great-warnovel Chapter 165 Her older brother, clutching her hand, cried out in despair: "Jiaojiao, our family
Chapter 165 Her older brother, clutching her hand, cried out in despair: "Jiaojiao, our family
"Report—!!!"
A piercing scream shattered the morning tranquility of the Wolf Fang Special Zone, startling Magistrate Fang, who had just dozed off in a side room of the county government office, so much so that he rolled off his broken bed.
"What's wrong? Has the Qin family rebelled?!"
Magistrate Fang didn't even bother to put on his shoes, and with dark circles under his eyes from last night's "underfloor heating incident," he stumbled out.
"My lord! Disaster has struck!"
Master Sun rushed in, panting, waving a newly delivered urgent document in his hand; his face was paler than the used toilet paper.
"The imperial envoy from the prefectural city... has arrived ahead of schedule!"
"They said they heard that Langya County's tax revenue has dropped to zero, so they've come specifically to investigate whether we've embezzled all the silver! Their men are already ten miles away and will be in the city in half an hour at most!"
"What?!"
Magistrate Fang felt his vision go black, as if the top of his head was about to explode.
Tax audit?
Where are the taxes in Langya County now? The treasury is full of rat droppings! The land deeds are all stamped with the Qin family's red seal! Even his official seal as the county magistrate was taken to be "played with" by Fourth Master Qin all night yesterday, and it's still unknown whether it's on Madam Qin's lap... oh no, on the table!
"It's over...it's all over..."
Magistrate Fang collapsed to the ground, gazing at the sky in despair:
"If the imperial envoy were to see the neon lights of that city that never sleeps, see that conveyor belt hot pot restaurant, see that Cloud Top Apartments..."
"This is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family: 'concealing enormous wealth and plotting rebellion'!"
"Prepare the horses! To the Qin family! Even if it means death... I will die in the Qin family's heated room!"
……
However, when Magistrate Fang rushed into the Qin family compound in a great hurry, he did not see the panic he had expected.
On the contrary, the entire Qin family compound was in a strange state of excitement at this moment.
"Quickly! Tear down those glazed tiles and replace them with thatched roofs!"
"Hey you! Take away the automatic sprinkler truck that Lao Wu invented! Replace it with two beat-up oxcarts to block the entrance!"
"Sixth Brother! Stop polishing your shoes! Go roll around in the mud! You need to look like you haven't eaten for three days and look utterly pathetic!"
In the center of the courtyard, Su Wan was standing on a grand chair.
She held a thick roll of Xuan paper in her hand, like a composed general issuing orders.
Although there were still faint dark circles under her eyes from Qin Yue's "torture" last night, it did not affect her aura at all.
"Lord Fang has arrived?"
Su Wan, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted Magistrate Fang, who was trembling like a leaf at the door.
She jumped off the chair and slammed the roll of Xuan paper in her hand onto her palm with a "smack":
"Perfect timing, the second male lead has arrived."
"Male... second male lead?" Magistrate Fang was completely bewildered.
"Lord Fang, from this moment on, this is no longer the Wolf Fang Special Zone."
Su Wan walked up to him, her beautiful peach blossom eyes gleaming with a cunning light. In her hand was a roll of paper—Magistrate Fang looked closely and saw that it was covered with lines written on it, and the cover had three big characters written on it: "The Suffering of a Scoundrel".
"This is... a slum... that has just suffered a once-in-a-century drought, with no harvest and people so poor they can't even afford pants."
Su Wan pointed behind her.
Magistrate Fang followed her hand and looked down, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.
The once extremely luxurious front hall of the Qin family was now completely ruined by a few broken wooden planks nailed together.
The priceless mahogany pillar was covered in a layer of yellow mud.
Even the imperial plaque that read "Family of Accumulated Virtues" was taken down and replaced with a crooked, broken wooden board that read "Begging Place".
"This...this is..."
"This is the set design."
Su Wan stuffed the script into Magistrate Fang's arms:
"Sir, quickly take off this official robe and roll around in the mud a couple of times."
"The imperial envoy will be here soon, and your role will be very important."
