"I……"
Cheng Shanshan had just uttered one word.
Bai Jingquan looked at her with expectant eyes, which made her swallow back the "no suggestions" that was on the tip of her tongue.
She had originally invited them over to have some peace and quiet with the Bai family, but now she found herself forced to come as well. What advice could she possibly give them?
Left with no other choice, she could only say, "Your Excellency, please don't make things difficult for a mere woman like me. I really don't know as much as you think."
Bai Jingquan realized his behavior was wrong and promptly apologized: "I was inconsiderate and caused trouble for Miss Cheng. I'm sorry."
Of course, he didn't just apologize verbally; that night, he arranged a tent and a table full of "dishes" for her and Huo Mingchen.
When Cheng Shanshan saw it, she almost cried.
Wang Chao was extremely dissatisfied with her reaction: "Things are hard to find now, and the magistrate's rations are even less than ours every day, yet he still insists on sending them to you."
Zhao Mo frowned as well: "Yeah, you're actually complaining now, don't you have a heart at all?"
No, no, no.
Cheng Shanshan didn't want to stir up trouble, so she explained, "I was moved and don't know how to repay the magistrate's kindness."
"There's no need to repay the favor; just avoid causing any trouble."
After they finished speaking, the two glared at Huo Mingchen fiercely before quickly leaving.
Seeing this, Cheng Shanshan was a little puzzled: "Why do they seem to dislike you?"
"How can I not hate it?" Huo Mingchen sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks, and then said leisurely, "After all, the county magistrate visited me three times, but I refused to see him."
"..."
Cheng Shanshan coughed lightly.
Only then did I realize that it was my own fault.
Feeling extremely apologetic, I said, "I'll try my best to mediate for you later."
"No need for all that trouble, they're just some insignificant people." Huo Mingchen had already begun to quietly eat the stir-fried and cold-dressed wild vegetables on the table.
Seeing him eating with gusto, Cheng Shanshan curiously leaned over, but after just one bite, her face scrunched up in a grimace: "Brother Huo, you really aren't picky about food."
Huo Mingchen quickened his eating pace: "It's good enough to be full. One shouldn't be too fussy."
"You're the one being pretentious... Hmm, you're right." Although Cheng Shanshan was annoyed, she still smiled and put all the food into his bowl, urging him, "Eat more, eat more."
Huo Mingchen glanced at her indifferently: "If you don't eat these, there's nothing else."
"I'm a girl with a small appetite, I feel full just looking at this!" Cheng Shanshan said, blinking her eyes in a very "ladylike" manner.
Huo Mingchen's hand trembled.
He decisively chose to continue eating, and in no time he had devoured everything on the table.
Seeing that he had finished eating, Cheng Shanshan asked expectantly, "Brother Huo, are you full?"
"Um."
Huo Mingchen nodded.
Then Cheng Shanshan's stomach rumbled, and she quickly turned away as if to cover up her embarrassment.
"Okay, I still have some..."
Huo Mingchen cut off the rest of his sentence halfway through.
For no other reason than that Cheng Shanshan actually took out a roasted chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and a small dish of peanuts from her bundle and placed them on the table, with a smug smile on her face: "Since Brother Huo is full, then I will start eating."
"..."
Huo Mingchen looked at the vegetarian cakes and crispy dates in his hand.
He knew Cheng Shanshan couldn't get used to eating wild vegetables, so he went to great lengths to find them.
Cheng Shanshan noticed what he was holding: "Oh, I just happened to be missing a main dish and some fruit for dessert. Thank you, Brother Huo." She then took the food and began to eat heartily.
The aroma of the roasted chicken and the crunch of the peanuts were torture for Huo Mingchen, and what was most infuriating was that he had just eaten his fill of wild vegetables!
This girl did it on purpose!
You can tell from her triumphant smile that it must be true!
Huo Mingchen couldn't help but ask, "Cheng Shanshan, doesn't your conscience hurt?"
"Not only will I not, I'll be delighted." Cheng Shanshan tore off a chicken leg and took a big bite: "After all, I'm a bit fussy."
"..."
So that's what it was for!
Huo Mingchen was both amused and exasperated, and didn't know what to say.
Cheng Shanshan didn't forget to roll her eyes at Huo Mingchen. Who told him to call her pretentious? Who told him to suffer so much?
Then let her eat the meat and let him watch!
She ate the meal with an air of smug satisfaction, like a petty person who had achieved their goal.
Just as she was enjoying her meal, Huo Mingchen suddenly stood up: "Take your time eating. There are people outside, I'll go check." As he finished speaking, he reached out and touched her hair.
That action was almost like petting a puppy.
Cheng Shanshan couldn't eat anymore, so she immediately packed up her things.
At that moment, after a burst of noise, Old Man Chu's curses rang out: "You shameless woman, you cheated on me with another man, you're a despicable scumbag to the core!"
A barrage of gazes.
They all looked over.
Some people couldn't help but start whispering: "It's said that this Cheng family girl has already signed a contract, and the man paid a dowry of five taels of silver to marry into the Chu family. Who knew she would climb over the wall and find a wild man!"
"Oh dear, he's so tall and handsome. Old Man Chu, with his looks and age, it's understandable that he's unwilling to accept it."
Have you said enough?
Huo Mingchen glanced at it.
Immediately, all of them shut their mouths.
But Old Man Chu seemed determined: "You two adulterers have been doing filthy things behind my back, and you won't even let others talk about it!"
"Old man Chu, don't push your luck." Huo Mingchen stepped forward, his eyes blazing with murderous fury: "You and she have nothing to do with each other anymore, and the county magistrate can testify to that!"
"Pooh!"
Old Man Chu spat.
Then he took out a crumpled contract from his pocket, the writing on it was all gone: "I knew you would try to argue. It's written in black and white on this, she and I are family, and it will all end up the same no matter where we go."
Huo Mingchen sneered: "There's nothing up there."
Old Man Chu, however, resorted to shamelessness: "If I say it exists, then it exists."
Huo Mingchen rushed forward in a fit of rage, startling Old Man Chu, who immediately shouted, "Murder! Someone's trying to kill someone!"
Just then, Bai Jingquan rushed over and grabbed Old Man Chu without saying a word, scolding him: "Old Man Chu, don't think that just because you're old, you can act like an old man. This matter is not in your favor at all."
"How could he just disappear!"
Old Man Chu was completely oblivious to the danger.
"take away!"
Bai Jingquan didn't want to waste any more time talking to him.
Unexpectedly, when Old Man Chu reappeared before people after this incident, he was already a corpse, his death extremely gruesome, having been cut into several pieces.
Everyone was terrified!
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