Chapter 24 Selling Vegetables
Although Aman was still angry, she didn't forget her work.
The land that was cleared earlier was originally intended to be used to grow potatoes, with half of it planted. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it's the perfect time to plant potatoes.
So today, besides buying groceries, her most important task when going out was to buy some potato seeds.
Upon learning of this, Mantou immediately volunteered, "Since you're going to buy potatoes, I'll go with you!"
Mantou grinned, his ingratiating tone obvious.
Aman glanced at him vaguely, but did not agree. She said calmly, "No need, I know the way."
"I'll help you carry the potatoes. It's such a big plot of land, you'll need at least ten pounds of potatoes, they're heavy," Mantou continued.
More than ten pounds of potatoes might be heavy for an ordinary woman, but Aman was used to hard work. She shook her head, about to refuse, when Fu Yunxiu, who had been silent all along, spoke up.
"If he wants to come with you, let him. Why not use free labor?"
For several days in a row, Aman and Mantou were giving each other the cold shoulder. Putting everything else aside, Fu Yunxiu couldn't stand the atmosphere at mealtimes.
It's so deserted and quiet, it's really unpleasant.
Moreover, judging from how cautious Mantou has been these past few days, it can be considered that he has been punished.
"Take him with you; I'm worried about you going alone."
Aman knew that Fu Yunxiu was referring to the harassment she had been subjected to by Ding Li. Since Fu Yunxiu had spoken, she couldn't very well refuse, so she could only reluctantly pout and say, "Alright then, let him follow if he wants!"
Aman still bought the potato seeds from Aunt Hua's stall. It was her first time growing potatoes, so she needed Aunt Hua to teach her some experience.
Aunt Hua was quite generous, rattling off a long explanation. Afterwards, she recommended Zhao Hu to Aman, intending to play matchmaker, "When it comes to planting potatoes, Zhao Hu is an expert. Why don't you ask him for advice and ask him for help?"
The trouble last time was caused by Zhao Hu, so Aman wouldn't dare ask him for help again. She quickly smiled and declined, "No, I have enough people at home."
Zhao Hu, who was originally eager to show off his skills, froze on his face upon hearing this.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that since that visit, Aman had become much more distant from him. Although she still came to buy tofu from him from time to time, she was more formal and less easygoing than before.
Was there something he did wrong?
Zhao Hu was completely baffled.
After buying the potatoes, Aman, as usual, went to Zhao Hu's stall to buy tofu.
Zhao Hu packed the tofu, and Aman gave him the money, but the other party refused to accept it.
Not only did she refuse to accept it, but she also took out about half an ounce of loose silver and handed it to him.
"Brother Zhao, what are you doing?" Aman was very puzzled. How could someone pay you back when buying something from another person?
Zhao Hu told the truth: "This was left by Brother Mantou last time he came to thank me. I thought about it and still felt that I couldn't take the money."
Zhao Hu racked his brains, thinking that Aman's estrangement from him might be because he had accepted the money and considered him a greedy person.
But the money was forced on him by Mantou. He hadn't given it to her before because he was thinking of returning it to her when he ran into her sometime later. He never intended to keep it for himself.
Aman was unaware that Zhao Hu had given her money. But after hearing what Zhao Hu said, she roughly understood why Mantou had given him the money.
Whether it was the protection fee Zhao Hu paid to Ding Li to help her out last time, or the scallion seedlings he personally delivered, he never asked her for a single penny. She actually felt quite guilty about it, so this money from the steamed bun was a real comfort to her.
“Brother Zhao, you should keep this money. You’ve helped me a lot, and I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet.” Aman shook his head, indicating that he didn’t want the money.
“How can that be? One thing at a time.” Zhao Hu was also unhappy. He felt that Aman’s words were pointed. “Besides, I’ve already said that I’m going to pay protection money to Ding Li. I have to pay that money sooner or later. Moreover, Ding Li and his group have already been arrested by the government, so they won’t implicate me anymore.”
"Ding Li has been arrested?" Aman hadn't heard about this at all.
She's been rushing to buy groceries these past two days, and Aunt Hua, seeing that she wasn't in a good mood, hasn't mentioned it to her.
