Chapter 54 Marriage is permitted.
Pei Wu was also somewhat confused: "It shouldn't be."
"Then why?" Jiang Ru asked again.
Pei Wu pondered, "Perhaps it was Lord Song's idea."
When Pei Wu first wanted to come, Song Pingzhang was initially unwilling. If Pei Wu hadn't insisted, he probably wouldn't have been able to come.
Now he has been transferred to the Secretariat-Chancellery, which is under Song Pingzhang's command. From now on, whatever Pei Wu wants to do will always have to be approved by Song Pingzhang.
Initially, the intention of transferring him to Su Mu's command was probably to annoy Su Mu. However, Su Mu was not annoyed, and instead, Pei Wu ran back to Jinzhou. Therefore, Song Pingzhang chose to directly place Pei Wu under his command this time, making it difficult for Pei Wu to leave.
Jiang Ru said disdainfully, "Then he's very scheming."
Pei Wu nodded in agreement.
It's just tough on them; they've all gotten used to life in Jinzhou and worked so hard for so long, and now they have to go back to Bianjing.
Jiang Ru sighed, "Fine, I guess I'll have to pack up and go with you again."
It wasn't anything serious, it was just that the carriage ride was too bumpy and the journey was long, so it wasn't very pleasant.
Seeing that Pei Wu seemed rather downcast, Jiang Ru poked at the imperial edict: "You got promoted, and you're still not happy?"
It wasn't that he was unhappy, but he felt uncomfortable that his plans had been disrupted. He envisioned that Jinzhou still needed many reforms, but now it was too late.
Pei Wu closed the imperial edict and compromised, saying, "Let's see who the new prefect is before we leave."
This prefect was transferred from the capital, and perhaps Pei Wu knows him. If he is reliable, Pei Wu can rest assured.
Although the news came quickly this time, the news of Pei Wu's departure still spread throughout the streets and alleys of Jinzhou. For a time, the people blocking the gate of the government office were so crowded that they could not move.
The imperial edict had been issued, and Pei Wu would soon be heading to the capital. The people were reluctant to part with him. Pei Wu walked out of the government office and finally managed to persuade everyone to leave. Watching the departing figures of the crowd, he stood there for a long time before finally taking his own steps away.
Before leaving Jinzhou, Pei Wu made a special trip to visit his aunts and uncles, gave them some money, and also returned to Muxi Village.
The cabin they had lived in for a year had been uninhabited and was now covered in dust. After losing its human presence, the cabin aged very quickly; the wooden windows creaked and the door was damaged by woodworms.
Jiang Ruwei's vegetable garden in the courtyard is still there, with several slits cut in the middle of the bamboo fence. The small chicken coop is still placed next to the fence, and the kitchen stands quietly under the eaves. The big pot is still in the same place, only covered with a thick layer of ash.
Even though Aunt Zhang would come back to clean from time to time, it couldn't stop the mud house from falling into disrepair.
Since they were already back, they decided to stay for a few days. The two of them cleaned the room and took out the dusty bedding from the closet to air it out so they could use it directly at night.
Moreover, they didn't need to cook. Aunt Zhang had Zhang Xingjun call them early in the morning. Aunt Zhang had always taken good care of them, and they didn't stand on ceremony.
In the familiar courtyard, Aunt Zhang had prepared a table full of dishes. She looked at the two of them with a smile and said, "Eat up, you've both lost weight."
After a drought, almost everyone in Jinzhou lost weight. Even Aunt Zhang herself lost weight, but she always looked at them like her own children and insisted on saying she had lost weight no matter what.
Aunt Zhang is an excellent cook. After eating vegetarian food for so long, Jiang Ru was so moved by Aunt Zhang's cooking that she ate two large bowls with tears in her eyes.
After finishing their meal, the group sat in the courtyard. Zhang Xingjun, unusually well-behaved, stopped making a fuss and chatted with them casually.
He was actually only three years younger than Pei Wu, but perhaps because Pei Wu was too mature, he always felt that Pei Wu was not their age at all.
Zhang Xingjun had many questions and asked Pei Wu a lot of them. Finally, he said with great determination, "Brother Pei, I want to join the army."
The age for joining the army in Daxia is fifteen, and Zhang Xingjun is only fourteen, so he is not old enough. However, he has already decided that he will join after his birthday.
Perhaps because he spent his days climbing on roofs and removing tiles, his skin was somewhat dark, creating a striking contrast between his eyes and skin. His eyes, like black grapes, were exceptionally bright.
His eyes were filled with determination: "I've made up my mind. I couldn't protect my parents before, nor could I protect Jingjing. I'm going to join the army. When I'm able to do so, they won't go hungry anymore."
He knew he was not good at literature, but he was good at martial arts, which was at least a way out.
Things aren't peaceful these days. Although there hasn't been a war in recent years, small conflicts have been ongoing, and a full-blown conflict could break out any day now. If Zhang Xingjun were to join the army, he might very well lose his life.
Jiang Ru knew this child was mischievous, and when the topic came up, she immediately expressed her opposition: "You're doing just fine as a constable, why would you join the army? This is no small matter; you could lose your life if you're not careful."
Zhang Xingjun said, "I won't let myself die. I haven't been able to take care of my parents yet, and I haven't married Jingjing yet."
Good heavens, what did she hear?
Jiang Ru was shocked: "What did you say? Who are you going to marry?"
Zhang Xingjun thought she didn't understand who Jingjing was, so he read out Zhao Jing's full name.
