Chapter 11 Chen Chige
Xiulian's family was considered well-off in the village; her father was the deputy village head, and her mother was a broker.
She herself was beautiful and pretty, considered the village beauty. She usually stayed at home doing needlework and cleaning, and spent the rest of her time preparing for marriage.
She was always fawned over by the villagers because of her beauty, and because her parents had brainwashed her into believing she was destined to be an official's wife, which fostered her high aspirations. She had no other ambitions but to marry a rich and powerful man and leave the village to live the life of a wealthy wife.
In fact, many officials in the county, and even minor officials of the seventh rank in Yangzhou, had their eyes on Xiulian and were quite eligible.
Xiulian's parents wanted to make a decision several times, but Xiulian ruined it each time.
Because, since childhood, she had seen the most handsome and elegant men.
When they first met, she was seven years old. She was teasing Liu Jiao, a newcomer to the village, and cornered her in an alley, making her bark like a dog.
I want to see if the barbarians from out of town shout particularly loudly.
So far, however, it has only been verbal abuse, without any physical violence.
Out of a bit of reluctance, and also because he didn't have any deep-seated hatred for Liu Jiao at the moment.
Liu Jiao was still stubborn at this point, not understanding how to deal with other people's bullying. She simply refused, saying that she had to go home for dinner and could no longer play around.
As a result, the young man who liked Xiulian threw Liu Jiao to the ground.
"Quickly call out!"
"Haha, go ahead and scream! Otherwise your parents won't want you, they won't want you to come home!"
Liu Jiao lay face down on the ground, covered in dirt, her little face and clothes filthy. Upon hearing that her parents didn't want her anymore, her eyes filled with tears, whether from pain or sorrow, it was hard to tell.
The little boy fawned over Xiulian, trying to curry favor, which amused Xiulian so much that she burst into laughter.
Unexpectedly, in an instant, the little boy's buttocks were kicked hard, and he fell to the ground just like Liu Jiao, even more miserably.
The cry of "Ouch!" made Xiulian pause, stopping her laughter.
She subconsciously looked up—
The chinaberry tree is light green, with clusters of small purple flowers growing in abundance. Its branches are bent by the summer wind and grow horizontally on the roof of the alley.
Rainwater flowed freely from the green tiles, and a young man with a pale complexion helped Liu Jiao, nicknamed "Mud Doll," to her feet.
The boy was about fifteen years old, yet his manners were impeccable and meticulous. He was naturally handsome and exceptionally good-looking, but he didn't care that his clean and tidy robes were stained with the girl's mud.
The gentle sound of oars mingled with the gentle lapping of the boat, and Xiulian was mesmerized.
The boy's every move resembled a traditional Chinese ink painting displayed in the county magistrate's mansion.
The boy earnestly asked Liu Jiao if she was injured.
Liu Jiao: "Brother Chen, I need to find my mother."
The boy's name was Chen Chi.
The voice was just as pleasant as Xiulian had imagined, very gentle, like warm spring water.
Her heart was pounding uncontrollably.
Xiulian thought, since he treats this barbarian so well, she is a million times better than Liu Jiao. She is also more charming and her personality is more pleasing to the master. Besides, so many people in the village fawn over her—she will definitely be more favored by him.
She eagerly stepped forward, revealing a pretty smile.
But all he received was a cold, disdainful glance from the boy.
He was polite, so he didn't kick Xiulian like he would a young boy, but that was all.
He carried the crying Liu Jiao away, saying as he passed her, "Don't bully her anymore."
The sound was like a clear spring in Jiangnan that had never experienced winter, suddenly freezing over.
This was the first time Xiulian had suffered a setback.
On what grounds?
Why do you see her that way?
She was just teasing the barbarian.
Xiulian's aura.
But she felt no hatred for Chen Chisheng, only a wildly beating heart.
Of course, that's the fault of that barbarian.
From then on, Xiulian admired Chen Chi.
From then on, Xiulian and Liu Jiao became enemies.
Because of Chen Chi, she refused the marriage proposals from her parents.
