Chapter 17: Escaping Again
Ever since being caught red-handed that night, Jiang Qing completely transitioned into an elderly lifestyle.
Every time Jiang Yu returned from work, he would completely lock all doors and windows.
Throughout the entire houseāapart from their respective bedrooms, which remained the final “pure lands”āthe living room, dining room, and even the hallways had security cameras conspicuously installed.
As for those glaringly obvious cameras, Jiang Qing pretended not to see them.
One night, feeling unbelievably thirsty, he wanted to go to the kitchen to pour some water. The moment he stepped out of his room, the smart motion-sensor lights in the living room flared on with a “snap,” accompanied by the faint whirring of the security cameras turning, making him feel like he was illegally breaking into a museum.
Jiang Qing felt that he had been successfully conditioned into a healthy, upstanding youth who got sleepy promptly at 10 PM and woke up naturally at 6 AM.
He was practically ready to compete with Song Lingchen for the title of “high-quality youth.”
And after this silent war broke out, it thoroughly dragged in the people around him. Consequently, Song Lingchen and Jiang Linmu were also conditioned.
Jiang Qing sat by the koi pond, silently hooked a goji berry onto his hook, and cast it out.
Jiang Linmu sat by the koi pond, silently hooked a slice of American ginseng onto his hook, and cast it out.
The two brothers sat side by sideāone fishing with goji berries, the other fishing with American ginsengātheir backs bathed in the 6 AM morning sunlight.
They weren’t fishing for fish; they were fishing for three inches of tranquility in this fleeting world.
When Song Lingchen came out to find the two, this picture of quiet, peaceful times was exactly what he saw. His footsteps paused, the corners of his mouth twitching several times before he finally managed to hold back his laughter.
“Qingqing, are you… planning to condition the fishes into a health-preserving mode too?”
Jiang Qing didn’t even lift his eyelids. His gaze remained on that goji berry resting on the water’s surface, his tone flat and rippless:
“Shut up. I am pondering the mysteries of life.”
“What mysteries have you pondered out?” Song Lingchen pulled out his thermos, unscrewed it, and took a sip.
“I pondered out that…” Jiang Qing said slowly, “I should have chosen IT as my high school elective, so I could hack the home security system before running away.”
“…”
Song Lingchen nearly choked on a mouthful of warm water. He swallowed it down with difficulty. Looking at his friend’s perfectly serious expression regretting not becoming a hacker sooner, he momentarily didn’t know whether to roast his bizarre thought process or sympathize with his tragic fate of being sanctioned by Jiang Yu’s “health therapy.”
He silently tightened the cap of his thermos, deciding to skip this topic:
“…’Zero Six’ is hosting a new liquor tasting party tonight. I heard Chi Jiong will be bringing the new bartender he just poached to make a debut. Want to go relax?”
“Brother, where are you guys going? I want to go too.” Jiang Linmu immediately turned his head, the fishing rod in his hand shaking. His eyes were shining brightly, completely devoid of the world-weary detachment he had just displayed while fishing with American ginseng.
Jiang Qing finally spared the effort to shift his gaze away from his utterly ignored goji berry, glancing at his younger brother: “The place we’re going to isn’t suitable for a good boy like you.”
“How am I not suitable?” Jiang Linmu frowned. “I’m already an adult. Plus, I promise I won’t disturb you guys, I’ll just stay quietly on the side.” He paused, whispering a supplement:
“It’s still better than fishing with American ginseng here…”
Stifling a laugh, Song Lingchen looked at Jiang Qing.
Jiang Qing looked back at the water’s surface, his voice lazy: “Taking your American ginseng to a bar? Are you trying to add some atmosphere to the new tasting party, or are you planning to check people’s pulses and diagnose them on the spot?”
Jiang Linmu’s ears turned slightly red, but he stubbornly refused to give up: “…Brother, just take me this one time. I’ve never been to ‘Zero Six’ before…”
Jiang Qing didn’t reply. He merely began slowly reeling in his line. That swollen, waterlogged goji berry dangled wetly in mid-air, looking incomparably desolate.