Jiang Ru almost fainted. For a moment, she didn't know whether to tell Zhang Xingjun not to touch her sweet little sister Zhao Jing, or to say that Zhang Xingjun was only fourteen years old and already thinking about getting married.
Jiang Ru pinched his philtrum: "Are you crazy? How old are you? What are you thinking?"
In reality, he's just a seventh-grade kid. Who wouldn't scream if they heard that? Besides, Jiang Ru was shocked: "If you put it that way, do you think Zhao Jing would be willing? She's so well-behaved, how could she possibly be willing to marry a brat like you?"
Zhang Xingjun's dark face flushed slightly: "She was willing. When we were little, we played house, she was the mother and I was the father, and she agreed to it."
Jiang Ru's face went blank. She looked at Pei Wu and said, "Your brother, you should talk to him yourself."
She couldn't say anything more; if she did, she might not be able to resist giving Zhang Xingjun a beating.
When Pei Wu was called over, he had no choice but to take over Zhang Xingjun's persuasion. Pei Wu didn't have much to say, only that Zhang Xingjun was still young and it was really inappropriate to say these things at this time.
Jiang Ru seized the opportunity to add insult to injury: "And you're really annoying. When you were little, you used to pull Zhao Jing's braids all the time. If it were me, I would definitely hate you to death."
Jiang Ru originally wanted to say that he was a male prostitute, but she held back from saying it.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xingjun was struck dumb, completely dazed. Jiang Ru, having successfully subdued the enemy, quickly pulled Pei Wu along, said goodbye to Aunt Zhang, and slipped away.
Perhaps Zhang Xingjun's words had a profound impact on Jiang Ru's values, because after leaving Zhang Xingjun's house, Jiang Ru immediately went to find Zhao Jing.
Aunt Li remembered that she had saved Zhao Jing before, and warmly invited them in. Jiang Ru was forced to eat a pancake, and could only wave to Zhao Jing while eating.
The two were whispering to each other when Jiang Ru asked, "What do you think of Zhang Xingjun?"
Zhao Jing pursed her lips: "He's so annoying, and he's always causing trouble."
Jiang Ru was very satisfied with this assessment and nodded, saying, "You must stay away from him; he's not mentally sound."
Zhao Jing: "Huh?"
Jiang Ru said with an air of composure, "In short, just listen to me. Remember, don't get married too early."
This time Zhao Jing understood: "Sister, I know. Men are all big pigs; they change after marriage."
Jiang Ru nodded in satisfaction, while Pei Wu, the "big pig's trotter" following behind her, silently lowered his head and glanced at himself.
Zhao Jing quickly corrected herself: "Brother Pei, I wasn't talking about you, you weren't."
This explanation wasn't very helpful, and Pei Wu's expression didn't improve. However, he couldn't argue with the young girl, so he said gently, "It's alright."
Jiang Ru also glanced back at Pei Wu. If it were anyone else, she might have retorted, but this was Pei Wu. She knew Pei Wu's personality best; he wouldn't even give a girl a second glance. He was truly a model of character.
So Jiang Ru agreed, "Yes, he's alright."
However, Zhang Xingjun's matter still had a huge impact on her. Even after leaving Zhao Jing's house for a long time, Jiang Ru was still in a daze. Her expression collapsed, and she insisted that Pei Wu agree with her: "You also think it's wrong, right? He's only fourteen. How can he think about these things?"
Logically speaking, given the feudal nature of ancient times, education in this area should have started much later, let alone thinking about such things.
Pei Wu replied, "I don't know."
Jiang Ru nudged him: "How could you not know that dating at fourteen is already outrageous!"
Pei Wu remained silent, simply gazing at Jiang Ru with his clear, cold eyes. He said nothing, yet it seemed as if he had said everything.
Jiang Ru understood what he meant, and her expression was indescribable: "No, you're still angry? I already said that 'big pig's trotter' wasn't an insult to you, you're the exception, why are you still sulking?"
It was more like an insult than a verbal one. Pei Wu lowered his eyelashes, concealing his gaze, so Jiang Ru couldn't see his expression. However, this was a common action he took when he felt wronged.
Jiang Ru had no choice but to appease him: "I wasn't talking about you, I really wasn't. You're the best, a role model for us all, okay?"
She didn't seem to care much about the compliments, but Pei Wu was still somewhat appeased and turned to answer Jiang Ru's question.
He calmly looked at Jiang Ru: "You can get married at fifteen, so it's not too early for Zhang Xingjun to be thinking about marriage now, but it depends on the woman's opinion."
Jiang Ru paused for a moment, then covered her head in disbelief: "This is outrageous."
She suddenly looked up at Pei Wu and said, "You absolutely mustn't get married so early. It's not in line with our core values."
Pei Wu: "What core values?"
Jiang Ru waved her hand: "It's about good customs and morals. You'll understand later."
Pei Wu felt he still didn't understand, but he would pretend to know what he didn't, so he nodded and said, "Oh."
Pei Wu wasn't particularly enthusiastic about getting married; it didn't matter to him whether it happened or not. He had no intention of getting married at the moment.
Of course, the reason this idea didn't come to fruition might be because there were no elders in his family and no one had taught him, so it was a very vague concept for him.
He didn't know what use marriage would be to him; he only knew that everyone gets married, and it seemed that very few people didn't get married.
But what will happen to Jiang Ru if they get married?
Jiang Ru is also getting married.
However, Pei Wu currently has no intention of marrying Jiang Ru off.
He once said he would find a good man for Jiang Ru, but he hasn't found one yet, so he doesn't want Jiang Ru to marry anyone.
Moreover, Jiang Ru is still too young.
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