With little entertainment in the village, most people went to bed after dark. Tonight, there were no stars or moon, and the surroundings were quiet, but Uncle Jiang’s household was unusually lively.
Uncle Jiang lay on the bed, groaning “aiyo, aiyo” in pain. Wu Shi grumbled while rubbing medicinal oil on a large purple bruise on his shoulder. Uncle Jiang had been kicked in the stomach—perhaps his internal organs were injured—and had vomited yellow bile for a long time. The skin and flesh on his waist were also bruised and swollen.
Granny Yu paced around the room, one ear filled with her son’s groans and the other with her daughter-in-law’s complaints. The noise made her head ache, so she slammed the table and shouted, “Complain, complain, complain! All you know how to do is complain! Where were you when that wretched girl was hitting people? You only know how to grumble at home. If you have the guts, go tie that girl up right now and throw her into Zhang the Lame’s house!”
Scolded by her, Wu Shi immediately fell silent, muttering “damned old woman” under her breath. Feeling resentful, she applied more force with her hands, causing Uncle Jiang to howl in pain and continue moaning on the bed.
Granny Yu had anticipated some difficulty in marrying Jiang Yuanyuan off to Zhang the Lame, but she never expected this shameless, immoral girl to dare let a man move into her house so openly. She was clearly determined to defy them and refuse to marry!
To be honest, if Jiang Yuanyuan had a softer temperament, Granny Yu could have forced her to marry by crying a few times in front of her door. But this girl was stubborn, just like her ungrateful mother!
After thinking it over, Granny Yu said, “I have a plan for this matter. Don’t worry about it for now. Tomorrow, I’ll go to Zhang the Lame’s house and see if I can settle this. Once we have the money, we’ll buy a little maid to serve Fugui. I’ve seen that the boys in town all have maids to serve them tea and water. If Fugui achieves scholarly honors in the future and people find out he’s never been served by a maid, he’ll become a laughingstock.”
Wu Shi and Uncle Jiang exchanged glances, both seeing greed in each other’s eyes. In the entire village, only Scholar Sun and the village head had little maids! This would give them something to boast about for a long time!
In the middle of the night, an autumn rain suddenly began to fall, pattering softly and bringing a chill to the ground.
When Chu Jing opened his eyes, he was met with boundless darkness. He lay quietly in bed, listening to the rain, but sleep eluded him. He turned onto his side, and the bed creaked loudly, the sound echoing clearly in the night.
He had a dream. In the dream, he was in a place called the “Eastern Palace,” where everyone treated him with great respect, addressing him as “Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
He had lost his memory and couldn’t recall many things—who he was, where his home was. But could dreams be trusted? Perhaps he had once watched a play or heard someone tell a story, which was why he had such a dream.
As the sky gradually brightened, Chu Jing closed his eyes again, pretending to sleep. He waited until he heard the sound of a door opening next door before getting up and going out.
Jiang Yuanyuan woke up early today. She hadn’t intended to rise so early, but the autumn rain was falling heavily, and she hadn’t yet altered the thick cotton clothes for Chu Jing. She was afraid he would catch a cold—after all, a dose of medicine was expensive, costing several dozen wen.
She had already changed into a thin short jacket. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the neighboring door open as well. Noticing Chu Jing was only wearing a thin inner garment, she immediately hurried over with small steps and gently pushed him back into the room. “Don’t come out. Wait until I’ve altered some clothes for you to wear before you step outside, or you might catch a chill.”
Chu Jing had intended to say he wasn’t cold, but seeing how concerned she was for him, he obediently returned to his room.
Back inside, he didn’t get under the covers but sat by the bed, waiting until Jiang Yuanyuan knocked on the door again before going to open it.
When the door opened, Jiang Yuanyuan looked up at him and suddenly asked, “Are you cold?”
Chu Jing shook his head and was about to speak when a soft hand reached out and touched his own, even giving it a gentle pat.
Jiang Yuanyuan nodded seriously. “Your hand is warm, so it seems you’re not lying to me. The weather is cold now, and it wouldn’t be good if you caught a chill.”
Even after saying this, her hand didn’t pull away. If not for the clear innocence in Jiang Yuanyuan’s almond-shaped eyes, Chu Jing might have suspected she was taking advantage of him.
After the greetings were exchanged, Chu Jing withdrew his hand and took the clothes inside.
