Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Cheap Bones
No matter how hot it is outside, as soon as you step into the Northern Pacification Office, you will be immediately greeted by a gust of cold wind.
Even the scorching sun in the dog days of summer can't bring the slightest warmth here.
Even colder than this was Chen Lingan's face.
"What can I do for you?" He looked at Liu Jinshu arrogantly.
"I'm thirsty. Come in and ask for a glass of water. Lord Chen wouldn't be so stingy as to not even give me a glass of water, would he?"
Liu Jinshu smiled slightly, swung the corner of his robe lightly, and sat with his legs crossed. His demeanor was relaxed and at ease, implying a bit of high spirits.
Chen Lingan picked up the teapot and slowly poured the slightly yellow tea into the cup. "Drink it and get out of here."
"Xiaoman and I are engaged." Liu Jinshu suddenly said.
Chen Ling'an stared at the teacup on the table, his expression unchanged, and his hand holding the teapot was steady.
"Congratulations," he said.
The tea overflowed the rim of the cup, flowed onto the table, and dripped down.
The water column became thinner, becoming a thin line, and then turned into tiny water droplets, and finally became empty.
"Master Chen?" Liu Jinshu reminded.
Chen Ling'an was startled for a moment, then calmly put down the teapot, pushed the teacup forward, and gestured for invitation.
The tea sloshed around, inevitably staining Chen Ling'an's fingers.
Liu Jinshu glanced at it with disdain and didn't take it.
He stood up and said, "When we get married, please honor us with your presence, Master Chen."
Chen Ling'an said coldly, "I will definitely bring a 'gift' with me."
Liu Jinshu smiled nonchalantly, "You know, I actually envy you."
Chen Lingan laughed, "It's such an honor!"
"I'm not joking." Liu Jinshu turned and walked out. "Remember the day you arrested me? She defended you at all costs, not caring if it offended anyone."
"When she was protecting you, her face turned red, her voice was trembling, and she was about to cry. I knew she was scared, but she didn't back off."
"There will never be another girl who treats you as sincerely as she does."
Liu Jinshu turned around and looked over. "Originally, I didn't have a chance."
"Master Chen, I appreciate your kindness."
The wind started to blow, and thin gray clouds piled up layer by layer, and the sun gradually turned into a vague white halo.
The air was as hot and humid as ever, and did not seem cooler because of the gloom.
Chen Lingan stared at the document in his hand.
His brain seemed to be blocked by something and could not function. Half an hour passed, and he still did not understand what was written in the document.
He felt very uncomfortable with the sticky feeling all over his body, so he simply dropped the paperwork and left.
Wu Yong asked him where he was going.
"Go home and change your clothes."
Wu Yong looked at his superior's back and murmured: There are spare clothes in the duty room...
I don’t know if it’s because of the cloudy sky, but everything looks gray.
The street was still very busy. Chen Ling'an walked slowly among the crowd. Suddenly he stopped and turned around.
Behind me, there was a crowd of people, a noisy crowd, voices calling out to friends, children crying, adults scolding, and girls giggling and laughing carefree.
He looked around blankly, not knowing what he was looking for.
The old alley was deserted and deserted.
Chen Ling'an pushed open the creaking door of the old house, turned around to close the door, and stood quietly for a moment.
Just as he was about to go down the stairs, he heard a crisp voice outside the door: "Chen Ling'an, open the door!"
He opened the door with a whoosh.
A deserted alley lay before my eyes.
"I really am..." Chen Ling'an raised a mocking smile.
Despicable bones.
-
The vast, fine rain fell gently, washing the flowers and trees in the yard, making them fresh and lovely.
Staring at the jade pendant in his hand, Xiaoman always felt that it was unreal.
In just one day, her lifelong event was decided? Was she really going to marry Liu Jinshu?
Mrs. Jiang smiled brightly. "Look, are his feelings genuine? After all, it still comes down to him."
But then a burst of laughter was heard from the corridor. Following the maid's announcement, Aunt Sun came in through the curtain, followed by Zhang Anyi carrying a three-layer food box.
The food box looked heavy, and it seemed quite difficult for her to carry it with both hands.
Madam Jiang hurriedly ordered Jinxiu to take it, "Why don't you let the maid carry it? It's stumbling around, be careful not to fall."
Aunt Sun smiled and said, "Knowing that the Third Miss likes to eat sweet things, the Fifth Girl made some sweet soup herself. She was worried about giving it to someone else and insisted on taking it herself."
She opened the food box and took out the food one by one.
