Chapter 25

The earthen jar was covered with a thin layer of silt, about a finger joint thick, and a strong medicinal smell wafted out from the gap, bitter and unpleasant.

Bao Ning took a small wooden stick, steadied herself, and lifted the lid completely.

There was a small hole in the mud. Bao Ning used the stick to poke inside. After a while, a round-headed fat worm emerged. Its head was light blue, about the thickness of half a little finger. It crawled out slowly, about two inches long, with a transparent white back that revealed tiny blood vessels inside, and two golden threads running along its sides.

Compared to the leeches commonly found in rice fields, the golden-threaded leech looked more delicate and prettier. But it was still a wriggling worm.

Bao Ning stared at it for a while, her stomach churning with nausea.

She closed the lid and took a sip of water to suppress the discomfort in her stomach.

This was the only golden-threaded leech Aunt Ming could find, and it was about to lay eggs. Bao Ning had to take good care of it. If this leech died or laid too few viable eggs, things would become troublesome.

These creatures were priceless.

Aunt Ming had managed to get this one purely by luck. Her second daughter, Ji Tong, married the second son of the Marquis of Chongyuan, Jia Xian, and had two sons. Last summer, the younger son got heatstroke while playing outside, developed a severe heat rash, and was on the brink of death. The marquis's eldest son was likely infertile, having been married for five years without any children. The youngest son was the marquis's treasured grandson. When they were desperate, someone presented a pair of golden-threaded leeches, which successfully cured the boy.

The second daughter knew her mother liked these creatures and could take care of them. After the boy recovered, she gave the leeches to Aunt Ming to raise.

The male leech, used to cure the boy, was almost dead afterward, but Aunt Ming managed to revive it with medicine. It lasted through the winter but eventually died this spring.

Fortunately, the female leech was carrying eggs. If it could lay them successfully, there would be successors.

If it died, finding another one would be too difficult. Moreover, Pei Yuan's poison couldn't wait that long.

These creatures lived on blood and needed a constant supply of live food, especially the egg-laying female leech, which could consume half a cup of animal blood daily.

Bao Ning was worried. Where could she find something to feed it?

Aunt Ming said that if there was no live food, she could feed it some cooked egg yolk, but that wouldn't be sufficient in the long run. Bao Ning thought she would make a small net to catch fresh snails by the river. If that didn't work, she could buy some at the market and raise them in a small tank at home. After the female leech laid eggs, the snails could feed its offspring.

Before going to bed, Bao Ning placed a crushed egg yolk in the jar, sealed it, poked some air holes, and respectfully placed it on the highest shelf.

She silently prayed: Mother leech, you must thrive!

...

After leaving, Feng Yongjia didn't return to the racetrack but went to his private villa in the eastern suburbs of the capital.

He had bought it secretly, without his father Feng Xiang's knowledge, and kept a few delicate mistresses there. No one knew about it.

As soon as Feng Yongjia entered, a woman greeted him, delicately linking her arm with his and blowing into his ear. "Master, you haven't visited for days. I thought you'd forgotten about Qingqing."

Qingqing was a courtesan he had redeemed from a brothel half a month ago. She was slender-waisted, well-endowed, with captivating eyes. Feng Yongjia had been infatuated with her. But today, he found her annoying.

He pushed her away, sneering, "You reek of vulgarity." Qingqing was stunned by his scolding.

"Go back to your room and don't bother me." Feng Yongjia flung his sleeve and strode towards the main room, slamming the door shut.

Qingqing glared at his back, gritting her teeth. "Pretentious nobody, thinking he's someone important." She pouted and walked away.

Feng Yongjia sat inside, drowning his sorrows in wine.

He considered himself a talented but unlucky man. Gifted and a prodigy, he had become a scholar at just over ten years old. But his father was a poor coachman, and without the means to bribe officials, he had been continually thwarted in his ambitions. Over time, his character changed. Once aiming to rise through academic success, he now realized that talent was useless without money. Consequently, he had never managed to find a wife.

Recently, his father had unexpectedly acquired a racetrack, and Feng Yongjia had benefited, transforming from a poor scholar to a wealthy young master. He thought he had finally escaped his hard life, but his father, like a miser, wouldn't let him spend a penny more than necessary.

Feng Yongjia felt more frustrated than ever. He came up with a plan to steal money for gambling, and to his surprise, it was a quick way to make money. Within a few days, he had amassed a considerable amount. No longer needing to look to his father, he bought a villa and mistresses, living in luxury for a month. But then disaster struck. Three days ago, he lost everything in a game to Xu Guang, owing two thousand taels of silver.

Xu Guang, a favorite of Huang Ji, the deputy director of the Office of the Supervisor, was untouchable. Feng Yongjia could only grit his teeth and pay.

But where could he get the money?

Feng Yongjia sighed over his bad luck.

Taking a few sips of wine, he pounded his chest and stomped his feet, suddenly thinking of Bao Ning. His heart ached. She was the kind of woman he wanted to marry—well-educated, gentle, and understanding. If he had married her earlier, he wouldn't have ended up on this crooked path. Why did that crippled man get such a good life? If he had a wife like her, he wouldn't have gone astray!

Feeling indignant, he gritted his teeth, jealousy turning into hatred. He took another sip of wine and slumped over the table, sobbing.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open.

A cold wind blew in, jolting Feng Yongjia. He looked up to see Xu Guang's fierce face.

His heart skipped a beat, and he widened his eyes, about to call for help, but Xu Guang silenced him with a knife handle. Feng Yongjia swallowed his tongue, too scared to speak.

Xu Guang bent down, grinning. "Little scholar, I don't want your money anymore. Let's make a deal."

Feng Yongjia shrank back, looking at him fearfully.

Xu Guang squinted, saying, "You help me kill a man, and I'll get you a woman. How about it?" 

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