diymy Chapter 38 Threat
Chapter 38 Threat
"My name is..."
Before she could finish speaking, Baoqin suddenly glared at Li Chong: "Why should I tell you!"
"Just this?" Li Chong brandished the knife. "Although I won't do it myself, subduing you shouldn't be a problem. Besides, I can summon the constables with a shout, and then you'll be sleeping in jail."
"Speaking of the prison, I just visited it a few days ago. Not only is it overflowing with sewage, but it's also teeming with rats and insects, and the guards are all fierce-looking. Of course, you certainly won't be afraid. How about I have someone send you there now?"
Upon hearing this, Baoqin instinctively shuddered, a chill running down her spine.
Rats and insects—this is no place for humans.
After glaring fiercely at Li Chong, she reluctantly uttered two words: "Zhong Mei!"
"Zhong Mei..."
Li Chong repeated it, then asked, "Which two words?"
Zhong Mei replied irritably, "Jin Dao Zhong, Mei as in 'bearded eyebrows'."
"She's educated," Li Chong concluded.
Having been in the Song Dynasty for so long, Li Chong had some understanding of the cultural level of the people there.
Most ordinary people, let alone being literate, can't even write their own names completely.
Someone like Zhong Mei, who not only knows how to read but also knows the word "beard and eyebrows," is definitely educated and not just someone who can read.
Nodding slightly, Li Chong waved his hand, indicating, "Please sit down first, let's have a good talk."
"What's there to talk about with a dog like you?"
Zhongmei mumbled incoherently, but her body betrayed her by pulling over a chair and preparing to sit down.
Having been so tense just now, with her body taut for so long, Zhong Mei also felt her heart racing a bit.
Moreover, Li Chong was sitting imposingly on the bed while Zhong Mei was standing and talking, so naturally Zhong Mei was not convinced.
However, just as she placed the chair behind her, the lights in the yard came on.
"My lord? Is that noise coming from your room?"
It was Cui who asked the question.
Then, Siqi spoke up, calling out worriedly, "Master, are you alright?"
Zhong Mei stiffened, her lips tightened immediately, and she subconsciously looked at Li Chong.
Li Chong smiled gently at her and slowly opened his mouth.
Gripping the dagger tightly, Zhong Mei dared not move, and could only sit down helplessly, then close her eyes tightly.
"Dad~~~"
Li Chong's voice came through: "It's nothing. I knocked over the teapot when I got up in the middle of the night. Don't forget to replace it for me tomorrow. Go to sleep now."
In the courtyard, Cui Shi tightened his coat and turned away silently.
Before entering the room, he glared at Siqi's body fiercely before closing the door.
Siqi paid no attention to Cui Shi. When she heard Li Chong's words, she was about to go back to rest, but then she realized something was wrong.
"Where's Baoqin? Didn't she hear anything?"
Looking around, she saw the bright moonlight and decided not to disturb others, so she went back to her room to rest, still puzzled.
In Li Chong's room, Zhong Mei opened her eyes and looked at Li Chong in disbelief.
"Why...why didn't you call out to someone?"
"Don't rush me," Li Chong said casually. "If you want to experience being in jail, I can help you out, but before that, you need to explain who you really are."
Zhongmei bit her lip and remained silent.
How should she respond to Li Chong's question? Can she tell the truth?
No!
Therefore, she could only remain silent.
Li Chong didn't care and continued to calmly dismantle Zhong Mei's psychological defenses: "Judging from your appearance, you're probably only in your teens, and not married yet, right? If you don't know how to answer, just nod or shake your head, that should be fine, right?"
After a moment's hesitation, Zhongmei slowly shook her head.
Now that the first question has been answered, things will go much more smoothly from here on out.
"We're not married." Li Chong smiled at her. "So, you came here this time to kill me?"
Zhong Mei shook her head again.
"So you want me to do you a favor?"
She opened and closed her mouth several times, and it was clear that Zhongmei wanted to speak, but she didn't know how to say it.
In the end, Zhong Mei nodded.
After a few questions, the atmosphere between the two finally eased, and Zhongmei's body relaxed.
At this moment, Li Chong suddenly changed his question, holding out his hand: "Can I see the dagger in your hand? What's that piece of paper for?"
Zhong Mei was taken aback upon hearing this, looked down at her hand, and immediately tensed up.
She blurted out instinctively, "No!"
Li Chong's expression gradually turned serious: "Why not?"
"Uh, it's nothing really, no need to look at it." Zhong Mei said with a fake smile as she tried to destroy the paper.
Seeing her tear the paper from the dagger, Li Chong immediately said sternly, "If you dare do that, I'll have you thrown into jail right now! I can't guarantee what will happen to a little girl like you in the hands of those jailers!"
Zhong Mei's face flushed red, and she angrily retorted, "I'm not a little girl!"
Now it was Li Chong's turn to be speechless. He had said so much, but Zhong Mei only paid attention to this.
Li Chong softened his tone and continued to persuade, "Alright, alright, you're an adult now, so let me see that piece of paper. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what might happen."
"You, me..."
She looked up at Li Chong, then down at herself, and in a fit of anger, tears welled up in her eyes.
Upon seeing this, Li Chong felt even more guilty.
"No, I'm clearly the victim here, so why am I being treated like I'm bullying a little girl?"
But having already gotten to the crucial point, how could Li Chong possibly give up now?
At that moment, he had no choice but to harden his heart and continue demanding.
Forced into this situation by Li Chong, Zhong Mei had no choice but to throw the paper at him in a fit of pique.
"Anyway, I was planning to show it to you in the first place. Go ahead and watch if you want, but don't be scared to death!"
Li Chong bent down and picked up the paper from the ground, laughing, "I'm naturally brave; I've never known how to write the word 'fear.'"
"Hmph!" Zhong Mei sneered. "A grown man, setting a trap in his own bedroom. Facing me, a woman, he still holds a long knife and threatens me. How dare you say you're not afraid?"
"That's called wisdom; otherwise, how could I have caught you?"
"you!"
Zhong Mei was furious again and could only sit in the chair and sulk.
Li Chong glanced at her, chuckled softly, and carefully unfolded the paper.
After being damaged earlier, the paper was wrinkled and crumpled, and it took Li Chong some effort to smooth it out.
Looking up, the contents weren't particularly frightening, but they still took Li Chong quite a surprise.
"I heard you want to wipe out bandits? Those bandits on Dafeng Mountain aren't so easy to deal with. If you really want to succeed, go to Old Tian's Tea House in the west of the city alone tomorrow. Remember, you must go alone. If you tell anyone, or dare not go, next time this dagger won't just be stuck in your bedside!"
"This county government office of yours, I can come and go as I please. If you don't want to die, you'd better behave yourself!"