Chapter 78 Chapter 78 (Including a supplementary chapter) (Catching bugs) Marriage...

"Shopkeeper, you've seen this shrew's vicious nature behind the scenes. Don't dare have her work in your shop anymore. I'm divorcing her today. You can't hold me responsible for the money. With a letter of divorce, we'll be separated. The money has nothing to do with me anymore. You can go find her later."

Ma Er glanced around and thought this was a good idea. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was the right thing to do. He shouted for paper and pen so that he could write a letter of divorce to divorce the woman.

"Divorce me?" Madam Chen sneered, her eyes fixed on Ma Er. "You don't even know which of the seven grounds for divorce I've violated. I was working perfectly fine in the restaurant, and you came here to cause trouble. Now you want to divorce me, but I won't let you. You caused the lawsuit, so you should pay the compensation to the owner, no matter what. Now you're blaming me. It's totally unreasonable."

Baozhu waved her hand, rubbing her brow, signaling the two to stop arguing. She also told the clerk to keep an eye on the man, lest he escape and lose money. Seeing Baozhu see through his intention to escape, Ma Er faltered. Seeing Madam Chen's desperate expression, he grew even more impatient.

"Boss, this matter has nothing to do with me. The contract was signed by you two..." Ma Er's round eyes rolled. "It's very expensive to come to Bianjing. I didn't realize the prices in Bianjing were so high. The money I brought with me is all gone. How about this, boss, please give me a few days and give me some money for travel expenses. Let me continue to work in your restaurant to pay for it. I can then go back to my hometown to get the money and come back again."

"You can see that I have hired a new chef in my restaurant. This restaurant is not a big restaurant, so we don't need so many chefs." Baozhu crossed her arms and glanced at him coldly.

Ma Er wanted to say something more, but Chen Niang pushed him away. She said angrily, "Since you won't divorce me, I'm definitely going to cling to you. Even if those officials arrest me and take me to the government, and I have to be beaten with a stick and do hard labor, it's nothing. I'm happy to have you suffer with me."

Jiang Shi had already invited the yamen runners over. A group of tall and big yamen runners came from the street corner. When they saw Ma Er from afar, they scared him into a coward.

"You should just get a divorce, it's not like you've lost your wife... You still have a mistress at home, so just go back and make her your wife." Baozhu looked like she was enjoying a good show, and she was fanning the flames of the man with her words.

He couldn't escape even if he wanted to, and he had no money to pay for it. Ma Er was so angry at Chen Niang's words that he wanted to see her get her comeuppance immediately. Baozhu added fuel to the fire, and he angrily yelled at Chen Niang, "You stinky bitch—divorce me! I'm just waiting to see how you die!"

The yamen runners were getting closer and closer, and Ma Er was afraid they were going to arrest him. He was ready to kneel down and kowtow to Madam Chen, calling her "Grandma" a few times, let alone a divorce. The yamen runners had beaten him without mercy last time, and now the ruthless owner of the inn was asking for so much money. How could he possibly pay it? If he couldn't, a beating would be the least of his problems. He might even have to serve several years of hard labor if he was accused of one crime after another.

Ma Er breathed a sigh of relief, and Mrs. Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

A group of yamen runners wearing boots and hats and holding swords came to the door of the store and asked loudly who the victim was. Their loud voices made everyone in the circle take a few steps back. Baozhu poured tea for the runners and explained in a gentle voice that it was nothing. Ma Er didn't dare to breathe, for he was afraid that the next moment the runner's sword on his waist would be placed on his neck.

These yamen runners deal with all kinds of people and things all year round. After drinking the tea handed to him by Baozhu, Baozhu secretly put a heavy purse in his hand.

"It's really my fault. I made you come all this way for nothing."

Baozhu had dealt with these yamen runners many times. If there was any trouble in the restaurant, they would often come to deal with it. They received a lot of benefits. Baozhu was also very sensible, so no one said anything about it being a wasted trip this time.

Ma Er was furious when he saw that these ferocious-looking yamen runners also had a good relationship with Baozhu. He also saw Baozhu staring at him fiercely in front of everyone. Even a fool would know that this was a threat.

He didn't dare to look at her anymore. Seeing that these yamen runners were not going to leave for a while, he didn't know what to do. He had to ask his servant to bring paper and pen to write a letter of divorce.

Ma Erda could not even recognize two or three characters and could not write anything worthwhile. Baozhu was afraid that something might happen if she was late, so she immediately asked if there was anyone in the crowd who could copy books and write letters. When someone came forward, she asked the man to start writing while she dismissed the crowd of onlookers.

After writing the divorce agreement, they still had to go to the yamen, so the group rushed to the yamen to have the officials there witness the divorce.

