Since Shen Yihuan had already handed it over, she had no intention of taking it back.
“Keep it.”
“There are too many people around. I’m afraid someone might steal it.”
“It’ll be safer with you.”
“Besides, I’m still planning to buy more things later. You can pay for them.”
Jiang Changfeng glanced discreetly at several suspicious-looking people peeking around the busy street before tucking the silver ingot safely into his robes.
“Then I’ll hold onto it for you for now.”
Shen Yihuan didn’t mind.
She hadn’t intended to ask for it back anyway.
She considered it payment for her room and board while staying with the Jiang family.
In this era, one dou of rice was roughly equivalent to twelve modern pounds.
Twenty dou came to around two hundred and forty pounds.
Shen Yihuan was wondering whether they should hire a carriage first when Jiang Changfeng was already speaking with the grain shop assistant.
“We’ll leave the grain here for now. We still have a few things to buy and will come back for it later.”
“Of course, sir. No problem.”
Temporary grain storage was common, and the shop assistant readily agreed.
“Let’s go have lunch,” Jiang Changfeng said, leading her toward the western part of the city.
Everything around her fascinated Shen Yihuan.
Whether it was the candied hawthorn being sold on the street or the mung bean cakes displayed in pastry shops, she wanted to buy a little of everything she saw to sample.
Jiang Changfeng had an easygoing temperament.
As long as Shen Yihuan wanted something, he never hesitated to buy it.
After tasting several delicious snacks, Shen Yihuan was in an excellent mood.
She became much more generous while shopping.
“These mung bean cakes are delicious.”
“Let’s buy more so everyone at home can have some.”
“And these meat buns too.”
“The filling is huge and the skin is so thin. Let’s get several.”
Seeing that she constantly thought about his family warmed Jiang Changfeng’s heart.
Naturally, he agreed to everything with a smile.
As they continued walking, Shen Yihuan’s attention was caught by a bustling noodle stall ahead.
“Let’s eat noodles.”
“There are so many customers.”
Everyone knew the easiest way to judge whether a restaurant was good.
If it was crowded, the food was probably worth eating.
Since this noodle stall was packed with customers, the noodles had to be delicious.
Jiang Changfeng didn’t object.
He ordered a bowl of shredded pork noodles for Shen Yihuan.
For himself, he ordered the cheapest bowl of plain scallion noodles.
Shen Yihuan knew he was trying to save money.
She wanted to persuade him otherwise, but realized she wasn’t really in a position to lecture him.
In the end, she quietly accepted it.
The shredded pork noodles tasted wonderful.
Far better than coarse rice.
Unfortunately, the original body’s appetite was tiny.
After eating less than half a bowl, she was completely full.
In truth, Shen Yihuan wanted to finish everything.
But this body simply couldn’t manage it.
In the end…
Jiang Changfeng quietly finished the noodles she had left behind.
Although she knew he was only trying to avoid wasting food…
Her face still reddened uncontrollably.
After lunch, Shen Yihuan bought more daily necessities along with several bolts of cloth.
Once they had purchased everything they needed, they hired a carriage, returned to the grain shop to collect their grain, and headed back toward Xinghua Village.
After the long journey, they finally arrived in the village during the late afternoon.
The sight of a horse carriage entering the village immediately attracted the curiosity of many villagers.
When the carriage stopped outside the Jiang residence and Jiang Changfeng carefully helped Shen Yihuan down…
Everyone suddenly understood.
“Oh…”
“So it’s the Jiang family that married the wealthy young lady from the county.”
“No wonder.”
“That makes sense.”
The dazzling gold jewelry Shen Yihuan had worn during the wedding was still fresh in everyone’s memory.
Generation after generation, the villagers of Xinghua Village had never seen so much glittering gold in one place.
To them, Jiang Changfeng had practically married a girl made of gold.
It had long since become accepted fact throughout the village.
So whether they rented a carriage…
Or even bought one…
No one would find it particularly surprising.
Most of the villagers were honest and kind-hearted.
They were envious, certainly.
But at most they merely enjoyed a bit of gossip.
