kind of tormenting powerlessness made the pain in Wang Yuehuan's heart grow day by day, but she had no way to vent it out until she accidentally saw Wu Ming.

  When Wang Yuehuan first saw Wu Ming, she was shocked. Not only did Wu Ming look exactly like the photo of Chen Bo'an, the heroic Huangpu general hanging on the wall of the Chen family's main hall, but he also looked 70% similar to her father-in-law Chen Jiyao. If it were just a coincidence, Wang Yuehuan would not believe it at all.

  What's even more deadly is that from the moment she saw Wu Ming, Wu Ming's handsome and cold unique temperament, as well as his deep and profound eyes with a hint of sadness, instantly touched Wang Yuehan's heart. The feeling of familiarity yet unclear and unspeakable excitement grew stronger, especially after Wang Yuehan was rescued by Wu Ming in a critical moment. This feeling became even more intense until Wu Ming gave her an umbrella in the heavy rain, at which point her emotions could no longer be suppressed.

  She often wonders what Wu Ming is doing at this moment. This feeling grows stronger day by day, making her feel tortured.