Chapter 2, "A Gathering of Heroes," is truly a huge feast!
The younger brother, half a head shorter than his older brother, had a still-childish voice filled with sobs: "Brother, that wicked woman made me go and tend the fire for her second young master. After I tended the fire and cooked for them, I couldn't find my sister when I went back. Aunt Niu said she took my sister and the boy with her early this morning, and they must be in town by now."
"Brother, what should we do? Could it be that she really sold me out?"
As he spoke, his voice trembled with tears: "Father has been away hunting for almost three months and hasn't returned yet. What will we do if my little sister is sold?"
"Don't be afraid."
"My little sister will be alright. That wicked woman dared to hurt her, I'll make her pay!" The young boy's eyes reddened, and his dark pupils revealed a sinister look beyond his years.
The younger brother nodded vigorously, but there was still a hint of fear in his eyes: "Brother, should we still fetch water? That wicked woman said she'd beat us to death if we didn't fill the water tank for the second young master's family today."
The older brother composed himself, patted his younger brother's shoulder, and said, "It's alright, I've got you covered. Little brother, you go home first, and I'll bring your little sister back later."
Half an hour later.
At the entrance of Huwei Restaurant.
"Waaaaah!" Jiang Nuanzhi held the child, her heart breaking once again.
Aunt Liu coughed lightly, feeling guilty: "Um, I didn't order those dishes just now."
"Five hundred coins! That's two months' wages for one meal! Why didn't you say so sooner!"
Aunt Liu: "Who told you to order so much?"
Jiang Nuanzhi: "I didn't know that a gathering of heroes was really a huge radish dish!"
Aunt Liu: "."
"Don't cry, the braised pork is actually quite delicious."
"Nonsense!" Jiang Nuanzhi gritted her teeth: "That was a gift of jade nectar to the meat."
Aunt Liu: "."
The little girl in Jiang Nuanzhi's arms seemed to have woken up at this moment. When the cool breeze blew, she snuggled closer to Jiang Nuanzhi like a kitten.
Jiang Nuanzhi was startled by the touch and looked down at the little face that seemed to be full of dependence on her.
Perhaps because the child was about to be sold to Nongxiangyuan, the child was cleaned up a bit. But his face was still cracked, as were his little hands, which were covered in a thick layer of chapped skin, and some of the cracks on the back of his hands were even bleeding.
A three-year-old child is not very big, but she seemed even thinner than ordinary children, as if she were skin and bones.
Holding her so close to her, Jiang Nuanzhi couldn't help but think of the little stray cat she had rescued in her past life.
Even though it was small and its cries were weak, even after humans had pulled out its fingers and left it in the mud, it still chose to believe in itself, nestled at her feet.
Tsk, this vicious female supporting character was actually quite cute when she was little.
Jiang Nuanzhi reached out and ripped the red beaded flower off the little girl's head, throwing it disdainfully on the ground. "We haven't even sold her yet, and she's already wearing a flower? What's wrong with her?"
My daughter's face and hands are cracked, so I'm thinking of buying some anti-chapped skin oil.
He immediately stood up and said, "Aunt Liu, shall we go shopping?"
Aunt Liu: "???"
"You're quite fickle!"
"Going shopping is fine, but do you have the money?"
Jiang Nuanzhi rummaged in her pocket and pulled out an inkstone: "Selling this should be enough."
Aunt Liu's eyes widened in disbelief: "Are you crazy? Isn't this the inkstone you bought for your second young master, a wedding gift for him? You're really going to sell it?"
Jiang Nuanzhi: "Alright, alright, please stop cursing. I'll sell it right now. If I hesitate for even a second, I'm a dog."
Aunt Liu: "?"
As the sun set, the evening glow painted half the sky.
A plump woman carried a large basket on her back. Inside the basket, a little girl was fast asleep, her face already smeared with oil, and she was clutching soft new clothes in her arms.
Another slender, somewhat serious-looking middle-aged woman walked alongside him, carrying a small bag of pastries, a hint of bewilderment flashing across her face.
"Hey, Jiang Pangya, you actually gave me a gift? I think you actually look quite presentable today." Looking at the fine beads of sweat on her forehead and the patchy makeup on her face, Aunt Liu said with a strange expression, "Damn it, I actually find you quite pleasing to the eye. Maybe Master Wang in town really will want you as his twenty-second concubine."
"Thank you, consider it a compliment." Jiang Nuanzhi replied absentmindedly, her gaze drifting towards the small mountain village nestled against the water in the distance, where wisps of smoke could be faintly seen rising from the chimneys. The tranquil and peaceful scene instantly calmed her restless heart.
"Actually, the people here are quite nice." Although this is a post.
Aunt Liu: "Huh?"
Jiang Nuanzhi recounted: "Look, all day today, no one looked down on us when we went out to eat, and no troublesome relatives came to cause trouble. Besides, you returned the money with one hand and the person with the other, without making things difficult for them. It's quite different from what I usually see."
Before he finished speaking, two elderly women quickly walked up behind him.
"Hey? Look, isn't that the fatso Li family just married?"
"Ah, it's her! She's that vicious woman who abused the children!"
"I heard that a young man from the Li family has become a high-ranking official. He'll be back in the next couple of days. Let's see how he deals with her then!"
Two women carrying small baskets hurried past the two men, spitting out a disgusted look on their faces.
Jiang Nuanzhi: "."
Aunt Liu: "Hey, Fatty, what did you just say?"
Jiang Nuanzhi: "...It's nothing."
"Ahem, Aunt Liu, is that high-ranking official from the Li family very powerful?"
What kind of start is this for her?
Not only did she have to guard against her villainous son who might kill her at any moment, but she also had to guard against some high-ranking official within the family. At this moment, she was truly grateful that she had transmigrated to a time before she had a chance to sell her child.
Aunt Liu: "Of course, that's an official."
Jiang Nuanzhi: "I'm not entirely bad to the kids, am I?"
Aunt Liu: "Heh."
Jiang Nuanzhi: "Hey, Yingzi, you'll put in a good word for me, right? I just bought you some snacks!"
After looking at the pastries for a while, Aunt Liu made up her mind and handed them forward, saying, "How about I give them back to you? I won't do anything against my conscience."
Jiang Nuanzhi: "."
Well, let's just take it one step at a time. Maybe she'll come back after a good night's sleep.
Speaking of which, Uncle Wang's dog next door is about to give birth, and she promised to help deliver it.
The two chatted casually along the way until they stopped in front of three spacious houses. Liu Ma then said, "I can give you an extension until the beginning of next month for the money you owe me. If you can't pay it back by next month, then the land deed of your house will be mine."
After saying that, she carried the snacks and hummed a little tune as she went home.
Jiang Nuan instinctively followed him inside, but was immediately stopped by Aunt Liu.
"What are you doing? This is my house. Your house is at the east end of the village. Hurry up and go back."
Jiang Nuanzhi pouted and turned to walk towards the east end of the village.
She was still somewhat looking forward to it; the countryside and fields certainly had their own charm.
Fifteen minutes later, relying on fragmented memories, Jiang Nuanzhi stood in front of a mud house that had collapsed halfway.
Could this be her home?
(End of this chapter)
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