Of course…
Every village had a few people with less-than-pure intentions.
Especially Ye Qinghe.
Watching Jiang Changfeng carefully helping Shen Yihuan from the carriage felt like someone had stabbed her straight through the heart.
Noticing the expression on his sister’s face, Ye Mingchuan immediately dragged her home without another word.
Seeing Ye Qinghe looking so devastated gave him nothing but a headache.
Over the years, he had played both father and mother while raising his younger sister.
It hadn’t been easy.
Now that she had finally come of age and could marry…
She had fallen for exactly the wrong man.
At that moment, Ye Mingchuan honestly wished he could drag their late mother back from the underworld to talk some sense into her.
As a grown man…
He simply wasn’t good at handling matters like this.
“Jiang Changfeng is already married.”
“Stop thinking about him.”
Ye Mingchuan was stubborn about one thing.
No matter what…
His sister would never become another man’s concubine.
Ye Qinghe said nothing.
She simply lowered her head and silently cried.
If Shen Yihuan had been there, she would undoubtedly have said:
This girl has way too much free time.
If she had to worry about where her next meal was coming from, she’d have no energy left to moon over romance.
It was precisely because Ye Mingchuan had become increasingly capable over the years that his sister had never lacked food or clothing.
He had practically raised her like a pampered young lady.
Apart from embroidery and a few household chores…
He had never allowed her to do any farm work.
If she had spent every day working until her back ached…
She wouldn’t have had the luxury of crying over unrequited love.
Naturally, Shen Yihuan knew nothing about what was happening in the Ye household.
The moment she stepped down from the carriage, she saw Jiang Lanxin roll her eyes at her.
Hah.
This girl…
She’s gotten more and more outrageous just because everyone indulges her.
After riding in the carriage for nearly two hours, Shen Yihuan’s back and waist were aching.
She wasn’t in the mood to deal with the little girl.
Unfortunately…
Jiang Lanxin wasn’t planning to let the matter drop.
Especially after seeing that her eldest brother had bought polished rice and white flour…
Yet hadn’t brought her any snacks or a new hair ornament as he usually did.
The resentment inside her only grew stronger.
Unable to hold it in any longer, she stepped forward and shoved Shen Yihuan.
Shen Yihuan had already been considering teaching the girl a lesson.
So she simply went along with it.
“Oh!”
She gave a cry and conveniently fell onto the ground.
The sudden turn of events startled both Jiang Changfeng and Liu Guiying.
Jiang Changfeng reacted first.
Taking two large strides, he rushed over and helped Shen Yihuan up.
“Where are you hurt?”
Holding her waist, Shen Yihuan frowned.
“My back… hurts.”
It truly did hurt.
From sitting in the carriage for so long.
She wasn’t lying.
Unfortunately…
Jiang Changfeng misunderstood.
He assumed Jiang Lanxin’s shove had caused Shen Yihuan to injure her back.
Turning toward his younger sister, anger filled his face.
His voice was harsher than it had ever been before.
“Jiang Lanxin.”
“Apologize.”
His sharp eyes were filled with condemnation.
Jiang Lanxin had never seen her eldest brother look at her like that.
Her eyes instantly turned red.
Then she burst into loud sobs.
“I’m not apologizing!”
“Why should I apologize?”
“I won’t!”
Her crying mixed with her shouting made Jiang Changfeng frown deeply.
He hadn’t expected this reaction.
His little sister had never been this unreasonable before.
With a pounding headache, Liu Guiying strode over and smacked Jiang Lanxin firmly across the back.
“How can you speak to your sister-in-law like that?”
“And why did you push your eldest sister-in-law in the first place?”
Jiang Lanxin felt incredibly wronged.
She had indeed pushed Shen Yihuan.
But she’d only given her a light shove.
Who could have imagined Shen Yihuan would actually fall down?
“Forget it.”
“I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose.”
Shen Yihuan’s understanding response only made Jiang Changfeng feel even more ashamed of his sister’s behavior.
“I’ll help you back to the room.”
His lips pressed tightly together, Jiang Changfeng gently supported Shen Yihuan as he escorted her back inside.