Chapter 124 Jiang Yu's Blind Date Departure
"fight?"
Ye Li was taken aback.
Could it be that this young scholar and the girl went out shopping and the girl was groped, but the young scholar only wanted to reason with her and refused to take action?
Yu Cai explained in detail: "This young scholar is named Jiang Yushu. The girl he is engaged to is from the countryside. Her family is well-off and owns more than a hundred acres of land."
"But the girl's father was not satisfied with his current family business. In addition to farming, he also wanted to plant some Eucommia trees."
The Eucommia tree is a treasure trove; its bark, fruit, and leaves can be eaten and used medicinally.
Moreover, it is not afraid of the low temperatures in Beiyang County during winter.
More importantly, no one in the area grows it, making it quite rare!
But being trees, their root systems are not only extensive but also long. If planted in fields, the roots of trees along the edges of the fields will inevitably invade the adjacent fields.
This will compete with crops in neighboring fields for fertilizer, rainwater, and all other nutrients.
So the people in the neighboring fields disagreed.
If the girl's family insists on planting it, they will lose money every year.
The girl's family naturally disagreed.
It's their own land; they can plant whatever they want. Why should they lose money?
So the two families started arguing.
On that day, Jiang Yushu visited the girl's house, and just then, the family came to argue. The two sides couldn't reach an agreement, so they started fighting.
But Jiang Yushu, the prospective son-in-law, failed to play any significant role.
He doesn't have a loud voice.
All they do is shout that we should talk things out properly.
They even felt that the other family was indeed in the right.
He didn't know what to do either.
The girl was very dissatisfied and considered breaking off the engagement.
The girl's father asked a matchmaker to keep an eye out, but they quickly found someone more suitable, so Jiang Yushu's engagement was called off.
After finishing her long speech, Yu Cai picked up her teacup to moisten her throat before saying, "Since this matter didn't happen to me, I don't know how to judge it."
"But his handling of the situation wasn't particularly problematic."
"For someone his age to be engaged to the daughter of a small landlord, he must be very handsome. And he certainly doesn't have any bad habits and almost never gets angry."
"How about we let Brother Yu take a look?"
Ye Li never expected that this was the reason.
This was ten miles different from what he had guessed.
He thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll go back and ask Brother Yu."
This young scholar is not only handsome, but also well-educated and emotionally stable. Although he is six years older than Jiang Yu, he is only twenty-two years old and far from fading in appearance.
He couldn't judge the matter; it depended on Yu-ge'er's attitude.
So, after returning to the village, Ye Li drove the oxcart to Jiang Dahe's house.
Since all four members of the family happened to be present, he told them about Jiang Yushu's situation and asked them to give their opinions.
Jiang Dahe frowned, put down the half-chopped firewood in his hand, and said, "What use is this kind of fool who won't even help his own people?"
In the countryside, whoever has the bigger fist is right!
But Jiang Yu couldn't help but retort, "He's good-looking."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Dahe's eyes widened, and he scolded, "What's the use of being good-looking? It's useless."
"Great! At least I'd like to meet them first before considering anything else."
Jiang Yu wasn't afraid of Jiang Dahe at all, and even retorted confidently, "Didn't you say before that everything was up to me?"
"...But we can't marry a fool like that."
Jiang Dahe continued to stare wide-eyed.
This young scholar's behavior contradicts his beliefs, and he doesn't want such a son-in-law!
"I don't care, let's meet first and then talk."
Jiang Yu walked over to Ye Li, grabbed Ye Li's arm and shook it twice, pleading in a low voice, "Brother Li, please say a few words for me."
Ye Li then said to Jiang Dahe, "Second Uncle, why don't we let Yu Ge meet him first? Maybe this person doesn't suit Yu Ge's taste."
Hearing this, Jiang Liu chimed in, "Dad, this isn't a formality, it's just a meeting. Don't be angry."
Not angry?
How could I not be angry?
No family in the countryside would take in such a fool!
But now that Ye Li has spoken, Jiang Dahe can't simply refuse.
He then glared at Jiang Yu again and said, "Brother Li, since you say so, then let Brother Yu meet that person first."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile immediately appeared on her face.
But Ye Li asked with a smile, "Second Uncle, if it were you, how would you handle this matter?"
"Me?" Jiang Dahe snorted, put his hands on his hips and said, "If I were the one planting trees, I would definitely plant them. It's my own land, why should you stop me?"
"If I were the neighboring family, I would definitely oppose it to the end. How dare they damage my crops! This is not over!"
Things in the countryside don't always make sense.
It all depends on your own situation and how much power you have.
He wanted a son not only because he was worried about who would take care of him in his old age, but also because he was afraid of this situation!
Anyway, he looked down on this student.
He refused the marriage proposal.
Jiang Dahe was determined to oppose it.
But Jiang Yu was overjoyed and preparing for the matchmaking.
