Chapter 8

At this moment, Ding Zhi brought the book over. Ding Yangshi flipped to a certain page and handed the book to Ding Yi.

Ding Yi had no choice but to put aside the matter of driving away the shattered soul of Scholar Ding and carefully read the book. He saw a line with a fingernail mark: "These people should all be punished, now they are rampant, still wanting to collude in evil, to deceive the world and the heavens."

After reading, Ding Yi let out a breath. Fortunately, he could understand from the context that this was a criticism of the Ten Eunuchs of the Han Dynasty, who were eunuchs.

"May I ask, Sister-in-law, have you been reading lately?" Ding Yi closed the book, placed it aside, and asked her with a smile.

This surprised Ding Yangshi, as Ding Yi had always been timid in front of her, answering only when asked. She was taken aback by his sudden change. As she thought, her long eyelashes fluttered, almost making Ding Yi drunk with her allure. Indeed, she was charming! By modern standards, she could send electric shocks, and they were strong.

Before Ding Yangshi could answer, Ding Yi stood up: "Have you read the story of 'Three Men Make a Tiger'?"

After saying this, Ding Yi approached his sister-in-law, dipped his hand in some tea, and wrote four characters on the table. Ding Yangshi's expression changed, and she heard Ding Yi whisper: "There are only two branches of the Ding family in Rongcheng, mine and Zhi's. After I leave, I will sell the property and let Uncle Zhong follow your arrangements. Then, we will change our names and move far away."

Ding Yangshi's eyebrows furrowed, and she was about to scold Ding Yi, but as she raised her hand, it was caught by Ding Yi. Her heart trembled, her face flushed, and she was about to question him when she saw the focused expression on his face. His attention was not on her delicate hand, but on making sure she listened to him without distraction.

He continued: "Remember, it's better to sell the property at a low price than to attract attention. This matter must be handled with care, otherwise, the Ding family may be wiped out!" The last six words were what Ding Yangshi had been determined to uphold all her life. She had raised Ding Zhi alone to ensure the continuation of the family line. These six words truly made her heart race, and she nodded subconsciously.

Only after Ding Yi left did she realize: Why was Ding Yi so different today?

Moreover, why did this young brother-in-law suddenly hold her hand? Ding Yangshi felt a vague discomfort, but when she thought about it, she couldn't pinpoint why.

However, as she looked at the four characters that were drying with the tea, she was no longer thinking about Ding Yi's change. Clearly, Ding Yi didn't even trust his childhood friend, Jianmu, and had written these four words on the table: "Wang Zuo's Arm."

For a well-read woman like Ding Yangshi, understanding "Wang Zuo's Arm" was not difficult. Wang Zuo persuaded Lu Wenglong to return to the Song Dynasty by pretending to surrender and infiltrating the enemy camp as a spy.

Ding Yi's meaning was clear: Join the eunuchs, just like Wang Zuo, and become a spy. If the plan failed, Ding Yangshi knew, as Ding Yi had said, the Ding family would likely be exterminated. This matter could not be delayed.

However, the current Ding Yi was not the same scholar he used to be. Why would he reveal such important information to Ding Yangshi, whom he had just met? Was it because of her beauty that made him lose his senses?

If Ding Yi were truly so foolish, he would have died many times in his previous life dealing with drug lords. What couldn't drug lords do? Send beautiful women? That was too easy. Even a virgin could be arranged if Ding Yi let them off.

Ding Yi had his own plans.

Despite the eunuch's sincere invitation, after hearing Uncle Zhong's analysis of the blue-green paper, Ding Yi confirmed that the eunuch was indeed sincere and seemed to value old ties. Otherwise, he wouldn't have put so much effort into the envelope and the letter. For a eunuch who could use blue-green paper, he wouldn't lack a scholar.

But Ding Yi had no good feelings towards eunuchs, let alone the idea of depending on them.

From the eunuchs of the Han Dynasty, like Zhong Xing and the Ten Eunuchs, to the Ming Dynasty's Nine Thousand Years, Wei Zhongxian, eunuchs had left many deep scars on the Han people. For Ding Yi, he definitely did not want to join the eunuchs. Being a spy was even more dangerous, as the hanged Scholar Ding and Ding Yi both recognized.

Therefore, Ding Yi did not plan to follow the path others had laid out for him. Whether joining the eunuch or being a spy, neither was the outcome he wanted. He did not want to be a pawn, no matter whose pawn.

When he came to see Ding Yangshi, the extremely annoying wish of the shattered soul of Scholar Ding was not part of his plan. Ding Yi came here not to see if she was old and wrinkled or still beautiful, but to see if this woman had the ability to manage the property independently. Ding Yi needed a natural partner to give him a chance to withdraw from the spy mission at the right time.