Seeing this, Song Lingchen interjected: “Linmu, the venue might be a bit chaotic today. Bringing you along makes the target too big. If you’re caught by your brother…” He pointed toward the main house, “…He’ll probably chain him at home to ponder the Tao Te Ching next time.”
Jiang Linmu’s eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly perked up. Looking at Jiang Qing, he settled for the next best thing:
“Then… Brother, can you bring me back a serving of that new liquor from ‘Zero Six’?” He knew his brother generally wouldn’t refuse him such a small request.
Jiang Qing cast the retrieved hook back into the water, this time attaching nothing. Staring at the slowly expanding ripples, he gave a “Mn.”
Jiang Linmu smiled radiantly: “Thanks, Brother!”
Song Lingchen looked at Jiang Qing and said, “Then it’s settled. I’ll come pick you up tonight? Same old place, by the back wall?”
Jiang Qing lazily raised a hand, indicating he understood.
Song Lingchen turned to leave, but after a few steps, he looked back. Watching the Jiang brothers sitting side by side by the pond, continuing to fish with their “health-preserving bait,” he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion once again:
Looks like there’s no need to go to a nursing home in the future; just coming straight to the Jiang residence will do.
āāāāāāāāāāāāāā
“Zero Six” was considered quite a large entertainment venue in City A. Speaking of which, this place was originally a small establishment that Chi Jiong had constantly pestered Old Master Chi for a long time to get as his eighteenth birthday present. At the time, no one thought much of it, all assuming this Young Master Chi was just looking for something fresh and novel. Little did they expect that despite Chi Jiong’s lax appearance, his methods were ruthless. Over a few years, he forcefully built “Zero Six” into the top money-squandering den in City A, boasting a resounding reputation.
9:00 PM, at the entrance of “Zero Six.”
Luxury cars flowed in like water. Brightly dressed men and women stepped through the doors under the guidance of attendants.
When Jiang Qing and Song Lingchen arrived, Chi Jiong was already at their usual spot. Seeing them come up, Chi Jiong raised an eyebrow.
“Two rare guests.” His voice carried a teasing tone, his gaze lingering on Jiang Qing for an extra two seconds.
“Especially you, Second Young Master Jiang. Heard you’ve been cultivating your character and health at home, meditating on Zen and the Dao? What’s wrong, not enough fish at home for you to catch, or not enough goji berries for you to steep?”
Jiang Qing ignored him, walking straight over to sit opposite him. He casually grabbed an opened bottle of liquor on the table and poured himself a glass. His movements were smooth and fluid, not at all resembling someone who had just completed a “prison break.”
Song Lingchen smoothed things over with a smile: “Chi Jiong, stop poking fun at him. It wasn’t easy for Jiang Qing to get out. He almost had to resort to IT hacking methods.”
Chi Jiong let out a scoff, clearly having heard the rumors regarding the Jiang family’s situation.
He raised his chin, pointing down at the dance floor and the crowd mingling with wine glasses below: “Then you definitely have to relax properly tonight. I’ve got a new batch of good liquor here, and…” He paused, his gaze turning towards the center bar downstairs, the corners of his mouth curving into a meaningful arc, “…A newly arrived bartender. Great skills.”
Jiang Qing followed his gaze.
At the center bar, a figure in a white uniform had his back turned to them, shaking a cocktail shaker with fluid, graceful movements.
Even in such a noisy environment, that person seemed to be enveloped in a barrier of tranquility. He crisply poured the mixed drink into a glass, pushed it to the customer, and then turned slightly sideways to fetch a bottle.
It was this slight turn that allowed Jiang Qing to see his side profile clearly.
Su Lin.
Translator’s Note:
- Tao Te Ching (éå¾·ē¶): The foundational text of Taoism. Song Lingchen is saying Jiang Yu will lock Jiang Qing up and force him to become a monk if they get caught again!
- Zero Six: The raw text uses ‘é¶å ’ (Ling Liu) which translates to ‘Zero Six’.
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