Ye Li originally wanted to arrange the blind date at Banxianju, but considering that the other party's family was of average means and that Banxianju was not cheap, he arranged the blind date outside the North Gate instead.
There is only one dirt road connecting Yezaopo to the county town.
But this road also connects to a narrow, winding path.
The path was secluded, and with the midday heat, few people were out and about, so Jiang Yu and the other person could chat for a while longer.
Jiang Dahe disagreed with the marriage, and Ye Li naturally couldn't let Jiang Yu decide on her life partner based on just a few glances. The two had a brief exchange, and if they couldn't connect with each other, then so be it.
No matter how good-looking you are, it's useless if your thinking isn't aligned with others.
This blind date was an unexpected joy for the Jiang family.
Jiang Yushu is the youngest son in the Jiang family, with two older brothers. In previous years, he focused solely on his studies. Later, when his two older brothers' sons grew up and also had needs for education and marriage, his two older brothers no longer wanted to support him.
He returned home from the private school to prepare for marriage.
He was twenty years old at the time, and with his looks, he could have easily found a good match.
However, his family was of modest means, with more than ten people crammed into a small courtyard with only four tiled houses.
His room was a converted kitchen, small and cramped.
He didn't have a proper job; he mainly copied books and taught his nephew to read.
Therefore, he doesn't have much room to choose.
He finally got engaged to the daughter of a small landowner in the countryside last year.
As a result, that happened, and the girl dumped him.
This makes finding a spouse difficult.
He was old and of average height, and he also showed no interest in helping his relatives, so when matchmakers came to his door, the young men and women they introduced did not meet his expectations.
The Chiang family was extremely worried.
He himself was also worried.
If this drags on any longer, it will be even harder to arrange a marriage.
Just as he was about to compromise, a good matchmaker fell into his lap.
The other party turned out to be from Yezaopo, and was also the cousin of the inventor of preserved eggs and taro paste, and the owner of the tofu puff workshop!
These generous conditions made the Chiang family beam with joy.
Nowadays, who in the whole county doesn't know about preserved eggs, taro paste, and tofu puffs?
Therefore, on the day of the blind date, Jiang Yushu made a special effort to groom himself, shaving his beard clean and brushing his teeth again before leaving the house.
But he refused his father's suggestion to put insoles in his shoes to make him taller.
This can only be concealed for a while, not forever.
Once he has lied the first time, every word he says from now on may be questioned.
It would be best if the young master of the Jiang family would take a liking to him.
If you don't like it, you can't force it.
At noon that day, the Jiang father and son walked to the North Gate, left the city, and walked along the dirt road for a mile. At this time, a small path appeared on the right, leading to the foot of the mountain not far away.
The father and son turned onto this path, and after walking for a short while, they saw Ye Li, Jiang Yu, Liang Erxiang, and Jiang Tong standing by the roadside.
Upon meeting, Chiang's father stepped forward to greet Ye Li, Liang Erxiang, and Jiang Tong.
Afterwards, the group went to the side to chat and asked Jiang Yushu to come over and talk to Jiang Yu for a few minutes.
Jiang Yu's heart was already pounding.
He stared blankly at Jiang Yushu walking towards him, holding his breath.
His mind went blank, only two words remained: Beautiful!
Jiang Yushu has fair skin, thick black eyebrows, slightly double-eyelid eyes with a smile, a straight nose, and somewhat fleshy lips. Individually, his features are not particularly striking, but when put together, they create a harmonious and handsome appearance.
Moreover, he has a kind face and a gentle temperament; he looks like a good-natured person with no temper.
He wasn't particularly tall, but standing next to Jiang Yu, he was still half a head taller than Jiang Yu.
Looking at Jiang Yu's appearance, Jiang Yushu knew that his looks satisfied the other party.
He sized up Jiang Yu a few times. The young man had an oval face, thick eyelashes, big and bright eyes, and still had baby fat on his face, looking quite childish.
His appearance exceeded his expectations.
But he became even more nervous.
Aside from his face, he has nothing else to offer.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm sorry we're late."
These words pulled Jiang Yu's wandering thoughts back to his mind.
Coming to his senses, he realized his reaction had just been wrong and his cheeks flushed red.
He lowered his eyes, reached out and pinched the poplar tree beside him, and said, "I came too early. Our village is nearby."
He couldn't wait to see the handsome guy, so he ate lunch early and came over.
Jiang Yushu knew that he and his son were not late, so he didn't dwell on the issue and slowly said, "Well... let me talk about myself."
“I used to study at a private school, but I didn’t achieve anything. Now I copy books every day to earn some money.”
"I am not good with words and have a quiet personality. Although I am a few years older than you, when it comes to important matters, I may not be as decisive as you."
"Simply put, I'm not very useful."
These words made Jiang Yu blink. He looked at Jiang Yushu and asked, "You mean the matter of breaking off the engagement before?"
"Yes." Jiang Yushu's face showed shame: "I really didn't know what to do at the time."
"So what now? Is there a solution?" Jiang Yu asked.
