"Jiang Cheng, what are you doing in the house? Hurry up and feed the chickens! You can't afford to compensate if ten of them starve to death!" A sharp voice rang out in the quiet little courtyard, the sound was particularly harsh and unpleasant.
"I understand." Jiang Cheng sat in his room, holding a jade pendant in his hand, thinking about what he said yesterday, and was absent-minded for a moment.
Last night, Jiang Cheng fed the chickens as usual, cleaned the kitchen, and tidied the yard. When he was about to go back home and passed by the main house, he heard his father and stepmother talking.
"What about Caiyun's marriage with that boy from the Song family? Our Caiyun can't be delayed." Stepmother Chen Mei paced back and forth in the room anxiously, constantly looking at the silent man sitting on the chair.
"Oh." Jiang Maocai sighed and said nothing.
"Speak up!" Chen Mei pushed Jiang Maocai hard. "Why did I fall for a loser like you in the first place? You can't make up your mind about anything!"
"What do you want me to do? Caiyun's matter was settled with the Song family before the New Year, and you have accepted the betrothal gifts! Are you going to return it? Can you still come up with so much money now?" Jiang Maocai was annoyed by what Chen Mei said, and stood up and yelled at her.
"What do you mean! Jiang Maocai! I haven't taken any of the family's money! If you can't make up your mind, I'll do it! Isn't there a money-losing girl in the family? Let him marry into the Song family! He's been eating and drinking for free for so many years, the sooner the better!" Chen Mei hit Jiang Maocai hard several times, and the sharp sound was particularly obvious in the quiet night.
"How can this be possible?" Jiang Maocai was shocked by Chen Mei's words.
"What's wrong with that? Jiang Cheng is a boy and can have children. It's not a loss to marry into his family!" When Chen Mei heard what Jiang Maocai said, she knew that he probably agreed, and her anger subsided a lot.
"I was hoping Caiyun would marry into a town. If she finds a wealthy family, wouldn't you and I also benefit from it?" Chen Mei sat down and analyzed softly, "The Song family just wants someone who can have children. Although Jiang Cheng is a boy, his fertility rate is lower, but at least he can have children. Now Song Tingzhi's father, Song Tao, is ill, and he is the only one in the family. He also has sisters, brothers, and mother to support. You don't want Caiyun to suffer after marrying in, do you?"
"But..." Jiang Maocai frowned and hesitated to speak.
"Don't say buts! It's settled! Lock him in the room the day before the wedding, and let him marry in place of Caiyun the next day." Chen Mei didn't listen to what Jiang Maocai said anymore and went back to bed to sleep.
Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng frowned even tighter. He tightly grasped the jade pendant in his hand, and the idea of leaving this home became stronger. Since his mother passed away, home no longer felt like home, and his father no longer felt like a father. There was no need to stay any longer.
Seeing that there was only a response but no movement in the room, Shen Mei cursed, "You're just a money-loser!"
"Mom, let me do it." Jiang Caiyun came out of the house in a beige cotton and linen skirt. She looked at her mother and sighed in her heart. Her mother was always like this.
"No need, Caiyun. Mother is hoping that you will marry into a good family. How can you do such rough work? Let me do it." Chen Mei looked at her daughter and smiled lovingly, which was completely different from her attitude towards Jiang Jiang.
Seeing her mother like this, Jiang Caiyun said nothing more and slowly went back to her room to embroider.
Normally, in order to have more rice for the family, the daughters of the peasant family and Shuang'er would also do farm work. However, in order to let Jiang Caiyun marry into a good family, Chen Mei not only forbade her from doing farm work, but also provided her with good food and drink. Jiang Caiyun had grown up without any calluses on her hands, just like the young ladies in the town.
Seeing that Jiang Cheng hadn't come out for such a long time, Chen Mei angrily walked to the door of Jiang Jiang's house and started banging on it.
"Jiang Cheng, I'm talking to you. Are you dead?" Shen Mei was banging on the door when it suddenly opened. Shen Mei almost fell to the ground. She looked at Jiang Cheng, who was dressed simply but still looked as good as her daughter Jiang Caiyun, and she was even more furious.
When she first married into Taohua Village, everyone said Jiang Maocai's ex-wife Bai Wei was as beautiful as a fairy. Shen Mei didn't believe it, wondering if she was really that beautiful, how could she be in this small Taohua Village? It wasn't until the years passed and little Jiang Cheng grew more and more beautiful that Shen Mei finally believed that Bai Wei was truly beautiful.
"Mother Shen, when will my sister get married?" Jiang Cheng looked at the woman in front of him who was shorter than him and smiled in his heart. Since he usually didn't pay attention to or understand the family affairs, and Shen Mei didn't tell him, he had to ask when Jiang Caiyun would get married so that he could prepare.
"Why are you asking about this?" Chen Mei looked at Jiang Cheng warily, not knowing what he was up to.
"My sister is getting married, so as her brother, I naturally have to prepare things for her so that she can go out in style." Jiang Cheng said softly, just to dispel Chen Mei's doubts.
"Would you be so kind?" Chen Mei looked again and again, but couldn't see anything wrong. "Five days later, March 5th."
"Then I will make good preparations for my sister." Jiang Cheng understood in his heart, nodded to Chen Mei, and went out to feed the chickens.
Before leaving home, Jiang Cheng didn't want to leave any handle for Chen Mei. For so many years, he cared about the little family affection and worked hard at home, but in the end, it was all in vain.
Late at night, Jiang Cheng quietly lit a candle, walked from the bed to the wardrobe, squatted down, felt around under the wardrobe, and took out a cloth bag.
Jiang Cheng walked back to the bed, put down the candle, opened the cloth bag, and poured out the contents—a small amount of silver and coins. Since the age of eight, Jiang Cheng had been saving money through various crafts. Now, ten years later, Jiang Cheng had saved three taels of silver and two hundred coins.
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