Chapter 273: Child Bride (Part 4)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Mrs. Wei smiled. “There’s still some left. I’ll get the servant to send it to him.”
Wei Shilai smiled while he ate. “It’s a pity that there’s no woman of the right age amongst your family members. Otherwise, we could introduce one to Magistrate Li. He is already 26 years old, but hasn’t married yet.”
Li Guanfeng was a talented and upright person and Wei Shilai had always thought highly of him.
After Liu Sanniang finished her porridge, she bade farewell to Wei Shilai and Mrs. Wei. After coming out of the inner courtyard, Liu Sanniang thought for a moment and went to the main hall.
Li Guanfeng took over the county office and started handling official affairs. Lin Zheng and the others were helping him.
They all knew Liu Sanniang, so when she came, they did not stop her.
Ligui and Liming were Li Guanfeng’s subordinates. When they saw Liu Sanniang, they were slightly put on the spot. “Miss Liu, Magistrate Li is busy at the moment and can’t see guests.”
Liu Sanniang said, “Then please tell him that if he changes his mind, he can come to me at any time. If he doesn’t come to me in a month, I’ll come to him.”
Ligui and Liming nodded. “Okay, Miss Liu.”
Liu Sanniang nodded and turned to leave.
As soon as Liu Sanniang left, Ligui and Liming walked into the house. It was Li Guanfeng who asked the two of them to go out to stop Liu Sanniang from entering.
They did not know why Li Guanfeng did not want to see Liu Sanniang.
Ligui looked at Li Guanfeng and said, “Sir, Miss Liu has left.”
Li Guanfeng looked up. “Left?”
Ligui nodded. “Yes, but she asked us to pass a message.”
Li Guanfeng frowned. “Speak.”
“Miss Liu said that if you change your mind, you can go to look for her. If you don’t go to look for her in a month, she will come to you.”
Li Guanfeng’s eyes turned cold. He waved his hand. “Alright, you can go now.”
Ligui and Liming did not know what happened, but looking at Li Guanfeng’s expression, they knew that he was angry.
After they left, Li Guanfeng covered his face with his hands.
He was furious. He recalled the scene he saw in the Wang family. Liu Sanniang could grab the soul with her bare hands. She was born to restrain evil. If she really came to find him, Xiaowu would not be able to escape.
He removed his hand from his face and looked at the small bell. There seemed to be another crack on it. He shook it and a ball of black smoke appeared, gradually giving form to a seven-year-old girl.
Xiaowu reached out as if wanting to comfort Li Guanfeng. “Brother Li, are you unhappy?”
Li Guanfeng looked at Xiaowu. She still looked like when she was seven. These ten years were the most painful ten years he had ever lived.
Xiaowu bit her lip and said, “Brother Li, don’t be unhappy, okay?”
Li Guanfeng lowered his eyes. He did not want Xiaowu to see the killing intent in his eyes. He smiled and said gently, “Will you always be with me?”
In the past, Xiwowu’s answer had always been an affirmative yes. She wanted to be with him more than anyone.
But she was already dead. How could she be with him?
Not having received an affirmative answer from Xiaowu, Li Guanfeng looked up at her and his expression darkened. “Xiaowu, don’t you want me anymore?”
Xiaowu waved her hand. “No, I want to be with you, but I can’t.”
She spread out her arms, wanting to hug Li Guanfeng, but in the end, her arms passed through him. She looked at her empty hands and said, “Brother Li, look, I’ll never be able to touch you, and I’ll never grow up. I’ve lingered around you for ten years. It’s enough. I can’t be selfish anymore. It’s time for me to go.”
Li Guanfeng looked at Xiaowu and smiled. “You think ten years is enough, but I don’t think it’s enough.”
At the thought of not having Xiaowu around for the rest of his life, he felt suffocated.
Li Guanfeng looked away and said calmly, “Xiaowu, come back and rest.”
No matter what, he would think of a way to keep her by his side.
If Liu Sanniang did not help him, he would help himself. He did not want to give up.
Xiaowu looked at Li Guanfeng with sorrow in her eyes. She turned into a black smoke and returned to the bell. She had lied.
How could ten years be enough?
But she couldn’t hold on for much longer.
Li Guanfeng knew that the monk was up to no good, so he had never killed anyone. But even so, the bell would not last long.
Whether she wanted to stay or Li Guanfeng wanted her to stay, they had to do so by feeding the bell with blood.
Xiaowu had always remembered the monk telling her that the person she loved the most would marry another girl and have children.
She had already decided to give up.
That monk wanted her brother to become a murderer. She would not let that monk succeed. How could she possibly watch her brother’s hands getting stained with blood because of her?
Li Guanfeng closed his eyes. His lips and hands were trembling.
It took him a long time to calm down.
If he had died that year, nothing would have happened, and he wouldn’t be in so much pain.
Li Guanfeng stood up, his face devoid of any warmth. Compared to Wei Shilai, he looked especially difficult to get along with. Only when he was investigating a case would Wei Shilai look solemn. Usually, he was very gentle.
However, Li Guanfeng looked like a person who had seen the vicissitudes of life. He never smiled.
The constable guarding the prison said carefully, “Hello, Magistrate Li.”
Li Guanfeng had just taken office, but he didn’t even bother to pretend to be friendly. The constables were all very troubled. Their lives would not be easy in the future.
Li Guanfeng glanced at the cell and asked calmly. “Where is the criminal who has recently committed a serious crime and is waiting to be beheaded?”
The constable smiled. “Sir, in the innermost area, there’s a lunatic. He killed a civilian and is waiting to be executed.”
Li Guanfeng walked straight to the innermost area where a lunatic was lying against the wall of the cell, muttering something incomprehensible.
When Li Guanfeng approached, the lunatic suddenly pounced on him. If not for the fact that Li Guanfeng retreated quickly, he would have been grabbed.
The constable was shocked and said, “Sir, be careful. This lunatic is a beast. Don’t get too close to him.”
The lunatic seemed to be angry that he did not catch Li Guanfeng. He opened his mouth and bit off a piece of the wooden plank in the cell with great force. Then, he started chewing it.