Perfect Encounter - Chapter 54.1

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Chapter 54.1

An Ruochen said coldly: “Remember, you are just a merchant’s daughter. Better fed and clothed than the average citizen, but your knowledge is shallow. Don’t think too highly of yourself. You are nothing more than that. If I ask you to come, you should come. Then, you will have a chance.”

An Ruoxi lifted her chin and said coldly: “Fine, I’ve come. What are the chances?”

“This time, I’ll tell you a secret.”

An Ruoxi was doubtful: “What secret?”

“Do you want to know how I escaped from home?”

An Ruoxi was suddenly shocked: “How did you escape?” She could not figure it out. Her parents and Ronggui talked about it several times but also came out with nothing.

“Do you still remember the yellow dog that the Fourth sister adopted when she was a child?”

“The one that Ronggui’s servant had killed?”

“Yes. The Fourth sister was very fond of that dog. But the Eldest Brother had the dog killed. I buried the dog secretly and told the Fourth sister it was missing because it had gone out to look for a wife. But to my surprise, that dog had dug a dog hole in the corner of the backyard before it died. The Fourth sister took pity on me for having to marry Qian Pei and told me about it. She also secretly helped me to dig the dog hole bigger.”

An Ruoxi was dumbfounded: “You got out through the dog hole?”

“Yes.”

“What about the Fourth sister?”

An Ruochen did not answer but said: “The Fourth sister is young, but she has more ideas than you and me. When I was her age, I wouldn’t dare to think about running away from home. But she had the courage. To help me leave, she secretly saved money and quietly dug the dog hole for me ……”

Speaking of the kind and lovely An Ruofang, who was missing, made An Ruochen’s throat feel stuffy. She paused, looked at An Ruoxi, and said: “Second sister, you are now in the same situation as me and the Fourth sister, so you should understand how we felt. Please tell me if you have any news about the Fourth sister, even the slightest possibility. If there is a chance, please protect her.”

“It’s been so long.” An Ruoxi felt that there was not much hope.

“As long as we haven’t seen the body, there is hope. You are right. We are sisters. Although we are not too close, there is no hatred or grudge. I will treat you with sincerity if you do the same. The only regret I have is that I was not able to protect my fourth sister. I understand you can’t help with many things in the An family. Qian Pei is capable of doing anything, this I also know. But we can’t just go with the flow and resign ourselves to it.”

An Ruoxi listened with some emotion, but in her heart, she was alerted that this must be a trick played by her eldest sister, the big stick with sweet dates covered with ulterior motives.

“After you return, you can tell Father that I looked for you to inquire about his South Qin jade goods and that you told me nothing. Or you can tell them that you enticed me and learned that I escaped through the dog hole. Whatever you want to say is up to you. Anyway, let them think our meeting was quite effective. Then you won’t need to make excuses when you come to see me again. The next time we meet, I’ll tell you something else. After you become able to disobey them, then let’s make plans for the marriage.”

When An Ruoxi returned home, Mrs. Tan was already waiting in her room. She only found out about this after An Ruoxi left the house. Mrs. Tan anxiously asked, “What’s going on? What kind of tricks did that bitch play again?”

An Ruoxi opened her mouth but swallowed back the words about the dog hole. She said: “Not much. She was looking for me to quarrel and show off. Ah, she wanted to inquire about the means Father used to retrieve that shipment of South Qin jade. I mocked her a bit.”

Mrs. Tan frowned: “That bitch wants to catch a handle on our An family.”

An Ruoxi dropped her head and said: “She must not have thought of it only now. She slipped up in her words today and must have failed to find Father’s faults elsewhere.”

Mrs. Tan pondered, unsettled. “That bitch has a plan. We still have to be careful. Fortunately, when she was at home, we were wary of her. What else did she say?”

“Nothing more. It’s just a lot of grievances.” An Ruoxi replied while thinking about the dog hole. She wondered what it looked like and whether her Fourth sister was alive or dead.

“Mother knows that you have been aggrieved.” Mrs. Tan was not aware of An Ruoxi’s thoughts, only knew that she was angry and unhappy. She said, “You did a good job. Endure this aggravation for a while longer. Now that she’s talking to you, you should make more trips to see what she wants. She wants to find a handle on us, so we need to find one on her.”

An Ruoxi nodded, “I know.” She also knew how sweet and cute the Fourth sister was when she smiled. She knew how ruthless and scary the eldest sister was when she got angry. They resented, distrusted, and  mocked each other, they quarreled with each other and had their own agendas. Thinking about their ridiculous fate, they lived in a big house, got served by servants all day, but in the end, they were forced to enter the dog hole…

Meanwhile, Mr. Xie stood in the back corner of the alley and waited quietly, and after waiting for a while, he saw the person he was waiting for.

He did not wave but only stood slightly forward so that the man could see him. The man alertly walked back and forth to confirm no one was following him, then leaned over the alleyway entrance. His back faced Mr. Xie and said, “Why are you suddenly rushing to meet? This place is too close to the Purple Cloud House.”

“A decision needs to be made. Something has to be confirmed.”

“Speak.”

“How much does An Ruochen know about Zhao Jiahua?”

“It’s pretty much what the military knows. An Ruochen doesn’t seem to know about the rest. The General told her not to act without permission and to wait for Xie Gang to return. She has not moved and seems frustrated, even clashing with the An family.”

Mr. Xie frowned: “Why did she clash with the An family?”

“Quarrel with her second sister.”

“Anything related to Qian Pei?”

“I haven’t heard about it yet.”

Mr. Xie fell silent.

“So?”

Mr. Xie whispered, “Zhao Jiahua is dead.”

“Dead?” The man was shocked.

“You don’t know? It seems An Ruochen hasn’t gotten the news either.”

“Yes, when I came out, she was meeting her second sister. That second girl is very aggressive. She has accumulated a lot of resentment.”

“Are you sure An Ruochen doesn’t have any leads?”

“If she had, she would have gone out to investigate. She didn’t go out. She was in a low mood, practicing her boxing, doing some chores, and meeting the An family, nothing special.”

“What about Li Xiu’er’s side?”

“An Ruochen has not contacted her yet. But if she learns about Zhao Jiahua’s death, she will investigate again.”

Mr. Xie thought for a moment and said, “Okay. Then you continue to keep an eye on her.”