Chapter 145: The Man Next Door is a Lazy Bum

“Don’t, don’t, don’t!” Old Lady Zhang hurriedly waved her hand.

She tried to step forward, but when the man glared at her, she immediately stopped in her tracks, too afraid to move.

He sized her up from head to toe. Old Lady Zhang subtly moved her left hand behind her back.

Once he was certain there was nothing suspicious, the man waved his hand.

“Go cook. If I catch you sneaking out again, both you and your son will be dead!”

Old Lady Zhang was drenched in cold sweat.

She quickly ran to the kitchen and locked the door behind her, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.

A few days ago, Zhang Da Shi had somehow invited this man into their home. The man was very generous, claiming to be a traveler passing through the area and planning to stay a few days. His first act was to give her ten taels of silver and a jade bracelet.

Old Lady Zhang was overjoyed and thought she and her son had lucked into some easy money.

But then the man started acting strangely.

He forbade Old Lady Zhang from taking money outside to sell meat, and he restricted her, telling her to stay home more. He also insisted that she not wear the bracelet, saying she could only take it out once he left.

Old Lady Zhang couldn’t stand it.

She sneaked out to show off the bracelet and lied, telling him that her family ate meat regularly, which was why she bought some pig knuckles in the city.

What a busy body, interfering with their lives.

At first, she thought he’d only stay for a couple of days, but unexpectedly, he had been there for five or six days without any intention of leaving.

Today, he even came out of the cellar to threaten her, saying he would kill her and her son.

Old Lady Zhang felt uneasy, sensing that she had somehow attracted the attention of someone dangerous.

“Please, Buddha, let him leave soon!” Old Lady Zhang prayed, her hands clasped in fervent prayer.

After praying, she hid the bracelet behind the firewood pile and started cooking.

What Old Lady Zhang didn’t know was that the person sitting in her living room was none other than Zhu Que, a servant of Lord Lu.

Zhu Que had been in Yun Tong County for a while now.

At first, he had posed as a businessman, tricking Ye Da Cheng into thinking he had a big deal to discuss.

Once he gained his trust, he invited the Ye family to his home under the pretense of his wife inviting them for a visit.

When the Ye family’s house was ransacked, Zhu Que saw an opportunity to seize the fortune.

But as he was about to strike, he realized something was off.

He abandoned his wife and daughter and fled into the deep mountains to hide.

In order to allow Ye Da Cheng to escape, Zou Shi clung desperately to Zhu Que’s leg. Even after her death, Zhu Que had to break her arm to free himself from her grasp.

However, when Zhu Que came back to look for Ye Da Cheng, Ye Da Cheng had already disappeared without a trace.

With no other option, Zhu Que first dug a grave to bury Zou Shi and Ye Xin Yao, then went into the mountains to search for Ye Da Cheng.

He searched for five days and nights in the mountains, and eventually, he cornered Ye Da Cheng at a cliff.

Fearing capture, Ye Da Cheng jumped off the cliff right in front of Zhu Que. Zhu Que tried desperately to catch him, but he only managed to grab a corner of Ye Da Cheng’s clothes.

Zhu Que was furious.

Because of one small oversight, he had already wasted too much time.

There was still one member of the Ye family left to deal with, and he no longer had time to check whether Ye Da Cheng had survived the fall. Instead, he immediately descended the mountain to find Ye Xin Ran.

Ye Xin Ran was the person Lord Hou had specifically instructed him to handle, and Zhu Que had to act quickly, making sure no one noticed anything unusual.

But fate had other plans.

As soon as he descended the mountain, he heard that the bodies of Zou Shi and Ye Xin Yao had been found and dug up by the county guards.

Zhu Que immediately knew the situation was bad.

Fearing his identity might be exposed, he didn’t dare openly inquire about Ye Xin Ran’s where abouts.

Just as he was struggling with what to do, he heard that Ye Xin Ran had been summoned to the county office for questioning.

Zhu Que followed and arrived at the main hall, then trailed behind the Xiao family’s carriage to Yun Bian Village.

Originally, he had planned to take advantage of the quiet of the night to deal with the last member of the Ye family.

But once he arrived, he realized that the man accompanying Ye Xin Ran was no simple person. He might not even be able to defeat him.

To be completely certain, Zhu Que knocked on the door of Old Lady Zhang’s house, pretending to be a merchant who had happened to pass by and wanted to stay there for a few days.

Following his plan, he stayed next door so that he could keep an eye on Ye Xin Ran’s movements. As soon as Ye Xin Ran and the man separated, he could act.

However, to his surprise, the two seemed inseparable.

Except when the man went to the restroom, Ye Xin Ran didn’t follow him, otherwise, they both came and went together.

Zhu Que was momentarily at a loss, and could only wait for an opportunity.

Meanwhile, the greedy and foolish mother and son of the Zhang family not only openly and secretly asked him for money, but also went out to show off.

Zhu Que was tempted to kill them to keep them quiet.

But he was also afraid that the villagers might notice something was wrong, so he decided to keep a close watch on Old Lady Zhang, ensuring she behaved.

Time was running out, Lord Hou was waiting for his report.

After staying for a few days, Zhu Que decided not to wait any longer. Tonight, at midnight, he would take the risk.

That evening, Old Lady Zhang was cooking a pot of wild vegetable porridge.

Zhu Que looked at the dark and unappetizing porridge and frowned.

Old Lady Zhang quickly explained, “We don’t have any grain left, and the newly harvested rice isn’t dried yet! You wouldn’t let me go out to buy grain, so this is all we can eat!”

Zhang Da Shan ate his portion noisily.

Zhu Que reluctantly picked up his bowl and ate a few spoonfuls.

Then, he asked, “What does the man next door do?”

Old Lady Zhang had already noticed that he seemed very concerned about the Xiao family, often sneaking peeks at them these past few days. She was sure he was interested in Ye Xin Ran.

Her eyes gleamed with a thought.

She had once wanted Zhang Da Shan to deal with Ye Xin Ran, but now it seemed that Xiao Huai’an’s leg had healed.

If this man could fight Xiao Huai’an to the death, maybe her son could benefit.

A widow was just a widow, as long as she could help her make money, that was enough.

“You should ask Xiao Huai’an yourself. Why are you so concerned about him?” she purposely asked.

“Answer my question quickly. Don’t waste time with nonsense,” Zhu Que said impatiently.

Only then did Old Lady Zhang respond, “That Xiao Huai’an is a fallen man exiled here. He used to be lame and survived by hunting. After he married, I don’t know how, but his leg healed.

Now, he doesn’t go hunting anymore, he just stays at home and lives off his wife!”

“Lives off his wife?” Zhu Que repeated the words.

“Yes, he depends on his wife, who sells medicinal herbs to support him,” Old Lady Zhang said, observing Zhu Que’s expression as she spoke.

Zhu Que had observed for many days, but he hadn’t expected this outcome.

Any man with any backbone would never live off a woman.

This Xiao Huai’an…

Xiao Huai’an?

Suddenly, Zhu Que felt that the name sounded familiar, as though he had heard it somewhere before.

But he couldn’t remember where.

Nevertheless, it didn’t matter what his name was.

In Zhu Que’s eyes, both Xiao Huai’an and Ye Xin Ran were already dead.

Tonight, they would definitely die by his hand.