52 The truth is revealed
The man stood in front of the couch and smiled at him, "Brother."
"Little sister..."
Tian Guangzong's eyes were red, his voice was hoarse as if he had just swallowed a sharp stone, and he stumbled off the bed.
He had just recovered from a serious illness and his legs went weak and he fell straight to the ground.
Instantly, the two people at the door rushed over and scrambled to help him up.
Tian Nongxi half-helped, half-dragged the man back to the couch and sat him down. He stared at his scarred face, momentarily bewildered. "Brother, why are you here?"
Compared to Tian Guangzong's complicated expression, her thoughts were very simple, and she was more shocked - she was told that the eldest brother of the Tian family was dead when she came in, but this person was actually resurrected?
What else in this world is real?
Tian Guangzong's lips moved twice, but the words he said were incoherent. Fortunately, Jiang Miaoyao brought him a bowl of warm water, which he drank to moisten his throat. Only then did Tian Nongxi hear clearly what he said.
"It's a long story." He looked at his sister whom he hadn't seen for a long time, tears welling up in his eyes, but he pinched the back of his hand to hold them back.
He had been in a coma for several days and was speaking softly and slowly. He would stop and rest for a moment after saying two words, and stare quietly at the little sister in front of him.
"You've grown up well, not as thin and small as before." Tian Guangzong reached over Tian Nongxi's hand, which was resting on the couch, and patted it gently. He coughed twice before continuing, "Eat more. I make money for you."
Judging from what he said, Tian Erniang shouldn't be so pitiful. Tian Nongxi nodded hesitantly, swallowed his doubts, and listened to him continue.
Tian Guangzong blinked slowly, recalling—
Not long after he joined the army, he was assigned to a border garrison. One day, his battalion captured a Sukjin man who had sneaked in. Because the two tribes had always been incompatible, several soldiers secretly chopped the man to death, but they never expected that they had fallen into a trap set by the aliens.
They took advantage of the situation and broke into the military camp. When they were discovered, they brought a group of people to demand an explanation. The captain was unwilling to hand over his men, so a fight broke out.
He was unable to dodge and was shot by a hidden arrow, and was in a coma for several days.
When I woke up, I was already on the carriage returning to Beijing.
The captain was ordered to return to the capital for disobeying discipline, and he and several other seriously injured people were brought back to the capital for recuperation.
After a few days of recuperation, he was finally getting better. Coincidentally, the Po Ya Camp was recruiting capable people, so he decided to go and give it a try before returning home.
Strong men gathered together, and he did everything he was told, such as drawing the strong bow and carrying the bronze tripod.
Although he was struggling a bit as his injuries had not yet healed, he was still quite appreciated and was asked to take his name by the military officer and go back to pack up his belongings. He returned to Po Ya Camp at 1:15 AM a month later.
As he spoke, Jiang Miaoyao's sobs gradually drowned out Tian Guangzong's voice. He smiled bitterly and comforted her that he was fine.
The two of them were not very familiar with each other, and the hand he stretched out trembled slightly, but finally fell on the couch.
Tian Nongxi handed over the handkerchief that he had just not given out. Seeing Jiang Miaoyao took it, Tian Guangzong continued speaking.
He went back feeling very proud of himself. He saw some woven straw hats at a street stall and wanted to buy a few to take home. When he was paying, two big men suddenly jumped out from the shop behind the stall and started arguing with the stall owner, a girl who looked about the same age as his younger sister. He couldn't stand it and stepped forward to stop them.
Seeing that more and more people gathered around, the two big men overturned their stall and left.
He helped to pick up the scattered items and prepared to leave with the straw hat he had just bought.
When he reached the alley, a dark shadow suddenly jumped out from behind him and stabbed his leg before he could react!
"Did you see the face clearly?"
Tian Guangzong shook his head and said that he was stabbed before he could see clearly. He felt dizzy and fell in a pool of blood.
He smiled at Jiang Miaoyao and said, "Thank you both for saving me."
Jiang Miaoyao collapsed and yelled, "It's obviously them!"
"They?" Tian Nongxi interrupted.
