Chapter 32
Jiang Wanning escaped back to her room, but Lu Shang couldn't leave.
He was surrounded by people in front, behind, and on both sides. Grandma Lu stood in front of him, holding his hand and asking about his well-being: "How was your day, Shang'er? Did you encounter any bad things? Why did you buy so many things again..."
Lu Shang answered all of them, then said, "Let's keep these poultry in the yard for now. I'll build a nest for them tomorrow and keep them there on weekdays. We can slaughter them when we want to eat them."
"And these rabbits. The hunter who sold them to me said they were a male and a female. We should keep them together for a while to see if they can produce pups... Take these eggs. Don't put them in the kitchen. You decide when to eat them."
Grandma Lu also remembered that Wang Cuilian had emptied the kitchen. Although she had returned to her parents' home, who knew when she would come back. She had worked so hard to get the few eggs back, so she didn't want them to be taken away by her brother-in-law.
Lu Shang had been running around outside all day, and only he knew how hard it had been.
He has to go out again tomorrow, so there is no need to exchange pleasantries.
Just then, the two brothers Lu Guangzong and Lu Yaozu were nearby, and he drafted them into service. "Go, take care of these chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits. The chicks have just hatched, so remember to keep them separate from the others and be careful with them."
The two of them carefully agreed, one holding the chicks and the other holding the ropes that tied the ducks and geese, and they searched the yard for a place to put them. The sisters Lu Xiaoxiao and Lu Qiu followed behind, giving orders from time to time, all their attention focused on the new poultry.
"Then I'll go back and rest first." Lu Shang said.
"Okay, okay, go quickly." Grandma Lu held her waist and stood with Lu Laoer, watching his back disappear at the door.
Let’s not talk about the placement of poultry outside the house for now.
As Lu Shang entered the room, the door made a harsh creaking sound. Jiang Wanning was originally sitting by the window, but she became nervous when she heard the sound.
There were no candles in the room, only a small candle stub placed at the door. The feeble candlelight could barely illuminate the threshold, but was useless for any larger area.
After Lu Shang came in, he was confused at first, and then he opened his mouth to look for Jiang Wanning.
But he suddenly remembered something and his face turned red. He couldn't shout out loud, so he just silently found a tinder and lit the candles in the room one by one.
There are four candlesticks in their room, and when they are all lit, the entire room can be seen clearly.
However, even at this time, Jiang Wanning did not turn around by the window. She lowered her head slightly, as if she was interested in the wooden thorns on the window frame.
Lu Shang knew the reason very well. He bent his fingers, feeling embarrassed for once.
After a long time, he finally explained: "Just now... it was not what you think. I was in Shuxi Village today and for convenience, I used the excuse that you wanted to eat duck." He briefly recounted what happened today, and in order to avoid further embarrassment, he omitted the word "pregnancy".
After listening to his explanation, Jiang Wanning slowly exhaled.
She couldn't tell whether she felt more cheerful or disappointed, but no matter what, at least she could face Lu Shang calmly.
Jiang Wanning asked, "My husband, have you eaten yet?"
"I ate it. Luckily you reminded me to put two pancakes in my pocket. I ate at noon at the farmer's house. I ate one pancake in the evening to fill my stomach."
"Then shall I cook something for you?"
No matter how sick Lu Shang was, he was still an adult man after all. The little food he ate in the evening had been digested by the time he entered the house.
But it was too late, and he couldn't bear to let Jiang Wanning go out for a long time to cool down.
He waved his hand and refused: "No, let's talk about it tomorrow."
Jiang Wanning thought for a moment and said, "It's too late. Eating too much oil will cause indigestion. Let's just stir-fry some vegetables. I'll also fry two eggs with soybean paste and put them in the steamed buns. You can take them with you when you leave tomorrow morning. You can heat them up in the pot when you have time."
"..." Lu Shang never expected that he would be tempted by steamed buns and eggs. The rejection on the tip of his tongue was vague for a long time, and finally swallowed it back, "Okay."
