Chapter 7: Confession of Assets
During the lunch, everyone in the Ye family felt the atmosphere of the New Year.
It was already dark when Ye Beixiu and Zhang Juexia left the old house.
Zhang Juexia was holding the shoes Zhao Baofeng had given her in her arms. When Ye Beixiu saw this, he bowed to Zhao Baofeng.
Zhao Baofeng waved her hand and chased them home quickly. "As long as you live a good life, your aunt will be satisfied."
Ye Beixiu supported Zhang Juexia all the way, and whenever they encountered a rugged mountain road, he would remind her to be careful.
Zhang Juexia was also worried about his lame leg and reminded him to be careful with his strength and not to hurt it again.
Ye Beixiu's hand tightly grasped Zhang Juexia's hand. Zhang Juexia sensed that Ye Beixiu was in a good mood today, so she tried to ask, "Do you care that I don't have a dowry?"
Ye Beixiu looked at Zhang Juexia warily, "Did my mother say something? Don't take anything she says to heart. Since I plan to marry you, I won't care about these things."
"Honestly?"
Ye Beixiu shook off Zhang Juexia's hand and walked forward quickly.
Zhang Juexia knew that this person was angry, and snorted, saying that he was really stingy.
She trotted a few steps to catch up.
Ye Beixiu glanced at Zhang Juexia who was jogging behind him, the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously, and his pace slowed down.
He stretched his hand behind him. Zhang Juexia pretended not to see him and continued to run forward. Ye Beixiu pulled him back with a big hand, "Don't ask such questions in the future."
"Stingy."
Ye Beixiu pulled Zhang Juexia in a huff and walked all the way to the big slope below their house.
"Slow down, and be careful with your legs."
Zhang Juexia was already out of breath.
Ye Beixiu bent down and pounded his legs. After Zhang Juexia's breathing became even, he pulled her up the hill again.
"You'll get used to it slowly. I really like this place. I've always thought that one day, when I have the chance, I'll definitely move here."
Zhang Juexia was dragged up the hillside by Ye Beixiu. Before he could steady himself, he was pulled to look down.
"Our place is so quiet, you have to walk a long way down to find houses.
I like this kind of place, where I am not disturbed by outsiders.”
Ye Beixiu seemed to have opened a chatterbox and kept talking to Zhang Juexia.
Zhang Juexia just listened without saying a word.
"Grandma gave me two hundred coins and asked us to prepare gifts for our family's return in three days. Does your family have any special requirements?"
Zhang Juexia had been immersed in Ye Beixiu's words, and was stunned by his sudden question.
Then she reacted and replied calmly, "Just save the three-day visit, they don't need it."
Ye Beixiu showed surprise on his face, and quickly took Zhang Juexia into his arms, "I will love you well from now on."
He pulled Zhang Juexia into the house and took out a bunch of keys from his pocket. "This is for the front door, this is for the main room, and this is for the cabinet."
Ye Beixiu opened the cabinet door and took out two bags. "These two bags of food were given by grandma. One bag of ground cornmeal and one bag of soybeans."
He opened it and let Zhang Juexia take a look, then put it back in the cabinet.
Ye Beixiu fumbled in the cabinet, took out a wooden box, handed it to Zhang Juexia, and motioned her to open it and take a look.
Although Zhang Juexia had doubts in his heart, he still obediently opened the wooden box.
She saw a few pieces of silver and some copper coins inside.
"This is all I have."
Zhang Juexia counted it and found about three taels of silver and dozens of copper coins, which should be enough for them to live for a while.
"My grandparents are old, and there's a whole family to support in the old house. I was the one who proposed the division. I didn't want to burden them. They wanted to give me food and money, and I didn't ask for much."
"So it seems the people in the old house didn't separate you out because they disliked your lame leg."
Ye Beixiu shook his head, "How could that be!"
"I don't think they are that kind of people. Today I had dinner at the old house and felt the warmth I hadn't felt in a long time. They care about you and me very much.
On the way, I was still thinking, since my family members are so nice, why were you singled out?"
"My father, Ye Yuncheng, was the best hunter in our village back then. The five rooms in the old house and the yard we live in now were all built with the money he earned from hunting.
That year I had just turned ten years old. A big tiger was found in the deep mountains. He wanted to hunt the tiger. After lying in ambush in the mountains for several days and nights, he was injured by the tiger. After being carried home, he was paralyzed.
Ten years later, at the same time, I went up the mountain and was injured by a big bear. I was worried that my life would be the same as my father's, so I refused to see a doctor.
Things are just getting better at home, and I don't want to waste money.
My father stayed in bed at home for a month or so, spent all the family savings, and suffered from famine, but his life could not be saved.
It took the family a long time to recover, and it even delayed my third uncle's marriage. My grandparents had no choice but to let him marry my mother.
Maybe God took pity on me, and my grandfather asked the old doctor in town to prescribe some medicine. My uncle and third uncle held me down and forced me to drink it. After that, my body slowly recovered, but my leg became lame.
As a hunter who makes a living from the mountains, he has undoubtedly become a burden to his family.
My grandparents are old, and there's a whole family to support in the old house. I don't want to burden them, so I took the initiative to offer to take care of my father's branch and split up the family to live separately."
Zhang Juexia's eyes became moist, and she leaned closer to Ye Beixiu.
The man in front of her is a man who values love and friendship, and is worthy of her trust.
But she was still curious, "Why did grandpa and grandma agree to this?"
"At first, they refused to agree, but I was determined to do it. To force them to agree, I stayed alone in the mountains for a month.
Later they came up with this compromise and found a wife for me.
It's not easy for a lame man to find a wife."
Ye Beixiu glanced at Zhang Juexia's face while speaking, and seeing that she was not unhappy, he continued with relief, "But fortunately, I met you."
Zhang Juexia agreed with this, "If your family didn't pay ten taels of silver as a betrothal gift, my evil stepmother wouldn't have married me to you."
The two people smiled at each other.
"These are all my belongings, and I don't plan to ask for help from the old mansion in the future. It's difficult for me to hunt big game in my current state, but I can easily hunt rabbits and pheasants.
If we work harder on a daily basis, we can open up some wasteland around here, grow some food, and be self-sufficient."
"So do we have meat for every meal?"
"Of course, the hunters have no shortage of meat."
Zhang Juexia stretched out his palm and patted Ye Beixiu's big hand, "Deal!"
"But who is the head of our family?"
Ye Beixiu burst into laughter.
This was the first time he laughed heartily since the fall.
"My wife is the boss."
"No regrets allowed."
Zhang Juexia picked up the wooden box and held it to his chest in a greedy manner.
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