After Transmigration, Her Whole Family Are Villains

Chapter 223

The Beginning of Winter.

It rained yesterday.

Suddenly, it turned cool.

Jiang Manor was a scene of busy yet orderly activity.

They were packing up.

During the earthquake earlier, Qin Luoxia had already reorganized and packed away the valuable items in the household.

Because the earthquake had damaged the house, it had been renovated once again.

Jiang Mianmian had also acquired a sword forged from meteorite iron - the kind with a beautiful sword tassel, a scabbard, and a blade that was very sharp when unsheathed.

She was absolutely delighted with it.

For this reason, she even signed up for an extra hobby class, sword practice taught by her Elder Brother.

She tried it out and found that wearing the sword at her waist didn't actually affect her walking.

It looked very cool.

Having a sword was comparable to what? Perhaps like carrying an extremely expensive luxury handbag in modern times.

Then she also had a set of medical instruments made that she needed.

Her Elder Brother was very good at teaching and very patient.

Mianmian felt that compared to memorizing ancient texts over and over, practicing swordsmanship was actually much easier.

She imagined the sword moves as radio calisthenics, which made them easier to remember.

Foreigners think radio calisthenics are super complex and mistake them for Chinese kung fu, but really it's just doing the same thing every day until it's ingrained in your bones.

Sword practice was probably similar.

Every morning she practiced with her Elder Brother, first one move at a time.

Then they were strung together.

First slowly connected, then smoothly, and finally quickly.

Then practicing repeatedly every day, Jiang Mianmian felt very happy. Sword practice indeed gave a sense of physical strengthening, much like radio calisthenics. After practicing swordsmanship daily, her height, which hadn't increased for a long time, actually loosened up a bit and grew by half an inch.

Jiang Mianmian was overjoyed. It was an unexpected gain, and she resolved to keep working hard.

Sword practice had become one of her favorite activities recently.

Next to that was treating patients, which basically broke even.

Ever since she reattached the finger of Old Nine, the yamen runner, a few months later he was actually able to move it freely, which amazed everyone.

As it happened, the day she reattached Old Nine's finger was the first day of distributing porridge, and a huge crowd had come, spreading the word far and wide.

After that, she had many more patients.

Jiang Mianmian wasn't an almighty god; she only treated what she could and referred those she couldn't treat to other doctors in the city.

Mianmian discovered that sword practice also helped improve her hand speed and surgical skills, complementing each other.

Now when she went out to practice medicine or to school, she had an extra bodyguard. Originally it was just Fatty Girl, but now Wei Biao had been added.

Jiang Mianmian had just adapted to life in Jingzhou.

School, sword practice, medical practice - it was very fulfilling.

But then an official order came from the capital, and her Father had to go to the capital with the prefect's family to report for duty.

None of their family had imagined that one day they would not only leave Kan'er Village for the Provincial Capital, but now they were even going to the Capital City.

They were excited and nervous.

Jiang Yu was very excited, having heard that there were many more delicious foods in the capital. The capital also had the imperial palace, and the palace had imperial chefs. It was said that every imperial chef was the best in the world.

She was nervous because she would finally meet her parents-in-law.

Although they had been corresponding and things seemed good, they hadn't met in person. What if the meeting wasn't pleasant? That would be so awkward.

And she was setting out while heavily pregnant. What if they were too slow on the road and she gave birth? If it was a girl, she'd name her Meng Lu, if a boy, Meng Lu. Jiang Yu had already thought of names.

For some reason, when she said she'd name a daughter Meng Lu, Mianmian smiled like a little fool, probably excited about becoming an aunt. Every day she would come to read to the baby in her belly, even more diligently than she read for herself.

Meng Shaoxia was also very happy. Although he would be in the way of his parents, after being away for so long he missed them too.

Moreover, bringing little Yu'er back, and soon to have another child, the thought was exciting. He would soon be upgraded too.

Jiang Feng was very busy, not with packing luggage, but because he had been responsible for leading troops in training. Now that they were going to the capital, the elite forces certainly couldn't be abandoned and had to be brought along.

So during this time, apart from teaching his sister sword practice every morning, he was organizing the troops, selecting the elite, and streamlining the force.

Those left behind weren't being discarded either.

Jingzhou was still their stronghold and couldn't be abandoned. It had to be guarded well.

Jiang Changtian returned home after spending half a day at the yamen.

He didn't have much to hand over. The yamen was now filled with his people, who would act according to his requirements even after he left.

Jingzhou had prospered, but power had imperceptibly changed hands.

Jiang Changtian received a letter.

It was from his friend, Gong Qichi.

"Changtian, I hope this letter finds you well.

Since coming to the capital, we have been accumulating strength without sinking into decadence. We believe that as long as we work hard, there will surely be results. However, our Lord has been defeated by fate. The Lord would occasionally complain of headaches, which we didn't pay much attention to, because sometimes when I stay up late, think too much, or sit for too long, I also get headaches. But suddenly the Lord's head burst, and he died. He died in front of the Young Lord, who witnessed it with his own eyes.

The Young Lord, in recent years, had become less taciturn, more like us. However, after the Lord's death, perhaps due to shock or other reasons, he has fallen silent again, no longer speaking. I could only step up in this crisis to take care of the Young Lord. But the Lord had many adopted sons, and their relationships were not solidly united. While the Lord was alive, everyone could work together, but with the Lord gone, the adopted sons have differing opinions. Now the situation in the capital is complex, and it seems we are falling apart. Years of effort may be wasted in an instant. If it must be destroyed, I would rather it be destroyed in your hands.

The situation is urgent. Please come quickly.

Your friend, Night Sailor."

Jiang Mianmian also received a letter.

It was from Zi Xiaochong, the little brother from that year.

They exchanged letters occasionally, but very infrequently, about once a year. Usually, it was when Zi Xiaochong's family sent New Year's gifts, with a letter tucked in, just to say hello.

Jiang Mianmian would politely reply with her own greetings.

However, this letter was different.

"I attended the first funeral of my life. It was my Father's.

He died in front of me, very suddenly, without shock or sorrow. Perhaps it's a good thing.

The thing I feared most was Father leaving me.

It finally happened.

From now on, in this world, I have no family left.

I am like a wandering soul.

Drifting, floating.

The funeral was simple. Father's grave is not far, at the foot of Yanshan Mountain.

If you come to the capital for spring outings, you might even pass by.

Father liked lively places when he was alive, he probably fears loneliness after death too. That's good.

My little turtle is still alive, and so am I.

Strange.

I once had a dream where I died, and Father attended my funeral. Father was very sad.

Now I'm very sad, and for a moment I can't tell which is better.

It turns out dreams are the opposite.

I'm very afraid of dreaming.

Things in dreams are always a bit scary.

The only time I had a dream that felt reassuring was when I dreamed of you.

I heard you're coming to the capital. This is probably the only reason for me to stay alive now.

I want to see you one more time.

Then I'll go to accompany Father.

I want to ask you to take care of my little turtle, because you look like you'll live a long life. You can take care of the little turtle for longer."

Jiang Mianmian read the letter, read it three times over.

Only then did she realize tears had fallen onto the paper.

She looked up.

Outside the window, there were two trees.

She remembered when she was very young, she told him, if you want to give a gift to your father, to express your like, your love, you have to say it out loud.

She picked up a tree branch and gave it to him.

He gave it.

She taught him to try hard to love people, he did, and then the person he loved died.

A gust of wind blew, and leaves fell from the trees, floating and drifting, empty and falling.