"She must have been arrested, right? I heard she was beaten up, and not only beaten up, but also castrated." Thinking that Aman was still an unmarried young girl, Aunt Hua only hinted at the rest of her words. "Although I don't know which deity intervened, it was really satisfying. That kind of person should have gone to hell long ago."
The thought that she had to give a portion of her hard-earned money each month to those thugs made Aunt Hua furious.
Aman didn't reply, but she had her own plans in mind.
She had just been bullied by Ding Li, and then the young master found out that Ding Li had been castrated. This made her think a lot.
But one thing at a time, Ah Man ultimately didn't get the money back.
Left with no other choice, Zhao Hu had to accept it for the time being.
On the way back, Aman barely spoke. Mantou, carrying half a bag of potatoes, didn't dare to breathe and followed silently behind her.
Even though he could tell that Aman was in a good mood, he still felt uneasy inside.
After much deliberation, Mantou finally quickened his pace and walked alongside Aman, explaining, "Aman, giving Zhao Hu the money wasn't my idea, it was Young Master's. Young Master thinks that since you're from Wutong Garden, it's Wutong Garden's responsibility to step in when something happens, so he asked me to give the money to Zhao Hu as a way of thanking him for his help."
He was afraid that Aman would misunderstand him and think that he was using money to make Zhao Hu sever ties with her.
This time, Aman, unusually, did not remain silent and asked, "Was Ding Li's matter also your doing, young master?"
"Yes, but the idea was mine." Speaking of that bastard, Mantou snorted angrily, "That Ding Li actually dared to lay a hand on you. I only beat him up and made him a eunuch, which was already letting him off easy."
Remembering how Ding Li harassed her that day, Aman knew that this man had done this kind of thing many times before. Making him a eunuch was a way to vent the anger of the women he had bullied.
Aman felt a sense of satisfaction and even forgot about her anger towards Mantou. She couldn't help but give him a thumbs up and say, "Well done."
Mantou raised his eyebrows smugly, but then froze in an instant.
Did Aman smile at him just now?
Right, right, he didn't see wrong, did he?
Mantou tilted his head and glanced at Aman. Seeing the smile on her face, he was overjoyed and felt the sky brighten up instantly. He asked cheekily, "Aren't you angry anymore?"
Aman snorted, but her voice was much softer. Mantou pressed on and apologized to Aman again, "Aman, I was wrong about what happened last time. I shouldn't have said those things and suspected you of being petty. But that's really not what I meant. I just spoke too quickly. I definitely won't do it again."
The steamed bun raised its right hand and swore, "I swear, if there is a next time, may I be struck by lightning and never be able to eat a full meal before I die."
For a foodie, this vow is undeniably vicious.
The steamed bun continued, "So, please be magnanimous and forgive me!"
Aman had been angry for so many days, and had abused Mantou for so many days. Seeing him being humble and cautious every day, her anger had long since dissipated. Not to mention that Mantou had vented her anger for Ding Li, so she was no longer angry.
Taking advantage of the situation, he said, "Alright, since you're so sincere, I'll reluctantly forgive you. But let me tell you, if you talk nonsense again next time, I won't just ignore you."
"Yes, yes, I'll never dare to do it again." Mantou nodded repeatedly. How could he dare to have a "next time"? He'd had enough of this life of being unloved by his parents this once.
Upon learning that the two had reconciled and made up, Fu Yunxiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
These past few days, Aman has been sulking with Mantou, which has made him feel somewhat insecure in front of Aman, afraid of upsetting her.
That's good, the storm has finally passed and the sun is shining.
The master and servant were both happy about this, completely unaware that, without realizing it, their every move had begun to be influenced by Aman.
Taking advantage of the good weather in the afternoon, Aman cut the potatoes he brought back into small pieces, planning to plant them in the ground as soon as possible.
There's a trick to cutting potato chunks; you have to cut those with buds. If there are no buds, they won't sprout when planted.
The vegetables I planted a few days ago have already sprouted. With the sunshine these past few days and Aman's diligent care, they have all grown real leaves and are very healthy, even though it has only been a few days.