"You can cry, you can wail, you can cling to the imperial envoy's leg and say... We're so poor here that even the rats have moved away."
Magistrate Fang, holding the script, looked at the Qin family security guards frantically smearing soot on their faces and suddenly felt…
The Qin family is even crazier than he imagined!
……
Half an hour later.
The entrance to Langya Village.
The once magnificent gatehouse of the Qin family was now completely covered by several bundles of rotten straw.
And standing atop these "ruins" is a person.
Qin Lie, the eldest son of the Qin family.
His appearance today is enough to make everyone who has seen him drop their jaws.
The imposing heavy armor of black iron was gone, replaced by a coarse linen short coat with eighteen patches and even some exposed seams.
His trousers were rolled up to his knees, and he wore a pair of straw sandals with his big toes sticking out.
His face was smeared with black ash, and his hair was a mess, making him look exactly like a troublemaker who had just crawled out of a refugee camp.
But even so.
Even if you're dressed like a beggar.
The moment he stood there, the oppressive aura he exuded, as heavy as a mountain, still made people afraid to look directly at him.
"Brother, this won't do."
Su Wan circled around him, her brows slightly furrowed.
She held the rolled-up script in her hand, gently tapping it against Qin Lie's broad, wall-like chest muscles:
"These clothes...are too neat."
"What refugee's clothes have the collar buttoned up so tightly?"
"This doesn't show how poor we were, with barely enough clothes to cover our bodies."
As she spoke, she reached out her slender, fair hand and grasped the precariously fastened button on Qin Lie's collar.
"Jiaojiao thinks... how should it be changed?"
Qin Lie lowered his eyes and looked at the little woman in front of him who was "touching" him.
Although his face was covered in ash, his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.
That was the gleam of a wild beast upon seeing its prey, carrying an aggression that was not diminished in the slightest by its disguise.
"We need to... tear it open a little."
Su Wan tiptoed, hooked her fingers around his collar, and pulled slightly.
"Sizzle—"
The already fragile coarse cloth tore instantly.
The tear went straight to his chest.
Large swathes of bronze skin were instantly exposed to the cold wind.
The full, firm pectoral muscles rose and fell slightly with each breath, with a few drops of water sprinkled on them for the sake of "realism," sliding down the deep cleavage and disappearing into the shadows.
The extreme ruggedness and physical impact caused the maids who were setting up the scene to blush and turn their heads away.
"That's how... a commoner who can't afford to eat and can only survive by physical strength."
Su Wan swallowed hard, her fingertips unconsciously tracing his bare chest muscles.
It felt hard to the touch, and scalding hot.
"Like a troublemaker?"
Qin Lie suddenly grabbed her wrist with his other hand.
He didn't notice that there were hundreds of people working around him.
With a sudden, forceful movement, he pressed Su Wan's mischievous little hand firmly against his own rapidly beating heart.
"Thump, thump, thump."
The powerful heartbeat reverberated through her palm, making Su Wan's arm go numb.
"Jiaojiao".
Qin Lie lowered his head, his nose brushing against her forehead, his voice hoarse as if he were holding grit in his mouth:
"Big Brother is not only a troublemaker."
"He's just a... starving troublemaker."
His gaze passed past the ripped collar and stared intently at Su Wan's delicate face:
"Our family is so poor we can't even afford to eat..."
"Right now... all I want to do is eat meat."
"Especially..."
He grabbed her hand and squeezed her taut chest muscles hard, his eyes dark and unsettling.
"This kind of meat is so white and tender."
"Brother! Be serious! The imperial envoy is almost here!"
Su Wan was burned by his blatant gaze and tried to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter.
"I'm very serious."
Qin Lie's lips curled into a roguish smile:
"This is my play."
"The imperial envoy will be here soon..."
"I just held his hand and told him..."
"I'm so poor all I have left is this body."
"If he dares to collect taxes..."
Qin Lie's eyes sharpened, and a murderous aura instantly emanated from his very bones:
"I'll show him whether this flesh... can break his teeth."
……
"The Imperial Envoy has arrived—!!!"
