Wang Erya is an eighteen-year-old girl who lives in a small mountain village thirty miles outside Jinzhou City.
She couldn't live any longer, so she might as well die.
She hadn't eaten for two days and walked out of the village hungry, looking for a place to commit suicide.
As she walked, she recalled the past eighteen years of her life.
She was tall and strong since she was a child, and she learned martial arts from her father and brother since she was a child.
At that time, my father and brothers were still alive, and our family lived a good life. We even built five large houses with blue bricks and black tiles.
This is the first of its kind in the village.
Later, my father joined the army and fought in the war and never came back.
My brother joined the army and fought in the war, and he never came back.
My mother fell ill and the money in the family was spent like water.
The money was not enough, so he sold the fields and land and borrowed from his uncle and aunt.
At that time, her uncle and aunt were very kind and generously lent her money to buy medicine.
But her mother didn't survive and passed away last winter, leaving her alone.
Then, her uncle and aunt seemed to have changed into different people, coming to her house with fierce looks to ask for the debt.
There was no money at home and Wang Erya was unable to repay the debt.
After much persuasion, my uncle and aunt finally agreed to repay the debt after the autumn harvest this year. They also asked her to write an IOU and charge interest.
Wang Erya goes out before dawn every day and returns home after dark. She works alone in the fields and also does odd jobs in the city.
By the time of this year's autumn harvest, it will be time to repay the debt.
The original debt of fifty taels has suddenly become one hundred taels.
The harvested grain at home was taken away, all the money earned from odd jobs was taken away, and the only remaining land was also taken away, but it was still not enough to pay off the debt.
Finally, my uncle and aunt set their sights on the five large tiled houses in our home.
Wang Erya refused to agree no matter what, but she was powerless.
The elders of the clan and the village elders all stood on the side of my uncle and aunt.
It is only natural to pay back debts.
Wang Erya was desperate.
She still remembers what the villagers said at that time.
"Erya, you're already this old, and you still don't have a husband. What are you going to do? You'll still be relying on your uncle and aunt in the future."
"Erya, you are so tall, so strong, and eat so much. Which man would be interested in you?"
"If you eat so much every day and can't get married, you might as well die. It will also save food."
"You can't get married, so you stay at home and bring shame to the Wang family? You've implicated all the girls in the family. Everyone who hears about the Wang family knows you, Wang Erya, a disgrace."
"Just find an old bachelor and send Erya away."
"Yes, yes, yes. There's an old bachelor over there on the other side of the mountain. I'll go ask him tomorrow."
"You're such a jerk, and you don't even know how to look in the mirror. You're an old maid, you can't even get married, and yet you still have the nerve to keep your debts. Without your uncle and aunt to look after you, and your father and eldest brother dead, do you think you could have survived to this day?"
"If you know what's good for you, give up the house immediately."
“Get out!”
"Get out of Wangjia Village!"
Wang Erya was kicked out of her home and out of the village.
She thought about resisting and asked countless questions.
But facing the hateful gazes of the whole village, Wang Erya gave up.
She didn't know what she had done wrong and why she was hated by everyone.
Perhaps, she shouldn't have been born, shouldn't have grown up like this.
There is no meaning in living and I can't get married, so I might as well die.
Wang Erya, who was determined to commit suicide, walked on the official road in a daze.
An oxcart came swaying towards her and passed her by.
"Girl, look at that guy. He's clearly wearing a girl's dress, but he's so tall, like a man. He looks scary."
Are you talking about her?
Wang Erya didn't care.
Her target was the dilapidated temple on the mountain, which was where she would be buried.
Gu Jiu lifted the car window curtain and looked at Wang Erya.
He is indeed tall, estimated to be about 1.7 meters tall.
In this time and space, it is rare for a girl to grow so tall.
Not only tall, but also strong, with a broad and strong back.
This girl seems to be a little strange, she seems distracted, maybe she has encountered some difficulties.
Hey, he went up the mountain.
Gu Jiu knocked on the car door and asked Da Zhuang, "Da Zhuang, do you know what's on that mountain?"