Half a bag of potatoes was peeled and filled two large basins, which just filled the remaining half of the plot of land.
Aman didn't waste the potatoes left over from sprouting. He boiled them with some salt, then pan-fried them on a griddle until golden brown on both sides, making fragrant and crispy potato pancakes.
*
March arrived in the blink of an eye, and Yongzhou experienced several heavy rains in succession.
The clouds parted and the rain stopped, the temperature began to rise, and Aman's vegetables were growing well, changing almost every day.
There was still no sign of the potato field, but Aman wasn't worried at all. Aunt Hua said that potatoes grow slowly, and even if they were planted at that time, they wouldn't sprout and grow leaves until at least mid-March.
With nothing to do each day, Aman either searches for wild vegetables in the weeds in the backyard or tends to her vegetable garden.
Although the area around the vegetable garden was overgrown with weeds, there wasn't a single weed in the garden itself, all thanks to Aman.
Finally, thanks to Aman's careful care, the bok choy that had been planted was ready to eat.
That very night, Aman picked out a handful of the larger ones and cooked them with chicken broth to make noodles.
Freshly unearthed bok choy has a unique fragrance. When paired with chicken soup, it not only relieves the greasiness of the soup but also adds color to the chicken soup noodles, making it a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
Aman, who was usually stingy with green vegetables, finally didn't have to worry about it anymore. The vegetable garden in spring changed every day. No matter whether she made noodles, cold dishes, or stir-fries, the vegetables didn't decrease at all. On the contrary, they grew more and more, and the three of them couldn't possibly eat them all.
And so, Aman's long-cherished dream of setting up a vegetable stall was finally put on the agenda.
As she expected, the Marquis's mansion did not send the monthly allowance for Wutong Garden this month. Aman did not expect that she would definitely receive it if she went, so she simply ignored it.
Fu Yunxiu had no objection to Aman's plan to buy groceries and start a business, but he had one condition: that Mantou should come with him.
Aman was initially reluctant, as she was worried about leaving Fu Yunxiu alone at home if Mantou wasn't there either.
But Fu Yunxiu insisted, saying that if she didn't bring steamed buns, then there was no need to sell the vegetables.
The two had conflicting accounts and almost came to blows.
Aman didn't understand why her young master insisted on his own opinion on this matter, but Mantou knew perfectly well.
The young master was afraid that Aman would encounter the same thing as last time. After all, the market was a mixed bag, and even if Ding Li was gone, there would be Wang Li or Zhang Li.
Aman had been planning to make money by selling groceries for a long time, and giving up was out of the question. In the end, Aman had no choice but to compromise with Fu Yunxiu.
At the same time, he secretly made up his mind to make sure he returned before noon every day.
There were no scales in Wutongyuan, so Aman went to Aunt Zhu's house to borrow one.
Aunt Zhu was happy to learn that Aman was going to start a business selling vegetables, but she also reminded Aman to keep a close eye on the scales and to ensure that the goods were genuine and fairly priced, so as not to ruin his reputation.
It was only after she reminded him that Aman realized he didn't know what a scale was.
"What? You don't even know how to use a scale, and you're thinking of doing business?" Mantou thought it was outrageous. After all this time, it turned out that Aman was illiterate in this area.
When Aman heard him shouting, she instinctively wanted him to lower his voice; it wasn't anything to be proud of.
"What's the big deal? You don't even know him, he's just the young master's page!" Aman pouted in dissatisfaction.
I was hoping for some steamed buns, but now look what happened, they're both blind.
"What's wrong with a pageboy? A pageboy isn't necessarily good at everything, and the young master doesn't do business." Mantou muttered to himself, "So what do we do now? Just let it go?"
What's this? Ah Man's business venture failed halfway through?
Aman was also a little discouraged, but he had been planning for so long, and now everything was ready except for the final push, so how could he give up?
“No, we can’t let it go like this,” Aman said.
"So what are you planning to do?" They can't exactly hire someone else to watch the scales for them.
That would be a losing proposition.
"Why don't you go and beg the young master to teach you?" Mantou suggested.