He wanted to go over and help, but Jiang Wanning handed him a handkerchief and took out a set of clean clothes from the cupboard.
Lu Shang didn't understand what she meant at first, until he touched his sweaty forehead and waved his hand past his nose, it was full of the smell of sweat.
Even if he was not particular, he couldn't help but feel a little disgusted with himself.
His old face flushed: "Then I, I'll go wash up first."
Even at this point, Jiang Wanning still reminded him, "Don't use well water directly. It's too cold. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Okay, I'll go first." Lu Shang responded and walked into the yard.
At this time, Lu Laoer and others had not returned to their room yet, so when they saw him come out, they had to ask another question.
Lu Shang said, "I'm sweating, so I came out to wipe myself off... I won't go out, I'll just stay under the tree."
In this case, others will have to avoid it.
Fortunately, Lu Guangzong and his men had already penned the chickens and ducks, so apart from making some noise, at least they wouldn't step on any shit.
Inside the house, Jiang Wanning didn't interact much with the Lu family, and wasn't too willing to face this large group of people. She waited until there was no more noise outside before leaving the house. She deliberately avoided the big locust tree, turned her face to the side, and quickly went to the kitchen.
By the time Lu Shang cleaned himself up, Jiang Wanning had finished cooking.
She simply stir-fried some green beans and cooked a bowl of noodle porridge with dumplings. She put all the food on the table and turned to frying eggs with soybean paste.
The soybean paste at home is steamed and stored in a Haikou jar. It has a strong taste and can be eaten at any time. It is mostly used to bring food to the men working in the fields. Two mouthfuls of paste and a pancake make a meal.
Jiang Wanning searched in the kitchen for a long time before finding the last two eggs in the corner.
She added a little oil to the pan, beat the eggs in while it was still hot, and when the eggs were roughly formed, added half a spoonful of soybean paste.
When Lu Shang walked in, the scrambled eggs with soybean paste were just out of the pot.
In order to make it easier for him to pick it up tomorrow, Jiang Wanning simply prepared steamed buns. She cut three steamed buns in the middle and stuffed them full of scrambled eggs.
Lu Shang was attracted by the smell of eggs and couldn't help but come over. Looking at the scrambled eggs whose color was not very good, he swallowed his saliva.
"How about...give me one to try first?" He really couldn't help it and was tempted.
Jiang Wanning turned her head to look at him, her brows softening a bit. She said nothing, only handed him the one she had made first: "Eat the remaining two tomorrow. We don't have enough eggs at home, otherwise I would have prepared a few more for you."
"It's okay." Lu Shang grabbed the steamed bun and sat down on the bench. He ate a mouthful of steamed bun and a bite of vegetable, and occasionally took a sip of dumpling soup, but he was very satisfied with the meal.
After the meal, he touched his stomach and couldn't help burping.
Normally, you shouldn't lie down right after eating, but Lu Shang really didn't want to stand or sit at all. He quickly washed the dishes and went straight to bed after entering the room.
Jiang Wanning had just washed the bed sheets two days ago and changed them into new ones this morning. When she lay down on them, she could still smell the rich scent of the sun, which was refreshing and dry, and soothed the restlessness of the whole day.
Before going to sleep, Lu Shang suddenly remembered: "I brought back a lot of poultry, about twelve or thirteen chicks, two rabbits, two ducks, and a big white goose."
"That duck is a top-quality meat duck. Don't be fooled by its small size. I touched it on the road. It's very tender and fresh now. If you want to eat it, I'll have someone kill one."
"Just keep the goose for now. When no one is home, tie it to the door and make the rope longer. That way, if someone comes in, the goose can block the way."
"Actually, I think geese are still not safe. Wait for me to look for a suitable puppy and get one for you. Once it's well-trained, it can protect you..."
They still slept in the same way, with Lu Shang outside and Jiang Wanning inside, but Jiang Wanning had stopped pressing herself against the wall. Sometimes, when she fell asleep, half of her body would lean on Lu Shang, and she would have to rely on Lu Shang waking up early to secretly move away.