Rose and osmanthus drink, lactose red bean paste, tangerine and sour plum soup, osmanthus cake, chestnut flour cake, jujube paste cake, sesame roll, pea yellow, honey three-knife, donkey roll, small twisted dough stick, sugar-coated cheese...
There was a dazzling array of goods, filling up a large table and even the counters.
Xiaoman was extremely surprised. "That's so much! How long will it take to finish it? Fifth sister, you have such a talent! I really underestimated you."
Zhang Anyi's face was red, maybe because of tiredness or heat. He just sat there catching his breath and didn't say anything.
Aunt Sun said hurriedly, "God has finally arranged the Liu family's marriage. We are extremely happy and want to give the best."
She smiled very happily and sincerely, with tears glimmering in her eyes.
Xiaoman suddenly said, "You seem happier than your wife that I married into the Liu family."
Aunt Sun's smile froze, and then she felt a little embarrassed. "Since my elder sister married well, I naturally won't be too bad. I don't ask her to marry a noble man like Mr. Liu, as long as he is from a middle-class family, I will be happy."
It really meets her wish of wanting her daughter to marry into a wealthy family.
Xiaoman sighed, "I may not marry..."
"You're talking nonsense again. Do you want to piss me off to death?" Mrs. Jiang glanced at her.
Xiaoman laughed awkwardly twice.
Mrs. Jiang looked at the desserts scattered all over the mountain and couldn't help but feel worried. "Sisterly friendship is a good thing, but this is too much."
Then he changed the subject and warned Xiaoman: "Don't eat too much. If you get a toothache, you'll be the one who suffers."
Xiaoman trembled.
Eating too much sweet food is bad for your teeth, and no one can help you if you have a toothache.
The man stood there, his brows slightly furrowed. Although his tone was clearly disapproving, there was a hint of gloating amusement in his eyes.
A dull pain slowly spread from my heart, my neck felt stuffy and swollen as if someone was pinching it, and my eyes and nose felt hot and sore.
Xiaoman took a deep breath and tried to break free from this feeling.
It's useless.
Instead, I felt like crying even more and couldn't breathe.
She jumped up from the couch, stood in front of the window and fanned herself, trying to force back the tears that were about to fall.
"Oh, look at our third young lady. She's crying because she's not allowed to eat." Aunt Sun laughed, and tears appeared in her eyes as she laughed.
"The skinny little baby has grown into a graceful young lady. If Sister Hui saw this..."
She bit off the words sharply.
Xiaoman paused holding the fan.
Aunt Hui, her biological mother.
Jinxiu once mentioned her mother to her privately, avoiding others, speaking in a low voice, stealthily, like a thief.
She only knew her surname. Jinxiu was one year younger than her, so she didn't know many things.
This was the first time someone mentioned my mother in public.
But why did Aunt Sun look at her mother with such anxiety?
Mrs. Jiang's lips were tightly drawn together, and there was no trace of smile on her face.
Aunt Sun rubbed her handkerchief in embarrassment, grinning as if she was neither crying nor laughing. She stammered a few words and even forgot to find a pretext. She pulled Zhang Anyi and retreated with her head down.
The room was very quiet, with only the rustling sound of rain hitting everything.
They all seemed to be waiting for the other to speak.
No one spoke.
After a faint sigh, Mrs. Jiang stood up and walked towards the inner room.
"Mother!"
Xiaoman's dark eyes twinkled, and she said cunningly, "This is a godsend! We can use the excuse of buying a dowry to make them return all the money they've embezzled from the farm."
Mrs. Jiang was stunned for a moment. "Were you thinking about this just now?"
Xiaoman said with a smile, "Mother, you don't think that Aunt Sun can shake my mind with just a few words, right?"
"You kid!" Mrs. Jiang smiled faintly and wiped her eyes, then her face became serious. "Just focus on getting married and stop thinking about those random things."
Then she called Fang's mother in and said, "Watch the third young lady embroider her dowry."
Xiaoman's face suddenly wrinkled into a bitter melon.
On the way back to the yard, Xiaoman quietly asked Fang's mother, "Why didn't you investigate and just let them lie on me and suck my blood?"
"How can a daughter-in-law investigate her mother-in-law and husband? There's no way."
"Then...what if we are no longer mother-in-law and husband?"
"Don't say that casually."
Xiaoman whispered, "There's no one else here now. Mom, tell me the truth. How is my life in Tangshan these days compared to being at the Zhang family?"
"Excellent! I haven't seen her so relaxed and happy in a long time."
"In that case, why are you still hesitating?"
