"Stepmother, this preserved egg and lean pork congee is so delicious, even better than the chicken congee you made before," Jiang Jingyi praised as he brought out bowls and chopsticks.
While Jiang Xingzhou was out with his bowl, Jiang Hua took a bowl from the side, filled it with the contents, and stored it in her spatial storage for the hungry little white snake.
Jiang Jingyi ate the fragrant porridge in his bowl with great satisfaction, while looking at Jiang Hua with slightly red eyes.
"What? Did you burn yourself?" Jiang Hua assumed he had burned himself because he ate too fast.
"Stepmother, it's so good that you can be my stepmother." Jiang Jingyi said to Jiang Hua, holding the porridge in his hands.
Jiang Hua paused, then remembered a meme she'd seen online, and tentatively asked, "Does this bowl of porridge make you feel at home?"
“No.” Jiang Jingyi was taken aback and shook his head.
That's alright, Jiang Hua thought to herself. Although Jiang Jingyi wasn't her biological son, she would take it seriously and start raising him, considering he called her his stepmother.
This was after almost a month of getting to know each other, and she had only slowly accepted him. If she were to be tricked away by another girl with just a bowl of porridge in the future, she would truly be grateful.
“Stepmother, don’t worry, you will always be my stepmother. If my father brings another woman home, I will not acknowledge her, nor will I be fooled by her with a bowl of porridge.” Jiang Jingyi instantly understood Jiang Hua’s meaning and explained.
"Cough cough." Jiang Hua almost choked on his sudden assurance.
“Stepmother, I believe my father isn’t that kind of person, so please don’t worry,” Jiang Jingyi added.
"Okay, I understand." Jiang Hua didn't intend to shatter his fatherly image.
After the two had breakfast, Honghua arrived, and the three of them went to the village entrance to take an oxcart to the town.
Shortly after they left, a horse-drawn carriage also drove into Xujia Village.
In Qing Shi Town, Jiang Hua put the safflower in the shop and then took Jiang Jingyi to Mingyue Tower.
"Miss Jiang has arrived." Manager Bai immediately went to greet Jiang Hua as she stepped into Mingyue Tower.
"Our master and Lord Bai are already waiting in the private room on the second floor."
Jiang Hua nodded, lifted her skirt, and led Jiang Jingyi to the private room on the second floor. Manager Bai pushed open the door.
Inside, a man dressed in white, with a gentle and refined demeanor, caught Jiang Hua's eye. He was handsome. Jiang Xingzhou and Shen Qingchuan were the same type of people, both exuding a cunning and aloof aura that made them seem unapproachable.
The man before them was completely different; the smile on his lips was like a gentle breeze through a pine forest, making one feel as if they were basking in the warm sun.
"Miss Jiang has arrived." Shen Qingchuan first glanced at Jiang Jingyi behind Jiang Hua before greeting Jiang Hua.
"Master Shen and Lord Bai have kept you waiting." Jiang Hua nodded slightly and looked at Bai Heng with a generous gaze.
"Sure enough, Bai Heng, wherever you go, you'll leave young ladies speechless," Shen Qingchuan teased. "Miss Jiang, don't you think so?"
“Yes, Master Shen is right.” Jiang Hua then said to Bai Heng, “Lord Bai, I apologize for my earlier offense.”
"Upon seeing Young Master Bai, a phrase involuntarily came to mind."
"What did you say?" Bai Heng also became interested and began to scrutinize the woman in front of him.
“A stranger is like jade, a gentleman unparalleled in the world,” Jiang Hua said leisurely.
Upon hearing this, Bai Heng smiled and said, "Miss Jiang thinks too highly of me."
"Stepmother." Jiang Jingyi couldn't help but feel nervous when he saw Jiang Hua say that to Bai Heng.
Does the stepmother not like men like her father, but prefer a young master like Bai Heng?
"Don't stand there, sit down and have some tea," Shen Qingchuan said.
As soon as they sat down, Bai Heng took the initiative to ask Jiang Hua about moving her household registration to Shili Village, and also learned that she had bought land and built a house in Shili Village a few days ago.
“Since they are friends of A-Chuan and A-Zhou, this is just a small favor,” Bai Heng said.
"Then thank you very much, Lord Bai." Jiang Hua stood up and thanked him.
Therefore, it is clear that these three people know each other. According to the tone of the novel, could this Bai Heng be a young master from a prominent family in the capital who came to this remote and impoverished place to experience life as a county magistrate?
However, Jiang Hua found out the truth, and it really was true, but that's another story.
“Miss Jiang, there’s no need to be so formal. Just call me Bai Heng,” Bai Heng said.
The group sat down and chatted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before Jiang Hua and Jiang Jingyi took their leave. Just then, Bai Heng said he had something to do, so the three of them went out together.
The three of them had just gone out and hadn't even reached the intersection when a group of people surrounded them. As the county magistrate, Bai Heng naturally went up to see what was going on immediately.
Seeing this, Jiang Hua followed and squeezed into the crowd with Jiang Jingyi. They found an old man lying on the ground, clutching his heart in pain.
"Send him to Mingde Hall," Bai Heng said to the man beside the old man.
With Bai Heng's appearance, the man seemed to have found his backbone and quickly carried the old man on the ground to Mingde Hall.
Fortunately, this place isn't far from Mingde Hall, Jiang Hua thought to herself as she watched them leave in a hurry.
"This looks like the former headmaster of Shifang Academy," someone in the crowd said.
Jiang Hua and Jiang Jing exchanged a glance, and then Jiang Jing led her toward Mingde Hall.
When Jiang Hua arrived at Mingde Hall, she heard the anxious voice of the man who had been next to the old man earlier.
"Master's doctor went to town and hasn't returned yet. What should we do!"
Jiang Hua also learned from the young apprentice at Mingdetang that the man who was speaking was Li Xu, the adopted son of the old director.
"We are helpless when it comes to the old dean's illness!" Manager Shen said as he came out from the back room.
"What should we do?" Li Xu was so anxious he was about to cry.
"Manager Shen, why don't you let me give it a try?" Jiang Hua hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and saying.
"Who are you? You're just a woman. How could you possibly save my master?" Li Xu's tone was harsh due to her anxiety.
"If I'm not mistaken, the way your master looked when he had his attack just now indicated that he had a heart problem," Jiang Hua said slowly.
"How did you know!" Li Xu looked at Jiang Hua warily.
"Miss Jiang, what brings you here?" Manager Shen also noticed Jiang Hua in the lobby.
"If we wait any longer, it might be too late for your master's condition," Jiang Hua reminded her again.
"Miss Jiang, do you really know medicine?" Manager Shen asked hurriedly.
Dean Li's condition is indeed not going to last much longer. He usually has a doctor with him by his side, but unfortunately, the doctor went out to collect herbs today.
"Li Xu, why don't we let Miss Jiang give it a try?" Manager Shen said, as if he had nothing to lose.
“Then please give it a try, Miss Jiang,” Bai Heng suddenly said.
Since Bai Heng had spoken, Li Xu had no choice. If something happened to his master, how could he explain it to his master's wife?
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