"This was originally intended for your brother Tianming's wedding. Last night, Tianming suggested that it be given to you as part of your dowry first," Aunt Liu explained.
"Auntie, no, this is too valuable, I can't accept it," Jiang Hua quickly refused.
"Er Ya, please accept it. Although we've only known each other for two days, I've already considered you my sister." Liu Tianming stepped forward, scratching his head, a little embarrassed, but still tried to persuade her.
"Well, once you settle down, can I come over for meals?"
"You silly child!" Aunt Liu couldn't help but laugh at her son's words.
"Brother Tianming, you should keep it. This is what your aunt and uncle are preparing for your wedding," Jiang Hua declined.
"Oh dear, Aunt Liu, if you don't want this girl, give her to me. I think this hairpin suits Yan Yan very well," Xu Shi said as she walked out of the courtyard with a greedy look on her face.
Aunt Liu's face darkened. She had never seen anyone so shameless. She shoved the silver hairpin in her hand into Jiang Hua's hand.
"Er Ya, please accept this from your aunt. You don't have parents to love you, but in my heart, you are my daughter," Aunt Liu said loudly.
Upon hearing Aunt Liu's words, Xu's face immediately darkened, and she walked back to the courtyard, cursing and swearing.
"It's just a broken hairpin, what's the big deal?"
Aunt Liu's expression didn't look good when she heard what Xu said, but she calmed down before looking at Jiang Hua.
"Er Ya, from now on you and Xiao Jiang should live a good life together. We are all from the same village. If you need anything, just come back to your auntie."
After spending these past few days together, Aunt Liu felt increasingly sorry for Jiang Hua. What kind of life had this child lived before? How could she have ended up with such parents?
"Okay, Auntie, I understand." Jiang Hua put away the silver hairpin in her hand, and for a moment she felt that the hairpin was a little hot.
“Er Ya, and me too,” Liu Tianming added, sitting to the side.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Aunt Liu, Jiang Hua followed Jiang Xingzhou back. The two remained silent the entire way, neither of them speaking first.
"Daddy, you're back!" A little boy rushed out of the house, hugged Jiang Xingzhou, and then looked at Jiang Hua with curiosity.
"Father, is this my stepmother?"
“Yes, she will be your stepmother from now on.” Jiang Xingzhou nodded and then looked at Jiang Hua: “Ayi lost her mother when she was young, so she is a bit withdrawn. You will have to take good care of her in the future.”
"Although I spent money to marry you, I won't force you, but I only have one request, and that is to treat A-Yi well."
“Okay, I understand. I will find a chance to return the fifty taels of silver to you.” Jiang Hua nodded.
According to Jiang Xingzhou, it's equivalent to finding someone to take care of the child.
"Then you two stay home for now. There's rice on the stove. I still need to go to town today to register with the government," Jiang Xingzhou instructed.
"Your name is Er Ya?" Jiang Xingzhou asked, looking at her again as if he had remembered something.
“I’ve already signed the disownment agreement, and I have nothing to do with that family anymore. Jiang Hua, that’s my new name,” Jiang Hua said quickly.
"Jiang Hua?" Jiang Xingzhou was taken aback, nodded, and turned to leave without saying anything.
Jiang Hua looked around Jiang Xingzhou's small courtyard. The entire courtyard had only two rooms, one of which was the kitchen.
Looking at the tidy courtyard, Jiang Hua moved a stool to the doorway of the inner room and sat down. Jiang Jingyi also sat down obediently next to her, looking at her with pleading eyes.
The two stared at each other. She had never raised a child in her past life, nor had she ever been in a relationship. The head of the Paranormal Bureau had said that being in a relationship would only slow down her ability to draw her sword, let alone get married.
At first, she didn't believe in superstitions, but after witnessing a tragic case in another department where a man murdered his wife to swindle money, she stayed away from men and protected herself from then on.
She didn't want to die without knowing why, and have her remains chopped up and flushed down the drain.
"Are you hungry?" Jiang Hua seemed to hear his stomach growling.
Jiang Jingyi nodded. His father had gone out early this morning to bring his stepmother back, and hadn't had time to make him breakfast yet. Usually, his father would take him with him when he went to town, but now he was leaving him at home with his stepmother.
Jiang Hua got up and went into the kitchen, with Jiang Jingyi following behind. Jiang Xingzhou's kitchen was even more spacious and simple than the kitchen in the Xu family's house, but it had everything it needed.
Rice, flour, and eggs were placed in the cabinet against the wall. Jiang Hua scooped out a bowl of flour from the flour bag and took out three eggs from the basket, preparing to make an egg pancake.
"You villainous supporting character, don't waste your energy. When my main heroine appears, this child will still fall in love with her." Jiang Hua heard the system's voice again after it hadn't appeared for three days.
Jiang Hua paused in cracking the egg, looked at Jiang Jingyi beside her, and felt a chill run down her spine.
Lin Shuyan doesn't even spare such young children?
"Stepmother, what's wrong?" Jiang Jingyi looked at Jiang Hua, who was suddenly looking at him, with some confusion.
"It's nothing." Jiang Hua stirred the two eggs in her hand before asking, "Do you know who Lin Shuyan is?"
Jiang Jingyi nodded: "I know."
"Do you like her?" Jiang Hua asked directly.
"I like you," Jiang Jingyi said earnestly.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hua looked at him. It seemed like they had only met a few times, so what was there to talk about liking each other?
Without thinking much, he continued what he was doing. He added an appropriate amount of water to the flour in the rooster bowl, stirred until there were no lumps, then poured in the beaten egg liquid, and finally added an appropriate amount of salt.
After heating the pan, brush a layer of lard into the pan, pour in the mixed batter, spread the batter in the pan, and fry over low heat until it solidifies, then flip it over.
Soon, an egg pancake was ready. It would be even better with some chopped green onions.
Following the same method, I made pancakes from the remaining half bowl of batter.
"Stepmother, it smells so good, can I eat it?" Jiang Jingyi took a big gulp of the aroma of egg pancakes that filled the air.
"Go wash your hands first." Jiang Hua carried the egg pancakes on a plate to the door of the inner room and then brought out a small table from inside.
She went into the kitchen again, took out a bag of milk powder that hadn't been harmed by the little white snake from her spatial storage, made two bowls with hot water from the stove, and took them out.
“Stepmother, I’m done washing.” Jiang Jingyi said, extending his clean hands to her.
"Eat up," Jiang Hua nodded.
"Stepmother, what is this?" Jiang Jingyi asked, looking at the two bowls of milk on the table. What was this? He didn't remember having it at home.
“This is a paste; drinking it will make you grow taller,” Jiang Hua replied casually.
Jiang Jingyi nodded in agreement, picked it up and took a sip, after all, no child could refuse the condition of growing taller.
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