Da Zhuang stopped the ox cart and turned around and said, "Miss, there is only a dilapidated temple on the mountain. There are usually a few beggars living in it."
Gu Jiu couldn't help but wonder what that tall and strong girl was doing in the dilapidated temple on the mountain.
Da Zhuang asked, "Girl, do you want me to go and take a look?"
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "Go and take a look, don't let him commit suicide."
Gu Jiu just said this casually, but he didn't expect it to come true.
Da Zhuang chased after her and saw that Wang Erya was trying to commit suicide by jumping off the cliff behind the ruined temple.
Dazhuang shouted loudly to stop Wang Erya.
Wang Erya suddenly burst into tears.
Such a tall girl cried like a tearful person and looked very miserable.
"She wanted to jump off the cliff, why did you try to stop her? With all the suffering in this world, it's better to die and be at peace."
A young man? A middle-aged man? A beggar, wearing a tattered scholar's robe and with his hair tangled like a chicken coop, emerged from the dilapidated temple and lashed out at Dazhuang for trying to dissuade Wang Erya.
Da Zhuang was at a loss as he was no match for the verbal attack.
For every one sentence he said, the other party had already said a hundred.
"What's your name?"
Gu Jiu stepped forward to help Da Zhuang out, sizing up the young man who was talking nonsense? A middle-aged man? A beggar.
The beggar held his head high and chest puffed out, quite proudly, "My name is Zhou."
A little beggar followed the beggar named Zhou and said to Gu Jiu, "He is Mr. Zhou."
Gu Jiu nodded. "So it's Mr. Zhou. From what you said, you've been educated."
Mr. Zhou, the beggar, snorted, "Of course I have read it."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows. A good scholar turned into a beggar. Life is unpredictable.
She said, "It seems Mr. Zhou's experience is very sad. Mr. Zhou should know that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Mr. Zhou can choose not to save her, but he should not prevent others from saving her."
Mr. Zhou angrily scolded, "Why save her? Do you know her background? Do you know what happened to her? Do you know why she wanted to commit suicide?
You know nothing, you're just being kind. Even if you save her, it won't change her situation. She'll still commit suicide.
It would be better not to save her from the beginning and let her die quickly."
Wang Erya fell to the ground and cried, not knowing which words touched her heart.
Gu Jiu smiled. Mr. Zhou's twisted logic was truly convoluted. He wondered what had happened to him that had made him so cynical.
"Judging from Mr. Zhou's words and actions, it seems that life has been very difficult. Yet, you didn't commit suicide. Isn't it because you still have a thought, a hope, in your heart?
You have fallen to this point, yet you still refuse to give up and refuse to give up. Why do you insist on telling others to give up on life? "
"Shut up." Mr. Zhou seemed to be sorely hurt by Gu Jiu's words. "What do you know? You know nothing. You don't know why I'm here. You have no right to judge me."
Gu Jiu looked Mr. Zhou up and down with a half-smile.
Although he has become a beggar, he still wears the clothes he wore when he was in school, which shows that he still has a glimmer of fantasy in his heart.
Gu Jiu said: "I really don't know what you have experienced, but it is nothing more than money, love, and power.
Judging from your appearance, you probably haven't passed the exam yet, so it's probably not power. Could it be the double blow of love and wealth that has led you to this level of depravity?"
Beggar Mr. Zhou stared at Gu Jiu with his eyes wide open, "You know nothing, shut up."
Gu Jiu snorted coldly, "You are a grown man, but when you encounter a little difficulty, you degenerate and become a beggar.
Have you read all these years of sage books, but have you really gotten anything out of them? Don't you understand the eight words "harden their minds and toil their muscles"?
It’s no big deal if you have no money and are dumped by a woman.
By gritting your teeth and working hard, even if you just copy books or set up a stall at the city gate to write letters for people, you can still earn enough for your daily expenses.
When the day comes when you pass the imperial examination and become an official, you will slap the faces of those who look down on you. Wouldn't that be a hundred or a thousand times better than you are now?