Mother Fang looked at her deeply and said nothing.
Xiaoman was stunned for a moment, and her eyes suddenly turned red.
The evening sky darkened even further, and the night rain came and went. In the misty and humid air, Xiaoman knocked on Aunt Sun's door.
"I knew you would come." Aunt Sun sat steadily at the eight-immortals table and gracefully extended her hand, motioning her to sit down.
Xiaoman smiled and said, "Auntie knows a lot."
Aunt Sun sighed, "To be honest, I've been in the Zhang family the longest of all the women in the backyard."
As time goes by, we experience a lot. Only the "old people with experience" can remember those forgotten people and things.
Xiaoman's eyes suddenly became deep, "Auntie has been accompanying the old lady to worship Buddha all year round. She is far away and may not know everything."
"This is what you, a child, don't understand. Although the old lady is not in the mansion, her heart, ears, and mind have never left this place."
Aunt Sun raised her chin slightly, glanced at Xiaoman and smiled, "I am the only one who serves the old lady personally in the Buddhist temple."
Xiaoman also smiled and leaned forward slightly.
"So Auntie is the person the old lady trusts the most. Does the old lady know that Auntie embezzled the rent from the Subei farm?"
Aunt Sun's face turned pale. Xiaoman thought she was going to deny it outright or scold her, but she suddenly changed her tone and said with a wry smile, "You are very smart. You know who to cling to in order to gain the greatest benefit."
"Kidnapped at the age of two or three, and born beautiful, how could she have grown up peacefully in a good family without deep scheming?"
Xiaoman couldn't help but roll her eyes, "So it only makes sense for me to become a prostitute!"
Aunt Sun shook her head and sighed with deep emotion, "It's so pitiful for Sister Hui. Her own daughter forgot her loyalty for the sake of profit and actually recognized her enemy as her mother. That day..."
Her body began to tremble violently, her face turned pale, as if she were recalling some terrifying memories.
Xiaoman stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "I overestimated you. You're really stupid."
Aunt Sun burst into tears and said, "Whatever you say, I just feel sorry for Sister Hui."
Xiaoman stood up, looked down at her and said, "I'm here to inform you that the account books for the farms in northern Jiangsu and other places will be handed over to Mother Fang tomorrow."
Aunt Sun's eyes suddenly widened with tears. "I can't make the decision. I have to ask the old lady for instructions."
Xiaoman sneered, "I don't care about that. If I don't see the account book tomorrow, you can just wait for the government to come and arrest you, the cunning slave who has embezzled your mistress's property."
"Wait!" Aunt Sun stopped her, "Miss, your wedding is about to begin. It won't do you any good if you make a big fuss. Don't lose the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds."
Xiaoman raised an eyebrow, "What if I insist on making a big fuss?"
Aunt Sun clenched her cheeks immediately and the muscles in her neck bulged.
Xiaoman left, and the night wind blew in from the half-open door, carrying raindrops. The candlelight kept flickering, making Aunt Sun's ashen face flicker, giving it a rather eerie feeling.
Zhang Anyi, who was carrying bird's nest, came in and saw this scene. He was so shocked that he almost dropped the bowl. "Auntie?"
Aunt Sun came to her senses and took the bowl from her daughter's hand with a hint of apology. "Let the maids do these things in the dark and rain. What will happen if they bump into things?"
"It's much brighter at home than in the nunnery. I can see clearly." Zhang Anyi asked her to taste the bird's nest he stewed. "I added a lot of rock sugar."
It was indeed very sweet. Aunt Sun put down the bowl and asked, "Have you eaten it?"
Zhang Anyi said with a smile: "I ate three bowls, and also had a plate of goose fat pork floss rolls."
I clearly had dinner in the evening.
Aunt Sun sighed and said sternly, "From now on, you are only allowed to eat two meals a day, no food after noon, and only half a bowl of rice. You must abstain from all sweet, greasy and meaty foods."
Zhang Anyi was stunned. "Why?"
"It's easier to find a husband if you lose weight." Aunt Sun pinched her waist and said, "It's too thick. You need to be at least as thin as your third sister to get married well."
Zhang Anyi thought it was impossible.
Aunt Sun's tone was unusually stern. "You must lose weight. From now on, I will measure your waist every morning and before bed. If it increases, you will not be allowed to eat the next day."
Zhang Anyi's struggle was fruitless and he left feeling aggrieved.
The rain gradually stopped. Without stars or moon, the night was darker than ink.