Lu Shang kept talking, his voice getting lower and lower.
Jiang Wanning responded from time to time to show that she was listening, but in fact, as early as when Lu Shang started talking, her eyes began to wander and she yawned countless times.
The chickens and ducks outside stopped croaking, and the house fell into silence.
Have a good night's sleep.
Grandma Lu was worried about Lu Shang going out, so she waited outside the house early the next day.
But she was still a step too slow. When she hurried out, Lu Shang had already left home with the cloth bag. Even Jiang Wanning had packed up and was carefully fiddling with the group of chicks.
"Wan Ning—" Grandma Lu called out.
Jiang Wanning looked over and dusted off her hands: "Grandma."
"Hey!" Grandma Lu came over, "Wan Ning, is Shang'er still in the room?"
Jiang Wanning shook her head. "My husband has been gone for a while. He has other things to do today, so he probably won't be back until the evening."
"My husband specifically asked me to tell you not to worry."
Grandma Lu was not at ease: "Then do you know where he went and what he did?"
Jiang Wanning said, "My husband didn't tell me much. It seems to have something to do with the town, but I don't know the details."
Grandma Lu still wanted to find out: "So what did you do last time you went to town? Shang'er said you took a job at the bookstore and made a lot of money. What kind of job can make that much money? Shang'er, is this also why you went out these days?"
Since Lu Shang didn't tell his family, Jiang Wanning naturally wouldn't say anything more.
"I'm really not sure. My husband found the job at the bookshop, and I just had to do some writing. As for whether my husband's absence had anything to do with the bookshop... I was stopped outside that day and didn't hear his conversation with the boss."
"Grandma, if you really want to know, why not ask your husband? I'll go get some water for the chickens. If you have nothing else to do, I'll go first."
She seemed to have given a lot of answers, but upon closer inspection, none of them were accurate.
Grandma Lu sighed softly, looking towards the door with a look of worry in her eyes.
After a simple breakfast, Grandpa Pang and Fan Sanniang brought their children over one after another. The two families had met once before when they picked up their children. They were very happy when talking about the progress of their children.
Grandpa Pang slapped his thigh and said, "It was absolutely right to send my little grandson to Mr. Lu's house! I always said Mr. Lu was a capable man. Look at my little grandson. He has only been learning for a few days, but he already knows more than ten characters and can even recite a poem!"
"That's right, my Dabao can write a lot now. It's a pity that we didn't buy him paper and pen. Next time we go to town, I must prepare them for him so that he doesn't have to use the Lu family's pen every day. It would seem that we are taking advantage. Having such a good teacher is already the biggest benefit."
Uncle Pang still doesn't know who the real teacher is, and Fan Sanniang won't point it out.
But this did not affect the two of them from praising the "Master". The more they thought about it, the more they felt that sending the child here was the best decision they had made.
I heard that Uncle Pang had boasted about it in their village, and several families had already asked how they could send their children to ask Mr. Lu to teach them.
Everything was normal in the morning. The two children were so attracted by the new chicks that they didn't even like to draw. They surrounded the chicks, looking left and right, and were extremely curious about them.
Jiang Wanning just watched from the side, without any intention of disturbing them. After they had seen enough and played enough, she heard her say, "Do you know how to write about chicken? There was once a great man who wrote a poem about chicken, and the words were—"
She spoke slowly, and if she saw anyone distracted, she would stop and wait.
By the end of the morning, the two children had had a great time and had a general understanding of what they were going to learn in the afternoon.
Unexpectedly, Wang Cuilian came back during lunch.
Her return surprised everyone. Even Lu Guangzong murmured quietly, "How come Mom is back so soon? Didn't she always leave for several days before..."
Regardless of what others thought, Wang Cuilian seemed to have forgotten what happened before. She walked over in three or five steps with a smile on her face: "Mom, boss, I'm back."
Grandma Lu's face didn't look good. She snorted coldly and didn't respond.
