"Tomorrow is also a special day. It happens to be the forty - ninth day since his father's passing. From his habits, it's obvious that he attaches great importance to rituals. So his plan will be carried out tomorrow."
Wu Yangping even held a ceremony when opening the brick kiln, and he would worship the door gods in front of the door every time he got home.
There were many such habits, which were hard to ignore.
Under normal circumstances, Ye Zhinan wouldn't have thought much about it.
But having received modern medical education, she naturally understood what his abnormal behaviors meant.
"There's another group of people following Ji Yuqing's convoy. I don't think he'll let it go easily. He will surely drag his mother into it. All I can do is try my best to protect her."
Qin Yihuai nodded. Ye Zhinan's plan was extremely well - thought - out, which was even astonishing.
But for Ye Zhinan, the deployment of personnel was nothing special.
In fact, the lives of the entire village were in her hands, and it felt like a huge stone was weighing on her heart.
"By the way, after Wu Yangping leaves tomorrow, send someone to search his house carefully. But also pay attention to safety. Never touch things you shouldn't."
She silently prayed in her heart that as long as no one lost their life, Wu Yangping would be safe.
He could build and make blue bricks.
This showed that he wasn't a good - for - nothing.
Instead, he had been working hard secretly where others couldn't see.
"You think Wu Yangping still has a chance, don't you?"
Qin Yihuai didn't give a definite answer. In fact, both of them hoped that people could turn over a new leaf and that everyone could live a peaceful life.
"If there's a chance for him to turn back, I'll surely strive for it."
The two of them watched the afterglow of the setting sun, both fearing and looking forward to the arrival of tomorrow.
Ye Zhinan got up very early and talked to Ji Yuqing for a long time.
But in the end, she didn't tell her about Wu Yangping's plan.
After all, it was just their speculation. If she said it, it might drive a wedge between the mother and son.
It would be even more difficult to repair their relationship in the future.
"Am I not going to come back alive, so that's why you've been nagging me like this?"
Ji Yuqing suddenly spoke up, which caught Ye Zhinan off guard.
She forced a smile and tried to keep her voice steady.
"No. I'm planning to do business in the future. I still need your advice."
Ji Yuqing was a bit stunned, but then quickly regained her composure.
She always felt that Ye Zhinan was different from other girls. She had a special kind of wit.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to come to them.
"Since you already know, I won't beat around the bush. As long as you ask, I'll surely help you."
The two reached an alliance, but Ye Zhinan couldn't be happy.
She sent Ji Yuqing into the carriage and wanted to get in too, but was stopped by Wu Yangping.
"Miss Ye, I'm sending my own mother home. You don't need to worry about it."
Ye Zhinan forced a few dry laughs, glanced at Ji Yuqing, and silently stepped back.
A mocking smile curled up on Wu Yangping's lips. He directly got into the carriage and lowered the curtain.
The journey was very quiet. The mother and son didn't say much to each other and just sat in silence.
It wasn't until they reached the mansion that Wu Yangping helped Ji Yuqing out of the carriage.
"If you hadn't reported my father back then, I wouldn't have hated you so much."
While they were close to each other, he leaned over and whispered a harsh warning into Ji Yuqing's ear.
Ji Yuqing's face instantly turned deathly pale. She trembled all over and didn't know which foot to step forward with first.
Wu Yangping supported her and reminded her in a low voice. On the surface, it seemed like a loving mother and filial son, but only Ji Yuqing knew the truth.
The fingers that were clutching her arm were almost digging into her bones, causing her excruciating pain.
"Mother, do you know? My father has been waiting for us on the Yellow Spring Road for a long time. I just have to take a few more people with me."
He laughed sinisterly. The old butler noticed something was wrong and quickly helped Ji Yuqing over.
"Sir, it's tough outside. Why don't you come back?"
Ji Yuqing burst into loud laughter. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away forcefully and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.
"Your family is too complicated. I won't get involved."
After saying that, he mounted his horse, pulled the reins, and turned around to leave.
Ji Yuqing tightly clutched her handkerchief. Tears welled up in her eyes. Just as he was about to leave, she summoned all her strength and shouted.
"I couldn't bear to watch your father degenerate, but I never thought he would raise private troops! You're also a child I saved. Do you still remember who pulled you out of the fire back then?"
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a dense mass of ugly scars on her arm.
They were obviously burn marks.
Wu Yangping was stunned for a moment, and then a mocking smile curled up on his lips again.
"What about all those days when I was neglected, bullied, and ignored?"
He didn't know who had saved him. For many years, he had been desperately looking for his savior, but there was no sign of them.
The fourth concubine had told him that this stranger had rushed into the fire to save him, only suffered minor injuries, received a reward, and then left.
Looking at the wounds on Ji Yuqing's body now, it was impossible not to be shocked.
If it had been a few years earlier, before his heart had completely turned cold, seeing the scars on her body might have made him feel pity.
But now he wouldn't.
"The outcome is set. The net has been woven. All that's left is to see how the fish swim into it."
Wu Yangping thought for a while and put the flint he had taken out back into his pocket.
Then he turned around and galloped away on his horse.
Ye Zhinan was hiding in the dark. She couldn't quite figure out his thoughts.
Did he want to stop, or was he hiding an even more ruthless move?
"Send someone to keep an eye on him. Don't be careless for a moment. I'm afraid he'll come back for a surprise attack."
Wu Yangping was very cunning. He might have already discovered their tracks and was just trying to deceive them.
"You're right. We've already sent someone to watch the village. Let's go back quickly and see what other tricks he has up his sleeve."
Before leaving, Ye Zhinan went to see the butler again and quickly stuffed a note into his hand. There were a few words written on it.
After reading it, the butler looked solemn. He nodded at Ye Zhinan and then turned around and entered the mansion.
"What did you give him? Aren't you afraid of being seen by Wu Yangping?"
"He's already far away. Even if he had eyes in the back of his head, he couldn't see what we're doing. We just need to be more careful with Ji Yuqing and the others."
Ye Yingfeng nodded. Ye Zhinan was cautious enough.
If she were in the military, she could be an excellent general.
"What did you write on the note?"
"Clean the inside and outside of the mansion thoroughly. Sweep away all the ashes and pour water carefully. Remember not to make a sound."
The things in Ji Yuqing's hands were nothing more than gunpowder and coal, and both of them were afraid of water.
As long as the cleaning was done well, there should be no problem.
"Remember to prepare plenty of water just in case. After tonight, we can finally have a good night's sleep."
Even if Wu Yangping had some compassion for Ji Yuqing, he wouldn't easily let go of the villagers.