Chapter 62 - Jiang Hongfu (3)
Chapter 62 : Jiang Hongfu (3)
Jiang Hongfu asked a lot of questions while they were on the road, but the gray-clad man would either remain silent or answered with ‘did not know’.
The coachman suddenly said from outside, “Mister, the Jiang’s residence is up ahead.”
The gray-clad man immediately carried Jiang Hongfu out of the carriage like he was a chicken, then threw a piece of silver to the driver and said, “Go!” The carriage was obviously rented by him.
Once they got off the carriage, they could see the Jiang Residence gate. At this moment, Jiang Residence people were busy coming in and out. By the look of it, they knew something had happened to the family. The gray-clad man asked, “Is this your home?”
Jiang Hongfu nodded and answered, “It’s my home.” Since both of them had arrived at the door of his house, he finally believed the man’s words.
The gray-clad man stated, “I’ve finished my job, so take care of yourself!” This five hundred taels of silver gave him a really good earning. There was no risk at all. It was just like he was playing house. It would be nice if the escort agency could often receive such business.
There was something else that Jiang Hongfu wanted to say, but when he looked up, the man in gray had gone. At this time, Jiang Hongfu was also discovered by some people of the Jiang Residence. “Eldest Young Master…” After that, the man who had called him, came rushing towards him like an arrow.
A dozen people of the Jiang Residence ran over and saw Jiang Hongfu in good condition. They were all pleasantly surprised when they heard their colleague called out “Eldest Young Master…” Just now, they heard the news that Eldest Young Master had gone missing, and his personal attendant had been killed by a carriage. Now that the mansion were in the condition where both men and horses are thrown off their feet (Chinese idiom : thrown into confusion), they didn’t expect that Eldest Young Master would suddenly appear out of thin air.
Jiang Hongfu asked coldly, “Has Dad return home yet?”
The concierge shook his head and said, “Master has not returned yet, but when Madam got the news saying that something has happened to Young Master, she immediately sent someone to invite Master back home.”
Jiang Hongfu slightly said, “I see.” After that, he returned to his yard and did not go to the backyard to inform Yu Shi of his safe return.
When Yu Shi heard Jiang Hongfu’s return, her face changed. However, her heart was pretty good in adapting, so she quickly contained her panic. She asked while looking anxious, “How is Eldest Young Master?”
The porter who came to tell the news shook his head and said, “Except for some messy hair and clothes, Eldest Young Master looks fine.”
The moment Jiang Hongfu finally entered his yard, Yu Shi took a maid and an old woman to Jiang Hongfu’s yard. Looking at Jiang Hongfu still in one piece, Yu Shi’s eyes turned red as she said, “You scared me to death just now, son.”
Since Jiang Hongfu’s grandfather and cousin had warned him before about his stepmother, even if Yu Shi again being good to him, he would always act indifferent. Now, he was very suspicious of Yu Shi, making him won’t be easily taken by her good face. However, since he had no evidence for now, he will not question anything. He only said, “I’m fine. It just that Ah San has gone.” Ah San was Jiang Hongfu’s dead personal attendant.
Yu Shi saw the coldness in Jiang Hongfu’s eyes and her pupils recoiled, but her face was still looking anxious. She stated, “I’ve called a doctor. Let him have a good look at you.”
Jiang Hongfu replied, “No, I only dirtied my clothes and everything else is fine.” After a pause, he said, “Mother, I need to take a shower and change my clothes first.”
Yu Shi did not know whether she was being too sensitive, but she could feel Jiang Hongfu had spoken coldly to her, “Go ahead, I’ll wait for you here.”
Jiang Hongfu shook his head and said, “I’m all right. Mother should go back first.” He still had something to do. How could he let Yu Shi stayed here and stood in the way?
Jiang Hongfu started to drive people out, and it wasn’t appropriate for Yu Shi to stay there any longer.