Although Lu Lao Er wasn't too happy either, they had been sleeping in the same bed together for years after all. He took a sip of his bean soup and asked in a rough voice, "Why did you come back?"
"Oh! Look at what you are saying, boss. My home is here. Where else can I go if I don't come back? Oh, right—" Wang Cuilian's expression suddenly changed, and she threw the basket on her back to the ground.
She pinched her waist with one hand and pointed at Jiang Wanning with the other: "Your things are back, take them away quickly, who wants this broken stuff!"
After saying that, she pushed Dabao and Pang Liang to the sides and sat down at the table.
"I haven't eaten yet, so let me have a couple of bites first... What are you still sitting there for? Why don't you grab your broken thing and get out of here!"
"What are you arguing about? Do you think you're right?" Grandma Lu couldn't stand it anymore. She put down her chopsticks heavily and frowned.
"Mom, don't just protect her. Look at it, it's been so many days, and she hasn't washed clothes or cooked. She stays in the house all day and is lazy. She really thinks she is the ancestor..." Wang Cuilian muttered while eating, and threw a glare at Jiang Wanning from time to time.
"I'm telling you, mother, if we don't discipline her, she'll definitely cause trouble sooner or later. By then, she might not even care about the family, but she might even care about Lu Shang."
Hearing this, Grandma Lu's face froze and her lips trembled: "...Stop talking and eat your meal!"
Wang Cuilian crossed her legs proudly and picked up the eggs with her chopsticks.
Seeing this, Jiang Wanning lost all her appetite.
She asked Dabao and Pang Liang to eat first, then whispered something to the others and went to move the things Wang Cuilian brought back.
Jiang Wanning thought that the half-basket of things would be very heavy, and she was ready to use all her strength. However, as soon as she lifted the edge of the basket, the weight in her hand made her sway.
She suppressed her doubts and moved everything into the kitchen.
After counting the things inside without telling the whole family, Jiang Wanning finally had an idea of what was going on. At this moment, she couldn't even get angry.
Wang Cuilian did bring back some things, but she estimated that it was less than one-tenth of what she had taken away, and the valuable snacks and meat were gone. Instead, they were replaced with the least valuable wild vegetables in the countryside.
Of the small basket of things she brought back, only the vegetables she grew herself were worth barely three or five cents, and there were two eggs on top of the vegetables, which were all rotten when they were cracked open.
Looking at these things, Jiang Wanning felt helpless.
She remembered Lu Shang's instructions and did not show her displeasure. She just packed all the things back into the backpack and put them in the corner. Then, she estimated that Dabao and Pang Liang had finished eating, so she went out to call them and went back to the room together.
Behind them, Wang Cuilian's voice was deliberately raised: "Look at you, Mom! I've been telling you that little slut is becoming more and more unruly. She doesn't even wash the dishes or clean up after eating. She's just being lazy!"
"Okay, stop talking! She is helping Shang'er. Can't you do such a small housework yourself? Why do you keep bothering her all day long? Besides, you still have Xiaoxiao and Qiuqiu to help you!" Lu Laoer scolded.
"Then why can my daughter help, but she, as the daughter-in-law, won't..."
"Just because she can read, she can help Shang'er. Can Lu Xiaoxiao and Lu Qiu do that? Women are just shallow-minded and nothing!"
"Yes, she can read!" Wang Cuilian sneered, "So what if she can read? She was still a criminal, and I bought her back with three taels of silver..."
Listening to the voices behind her that sometimes rose and sometimes fell, Jiang Wanning felt sad for only a moment.
She patted Dabao on the back and said, "Walk faster. It's time to take a nap."
As the door was closed, the chaos in the yard was also isolated outside.
At some point, this room that she found so frightening and disgusting had become her only refuge in this home.
Wang Cuilian's return meant the end of peace in the family.
That afternoon, she came and banged on the door, shouting "Come out". Fortunately, Grandma Lu was at home. She came out as soon as she heard the noise, and dragged her away while cursing and arguing. Only then did she calm down temporarily.