Under the dim candlelight in front of the Buddha, Aunt Sun sat cross-legged on the cushion, closed her eyes, chanted scriptures, and slowly moved the rosary beads one by one.
It didn't stop all night.
As daylight dawned, she finally put down her rosary and sent a message to Zhang Wen, "Please ask him to come back before breakfast."
The servant was puzzled, "I don't know where the master is..."
Zhang Wen hasn't been home these days.
Aunt Sun said coldly, "Then go to Longjiang Post Station and guard it. The master must do his duty."
The servant nodded in agreement but did not leave.
Aunt Sun was secretly annoyed and took out some silver coins from the small drawer and threw them on the ground.
The boy hurriedly picked it up, and weighed it outside. It was so light that it seemed almost nothing. He thought it was only worth one or two coins.
He curled his lips and spat on the ground: Bah, you want me to run errands for such a small amount of money? Just wait and see!
It was not until noon that Aunt Sun saw Zhang Wen's drunken figure.
There was a strong scent of powder on her body, and if you looked closely, you could see lip balm marks on her cheeks and neck.
She was surprised. "Master, didn't you go to the post station to work?"
Zhang Wen slapped him, "How dare you question me, your master? I'm giving you face!"
Aunt Sun knew that he was taking out his frustration in officialdom on her, but she didn't dare to argue, let alone complain.
"I will help you wash up, master." She said softly.
Zhang Wen pushed her in disdain, "You look like a pig, and you called two maids over. You really have no self-awareness at all."
Aunt Sun's face immediately turned purple, and soon turned pale again, and her tone became as flat as water.
"Master, the Third Miss has one day to get the old lady and master to hand over the account books of the farms in northern Jiangsu and other places to her, otherwise I will report them to the police and have them arrested."
Zhang Wen shouted, "Catch her father? I'll beat this unfilial daughter to death first!"
Aunt Sun: "I'm afraid not. The Liu family agreed to a marriage with ours yesterday. The wife of the Marquis of Pingyang is the matchmaker."
Zhang Wen was delighted at first, but then flew into a rage: "I was wondering, you have someone backing you up. Do you think you can ditch your parents just because you have a husband? Today I'm going to show her what happens when you disobey me!"
After saying that, he walked angrily towards Zhang Xiaoman's yard.
They were all harsh words, but no matter how Aunt Sun looked at it, she felt that Zhang Wen was a bit fierce but weak.
Instead of asking the daughter to come and see her father for an answer, the father went to question his daughter.
I'm afraid he can't suppress Zhang Xiaoman either.
You have to make plans early.
Her steps became slower and slower, and she fell behind Zhang Wen a long distance without realizing it. When Zhang Wen kicked the door of Xiaoman's courtyard in anger, Aunt Sun was no longer behind him.
Unexpectedly, the door suddenly opened from the inside, and the kick missed, causing him to fall forward suddenly, and his heel tripped on the threshold, and he rolled into the yard.
I sprained my waist, stretched my leg, fell and broke my nose and mouth.
The maids and old women all had a hard time holding back their laughter.
Zhang Wen helped the old woman to her feet, groaning, and glanced around viciously, "Laugh! I'll sell you off tomorrow and see if you can still laugh!"
"Where's the third girl? Get out!"
No one responded.
The room was also empty.
Zhang Wen was so angry that his head was buzzing and he kept shouting for human traffickers to come and sell people.
After a while, a maid came forward hesitantly and said, "Maybe she's with Madam Fang."
Zhang Wen turned around and walked away, but he was holding his waist, dragging his legs, and limping without any intention of accusing anyone.
But I came up empty-handed again.
They went to the main courtyard, and the little maid replied as Zhang Xiaoman had instructed: "Young lady, please ask Madam to draw up a list of your dowry."
When Zhang Wen heard this, he was shocked. Given Jiang's stubbornness, he would definitely give all the family property to her!
He rushed to the main courtyard.
As the saying goes, the first burst of energy is strong, the second is weaker, and the third is exhausted. By the time he arrived at Mrs. Jiang's place, his anger had been exhausted along with his strength. He sat on a chair and gasped for a long time as soon as he entered the room!
Mrs. Jiang looked at her husband in such a state of disgrace that she suddenly felt dazed.
Is this middle-aged man, whose body has been drained by alcohol and sex, still the scholar who was as handsome as Pan An and bewitched her to the point of losing her mind?
Xiaoman and Mother Fang were doing needlework on the big kang by the window in a green gauze cabinet. When they heard the noise, they poked their heads out.
Mother Fang knew that Zhang Wen had bad intentions and was afraid that Mrs. Jiang would suffer, so she wanted to go to the field immediately.