"I blame myself for not seeing clearly."
"Fan Bing Fan Chong?" Tian Nongxi asked Jiang Miaoyao.
Jiang Miaoyao was silent.
"Is the man who was arguing with you very tall and strong, with a long beard? He looks to be in his twenties or thirties." Tian Nongxi asked Tian Guangzong again.
"Yeah...that's right." Tian Guangzong recalled.
She looked at Tian Guangzong, then at Jiang Miaoyao, puzzled, and asked, "Have you ever had a bad relationship with others?" In Tian Erniang's memory, Tian Guangzong was kind to everyone, never got angry, and would swallow his grievances even if he suffered a loss.
When he shook his head, she stood up and said, "Since there are people who are suspicious, report it to the authorities."
Jiang Miaoyao raised her head suddenly, "No, no!"
She clutched the handkerchief tightly and managed to squeeze out a few words: "Wait until my sister comes back..."
Tian Nongxi sat back in her chair and pinched her nose. "Do you have any...deal?" She chose her words carefully.
"Let's talk about it when my sister comes back."
“…”
Seeing that the situation was at a stalemate, Tian Guangzong came out to smooth things over.
"Why are you here? Who is this?" He changed the subject and looked up at the man standing at the door.
He had been standing there, his tall figure against the light, making it hard not to notice him.
The reason I'm asking now is just to help out.
Unexpectedly, the man strode in, stood in front of the couch and smiled at him, "Brother."
Tian Guangzong: “?”
He sat up straight and looked at him. Seeing that the man still had a smile of just the right size on his face, he had to smile back.
The smile was retracted before it could fully unfold. He stretched out his hand to hold the little sister, saying that he had something personal to say.
Tian Nongxi knew that he couldn't escape this matter, so he signaled Wen Tingluan to leave.
The latter nodded politely and walked away.
Jiang Miaoyao also walked away looking back every step of the way.
With a "click", the door was closed.
Tian Guangzong's expression was complicated, and his tone was weak: "How old are you? It's fine if you're in a hurry to talk about marriage. You can get married at seventeen, but why are you still..." He was furious, clenched his fist and coughed twice, then waved away the water that Tian Nongxi handed over, "Following someone to the capital, is this what you should do?"
"I'm doing business to make money." Tian Nongxi smiled at him.
Tian Guangzong didn't look at her and just said that they hadn't seen each other for a long time. He didn't know that his little sister, who had always been taciturn and timid, had grown up to be so brave and went out alone.
After a while, he said in a bad tone, "How can a family like us have extra money to do business?" He thought of something and his face suddenly darkened. "Grandpa sold you to the person just now?"
Tian Nongxi lowered his eyes and recounted what had happened in detail.
Her words were not exaggerated, but they still made Tian Guangzong furious.
Before he heard about Tian Yaozu changing his name to be included in the Zhuang family tree, a deep dent was made in the quilt under him.
"It's really too much! The money I send home is enough to support you and Xiaozu. How could grandpa and grandma treat you like this?" Tian Guangzong's chest heaved violently as he told her that he had to enclose silver and money every time he sent a letter home.
He apologized directly and looked at her with guilt in his eyes.
"I'm sorry for you. I thought that if I asked them to treat you well in the letter, they would treat you well. I was wrong." There was no transportation in the army, and a letter often took several months to reach the hands of relatives. There were many people involved, so Tian Guangzong put the silver wallet in straw paper to ensure that it would not be discovered by people with bad intentions.
He was afraid that the money would not reach his younger sister, but he didn't think of protecting his own family.
Tian Guangzong was still chattering about how every time he sent a letter home, he would instruct which money was for his younger sister and which money was for the elderly to save for his younger brother.
"Grandpa is dead." Tian Nongxi pulled back his hand that was covered by the quilt and said softly.
The connection between flesh and blood is a wonderful thing, she thought.
The man who was just filled with righteous indignation, with rage flashing in his eyes, was stunned for a moment, with a confused and helpless expression.
He didn't look like a seasoned veteran, but rather like a child who hadn't yet gained intelligence, slurring his words as he looked for his relatives.