Because of this accident, Jiang Wanning didn't dare to stay at home any longer.
She looked out the window and saw Wang Cuilian returning to her room, so she called Dabao and Pang Liang and left home quietly.
They didn't go far, they were just behind the yard. Unless you went around to look for them on purpose, you wouldn't easily find someone hiding behind the house.
Here, whether it was Grandpa Pang and Fan Sanniang coming to pick up the children, or Lu Shang coming back, Jiang Wanning would be the first to hear the sound.
In the afternoon, as expected, endless noise was heard in the yard.
Wang Cuilian scolded everyone in the house except Grandma Lu. No one knew what made her angry. Even when Ma came out to drink a sip of water, she was disgusted by her for just eating and drinking.
If Jiang Wanning mostly ignored her, then Ma not only accepted it submissively, but also flattered her mother-in-law. She didn't dare to say a word even when she was pinched, but only lowered her head and admitted her mistakes.
Some of the noises were so loud that Jiang Wanning's brows furrowed as she listened. She could only take the two children away from here and move to a place where they couldn't hear them.
However, Lu Shang came back early today, and when they, one adult and two children, were still looking for a shelter, they ran into Lu Shang who had returned.
It was a hot and humid afternoon. Lu Shang found a straw hat from somewhere, and most of his face was hidden under it. His sleeves and trouser legs were rolled up, and the back of his thin shirt was soaked.
He walked forward with his head down, thinking only of getting home as soon as possible.
It wasn't until Jiang Wanning called out from afar that he stopped in confusion and looked around: "Aning!"
Jiang Wanning brought Dabao and Pang Liang over. After staying in the sun for a long time, their faces were a little red.
"Why are you coming out at this time?" Lu Shang was puzzled.
Jiang Wanning shook her head, not wanting to say much in front of the child, but Lu Shang had been with her for a long time, and he could tell at a glance that there was something hidden behind her words.
Wait until Jiang Wanning says again: "Mother-in-law is back."
Lu Shang's heart sank to the bottom, his eyes darkened: "Did she embarrass you again?"
"It's okay. Let's go back first." Jiang Wanning changed the subject. "How come you came back so early, husband? Have you finished your business?"
Lu Shang rubbed Dabao's head casually and said, "It's not done yet. I wanted to go look for someone today, but I asked in several villages and couldn't find anyone. I saw that the weather was too hot, so I just came back."
"I'll go ask around tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll go ask around in town."
Jiang Wanning was curious: "Looking for someone?"
"Yes, I want to find a doctor who is proficient in treating poultry and livestock. I will definitely have a lot of business in the future."
"My husband is talking about the veterinarian, right?"
Jiang Wanning's words surprised Lu Shangdun: "Aning knows a veterinarian?"
Jiang Wanning nodded. "I saw him once a long time ago. The concubine of Prince An's mansion had a blue-eyed cat, and when the cat fell ill, they specially invited him here. I heard that the doctor specialized in treating animal diseases, whether it was poultry or pets, and was very proficient. Later, he was invited to the palace to work as a full-time doctor."
Lu Shang's initial excitement faded away. "Besides the capital, are there any veterinarians in the countryside? Are they easy to find?"
Jiang Wanning didn't know much about this, but she still offered some advice: "If my husband has any connections, he could go to the military and take a look. War horses are kept in military camps, and they usually have someone to look after them. There might even be a veterinarian in the army."
Unfortunately, Lu Shang is not yet so omnipotent.
He had nothing to hide from Jiang Wanning. He briefly told her about what had happened in the past two days and mentioned the need for a veterinarian.
While he was determined to find a veterinarian, Jiang Wanning held a different view: "I don't know much about farmers, but I think some experienced farmers are not necessarily worse than veterinarians."
"And they raise one type of livestock all year round, so maybe they specialize in that one type."
Lu Shang had also considered these things, but after all, since it involved things related to the entrance, it was better to be cautious.
Dabao and Pang Liang were feeling hot, but they still wanted to have fun.
