"Meng San has run away! Meng San is going to become an official!"
"Crying is shameful!"
"Meng Laosan doesn't want A-Mian's wife anymore!"
After seeing A-Mian off at the village entrance, A-Mian had just returned to the village when Da-Tou and a group of people started making a fuss.
They did it on purpose. After all, Ah Mian deliberately said those stories were false last time, making the children cry all night. Now, having just overheard their parents gossiping, they've come out to "retaliate" against Ah Mian.
Ah Mian didn't even glance at them and went straight home.
"If you keep talking nonsense, we'll never play with you again!" Meng Jing followed behind, throwing several clumps of mud at them menacingly. "We won't even read you stories from books anymore!"
Big Head and his gang scattered in all directions. "Oh no! Ah Mian's wife is really angry! Everyone, run!"
Amian went back to her house, which had been tidied up before Meng Chijian left. She lay on a bamboo chair, swaying back and forth, lost in thought.
"Oh, you're home," said Aunt Wang from next door, who was at work early, carrying her bedding roll. "Your husband told me to come and keep you company."
My second brother's family can't come this time because my sister-in-law just gave birth to another baby, and she can't be exposed to the wind for the first 100 days. They now have three young children, which is too much of a burden for them to handle.
So this time, it was arranged with the neighboring Wang family that Aunt Wang would stay at the Meng family's house during the day and at night. The Wang family had three men living next door, so if anything happened, they could just shout for help.
Amian said, "It's not that exaggerated. I'm not a child anymore, I don't need anyone to accompany me. Aunt Wang, you just cook, I'll call you if I need anything."
Aunt Wang, having been asked to do so, chatted with A-Mian for a while with a smile. Seeing that A-Mian seemed to be in a similar mood as usual, she went to the kitchen to cook.
"Hey, I told you, Meng San was just worrying for nothing. A Mian is perfectly fine..." Aunt Wang shook her head with a smile as she entered the kitchen.
The next day, A-Mian rode in a donkey cart, stopping and starting along the way, and went to a teahouse in the city to have some fun!
Meng Jing came with her and saw that A Mian was listening to storytelling while eating tea and snacks, so she made an appointment with her to meet again in an hour.
"Go ahead, go ahead, I won't run around."
As soon as Meng Jing left, A Mian whispered among the surrounding guests, asking, "Do you know what's going on in Zhou City? They say they're selecting Imperial Guards!"
Most people knew nothing about it, but a few well-informed people thought about it and said, "Yes, that was quite a big deal."
What kind of test will be conducted?
"Why are you asking these questions, young lady?"
Amian said, "I want to write storybooks."
“I see. I heard that the test includes riding and archery, and whether you can use weapons like knives... Hmm, there are also considerations for physique, such as ‘pipa legs and axle body’…” As he spoke, the man’s voice became hoarse.
"Pipa legs" are a type of leg with well-developed leg muscles and a strong sense of power. They are like the short, thick legs of a wrestler, which are essential for a stable lower body.
Amian felt that Meng Chijian did not meet this standard; he had "mantis legs," meaning his legs had muscle definition but were very long.
Having gotten the answer she wanted, she happily began to enjoy her tea and snacks.
However, once the group of people in the teahouse started talking, they couldn't stop.
"It would be great to be a prince's bodyguard. As the saying goes, if you follow the right master, even your chickens and dogs can rise to heaven!"
"Don't even think about it, with that belly of yours! Hahaha!"
"Think about it, what's wrong with that? You know what, if you became a bodyguard..."
Ah Mian listened to everything and still didn't think there was anything good about being a servant in someone else's household—well, even a very powerful servant.
And they have to kneel down to this person or that person all the time.
After finishing her snacks and drinking some tea, she felt a little tired.
Just then, Meng Jing rushed back and saw that A Mian was still sitting obediently in the teahouse. She breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What story did you tell today?"
"Nothing new, let's go home."
For several days, the weather was calm.
The seventh day arrived quickly.
Early in the morning, A-Mian stood in the yard directing everyone: "Put all the tables, chairs and benches back in their places. Xiao-Jing, be careful and slow, don't drag the chair legs and break them."
Xiao Jing wailed, "I shouldn't have eaten in the study yesterday. I'm so old now. My brother has a sharp eye; he can spot a difference of even an inch!"
"Since you agreed to it yesterday, isn't it possible to cook in the study? Aunt Wang, how did it go?"
In just a few days, Aunt Wang grew to like this young woman who always made the house lively, unlike her own home, where the dinner table was rather dull.
"The dishes, chopsticks, pots, and stoves are washed every day..."
Ah Mian shook her head and said, "You need to arrange all the sauce jars from smallest to largest, and arrange the small spoons to the right, which is the side you use to eat from."
"I mean, the first thing I noticed when I entered your kitchen was that even the chopsticks had to be lined up!"
Meng Jing asked, "A-Mian, is your room ready?"
She glanced inside through the window and saw that A-Mian's blankets were not folded, her clothes were piled on the chair, and even her handkerchief was thrown into the sink.
Ah Mian said, "I'll tidy up in a bit. We need to clean up the outside first, otherwise he'll be exposed as soon as he enters the house."
"Ugh—it stinks!" Meng Jing, who had been lazy and hadn't cleaned the chicken coop for three days, squealed in disgust, pinching her nose.
"He definitely won't be back before noon. We still have time!"
Everyone rushed around and finally got the house almost done, and at first glance it looked neat and tidy.
But after noon, Meng Chijian was nowhere to be seen at the village entrance.
"Silly, how can you travel under the scorching sun in this heat? It'll definitely take another two hours." Ah Mian's face turned rosy after just a short while in the sun.
Therefore, she couldn't wait at the village entrance, so she sent Xiao Jing to inform them.
One hour, two hours, three hours... the sun gradually set in the west.
Meng Jing started by going to the village entrance once every hour, then gradually changed to going once every incense stick's time. Finally, she decided to wait at the village entrance until she saw the person return before going back.
Otherwise, she seemed unable to face Ah Mian's face, which was always filled with joy followed by disappointment after seeing her run home.
But even after the moon came out, Xiao Jing still couldn't see anything.
"I'm going home for dinner. Something might have delayed me on the way."
Meng Jing glanced at A Mian's expression and didn't know what to say for a moment.
After dinner, Aunt Wang, as usual, slept on a makeshift bed on the floor in Xiao Jing's room (A-Mian said she couldn't sleep well with someone in the room), and muttered, "Is A-Mian alright?"
Xiao Jing thought for a moment, "I ate a bowl and a half of rice tonight, so I should be fine."
The night was dark and windy, and there was a slight noise coming from the latch of the courtyard door.
Meng Chijian tiptoed open the wooden door and rushed into the familiar house.
Lying on the bed was a small, pretty little figure fast asleep, her eyelashes wet and stuck together in twos and threes, her pillow stained with tears, and she was clutching a large, dark blue robe in her arms.
The next second, something sharp seemed to cut through the air and hurtle straight toward his face!
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