Do you like him or not?
Gu Chengjue and Song Tiaotiao looked at each other without saying a word.
Jin Zhenjiao was angry when she heard Zhao Huaian's tone, but she felt even more guilty: "Why can't I be here? The sky is high and the birds fly freely. I can go wherever I want. Why can't I come to Songbai Village!"
Zhao Huaian walked forward and pulled her away from Song Tiaotiao: "Stay away from Miss Song."
Song Tiaotiao laughed dryly and said, "Brother Zhao, she sprained her ankle."
Zhao Huaian frowned even deeper, squatting down and coming forward to check: "How did you hurt your foot? You really make me worry every day."
Jin Zhenjiao kicked Zhao Huaian's shoulder and snorted, "Zhao Huaian, I knew you couldn't let me go."
Zhao Huaian's face flushed red as he grabbed the restless ankle and sternly said, "Jin Zhenjiao, be quiet! This is not your home." He then turned around and nodded apologetically to Song Tiaotiao and the others, "We were supposed to discuss enlistment today, but she's injured her foot, so I'll take her away first and not disturb her any further."
Jin Zhenjiao leaned on Zhao Huaian's shoulder and chuckled: "Zhao Huaian, I want you to carry me."
Zhao Huaian sighed and squatted down. Jin Zhenjiao got what she wanted, and she smiled sweetly, not forgetting Song Tiaotiao: "By the way, thank you for your help today. If you encounter any difficulties in the Northern Frontier in the future, don't forget to come to me."
Song Tiaotiao and Gu Chengjue watched the two men leave.
Gu Chengjue looked at the intimate figures of the two and said with lowered eyes, "Song Tiaotiao, since the day you rescued me, everything seems to be moving in a good direction."
Song Tiaotiao's almond-shaped eyes curved: "Gu Chengjue, are you trying to say that I brought you good luck?"
Gu Chengjue turned his gaze to Song Tiaotiao and smiled softly: "A soft-hearted little Bodhisattva, isn't she a little god of fortune?"
Song Tiaotiao thought of the changes caused by the binding system and looked at Gu Chengjue with a chuckle: "Actually, you are also my good luck. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to survive to the Northern Frontier."
Gu Chengjue's joy after hearing the first half of the sentence faded away after hearing the second half.
Song Tiaotiao was unaware of this and continued, "Since destiny has brought you and me together to benefit each other, we must live well. Do you know? There's a magical force called the law of attraction. In other words, sincerity is the key to success. The more you believe in something, the more its future development will align with this belief. If we believe in ourselves and believe that the other person can live a better life, this powerful force will surely make us invincible."
Gu Chengjue's eyes moved, he took Song Tiaotiao's words to heart, and nodded with a smile.
The next day, Song Tiaotiao went to the market early in the morning. After selling the winter mushrooms she picked yesterday and counting the copper coins she had saved from selling mushrooms over the past few days, she walked towards the chicken stall she had been observing for many days.
Unexpectedly, I met an acquaintance in front of the stall.
Zhao Huaian was seen holding the chicken coop in one hand and supporting Jin Zhenjiao, whose ankle was tied with a bandage, with the other.
Jin Zhenjiao, her nail-painted hands, was directing the chicks: "Boss, pack this one, this one, and this one up for me. Oh, and pick out two more laying hens for me. Zhao Huaian, what do you think of these? Do you want to bring a few more?"
Zhao Huaian, considering various factors, agreed, "Okay, Boss, another chicken coop."
Jin Zhenjiao smiled triumphantly, her eyes shifting as she suddenly spotted Song Tiaotiao. She waved at Song Tiaotiao and said, "Zhao Huaian, look, it really is what you think, and it will come true. Miss Song, what are you standing there for? Come here quickly."
Seeing the two looking at her, Song Tiaotiao quickly stepped forward and greeted them, "Brother Zhao, Miss Jin. What a coincidence! Are you guys buying chicks too?"
Zhao Huaian paid the boss a copper coin and shook his head with a smile, "I bought this for your family. Cheng Jue has been teaching the brothers these days, working hard and not asking for anything. The brothers felt bad for him, so they asked me to buy something substantial for you." At this point, he glanced at Jin Zhenjiao, "Also, this is to thank Miss Song. Thank you for saving her life yesterday."
Hearing this, Jin Zhenjiao curled her lips and urged Zhao Huaian to pick up the two chicken coops. Then she walked over to Song Tiaotiao and said, "Let me make it clear first. This is a kind gesture from everyone. You must not refuse it. They say it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Chickens lay eggs, and eggs lay chickens. If you raise them well, maybe they can be passed down from generation to generation. How about it, do you like it?"
Is this the business acumen that comes from a family of business people?
Song Tiaotiao nodded and smiled, "Thank you very much, Miss Jin, for your help."
Jin Zhen gave a sweet laugh. "Oh, right, I heard from Zhao Huaian's brothers yesterday that Jin San, that idiot, listened to that old Jinrong and bullied you for no reason. He even dared to threaten Zhao Huaian. I've sent him back home today. From now on, I'll be in charge of all the Jin family shops in Songbai Village."
Song Tiaotiao asked doubtfully, "Wouldn't your whereabouts be exposed?"
Jin Zhenjiao snorted and laughed, "Even if Jin San had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to offend me. Besides, he'll come looking for me sooner or later." At this point, she silently glanced back at Zhao Huaian behind her, and then asked again, "Let's not talk about this for now. How is your relationship with that tall guy from yesterday? I heard from Zhao Huaian that you two are a couple."
Song Tiaotiao stopped Jin Zhenjiao from going off topic: "Why are you asking this?"