Pang Liang has only been in the Lu family for about ten days, but his temperament has become much more lively than before. This is partly due to Dabao's encouragement, but more importantly, it is due to Jiang Wanning's guidance.
Although Jiang Wanning's main job is teaching, he is not like his mother. Once he sits down, he is not allowed to be distracted or move around. If he is naughty in the slightest, he will be severely reprimanded.
Jiang Wanning would only tell him: "You are at the age where you love to play, so you don't need to waste a little time."
After playing enough, Pang Liang began to feel guilty, fearing that he had played too much and would only work harder to make up for the time lost.
Without paying attention, the two children ran to the front again, playing and fighting as they walked forward.
This just gave Lu Shang an advantage. He pinched Jiang Wanning's fingers and asked in a low voice, "Why is Second Mother back?"
Jiang Wanning glanced back at him and whispered, "I don't know either. He suddenly came back during lunch and brought half a basket of things with him."
"My mother-in-law said that she had brought back what she had taken away before, but when I looked at it, there were only some wild vegetables and vegetables grown at home, and the only two eggs were rotten."
Lu Shang was not surprised at all. He curled his lips, his eyes cold and cold: "I thought of it a long time ago. It doesn't matter. She took those things away. Sooner or later, I will make her spit them out."
If Wang Cuilian had been a little kinder to Jiang Wanning, Lu Shang might not have been so aggressive.
He then asked, "How did she make things difficult for you? Tell me, and I will avenge you."
Jiang Wanning was amused by his words. After a moment's thought, she told him the truth about what happened at noon. As she spoke, she couldn't help but sound a little aggrieved: "...My mother-in-law said that even if I could read, I still asked her to buy it back."
As soon as she opened her mouth, the smile on Lu Shang's face completely disappeared.
Hearing this, he tightened his grip and pinched Jiang Wanning so hard that it hurt.
Lu Shang narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly asked, "A Ning, do you want to move out?"
"Ah?" Jiang Wanning was stunned.
But she couldn't deny that as time passed, her heartbeat became more and more intense.
think.
Of course I do.
Whenever Jiang Wanning thought about possibly moving out and being separated from the Lu family, she couldn't control the ecstasy in her heart, and her mouth trembled so much that she couldn't speak.
Without waiting for her to answer, Lu Shang patted her on the back, silently comforting her.
Soon, the group of four returned home.
Lu Shang was thinking about how to get Wang Cuilian to behave herself, but he didn't expect that she hadn't yet avenged her mockery of Jiang Wanning, and as soon as she entered the house, she bumped into him again.
Wang Cuilian was doing something in the yard with her two daughters. When she heard the noise, she turned around suddenly. When she saw Lu Shang, she was startled at first, then she tried to force a smile and greeted him warmly.
As for Jiang Wanning and others following behind him, Wang Cuilian seemed not to see them.
She turned straight to Lu Shang and said exaggeratedly: "Shang'er, where have you been? I haven't seen you for a long time, but I miss you so much!"
Lu Shang didn't respond, just watching her poor acting.
As expected, Wang Cuilian wasn't the type to be roundabout. After just a few pleasantries, she revealed her true intentions: "Oh, I just saw there are so many chickens, ducks, and geese at home."
"I heard from Xiaoxiao that you bought them for Jiang to raise. How could she raise chickens and ducks? It would be a waste!"
"It just so happens that Xiaoxiao and the others have been wanting to raise some chickens for a long time. Since you brought some back, let them help take care of them. When they grow up and lay eggs, I'll give you half of them!"
"And the rabbit, the goose—" Anyway, she had made clear arrangements for these creatures in the yard, and mentioned all the family members, except for Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning.
Lu Shang finally couldn't help himself. He smiled, "Second Mother might have misunderstood. I didn't buy these chickens and ducks for breeding. I just bought them to entertain Aning. If she can keep them alive, that's the best. If she can't, that's fine too. I'll just buy her new ones."
"What do you mean by Xiaoxiao Qiuqiu? Are you overthinking it, Second Mother?"
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