The young master is well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics, and also has some knowledge of agriculture, politics and astronomy. Recognizing a scale is a piece of cake for him.
"This isn't quite right!" Thinking of his arrogant and smug demeanor at noon, Aman felt a little embarrassed.
No one makes a promise one minute and then contradicts themselves the next.
She was afraid of getting a sore face, so she didn't go.
"Then what do you suggest? How about we ask Uncle Zhu for help? Uncle Zhu will definitely accept the scales," Mantou suggested.
"Then forget it." Aman immediately refused.
Asking Uncle Zhu for help would certainly work, but that would mean owing him a favor.
In this world, the hardest thing to repay is a favor.
Comparatively speaking, Aman still felt it was more worthwhile to ask her own young master for help.
Young master, you are magnanimous and will certainly not stoop to her level.
Aman looked at the steamed bun and suddenly had an idea. He asked the steamed bun with ill intent, "Why don't you come with me?"
"What are you doing? Are you trying to trick me?" Mantou looked at her suspiciously.
"No way, I was just thinking of having someone to keep me company and give me some courage."
"Heh, scared now? Weren't you pretty tough at noon, even challenging the young master?"
Mantou thought that Aman was spoiled by the young master.
I remember when she first came, she was so meek and cautious, she looked so well-behaved. Unlike now, she actually dares to talk back to the young master, and the most important thing is that the young master doesn't get angry and just lets her do as she pleases.
This is simply raising a tiger to cause trouble.
The smug, mocking tone made Aman want to punch him, but since she needed his help, she had no choice but to swallow her anger and force a smile. "Oh, Brother Mantou, please help me out."
Aman's flattery made Mantou feel like a serf who had been liberated, and he straightened his back a bit more. "Alright, alright, since you've said so, I'll reluctantly accompany you this time!"
Of course, the most important thing is to see how Aman makes a fool of herself in front of the young master.
After dinner, Fu Yunxiu had a habit of practicing calligraphy, so when Aman and the others knocked on the door, Fu Yunxiu had just finished writing a piece of calligraphy.
Hearing the knock, Fu Yunxiu put down his brush and said softly, "Come in."
Aman pushed the steamed buns through the door and squeezed in to let him go first.
The two men, looking furtive like dogs, bypassed the screen and appeared before Fu Yunxiu.
Seeing the obvious embarrassment on Aman's face and the scale in Mantou's hand, Fu Yunxiu could easily understand why they had come, but he still pretended not to know and asked, "Is there something you need?"
"Well..." Aman really couldn't bring herself to say that she didn't know how to read a scale, especially when she saw the obvious cunning in Fu Yunxiu's eyes, she felt even more embarrassed.
He secretly regretted his arrogant attitude at noon; now look what happened, he'd overreacted!
But Mantou, always eager for a good show, said loudly, "Young master, Aman has something to ask of you."
"Oh, what is it?" Fu Yunxiu leaned back in his chair, looking at Aman with a playful expression.
"Well..." Aman felt her scalp tingle under his gaze and didn't even have the courage to look up. But Mantou, adhering to the principle of minding his own business, kept urging Aman to speak quickly.
With the mentality of "better to die than to die myself," Aman suddenly pushed Mantou, who was standing aside holding the scale and ready to watch the show, forward and said, "Mantou said he doesn't know how to use the scale and wants you to teach him, young master. Well then, you two go ahead with your work, I'll head out now."
After saying that, Aman didn't give the two of them time to react and disappeared in a flash.
Mantou, clutching the scale, stared at his master for a long time before finally realizing what had happened. He looked at the closed door, then at Fu Yunxiu, and stammered, "She...you...I...not me...?"
The incident happened so suddenly that Mantou didn't understand how he had become part of the excitement when he had come to watch. He was so shocked that he could hardly speak.
"Alright, I see through it." Seeing that he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time, Fu Yunxiu was speechless. This person seemed quite shrewd, how come he didn't realize that Aman had called him here with ill intentions?
Before, he spoke without thinking; now, he's completely brainless.
Just as Aman had predicted, Fu Yunxiu was indeed generous and explained the composition of the scale and the meaning of each dot to Mantou in detail.