Xiaoman stopped her and said, "Let's hear what he has to say."
Mother Fang was extremely anxious. "You can't spit out ivory from a dog's mouth. How can he say anything nice?"
"I just want mother to hear his 'good words'." Xiaoman whispered a few words in her ear, "...I still need mother's help in this matter."
Divorce?! Mother Fang gasped, her heart pounding, and her steps to the outside stopped.
Outside, Zhang Wen talked about Xiaoman's dowry.
"The Liu family is proud and aloof, and they don't care about the amount of the dowry. But Liu Jinshu is obsessed with the third girl. Even if there is no dowry, he will pay for it out of his own pocket."
Mrs. Jiang almost laughed out of anger, "I've never heard of a family not giving a dowry. Before she even gets married, she's putting Xiaoman down, afraid that Mrs. Qin will treat her well, right?"
Zhang Wen said coldly, "Why not? Pick out a few items from the betrothal gifts as her dowry. Even if you keep all the betrothal gifts, the Liu family can't say anything - they just watched me lose my job, so consider it as an apology to me."
Mrs. Jiang: "I can't do the thing of selling my daughter. I will pay for Xiaoman's dowry. You don't have to pay for it."
"What's yours is mine. If I don't agree to give it to you, you can't give it to me! Where are the deeds to her three shops? Give them to me!"
"What nonsense are you talking about."
"What nonsense are you talking about? Marry me, and everything about you is mine. Where are your things? They are all mine!"
Zhang Wen's roar made the birds in the yard fly away in panic and frightened Mrs. Jiang into being stunned.
"Stop pretending to be some high-born lady! You were the one who shamelessly pursued me, the one who cried and screamed, went on a hunger strike and threatened to commit suicide, and even offered a million-dollar dowry to marry me. You're fucking noble? You're fucking cheap!"
"I haven't spent a penny. I have money, houses and land, and you still have to pinch your nose and take a concubine for me. What do you call that? That's called ability."
"I tell you, Jiang Chan, the husband is the leader of his wife. The husband is his wife's heaven. Husband, husband, I am the lord, I am your master!"
The resentment and depression of the past few days, mixed with the effect of the alcohol, surged up wildly. Anger burned on his face, making Zhang Wen dizzy. The words that he once hid deep in his heart and dared not and could not say now rushed towards Mrs. Jiang like a flood that broke through the dam, overwhelming and violent.
Her face lost all color, she covered her heart, and her body fell back limply.
A figure suddenly rushed out from the green gauze cabinet in the compartment, picked up the teapot on the table, and smashed it hard on Zhang Wen's head.
Bang! The teapot exploded on Zhang Wen's head, and tea, tea leaves, and blood splattered all over his head and face.
Everyone was shocked by her sudden action, even Mrs. Jiang, who was about to faint from anger, stared with her eyes wide open.
For a moment, the room was silent, with only Zhang Wen lying on the ground with his head in his hands, wailing in pain for long and short times.
Somehow, after hearing his screams, Mrs. Jiang actually felt her chest feel much more comfortable.
Xiaoman threw the remaining half of the teapot to the ground, turned around and knelt in front of Mrs. Jiang, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have stopped Mother Fang. I shouldn't have deliberately let him talk nonsense to provoke you."
"I just wanted Mother to be completely disillusioned with him, but I didn't expect him to... I, I..."
The tears that she had been holding back for so long burst out, covering her eyes and blocking her throat, making her unable to utter a single word.
"Little bitch, I'm going to kill you!" Zhang Wen came to his senses and became furious. He stared at Xiaoman with bloodshot eyes and opened his hand to grab her hair.
Mrs. Jiang was shocked and hurriedly used her arm to push Zhang Wen away.
However, Zhang Xiaoman reacted faster than her and jumped up from the ground.
He bent his front leg and pushed with his back leg, his waist tensed, his energy flowing into his dantian, his strength flowing through his arms, and with a loud "Hi", he rushed towards Zhang Wen.
With a loud bang, Zhang Wen's head hit the ground and he fell flat on his back.
This time he couldn't even cry out in pain.
Hiss—Mother Fang got goose bumps all over her body and couldn't help but touch the back of her head.
"Master, Master!"
Aunt Sun ran in in a panic, holding a letter in her hand.
He was immediately stunned and froze in place.
"What's the matter?" Fang's mother shouted.
Aunt Sun's face was pale as she replied, "The official just came. The master has been transferred to Dashengguan Post to work as a postman."
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