In the Liang family compound, Li Yi watched the groom-to-be, who was the center of everyone’s attention, and his expression instantly changed, a hint of pity unconsciously flickering in his eyes.
Ah, another unlucky soul!
Jiang Longcheng, who had been sitting beside Li Yi the whole time, felt a jolt of unease upon seeing that expression.
To be honest, these days he wasn’t afraid of his own father whipping him with a belt—he was terrified of his brother-in-law Li Yi even raising an eyebrow.
A beating from his father would at most cause some physical pain, but a frown from his brother-in-law—that could be deadly.
Jiang Longcheng still remembered the first time he met his brother-in-law. The guy had stared at him with a furrowed brow and bluntly called him a short-lived wretch.
He hadn’t taken it to heart at first, but before long, he’d been mugged by a desperate criminal. If his brother-in-law hadn’t stepped in to save him, he’d probably be two years older by now.
What left the deepest impression on him, however, was Li Yi’s bold prediction regarding the fate of that bastard from the Du family. The phrase, “Why bother quarreling with a dead man?” remains etched in his memory to this day.
The whole incident with Yang Laowu had already been shocking enough, but now his brother-in-law was giving those men across the table that same look.
Although he didn’t know who that frown was directed at, it still sent a chill down Jiang Longcheng’s spine.
After all, the people across the table were no ordinary folk; no matter who met with misfortune, it would cause quite a stir.
Immediately, he silently resolved that after the banquet was over, he would have to have a serious talk with his brother-in-law.
In truth, Li Yi was feeling a bit conflicted—or rather, a bit uneasy—at that moment.
Just now, when he saw the Liang family’s new son-in-law, the hair on the back of his neck had stood on end!
Although this man came from humble origins, and barring any surprises, he was slated to be executed next year,
However, his death would set off a chain reaction—one that would even directly spark the massive political movement of his past life.
Um… it was just like that young man in Sarajevo—a single gunshot from him sparked the entire First World War.
Although the analogy isn’t quite accurate, it’s roughly the same idea.
The deaths of Yang Laowu and Ye Jianhua, as well as Ye Jianhua’s sentencing, were also influenced by this—or rather, they were the result of the chain reaction triggered by the death of the Liang family’s new son-in-law.
In fact, the number of people affected by this incident was by no means limited to just Yang Hua and Ye Jianhua—it amounted to as many as several million.
In truth, before coming here, Li Yi had wondered whether this new son-in-law of the Liang family might be the unlucky soul who had set off that massive upheaval.
After all, not much information has been disclosed to the public about that incident; some say the deceased was the Liang family’s new son-in-law, while others claim it was the Liang family’s nephew.
The various reports are a mix of truth and fiction, with conflicting accounts.
Fortunately, the authorities issued a special report on the incident. Although they did not disclose the victim’s exact identity, they did mention that he was a soldier, recently married, and had been beaten to death by thugs while trying to protect his wife.
Most importantly, the authorities also released some photos of him taken before his death.
So, the moment the groom-to-be appeared, Li Yi recognized him!
At the same time, Li Yi began to have his doubts; things seemed to be getting increasingly off.
As for his plans for the next two years, Li Yi was very clear: “Survival above all.”
Unless something extraordinary happened, he and those around him had to keep a very low profile.
This wasn’t because he was cowardly, but because everyone had underestimated the intensity and determination of the authorities in cracking down on public order.
It could be said that anyone who didn’t toe the line was targeted—regardless of background or position—and they were truly getting beaten to a pulp or injured.
In fact, to resolve the deteriorating public order as quickly as possible, a new criminal charge had even been created; any offense that didn’t fit or couldn’t be found in the Criminal Code was simply slotted into this category.
Can you believe that hundreds of thousands of people are all guilty of the same “crime”?
Under these circumstances, don’t even think about anything—just lay low and get by. Who needs a bicycle!
But after returning this time, things took a strange turn. First, my third sister’s husband unexpectedly opened four new branches, putting him in the hot seat.
Right after that, at this engagement party, I ran into Yang Hua—a guy with a special background—and also met the Liang family’s new son-in-law.