Mantou listened carefully inside the house, and Aman listened attentively outside the house as well. Therefore, by the time Mantou learned to recognize scales, Aman had also learned most of them.
Now that everything was ready, Aman naturally slept soundly, completely satisfied.
The next morning, Aman got up after the rooster crowed once, cooked the porridge for breakfast, and then went to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables.
After being nourished by the dew overnight, the vegetables in the field are all full of vitality, and their lush green color is pleasing to the eye.
Since it was her first time selling vegetables, Aman wasn't sure if she could sell them, so she only prepared a flat basket.
They picked the biggest ones, and occasionally brought down the smaller ones. Aman put them aside, planning to make a cold dish with them later.
After Aman finished preparing the vegetables, the porridge was almost cooked. Then, she steamed the buns from yesterday and blanched some bok choy before they were ready to eat.
After having breakfast, Aman hurried off to the market with steamed buns.
Today happens to be market day, so there will definitely be a lot of people setting up stalls. If you go too late, you won't get a good spot.
Aman thought he could take advantage of his proximity to the market, but he was ultimately defeated by life. Those who regularly set up stalls at the market would arrive before dawn to claim their spots.
They were too late after all.
So when Aman and his companion arrived, the market was already packed with people, each busy at their own stall. Aman and his companion wandered around with their vegetable baskets but couldn't find a spot.
"It feels like there are suddenly so many more people." Aman muttered as he walked, secretly regretting that he hadn't anticipated this.
Mantou followed behind Aman, carrying a vegetable basket on his back. Looking around, he did see that there were indeed many new and interesting things at the market.
Now that the weather is getting warmer, wild vegetables are coming into season, willow branches are softening, and there are more and more people selling wild vegetables and baskets.
Moreover, Ding Li, that local tyrant, has already been arrested by the government. Without the exploitation of those people, people can now set up stalls and earn whatever they want, so naturally more people are willing to do so.
The two of them couldn't find the main entrance, so they headed towards the alley where Aman usually bought groceries. After walking a few steps, Aman heard someone calling her.
"Aman, over here?" Aunt Hua waved to her, indicating that there was a seat next to her.
Aunt Hua's stall was always next to Zhao Hu's. Because of the misunderstanding about the steamed buns last time, Aman was actually avoiding Zhao Hu. Even when she bought tofu on weekdays, she would just buy it and leave, unlike before when she would exchange a few pleasantries.
Zhao Hu must have been hurt by Aman's deliberate avoidance, as he has been sullen these past few days.
So, fearing that Ah Man would refuse to come if he knew that he had helped reserve the stall, he deliberately went out and hid beforehand.
Aman looked in the direction of Aunt Hua. The surrounding area was already full, with only the seat to her left empty, while there was only a shelf to her right, and Zhao Hu was nowhere to be seen.
Aman and Mantou walked over, and Aunt Hua said with a smile, "I heard yesterday that you were going to set up a stall, so I came over early this morning to reserve it for you. I thought you weren't coming."
Aman looked a little embarrassed and smiled sheepishly, "I accidentally overslept."
She glanced at Zhao Hu's stall again. "Hey, hasn't Brother Zhao arrived yet?"
"No, I guess he's been held up by something."
At that moment, Zhao Hu was pushing his cart loaded with tofu, wandering aimlessly around the alley ahead like a headless fly.
Aman, unsuspecting, and Mantou unloaded the basket together, spread a cloth on the ground, took out some of the bok choy from the basket and placed it on the ground, then carefully covered the remaining bok choy with the basket lid and placed it in a shady spot.
"Wow, this vegetable is growing really well. The leaves are thick and big, and it looks so fresh and juicy," Aunt Hua praised.
Ah Man smiled with great satisfaction and said, "They were all freshly picked this morning, so they must be very fresh."
After Aman and the others had set up their stall and sat down, Zhao Hu finally arrived late.
"Why are you so late?" To make the play complete, Aunt Hua asked knowingly to prevent Aman from noticing anything amiss.
"There was a problem with the cart on the way, which caused a delay," Zhao Hu explained as he unloaded the tofu, though his ears were slightly burning from lying.