Jin Zhenjiao said solemnly, "Of course this is very important. Aren't Zhao Huaian and I trying to find a way to get him back to the barracks? If you don't like him, I will naturally lock him up in the barracks and never let him out. But if you like him, then I have to find a position that allows him to come and go in the barracks frequently."
Song Tiaotiao blinked and said after a moment: "Then it's better for him to come out more often."
Jin Zhenjiao raised her eyebrows and whispered in his ear, "Don't talk to me about these roundabout ways. Just tell me whether you like him or not."
Song Tiaotiao was silent for a while. Seeing that Jin Zhenjiao was determined not to give up until she got an answer, her eyes flickered and she said, "I like it. I like it, that's all right."
Satisfied, Jin Zhenjiao clasped her hands together and smiled, "That's good. I wasn't wrong. I knew from the first moment that you two were a perfect match. So, I'll be merciful and use my connections to make sure you two don't become the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl."
Song Tiaotiao chuckled softly and said, "You and Brother Zhao's first impression is really a tacit understanding."
Unfortunately, Jin Zhenjiao was preoccupied and didn't hear. Her eyes darkened as she warned, "You'd better be careful these days. I'm here to protect you, but my father is no pushover. I've been trying to get through these days, but almost all of them are his people. He's got a lot of bad intentions."
Song Tiaotiao thought of the fierce and ferocious people of the Jin family and nodded: "You should also be careful of the people of the Jin family."
Jin Zhenjiao laughed loudly: "Of course."
After a short while, they returned to the courtyard.
In the yard, Gu Chengjue was teaching a few studious men how to use a stick.
After saying hello, the three of them first put the two hens into the chicken coop next to the rabbit house, then went into the kitchen and placed the chicks one by one in the small wooden fence prepared in advance next to the mud stove, and then took some straw to pad the bottom to ensure sufficient insulation.
Jin Zhenjiao looked through the crack in the door and saw Zhao Huaian admiring Gu Chengjue. She said with regret, "For someone like Gu Chengjue to be placed in a small military camp in the northern border is really a waste of his talent. But he has been harmed by others and can't even get through the threshold."
Song Tiaotiao nodded in sympathy.
Jin Zhenjiao nudged Song Tiaotiao's shoulder and asked, "Did he teach you a few moves?"
Song Tiaotiao recalled Gu Chengjue's attentive instruction in recent days and nodded with a smile, "Every day after dinner, he would teach me a few moves. He has now honed my basic skills, and I'm ready to officially begin learning martial arts."
Jin Zhenjiao lifted her chin and smiled brightly, "One is a young general with superb martial arts skills, and the other is a young heroine who is making rapid progress. They really have similar interests."
Song Tiaotiao listened to her teasing tone, glanced at her, and said helplessly: "Do you want to stay for dinner later?"
Jin Zhenjiao chuckled. "You really get shy when he's mentioned. Speaking of meals, the end of the year is in two days, and the Jin family will hold a small banquet in the village as usual. Would you and your family like to join me in the fun? Don't worry, I'll find a way to weed out those annoying guys."
Song Tiaotiao recalled the terrible things the Jin family had done to Gu Chengjue in the book and hesitated, "I want to ask Gu Chengjue what he thinks."
The instructions outside the courtyard had ended, and Gu Chengjue and Zhao Huaian heard this as they approached.
Gu Chengjue's eyes were deep, and he smiled and nodded at Song Tiaotiao: "I will go, thank you Miss Jin for the invitation."
Jin Zhenjiao put her arm around Zhao Huaian and said with a loud laugh, "It's settled then. You all have to come and play when the time comes."
Just before dinner, Zhao and Bo Shuang, mother and son, returned to the yard carrying New Year's goods wrapped in red paper.
Hearing the sound, several people in the room came forward to take it.
After greeting each other, Zhao Huaian glanced down at Jin Zhenjiao and introduced her, "The woman next to me is called Jin Zhenjiao. She is the only daughter of the Jin family's shopkeeper..."
Before she finished speaking, Jin Zhenjiao saw the alert expressions on Bo Shuang and the other two's faces and pinched Zhao Huaian's waist. "You've been talking at length, but you still haven't gotten to the point. Don't be afraid. My most important identity now is your friend. Moreover, I am Zhao Huaian's fiancée, and I was saved by Miss Song yesterday, so naturally I am on your side."
Zhao Huaian blushed and grabbed Jin Zhenjiao's hand. "That's true. We grew up together. I can vouch for her."
Seeing this, the three of them were slightly relieved of their doubts.
At the dinner table, Jin Zhenjiao picked up a piece of stir-fried meat and mushrooms with her chopsticks and exclaimed in amazement, "It's strange. I've eaten so many delicacies from land and sea in the past, but now I can't stop eating the food cooked by Miss Song."
Everyone agreed, even the usually quiet Gu Zhao nodded, "Auntie's food is the most delicious in the world."
Song Tiaotiao was amused by him: "Zhao'er has stopped taking medicine and has no dietary restrictions. Eat more of what you like so that you can grow taller quickly."
Gu Zhao's eyes lingered over the faces of the people on the table one by one, and he nodded solemnly: "This is how you protect the people you want to protect."
Bo Shuang stroked his head and smiled gently.
After dinner, everyone cleared the table together and it was time to part.
Before leaving, Jin Zhenjiao accepted the pickled mushrooms Song Tiaotiao had given her and patted her on the shoulder. "Miss Song, if you ever dream of opening a restaurant, or creating delicious food to benefit the world, I will support you wholeheartedly even if it means emptying my family's wealth. Don't worry that I'm just talking nonsense. My business intuition tells me that this is definitely a secret to getting rich. You should think about it carefully. I'll be waiting for your news at the end of the year."
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the end of the year arrives.
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