What you are doing now is nothing but a cowardly act. You are even worse than a woman. You are really despicable.
Therefore, you have no right to point fingers here, just go back to where you came from."
Beggar Mr. Zhou was trembling all over.
The little beggar looked at him with great concern.
Beggar Mr. Zhou pointed at Gu Jiu and asked, "Who are you?"
Gu Jiu said seriously: "Who I am, does it matter?"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Mr. Zhou, the beggar, laughed wildly, and the little beggar was terrified.
"I, Zhou Shi'an, have been well-versed in the myriad schools of thought since childhood, but I'm not as insightful as a little girl. Haha... I'm so ashamed to face anyone. Damn it, damn it."
Zhou Shi'an laughed wildly as he descended the mountain. His voice could be heard from afar, "How could I, Zhou Shi'an, willingly submit to being inferior to others? One day, this world will be controlled by my will."
What a big tone.
The little beggar, however, looked dazzled and full of admiration.
The little beggar suddenly shouted, "I want to learn from Mr. Zhou and go to the capital to live a life of wealth and luxury."
After saying that, the little beggar ran down the mountain.
Gu Jiu was completely confused.
Are these two crazy? In a blink of an eye, both of them were screaming like they had been injected with chicken blood.
Gu Jiu didn't know what consequences her words today would sow for the future.
It is even more unexpected what kind of people Zhou Shian and the little beggar will become.
At this moment, Gu Jiu was more concerned about Wang Erya who was seeking suicide.
Qingmei stepped forward, took out a handkerchief and wiped Wang Erya's tears.
"What's your name? Where do you live? Is there anyone else at home?"
Wang Erya shook her head. "My name is Erya. There's no one left at home. I'm the only one left."
Qingmei suddenly felt sad. It was very difficult for a girl to live alone in the world without any family.
She asked softly, "Tell us what difficulties you have. There is no hurdle in the world that cannot be overcome."
Wang Erya cried and said, "I have lost my parents, my elder brother, my home, and I can't get married. The whole village hates me. I am wasting food if I live. I might as well die."
"Just because others hate you, you want to die?" Gu Ji couldn't understand what kind of train of thought was going on.
Wang Erya looked at the cliff and said, "I'll be free if I die."
Gu Jiu asked, "Are you sure you can be freed by death? Who told you that? Do you know that there are eighteen levels of hell? People like you who don't cherish life and commit suicide will be boiled in oil when they reach the King of Hell."
Wang Erya was stunned.
Gu Jiu added, "Death won't be any easier than life. After death, there are still eighteen levels of hell, each layer of torture. As the saying goes, a good death is worse than a miserable life. I think living should be easier than dying. Besides, you're not even afraid of death, but you're afraid of others hating you. This shouldn't be right!"
Wang Erya was confused and had been fooled by Gu Jiu to the point of not knowing what to do.
Gu Jiu asked, "Do you know Xiaohegou Horse Farm?"
Wang Erya nodded. "I know. I used to work at a horse farm."
"A girl who can work at a horse farm is amazing. Why are you so depressed and wanting to commit suicide? How about this, you lead the way. I want to go to Xiaohegou Horse Farm. Afterwards, I will pay you."
"No, no, no, no reward. I'll lead the way."
Wang Erya was still confused and stood up blankly, wanting to lead Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu really asked her to lead the way.
When he arrived at Xiaohegou Horse Farm, Gu Jiu did not meet the boss.
She walked around the ranch, looking at the horses, the grass, and the geographical environment.
It quite meets her requirements.
Gu Jiu stood up and clapped his hands, "Let's go."
Dazhuang went to drive the ox cart.
Wang Erya stood there in a daze, not knowing where to go.
Seeing her like this, Gu Jiu asked, "Aren't you going home?"
Wang Erya shook her head. "I have no home anymore. The house, land, and food in our family have all been used to pay off debts."
“Has the debt been paid off?”
Wang Erya nodded.
Gu Jiu said, "You should be thankful to be debt-free. You have the strength and the ability to work. You must believe that your life will get better and better."
