Chapter 25: A Stalling Tactic

Leiren looked like he wanted to speak but held back, and it was driving me crazy. That old man—couldn’t he just be straightforward for once? I thought, Red dates and millet—my old squad leader had already given us two options. All he had to do was say them aloud, and then we could decide which to choose. What was there to dawdle over?

So, in my impatience, watching him hesitate and stammer made me deeply irritated. But Leiren clearly didn’t catch my thoughts. Even if he did, he seemed unwilling to speak. Under everyone’s expectant gazes, for some unknown reason, Leiren suddenly restrained his expression. He slightly bowed to Zhao Haikun and said, “I did my best. The rat did not choose; nothing can be calculated.”

“Damn!” I immediately expressed my dissatisfaction. “You just ‘stalled’ for so long, and that’s all you have to say?”

Leiren frowned at my words and snapped, “Then what do you want me to say?! This is a matter of life and death—is this something we can blurt out recklessly?”

His words left me utterly speechless.

Of course, the rat hadn’t truly made a choice. Wild guesses would only bring more trouble. And if he said something wrong, he’d have to take responsibility.

After silencing me, Leiren shifted his expression again and grinned cheerfully at Zhao Haikun, “Brother Haikun, I did everything I could. As for our agreement…”

The moment Leiren spoke, his tone reverted to that of a typical shrewd merchant. His sly, cunning expression once again made me disdain his blatant transactional attitude.

“I’ll naturally let you see the kitchen knife!” Zhao Haikun said impatiently. “But remember! Once you see the knife, you leave immediately!”

I thought Leiren would be delighted and agree right away after hearing this, but to my surprise, he didn’t. Instead, he waved his hand and said, “No rush, no rush! It’s getting late. To recklessly bring out the treasure now would surely break the rules. We’ll leave today and wait until after Haipeng’s funeral tomorrow to take a look. How about that?”

“Getting late?!” I snorted coldly, raising my head to look at the blazing midday sun—there was no sign of evening anywhere.

But Leiren’s words once again revealed his cunning and slyness. It suddenly dawned on me: this guy’s true intention wasn’t really about the wine!

Unwittingly, he had already played a clever trick on the Zhao family and me, drawing us all into his scheme.

Zhao Haikun’s agreement to let him see the kitchen knife effectively meant that before seeing the knife, Leiren could stay at the Zhao residence. In theory, as long as he didn’t look at the knife, he could remain there indefinitely.

In other words, using this sly stratagem, he bypassed Zhao Deguang’s “last will” that forbade him from stepping through the Zhao family gate. That kitchen knife—a mere trifle—was the key that unlocked the Zhao family’s decree.

That old man’s scheming runs deep.

Faced with Leiren’s successful maneuver, Zhao Haikun was so angry his hair stood on end, but once his words were out, there was no taking them back.

His face flushed bright red, and Leiren seemed afraid he might backtrack, so he added, “You’ve already said it—don’t go back on your word.”

Zhao Haikun regretted his slip so deeply it felt like his guts turned blue, but clenching his brows fiercely, he didn’t curse aloud.

In the end, he just waved his hand and said, “Tomorrow, after Haipeng’s burial, you can come if you want. If not, I’ll sell the knife! And don’t look for me anymore.”

Watching Zhao Haikun’s embarrassed expression, I suddenly realized my master uncle was simply too honest. And honest people… live a sorrowful life.

Leiren chuckled slyly and said, “Brother A Kun, no need for childishness…”

Then, with a victorious air, he beckoned his nephew, Lei Wangcai, and prepared to leave this troublesome place for the time being.

Before departing, he turned to Zhao Shuihe, the young madam of the Zhao family, and said, “Madam! Shall we go stay at the inn? The Zhao household just had a death—it’s not very clean here…”

That remark was clearly an attempt to win over Zhao Shuihe, and it was evident he feared that if she spent too much time with us, she might discover Leiren’s true nature.

His scheme must not succeed. Without hesitation, I retorted sharply, “You two grown men living with a young girl—is that appropriate? Shuihe, why not stay here instead?”

My words were well-intentioned, but unfortunately, Zhao Shuihe misunderstood them.

She pointed her finger at my nose and shouted, “You’re so rude! How dare you call your great aunt a little girl!”

Hearing her words, I was startled and uneasy.

Did Zhao Shuihe not understand a kind warning? Or was she like a matchstick—quick to ignite at the slightest spark?

I was merely trying to warn her kindly, yet it was taken as disrespect.

Since that was the case, I decided not to say more. If good intentions were repeatedly mistaken for insults, then she could just go ahead and ruin herself! I wouldn’t care.

But just as I thought she would sulk and leave with Uncle Leiren and his nephew, she suddenly shifted tone and said to Zhao Haikun, “Haikun! Prepare a room for me. I’m going to sleep in the main house tonight!”

Damn! She turned around so quickly. It turned out her earlier defiance was purely childishness.

“Ah?!” Leiren was stunned. “Isn’t that inappropriate? Someone just died…”

“Exactly because someone just died, I’m staying here!” Zhao Shuihe shot me a defiant glance. “Otherwise, some people might think no one’s left in the Zhao family. The ‘abbot’ died, and there’s not a single relative at the funeral—only some little brat pretending to be filial to hold the scene!”

Me… a little brat?

At this point, Zhao Shuihe wasn’t satisfied. She leaned her head close and whispered to me, “One day, I’ll make that little brat bow to me willingly.”

Suddenly, a chill ran through me…

And so, the gathering dispersed. Zhao Haikun sent off Leiren and the still-shaken exorcist, while I changed into mourning clothes and, together with Zhao Hong, kept vigil over the old squad leader’s spirit tablet.

The old squad leader’s burial would be the next night.

At first, Zhao Hong stayed with me, but as time passed, he grew restless, darting to the bathroom repeatedly like a monkey on a string.

I knew… the beef he ate this morning had caught up with him.

Earlier, when Zhao Hong and I attended my old squad leader’s posthumous wedding banquet, we ate at the Zhao family feast.

During the meal, Zhao Hong had secretly eaten a large amount of braised beef while I wasn’t paying attention. Now, the meat in his stomach was finally “rebelling.”

In an hour, Zhao Hong had rushed to the bathroom three or five times. Eventually, he couldn’t keep it up anymore and simply camped out near the toilet.

Before leaving, he grabbed a roll of toilet paper and asked me, “Didn’t you tell me the beef at that banquet was ‘unclean’ and I shouldn’t eat it? Is this all because of that meat?”

Helpless, I nodded.

“What exactly was in that beef? Am I going to die?”

I looked at his ashen face, unsure how to comfort him.

After a moment’s thought, I said, “You won’t die… but it’s definitely going to be miserable. The reason you’re like this is because they put ‘spoiled stuff’ in the beef.”

“‘Spoiled stuff’?” Zhao Hong asked in shock. “What’s that?”

I sighed softly and briefly told him the story of the ‘spoiled stuff’ beef.

I told him he should remember for life: if he ever sees beef that looks especially good, is cooked to an extreme softness, and most importantly, has a bright reddish color, he must never eat it.

Because that meat has been cooked with many things that shouldn’t be in food.

Those “dark” seasonings, even if they don’t kill you, will cause your skin to peel off in layers.

And “spoiled stuff” is the most common and most insidious of those seasonings.