I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 312 - 287: Night Visit to Qiong Bamboo Temple (Part 1)
"Bro, I want to investigate Qiong Bamboo Temple at night. I always feel there’s something odd about it." Jiang Mingyue didn’t hide it from Xie Yunhai; all those things about the Taotie Pocket Watch, her brother had already told Xie Yunhai. According to her brother, last time when he went to the neighboring city for supplies and was ambushed by a death-seeking gang outside Nanxi City, it was Xie Yunhai who saved him at the risk of his own life. Since her brother said so, Jiang Mingyue naturally listened to him.
Her brother had a sharp eye for people, even though he could be a bit of a jerk sometimes.
"Alright, we’ll go at midnight. But right now, bro is starving. What do we have to eat?" As he spoke, he sat down at the dining table like a boss.
Jiang Mingyue: "...There’s food in the kitchen, you guys wait." These are her own brothers, she tolerated it!
"I’ll go help Yueyue." This guy didn’t care about face, but Xie Yunhai did. He was about to follow when Jiang Ming’an suddenly pulled him back, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble straight towards him.
The next second, he was caught around the waist; Jiang Ming’an pushed him aside, "Can you keep your composure? Have some sense of propriety?"
Xie Yunhai: "..." He was feeling touched just a moment ago, but now it all vanished like smoke; someone’s words were truly as lethal as garlic mixed with arsenic.
"Also, there’s no need for you to move. If anyone’s going to act, it should be me, her brother." Yueyue’s space should not be known to a fourth person.
With her brother guarding outside, Jiang Mingyue didn’t worry about anything. She took out a pot of rice, a braised chicken, a pot of appetizing pickled fish soup, cold dressed century eggs, and a steamed morel mushroom with eggs from her space.
She served all the dishes on the table. Fortunately, her brother still had some conscience, helping her serve the rice first, and then another bowl. Xie Yunhai reached out to take it. Just after he said "Thanks," Jiang Ming’an took the bowl and began eating, leaving Xie Yunhai awkwardly retracting his hand, preparing to help himself.
Jiang Mingyue felt quite a headache. Why were their wars fought right in front of her? She couldn’t just ignore it, after all, she was a person who understood manners.
"Brother Xie, let me." Jiang Mingyue quickly filled another empty bowl with rice and handed it over, not giving Xie Yunhai any chance to refuse.
"Thank you!" Xie Yunhai was satisfied, glancing at the opposite person, thinking next time he would surely restrain himself.
Jiang Mingyue didn’t know what just happened between the two, but her eyesight was good. Just glancing at her brother, she saw the slightly open collarbone in his shirt... Tsk! No wonder!
The three of them had only four dishes, but the portions were big. She estimated they wouldn’t finish it, but they polished them all.
Elder Brother finished his meal and tossed his chopsticks, "I’ll have a midnight snack when we get back tonight."
Jiang Mingyue raised an eyebrow: "You’re not full?"
"Just a bit short."
Jiang Mingyue: "...And you, Brother Xie? Should I make some noodles?"
Xie Yunhai waved his hand, "Tonight, let’s have roasted lamb leg. I got one yesterday and marinated it with seasonings."
Jiang Mingyue fell silent: they weren’t full! Alright, next time she’d make more. Strange how these two looked thin, yet they ate more than their eldest brother at home.
Luckily, both were talented at making money in unusual ways.
Jiang Mingyue was about to gather the bowls to wash them when the two stopped her, and in the end, Xie Yunhai washed them. Seeing him rolling up his sleeves cleaning up, Jiang Mingyue genuinely felt embarrassed, nudging her brother, "You’re going too far."
Her brother nonchalantly replied, "Do you want your brother to wash?"
Jiang Mingyue thought ’no’, then suddenly felt something was off, analyzing it closely. It seemed her elder brother took it for granted, but she unconsciously felt bad, probably because she always considered Xie Yunhai separate from their siblings—like the dinner tonight, she treated Xie Yunhai as a guest.
Reflecting on their interactions over time, Brother Xie always regarded her as family, and his relationship with her elder brother didn’t separate them. Jiang Mingyue only now realized it was she who drew the line.
After tidying up, her elder brother pushed her to go to the adjacent house number 43 with them.
"I can go alone. Can’t I go a bit later?"
Jiang Ming’an was firm: "No! You were afraid of ghosts when you were young. I say, just use this place as a warehouse."
Jiang Mingyue: "..." Thinking about it, she was indeed afraid of the dark. Every time it got dark, she’d overthink, scaring herself. But didn’t she have a space? There was no night in that space.
Anyway, it didn’t matter where she stayed; once the door was closed, she could do whatever she wanted.
Though she planned to go out at midnight tonight, to be well-rested, Jiang Mingyue climbed into bed, having already told her two brothers they’d wake her.
When the time came, the door was knocked, and Jiang Mingyue jumped up. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
When she opened the door and went out, the three of them looked at each other, eyeing one another. Had they not been under the same roof, they wouldn’t have recognized each other.
Jiang Ming’an chuckled, "Even without discussing, we’re so in sync. We truly are family."
Elder Brother disguised as someone who lost an eye, Brother Xie as someone with a burnt face, while she dressed as a spicy-looking woman; she actually intended to prank and see their reactions, but they surprised her by not being repulsed by their own ugliness. What a missed opportunity!
Jiang Ming’an cleared his throat, "Ahem... Actually, next time there’s no need, just wear night suits, maybe put on a black mask if there are people around."
Xie Yunhai glanced at him, having the nerve to say that, clearly holding back wanting to scare people. Don’t think he didn’t know.
The three didn’t ride bikes and walked on foot. The two guys had long legs and moved fast, and Jiang Mingyue kept up. Her spiritual power was always out. Unless there was someone troublesome ahead, she wouldn’t alert for ordinary people. Along the way, they encountered four groups, and Jiang Mingyue noted them all in mind.
But reaching the City Drum Tower, they couldn’t avoid facing a group of troublemakers, or perhaps these people were waiting there.
The only street was blocked by five men in a row. The three exchanged glances, both brothers giving her an assuring look.
Brother Xie pulled her and her brother behind him, receiving them with cupped hands: "Which of you gentlemen is the leader? I happen to have a bottle of good wine that I’d love for you brothers to try."
Saying this, he indeed pulled out a wine bottle from his bosom. Upon opening the cap, fragrant aroma wafted instantly, carried by a breeze over the bridge into the five men’s noses, changing their hostile aura to that of drunken men beguiled by fine wine.
" Brother, it’s a misunderstanding, it’s a misunderstanding! We, five brothers, are here patrolling to ensure everyone’s safety. We’ll move aside, we’ll move aside; it’s just the wine..."
"Meeting such a generous person like you, of course, I invite you for a drink. Meeting is fate, my name’s Yan Ergou. May I ask your name?"
The leader was dark and hefty, evidently used to illicit gain; as to how he did it, everyone has their methods.
However, as Xie Yunhai approached, he detected a scent from them, immediately identifying them as pig butchers. A while ago, his brothers found a black pig farm hidden deep within West Suburb Laojun Mountain, thinking perhaps they’re connected.