Just as Yu Shi left, one of Jiang Hongfu’s follower, Jiang Xiaofang returned to residence. Jiang Wenrui attached a great importance on Jiang Hongfu as he was his eldest son. Therefore, the people served beside Jiang Hongfu were all carefully selected by him. Jiang Xiaofang, who was one of the few selected, had became Jiang Hongfu’s right-hand man.
Jiang Hongfu instructed Jiang Xiaofang, “Find out where the carriage that hit me just now came from. Also, try to find out why the carriage from the residence didn’t come pick me up? “
Not before long, Jiang Wenrui arrived home. Seeing that Jiang Hongfu was fine, he was completely relieved. “Fu-er, what is going on?”
Jiang Hongfu shook his head and said, “I don’t know either.” He couldn’t say that he was harmed by his own family without any evidence to back up. His father was right to value him, but he was also very fond of his other children. Even if he told his father about this things, in the end, it would only turn big problems into small ones (becomes a big scandal and overlook small problems).
Jiang Wenrui had some doubts, but if he asked Jiang Hongfu, he would only answer that he did not know. So, he could not ask his son anymore questions. But it was a very strange thing. How could there be a carriage in the street that nearly hit his son so coincidentally?
Jiang Wenrui went to change his clothes. After freshen himself up, he went to the yamen to ask the Governor to investigate the incident.
Once there, the Governer explained to him, “Lord Jiang, this is really an accident. The horse suddenly went crazy and got out of control. The groom was thrown off the carriage because of it.”
Jiang Wenrui asked with a cold face, “Then, where is the groom?”
The Governor shook his head and said, “The groom’s injury was too serious that he had already passed away. Lord Jiang, did your son say where he went after the accident? ”
Jiang Wenrui cracked a joke and said some words to deal with the Governor, but his face was very ugly once he was done. His son didn’t tell him about it just now. Why did his son hide it from him? There must be something wrong going on.
Jiang Xiaofang soon told Jiang Hongfu what he heard. Jiang Hongfu’s looked more and more ugly as he asked, “Did you say it was an accident?”
Jiang Xiaofang repeated what the Governor had said, “It was really an accident. The carriage driver was seriously injured and passed away.”
Jiang Hongfu said with a straight face, “Why didn’t the carriage from the mansion come to pick me up then? That can’t also be an accident? “
Jiang Xiaofang also felt that today’s incident was too coincidental. “The carriage did left the residence, but the driver had a severe stomach-ache on the way, so the carriage was delayed.”
Jiang Hongfu had taken the gray-clad man’s words with a grain of salt at the beginning, but he would have believed them now. One coincidence made sense, but two coincidences? How could there be so many coincidences in this world? It was clear that someone wanted to kill him. Unfortunately, Yu Shi’s method was too clever to leave any trace, and also thanks to someone rescue effort. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here anymore.
Jiang Xiaofang and Jiang Hongfu grew up together. They said they were master and servant, but their relationship was no different from those blood brothers. When he looked at Jiang Hongfu’s face, he realised something odd. He thought for a moment and asked, “Young Master, how did you get back to the residence?” He heard that Eldest Young Master appeared at the gate out of thin air. No matter how you looked at it, it was still felt odd!
Jiang Hongfu didn’t hide from Jiang Xiaofang whom he trusted so much, and told him what the gray-clad man said.
Jiang Xiaofang’s face turned green, “I did feel something was wrong. I didn’t expect it was an elaborate plan to kill the Eldest Young Master. It is detestable that we can’t find the exact evidence.” If it wasn’t for Eldest Young Master’s luck of meeting a man with noble character, he would have really lost his life just like the way the poisonous woman wanted.
Jiang Hongfu was surprised. Even he was being suspicious at the gray-clad man at first. He didn’t expect that Ah Fang would believe it all at once. “You don’t doubt that man has other ulterior motive?”
