“Master, I didn’t mean any harm. It’s just that Miss Jiang was unwilling to step forward initially. If I hadn’t threatened her with my broadsword, she wouldn’t have treated you.”
Scarface was anxious, wishing he could recreate the entire scene from yesterday.
The man glanced at Scarface, who immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.
Then the man turned to look at Jiang A Yao. “Miss Jiang, he is my subordinate. The situation was urgent, so we had to resort to such measures. I hope you can understand. From now on, they won’t treat you like that anymore.”
“You are my savior. They should respect you accordingly.”
He spoke many words in one breath, his voice gradually weakening.
Jiang A Yao immediately said, “You shouldn’t exert yourself right now. Speaking also consumes energy. If possible, you should lie down and rest on the ground.”
After all, there were blankets spread on the ground, so he wouldn’t catch cold. Besides, it was close to the charcoal brazier and quite warm.
The man nodded and added, “Great kindness needs no words of thanks. If there’s anything you need help with, Miss, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Hearing this, Jiang A Yao’s heart stirred, and she instinctively asked, “Can you do anything?”
Her quick retort momentarily stunned the man, but he quickly recovered. “You can tell me what you have in mind. I’ll do my best to help.”
Adopting a trial attitude, Jiang A Yao asked, “I heard from the crazy old man that it’s possible to establish a female-headed household in the town outside. Is that true?”
“Establish a female-headed household?”
Scarface was very surprised and asked doubtfully, “Miss Jiang, aren’t you married? Why would you want to establish a female-headed household?”
Jiang A Yao quickly composed herself and said softly, “I was just asking, nothing more.”
Scarface looked at her, feeling very puzzled.
Meanwhile, his master half-lowered his eyes and said slowly, “Could it be that you’re married, Miss, but your household registration remains with your maiden family, and that family treats you poorly, so you want to establish a female-headed household?”
Before Jiang A Yao could respond, Scarface said, “What’s so difficult about that? Just go to the government office to register and transfer your household registration to your husband’s name.”
Jiang A Yao didn’t speak, silently handling the gauze in her hands.
She didn’t want her household registration transferred to anyone’s name, but here, that seemed impossible.
“I was just asking, just wishful thinking. Don’t take it seriously.”
She didn’t expect this stranger to help her solve this matter – she was merely asking.
Since she was here, she would first live steadily day by day. No matter how hard or difficult, she could always survive. She certainly wouldn’t commit suicide.
Scarface seemed to realize he had said something wrong. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Miss Jiang, was that young girl who stepped forward yesterday your family member? She looked somewhat similar in the eyes.”
Jiang A Yao truthfully replied, “She’s my younger sister, but we’ve severed family ties.”
Scarface was startled and turned to look at his master.
When they arrived yesterday, they had indeed been very intimidating – the village chief was so frightened he sat on the ground unable to get up. But when Scarface was making threats, that young girl stood up.
Moreover, she didn’t know medicine herself – she intended to tell him who knew about medicinal herbs.
Thus, Jiang A Yao voluntarily stood up, leading to subsequent events.
“Miss Jiang, establishing a female-headed household in the countryside isn’t a simple matter. It involves farmland and housing. If you establish a female-headed household, it would be fine if you move to town later. But if you remain here in the countryside, you wouldn’t be able to survive.”
The moment the man spoke, it was clear he was not only well-versed in legal statutes but also deeply familiar with local customs and human nature.
The saying “barren mountains and vicious waters breed unruly people” did not emerge from thin air, nor were all mountain folk inherently simple and honest. Many were vicious individuals who bullied the weak, seized farmland, and occupied homes.
His words were not a threat but a sincere warning.
Jiang A Yao could distinguish good from bad advice. Without elaborating, she replied calmly, “Thank you for telling me.”
Before the man could say more, Jiang A Yao picked up the dried gauze and approached him. “Let me change your dressing again. We don’t want the wound to fester.”
The man gave a slight nod and lay still for the bandage change.
While things were busy inside the house, those outside were not idle either. Apart from the two who had gone to buy medicine, the rest took turns patrolling the area, with those returning taking breaks on the spot.
Scarface stayed indoors for a while. Seeing that his master was not in serious condition, he went out to patrol personally.
Not far from the courtyard, he ran into Lu Da, who was carrying something.
“It’s you. What do you want?” Scarface blocked his path, though his attitude was noticeably better than the day before.
Lu Da lifted the two pheasants in his hand. “I came to deliver these.”
“Feeling generous all of a sudden?” Scarface raised an eyebrow but did not reach for them.
Lu Da answered truthfully, “My wife needs nourishment too. She’s frail, and caring for the sick is exhausting work. She needs proper food.”
“Didn’t expect you to dote on your wife like that.”
Scarface laughed, but his rugged features made the scar on his face twist menacingly, rendering his expression even fiercer.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take them for free.”
He pulled out some silver from his pocket, but Lu Da declined. “You overpaid yesterday. Besides, two pheasants aren’t worth much.”
“You’re an honest one.”
Scarface took the pheasants from him and was about to leave when Lu Da asked, “Do you know how to handle these?”
“What’s so hard about slaughtering pheasants?” Scarface retorted dismissively.
Lu Da frowned. “If they’re not cleaned properly, even cooked, my wife won’t eat them.”
Scarface shot back, “Then what do you suggest?”
This man and that Miss Jiang, who wants to establish a female-headed household, were clearly cut from the same cloth—both equally troublesome.
And equally fussy.
Lu Da said firmly, “I’ll handle it. I’ll clean them and cook them.”
“Fine, come with me.”
Scarface sighed and motioned for him to follow.
After a few steps, Scarface recalled Jiang A Yao’s inquiry about setting up a female-headed household and nudged Lu Da with his elbow.
“You seem like a decent man who cares for his wife. Don’t just bury yourself in work from now on. Sweet-talk her a bit, cheer her up. Don’t give your all only to have your wife run off.”
At this, Lu Da looked at him warily. “What do you mean by that?”
Scarface eyed him, eyebrows arched. “Nothing much. Just giving you a friendly tip as an honest fellow.”
A friendly tip?
But why did it sound like he was sowing discord?
Seeing Lu Da’s clueless expression, Scarface laughed again. This guy was truly a simpleton. His wife, whom he’d paid to marry, was already thinking of setting up a female-headed household, and here he was, blissfully unaware.
Ah, forget it. He was meddling. He was just a foot soldier who’d known this couple for barely two days. Why bother with their affairs?
“Go on, slaughter the pheasants.”
Scarface shoved the two birds into Lu Da’s arms and strode ahead.
Lu Da followed behind, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
What did this person mean by saying that?
Could it be that one of them had taken a fancy to Jiang A Yao and wanted to take her away by force?
Such incidents were not uncommon in the countryside. When officials came to the villages, they might take a liking to some peasant girl, offer a few taels of silver, and take her away.
Such transactions were still considered consensual, but there were even worse cases of forced marriages and outright seizure.