I hate that the bright moon hangs high, not shining solely on me.
With a small mouth open, birdsong and fragrant flowers fill the air.
"Jiang Jinghong, are you fucking stupid?"
With a single finger, the insults begin.
"Jiang Lao Er, are you burning money? What the hell are you doing? What's that thing around your neck? Did you put it on to make yourself look taller?"
Seven or eight clan elders surrounded Jiang Jinghong, each swearing venomously.
Butler Gong squeezed in: "Uncles, please keep your voices down. Our second son is still recovering from a serious injury. That's why we're in a hurry to make money!"
"Pah!!!" A huge shout slapped the face off the housekeeper.
"He may not care about his head, but we do! Last time, the grain was delivered right on time. This time, instead of rushing to gather grain, he's just playing in the mud in this godforsaken place! I'll ask you one last time, are you going to transport the grain or not? Do you still want the salt permits?" Third Uncle's voice was loud and clear, and his beard stood on end in anger.
"If you don't do it, plenty of others will," Uncle Liu added.
“Uncle, as I told you last time, there are many displaced people here, and it is also close to the border. If…” Jiang Jinghong began to explain.
"If, if, if, what's the use of 'if'? There are people and land here. Do you have permission? Have you summoned anyone? Putting aside everything else, is this land under our feet suitable for cultivation? Is anyone farming it?" Third Uncle interrupted him, both angry and anxious, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
Butler Gong quickly handed over a handkerchief.
Jiang Jinghong looked troubled, but remained composed: "We've already received official permission. We're family, so we can give it a try first. If it works, we'll not only avoid the losses and hardships of the journey, but also increase our grain reserves. We can then be worry-free about the salt permits."
Uncle San wiped his sweat and sighed, "I've seen how capable you've been all these years. But now things are urgent, and you're still clearing land here. How can we possibly keep up? Don't you know what's more important? Or are you worried about something else?"
"It must be for a woman," Uncle Liu interjected, sticking his neck out.
"Go away. Don't talk nonsense. He's been widowed for years, and he hasn't even had a female fly around him," Uncle San spat.
There were indeed no female flies. But there were more babies. Butler Gong silently sewed his mouth shut, not daring to speak.
Just then, a group of men, women, and children walked through the woods, chatting and laughing, toward the wasteland.
The woman at the head of the group was strikingly beautiful. To her left and right were a young couple.
"What a beautiful young lady. Her smile is enough to melt anyone's heart." Uncle Liu chuckled, stroking his beard.
Jiang Jinghong glared at him, then noticed everyone staring at the woman. He rolled his eyes, walked to the front, and blocked their view.
A burly man, laughing and joking in the group, pulled the young man in front of him. The two exchanged a few words and then ran ahead, reaching Jiang Jinghong first.
"Young Master Jiang!" Pumpkin greeted him and then exchanged greetings with everyone.
Third Uncle quietly asked someone nearby, "What did he just shout?"
"His master has taken a fancy to one of our men, calling him 'Young Master Jiang'."
The burly man grabbed Jiang Jinghong's arm and said with a smile, "Young Master Jiang, I'm Pumpkin's newly recognized elder brother. He bumped into me and that's how he found you. These are all my fellow villagers, here to farm. My name is Li Qi."
Uncle Liu snorted and muttered, "Why did she take a fancy to him? I thought she was interested in me."
Third Uncle gave him an elbow: "If you cause any more trouble, you'll be punished according to family rules."
The clansmen quieted down, and Jiang Jinghong grasped Li Qi's hand in return: "Brother Li Qi, thank you for your help."
“What help did that get? Just a few shouts. Your wife, that’s the one who gets things done. She really dares to agree to anything. She gives all these women the land,” Li Qi said.
As they spoke, the crowd had already arrived. Ye Qingzhou greeted several members of the Jiang clan, then said to the villagers, "This is Boss Jiang."
Jiang Jinghong looked at Ye Qingzhou in front of him, a smile already playing on his lips, his eyes filled with love and contentment. Ye Qingzhou's gaze towards him was equally tender and affectionate.
He had always wanted to do this, but his clansmen cursed him and his friends stole his money. Yet, this gentle and kind woman, with her delicate and frail hands, saved him and helped him in just a few days.
She, such a picky and delicate person, endured day and night hardships to save him. She, with such a quiet nature who didn't like to show off, gathered a group of people in just two or three days to help him.
Jiang Jinghong recalled the moons she saw when she lived alone; they were gentle and bright, yet high above, unattainable.
Today, that person's tenderness also shone into his heart. The bright moonlight finally shone upon him.
I regretted yesterday that the bright moon hung high in the sky, yet it did not shine on me.
I now regret that the bright moon hangs high in the sky, not shining solely on me.
May the moon in the sky be the moon in my palm.
Jiang Jinghong gathered her thoughts, grabbed Ye Qingzhou, and felt a little more at ease: "Elder sister, elder brother, uncle, aunt, I am Jiang Jinghong from Jiang's Grain Store. I also listen to Boss Ye. She makes the decisions."
What was he thinking about now? His eyes darted around in circles. Ye Qingzhou smiled and agreed, then dismissed the others to go and look at the land.
Pumpkin and Li Qi ran around, leading people to identify the land, while Steward Gong used the ledger to register the men and then redrew the ledger to register the women.
He had to measure the land, explain farming techniques, and ask questions about everything. Jiang Jinghong ran around, keeping a close eye on his wife. If anyone approached her, he would quickly run back.
The third uncle sent all the clansmen to help: "That pig, the second son, has finally learned to dig for cabbages. Let's all give him a hand."
The female doctor from the town also arrived with her entourage. Ye Qingzhou hurriedly went to greet them.
"Oh dear, take it easy. Be careful of yourself," the doctor said gently.
"You are a compassionate doctor. With you here, I feel at ease." Ye Qingzhou held her hand and spoke for a while.
Scattered by the news, more people came in groups of three or five.
There were two men, quite strangely. One had his face covered with a cloth. The other was only looking at the woman.
The one with the masked face saw Ye Qingzhou and winked at the other one.
The man immediately strode up to Ye Qingzhou and shouted, "So you're the only one with the surname Ye? Tell me, where did you take my wife?"
Once the masked man saw that his plan had succeeded, he glared at Jiang Jinghong and turned to leave.
This man's eyes looked so familiar. Jiang Jinghong, while protecting Ye Qingzhou, also instructed Butler Gong to have someone follow the masked man. He shoved the man: "Get lost!"
The man rolled over and lay on the ground, rolling left and right, getting covered in dirt and weeds, but he didn't care. He began to wail, "Heavens above! Is there no justice? That wild woman has stolen my wife! And that wild man beat me! Magistrate! Arrest them!"
After saying that, he pretended to rub his eyes and looked at the woods not far away.
There were indeed several figures in the woods. Among them were three armed guards carrying knives.
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