As soon as the divorce agreement was written, Ma Er put his fingerprint on it without hesitation, and Mrs. Chen also put her fingerprint on it with resentment.

Mrs. Chen held the divorce agreement in her hands and couldn't help but feel sad. She felt relieved for a moment, but then she felt that the past ten years had been wasted. Not only had she worked like a slave for her two children, but she hadn't gotten any benefits in return. The Ma family took everything from her and was much more carefree than she was.

But now that I'm away from this rotten guy, life will be better from now on.

Ma Er also breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't wait to run away with the divorce papers in his hand, but he didn't want to see Danier following behind Chen Niangzi. He cursed in his heart that this was a little beast. He had raised her for more than ten years in vain. Now she was only devoted to her mother. Then he thought that he had not yet got the money to go back, so he might as well sell Danier to get some money to go home.

"Dani'er, your grandparents have been missing you these days since you came out, and your younger brother has been clamoring for you to take him out to play every day. This woman has asked me to divorce her. She is no longer your mother. Go home with your father quickly." Ma Er reached out to pull Danier, wanting her to go with him.

As soon as he rolled his eyes, they knew he was up to no good. Danier knew what kind of person he was and she tugged at Chen Niang's clothes tightly, refusing to leave. "You are not my father. From now on, I will only live with my mother."

Ma Er had to pull her hard before they signed the divorce agreement in the yamen. Mrs. Chen now felt like she had finally let out a sigh of relief. Seeing him pulling Danier, she slapped him to the ground.

"Dani'er, just follow me!" Madam Chen was a little exhausted. She sat on him and punched him in the face. The guys wanted to pull her away, but Baozhu stopped them. Seeing the yamen runners coming, they pulled Madam Chen lightly.

Ma Er was so exhausted from eating that he was no match for Chen Niangzi, who had been cooking all year round. He was beaten so hard that he screamed like a ghost. Only after Chen Niangzi rested did he crawl up from the ground half-dead.

With the divorce agreement in hand and no one hundred and sixty taels as collateral, he had nothing to fear. He still shamelessly dragged Danier up and said, "You shameless bitch! My Ma family has raised my daughter for more than ten years. You said you would follow me, and I will. I think you are dreaming in broad daylight."

Mrs. Chen took a step forward angrily, pointed at his nose and cursed,

"When I first married into your family, my dowry totaled six loads. I gave the dowry list to my sister before I left. Since I married into your family, the whole family has become like animals, not a single one of them is a human being. Not only did you squander most of my dowry, but you also spent all my wages over the years. Even if you divorce me, the dowry should be returned to me. It's a pity that after all these years, you have used up nothing left."

When he heard her talk about dowry, he stammered and was speechless.

"There's no other person in the world who would spend his wife's dowry. But you're so obsessed with money. If I report you to the authorities, they'll make you pay back the money." Madam Chen continued, "Today, I'll use my dowry to exchange for Da Ni'er, and the remaining two boxes will be used to support your brother. We'll end this as husband and wife, and we'll have no further contact until we die."

Ma Er thought about the many jewelries in the two boxes at home, and compared the intention of selling Dani with how much money those jewelries were worth, so he didn't try to pull Dani anymore.

This time, he didn't get any money from his trip to Bian Jing, but instead lost a hen that lays golden eggs. Ma Er looked at Baozhu and wondered if these two were setting a trap to harm him, but seeing Baozhu's disgusted expression, he couldn't be sure.

Baozhu knew that the whole trick had to be performed, so she asked her servant to drag Chen Niangzi to the yamen in a serious manner. They looked fierce, but in fact, they were not doing it for any other reason. Once they entered the yamen, they put aside their pretenses and went to pay taxes. The strange appearance of the few people made the yamen runners laugh.

Ma Er watched Baozhu escorting people into the yamen from afar, and did not dare to join in the fun, for fear that the next person would come to ask him for money.

Ever since Ma Er left the yamen, Baozhu had asked Jiang Shi to secretly follow him, fearing he might turn around and figure out their trap, and also to prevent him from causing any trouble. Jiang Shi tried his best, saying that he was living under a bridge, begging for food from the people who came to him. Baozhu had Jiang Shi find some idle ruffians and go to the bridge to scare them twice. Ma Er was so frightened that he took off on a boat within two days.

He originally thought of returning to his hometown and asking the elders of the clan to come to Bian Jing to teach this shopkeeper and this damn woman a lesson. However, before he went home, he made some inquiries and found out that there were people behind the store. Not only was the shopkeeper's eldest brother now an official in the court, but he also had an uncle who was an official in Bian Jing. He didn't dare to mention the idea of ​​bringing people to Bian Jing to cause trouble for her.