Aman was completely unaware of the two of them putting on an act; she simply tended her stall, waiting for people to come and buy vegetables.
As the weather got warmer, more and more people came out to stroll through the market. Soon, the entire market was filled with people, coming and going in an endless stream.
Ah Man's business finally took off. The first customer was an elderly woman who immediately started picking and choosing, complaining that there was too much mud on the vegetable roots and that the yellow leaves hadn't been picked off, and demanding money for nothing.
But how many yellow leaves could vegetables that have only recently sprouted have?
The other party was clearly trying to lower the price in this way, but Aman rejected it with a smile.
Aman had investigated the market situation in advance. Now that wild vegetables were in season, the price of leafy greens had dropped, but it was still four coins per pound. She couldn't lower the price arbitrarily, lest it disrupt the market.
The old lady saw that Aman didn't get angry no matter what she said, and since Aman's vegetables were really fresh, she eventually bought two pounds and left.
After weighing the steamed buns, Aman happily took the money and casually stuffed two more vegetables into the old lady's basket, saying they were a gift.
Seeing that she could get a good deal, the old lady was happy and said with a smile that she would come to patronize her business again next time.
Once the first customer arrived, a second customer followed, and soon Aman's stall became bustling with activity.
Ah Man is beautiful and has a sweet tongue. Whenever a customer buys vegetables, no matter how much, she always gives them two extra pieces.
Given the same price, anyone who isn't stupid will know which option to choose.
In less than an hour, Aman had sold out almost all of his vegetables, including a large basket and a large hamster.
Aunt Hua looked at her own stall of potatoes and wild vegetables, which hardly had any customers, and felt quite envious.
But there's nothing she can do; the bok choy she grows is only half a finger tall, so she'll have to wait at least two more market days before she can sell it.
With nothing else to do, Aman would pester Mantou to teach him how to recognize scales.
Mantou was initially arrogant, but Ah Man tricked him last night.
But when Aman said that he would make meat for dinner, he immediately surrendered and offered up the weighing skills that Fu Yunxiu had taught him the night before.
Aman knew some characters and could do some arithmetic, so he learned very quickly.
After Aman had taken good care of the two customers, Mantou finally felt relieved and handed the stall over to her before going to stroll around.
He was short of a hoe for growing vegetables at home, and using a shovel to weed was always inconvenient, so he wanted to go ahead and see if there was a suitable one.
As noon approached, the sun shone brightly, making people dizzy. Aman moved to a shady spot, and Aunt Hua, feeling bored, came over to talk to her.
"It's almost noon, and the rest probably won't sell well!" At noon, everyone goes out to eat and escape the heat. These fresh vegetables can't withstand the sun; once they wilt in the afternoon, no one will want them.
Aman didn't care. She planned to wait a little longer before leaving. It was noon, and the young master was home alone and couldn't even have lunch.
She smiled but didn't say anything. Instead, she took out a water bottle from the side, poured some water into her palm, and sprinkled it evenly on the bok choy.
Aman's vegetables were always kept in his basket, with only a small portion taken out. The vegetables, which hadn't been dried for a long time, were already fresh, and now that they were sprinkled with water, they looked even more vibrant, as if they had just been pulled from the ground.
Aunt Hua's face lit up with joy. "Hey, you're such a clever girl. I wonder which lucky family will be able to marry you in the future."
As she spoke, she moved closer to Aman and asked in a low voice, "By the way, are you engaged now?"
Unexpectedly, she suddenly asked this question, and Aman's face immediately turned red. She said coquettishly, "Auntie~"
"Oh dear, you're shy now? Are you actually not?" Aunt Hua persisted.
Seeing that she wouldn't give up until she heard an answer, Aman was quite helpless. "Why are you asking these questions all of a sudden, Auntie?"
"Isn't it because you're getting on in years that I'm worried? Let me tell you, once a woman is past that age, it's hard for her to marry into a good family. I think Zhao Hu is a good young man; he's honest, hardworking, and he even knows how to make tofu. If you don't already have someone to marry him..."