"Jianmu, go home first, I'll take a walk." Ding Yi said to his book servant on the street. "Take the money and buy some candied haws or sugar figurines... Wait! Remember to bring one back for Ruyu." Seeing the little servant's happy smile, Ding Yi also felt cheerful. Children are always easy to please.

Actually, Ding Yi was also easy to please, and he was very happy now.

After leaving Ding Yangshi's house and passing the intersection of Beizha Street where the community school was located, Ding Yi noticed someone was following him.

After 720 steps, Ding Yi turned three street corners, and the person was still behind him, along with a few burly men.

In the morning, he was following others, and in the afternoon, others were following him.

After dismissing his book servant, Ding Yi planned to turn into a less crowded alley. As soon as he left the city, he felt a fragrance behind him and heard a crisp voice say, "Is this Brother Rujin?" It was the person who had been following him, walking quickly to his side.

This title made Ding Yi a bit at a loss, but his good psychological素质 quickly kicked in: "I am Ding Rujin..."

Before he could continue, the fragrant girl thrust an object into his hand and said, "Brother Rujin, help me escape!"

What was this? Ding Yi looked at the object in his hand, a jade pendant, which seemed familiar.

After a few more steps, Ding Yi pulled out the jade pendant from his waist, and indeed, it was a pair.

What was this? It was like a secret code for the Heaven and Earth Society! But the Ming Dynasty still existed!

A Ming Dynasty criminal gang?

But there was no time for Ding Yi to think more. The woman had already walked a few steps beside him, and when he stopped to pretend to pick something up, he noticed the burly men had also left the city gate and were speeding up. It seemed they were more unscrupulous away from the crowd.

Ding Yi stood up and said to the woman, "This way." He turned and walked into the forest on the right side of the road.

The woman followed quickly, but in the blink of an eye, she lost sight of Ding Yi.

"Who are you?" As she searched for Ding Yi, she felt something hard press against her waist and heard Ding Yi's cold voice behind her, "Why were you following me?"

"I am Xiao Xianglian, the last disciple of Great Enlightenment Zen Master." The woman was quite resolute and did not beg for mercy.

Who was this Great Enlightenment Zen Master? Ding Yi was a bit confused and asked, "Miss Xiao, why did you come to me?"

"My master left this token to me on his deathbed, saying that if there was a life-or-death matter, I should come to Rongcheng to find Brother Rujin."

"Did this Great Enlightenment Zen Master know me?"

"When you held your full moon banquet, Master came. He said that Uncle Ding was a brother who could be entrusted with his wife and children, and Brother Rujin is also a man of great integrity!"

This was too absurd, Ding Yi couldn't help but laugh and cry, and asked, "What do you want from me? Why were those people following you?"

"My senior brother, Huang Xiaoyang, was framed by a corrupt official and imprisoned. I had no choice but to send a letter to Master, but Master had already passed away. I couldn't think of any other way, so I came to Rongcheng to find you." Xiao Xianglian spoke very frankly, as if it was natural for Ding Yi, whom she had never met, to help her solve her problems.

The jade pendant was old, and in terms of color, style, and patina, it was definitely a pair with the one on Ding Yi's waist. It was unlikely to be a fake. Ding Yi threw away the branch in his hand, leaned against a tree, and asked, "What did your senior brother do to be framed?"

"Transporting salt."

She turned around, and her willow-like eyebrows made her petite figure look very graceful, unlike a martial artist.

"Smuggling salt?" Ding Yi couldn't help but ask.

Xiao Xianglian nodded and said, "The corrupt official left us no choice. Who would do such a thing if they had a choice?"

Smuggling salt and being caught, this didn't count as being framed, did it? Ding Yi felt more and more confused. What kind of logic was this?

But before he could sort out his thoughts, he heard footsteps. Ding Yi's expression turned serious, and he said to Xiao Xianglian, "Someone is coming." He wanted her to follow him into the forest, but she was sharp-eyed and immediately saw the burly men searching for them in the forest. She quickly pulled out two water-dividing daggers and shouted, "You scoundrels, robbing merchants in broad daylight! After I exposed you, you show no remorse. Today, I will rid the people of this evil!"

Ding Yi suddenly felt like crying. What was this? She was a natural airhead! Talking about ridding the people of evil! It turned out she wasn't aware that someone was following her and just wanted Ding Yi to help her. And in the process, she probably meddled in someone else's affairs.

What kind of person is this! ___________________________________________________________

PS: I've moved up two places on the new book chart, thank you all, and I'm still asking for votes, collections, and donations...

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