"That scoundrel has already gone back. He really has no money on him. He went to the pawnshop and pawned all his clothes and shoes for rags and a pair of straw sandals. Even so, it was still not enough for the boat fare. I was afraid of the long night and the trouble, so I secretly slipped some money to the boat owner and asked him to let him buy on credit. As soon as he agreed, he sailed back."

The weather was getting warmer. Jiang Shi ran a lap and told Baozhu the news he had heard from her. After he finished speaking, he took a big gulp of water.

Baozhu praised him for his efficient work and said, "Mrs. Chen has been staying at the inn for the past two days. Now that the scoundrel has left, you should go and tell her to come to work as usual tomorrow."

Jiang Shi took a short rest and was then told to go to the inn to look for Miss Chen.

I had originally thought of asking Madam Chen to take a rest today so that I could go back and tidy up the house. I hadn't been back for several days, and I was afraid that Ma Er had sneaked in and made a mess of the house. When Madam Chen went back, she saw that the door was still locked and the house was unchanged, so she felt relieved.

Mrs. Chen couldn't wait until tomorrow, so she went home to check and then went back to the restaurant with Danier.

"I've been delayed for so long, and the store has lost a lot of business because of me. How can I afford to take a break any longer—"

Danier followed closely behind her. When the mother and daughter saw Baozhu, they wanted to kowtow to her. Baozhu didn't dare to accept it and hurriedly pulled them up.

Danier stared at Baozhu with sparkling eyes and said to everyone in a clear voice,

"I changed my name. From now on, I'll share my mother's surname, Chen Yi." Dani scratched her head. "The first character my mother taught me to write was Yi. Although she taught me to read at home, I didn't know many. This character is easy to write and remember."

The guys called her one by one, and she responded with red eyes.

"I will definitely learn cooking from my mother. When I'm done, I'm going to be the best cook in Bianjing City!"

Baozhu saw that she had some ambition and liked this little girl even more. She patted her shoulder and said, "If you become the number one cook in Bianjing City, I will have to make our restaurant the best in Bianjing City as soon as possible to be worthy of you! Otherwise, I won't be able to keep you!"

The little girl sniffed, "Why would we need to earn money? Our restaurant is the number one right now—"

A group of people burst into laughter at this remark. Zhen's father has been helping Baozhu's restaurant these days. His little apprentice is not very old but is very quick and careful in his work. He will definitely become a good cook in the future. Baozhu noticed it early on. If her restaurant is to expand or open branches, she must hire these chefs who know her well.

Baozhu had been staying in the shop these days and was exhausted both physically and mentally. She went home early today. She had been busy these days and always fell asleep as soon as she got home. Today, she had some time to sit in the yard and saw that the prints that Baorong had taken over from the temple were almost finished. Each of the Buddha statues carved on good wood had kind eyes and benevolent features.

"Sister, please lend me your shop's mule cart tomorrow. I want to send these paintings to the temple." Baorong tied his sleeves and gently brushed the wood chips off the paintings with a small brush. "If the masters at the temple like these prints, my reputation will be completely established. If others come to me again, I will be very reserved and will not paint for them easily."

Baorong thought happily and joked with Baozhu, "Sister, do you want my paintings now? I'll paint one for you for only ten taels of silver. When I become famous, you won't be able to buy me at this price anymore."

Baozhu patted his head and laughed at her, "Witnesses and scholars are all pure-hearted and don't pursue fame and fortune, but you are obsessed with money."

"I have a worldly heart. Only with money can I do greater things."

Baorong acted coquettishly, and Baozhu spent ten taels of silver. She took the money like a treasure, and patted her chest to promise Baozhu, "Sister, don't underestimate me. Although I was better at painting scenery before, now with the guidance of my master, I can easily paint any animal. This skill is now far superior to what it used to be. Sister, just keep the paintings and wait for me to become famous."

Baozhu praised her a few words, making her wag her tail. She yawned and nodded in agreement, and told Baorong not to keep her dinner tonight. After that, she went back to her room and slept until dusk. When she got up again, she couldn't tell whether it was morning or night. She sat on the bed and woke up for a while before she came to her senses.

Seeing that the lights were on in her room, Madam Xu came to look for Baozhu with a list.

"Last year I stockpiled a good deal of huanghuali wood. Although we're not particular about it, I still have to give you everything you need. I'll make you a bed, cabinets, and other large pieces, as well as boxes, shelves, and toilets. They're all ready now, just waiting to be carved. Tomorrow you'll have some time to go to the carpenter's shop and see what style you like. Once you've chosen, we'll have it carved and painted."