Just then, a high-pitched announcement came from inside.
Immediately afterwards, a group of well-dressed soldiers riding tall horses escorted a sedan chair carried by eight men and drove into Langya Village... no, Langya Slum.
The sedan curtain was lifted.
An imperial envoy, dressed in a purple robe and with a large belly, stepped down, covering his nose.
He looked at the horrific scene before him:
Collapsed houses, a stinking ditch flowing with black water (actually ink), and a group of ragged, emaciated villagers (made up).
"This...this is the legendary, incredibly wealthy Langya County?"
The imperial envoy frowned, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief with a look of disgust.
"Why does it look like a roadside cemetery?"
"Your Honor! You've finally arrived!"
Before the imperial envoy could even stand still, a mournful wail rang out.
Magistrate Fang (possessed by an Oscar-winning actor), with disheveled hair and wearing a tattered official robe, scrambled over and grabbed the imperial envoy's leg:
"This humble official...this humble official is suffering!"
"This place... is so desolate, even the gods wouldn't lay an egg here!"
"I've even pawned my official seal to buy rice! Where am I supposed to get tax revenue to pay the imperial court?"
The imperial envoy nearly fainted from the stench of pig manure emanating from him, and kicked him away.
"Get out of here! What kind of behavior is this!"
"If they're this poor, how do the people here survive? I've heard... there's some kind of 'city that never sleeps' here?"
"A city that never sleeps?"
At this moment, Qin Lie, who had been squatting at the base of the wall, finally moved.
He slowly stood up.
In that instant, the imperial envoy felt as if a black tower had risen in front of him.
Qin Lie, carrying a rusty woodcutter's knife (actually a prop), approached step by step with heavy strides.
His tattered brown coat opened with his movements, revealing his frighteningly strong muscles.
Those scars (drawn on) looked particularly gruesome in the sunlight.
"You mean... the City That Never Sleeps?"
Qin Lie walked up to the imperial envoy and looked down at the fat man who was a head shorter than him.
The oppressive feeling emanating from the top of the food chain caused the imperial envoy's legs to tremble involuntarily.
"Yes...yes..." The imperial envoy swallowed hard and took a step back.
"That's from being hungry."
Qin Lie suddenly grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
He suddenly stretched out his large, calloused hand, covered in black ash, and grabbed the imperial envoy's hand, which was adorned with a jade thumb ring.
"Sir, please feel it."
Qin Lie did not give the imperial envoy a chance to break free.
He forcibly pulled the imperial envoy's hand and pressed it against his torn collar and his pectoral muscle, which was as hard as iron.
"Feel these bones."
Is it hard or not?
The imperial envoy was terrified, feeling the piece of meat beneath his hand burning hot and throbbing.
"Hard...hard..."
"It should be hard."
Qin Lie's eyes were fierce, but his voice carried a chilling "sorrow":
"It's hard from hunger."
"The people here...dig for grass roots during the day and sleep on stones at night."
"So hungry I can't sleep, my eyes are practically glowing green—isn't that the 'city that never sleeps'?"
As he spoke, he increased the pressure on his hands, making the bones in the imperial envoy's hands crack.
"Sir, look at your hands...the skin is so delicate and tender."
"very nice."
Qin Lie's gaze swept greedily over the imperial envoy's hands, and then...
In a very strange way, he stuck out his tongue and licked his chapped lips.
"If you stew this in a pot..."
"It must smell...good, right?"
"ah--!!!"
The imperial envoy finally broke down.
How can this be considered a troublemaker?
These are clearly cannibals!
"You unruly commoner! How dare you! Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"
The imperial envoy tried desperately to pull his hand back, but Qin Lie's hand remained firmly planted like an iron clamp.
"Don't be afraid, sir."
Qin Lie instead took a step forward, cornering the imperial envoy against the wall.
Although he was speaking to the imperial envoy, his gaze went past the envoy's shoulder and landed on Su Wan, who was standing not far away, covering her mouth and chuckling.
Su Wan had also changed into a patched coarse cloth dress and had a blue cloth headscarf wrapped around her head.