None of them were as good as Chen Chi; in terms of appearance, future prospects, and family background, none of them could compare to him.
Having met Chen Chi, how could she possibly look down on any other ordinary person?!
Xiulian went from teasing Liu Jiao with her words to shoving her head into the spring water so she couldn't drink enough to fill her stomach and wouldn't let her leave.
If it weren't for her, Chen Chi would really like her.
*
Early summer, when plums ripen.
The spring breeze arrives in Jiangnan, and after a night of gentle rain, the summer mountains are as green as jade.
The village was shrouded in a hazy, rising mist that blocked out the sun, forcing Liu Jiao's family to keep the lights on during the day.
Father is scolding Liu Jiao.
"Tie Niu was indeed wrong, his father admits it."
"But you're still being too extreme. It's one thing to scare Tie Niu by putting him and his biological father in the same bed, but calling the villagers over is going too far. Can't we discuss things properly?"
Liu Jiao listened to the reprimand, huddled in her chair, holding a large palm-leaf fan, fanning herself to relieve the stuffy, damp heat.
Her expression remained unchanged, but she said dejectedly, "It wasn't someone I called."
Upon hearing this, the father was speechless.
Those villagers were the ones Tie Niu called over.
Tie Niu is trying to completely ruin Liu Jiao's reputation and cut off all her future prospects.
He remained silent for a while.
Finally, she said, "Don't talk back, it's for your own good. Why can't you understand?"
His words were fragmented, and his voice was somewhat muffled.
Liu Jiao didn't say anything, and finally obediently apologized.
Hearing this, Sang Ji, who was guarding behind the New Moon Fox Gate, frowned deeply.
Liu Jiao was finally let go by her father.
As she ran under the eaves to observe which snail was the biggest and crawled the fastest, Sang Ji stood silently beside her.
His face was cold: "Your father is in such a state, aren't you angry?"
Liu Jiao shook her head.
Sang Ji added, "You don't need to worry about not being able to beat him; I can help you."
Liu Jiao replied, "Thank you, but it's alright."
She said sincerely, "Dad is actually quite good to me."
...
Sang Ji glanced at Liu Jiao and snorted coldly.
Ignorance.
Serves them right.
He didn't linger.
Stay away from this kind of person.
"Hero, hero, are you angry?"
The rain continued until dinner time, and Sang Ji didn't give Liu Jiao a friendly look.
Perhaps it's a weariness of stupidity, but the irritability is growing stronger.
So much so that he would look away when he saw Liu Jiao at the dinner table.
Until Liu Jiao's father brought out an extremely large plate, on which were three portions of meat prepared in different ways.
Liu Jiao's father explained: "This dish is beef prepared in three ways: braised, stewed, and pan-fried."
He chuckled, his beard lifting with his laughter to reveal his pearly white teeth:
"Tie Niu wanted my family's cattle? I traded my family's water buffalo for the local gentry's cattle. What he dreamed of, my family just took and ate as we pleased—"
"Ha, I'll show Tie Niu what a good girl he's lost! I'll make him furious!"
Liu Jiao's father is a man who can be very infuriating. If Tie Niu hears this news, he will feel like he has a fishbone stuck in his throat or a thorn in his back for the rest of his life.
Even Sang Ji, who was used to seeing all kinds of storms, showed a hint of shock.
After all, in today's Dreamland, cattle are universally recognized as precious treasures, practically the lifeblood of a family; people would rather have cattle than people.
On the tables of the elite, beef is rarely seen throughout the year.
Oxen were also forbidden from being slaughtered.
Liu Jiao's father actually decided to eat beef whenever he wanted, and changed the food whenever he wanted, just to vent his anger for Liu Jiao.
That's not enough.
A fragrant aroma of wine wafted over.
Liu Jiaoniang then carried the large Jun kiln bowl into the house with both hands. As she placed it on the dining table, everyone saw that it contained shrimp oil chicken.
It has a golden color and a shiny, oily sheen.
Liu Jiao's father approached Sang Ji, who was deep in thought, and bowed, saying, "Thank you, hero, for saving my daughter. This chicken is a specialty of our chicken coop, and it's very plump and delicious! Please try it!"
