Chapter 3 She won't eat your stuff.
No, she can still struggle.
Liu Jiao leaned against the side of the cabinet, a glimmer of hope igniting in her heart. She was about to slip away.
I hope Mom hasn't found where I hid it yet!
She turned to the side, slightly lifting her trouser leg, and the next moment, she met her mother's mournful, magnified face.
"Jiaojiao, did you steal the wine and meat that were meant for Tie Niu and hide it in the storeroom?"
"Mother said softly."
Liu Jiao: "..."
It's over.
*
"In short, that's it. Tie Niu scummed me."
In the small hall where the lamp oil was burning, Liu Jiao was forced to sit upright on a stool and recounted in detail the kissing between Tie Niu and Widow Qian.
She was still young and had no sense of shame. Her words were so blunt and bizarre that her parents blushed.
The village chief had left, leaving only the Liu family of three, the candles burning silently.
"Ahem... It's normal for a man to feel resentful when he's forced to marry a woman he doesn't like and separated from his beloved." Father finally ended this ordeal, paused his abacus-wielding hand, and sighed.
"We must respect that."
“You shouldn’t have made such a scene and taken the gift back. He has his own past and his own sweetheart. We have no right to interfere. We should be understanding and tolerant of him.”
Father didn't stand up for Liu Jiao; instead, he understood Tie Niu.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed across the yellowed paper of the window. The candle flickered slightly, and after a moment, it returned to stillness.
Liu Jiao inexplicably felt that she was being watched by a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.
She didn't argue with her father. After thinking seriously for a moment, she nodded and said, "It was my fault, Father. You're right."
Dad smiled:
"You should listen to me properly. Go to sleep now. Think about what your father said tonight and try to change your temper."
"Go to Tie Niu's house tomorrow and apologize to him properly, then this matter will be over. But don't bring any food or drink; we've already returned the gifts. We'll make it up to Tie Niu better next time."
"You're young and don't know as much as your father, so control your temper."
Liu Jiao pinched her palm, but ultimately lowered her head and said, "Okay."
The mother whispered, "Your father is only doing this for your own good. Don't hate him. We're family after all. He won't harm you."
The dark figure outside the window disappeared.
Sang Ji scoffed.
That was a pretty stupid move.
It's foolish to expect one's own family to understand when being treated like a son-in-law from another family is taking advantage of.
To accept defeat after being criticized is not only foolish, but also deserves it.
Sang Ji also observed the layout of the house.
The house was old and worn, but it was filled with piles of famous paintings and handicrafts, all from the male head of the household's collection. It was obvious that they were fakes, because the original painting of a child was in the possession of the Gu family, a prominent family in Jiangnan.
Poor, yet loves to pretend.
This family is unlikely to cause any trouble. Sang Ji's assessment is basically correct.
The princess can now move in comfortably.
He came like the wind and left like the wind. In just a few breaths, he returned to the village chief's house, stood guard by the princess's side, tucked her in with a blanket, and his cold and detached gaze finally showed a touch of warmth. He said softly, "Princess, wake up, I'm leaving."
Liu Jiao, who was feeling drowsy, suddenly sneezed.
Who insulted her, or was the night breeze too cool?
She pinched her palm again to keep her head from falling asleep.
Finally, her father took pity on her and waved her hand to let her go to sleep.
Liu Jiao was happy; this time she was scolded for less time than last time.
She didn't listen to anything her father said; it went in one ear and out the other.
Because she firmly believed that her father had fallen ill again and was spouting these crazy things.
After all, her father often talked nonsense without any logic, and Liu Jiao felt that he had gone mad.
Caring for patients starts with each of us.
Give them some time and listen to their hearts.
She truly is a very filial daughter.
Lying on her blue and yellow linen bed, covered by a southern-colored canopy, Liu Jiao drifted off to sleep.
Tomorrow, tomorrow is a day off... no, it seems Dad wants her to go to Tie Niu's house tomorrow...
Sleep well.
The mooncake in the sky was bitten into a big hole, leaving not a single crumb.
*
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the dimly lit bedroom, and Liu Jiaomei got up beautifully.
The quilt was folded neatly, and she combed her messy bangs in front of the yellowed bronze mirror before tying her long, tight black braid.