“Hey, Auntie,” seeing that Aunt Hua was about to play matchmaker for her, Aman hurriedly interrupted her, “Auntie, I’m not thinking about marriage right now.”
"How can we not consider this? This is a major life event, we can't afford to delay it," Aunt Hua said disapprovingly.
Aman continued to explain, "Auntie, my grandmother passed away not long ago, so I really don't have the mind to think about these things."
"Oh, I see," Aunt Hua exclaimed, realizing that Aman was in mourning. She quickly slapped herself twice, "It's all my fault for being so talkative; I didn't know you..."
"It's alright, Auntie." Aman shook her head, feeling a little guilty.
She ultimately dared not reveal her true identity to the public.
The two were speaking quite loudly, and Zhao Hu, who was paying attention to them, naturally heard them clearly.
Upon hearing that Aman was not considering marriage because his mourning period was not over, their eyes lit up immediately.
I initially thought she was deliberately avoiding me because she didn't like me, but now it seems that might not be the case.
He felt he was capable again.
It's only a year; he can wait that long.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I'm posting a pre-order link. Please add it to your favorites if you like it.
"Qiniang Mingzhao" - An inspirational young lady and her loyal magistrate
Ming Zhao, the youngest daughter of the Ming family, in order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, and her childhood sweetheart and fiancé Zhou Yuanqing searched through ancient books and studied diligently for a year. Finally, they created a set of exquisite ancient lacquerware to use for the World Trade Center.
Zhou Yuanqing said that the two of them would get married when he returned this time.
Mingzhao was waiting to be married, but instead of good news from her fiancé, she received news that he had been robbed on the way, died from his injuries, and that his lacquerware had disappeared.
The newly appointed magistrate, Shen Tingsi, was in charge of investigating the matter and eventually discovered that the murderer was a Japanese.
*
Mingzhao said that at first, he just wanted to fulfill his grandfather's last wish and let him rest in peace. Later, he wanted to find a way out and pass on this skill.
Shen Tingsi: When I first met Mingzhao, I thought she was just a young lady living in the shadow of her parents. Later, I found that she was just like her name, wise and intelligent, and dazzling.
The Substitute Bride: Little White Rabbit and Big Bad Wolf
Xiao Bai Ze Shu Yao transmigrates into the body of a substitute bride who is forced to marry the disabled general Yan Sui Zhi.
Rumor has it that this man has an eccentric personality and is unpredictable; all three of his previous wives died on their wedding night, without exception.
Sure enough, as soon as Shu Yao entered the house, before her veil was even lifted, the man grabbed her neck fiercely and said, "If you don't want to die, get out of here right now."
The veil slipped off, revealing the beautiful woman with a wronged expression and teary eyes. "My husband, I'm hungry."
Yan Suizhi: "..." Is this person out of their mind?
Yan Suizhi spent his life on the battlefield, achieving numerous military exploits, but unexpectedly aroused the emperor's suspicion. At the victory banquet, a cup of poisoned wine crippled him, leaving him crippled in both legs, unable to fight, and with his life hanging by a thread.
The emperor was still not at ease, so he granted her marriage three times in a row, and each time blood stained the bridal chamber on their wedding night.
On this fourth occasion, the other party not only did not make a move, but also said that he was cold late at night and wanted to be held while sleeping.
Yan Suizhi guessed that the emperor had run out of tricks and had changed tactics.
Ha, let's see how long she can keep up this act...
From then on, Yan Suizhi always granted Shu Yao's requests.
Shu Yao complained that the bed at home was too hard, so he sold his possessions to buy her a softer, larger bed.
Shu Yao disliked the food, so he suppressed his subordinates and made them all become chefs.
Shu Yao disliked his family's poverty, so he dragged his disabled body out to earn money.
Shu Yao then lived a life of ease, with everything done for her, but everyone thought that Yan Suizhi was being hypocritical and waiting for an opportunity to make his move.
Until one of his trips away, Shu Yao was summoned to the palace by the emperor, where she was tortured beyond recognition and nearly lost her life.
The usually calm and collected man, who was always so composed and strategic, suddenly flew into a rage. "They've already spoiled her to this extent. Making her the most honored woman in the world isn't too much to ask!"
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