After the mute woman's figure had completely disappeared, Jiang Ning finally began to survey her surroundings.
Fabricating crime scenes had always been her forte. Even in modern times, with all the high-tech detection methods available, she could kill someone and vanish without leaving a trace. How much easier would it be in this ancient era, where they could only rely on the naked eye?
Jiang Ning spent a few minutes erasing the drag marks, covering up her footprints by the pond, and manipulating He Wen's corpse to ensure everything looked flawless.
Then, Jiang Ning looked at the scattered sweet potatoes on the ground. She could easily guess they belonged to the mute woman.
Leaving them here was out of the question. It seemed she'd have to take them back—they'd make a nice addition to her meal.
With a mere thought, the sweet potatoes in her hand vanished. She closed her eyes briefly, sensing that they had been transferred into that space, now piled in a corner of the bamboo house.
Not bad, it's like a portable storage box, Jiang Ning thought, increasingly pleased with this space.
After ensuring everything was cleaned up, Jiang Ning entered the space herself, departing the scene without a trace, leaving only He Wen's body lying silently by the pond.
Upon returning home, Jiang Ning first went inside to check on Liu Ming'an, finding him still unconscious. She took the sweet potatoes out of the space and placed them in the kitchen, then poured the two buckets of water Liu Ming'an had fetched earlier into the vat. After finishing these tasks, she returned to the bedside.
It was probably around 3 PM now. The villagers had finished their afternoon naps, and Jiang Ning could hear people outside calling out as they worked. Her eyes flickered slightly.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, someone would discover He Wen's body soon. But that was no longer her concern.
Liu Ming'an woke up half an hour later. As he opened his eyes, his mind was still fuzzy and unclear, unable to grasp the situation immediately.
"You're awake? How do you feel? Is there any discomfort?" A cool, clear female voice sounded beside him. Liu Ming'an turned his head to see Jiang Ning sitting on a stool by the bed, holding his copy of "The Book of Rites" and looking at him expressionlessly.
As his thoughts cleared, Liu Ming'an recalled what had happened before he fainted. Considering Jiang Ning's recent inquiry, though cold, it was a form of concern.
Liu Ming'an felt a warmth in his heart and answered with a smile, "Apart from a slight headache and dizziness, I feel fine."
This result was within Jiang Ning's expectations. She nodded and replied, "That's good."
Liu Ming'an suddenly thought of something, his expression changing to one of worry as he asked, "After I fainted, did that man give you any trouble?"
He remembered that He Wen had wanted to enter the house to see Jiang Ning. That man was shameless and lecherous; if he had seen the young and beautiful Jiang Ning, he would surely have harassed her. Liu Ming'an feared Jiang Ning had been bullied.
Fortunately, Jiang Ning said, "No, he left immediately."
Liu Ming'an let out a long sigh of relief. But then another question occurred to him: "Didn't I faint outside? How did I end up in bed?"
Jiang Ning looked at him somewhat exasperatedly. There were only the two of them here, and she couldn't have asked anyone else for help. Wasn't the answer obvious?
"I carried you back," Jiang Ning said.
Liu Ming'an's eyes widened involuntarily, his face full of disbelief. He was a full-grown man, while Jiang Ning was a slender, delicate woman. How was that possible?
Seeing his expression, Jiang Ning knew he didn't believe her. Internally grumbling "troublesome," she put down "The Book of Rites," lifted the blanket covering him, and, just as before, picked him up from the bed in a princess carry, holding him steady.
Liu Ming'an stiffened in Jiang Ning's arms, his head resting on her shoulder, his entire body as if struck by lightning.
Jiang Ning had lifted him up—this fact was quite shocking to him.
"Do you believe me now?" Jiang Ning lowered her head slightly to look at Liu Ming'an and asked, "Shall I carry you around in a circle?"
Liu Ming'an blinked nervously, his face flushing red to the tips of his ears. He stammered, "I-I believe you, I believe you. No need, I believe you."
Jiang Ning nodded with satisfaction and gently placed him back on the bed, careful not to bump his injured areas.
Liu Ming'an quickly turned his back to Jiang Ning, feeling his entire face burning hot, with unnamed emotions spreading in his heart.
Jiang Ning picked up the book again and began reading as if nothing had happened. Her unnecessary demonstration was merely to tell Liu Ming'an not to treat her like the weak woman he imagined her to be—she wasn't some delicate little girl.
"Thank you."
After a while, the person on the bed said softly, though his voice sounded a bit awkward.
Thank you for what? For carrying him inside?
Jiang Ning lifted her eyes from the book, looking at Liu Ming'an's exposed red ears. Faced with this pure-hearted young man's behavior, she was at a loss for words.
"Terrible news! Terrible news! Someone's dead!"
Suddenly, a man's shouting came from outside. He sounded extremely urgent, his voice somewhat hoarse, probably from excessive yelling.
Liu Ming'an recognized it as the Village Head's voice. Forgetting his embarrassment, he turned and got up from the bed.
"Jiang Ning, I'll go see what's happened. You stay here in the house, don't go out."
Liu Ming'an's face was still a bit red, and he couldn't quite look Jiang Ning in the eye. After quickly giving these instructions and seeing her nod, he immediately rushed out, taking three steps in two.
Jiang Ning stood up and looked out the window. An old man was rushing back and forth outside, shouting at the top of his lungs. After Liu Ming'an went out, the old man immediately grabbed his hand, speaking excitedly about something while pointing towards the direction of the pond.
Jiang Ning calmly withdrew her gaze, sat back on the bed, and focused on reading her book.
As soon as Liu Ming'an came out, he was caught by the Village Head. The old man had been shouting all the way and was now panting heavily.
"Ming'an, someone's dead! Someone in the village is dead! Right by the pond. They've all gone there. Quick, let's go, you come too and help us figure out what to do."
Liu Ming'an's house was on the outskirts of the village, so he was the last to be notified.
The Village Head finished speaking and, without waiting for a response, urgently pulled Liu Ming'an towards the pond.
"Village Head, you're not young anymore, please slow down," Liu Ming'an kindly advised.
The Village Head continued to walk hurriedly while sighing, "We can't slow down! Zhuzi has already gone to report to the authorities. The official will arrive on horseback soon. Everyone in our village must be there waiting, not a single person missing."
Liu Ming'an agreed with this approach. The laws of the Great Liang Country stipulated that upon discovering an unidentified corpse, it must not be moved. The authorities must be notified, and officials would examine the cause of death and record it.
"Who's the dead person?" Liu Ming'an asked curiously.
The Village Head's face was full of worry. He sighed heavily and said, "Ah, you'll know when we get there. It's just ahead."
After walking a few dozen more steps, Liu Ming'an looked ahead and saw that several dozen villagers, young and old, had already gathered around the pond. People were discussing in low voices, the crowd buzzing with chatter, interspersed with the sobbing of women.