It was raining today, making work inconvenient. After washing up, Jiang Yuanyuan went to prepare breakfast first.
Determined to help Chu Jing recover his health, Jiang Yuanyuan gritted her teeth and steamed two eggs in the pot, drizzling a little sesame oil over them when they were done. She also cooked corn porridge to go with them.
Chu Jing had a big appetite and used a large bowl, finishing three bowls of porridge before setting down his chopsticks.
Half of the eggs in the bowl remained. He looked at Jiang Yuanyuan, who was sipping her porridge in small mouthfuls.
Chu Jing pushed the bowl toward her, signaling for her to eat the eggs.
Jiang Yuanyuan smiled faintly, scooped a spoonful of eggs, and asked him, “What would you like to eat for lunch?”
At her words, two dish names popped into Chu Jing’s mind: “Braised Duck Feet with Mushrooms” and “Steamed Perch.” But… he glanced at Jiang Yuanyuan’s chicken coop, which housed only two chickens, and said, “I want to eat chicken.”
“…”
Jiang Yuanyuan’s lips twitched, and she stared at his handsome face for a moment. “We can’t eat chicken today. Let’s have eggs instead.”
“I’ll slaughter a chicken for you when the New Year comes.”
There were still three months until the New Year. Chu Jing felt inexplicably unhappy, but raising only two chickens in such a large coop was pitiful…
He pursed his lips and said nothing, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuanyuan had no choice but to coax him. “Our chickens aren’t plump enough yet. They’d be tough to chew. How about I stir-fry cured pork with eggs for lunch?”
Chu Jing reluctantly accepted these two dishes.
It was unclear how long the rain would last, but it seemed it wouldn’t stop for the entire day.
After breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Jiang Yuanyuan went to answer it, and as soon as she opened the door, she came face-to-face with a pockmarked face up close, nearly startling her into a scream.
Zhang the Lame glared at her with an unfriendly expression and immediately said, “You little wench are too dishonest! Using my money to support a man? You damn well better return the money now!”
“What money?” Jiang Yuanyuan frowned, holding an umbrella as she took two steps back to avoid Zhang the Lame’s spittle. “I didn’t take your money. If you want money, you should go ask my grandmother for it.”
Zhang the Lame didn’t believe her and spat at her. “Your grandmother came to see me early this morning and told me about you. You shameless wench took my betrothal money and are now keeping a man. Have you no shame?”
“In short, there are only two paths today. One, you repay the money. Two, you come back with me, sleep with me tonight, and if you serve me well, I won’t hold it against you for keeping a man!”
What arrogance!
Before Jiang Yuanyuan could speak, Chu Jing, who had been standing quietly behind her, let out a cold snort, his tone dripping with mockery.
He wasn’t holding an umbrella, and his clothes were dotted with fine raindrops, yet he remained tall and upright. In his eyes, Zhang the Lame seemed like some insignificant piece of filth.
“She never took your money. Can’t you understand that?”
Zhang the Lame was startled, intimidated by his imposing presence.
But having been a scoundrel for so many years, he was no pushover. He kicked the doorframe hard and shouted, “I don’t care! Your grandmother promised to marry you to me, and I already paid the money. If you don’t repay it, you have to come back with me!”
With Chu Jing by her side, Jiang Yuanyuan felt secure and spoke more boldly.
“My grandmother took your money, so why don’t you take her home with you? Why come to me for it? You’re nothing but a shameless rogue!”
Zhang the Lame was taken aback, never expecting her to utter such rebellious words. He gritted his teeth in anger. “How dare you speak like that? She’s your grandmother!”
“You keep defending her like this,” Jiang Yuanyuan, knowing Chu Jing was right behind her, took a bold step forward, her face full of sarcasm. “Do you want to be my grandfather?”
Her tone was utterly unsparing. Zhang the Lame was shocked, and the thought of Granny Yu’s wrinkled, aged face made him nauseous. He pointed a finger at her and yelled, “What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat?!”
Hearing this, even Chu Jing was somewhat surprised. He glanced at Jiang Yuanyuan, a hint of amusement hidden in his eyes.
He hadn’t expected someone who seemed as soft as cotton to say something like this. How novel.
Zhang the Lame was furious and about to lash out when Chu Jing casually stepped forward, his tall frame and icy gaze making Zhang the Lame shrink back in fear.
He spat out a final threat, “You just wait!”