Traveling to ancient times, with space

Chapter 243 Almost Discovered

Just then, one of the ladies suddenly twitched her nose a few times, as if she had smelled something strange.

Immediately afterwards, she took Jiang Ying's hand with a look of surprise and said shyly, "Oh my, Madam Gu, the cooks in your household are truly amazing!"

The aroma of roasted meat is so tempting, it even wafts from this backyard! Oh dear, we're in for a treat today!

Upon hearing this, another noblewoman quickly chimed in, "That's right! Sister Jiang, when exactly did you get such a skilled new cook in your household?"

Look at this skill! It's absolutely superb!

Jiang Ying blushed slightly, revealing a hint of embarrassment, because even she herself didn't know when the household had changed to a new cook.

However, the alluring fragrance did indeed waft from the mansion, and without a doubt, it originated from her own home.

“In that case, the two younger sisters will have to stay and enjoy the meal today.” Although Jiang Ying had some doubts, she quickly composed herself and smiled as she agreed.

Upon hearing this, the two ladies exchanged a smile and readily nodded in agreement.

Just then, their attention was drawn to the fish swimming in the water below. One of them excitedly pointed at the fish and exclaimed, "Sister Jiang, we've heard so much about how huge your fish are! Seeing them with our own eyes today, it's truly well-deserved!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ying's slightly embarrassed expression vanished instantly, replaced by a face full of pride and self-satisfaction.

With a smug smile, she replied, "Oh, my sisters, you flatter me! Actually, the reason these fish are so plump is all thanks to the high quality of the fish fry my brother sent!"

He told me that these fish are the same species as those raised in our Imperial Preceptor's Hall, and it is said that the largest of them can grow to weigh more than ten kilograms!

As they grow a bit larger, their bellies will develop a mesmerizing golden hue—that's one of the Imperial Advisor's favorite varieties!

The woman in the pink dress was a relative of the Vice Minister of Revenue. When she heard that the fish was favored by the Grand Preceptor, a shrewd glint flashed in her eyes.

She immediately stepped forward and began to flatter him obsequiously: "Oh my, I knew it! Just by looking at them from afar, I could tell these fish were extraordinary. They are such precious and exquisite specimens!"

I wonder if Sister Jiang could do me a favor and help me find a few of these precious fish?

If my wish can be fulfilled, my sister will be eternally grateful!

Jiang Ying gently covered her mouth with her hand, letting out a clear and melodious laugh, and said in a sweet voice, "Little sister is really good at joking! If I am lucky enough to catch some fish in the future, I will definitely send you a few."

But nowadays, even I, as her older sister, am helpless; it's simply impossible to obtain these rare items.

Just then, another elegant lady in a light blue dress came over.

She smiled sweetly and said, "Oh dear, Madam Jiang, don't forget me! If you could help me find a few, that would be wonderful."

I've heard that your elder brother holds a high position in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall and is very powerful!

It seems that a few fish are nothing more than a piece of cake for him.

As Jiang Ying was showered with compliments and flattery by the two noblewomen, a blush crept onto her face, and she felt secretly delighted.

He readily agreed, saying he would give each of them two fish so they could take them home satisfied.

Upon hearing this, the servants standing behind him immediately sprang into action.

They quickly found fishing nets and other fishing tools, then jumped into the water and began fishing with great enthusiasm.

Jiang Ying stood on the shore, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the busy servants, while she muttered to herself: If it weren't for the fact that both of these women have sons of similar age.

Moreover, her own precious daughter was of marriageable age and she needed to cultivate some relationships. How could she bear to give away such a precious and rare fish to someone else so easily!

However, after people struggled to retrieve the fish from the water for quite some time, no matter how carefully they counted the number, they still found that two fish were missing!

She only had ten fish, and now two of them were gone for no reason. How could she not feel bad?

Upon seeing this, Jiang Ying felt a pang of pain in her heart, and her beautiful face revealed an expression of deep heartache.

He immediately ordered his servants to continue searching in the water, and sternly commanded, "You must find these two fish for me. Even if they are dead, you must find their bodies; if they are still alive, then you must find them for me!"

A moment later, a servant rushed in to report: "Madam, we have searched the entire area of ​​this waterway, but we still haven't found anything."

Immediately afterward, another servant rushed in, panting, to report: "Madam, we found nothing here either."

And so, one servant after another came to report the situation, but the result was always the same—nothing was found.

Just as everyone was extremely anxious, a servant suddenly pointed to the back of the pavilion in the distance and nodded slightly to Jiang Ying.

Jiang Ying understood immediately and, supported by two servants, quickly ran towards the pavilion.

Because she was running so fast, she didn't even care about her usual dignified and elegant demeanor.

When the group arrived near the pavilion, Jiang Ying took a closer look and was shocked by what she saw!

There were only traces of fire on the ground and a pile of leftover fish bones.

The fish bones were scattered haphazardly on the ground, as if mocking Jiang Ying.

Jiang Ying stared wide-eyed at the fish bones on the ground, trembling with anger. She pointed at the fish bones with her trembling finger.

Her voice became shrill with anger: "Who...who did this?!"

Immediately, she turned to the servants beside her and ordered, "Quickly, gather all these bones up, don't leave a single one behind!"

Then, Jiang Ying took a deep breath, trying to calm her excited emotions. After turning to apologize to the two noble ladies on the small bridge, she hurriedly ran towards Lord Gu's study.

After Jiang Ying walked further and further away until her figure completely disappeared, Su Yue and the others, who were hiding behind the hanging flower gate, cautiously peeked out.

They patted their chests lightly, still shaken, and kept saying, "Oh dear, that was close! We were almost discovered."

Immediately afterwards, the group exchanged glances, and after confirming that no one was around, they began to chuckle in hushed tones.