But this dowdy outfit did not hide her beauty; instead, it gave her a more pitiful and charming look.
Qin Lie looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He held the imperial envoy's hand, but was actually releasing an almost explosive surge of hormones towards Su Wan:
"Although my family is poor..."
"But as long as I still have this strength."
"As long as this flesh is still here..."
He suddenly puffed out his chest, widening the gaping opening of his collar, his bronze skin almost touching the imperial envoy's face:
"It will definitely satisfy the master..."
"grown ups."
"Look at all this fat on me..."
"How much tax is it worth?"
That overwhelming masculine aura, mixed with that highly suggestive statement.
It not only scared the imperial envoy so much that he wet himself.
Even Su Wan, who was far away, blushed, her heart pounded, and her legs went weak.
This man...
They're clearly just putting on an act, pretending to be poor.
But no matter how you look at it... it looks like they're flirting in public!
Was he asking the imperial envoy?
He was clearly asking her: Can this body pay off the debt?
"I won't accept it anymore! I won't accept it anymore!"
The imperial envoy was so terrified by the "eat-me-up" look in that eyes that he dared not mention the tax inspection again.
"I'll leave immediately! I'll return to the prefectural city to report back!"
"Langya County is suffering from a severe drought! The land is parched and barren! Tax exemption! Everything is tax exemption!"
The imperial envoy struggled desperately to break free from Qin Lie's grasp, abandoning his sedan chair and running outside with his official robes in hand.
"Get out of here! This place...this place is full of lunatics!"
"That troublemaker in charge... he wants to eat me!"
Watching the imperial envoy flee in disarray, and the group of soldiers who were so frightened that they abandoned their armor and weapons.
Qin Lie withdrew his hand.
He slowly adjusted the torn collar, the ferocity on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a triumphant, roguish smile.
"Tsk."
He shook his hand dismissively, as if getting rid of something dirty.
"Those hands are so oily, they make me feel nauseous."
then.
He turned around and strode towards Su Wan.
The surrounding extras tactfully began packing up their props, while Magistrate Fang continued to feign tears as he watched the imperial envoy's retreating figure.
Nobody dared to look this way.
Qin Lie walked up to Su Wan, his tall frame shielding her from the wind.
"Jiaojiao".
He lowered his head, looking at Su Wan's rosy cheeks, and stretched out the large hand that had just scared away the imperial envoy:
"Your hands are dirty."
"I was just touched by that fat pig."
He stretched out his hand to Su Wan with a wronged expression, completely losing his previous "cannibalistic" domineering aura. Instead, he looked like a large wolfhound that had been bullied outside and came home seeking comfort.
"Jiaojiao, help your older brother wipe himself."
Su Wan smiled helplessly, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and carefully wiped his fingertips.
"Big brother... you acted really well just now."
"play?"
Qin Lie grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms.
He looked down at his exposed chest, which Su Wan had torn open herself.
"That line just now... wasn't acted."
He grabbed Su Wan's hand and pressed it against his chest muscles again.
This time, it's not acting.
It was a real, scalding touch.
"My brother's family... is indeed poor."
"So poor... all I have left is this body."
He lowered his head, his lips close to Su Wan's earlobe, his voice terribly hoarse:
"This body..."
"I only want to give it to Jiaojiao."
"tonight……"
"Jiaojiao, would you like to... try something salty?"
Su Wan's palm pressed against that burning skin, feeling the heart pounding wildly for her beneath her.
In this chaotic "slum" setting.
On this absurd morning when a shocking scam had just unfolded.
She looked at the man in front of her who could become a demon or a mad dog for her sake.
Blushed.
"Then it needs to be washed clean..."
She whispered, drawing a light circle on his chest with her finger:
"It's too dirty... I won't eat it."
Qin Lie shuddered, and two dark flames instantly ignited in his eyes.
"Yes, ma'am."
He scooped Su Wan up in his arms, and they tucked her into the rising sun.
"Big brother will go wash up now."
"After washing myself clean... I put myself on a plate."
"Serve it to Jiaojiao."