Gu Qian put his arms around Qiu Yan and hugged her gently, unable to bring himself to say anything of self-reproach.
Then he stood up and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Qiu Yan asked.
"It's almost Chenshi (7-9 AM), you should have breakfast." Gu Qian said, then pushed open the door and left.
After Gu Qian left, Qiu Yan couldn't help but think of Jiang Liu and her second uncle again.
Inside a dilapidated farmhouse, there are two thatched huts.
Inside the thatched hut to the east, the two elders of the Jiang family sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), feeling both grateful for their barely escaped death and worried about their future.
Jiang Liu knocked on the door and entered, bringing a pot of tea that she had just brewed.
"Dad, Mom, have some tea to soothe your throat."
Father Jiang picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and frowned. "What kind of tea is this?"
The tea leaves seemed to be burnt; they tasted scorched and bitter, with a stale and musty flavor and a hint of grassy greenness.
“Ordinary tea.” Jiang Liu sat down next to her mother.
She had borrowed the tea leaves from her neighbor, and it wasn't easy to get them.
Jiang's mother rolled her eyes at Jiang's father, "You're lucky to have any tea to drink, why are you being so picky?"
Father Jiang put down his teacup and asked Jiang Liu,
"Liu'er, what is the background of this Qiu Dafu? I've never heard you mention him before."
When Mr. Jiang asked this question, Mrs. Jiang also looked at her daughter.
As someone who's been through it all, she could tell that her daughter had feelings for Qiu Dafu.
Jiang's father also realized this; otherwise, he wouldn't have pressed Jiang Liu about Qiu Dafu's affairs.
Jiang Liu thought for a moment, "He... doesn't seem to have any background."
Father Jiang sighed, "Liu'er, now that things have come to this, you must not hide it from your father and mother any longer. In my opinion, that Qiu Dafu is just a bandit."
"I advise you to give up your feelings for him. I will absolutely not allow you to marry a bandit."
Jiang Liu... Up to this day, she has never told her parents about her feelings for Qiu Dafu.
She never expected her father to speak so bluntly.
"Father, Qiu Dafu's mingling with bad guys is just a temporary measure."
Father Jiang shook his head, expressing his disbelief, "Silly daughter, don't be fooled by his appearance. He must have an ulterior motive for approaching you."
Otherwise, if even the prefect couldn't do anything to those wicked people, why could Qiu Dafu?
Jiang Liu frowned slightly: "It's not what you think."
Mother Jiang pressed further, "Then tell me, what is Qiu Dafu's background? Where does he live?"
She was also worried that Jiang Liu might be scammed.
Jiang Liu: "He is just an ordinary person, from Lingnan Village, Baiyang County."
“Lingnan Village?” Father Jiang’s eyes widened in surprise.
Turns out, he's a country bumpkin!
Jiang's mother wasn't as powerful as Jiang's father, but she thought Qiu Dafu was a good person.
"Country people are simple and honest." Now that things were out in the open, Jiang Liu didn't hold back anymore.
Father Jiang: "Has he passed the imperial examinations?"
Even if a daughter remarries, she must find someone of equal social standing.
Jiang Liu shook her head, "He... isn't very well-educated, but he knows martial arts."
"No, no!"
As he spoke, Jiang's father shook his head.
The Jiang family was a scholarly family that valued literature over martial arts and placed great importance on family reputation.
He would not marry his daughter to a bandit, nor to a country man.
That would damage his reputation.
Moreover, he didn't want his daughter to marry into a rural family and suffer.
Jiang Liu's expression changed. "Father, Qiu Dafu is a good person. Don't forget, he has already saved the Jiang family twice."
To put it bluntly, without Qiu Dafu's strong support, it's hard to say whether they would have survived until now.
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