She yawned as she left the bedroom, a piece of chestnut cake she had taken from the kitchen still clutched in her hand, her cheeks twitching.
But their eyes met a pair of bright, beautiful eyes.
The person in front of me was walking towards the storage room. She wore a peony-patterned inner garment, her long, black hair cascading down her slender waist, her face rosy and her cheeks peach-like complexion. Under the sunlight, her radiant face had a faint white downy fuzz, making her look like a lovely peach.
It makes people unconsciously want to get close to it.
The two met eyes, and the woman gave a sly and charming smile.
Liu Jiao's heart skipped a beat.
Okay, watch it carefully.
She is the fairy who accompanied Sang Ji and has already moved into her home.
She's still beautiful even without makeup.
The fairy stared at her stunned expression, her eyes filled with curiosity: "What are you eating? Is it delicious?"
His gaze swept over the warm, pink pea and chestnut cake in Liu Jiao's hand.
"Wait here... I'll go get you some!" Liu Jiao was an enthusiastic person. As soon as she heard the question about whether the food was good, she immediately knew that the fairy was interested, and she ran into the kitchen in a flash.
"Okay..." I heard a pleasant voice from afar, as if I were being nourished by nectar.
Liu Jiao knew that she and Sang Ji lived a refined life, so she specially brought out a porcelain plate with a pomegranate design, which her father treasured. She also put the slightly cooled chestnut cake in a steamer to warm it up before putting it into a clean food box.
Would a fairy like it? After all, it's food from the human world.
Filled with curiosity, she picked up the food box by the handle and headed towards what used to be a storeroom, now the fairy's bedroom.
Unexpectedly, instead of seeing the fairy, she almost got her neck bleeding.
A cold sword, resembling a black raven's feather, was held against her neck, blocking her way outside the door.
It's chilly.
Liu Jiao felt that if she had reacted even a little slower, she would have died here, pouring out her passion and loyalty.
It is Sang Ji.
His long arms were outstretched, and his voice was wary and cold:
"Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter."
These rules...
The words that had just slipped out vanished the moment she opened her eyes and looked into the boy's dark, unfathomable phoenix eyes.
This scene is... a little creepy.
Thinking of his identity and strength, Liu Jiao changed the subject and decided to patiently explain: "I came to deliver food to the fairy in the house."
As she spoke, she lifted the lid of the food box to reveal the chestnut cake in its entirety.
During the process, Liu Jiao's movements were a bit too big, and Sang Ji even took two steps back warily, avoiding any contact with her.
Sang Ji glanced at the dark yellow pastry: "Poisoned?"
Liu Jiao: "..."
He's highly skilled in martial arts, and he comes from a large family...
Liu Jiao silently reminded herself, forcing herself to cherish life. She tried her best to endure, gritting her teeth: "It's not poisonous. I just saw that the fairy hadn't eaten and was interested in pea and chestnut cake, so I brought her some to fill her stomach."
Sang Ji sheathed his sword, but still did not accept the chestnut cake.
Who is this person?! Liu Jiao didn't even want to see him off anymore.
A soft sound of a bowl being set down came from inside the fairy's room.
Sang Ji ignored her and stepped into the fairy's bedroom.
Where are you going?
An absurd idea popped into her head.
Liu Jiao forced a smile: "Are you going to get the silver needles to test for poison?"
Sang Ji: "No."
Liu Jiao felt relieved; it wasn't that outrageous.
Sang Ji already had an empty silver bowl in his hand, half of which was left after eating porridge. It turned out that he had given the bowl to the fairy to wash.
Hearing this, he turned his head and said, "She doesn't eat this kind of food. I just made her Eight Treasures Fragrant Rice Porridge, which she eats."
"Don't let her try this stuff, she's full."
He paused, then said, "However, you are right about one thing."
“She does indeed use a silver needle to test what goes into her mouth.”
Liu Jiao: "..."
She took back what she had just said about him not being outrageous.
It's meticulous, extremely meticulous.
What about trust between people?!
Why didn't you say you were full from the beginning?
Liu Jiao was furious at being treated this way for her good intentions. She didn't want her feelings to be trampled on so easily: "You're living under someone else's roof, can't you show me some respect!"
Sang Ji calmly replied, "I'll pay for it."
Liu Jiao: "..."
Sang Ji left her with only a broad-shouldered, narrow-backed silhouette.