"It's already April, and the wedding date is approaching, but you don't care at all about the wedding dress. Last time I told you that we had asked a skilled craftsman from Zhixianglou to make it, but you still didn't care at all. The craftsman who made the wedding dress said that it would be ready by next month, so you can try it on then. If it doesn't fit, we can make some changes. After you get the wedding dress, you can embroider a few stitches on it as a token of your appreciation." Madam Xu was very disappointed with Baozhu. The wedding date was already tight, but Baozhu didn't notice it at all.

The closer the wedding date got, the more anxious Madam Xu became, always fearing that she would miss something.

"There's one more thing. Although we don't order servants around in our family, you're marrying into the Pei family after all. Mother, are you considering buying you two little girls as a dowry? It'll be nice to have someone to order you around when you go to the Pei family."

When Baozhu heard this, she shook her head like a rattle. She felt more comfortable hiring people to do the work than hiring them. "The Pei family is a small family, so there's not much work to do. If there's anything to do, we can just hire two hired workers."

"Xiao Pei, leave the wedding banquet to me. On the wedding day, we will invite two chefs from Qingfeng Tower. We will use our own wedding cakes. As for the rest of the red dates, peanuts and dried fruits, I have some stored in my warehouse. We will use them for ourselves first." Madam Xu and Baozhu muttered to each other. Marriage is a complicated matter with many etiquettes. Madam Xu only wanted to avoid making any mistakes.

Seeing Baozhu pouring tea for her, she looked like the boss of the household. The days passed so quickly, as if the New Year had just passed and it was already April. In two months, Baozhu would get married.

After the marriage was arranged, every time she thought about it, she felt particularly sad. Baozhu coaxed her and took out most of the silver ingots from the money box and gave them to A Niang.

With A Niang busying around, Baozhu didn't have to worry about anything. "You just got my eldest brother married, and you bought that shop for me. Even if the sky rained money, you couldn't make money this fast. We are mother and daughter, so there's no need to refuse me. I know you want to make this marriage a decent one. Just take this money, and use it for whatever you need. Everything is up to you."

Madam Xu refused to accept it. "The timber I stockpiled last year has gone up a lot in price this year. Aside from the good timber for your dowry, I sold the rest at a high price. I'm making a killing, so I need your money."

"For over ten years, my parents have been responsible for everything I've done, even my eldest and second brothers' weddings, where they bought most of the things themselves. If my mother hadn't accepted them, I would have been unhappy. How can I be any worse off than my brothers?"

He took out a box containing money and put it into Xu Niang's arms. The mother and daughter talked about personal matters for a long time. Baozhu was completely awake. After such a long sleep, she did not feel tired at all.

She didn't eat at night, but her stomach started to growl. Although she was told not to save any food for her, there was still a bowl of bone soup and two baked buns warming on the stove. It was obvious that her father knew she would be hungry at night and left them for her. Baozhu brought the soup and the baked buns to the yard. There were not many mosquitoes at that time of year, so Baozhu lit the lamp and prepared to eat.

She could almost hear someone knocking on the door, but they only knocked twice, as if afraid of being heard. Baozhu had an inexplicable suspicion that it was Pei Yanqing. It seemed that tomorrow was his day off.

Baozhu called his name softly from behind the door, and when she heard that it was indeed him who answered, she opened the door with peace of mind.

The two of them seemed to have a tacit understanding. Pei Yanqing originally wanted to ask Baozhu to go to the night market to eat steamed buns, but seeing that the lights were on in the yard and there were soup bowls and sesame cakes on the table, he decided to sit down together.

Pei Yanqing's stomach rumbled loudly, and he sucked in his food awkwardly, "You eat first, and leave a bite for me to fill my stomach."

Baozhu knew that he must have been in a hurry to get home and had not eaten dinner, so she gave him half of the food and also gave him a sesame bun.

The sesame seed buns were bought from an old sesame seed bun shop. The meat filling in the middle was fried and then put in. The crust was sprinkled with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Although it was a little cold, it tasted delicious.

The two were enjoying their meal when Baozhu suddenly saw the light on in A Niang's room. She almost choked and asked Pei Yanqing to pat her back to help her breathe. She then saw that the light in the room was off again and she breathed a sigh of relief.

After eating, Baozhu scooped water and Pei Yanqing washed the soup bowl. The two asked each other about their recent situation in a low voice.

Pei Yanqing had just taken up his post. He was young, and many of the old hands in the yamen did not respect him. They also heard from others that he had offended the emperor and was demoted to the county yamen. Those people had caused him a lot of trouble recently, so he had not been able to take time off during his last two holidays and had not returned.