Jiang Yushu felt even more ashamed. He shook his head and said, "It did cause damage to the crops in the neighboring fields, and I can't justify it."
Jiang Yu was somewhat surprised by his answer.
Actually, Ye Li asked him to ask this question.
Even if Jiang Yushu doesn't bring it up, he will deliberately steer the conversation toward that topic.
He wanted to know if the person in front of him had changed his mind.
If you change your mind, it might be because you genuinely realize your mistake, or it might be to please him.
But the person didn't turn around.
He asked curiously, "Didn't your family blame you?"
"I'm blaming you. But that's really what I think."
Before he came, his father had repeatedly warned him that if the Jiang family's young master asked about this matter, his only answer would be to help his relatives.
This whole family is betraying each other; they're not helping their own!
But he couldn't really justify it.
They can't stand their necks and argue or even throw punches.
Even though the Jiang family's young master was the best match he could get, he didn't want to go against his conscience.
Jiang Yu saw that he was hanging his head and not looking at her, so she secretly curled the corners of her mouth.
Even though her family scolded her, she didn't change her mind. That shows she has a strong sense of self.
There was no deliberate attempt to feign pleasing him.
Moreover, her downcast eyes and ashamed expression are quite beautiful.
He secretly pinched his palm to suppress his smile and said, "There are different reasons for this, so it's hard to say. But you're definitely a good person, and my family never encounters this kind of thing."
“Our whole village is surnamed Jiang, so we won’t be bullied. Also, we don’t farm anymore.”
Jiang Yushu was a little confused by these words. He looked at Jiang Yu with surprise and asked, "You don't mind?"
"I don't mind, you're a good person. Besides, what I value is your good nature."
Jiang Yu felt a little shy and lowered her head again.
His words were tantamount to him agreeing or taking a liking to it.
Jiang Yushu was surprised, very surprised.
But a bubble called joy quietly rose in his heart.
Ever since the engagement was called off, all he's heard is blame.
But the young man from the Jiang family didn't mind and even praised him as a good person.
He scratched his head, and the corners of his mouth seemed to turn up in a smile.
...
The two chatted for about 15 minutes, their smiles almost never fading, talking about their hobbies and daily lives.
Ye Li arrived and interrupted their conversation.
This scene clearly shows that the two are quite fond of each other, but they shouldn't get carried away yet, because Jiang Dahe doesn't allow this marriage.
Back home, as expected, Jiang Dahe's face immediately fell after hearing about the two's meeting.
Jiang Yu had no choice but to give Ye Li a meaningful look.
But Ye Li has no good solution.
Jiang Yushu's refusal to side with his relatives is indeed a cause for criticism.
He wasn't influential enough to persuade Jiang Dahe to change his mind.
Jiang Ji took charge.
But Jiang Ji is focused on preparing for the exam, and he doesn't want to distract him.
Furthermore, if Jiang Ji passes the imperial examination, then this matter will be easily resolved.
With a cousin who is a scholar as a backer, I'm sure I won't encounter such things in the future.
So he told Jiang Yu to calm down and not to argue with Jiang Dahe, and to wait until Jiang Ji returned from the prefectural city before discussing anything further.
As for the Chiang family, they can't be left hanging, lest they think they've been rejected and go looking for a matchmaker again.
He relayed a message to Jiang Yushu, telling him to wait patiently and that he would arrange for him to meet Jiang Yu in two months.
He spoke vaguely, but Jiang Yushu understood.
The young man from the Jiang family thinks highly of him, but the elders in the family disagree.
Jiang Yushu felt empty and lost.
But there was no other way; he couldn't bypass the elders to find the Jiang family's young master.
He could only wait.
On the other side, Ye Li also instructed Jiang Dahe not to mention Jiang Yushu's matter to Jiang Ji.
Jiang Dahe understood the gravity of the situation and nodded repeatedly.
The imperial examination is a major event, and everything else must give way to it!
So when the county school had another holiday, Ye Li had already made arrangements for her luggage and everything at home.
We can set off now.
The family's pigs and chickens were handed over to Jiang Dahe's family.
Moreover, the first batch of taro will be back soon, at which time Jiang Dahe will be the one to support the taro paste workshop.
They might miss the Tang fish production, so he asked Jiang Dahe to go to the Ye family on his behalf.
Instead of using his own oxcart, he rented a horse-drawn carriage from Zheng's carriage shop.
Although summer has passed, the autumn heat is still fierce. The oxcart is open-topped with no shade, so walking on the road will surely dry you out in the sun.
Anyway, the family wasn't short of money, so he rented three carriages: one for passengers and two for luggage.
He had already asked Boss Yue to rent a courtyard, so he had to bring his own bedding and other daily necessities.
As for the Wu family, the brothers Yu Cai and Yu Shiting rented seven carriages and hired two people from a security escort agency.
So, on a crisp autumn morning, ten carriages, facing the rising sun, set off for the prefectural city.
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