Wang Erya shook her head. "I can't find a job. My story has spread to the city, and the bosses there won't give me any work."
Gu Jiu was curious. "What's your business?"
"I'm old, I eat a lot, and I don't have a husband yet."
Just such a trivial matter could drive a girl to commit suicide.
Gu Jiu frowned slightly and asked, "What can you do?"
Wang Erya didn't dare to say a word.
Gu Jiu slowed down his voice and asked softly, "Speak, no one here will hurt you."
Wang Erya then said, "I can farm, carry heavy bags, and even fight. I learned martial arts from my father since I was a child. My father said that I can beat at least ten grown men by myself. But I haven't tried it. The most I've ever beaten is three men at a time."
"You know martial arts?"
Gu Jiu's eyes lit up.
Wang Erya nodded and began to gesture.
Every move has its own rules.
It seems like a very ordinary move, but in Wang Erya's hands it is also very powerful.
Gu Jiu was happy.
Just then, Da Zhuang came driving a ox cart.
Gu Jiu said to Da Zhuang, "Da Zhuang, try fighting with Er Ya to see how strong she is."
Da Zhuang obeyed the order.
Da Zhuang used to work for the Gu family and had learned a few moves from them. He clasped his fists and said, "Thank you!"
Then he took the initiative and started fighting with Wang Erya.
The two of them fought back and forth, and it was obvious that Dazhuang was at a disadvantage.
In the end, he was knocked down by Wang Erya's kick.
Then Wang Erya became nervous and said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Gu Jiu laughed.
This girl, despite her incredible fighting skills, is too soft-hearted. Her family must have warned her against using her martial arts skills to cause trouble.
Seeing this, Qingmei knew that Gu Jiu was moved.
She asked quietly, "Miss, do you want to take Wang Erya in?"
Gu Jiu nodded and whispered, "I have you by my side to take care of the accounts, Qingzhu to take care of the food, and Xiaocui to take care of the inquiries. The only thing I need is a personal bodyguard. What do you think of Erya?"
Qingmei nodded, "Erya is fine. I just don't know if her background is clean, so I can't let her stay with me rashly."
"I know."
Gu Jiu looked Wang Erya up and down again.
Wang Erya was very nervous.
Gu Jiu asked her: "I can offer you a job with food and lodging, are you willing?"
Wang Erya was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, "I do."
Gu Jiu said to Da Zhuang, "Da Zhuang, Er Ya will go back with you today. Please ask Aunt Gui to teach Er Ya well. After a few days, when the time is right, I will make other arrangements for Er Ya."
"As you command."
In this way, Wang Erya followed Gu Jiu into the city.
Qingmei teased her, "You didn't even ask what my daughter's identity was, and you didn't even know our last names, yet you followed us into the city. Aren't you afraid that we might be bad people and sell you out?"
Wang Erya said, "I believe you, young lady. You can tell at a glance that you are a good person."
Qingmei didn't know what expression to make.
Finally, he just said, "You have a good eye for people."
It was already past noon when the ox cart entered the city.
Gu Jiu was worried that someone would find out that he had sneaked out, so he had to hurry back home.
Before they parted, Gu Jiu asked Wang Erya, "Besides boxing, can you also use weapons?"
Wang Erya said, "I can wield a stick. I'm so good at it that no one can get close to me. Not even my father can match me."
amazing.
It seems I need to prepare a rolling pin for Wang Erya.
Why a rolling pin? Because it’s convenient.
Gu Jiu warned her, "After you meet Aunt Gui, follow her and learn the rules. Also, don't give up your martial arts, especially your staff."
Wang Erya nodded repeatedly, "I will definitely listen to Aunt Gui and learn the rules. I will not put down my stick either."
Gu Jiu smiled, waved and said goodbye to Wang Erya and Dazhuang.
Erzhuang drove the ox cart and sent Gu Jiu back to the governor's mansion.
As soon as he returned to the governor's mansion, Gu Jiu heard the news that Gu Ting was injured.
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