Jiang Xiaofang replied, “Although I don’t know how this person knew about Yu Shi’s poisonous plan, he had saved Young Master. This is a great kindness. Young Master, you are the first son of your family and will inherit the family business in the future. With you still alive, can Second Young Master still step backdfor you in the future?“ As long as his Eldest Young Master was well, not only his family’s money, but also his contacts and other resources must be closely tied to him first.
Jiang Xiaofang actually didn’t say anything regarding this matter to his Young Master. His parents even commented that Yu Shi was acting too enthusiastic about Eldest Young Master that her own children had to give way for him. It had never happened where a mother would love other people children dearly over their own blood children. When something was out of the norm, there usually a person with evil and fraudulent plan behind the scene. His parents often whispered this matter to him. They afraid that he would be deceived by Yu Shi and exploited by her people.
The reason why Jiang Hongfu was not close to Yu was also influenced by Old General Yun, his maternal grandfather. Old General Yun said that there were few good stepmothers in the world, especially those with their own biological children. He was warned to stay away from Yu Shi and not to be coaxed by her. Even if Yu Shi treated him warmly and expressed great concern for him, he would always treated her with indifferent attitude. However, she always acted very considerate of her manners when she was in the open.
Being hardhearted had alway being Jiang Hongfu’s forte. Despite Yu Shi treated him kindly over years, he was still unmoved. However, he didn’t think what his grandfather had said was actually right. There had never been a good stepmother. All of them had bad intentions.
Jiang Hongfu said with a complicated look, “The man said that only when I went back to my mother hometown will Yu Shi not be able to harm me. He is right. Yu family power nowadays is in full swing. Not to mention that we haven’t found any evidence. Even if we do find one, we won’t still be able to shake her position.” Yu Shi had no roots in his mother hometown, so, it was absolutely impossible for her to get rid of him without anyone noticing. Moreover, if she dared to attack him in his mother’s hometown, once evidence was found, even if Yu Shi had children, Jiang family would have to divorce her.
Yuxi had once been married to Jiang family for six years. Even if she was a little transparent, she still knew some things. For example, the Jiang attached great importance to their children. If anyone dares to murder them, especially those with good qualifications and promising prospects, they would be severely punished as long as they were found out. This is also why Yuxi could say with confidence that Jiang Hongfu could only be safe when he returned to his mother’s hometown.
Jiang Xiaofang felt that returning to one’s hometown was not a good idea. His Young Master’s teachers and classmates were all in the capital. If they had to go to Jiangnan, his Young Master had to start everything all over. Moreover, Eldest Young Master moved to Jiangnan would only benefit the poisonous woman, Yu Shi. “Young Master, this matter still needs to be discussed with Master. He has always loved you. If he knew that Yu Shi tried to hurt you, he would certainly not spare her lightly. “
Jiang Hongfu thought for a long time and said, “Let me think it over again.” One only needed one thousand days to be a thief, but where one had time to wait a thousand days to prevent the thieves (Chinese saying : It is difficult to achieve long-term prevention, there is always time for negligence… If I was not wrong)!
After thinking about it all night, Jiang Hongfu found Jiang Wenrui in the early morning of the next day and told him, “Dad, I dreamed of my mother yesterday. My mother said that no one have been pulling the grass out of her grave. Dad, I want to go back to my mother’s hometown to visit her grave.“ He didn’t told him that he would not return home for the time being once he was in his mother’s hometown. If he told his father that, he would definitely not let him go.
Jiang Wenrui was waiting for his son to explain to him what had happened yesterday, but he didn’t expect such a conversation could occur. He stared at Jiang Hongfu and asked, “What are you running away from? What can’t you tell your dad?” Did he take him as a fool? Yesterday his son had an accident and now, today, he said he wanted to go to his mother’s hometown. There was clearly something that his son had been hiding from him.
Jiang Hongfu bowed his head and said nothing. He didn’t know where to start, and he was afraid that his father would be disappointed with him once he told him about it.