Liu Jiao took a big bite of pea and chestnut cake while facing his back, completely disregarding her image.
The next moment, she choked and coughed violently, making Sang Ji's back view appear even more serene and indifferent.
Ahh!
Cold and aloof, utterly unapproachable!
This is so annoying!
Sang Ji, what a troublesome person!!!
Liu Jiao's impression of him plummeted.
She should avoid it if possible; she doesn't want to have any contact with this kind of person.
*
The golden rooster crows at dawn.
"It's time to go to Tie Niu's house," Dad reminded him.
Liu Jiao said she was getting dressed. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, looking quite efficient.
From one end of the village to the other, there was a dilapidated wooden house. Liu Jiao stopped and stamped her feet.
The grass grew thickly, flowers did not bloom, and the trees were as black as wood. Only the sleek, shiny cow in the enclosure stood out from the crowd, strong and plump.
"Oh, isn't this my wife!" A thin, middle-aged woman with a limp, messy silver and black hair, and several deep wrinkles on her face was sitting on a stool, busy mending clothes.
She was Tie Niu's mother, a woman with a hard life. In the past, Liu Jiao would intentionally or unintentionally help her a little.
When Liu Jiao arrived, he greeted her as if nothing had happened, seemingly unaware that she had caught Tie Niu and Widow Qian kissing.
Liu Jiao wouldn't accept any attempts to get close: "I haven't even entered your door."
She came today to call off the engagement.
Her father demanded an apology, but she wanted to annul the engagement. She believed that nothing was more important than announcing the engagement, so of course she chose to do so.
This was something she had planned after she bumped into Tie Niu and Widow Qian yesterday; she wanted to have a serious talk with Tie Niu's mother.
If Tie Niu's mother is willing to help, considering the help Liu Jiao had given him, then the matter of annulling the engagement will be easier to handle. After all, elders in the village have the most authority, and Tie Niu wouldn't dare disobey his mother.
Iron Ox's mother just lowered her head and chuckled, no one knew what she was laughing at, "Isn't it all the same whether you come in or not? Alright, I'm sewing clothes now, this child is so clueless, haha..."
She didn't give Liu Jiao a chance to speak at all; her words came out in a torrent, even more eloquent than a storyteller.
“I can’t leave here. The porridge in the pot is cooked. You know, we need to give Tie Niu more nourishment. He’s been working hard in the fields lately… Wife, you’re dressed so neatly. Why don’t you go and cut some reeds to feed the cow?” Tie Niu’s mother instructed quite naturally.
"It's spring plowing season, and the oxen were exhausted yesterday and haven't been fed yet this morning. Thank you, Mother!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Jiao laughed.
Do they really treat her like their own daughter-in-law?
Tie Niu's mother used to order Liu Jiao around like this. Liu Jiao thought it was a good deed because she was old, weak, sick, and disabled. Even though she knew that Tie Niu had done something wrong, she still ordered her around.
Liu Jiao didn't believe that Tie Niu's mother didn't know about Tie Niu and Widow Qian.
After all, Tie Niu and his mother are birds of a feather and mother and son are of one mind. If anyone touches Tie Niu, his mother will fight him to the death. They are truly mother and son, and they will talk about anything.
Iron Ox's mother, however, still felt perfectly justified in ordering her around.
Liu Jiao was stunned for a moment, then recovered as before.
She said in a soft voice, "Okay, you're right."
Then, they actually headed straight for the cowshed.
Seeing this, Tie Niu's mother secretly smiled, thinking that having a wife made things much easier.
Then, she ran back into the house to check on the porridge with a sense of satisfaction.
——
In the cowshed, Liu Jiao and the water buffalo stared at each other.
Liu Jiao patted its head: "Hungry?"
The water buffalo's eyes are bright and sparkling: Moo moo moo!
I'm so hungry, I'm hungry every single moment, waaaaah! I can hear you all. My cute little owner, are you going to cut my lawn?
It waited pitifully for Liu Jiao to cut grass and feed it.
The next moment, Liu Jiao untied the cow rope and put it on her own hands. "Then let's eat the grass my dad cut. I can't possibly do any more work."
"Come on, come home with me."
Liu Jiao simply led the water buffalo away.
Water buffalo: Moo moo?
A note from the author:
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