You have to realize these guys are all unlucky souls—running into them one after another isn’t exactly a good sign.
After all, people standing under a big tree are more likely to get struck by lightning—let alone when you’re surrounded by gleaming lightning rods.
Thinking of this, Li Yi’s mood took a turn for the worse!
Feeling a bit down, he paid little attention to the engagement ceremony itself. He didn’t even notice when Liang Qiuyue, the Liang family’s youngest daughter, brought her fiancé over to toast their table.
When the banquet finally ended, Li Yi couldn’t wait to leave the Liang family’s home.
But just as he was about to leave with Jiang Xue, his mother-in-law called him back, saying she wanted Jiang Xue to come to the old family home that afternoon.
Seeing this, Jiang Longcheng casually invited Li Yi and Ye Jianhua over to his house for tea.
Although Li Yi wasn’t particularly interested, he realized it had been a while since he’d visited, so he agreed.
So, after leaving the Liang residence, the group drove straight to Jiang Longcheng’s courtyard house.
Upon entering, Zhang Xinyao was holding her child and chatting with Lin Ying in the living room about women’s private matters.
Jiang Longcheng, however, couldn’t wait to pull Li Yi and Ye Jianhua into a room at the back of the house.
Although the room looked like a study—and indeed was one, if you ignored the mahjong set still lying on the square table in the middle—
Once inside, Jiang Longcheng quickly cleared the mahjong tiles from the table, then brewed a pot of tea and brought over a few cups.
After pouring a cup of tea for each of them, Jiang Longcheng asked with an expression that was three parts curiosity and seven parts gossip, “Brother-in-law, can you tell us what’s really going on with Yang Laowu?”
Li Yi knew this guy had called him over specifically to ask about this. He didn’t really want to talk about it, but considering this unreliable fellow was Yang Laowu’s childhood friend—they’d grown up together—and that Ye Jianhua was also on good terms with him,
If he didn’t say anything, there was no telling if the two of them might get dragged into that guy’s mess.
Besides, in their eyes, he was already nothing short of a charlatan, so revealing a little “divine secret” didn’t seem like a big deal.
With that in mind, Li Yi paused briefly before saying, “Your friend has the ‘adultery, gates, taboos, chains, and spots’ in his fortune—he’s bound to face legal trouble…”
Before Li Yi could finish, Jiang Longcheng asked, looking completely baffled, “What do you mean by ‘legal trouble’?”
“It means legal trouble!” Li Yi explained.
“Are you saying Yang Laowu is going to get into legal trouble?”
“Exactly!”
Li Yi continued, “Plus, the area between his eyebrows is red with a hint of black—and the black outweighs the red. That’s not a good sign!”
“What do you mean? Are you saying Yang Laowu is going to be sentenced to prison?” Jiang Longcheng asked again.
Li Yi shook his head and said, “A person’s complexion can very directly reflect their luck. There are four types of complexions: the first is red, which signifies legal trouble; the second is black, which signifies a death omen; the third is yellow, which signifies bringing prosperity to one’s husband and wealth; and the fourth is blue, which is related to illness and misfortune.”
“In a normal person, the area between the eyebrows has a slight pinkish tint, just like the rest of the face. But your friend’s brow ridge is inexplicably red, which indicates recent legal trouble. A red hue tinged with black signifies a life-threatening crisis!”
Hearing this, Ye Jianhua said, his voice trembling slightly, “So you’re saying the legal trouble Yang Hua has gotten himself into is no small matter—he might very well lose his life because of it!”
“That’s right. Barring any surprises, he’ll face the death penalty!”
At these words, both Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua were stunned.
However, after the initial shock, Jiang Longcheng shook his head and said, “That’s impossible. Setting aside the fact that Yang Laowu is unlikely to have committed a capital offense like murder or arson, even if he had committed such an unforgivable crime, given his status, he could never be sentenced to death!”
Ye Jianhua chimed in, “That’s right, Xiao Yi. You might not be aware of Yang Hua’s background—his grandfather is…”
“I know who his grandfather is, but that doesn’t change the fate that awaits him!” Li Yi said firmly.
Instantly, the room fell silent, and the atmosphere grew heavy…
………