"It's just a casual meal, don't be shy!"
Sang Ji calmly said that nothing was wrong.
Liu Jiao's father was unexpectedly generous.
After all, chickens were expensive for him, the accountant of a chicken coop, and all he could do all year round was see chickens running around, but he could never eat them.
That did match his impression of Liu Jiao's father. Poor, but concerned with appearances.
Liu Jiao's father said, "I will never forget your kindness, sir. I will spare no effort to meet you if you need anything. I will definitely come to visit you with gifts in the future."
Dinner is served.
The faded floral tablecloth was colorful and vibrant.
The dining table was not only occupied by Liu Jiao and her family of three, but also by Sang Ji, Xinyuehu, and the village chief and his wife.
The village chief and Liu Jiao's father had a great time talking, while Liu Jiao's mother and the village chief's wife covered their mouths and laughed heartily. Sang Ji then served food to Xinyuehu.
He had intended to invite Crescent Fox back to his bedroom so he could stay with her.
But since Crescent Fox said he wanted to watch the excitement, he stayed.
There was only one empty seat left.
Therefore, Liu Jiao was beside Sang Ji during the meal.
Upon noticing Sang Ji suddenly sitting beside her, Liu Jiao's heart leaped into her throat. She slowed down her eating, chewing each bite carefully. After finishing the soup, she even pretended to wipe her mouth with a cloth.
Liu Jiaoniang was astonished:
"Jiaojiao, why do you eat so affectedly?"
"Oh, Mother understands now. Are you playing house? Do you want to become a noble lady?"
Liu Jiao: "..."
Haha, can't she really eat in a gentler way?
Midway through the meal, Sang Ji casually remarked:
"You've gone to great lengths; this chicken isn't cheap."
But the mocking tone clearly indicated that he felt Liu Jiao's father was being fussy and was wasting the family's money to save face.
Unexpectedly, Liu Jiao waved her hand dismissively, looking completely unconcerned.
“Great hero, you’re overthinking it. My father isn’t that generous. It really is just a meal.”
Sang Ji: "Why do you say that? I have observed that the villagers don't eat even half a chicken in a whole year."
He learned about the situation in Caocun by searching for the prince's men at night.
"Stop making excuses for your father."
Sang Ji's voice sounded somewhat listless.
Liu Jiao was puzzled: "But this is really just an ordinary meal in our family. We used to eat chicken every day when we were kids."
"I'm tired of eating it."
Sang Ji: ?
Liu Jiao's eyes were utterly sincere.
Sang Jicai then realized that she wasn't surprised at all when she saw the chicken, which he thought was very expensive for her.
Sang Ji: "..."
All the clues are connected.
Sang Ji suddenly understood what Liu Jiao meant when she said, "Dad is quite good to me."
He then discovered that besides chicken and beef, the other dishes on the table were also plentiful.
For example, some dishes that are very expensive in the Jiangnan region.
He didn't know her before, but he had seen her at the market when he went to sell chickens with Liu Jiao.
I hadn't thought much about it before, assuming that Liu Jiao's family grew it themselves.
For example, the vegetables he thought were cheap were actually northern fruits and grains that Caocun couldn't get, and their prices skyrocketed after they came to Jiangnan.
Liu Jiao's family, maybe...
It wasn't, as he initially thought, that he was poor and concerned about saving face.
This time, the beef and chicken completely shattered Sang Ji's extremely poor impression of Liu Jiao and her family.
Actually, this girl sees things quite clearly.
After figuring it out, Sang Ji's phoenix eyes, which had been filled with mockery, were slightly stunned.
He glanced at Liu Jiao's chubby little face, pampered by her father, then at the other dishes on the old wooden dining table...
And Liu Jiao's father and mother kept adding food to Liu Jiao's bowl.
Now it seems that this girl may appear innocent, but she is actually very shrewd.
He closed his eyes.
The sword trembled slightly in his hand, which should have been steady.
A note from the author:
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The second male lead makes his appearance [patting head][heart eyes][kiss]
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