Tian Nongxi moved closer and only then could he hear him muttering that he was unfilial.
Tears and longing fall together, washing the rough skin back into the tenderness of childhood.
For some unknown reason, her heart ached.
I think of that afternoon which I did not experience personally but which is still vivid in my mind.
The afternoon when Tian Zhuangying was carried home.
"Brother." She shook his shoulder, trying to wipe off the sticky blood from that day. "Grandpa died suddenly. We never got to see him, and you won't be able to see him at home either."
Tian Guangzong came back to his senses, "Are grandma and Xiaozu okay?"
"Yeah, they're doing fine." Tian Nongxi picked out a few words to talk about their recent situation, and finally said, "I left them some money before I left. They won't have to worry about not being able to survive."
"They can live well even without you leaving them money. I sent quite a bit back home." Tian Guangzong smiled, a smile uglier than tears. "It's hard for a little girl like you to run so far. It's all my fault."
"It's okay, I made a lot of money." Tian Nongxi smiled sincerely.
"Why are you here specifically to see me?"
Tian Nongxi shook his head and briefly explained the matter of the dish.
Tian Guangzong's frown deepened, and he finally lifted the quilt. "I want to report to the police! I want to report to the police! They must have hurt me enough, and they want to hurt you too."
"Wait." Tian Nongxi continued, "I came here because... the two girls who live here are their witnesses."
"Did they frame you?"
Tian Nongxi nodded hesitantly.
"But I saw that day that the two families were not on good terms. How could they join hands to harm you?"
"I don't know, what are the benefits?" Tian Nongxi said as a matter of course.
Tian Guangzong was about to say something when he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
A clear voice came through the door: "My sister is back."
The two looked at each other, and Tian Nongxi stood up and opened the door.
Outside the house, the two sisters of the Jiang family stood quietly.
Tian Nongxi finally saw Jiang Miaojue's face clearly.
He is a very handsome man, but the downward corners of his eyes make him look a little stubborn.
His eyes met hers briefly, then his gaze fell into the house.
Tian Nongxi stepped aside to let the person in.
As soon as she entered the door, Jiang Miaojue began to explain.
The two families were neighbors and had a very good relationship. The ancestors of the Jiang family even saved the lives of the Fan family.
After Jiang's parents passed away, the two little girls depended on each other. The older one took over her deceased parents' business and set up a stall in front of Fan's restaurant to sell bamboo woven items.
The quarrel that day was because Fan Bing's eldest son was in love with Jiang Miaojue but failed, and he wanted his father to make the decision to welcome her into the family.
Jiang Miaojue refused, so the Fan family did not allow her to continue setting up the stall.
"But the two families clearly signed and sealed the agreement. Not only do they refuse to acknowledge it, they also want to attack my sister." Jiang Miaoyao responded angrily.
"When they saw that I refused, they wanted to overturn my business. Thank you very much for helping me out." Jiang Miaojue pulled Jiang Miaoyao together to thank Tian Guangzong who was lying on the couch.
"It's just a piece of cake." Tian Guangzong smiled, "I also want to thank you for bringing me back for treatment. Thank you for the trouble."
Jiang Miaojue just kept shaking her head.
Seeing that no one was talking anymore, Tian Nongxi finally spoke up: "I wonder if the old lady of the Fan family and you guys really got sick from eating the food that came back?"
Jiang Miaojue shook her head slowly, her eyes looking lonely.
The business of Fan's restaurant has been getting worse and worse in recent years, so they rely on cheating to make money. At the beginning, they only cheated big restaurants because they were all run by people who were not stingy with money, and they were afraid of ruining their reputation and would pay a large sum of money to keep them quiet.
However, the old man of the Fan family was seriously ill, and before he passed away, he had already squandered all the money they had cheated. But they did not want the neighbors to see that they were short of money, so they found Hao Zai Lai, which was newly opened but doing very good business.
"This matter is caused by me and has nothing to do with A Yao. I will go to the yamen by myself." Jiang Miaojue stopped her sister behind her and spoke in a firm tone.
"But why do you want to help them?" Tian Nongxi opened his eyes wide.
Is it possible that there is no other place to set up a stall in such a big city like Beijing?
Jiang Miaoyao was blocked, revealing only a pair of clear eyes, "It's to buy medicine for this uncle!"
-
The dust has settled.
The Jiang sisters went to the government office to change their confessions.
A bloody kitchen knife was dug out from under a tree in the Fan family's courtyard. It was exactly the same as the one lost from the Fan family restaurant. Fan Chong admitted that he was so excited that he returned to the restaurant and hid the kitchen knife under his clothes and chased out.
Fan Chong was thrown into prison, and Fan Bing left behind two taels of silver and left his hometown with his wife and children.
The Fan family restaurant was closed, and they moved to a new shop a few days later.
Fortunately, the seal was removed again, and because of this, the business is getting better and better.
Tian Guangzong had woken up, but it was inconvenient for him to stay at the two girls' house, so Tian Nongxi rented a house for him to recuperate.
The two were not very familiar with each other, so she deliberately chose a house that was neither too far nor too close to her home. Unexpectedly, Tian Guangzong would limp over with a cane every day to bring her food.
She was very worried, but fortunately, half a month later, Tian Guangzong's injury was almost healed, and he told her that he wanted to go home.
"Little sister, don't you want to go back and see grandma?" Tian Guangzong threw away his crutches and was in high spirits. He could carry four dishes by himself without any problem, and his voice did not tremble at all.
Tian Nongxi took the lunch box and shook his head, "No, I'm busy at the store."
Tian Guangzong nodded and told her in a concerned tone to take more rest and not to push herself too hard.
"Yeah, I got it, brother." Tian Nongxi smiled and thought to himself that he was not busy, he was just afraid that when he returned he would be sued by the three of them and his identity would be exposed.
Tian Guangzong found the dishes and chopsticks familiarly, washed them and handed them to Tian Nongxi, and asked casually: "Why haven't you seen Xiaoluan recently?" Although the two did not have much contact, he had already decided on this future brother-in-law in the past half month.
"He's busy." Tian Nongxi picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and replied nonchalantly.
When I came out of Hao Zai Lai, I counted the money and the system prompted that I had earned the next level of reward.
Tian Nongxi buried his head in drinking a mouthful of soup, and only wanted to go back to the room to check the reward, so he ate the food quickly and hurriedly.
"Cough—cough cough—" She accidentally swallowed the chili pepper, her face flushed red, and she tilted her head, covering her lips and coughing heavily.
He took the bowl full of soup from Tian Guangzong and drank a few gulps.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" He picked up the dish in front of Tian Nongxi with his chopsticks and said, "It tastes good."
…
-
"Shopkeeper, there's a letter for you."
As soon as Tian Nongxi walked into the shop, Jiang Miaojue handed him a letter.
She said "Oh" with a surprised look.
"It's from Brother Guangzong." A customer came, and Jiang Miaojue trotted back to the counter, calculating on the abacus skillfully and seriously.
The two of them were Tian Guangzong's saviors. Jiang Miaojue was smart and had been doing business by setting up stalls for many years. Tian Nongxi, out of his brother's kindness, gave her a job to make a living.
It has been more than a month.
The two became familiar with each other. Jiang Miaojue knew that Tian Nongxi was not bound by anything, so she stopped being timid and spoke so loudly that Tian Nongxi imagined she was his sister.
She found an empty chair and sat down, weighing the letter in her hand.
Normally, Tian Guangzong had just returned home a few days ago, but this letter actually landed in her hands.
I looked left and right, but couldn't see the mystery.
Tian Nongxi tore it open from the top and took out two pieces of paper.
Tian Guangzong was probably afraid that she was illiterate, so he simply drew two little people, one of whom was looking at the other with shining eyes and speaking eloquently while holding a letter.
Should she ask someone else to read the letter?
Tian Nongxi laughed and opened the painting to read the letter underneath.
When his eyes fell upon the crooked words, his expression suddenly turned cold.
[No one is home, and reporting to the police has been fruitless. Please return home soon.]
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